Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Age: 19

Death was a funny thing.

I’d thought about it a couple of times, idle musings on how I wanted to go. Sleeping away at the end of a successful life, or failing that, something quick and painless. No time for regrets.

I didn’t get my wish.

It wasn’t any kind of cool death, either. A training accident. Landmine clearing with a bangalore torpedo, one of the basic tricks in a Combat Engineer’s playbook. Push a plastic tube filled with explosives into a minefield, and detonate to clear a path for the infantry. We’d done it dozens of times before over the course of my conscript service, in this very spot even.

Something went wrong. I… I don’t actually know what it was. A stray explosive? We searched the area beforehand, but the Rovajärvi firing range has been in continuous use by the Finnish Defence Force since World War II, we could’ve missed something buried among the snow and dirt. That’s kind of irrelevant now, though.

All I know is that I took cover well outside the safe distance, but for whatever reason the explosion was so much bigger than planned. It was like god had punched me in the face and the chest and the nuts all at the same time. There was a bright flash of light, but I can’t remember any sound. I think my ears must have been blown out by the shockwave.

I only wish it had ended there.

A bright light, and then nothing.

It didn’t. I came to, must’ve been only seconds later, lying down on my back, when I was slapped on the face.

There were people crouching over me, talking to me. I recognized my squadmates, I saw their lips moving, but there was no sound. Or maybe there was and I just can’t remember.

I remember… being so confused. Looking back on it, they were performing the basic emergency medical check up we’d done a million times, both on the giving and receiving end. But I just wanted to get up and get back to work. I remember trying to stand up, and being pushed down.

One of my squadmates was sitting on my leg, his knee driving into my thigh as he was fiddling with something. I remember yelling at him. He pulled off, and I saw what he’d been doing. A black emergency tourniquet had been wrapped around my leg, but it was barely doing anything to stop the blood. My left leg was a red mess, my pant leg soaked with blood and torn by shrapnel.

Then the pain came, and I started to scream.

I don’t know how long that lasted, but everything eventually started to blur and I just… faded away.

-------

It’s impossible to say how much time I spent in that state. Even now, cognition came and went, and my mind felt sluggish, like I was awake and dreaming at the same time. Memories seemed to float in and out of my head, hazy and indistinct, and when I tried to focus on them they seemed to shift and warp, until it was hard to tell what was real and what was drummed up by my subconsciousness.

Yet, over time, some sensations began to feel more real than others. They began simple at first. Pressure. Heat. Vibration. Then light, and soon sound.

The first that I finally realized I wasn’t dreaming anymore was when I could see a blurry, indistinct rendition of what might have been a hospital.

The thought that I had been in a coma slowly drifted across my consciousness, like moving through syrup. I tried to move, but after a few moments of struggle I realized I could only accomplish the barest of wiggles.

There was a burst of incomprehensible noise, and dark shapes passing over me, but I could make no sense of them. Slowly I could feel a sort of pressure building up, an uncomfortable sensation pressing against my chest that grew by the moment.

It built up until it was agonizing, until finally I could take no more, and I did the only thing that I felt like I could do. I screamed as hard as I could, and though it came out like a whimper it relieved the pressure somehow.

The noise grew softer, less intense. The dark shapes returned, now more clearly in view and they began to eerily resemble people. They were people. Except… huge.

I felt gigantic hands wrapping me in something warm and comfortable.

It was irrefutable. I was a baby.

A girl baby, at that.

That was a thing. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t what I dedicated my limited ability to focus and form coherent thoughts towards.

I had been… born again? Reincarnated, I suppose the word was.

How?

Why?

Why me?

Was I the only one this had happened to?

If so, why had nobody ever brought it up?

Would I ever meet my old family?

What would my new one be like?

Is it a betrayal of Mom and Dad if I call my new parents that?

New parents. That was a thought to consider.

I was handed to another pair of hands, and I was brought face to face with Mom. New Mom. My vision was blurry, but so close I could see well enough. She was an asian woman with pale skin and white hair- an albino? She had a pleasant smile on her face, exhausted but full of emotion. Love.

And that was… Here she was expecting a normal baby, and she got me. An old soul, reincarnated. Who already had memories of a loving family, who no doubt missed them.

I wasn’t sure if I could fully return that love, as she deserved.

For all that I may have been an adult I was now in the body of a newborn, and the dam burst. I sucked in a choking breath and started crying my lungs out.

-------

Age: 2

I had horns.

Yeah, horns.

They’d begun to develop almost as soon as I was born, one pushing out from my forehead above my eyebrows, and a second, shorter one behind it. The extra weight was pretty unsettling, but whatever was responsible for this had clearly thought things out rather than haphazardly slap on extra parts. A normal baby probably would’ve snapped their neck from the imbalance because human babies are useless for anything other than crying and eating, but I could at least support my own head.

Thank god for small mercies.

And that wasn’t the only thing. The few teeth that already decorated my mouth were pointed and triangular, and I kept accidentally drawing blood from my lip because those things are sharp.

So there I was, a tiny, useless baby. White hair and red eyes like Mom, tiny nose and puffy cheeks, the works. For the longest while I couldn’t even move beyond waving my arms a little and kicking. I still couldn't understand anything anyone said nor could I even try communicating with anyone, not without giving myself away. So all I could do was watch with my beady little baby eyes.

And what I saw was fucking weird.

For all that I’d freaked out about my own little mutations, they were among the less exotic things I’d seen in my new life. Other people with horns, animal parts, scissor hands, machinery parts sticking out of their skin… Sure, most people looked normal, but something like every fifth person was like something out of a cartoon.

At first I was sure I was tripping on something, and in a way my little baby brain always is, but eventually I had to believe it. My first thought was that I was reborn in the future where genetic and cybernetic modification is commonplace, but all the technology I saw with my beady little baby eyes looked mostly modern.

Honestly there wasn’t a lot I could do to find out until I’d managed to actually learn the language of the land. I’ve always been absolutely terrible at learning new languages, and it was an upwards struggle. Still, at least I could look forward to acing english at school, and having two whole languages to myself that essentially nobody would be able to understand.

It’s been so long since my little brother was a baby that I can’t actually remember when babies are supposed to start understanding speech, but I still hadn’t picked up more than a couple of words, like “yes” and “no”.

And names, of course.

Mine was “Ryuuzaki Tatsuma”, based on the amount of times the adults liked to chant it in my general vicinity. I’m also pretty sure that confirms that I’m in Japan now, or at least my parents are japanese.

“Ryutsuki Tatsuma” was Mom. Like I said, she looked much like me, without the horns. Pale skin, white hair, red eyes. The same pointed teeth as I had, and she also had these slit pupils, like a cat. She had a pleasant smile and was always kind, but I could tell she was the disciplinarian of the household. When she put her foot down, everyone stopped what they were doing and listened. Despite that, she was apparently an artist of some description, from what little I could understand.

“Kenshin Tatsuma” was the name of my new Dad. I’d burst out crying when I was first placed in his arms because holy shit this guy has the head of a rhino. Yeah, it wasn’t all too hard to imagine where I got the horns from. He was absolutely massive, with grey, thick skin covering even the human parts of his body. Despite his appearance he seemed to be a mellow guy, letting Mom take the lead in most situations. I hadn’t yet figured out his profession, but there was one time he took me to some kind of rally-slash-protest thing with lots of the aforementioned people with weird body parts, like him. Like me, I suppose.

Together the two of them seemed to hover over my shoulder every waking moment. I suppose it’s only normal that they wouldn’t leave a baby alone except to sleep, but it was just so frustrating to have lost all of my independence in one fell swoop. Anything small enough for me to swallow was scooped away from my reach, every piece of furniture was lined with those rubber corner guards that softened the sharp edges and corners, the floor was covered with a green mushy carpet, and I was penned into the living room by a pair of gates with the latches too high for me to reach. It was as baby proofed as you could get.

And it was boring as hell.

Don’t get me wrong, I tried. I was still physically just past my second birthday, and at that age you’re basically constantly doped on endorphins. Every new thing is the best and awesomest thing to ever happen.

Even so, it wasn’t the same as being an actual mental two-year old, and it showed. I just couldn’t quite muster that same enthusiasm and glee for every single little thing, not when I’d seen and experienced it all before. Mom and Dad carted me off to a doctor after doctor, and even if I couldn’t quite follow what they said, I could see the worried creases on their brows. That made me feel guilty and try to be the child they deserved, to forget about my past.

But it was hard to fake every waking moment of my life. There was a whole different world out there that I wanted to know everything about, but I couldn’t talk and so I couldn’t ask.

Still, if there was one spot of light in this new world, it was named Ryuko Tatsuma.

-------

“...Yes, but he is so big and ugly, said the spiteful duck and therefore he must be turned out...”

Ryuko kept her eyes on her little sister as she read the story, the two-year old’s eyes flicking across the coloured storybook with rapt attention. She knew Ryuuzaki didn’t care much for the story, she’d long since lost count of how many times she’d read this book to her.

But Ryuuzaki liked listening to her sister read it to her. The two-year old struggled with speech, even now constrained to a handful of words. There was a strange kind of cycle to her efforts: she’d try as hard as she could, become frustrated at her slow progress, give up, then become frustrated at her inability to communicate and pick up where she left.

There was no question that Ryuuzaki was a strange child. In the last two years, the Tatsumas had been shuffled from doctor to doctor, always repeating the same things.

Lethargic temperament. Slow development of linguistic skills. Quiet. Doesn’t play with toys. Disinterested in exploring new things.

Many labels had been thrown around. Autistic. Developmental disorder. One of Ryuko’s friends who’d been over had used simple. They weren’t friends anymore.

Ryuko knew it bothered Mom and Dad. She may only have been twelve, but she could pick up on the way the two of them would exchange glances, the tension in the air each time they returned from a doctor, the muffled sounds of arguments after they thought she was asleep.

But it didn’t bother Ryuko. So what if Ryuuzaki didn’t learn to speak as fast as other kids or bother playing with toys? Nobody could deny that her sister was smart, smarter than others her age. There was an alertness in her eyes, and if anything Ryuko could tell that the little stuffed animals and toy cars only bored her. Ryuuzaki didn’t refuse to do things because she didn’t understand them, but because they didn’t interest her.

She couldn’t wait to introduce Ryuuzaki to her lego collection, but Mom had strictly forbidden it for a few years more, even though her sister had never shown the propensity to try to swallow small things that weren’t food.

“...Then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans...”

-------

Age 3

“-And each and every Quirk is unique to their user, though it is often a combination of the parents. Most people- 80% of the population possess a Quirk, and that number is steadily increasing.”

I looked up at my Dad, eyes filled with wonder. I’d pestered my parents for an explanation about all of the...weirdness as soon as I had learned the words to do so, and apparently they’d decided today was the day. But when they’d plopped me down on the sofa opposite from the two of them, this was not what I’d been expecting.

Honest to god superheroes and villains?

I brought a hand to my horns, which had continued to grow. The front one was almost as long as my head, curving upwards while the second one was about two thirds it’s length and pointing straight up. They were sharp enough that I had to be careful pulling on shirts, though thankfully their position didn’t make it impossible either. Something like ram horns would’ve been hell to deal with.

“...Ar’ these my…?”

“No, honey,” Mom took over from Dad, smiling at me. “It’s… sometimes when people have mutant Quirks they can pass parts of those on, even if that’s not the child’s quirk. You remember the boy with the bird's head?”

I scrunched up my nose. “He was borin’.”

“Don’t be rude, Ryuuzaki.” Mom tried to sound stern, but her heart wasn’t in it. I’d said the same of every playdate mate they’d tried to get me to be friends with.

“The doctors think your horns are a leftover from Dad’s mutation. It would be very unusual for a child to receive a lesser version of their parent’s Quirk.”

Oh. That’s… good? Bad? I didn’t really know what to think. Even now I wasn’t sure if I hadn’t just misunderstood what they were trying to get across. I hadn’t quite gotten every word of the explanation, but I had enough to understand the rest from the context.

“An’ these?” I opened my mouth, running a finger over my sharpened teeth. They made chewing a bit of a difficult proposition, but at least they looked pretty cool.

Mom handed me a framed picture, showing a stern-looking man dressed in a suit, glaring at the camera. His entire body was covered in red scales, with a ridge running across his head and spine before ending in a spiked tail, a pair of powerful wings sprouting from his shoulders, as well as clawed hands and feet. “This is your great-great-great-grandfather, Ryoto Tatsuma. He was one of the first pro-heroes, the Dragon Hero Ryuichi.”

“'Kay.” A thousand questions swam across my mind. But one of them rose to the forefront, pushing all the others aside with its weight.

“Coul’… could I be a hero, too?”

“Ah, that’s-”

“I knew it!” Ryuko shouted as she interrupted Mom, jumping up from her seat and running over to me, her hands on my shoulders. “Can I train with ‘Zaki? Can I-”

“Settle down, Ryuko.” Mom said with a seropis face. “Of course you can be a hero, Ryuuzaki, if that’s what you want. You can be whatever you choose to put your heart into. It will be a difficult journey, but your father and I will help you along the way. And I know somebody else who would be more than happy to help.”

“I’m going to be a hero, ‘Zaki.” Ryuko whirled back towards me, a fire burning in her eyes as she pumped her fist into the air. “The Dragon Hero: Ryukyu! The ninth of the Tatsuma Heroes! And you can be the tenth!”

My parents exchanged a glance at each other as I looked at them in askance at Ryuko’s outburst. They’d never really talked about their families, and the only relatives I’d ever seen were the occasional visitors from Dad’s side, which was also how I learned he took Mom’s name when they married.

Whatever their internal communique, it seemed that one side prevailed as she looked back at me. “The Tatsuma line includes many of the great pro-heroes in the history of Japan. I have no doubt you could continue that tradition.”

She leaned forward, taking my hand into hers. “But always remember, whatever choice you make, we will be here to support you in any way we can. Do not ever feel that you should become something to meet expectations, rather than because it’s what you want. There’s no need to make any decisions yet. Three years old is far too young to say ‘I will become a hero’.”

“‘Kay.” I nodded, my hands clasped together on my lap. It was a lot to take in, but it explained so much about this new world that had previously felt incomplete. The next logical question was, then… “So what’s your Quirks?”

“Quirk: Dragon!” Before Mom or Dad had gotten in a word edgewise, Ryuko had pumped her fist in the air, a crackling field of energy enveloping her.

“Not inside-” Mom yelled, but it was too late.

Ryuko’s body warped and expanded until she filled the entire living room, her back pressed against the ceiling. A pair of massive wings extended from wall to wall, and our house was by no means small. A glittering coat of scales covered her, though her casual t-shirt had somehow been transformed to fit her new size, looking quite out of place. Her tail had knocked over one of the sofas and her huge talons were digging into the stone flooring.

I could hear mom and dad yelling at her, but as I beheld the massive dragon before me, I could only muster an awed, gap-toothed smile.

-------

After Ryuko had transformed back and received approximately thirty minutes of lecturing from Mom, I managed to get back to questioning them about their quirks.

As demonstrated, Ryuko’s quirk was called Dragon, and it allowed her to shapeshift into a honest-to-god dragon the size of a garbage truck, and she wasn’t done growing yet.

Honestly, it was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life.

Mom’s Quirk was almost the same. Her dragon form was, from the pictures she showed me, somewhat smaller and slimmer and it didn’t have hair or transform clothing like Ryuko’s, but there was a spiked ridge running along her spine and a more prominent head.

Dad’s was, obviously, that he was a rhino-man. An African Black Rhino, specifically. He was on the bigger side of seven feet, and with the way his head made him hunch over he packed even more mass into that height. He was strong and tough, and when he gets a proper run up those horns can shred steel plating. Mostly he just used his size to move furniture around, and wrangle animals in his day-to-day job as a veterinarian.

My quirk would, in all likelihood, be some sort of mixture between the two. There was always the possibility of developing something completely unrelated, called a first generation quirk, or to be quirkless.

Honestly that last one seemed like an incomprehensibly cruel fate to me. It was one thing to live in a society without superpowers, or even one where those bearing them were in the minority, but to be powerless when 80% of all people had one? To be the muggle born of mages?

The thought made my skin crawl. Thankfully the odds of such a thing were astronomically tiny.

-------

To my eternal relief, my quirk did not take long to manifest itself.

One day, I was sitting on the sofa while my parents were at work and Ryuko at school, engrossed in my newfound ability to understand the TV and the running coverage of local and national pro-heroes. Not the text, but the narration was enough to follow the general gist of things.

Quirks, and heroes in particular, had rapidly become a fixation of mine. Naturally so, given that they were the only thing that was actually new to me. Everything else seemed so dull and boring in comparison to the bizarre world of heroes and villains, and I think Mom and Dad were a touch shocked by the intensity with which I latched onto the concept. Shocked, but a little bit glad that I had found something that could hold my interest, given the apathy I had displayed toward most of everything else.

There was a news story regarding a live battle between a man decked out in samurai armor who could create shockwaves from his huge katana versus a woman who seemed to be able to spawn some sort of monsters by cutting off bits of her hair and letting them grow into shaggy, tangled creatures. I wasn’t actually sure which, if either, was supposed to be the hero but I was so fixated upon the fight itself that I didn’t notice Dad coming home until he laid a hand on my shoulder.

I fell out of my seat in surprise, and when I caught myself, it wasn’t with human hands.

Several things happened at once. Dad yelled out in surprise. I did the same, except it was more like a distorted screech as I tried to pull myself to my feet only to find out I now had four of them and trip again, my newfound tail pitching a night lamp over.

“Stop.”

I froze at Dad’s commanding tone, something he rarely made use of. He knelt down to one knee, lifting me up into his hands. Everything felt wrong and weird, and my head was starting to spin from the vertigo. For a moment I felt like I was in that darkness again, my whole body warped and wrong-

“Calm down. Just breathe. Relax.”

I drew a shuddering breath. The air made an odd whistling sound as it went past my newly-enlarged teeth.

“That’s it. Good.”

He walked out into the back yard, a large area of grass lawn that extended several hundred meters before meeting the forest edge. Dad set me down on the grass with care, before looking down at me.

“Can you turn back?”

I wasn’t sure how I’d changed in the first place, so I had no idea how to reverse it. Just thinking about it really hard didn’t seem to help.

I tried to speak, but I couldn’t form the words with my strange new mouth. Too many teeth and no cheeks and too long and narrow and...

“Breathe.”

After a few failures at wheezing out a verbal answer, I settled for shaking my head.

“That’s alright. I’m going to go inside and get a mirror and some towels. I want you to stay here and just breathe. Don’t try to walk yet, just breathe.”

I nodded again, laying flat on the ground, soaking in the pleasant feeling of the grass against my body, though it felt muffled. It was a late summer day, the sky was bright and clear with a cold breeze running through the air. A whole wealth of new sensations bombarded me- the smell of newly-cut grass, somebody somewhere grilling meat. The wind whistled in the treetops, insects crawled across the grass and buzzed through the air.

Moments later, dad returned, setting down something heavy in front of me. I cracked open my eyes, and was treated to the sight of myself.

I’d estimate that I was maybe the size of a german shepherd, with the classic western dragon anatomy of four legs and two wings. White scales covered my entire body, shiny and glimmering along my back and tapering off to become more dull and almost gray along my belly. My head was comparatively massive, with the beginnings of powerful, dinosaur-like jaws, tiny fangs peeking out like a crocodile. A pair of familiar horns emerged from my forehead, and smaller hornlets lined my cheeks and brows, reaching all the way to the frill-like ears. My new tail was thick and flat, akin to a crocodile’s, and I had four limbs with four toes each ending in a claw, with the fourth one being able to rotate around to become a thumb.

Dad knelt by me again, wrapping his hands around me and I nuzzled into the comforting warmth of his body.

“That’s my girl. I called your mother and she’ll be here soon. She can help you get accustomed to your quirk, until you figure out how to change back.”

I shifted around in agitation, and Dad must’ve figured out the source of my distress because he immediately went on to reassure me.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” He shifted my position on his lap, so that I was looking into his eyes. “Ryuko took two whole months before she could turn back. You should’ve seen her, tripping over her own limbs, trying to pry open a cookie jar...”

Soon enough I felt my eyelids become heavy, and I slipped into the darkness.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Age: 5

A mighty predator stalked through the forest.

It crawled beneath fallen logs, leaped over puddles, climbed on top of the tallest rocks and explored the deepest crevices and cracks. It sniffed at trails left by deer herds and barked at passing squirrels.

Suddenly, a shift in the air had it freeze to a standstill, crouched in preparation for a leap. Instead, inquisitive eyes surveyed the surrounding forest scape, head raised to sniff at the air.

There it was again. A slight tremor in the ground, the soft sigh of moss being depressed under a heavy foot. The predator stalked through the forest, darting between cover as it approached its prey.

Hidden beneath the canopy of a spruce tree, it spied the huge creature stomping through the forest, coming closer and closer until it was just within range. The predator’s muscles coiled, springing into a leap, wings beating the air once to give an extra bit of speed as its powerful jaws approached the exposed neck of the pre-

A massive, scaled fist caught me right out of the air, wrapping around my torso. I went limp in its grip like a cat and uttered a whining noise. It relented immediately, and I dropped onto the ground, twisting my torso to land on my feet.

“Sorry ‘Zaki, I know you were enjoying yourself, but it’s half past five already, we need to go.”

I pouted up at her for the interruption, but her stern glare brooked no arguments as we began making our way back home, leaving the forest behind.

Being a dragon was awesome. No words could do justice to the feeling of power and freedom offered by being a four-legged two-winged avatar of death and destruction.

An avatar of death and destruction the size of a small pony, like the kind they use to teach children how to ride, but still. I was physically only five years old, after all.

By comparison Ryuko’s almost adult-sized dragon form was massive, nearly ten meters from snout to tail tip and with the wingspan of a small propeller plane. It was impossible to tell if I'd match her as an adult, since even Quirks as similar as ours could have notable differences, as had become apparent over two years worth of hide and seek, racing, mock fights, and more.

The most outwardly obvious part was that Ryuko’s quirk transformed her clothing while mine didn’t, and that I had horns while she didn’t. But there were many others- Ryuko had powerful hind legs that allowed her to walk like a bear, something that I couldn't do. She was more lithe and agile while I was comparatively more heavily built with a thick, flat tail, and the “fingers” on my wings were each tipped with a small, curved claw while Ryuko’s weren’t, being more like a bat’s. She had a better sense of smell, but my frilled ears gave me excellent hearing.

For the last two years I’d taken every opportunity I could to drag Ryuko over into the forest to explore and play around, trying to get used to my Quirk. It wasn’t real training- Mom would have never allowed it if it was, and it’s not like Ryuko could really train with someone so much smaller than her. Most of the time I was just running around to my heart's content while Ryuko watched, or played on her phone while she thought I wasn't looking.

But still, like I said, just being a dragon is awesome. Frankly if Ryuko wasn’t there to remind and drag me back if necessary, I would probably never actually leave the forest and fulfill the social obligations of modern society.

But alas, such is life.

Ryuko landed on the yard with a flap of her wings, transforming back into a human in a cloud of smoke before her feet even hit the ground in one smooth motion.

Show-off.

Ever since she’d gotten to high school last year and began her training to become a Pro Hero Ryuko had started to change. For the length of my new life, she had always been the more… I guess active of the two of us, rushing off to new things with unbridled enthusiasm while I toddled behind her at a more sedate pace.

I don’t think there was any one thing that set it off, but around the time of her entrance exams she started to try to be cool. No hugging or other physical affection in public, no more gushing over every dog that she came across, no more challenging me to race everywhere, and certainly no more backpack rides for poor, tired little sisters. Oh, she’d still do it in private, but even then she was more… aloof, I guess.

In short, she’d started to mature. Which was, well, inevitable, but I liked her better before. Leaning against the back door I pawed the handle open, only to come face to face with my mother, fussing over pieces of clothing.

“Oh good, I was just about to get worried. Now, which dress do you want to wear?”

Oh no.

-------

A few minutes later I was perched on top of the dresser of my room, staring defiantly down at Mom. She had one hand on her hip, the other holding the grey dress she’d decided upon.

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma you will come down this instant or so help me-” That was her I Am Your Mother Voice.

“Make me.” I saw the slightest quiver of her nostrils as she took in an enraged breath, and I had a moment to consider if I had just made a terrible mistake.

“You’re banned from practicing with your Quirk for the next month unless you come down.”

“Deal.” Only a month? I could deal with that.

Mom looked bewildered for a moment, before setting her jaw.

“Ryuuzaki. This is not up for discussion. We are going to my father’s funeral, and you will not embarrass us in front of the entire extended family by appearing in a funeral as a dragon.”

Dammit, she knew guilt was the best way to get me to do what she wanted. I really, really didn’t want to do it, but I hated making trouble for Mom and Dad.

I grit my teeth and leapt down, shutting my eyes. I pictured myself being squeezed by a giant hand, crushing me, compressing me. I then imagined a bottle, a human-shaped bottle, and that giant hand forcing me into it. I felt the air around me heat up as the flash of light came over me, and then I stood on two legs once more.

Immediately, it felt like I'd taken off a strong pair of glasses and put mufflers over my ears. Everything felt so muted in comparison. My draconic body had been replaced by that of a give year old human, tiny, stubby and clumsy.

I sighed.

-------

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in the back of the car, munching on a packet of peanuts- transforming took a lot of energy -and wearing the stupid dress. It was a muted grey one and I got to wear a white cardigan over it so it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but still. It was the principle of the thing.

I fidgeted with the hem of the dress, uncomfortable but resigned to my fate. At least I was only banned from the forest for two weeks. It wasn’t something I could do anything about now, so I pushed it out of my mind.

The fact that we would be attending the funeral of my grandfather was somewhat more immediately pressing in my mind. Now, I’d never met the man and Mom had literally never even mentioned him before last week; I hadn’t even known his name before hearing it mentioned on the TV before Mom snatched the remote and turned it off. She had one day just announced that we would be going and offered no explanation or clarification. So, I didn’t really know what Ryuunosuke Tatsuma had actually been like in life.

But, y’know, I could make inferences from what I did know, more than what Mom probably thought I could.

Ryuko was sixteen and Mom thirty-three, meaning she would’ve been seventeen when she had her. They would sometimes talk about Ryuko’s childhood, and from what I could tell they went through some rough patches of life when she was very young. Just little things, like references to how she didn’t have many toys or how they moved around a lot, other signs of monetary troubles. And given that Ryuunosuke Tatsuma was also known as Dragon Hero: Ryugo, one of the most successful Pro-Heroes in Japan and owner of the frankly quite massive estate we were now approaching…

So you’ve got a teenage pregnancy followed by estrangement. It certainly didn’t paint a pretty picture.

Nor, for that matter, had I ever seen hide nor hair of Ryuko's father. Yes, Ryuko was technically my half-sister. Dad hadn’t entered the picture until a couple of years later, though you wouldn’t know it from seeing the two interact.

I was a more… planned addition to the family, after their situation had stabilized. They’d prepared in every fashion even remotely reasonable. And what they got stuck with was, well, me.

I knew I wasn’t an easy child to deal with, alternating between being so quiet they’d forget I was there, and throwing tantrums about what must have been the weirdest little things.

And now I felt depressed again.

I shook my head; we’d arrived at the funeral. The Tatsuma family house was impressively traditional-looking and massive, a huge mansion built on top of a hillside overlooking the sea. We walked in through the front door, and there were even actual servants to greet us and usher us into the large room where the funeral was taking place.

The ceremony itself dragged on and on and on- I fidgeted in place, feeling dizzy and out of place. It was too cold and the room felt cramped. The smell of incense was clogging up in my nose, and every time I shifted around to get more comfortable, I’d get disapproving looks from the other guests.

The stares were the worst part: constantly being sized up and judged by standards I didn’t have the faintest of clues about. Just about the only thing I could tell was that they kept glancing at my horns. The one thing keeping me still was what Mom had said earlier- “you will not embarrass us in front of the entire extended family”. And even that was hanging on by a thread.

Mom was doing little better, though she seemed to alter between icy stoicness and frustrated stubbornness. Dad was unaffected, of course, though I thought I could spot a bit of indignation in his stance? It’s hard to tell with him, but I’ve lived with him for over five years now. He’d taken a protective half-step forward, his black eyes locking gazes with anyone staring our way until they backed off. It helped, if only a little bit, but it helped.

Ryuko on the other hand was in her element. If I dyed my hair and wore contact lenses nobody would be able to tell we’re siblings: hair and eyes aside, we looked nothing alike. Her smooth, neck-length white hair was slanted to the side, covering the right half of her face. She shared the same sharpened teeth and red eyes as I had, but hers had reptilian, slit pupils.

Ryuko had always been expressive, and when she wanted to be, elegant. The stares seemed to bounce off of her, and when it was our turn to make the incense offerings she led the way with confident grace, compared to our parents’ stiff posture and me, following the motions in a daze.

We retook our positions, and with our part in the ceremony over and done with, I could breathe a little easier again. The attention of the funeral crowd was on the priest, and I took the opportunity to study the guests.

There weren’t many, most of them seemed to be extended family. There was one major exception however- Todoroki Enji, the Flame Hero Endeavour. The man seemed displeased, for whatever reason. There were two others with him: a young boy around my age, with his hair split down the middle into white and red. His son presumably- I didn’t pay too much attention to him, given the other companion: a tall man covered in scales. A frilled neck extended from his shoulders, ending in a distinct reptilian head that seemed quite familiar.

He’d seen us as we walked in, and looked like he'd eaten a grapefruit whole. He’d kept his eyes on us for a while now, his displeasure obvious, and given his features…

“...Who is that?”

I tried nudging at Mom, but she only shushed me, her jaw set. On my other side, Ryuko shifted uncomfortably, leaning closer to me.

“Ryuo Tatsuma, aka Dragon Hero: Ryuhachi.”

“So he’s...” I felt the pieces click to place.

“Our uncle, yes. The eighth Dragon Hero. He works for Endeavour’s agency.” She seemed about to say more, but the man in question seemed to have noticed my attention and was making his way over as the funeral ceremony came to a close.

Ryuo Tatsuma was a tall man- he had had to be approaching Dad in height- looming over everyone as he approached. He wore a suit and tie but went bare-feet, claws clacking against the floor.

By comparison my mother was tiny: though tall for a japanese woman she was only chest-level with her brother, but her presence more than matched his as she stepped in front of us, glaring up at him.

“What do you want, Ryuo?”

“Ryutsuki, Ryutsuki, is that any way to greet your brother, sixteen years after you ran off?” He spread his arms theatrically, and I could see the attention of the room refocusing on us.

“I seem to recall you and Father kicking us out, so you’ll have to excuse me, brother.”

“And yet here you stand, as if nothing had happened. As if you could just waltz back after spitting upon the name of Tatsuma.”

With something approaching detachment I noted that Ryuo was deliberately drawing the attention of the guests upon the scene: he was putting on a display for the room.

“Did you expect to be welcomed here with open arms? After you’ve done nothing but waste the potential that was passed on to you?” He turned his attention towards Ryuko. “When you allow your children to lay claim to the mantle of the Dragon Hero, when they know nothing of the traditions behind it?”

Calm as ice, Ryuko stepped forward and laid a hand on Mom’s shoulder, tugging her back. “Let’s go, Mom. This isn’t worth our time. He's just trying to goad you.”

“I also saw that you’d spawned another one.” Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on me, and I froze to the place like a deer caught in headlights. I hated being the center of attention at the best of times, and what with the whole “physically five years old” thing I counted my blessings I managed to preserve some part of my dignity by not bursting to tears right then and there, or worse.

“I hear you’ve inherited quite the Quirk from your mother? Planning on squandering it like she did?”

The adult part of me wanted to blow him off, say something snarky and show him I wasn’t afraid of him. The five-year old part of me overruled that part hard and hid behind Dad, burying my face in his leg.

“How dare you.” Mom seemed just about ready to murder her brother with only Ryuko’s hand on her shoulder keeping her. I could feel the stinging odor of smoke in the air and there were small wisps escaping from between Mom’s teeth as she ground out the words.

“You came to my home,” He pointed out, before turning away. “I suggest you leave, Ryutsuki, and don’t come back.”

Mom ground her teeth again, but Dad took her hand in his and with the other on my shoulder, began steering us toward the exit. Once we were out through the door Dad lifted me into his arms, carrying me to the car with Mom and Ryuko in tow. We got in, Mom and Dad front, me and Ryuko in the back. For a few moments everyone was silent. Ryuko took my hand in hers, and held it until it stopped shaking.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Ryuuzaki, Ryuko,” Mom said with a sigh, leaning against her seat. “I wanted to… I wanted to say my goodbyes to your Grandfather, and show you some of my childhood home. I wanted the two of you to know at least something of where you came from. But I should’ve realized Ryuo would cause a scene.”

“You couldn’t have known.” Dad laid a hand on her shoulder as he started the car and began driving us out of the estate towards home.

“No, I should’ve known. I should’ve come alone. Ryuunosuke was always obsessed with furthering the prestige of the Tatsuma name. He had grand ambitions, political ambitions, and he expected us to fall in line. Ryuo did. I didn’t. I didn’t want to become a Hero. I defied him when I went to art school, and when I had Ryuko, that was the last straw.”

I glanced at Ryuko: she was harder to read nowadays, but she must’ve guessed at least some of what Mom had just told us, like I had.

“Ryuo had always been bitter about inheriting the weaker Quirk of the two of us, but I didn’t realize… Well, it doesn’t matter now. We won’t be coming back to that place.” She turned around in her seat, facing the two of us.

“If my brother tries to contact either of you, at any time, I want you to come to me immediately, okay? Don’t try to talk to him. Promise me.”

"I promise."

“I promise.” I echoed after Ryuko, as the car pulled out onto the public street. For a while the car was silent again, the mood somber.

Then the quiet was broken by a gurgling noise, which took me a moment to realize was coming from my stomach.

“I think somebody hasn’t eaten dinner.” Dad said, his eyes glancing back at me before returning to the road. “I think we all need a little bit of a break. Ryuuzaki, where do you want to eat?”

“Pizza!”

“Can we not eat somewhere that won't clog our arteries?” I glared at Ryuko. I refused to be denied my greasy goodness. She and Mom were health and fitness nuts who conspired to keep me from anything actually tasty. Mom seemed to still be a little bit out of it, so I directed my best puppy eyes at Dad.

“Sorry Ryuko, but Ryuuzaki gets to pick this time.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Age 7

“-it’s okay to feel overwhelmed on your first day of school. Just remember that everyone else will be on the same boat.”

“I’ll be fine.” I rolled my eyes at Dad. He’d actually arranged to go to work later just so that he could hover over my shoulder for the entire morning.

It was insufferable.

“Don’t forget to make some friends!” Ryuko called out from the doorway. “I’m going now! Bye!”

“Bye!” My sister had also been worried sick, apparently out of fear that I’d have trouble fitting in with my classmates. Well, she didn’t say it aloud, but I could read her true intentions pretty well.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to school?”

“Daaad.”

Even if I wasn’t ever planning on telling anyone about it, I had actually graduated high school before, or at least the local equivalent of it. I was pretty sure I could handle Elementary School.

-------

So, it turned out that I could not, in fact, handle Elementary School.

“Oh look, it’s Tatsuma, eating alone again. What a surprise.”

The source of my current predicament? Two girls my age, the first a short girl with webbed fingers and wavy black hair pulled into a ponytail, her face kind of stuck in this permanent resting bitch face. The second, the one who had spoken out, was a bit taller though still quite a bit shorter than I was, with a stocky build and sandy blond, short-cut hair. She had a constant aura of frustration about her, like everything displeased her.

I didn’t know their names. I’m sure they’d been introduced like we all had been when school had begun, two months ago, but my name memory was terrible and they hadn’t especially given me reason to ask and find out. So, I’d taken to mentally referring to them as Obstacle 1 and 2, respectively.

I suppose I had forgotten how annoying school could be. Or maybe I had just gotten lucky in the past? No, I remembered it now, just how incredibly, mind-bogglingly petty grade schoolers could be.

“Anything to say, weirdo?” Obstacle 2 continued. “Or are you too embarrassed, ‘cause you can’t even talk properly?”

Case in point, these girls had decided to focus on the fact that I “spoke weird”. I mean, it was true. I spoke japanese with a bit of an odd accent, the byproduct of it not actually being my first language. It was something that was very easy for me to forget, especially as I spent my time almost exclusively with my family who were, of course, used to it. I could only be thankful of the fact that my accent was obscure enough to be almost impossible to place, here in Japan, or I might have some explaining to do. It would probably disappear entirely eventually.

Unfortunately in the meantime it made me stand out, and in elementary school, standing out is Death.

I was in the school cafeteria, sitting by myself as had been so helpfully pointed out to me. I had tried to follow Ryuko’s advice, but it was just… hard. It’s not that nobody wanted to be my friend, or anything like that.

I just couldn’t do it. The thing about seven-year olds is that they’re like energizer bunnies. Constantly moving, playing, talking, just always doing things. That kind of constant social contact... it’s exhausting. I simply couldn’t muster the energy to keep up. I’d always been socially awkward and shy. Dealing with other people was… exhausting.

But if you skip out, if you reject the playground in favour of spending the recess in silence, resting, you’re automatically “weird”. Refuse too many times, and eventually they’ll stop inviting you.

And then once you’re out of the social group, you’re an outsider, an easy target for those insecure about their own place, looking to boost it by pushing those on the bottom of the social ladder even lower. They isolate you even more, until nobody will want to associate with you for fear of becoming another target. Then they start poking at you, try to see what gets a reaction. That’s pretty much how it had gone all those years ago, and it was where we were at right now.

Back then, I’d dealt with it by giving as bad as I got. You punch me, I punch you, we both get detention. Eventually most figured out I wasn’t worth the trouble and moved. But that was then, and this was now. The form the bullying took was different. I couldn’t just clock someone over verbal harassment and the occasional push and shove. Or I could, but then I’d be the one getting in trouble. I was a big kid, by far the tallest student of my year. It’d be easy to put the blame on me.

And while I didn’t care much on a personal level, I didn’t want to do that to my parents. They deserved better than that. They deserved better than me.

Of course, I could’ve gone to the teachers, but what would that have accomplished? It would have been my word against theirs, and as long as it was just harassment, they wouldn’t care to investigate any deeper than that.

And so, despite literally bullying a dragon, they would get away with it. I knew it. They knew it. The other kids knew it. The teachers knew it. The system would always err on the side of not punishing anyone without a preponderance of evidence.

They would harass me again, and again. Maybe they’d get bored and move on, or maybe they’d keep doing it for six more years. Then we move to Middle School and the whole cycle starts all over again.

“I didn’t know you were a mute as well? Hmm?”

The two stooges seemed a little bit irritated by my continued lack of reaction.

Good.

Since I couldn’t take action against them, the best idea I’d had was… not doing anything. No reaction, not even looking in their direction. I was pretty good at keeping my cool, and it gave them as little satisfaction as possible. Eventually they would either grow bored with me, or escalate until the system would have to do something.

In theory, at least. It wasn’t the perfect plan, but it was the only one I had.

That was when the bell rang, signalling the beginning of the next class. With a last sneer of distaste, Obstacle 2 turned towards the exit of the school cafeteria, Obstacle 1 following in her wake.

I had managed to wait them out.

Sighing, I stood up from my seat and quickly emptied out what remained of my lunch from my tray, and then moved to follow them.

The next period was math. But the thing was, first-grade math was superbly boring. It’s just additions and subtractions for now, which I could do in my sleep. It was like that for most other classes. My memories may not have been perfect, but it was still much easier getting a refresher than learning it anew.

So I spent most of the time in class being bored out of my skull. Occasionally the teachers would take note that I wasn’t paying attention and ask what they thought were tough questions. The fact that I could almost always answer them had led to me developing a reputation for being a know-it-all, which in turn hadn’t particularly helped with my social standing amongst the students.

The next period after math, however, was Japanese. And if there was one class where I had absolutely zero advantage over the others, it was there. I’d struggled to learn the spoken language, and now I was struggling twice as hard to get a handle on the written one.

Without the ability to dedicate a disproportionate amount of time to studying it thanks to almost every other class being a slam dunk, I probably would’ve been absolutely hopeless. As it was, I was merely terrible, something Obstacles 1 and 2 rarely failed to remind me of. And thanks to their efforts, I could forget about getting help from the other students for studying.

So that was fun.

This went on. Verbal insults. Spreading rumors. Laughing behind my back. The full arsenal of pettiness seven-year olds could muster.

But I was dealing with it. It wasn’t fun, but I -could- deal with it. I had always been good at getting lost in my own thoughts and shutting out everything else.

The first real change to the status quo came a couple weeks after, as I was walking along the hallway outside the classroom. Obstacles 1 and 2 had been going out of their way to make things difficult, and even if I was dealing with it, the stress was taking a bit of a toll. Ryuko had started to notice, and commented that I was unusually sullen.

“Behind you.”

I spun around, coming face to face with Obstacle 2, who had been about to snatch something from my backpack. Caught in the act, she scowled at me and walked past.

Turning back around, I saw that the source of the warning had been a short girl with shoulder-length black hair, standing by the side of the hallway. I wracked my memory: she was in my class, but I didn’t remember her name. She always seemed to kind of blend into the background.

“Uh, thank you?”

“You looked like you needed it.”

I tried to smile, but I couldn’t deny it.

“You know they’re going to come after you for that?”

“They already have been. They’ve been getting frustrated, and looking for new targets. But I think we could help each other.”

“Safety in numbers?“ I guess I could respect that.

“Yeah. If we go alone, they’ll certainly come after us. If we stick together, they might rethink it. And if they don’t… nothing lost.”

“Alright.” I could see the logic in that.

She leaned against the wall, and we fell into silence. I guess that was that. But the thing was, it wasn’t an awkward silence.

Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But it didn’t feel like she was expecting me to speak up, to make some small talk. We just stood there, leaning against the wall and watching the bustling hallway, waiting out the recess. When we returned to class, she sat beside me. The classrooms usually had a couple more desks than they had students, and there was an empty spot for her to move into.

That was how the rest of the day went. We stuck by each other, not talking much. I spotted Obstacles 1 and 2 giving us dirty looks, but they didn’t bother us, at least for the rest of the day.

As the school day began approaching its end, we found ourselves at the school gates.

“Until tomorrow, Tatsuma.”

“...”

“...You don’t remember my name, do you?”

Shit.

What do I say to that?

She let me squirm for a few more moments, before continuing.

“That’s okay. I only remember yours because I saw your sister in the Sports Festival.”

Ouch. But fair.

“Well, you have me at a disadvantage, then.” I tried to force a smile.

“Yui Kodai.”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.”

When I was walking home, it struck me.

I’d made a friend.

I think.

Wasn’t this how friendship worked?

-------

Age 8

“Are you sure you don’t want to invite anybody else?” Mom looked at me with concern. “Not even that Kodai girl?”

“Dad, no. I want to be with you guys.” I glanced aside at Ryuko, sitting at the back of the car. My sister at least had the decency to look guilty- in between her internship and preparing for graduation I’d barely seen her for the last half a year. At least Mom had finally decided I was old enough to be allowed to wander around the forest by myself, otherwise it would have been unbearable. It had gotten bad enough that we were holding my birthday celebration today, two weeks after the actual date, because Ryuko apparently couldn’t find a free spot on her calendar until now. Sadly Mom hadn’t been able to make it today, she had some sort of expo come up on the last minute.

I hadn’t invited Yui because… well, there were a lot of reasons. I wanted to spend time with my family. I… didn’t want her to think I’m a weirdo by just inviting her, and like hell was I going to invite any of my other classmates. And finally, I wasn’t sure if it would’ve been... appropriate? I guess it’s the right word? We stuck together at school, partnered for projects and spent the breaks with each other, but it began and ended at the school gates. We didn’t talk about ourselves, or our lives outside of school. We didn’t talk much in general. We had managed to strike a comfortable balance.

Was that wrong? Was I doing friendship wrong? I was treading new waters here. Should I have tried to get to know my friend better? Should I have invited her? I didn’t know, but I didn’t want to mess up with what we had, so I defaulted to inaction.

“Well, as long as you’re sure.” Dad said, starting up the car. They hadn’t actually told me where we were going, which was something of a tradition of ours. Every year we’d go somewhere new, and a great deal of secrecy was involved in keeping me from knowing where it would be. I think it was a bit of a game for them by now, trying to keep me from guessing.

A while later, our car pulled up outside a large building near the seafront, and we piled out.

“Musutafu Aquarium?” I looked at Dad, who nodded. It wasn't quite the type of place we'd usually been to before, but...

“Don’t worry, there will be a surprise waiting.” Dad said as he locked the car. “But we’ve still got an hour and a half until then, so in the meanwhile, why don’t we check out the tour first?”

“Okay.” I guessed there was nothing to be done about it, so I walked over to my sister and held out my hands. “Ryuko, up.”

I saw the apprehension on her face as she realized what I wanted.

“Does it have to be me?” She said, carefully not whining, glancing towards our Dad. "I’m sure Dad would be happy to do it, and better at it to boot.”

Not this again.

“True. But I could get him to do it any day of the year.”

“She’s got you there, Ryuko.” Dad laughed.

Sighing in resignation my sister kneeled down, letting me jump on her back before standing up again. She could suck it up, it was only one day of the year. Besides she’d probably hide and play on her phone otherwise. And if I wasn’t allowed a phone yet, well, I wasn’t going to let her use hers either. Not on my birthday.

With me securely hanging from Ryuko’s back, piggyback style, we made our way to the main doors, having to duck a little on the doorway to account for my horns. Dad produced a trio of tickets from his pockets and we were admitted inside, steering us towards the main exhibition.

It was pretty standard for an aquarium, a long pathway winding through the building, with exhibits all along the way. Ryuko carted me from display to display, reading the descriptive signs aloud for my benefit.

We had a good time. Dad hung back a bit, letting the two of us have fun. I laughed at Ryuko for being disgusted by the hermit crabs. She got back at me when I hid behind her in the shark tunnel.

Spawn of Satan, those things.

But we had fun. I could relax a bit from the constant stress and anxiety of elementary school social drama, and I think Ryuko appreciated the opportunity just as much. She was graduating soon, and she’d put her usual worrying over her image into overdrive. She wanted to get a good sidekick offer, work that for a couple of years and then found her own Pro-Hero Agency. To do that you needed to climb up the popularity polls, and I could tell she’d been obsessing over it.

“And this is the Marine Iguana enclosure.”

It was a large, open area where dozens of dark grey dog-sized lizards were chilling on rocks, basking in the warmth of the lamps mounted on the ceiling.

“It says here that they were native to the Galapagos islands, but are now extinct in the wild due to climate change killing off their food supply. and only exist in captivity. I wonder why they’re in the aquarium, though…”

Ryuko began walking toward the next description sign, but I answered the question instead.

“They dive underwater to scrape algae off of the rocks. I think there’s a water section at the back of the enclosure.”

I pointed towards where the pathway led, looping around to go behind the Iguana enclosure. You could see that there was a hole in the wall there, where the lizards could pass through into the next room over.

“Ah. Where’d you learn that from? I thought you still had trouble with kanji?”

My train of thought came to a screeching halt. The real answer to the question was I learned it in a previous life and wasn’t thinking when I said that.

“Uh, I...” Thinkthinkthink- “There was a documentary on the TV once.”

I winced internally, already kicking myself. I was a terrible liar, and Ryuko could practically smell it after eight years.

“Oh, okay.”

Good going, me. We were having a good time and now you’ve ruined it.

We fell into an awkward silence, and I continued to berate myself internally. It was stupid. TV was a perfectly reasonable explanation. But I hadn’t been thinking.

And now Ryuko knew I’d just lied to her face. She didn’t know what I’d lied about, but even so, this was going to-

“Ryuuzaki.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and refocused my attention to my sister, who was making sidelong glances at another family who were looking in our direction, whispering to themselves while the teenage boy was rapidly tapping on his phone, glancing up and down between it and us.

Oh.

I locked my legs around her torso, preventing her from dropping me.

“Ryuuzaki.”

“My birthday, my rules. One encounter won’t ruin your career.”

Ryuko hissed at me and would probably have forcibly dumped me on the ground if the family hadn’t started heading our way. She straightened her back and tried to look as dignified and cool as she could, with an eight-year old hanging from her back like a monkey.

The teenager seemed to be the most eager, but shied away at the last moment, leaving the father with a baby tucked under his arm to come forward.

“Hello, and my apologies for disturbing you. Would you happen to be Ryuko Tatsuma?”

“That is correct. And this is my sister Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.” She added after I kicked at her side.

“My son here has something he wanted to say. Daisuke?”

The teenager came forward, clearly nervous, before bowing low and offering a notebook toward Ryuko.

“Um… Could I… canIhaveyourautographplease?”

My eyes widened, and even if Ryuko was good at hiding it, she couldn’t fully conceal her surprise and just a little bit of excitement.

Her first fan.

“Of course!”

Procuring a pen from her pocket, she rapidly signed her name on the notebook, and the boy clutched it to his chest, before running off, red-faced. His father turned to Ryuko with a smile before leaving to follow.

“My thanks, and again I apologize for the disruption. He’s been talking about nothing else since he saw you fight that dinosaur villain two months ago. We had to get the Sport Festival DVDs for him, and he’s been inseparable from the TV.”

As they walked off, I grinned down at my sister.

“Someone’s got a cruuuuuuush.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She replied, letting out a breath as soon as the family was out of sight. “It’s just a fan.”

“A fan that got red as a tomato when he so much as got near you? I think you have an admirer. He shall treasure that notebook forever and keep it underneath his pillow as he sleeps and-”

“Oh my god shut up!”

“And then comes the fanaAAAA-”

Without warning, Ryuko leaned back and shook herself, dumping me ass-first onto the floor.

-------

The earlier incident forgotten, we returned touring the exhibits. As time passed, the hour and half Dad had given us was rapidly cut away, and the reveal of the surprise approached.

Dad herded the two of us away from the enclosures and back to the front desk. Leading me by hand, he took us down a different path from the entrance, traversing busy corridors until reaching our destination.

It was a huge swimming pool, about chest depth for an adult at the deepest end, floating devices and pool noodles laid around the place.

And then there were the people. Aquarium staff in yellow uniforms and dozens of children, all of them with at least one family member looking after them, standing waiting around the edges of the pool. I also noticed that the majority of the kids had some sort of physical Quirk. There was one boy with scissor arms, another with a thick, fur covered tail, a girl with absurdly long fingers, somebody of indeterminate gender with a quirk that made them look like an… Eel?

I was starting to get the picture. I turned to Dad, and he handed me a pamphlet from his pocket.

Quirk Swimming Lessons! Does your child have a Quirk that makes standard swimming techniques impossible? Or would you just like to offer them a chance to experiment with their Quirk in the water? Here at Musutafu Aquarium, they will have a chance of learning under the specialized tutelage of the Aquatic Hero, Gan-

“Gang Orca!”

The shout rippled across the room as the titular hero stepped out from a staff entrance. Kugo Sakamata cut quite an impressive figure, even in his swim shorts. Not quite as big as Dad, but where he was bulky the Number Eight Hero of Japan was ripped. As his name implied, he was a humanoid orca, complete with a dorsal fin extending from his back.

One of the staff members, a tall woman with a scaled fish-like tail and gills began shouting directions, gesturing for people to gather around. As the crowd gathered she hopped on top of a small pedestal by the pool, the kind that competitive swimmers use to dive in.

“First of all, I would like to welcome each and every last one of you to Musutafu Aquarium’s annual quirk swimming course. I am Senior Instructor Izumi Himura, and it is our pleasure and privilege to organize this event in partnership with the Gang Orca Pro-Hero Agency.”

Himura stepped down and gestured toward Gang Orca, who took her place overlooking the crowd. Like most Mutant Quirk users his expression was hard to read, but the way his face was structured gave off the impression of constant displeasure.

“It is good to see so many of you here. Swimming is one of the most important skills one can possess, one that can save your life. More than that, it is a skill that can save the life of others, in a crisis situation. Therefore it is a skill that I believe everyone should possess. It is a failure of our educational system that not everyone does, and it is why we hold these lessons.”

As Gang Orca talked, I could see the rows of pearly-white triangular teeth lining his jaws, and took an involuntary step back. And I wasn’t the only one.

“Most people learn to swim at school, during Physical Education. However, it is strictly forbidden to utilize Quirks in school premises, outside of special Quirk Education lessons held by Counsellors. While they do good and vital work, they cannot cover everything, and many children are left with no opportunity to learn how to use their Quirk to swim.”

His eyes swept over the crowd.

“What is the best way for someone to use a tail while swimming? How should someone with wings use them? What is the correct method for kicking with digitigrade legs? These are the questions left unanswered, and they are why we are here.”

The crowd was silent. That was some pretty heavy stuff. But it begged the obvious question… Why was I here? I could swim well enough, even if the horns made my head weigh more than it should.

Himura cleared her throat, and Gang Orca’s expression softened slightly as he continued.

“At least, that is the primary purpose of today’s class. Even for those whose Quirk doesn’t directly interfere with their ability to swim, they are not allowed to experiment with using their Quirk in the water. Beaches and most swimming pools are public areas, where Quirk usage is similarly forbidden by law. However, that limitation does not extend to private institutions. Every child deserves the chance to explore their Quirk in a safe and controlled environment, which we offer.”

Oh. That made sense.

There was actually quite a market for places where young children could experiment with their Quirks under supervision. Hide and seek, obstacle courses, tag, racing, football, exploration, everything between heaven and earth. We’d been to a couple of them, privately owned facilities with dedicated staff. Expensive, but you fundamentally cannot give children literal superpowers and expect them to never ever use them. It was far from something like a Hero School, but they functioned as a release valve, so that kids could have a bit of fun without burning down the house or risking injury to themselves and others.

There was even a dedicated open-air facility where those with flight-capable Quirks could learn to use them under instruction and supervision. Sadly, it was also age-restricted, but I’d extracted an ironclad promise from Dad we’d go there for my twelfth birthday.

So I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that there’d be a place where you could essentially play in the water with your Quirk. I guess by combining it with the public safety aspect of teaching kids to swim they’d gotten a partnership with Gang Orca.

The atmosphere began to relax a little, as Gang Orca stepped down and Himura took his place again.

“Thank you, Gang Orca. Now, we would like to ask that parents and family wait by the benches near the entrance while the lessons are in progress. For the rest of you, we will be splitting you into groups based on your current abilities. Those of you who cannot swim at all, you’ll be with Instructor Takenaka. If you can swim but you have an ability you have trouble swimming with, like a Transformation Quirk, you’ll be with me.”

That was me, given that I couldn’t actually swim in my dragon form. Well, I’d never tested it, like Gang Orca said, there just weren’t many non-public places to swim in Japan, and even less that a dragon could use.

“And if you can swim but would just like to experiment with your Quirk in the water, Instructor Matsuoka will be helping you figure out how to do that safely.” As she spoke she indicated two other instructors, who raised their hands. With a slight bow, Himura stepped off the pedestal, and people began to gravitate towards their assigned groups.

“Well, there you have it.” Dad gave an encouraging pat on my shoulder. “We’ll be watching from the sidelines, though we might go and have a coffee in the cafeteria at some point. The lesson is supposed to last two hours and thirty minutes, and when we’re done we’ll go grab a pizza. That sound good to you?”

“Yeah...” I glanced in the direction of Instructor Himura, who was talking to Gang Orca, and hesitated.

“Wait, are you… afraid of him?”

“No!”

“You are, aren’t you?”

Well screw her, I was not afraid of Gang Orca. A little bit… awed, maybe, but not scared. I left the two of them and began marching over to the pool.

Taking in a deep breath, I activated my Quirk. In reverse of undoing the transformation, I pictured uncorking a bottle. I felt the flash of light over me, and in less than a second, I was standing there in my full dragon form.

It had grown alongside me, measuring full seven meters from snout to tail tip and weighing well over a metric ton. The smooth, shiny scales had started to become more shaded and rough, thickening as they grew. My horns, an exact replica of the ones in my human form except in size, had continued to grow, the foremost one being over a meter in length.

Claws clicked against the tiled floor as I walked over to the pool. Being a dragon was a great confidence booster. There’s just something about… I guess that sense of strength and power, and the heat emanating from your chest, that helps you feel in control.

It was also something that was sorely needed, because here’s the thing: every time I transform, I have no clothes. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, I know it’s not quite the same as being naked as a human. But at the same time it’s not quite the same as not being naked.

And the stares didn’t help either. As it turns out, even in a world of Quirk an actual, winged dragon turns a lot of heads. One of the things I had to get used to was with my Quirk was just how incredibly sharp the eyesight of a dragon is, and combined with the wide field of view I could feel people’s attention on me, and I couldn’t help that brief moment of hesitation. I did what instinct told me to and froze.

But… they weren’t necessarily hostile stares. Just surprise, curiosity, a little bit of awe in the younger kids. I shook myself, and moved to the edge of the pool before slipping into the water, careful not to cause a splash. The water was chilling, but the heat emanating from my body made it more bearable. It was shallow enough that I could drag myself along the bottom, and I managed to shuffle over to where Instructor Himura and the other kids in her group had already gathered while I was talking to Ryuko.

“Everyone is here?” Himura scanned around the pool, but it seemed like I had been the last one. “Good.”

I looked around: there was a smattering of other kids, but it was the smallest group. It made sense: Transformation Quirks were the rarest type. There was one kid who could apparently turn into a huge praying mantis, and another who looked like a werewolf. Over in the other end of the pool the first group was doing the very basics, slowly getting acquainted with the water, while the third one... I wasn't really sure but they were making a lot of noise.

“Right, all of you doing good?” As each of us nodded, she went on. “So, our focus will be on figuring out the best way to swim with your Quirks on. Now, I’d like for you to try dog paddling, like you would in your human form. That will give us a good baseline from which to work forwards.”

The immediate problem that presented itself was my wings. Everytime I started to paddle my wings would create a huge amount of drag in the water and get in the way. It was just awkward.

I glanced at Himura’s direction, but she seemed to be busy instructing the Mantis kid, who could barely stay on the surface. Lifting my wings out of the water made it easier to move, but holding them up like that was awkward as all hell. It clearly wasn’t a sustainable solution.

As I was pondering better ways to go about it, I heard somebody coming up behind me. Turning my head around, I became face to face with the stuff of my nightmares.

Rows of massive, triangular teeth. Smooth, jet-black skin. Huge white eyes, with several rings surrounding the tiny red pupils.

I did the only reasonable thing one possibly could do, when face to face with a killer whale in the water.

I panicked and headbutted it.

Then I realized who exactly that was.

Oh god.

I pulled back and went absolutely still, like a statue.

It can’t see you if you don’t move.

The moment seemed to stretch as I could feel my life playing before my eyes.

Oh god oh god oh god-

I’d just attacked the current Number Eight Pro-Hero of Japan. Granted the horn didn’t seem to have done more than graze his skin, which was really weird because it had gone straight through the trunk of a pine tree before, but I guess that’s what being a Pro-Hero means.

“I’m so sorry.” I choked out. “I-”

Gang Orca pulled himself upright, shaking his head.

“That was my fault.”

“But I-"

“Perhaps it is best we move to the side. Come.”

The Pro-Hero began wading through the water towards the edge of the pool, and I paddled in his wake. As we reached it he pulled himself up and I followed, dragging myself up from the water.

Ryuko was on us immediately, checking me over.

“What happened? Are you alright?”

“We are both fine. No injuries were sustained.” Gang Orca examined his shoulder, seemingly unharmed though it was too dark to see if it was bruised. I guess he must’ve rolled with the blow? Or was his skin just that tough?

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma!” Dad stomped over, looking angry. I guess ‘attacking a Pro-Hero’ is what would finally get him to raise his voice. “What have I told you about using your horns?”

“I’m sorry, I just-” I felt like sinking beneath the ground and never reappearing. At least dragons lack mammalian facial expressions and tear ducts, because I was certain I wouldn’t have managed to remain as composed, if I was in my human form.

“Please, Mr. Tatsuma, this is on me.” Gang Orca seemed almost a little bit sad? “I failed to note her apprehension and surprised her. You have a fear of marine predators, do you not?”

“Yeah. Sharks and barracudas and octopus and-”

“And Orcas. Hardly an uncommon fear, and one that I have encountered enough times that I should have anticipated it. You cannot be blamed for your fear.”

“But I can be blamed for how I acted on it.”

“Not at the age of eight.” Well, I wasn’t quite eight, but I wasn’t intending on saying it aloud. “It is my duty as a teacher to identify the best method of getting my point across, and while rougher methods have their uses, their place is not here. By bringing you into a situation in which you felt you had to defend yourself, I failed in that duty.”

“However.” He continued, holding up a hand to forestall any interruptions. “Your father is also correct. While you cannot be blamed for your actions, it is imperative that you learn to hold back that defensive instinct in the future. Against someone else, serious injuries could have been inflicted.”

I bowed my head, feeling miserable, but he was absolutely correct.

“This is also my fault.” Ryuko said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry ‘Zaki, I shouldn’t have egged you on.”

“Now, do you feel up for continuing? If it is alright?” Gang Orca glanced at Dad, who nodded.

“Um…. I’d still like to learn to swim with my Quirk. If- if that’s possible.”

“I see. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable with my presence?”

“...I think it’d be less scary if you weren’t in the water with me.”

“I can work with that. Now, I want you to show me what you were doing before.”

I returned to the water, showing him my paddling technique as he stood by the edge of the pool.

“I can see your problem. Now, it isn’t impossible to swim using wings; bats can do it. But you’re not a bat. Your tail will serve as a better source of propulsion, at that point wings would just interfere with it. You’re better off folding your wings and using your tail as propulsion. It is quite similar to a crocodile, so with sideways movement you should be able to reach quite a speed. Use your limbs to orient yourself, and then move forward with your tail. In time, you might learn to use your wings to slow down or rapidly change direction, but basics first.”

The hours went by on a fly. After passing on the basics Gang Orca moved on to help the Mantis kid, leaving my instruction to Himura. I still had a lot to learn. I could swim in a straight line but turning was a much bigger hurdle, to say nothing of diving below the surface.

But it was better than what I could do before. Before I knew it, the two and half hours were at an end.

“Well, did you have fun?” Dad asked as we were walking across the parking lot.

Too tired to respond with words, I just leaned over and hugged him.

“Good, because I signed you up for a year’s worth of lessons. Now, as for your other birthday gift, Ryuko?”

My sister procured a small object from her back pocket, and showed it to me.

“Well, it isn’t quite the latest model, but we thought it was about time you got one of these. It’s got everything necessary, and it’s even got a panic button in case you ever get into trouble-”

It was a phone with internet access.

They’d gotten me a phone with internet access.

AhahahahahahahahAHAHAHAHA-

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Age: 13

-BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP-

Blinking awake with bleary eyes, I glared at my phone ringing with the 6:30 alarm on the table on the opposite side of the room.

Past me was a real asshole.

For the next few minutes I laid there, wishing I could set it on fire with my gaze. Alas, it remained untouched, and eventually went on to snooze. After a few more minutes I pushed away the covers, shivering in the cold.

Well, not really cold cold, it was only late autumn. But by way of comparison to being underneath the blankets, it was like being hit in the face by a snowstorm.

And that statement included only the slightest bit of exaggeration. You’d think that growing up right on the edge of the Arctic Circle would make one used to the cold, but familiarity only breeds contempt.

The first thing that greeted me beyond the blankets was Ryuko’s face, looking sternly down at me. Behind my sister, her dragon form roared triumphantly, smoke streaming from her maw.

The rest of my room was similarly covered in posters, mostly of Ryukyu but with a couple of All-Might and other cool heroes that had caught my interest added to the mixture. At first, I’d begun decorating my room that way because I thought it was cool.

Then I realized Ryuko was embarrassed by seeing her own merchandise and, well, after that it was my sacred duty as her sibling to plaster them everywhere.

That aside my room was fairly normal, with my bed in the corner, a couple of bookcases and cabinets, and two tables. One for schoolwork, the other for my hobby. Painting miniatures had been a passion of mine once, and I’d taken to it again. A couple of models in varying stages of assembly and painting were strewn around the table, with a large robot-like figurine dominating the crowd.

A lot of the companies that had made these things had gone extinct in the years since the post-Quirk societal upheaval, their trademarks consigned to the public domain. Still, with 3D printing you could get them for pretty cheap, if you knew where to look. And the new model lines that had sprung up since weren’t half-bad either.

With most forms of entertainment, it was a similar story. Some of the bigger media was still around, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Pokemon, Mickey Mouse, Dragon Ball, LEGO, Transformers, that sort of thing. But a lot of things had also fallen by the wayside, forgotten by time. Game of Thrones, Avatar, Naruto, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and others, franchises once so huge you could learn their entire plots through cultural osmosis, gone forever or relegated to an extremely obscure following.

More than once I’d received weird looks, referencing things that nobody had thought relevant in over a century.

With lethargic movements I dragged myself out the door and towards the bathroom. Common wisdom is that cold showers help you wake up in the morning, but frankly, fuck cold showers. The way you do it is with water just short of scalding.

I simply closed my eyes, leaned my back against the shower stall and relaxed in the all-encompassing warmth. I missed regular access to a sauna, but this was the next best thing I could do.

Frankly if it was up to me I would’ve stayed there basking in the hot water indefinitely, but eventually somebody would come by and drag me out. Drying myself with a towel, I made my way back to my room, moderately more energized than before.

I made myself ready for the day, pulling on the grey and black uniform of my middle school, carefully sliding it over my horns. I hated the damn thing, but it was something I simply had to bear.

After that I dragged myself to the kitchen and flopped onto a chair. A glance at the clock told me it was 7:00, which meant that I’d already used up half of the time that I allocated to the morning activities before leaving for school. With a sigh I put on some toast and rummaged around the closet for toppings. Dad had already left for work and Mom wouldn’t wake up for another hour, which meant I had the house to myself. Ryuko had moved out after she started her own Pro-Hero agency three years ago- just down the street, but still. It just wasn’t the same.

After breakfast I made my way to the bathroom, grabbing a brush and began to clean my teeth. The sight that greeted me in the mirror was, well, me. Me for the last thirteen years. Tall for my age, built like a beanpole. White hair, short and messy, maintenance kept to a minimum. Pale skin, not exactly well cared-for. Red eyes, with bags under them from chronic lack of sleep.

It hadn’t really been a conscious decision, to skim on the sleeping hours, but it had a nasty tendency to happen anyway. There was just so much to do.

School took most of the day, and homework another large chunk. It was easy stuff for the most part, but even with my advantages I had to put in effort to maintain my near-perfect grades.

Then there was training. That had been a natural evolution of my habit of roaming the forest, once simple exploration and playing around had started to lose their once seemingly limitless charm.

Most of the stuff that I could do by myself was pretty limited- I’d gotten the talking-to of a lifetime once already when I hadn’t been looking where I was going and smashed straight through a pine tree. That was the day I learned that trees were actually worth a fair amount of money, and even in a public forest you could get fined for up to tens of thousands of yen.

So typically I just ran laps and pushed a loose boulder around until I was too tired to continue, and then just enjoyed the peace and quiet. The real fun began when I could badger Ryuko into giving up some of her precious free time to train with me. She still had half a meter on me in our dragon forms, but it was close enough that there was an actual point to sparring now.

That took another significant chunk of my time. Aside from chores and other miscellaneous stuff, I also had the everpresent distraction of the internet.

Ever since my eighth birthday, I’d had free access to the internet. Well, they installed one of those blocker things that made it so that I couldn’t access porn and so on, but still.

There was just so damn much to catch up on. I’d always been a fan of history, and there were over a hundred years worth of it to catch up on.

I hungrily devoured every scrap of knowledge I could find.

But at the same time, I found that in the end, surprisingly little had happened. The world order had largely remained the same. The maps were almost unchanged. I suppose Quirks would account for a reduction in open warfare, but still, over a hundred years? With a major, global societal upheaval?

It was odd.

Technology had also stagnated. Certainly, holograms and robots had advanced, but they were still expensive, far outside the reach of the ordinary customer. Day-to-day life hadn’t changed much in the years since my time. There’d been a manned mission to Mars, and a couple more to the Moon, but nothing groundbreaking.

Still, with the internet having been around for so long, there were digital mountains of material to go through. Like holy shit, even back in my time, when the internet had only been around for little more than a couple of decades at most depending on where you start counting, there was already so much fanfiction around that you physically couldn’t read it all. Yeah, a lot of the data had been lost over the years, oftentimes simply because people weren’t maintaining the servers anymore, and the rate of production had dropped significantly and only picked up again in the last couple decades, but even so, we’re talking well over a hundred years. And if you’re going to give me free, unlimited access to it all?

Hell yeah I was getting myself lost in that.

And that’s not even getting to all the books, anime, comics, manga, movies, and everything else under the sun that’s come out since.

But it did occasionally cost me the night’s sleep because I just didn’t have it in me to put down a good story after starting on it.

After brushing my teeth, it was time to leave for school. Himeji Middle School was a middle-of-the-ground type of school, not known for being particularly elite, nor one of the underfunded schools in the worse parts of the city. It was simply the closest to where we lived, so it was the one I went to.

-------

Day to day school life itself was a lot more tolerable these days, compared to when I’d started. The bullying had abated after I started to hang out with Yui, the bullies less enthused to take action with a witness present. And when Ryuko had started her own Pro-Hero agency, it had quickly dropped off altogether. Being middlingly famous had its own advantages.

However, as is often the case in life, one kind of drama falls away only to be replaced by another. Going through pre-teen years once more was a trip, with its own set of challenges.

One of those challenges was the concept of schoolyard crushes. Now, getting crushes was nothing new to me. I had long since mastered the triple-R strategy: Repression, Repression and Repression.

If you ignore it it will eventually go away.

No, what nothing had prepared me for was other people expressing crushes on me. Which was how we ended up with situations such as this one.

“No. Absolutely not. No.”

The boy’s lower chin started to wobble ever so slightly, a glint of wetness appearing in the corner of his eye.

“No. Not interested. No. Not in a million years. No.”

“You didn’t have to go that far.” Yui noted from her position by the wall, as the boy got out of earshot. “It’s just a schoolyard crush. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

I sighed and leaned against the wall. I knew that. Of course I knew that I should let them down gently. That I was being a piece of shit. I just…

Going through puberty again was bad enough, not to mention doing it on the opposite end of the aisle this time. I hadn’t so much as begun sorting out my own issues, let alone thinking of adding a relationship on top of that.

Yeah no. I wasn’t interested. I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I didn’t even want to think about it. So I lashed out, usually more than what was called for, more than I’d meant to.

“Why does this keep happening?”

“Your sister is the tenth-ranked Hero.” Yui shrugged. ”Fame can substitute for looks.”

“Are you implying I’m ugly?"

“No. I’m saying that you could look ugly and this would still happen. You’re perfectly... okay.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Suck it up, you’re average. Maybe a little plain.”

“Wow Yui, way to inspire confidence.”

“Stop being melodramatic. This is only the second time this has happened.”

Rude.

But also not entirely wrong.

Nothing more to say, we fell into silence once again. The comfortable quiet was one of the cornerstones of our friendship, such as it was, alongside automatic partners for group projects, watching each other’s back in the hallways and having somebody to complain to.

The recess ended soon after, and we filed inside. Our homeroom was exactly the same as all the others, a clean, dull room with five rows of six desks for the students and a proper work table for the teacher.

Katsuke Fujiwara was the current substitute, our regular homeroom teacher having fallen ill a couple months ago and we’d been cycling through temporary subs ever since. He was a tall and wiry man with brown hair, in his mid-twenties. His appearance was always disheveled and he had the kind of look like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. That reflected in his work, given how little he seemed to care for actually teaching, and he was late or even missing entirely rather frequently. Despite that the student base seemed to like him, though I suspected that was mainly because he didn’t actually care to check homework or make sure people weren’t using phones during class.

“Morning, class.” Without waiting for the reply, he pressed on. “Today we’ll be having one-on-one discussions regarding your future careers.”

The man’s tone conveyed quite clearly his disdain for the idea, but he went on.

“I will be calling you one by one to the neighbouring classroom. The rest of you, study math. Adachi, you’re first.”

With that, he slipped out the door, the student in question rising from her seat and following in his wake. Almost as soon as the door closed, chatter erupted across the class.

Some were expressing disapproval over Fujiwara’s conduct, hoping that we’d be assigned a proper teacher soon. Others were glad for the chance to slack off. The overwhelmed class president tried to get the class to quiet down, but it seemed to be a lost cause.

At the back of the classroom, Yui and I began studying in silence, ignoring the ruckus. Well, she studied, I languished in boredom while occasionally helping her. Middle School math was easy.

As time passed the class filtered in and out the door in alphabetic order. It seemed like Fujiwara was working through the list at rapid pace, given that the period hadn’t even reached the halfway mark by the time he reached “T”.

I entered the empty classroom, closing the door behind myself. Fujiwara lounged on the teacher’s chair, while a single chair had been dragged before his desk, which I sat down in.

“Well then, let’s start.” He leaned back, sounding utterly bored with life as he glanced down at the papers in front of him. “Ryuuzaki Tatsuma. Highest grades in the school, spotless record. You could go for anything you wanted.”

He glanced down at the papers again. “Well, maybe not a translator. So, what’s your dream career?”

I maintained my carefully neutral expression, but inwardly I bristled at his tone.

“Pro-Hero.”

“Of course. Just like everyone else…”

He trailed off and glanced down at the papers again, blinking. His expression shifted, at first in surprise before turning sour.

“...Tatsuma. You’re Ryukyu’s sister, aren’t you?”

I was surprised he didn’t know of it already, half the school certainly seemed to. I replied with a restrained nod, and the man grimaced.

“And let me guess, you want to be a Hero just like her?”

I was starting to get a little bit uncomfortable with the way he was acting, but nodded again.

“Figures.”

The smart thing there would probably have been to stay quiet and let it pass. Avoid the confrontation.

Ordinarily I probably would’ve done exactly that. However, something made me open my mouth. Perhaps it was his attitude. Perhaps it was a sudden, freak rush of impudence.

Or perhaps it was just the way he sneered when he said my sister’s Hero name.

“Is something the matter?”

Fujiwara blinked, seemingly not having expected to be talked back to.

“Oh, nothing at all. Just wondering why.”

“What?”

“Why? Why become a Hero?”

My thought process came to a screeching halt. Whatever I’d been expecting out of him, it wasn’t that.

“I...” I trailed off, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“You know, people like you disgust me.”

Excuse me?

With great difficulty I swallowed the first response that came to mind, then the second and, after a brief internal debate, even the third.

“What do you mean?”

“Hero families.” Fujiwara rolled his eyes. “Everything’s lined up for you, from entrance exams to graduation. And then you don’t even have the decency to possess the one thing you actually need to become a Hero. Motivation. Becoming one is a goal unto itself for people like you. ”

Now confusion was replaced by anger.

“And what would you know of it?”

Generally, talking back to a teacher was frowned upon, but this was so far out of the realm of "generally" that I really didn't care.

“What do I know about it? Kid, I’ve been there. I’ve seen how the deck is stacked for people like you and your sister. Everybody in the business knows each other, while us normal people are left to make do with what they’ve got.”

Oh.

So that’s what this was about.

“I see. So you’re angry because you couldn't make the cut yourself.”

Perhaps that wasn’t being fair to the man. Perhaps he’d had bad experiences that had led him to this conclusion. But perhaps I wasn’t inclined to be fair, after what he’d said and done already.

Fujiwara’s nostrils flared and his shoulders tensed as he sprung to his feet, furious. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment.

“Get out. We’re done here.”

I got up from my seat and walked out the door.

-------

“Who the hell does he think he is?!” I fumed to Yui as we walked across the school yard towards the gates

“You seem angry.” She noted.

“How can I not be?!” I paced ahead of the shorter girl, my fingers clenching and unclenching. “That was completely unprofessional! How does somebody like that work as a teacher?”

Yui shrugged. “Then make sure he doesn’t.”

“What?”

“Lodge an official complaint, if he really was that bad. He must already be in hot water, with the way he misses class constantly. Better yet, get your sister to do it.”

“That’s… I can’t ask her to do that.” I balked. It was one thing to be frustrated, but it was another to ask Ryuko to… to pressure the school.

“Your choice.” Yui shrugged again.

We parted at the schoolgates, and I made a beeline for the train station. The ride was uneventful, mainly spent on my phone avoiding eye contact with strangers. Which unfortunately left me plenty of time to think.

Once the initial anger had cooled, I’d started to go over what had happened. Fujiwara had had a bone to pick with me because of my last name, out of some perceived grudge against Hero families. Regardless of whether or not his position had any merit, he’d just… verbally attacked me out of nowhere. Whilst he was supposed to be acting as teacher and caretaker.

So no, I didn’t feel like giving him the benefit of the doubt on the matter.

But he had posited a very good question, in the process.

Why?

Why did I want to become a Hero?

Not in the sense that becoming a Hero was a bad thing. But rather, what were my reasons for becoming a Hero in the first place?

Ever since that day ten years ago, I’d been convinced I wanted to become a Hero. But why?

I knew fully well the answer to that question, but now that I truly thought about it, I wasn’t so sure of it’s merit.

Ultimately, I had decided to become a Hero because I thought it would be cool. Because Quirks were awesome and Heroes got to use them. Because I enjoyed using my Quirk more than anything.

But wasn’t that just kind of… shallow?

Shouldn’t you want to become a Hero to help people? Because you want to make the world a better place?

It’s not as if I didn’t want to do those things. But the original, underlying reason I had decided on this course was simple, selfish, “because it would be fun”. But was that enough?

Suddenly I wasn’t so sure anymore.

I fidgeted in my seat, uncomfortable.

Sometimes I wished I could just resolve all of my life’s issues by being a dragon. Bullies? Dragon. Anxiety? Dragon. Awkward social situations? Dragon.

Just like… fly off into the sunset and abandon the constraints of society. Disappear into the countryside and find some cave to lair in. I wagered I probably could do it.

But I wouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to leave my family behind.

That, and not having to catch my own food plus internet access.

Well, in any case I wasn’t going to figure things out here, I needed more time to think about this.

After disembarking, I still had quite a way to walk until reaching home. It was a good neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, lots of open space and bordered by a large forest extending towards the countryside.

Our house was decently large, a U-shape with the open side facing toward the forest. White stone walls, brown tiled roof.

I tested the front door, and found it unlocked. As I stepped inside, I heard Mom yell from across the house.

“In the studio!”

Mom’s studio-slash-workshop was a large room in the western end of the house, with a large window located on the wall facing the forest. The room itself was dominated by her workbench, mounting a number of latches and clamps that allowed her to fasten whatever she was working on into place. Today it seemed to be a life-sized carving of a brown bear, modeled with incredible detail, right down to fur. Mom’s specialty was wood-carving of extreme precision, and apparently her work was fairly famous within the community.

“How was school?” Mom asked as she pulled off her safety goggles and set down the chisel.

“It was fine.”

Mom frowned at my response, but didn’t press the issue.

“Anyway, I’m going to the forest for a walk.” I continued. I needed to clear my head for a bit and think, and there’s no better place for that.

“Aren’t you going out with Ryuko today?”

“Yeah, but that’s only at six.”

“And when are you planning on doing homework, young lady? I don’t want to see another C from your japanese tests.”

I sighed.

“None of that. You need to keep up your grades.”

I guess I’m doing homework then. So much for calming down and thinking things over.

For a moment I considered talking to Mom about what had happened today, but decided against it. Mom… had never fully approved of my choice of future career. Oh, she’d never outright forbid it, but she made her opinion known through the little things, the subtle hints and nudges whenever the topic came up. Ever since the funeral, seven years ago, she’d been quite prickly about that sort of stuff.

And right now, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear that.

As soon as I was back in my room I took out my japanese textbook from my backpack, dropped it on the floor and flopped onto the bed.

Japanese and I had a bit of a strained relationship, to put it mildly. I had always been horrid at learning new languages, as far back as I could remember. Finnish had been my native language, and even then grammar and writing had been a bitch to work with. English had only come to me after years upon years of hard work and being exposed to english media on a daily basis. Swedish I’d struggled with so much that I had come to view the entire language with an all-encompassing hatred and refused to have anything to do with out of pure spite.

So japanese had not come to me easily. At all. I got frustrated easily when it comes to things that I’m not good at. It had been slow-going, an endless cycle of glacially slow progress, giving up, and picking up again because the isolation from not being able to understand anything was even worse.

Ryuko had been a huge help, with her endless patience, and with years of immersion I’d managed to get it together; I could speak and understand japanese. I’d occasionally struggle with obscure words, use an odd turn of phrase or be a little slow on the uptake, but I could do it.

But that was only the beginning. Speech can only get you so far in life.

When school began, we started learning writing and reading. And let me tell you, that was the closest thing to hell on earth I’d experienced since firing drills in arctic winter. I think my soul still hasn’t thawed out from that one.

At least previously, there had been a common alphabet to work with. Not only did Japanese not have that, it had individual characters for each different word. Instead of twenty-nine letters, there were thousands of kanji, each with different pronunciations and meanings. And then there’s the kana, just to add extra confusion into the mix because nothing in life can ever just be easy.

I struggled. I struggled a lot.

But I had one key advantage, namely an abundance of time to devote to the subject, at least most of the time. Things like math, chemistry, physics, those had always come easy as breathing to me, and even if I couldn’t possibly remember quite everything from a lifetime ago, with a solid foundation to work with most academic subjects were just a matter of reacquainting myself with the material. Certainly there were the occasional blind spots like post-Quirk history, but that was a fairly small segment overall and if there was one subject I was simply just good at, it was history. All in all, while I still had to put in some work for my grades it wasn’t nearly as much as a normal student. This way, I could afford to devote a vastly disproportionate amount of time to studying japanese.

And it worked. My grades in the subject weren’t quite perfect, but they were good enough. I was making real progress.

Then, I got my phone for my eighth birthday. For the first time in my new life, I had free, unrestricted access to the internet. I had naturally first taken to finding out everything I could about this new world, and the intervening years since my time.

During that time I had gone and searched for myself, and found nothing. No indication that I had ever existed. Which didn’t necessarily mean anything because so much had been lost in the post-Quirk chaos, and simply the passing of years.

But that had brought me into contact with another issue. Japanese I had learned after a great deal of trouble. English, while far more rare in Japan, was still around and exposure was intermittent. By the time english classes had started at school I was undoubtedly a little rusty with the language, but like with other subjects I had a background from which to easily build it back up again. By this point I’d more or less completely forgotten about swedish.

But that still left my first language, finnish. Looking through the internet for traces of my former life, I was suddenly confronted with the fact that I hadn’t had the slightest bit of contact with my original native tongue in more than eight years. It’s a language obscure enough that you’re not going to run into it abroad unless you specifically seek it out, even libraries might not have a single book written in it.

So when I read over the web pages, I realized that I had to actually think about what I was reading. I was forced to frequently pause and wrack my memory for the unfamiliar words, and every few sentences there were even words which I didn’t recognize at all which I had to check via a translator app. A couple of them were new words entirely, but for the most part, they were simply ones that had slipped away over eight years of disuse.

Where it had once been as easy as breathing, I now had to work to understand my mother’s tongue.

I… hadn’t taken that realization very well.

So I’d thrown myself into relearning it, using whatever material was available to me. Obviously I couldn’t really ask Mom and Dad to get anything for me without arousing suspicion, so I was mostly limited to whatever I could find for free on the internet. I managed to find a download of the finnish translation of Lord of the Rings, the books having become public domain long ago, but beyond that I relied upon wikipedia, blogs, fanfiction and videos. There was little that I could do about spoken language however, at least until I was much older. Still, after the initial panic, it all started to come back to me.

But the thing was, I was trying to study two languages at the same time. It took away time from my already-busy schedule, and caused no small amount of confusion. More than once, I’d almost handed in homework written in finnish.

My grades had dropped. Mom had been disappointed. Ryuko had been concerned. And I had no explanation to offer to them.

That was where we were at the moment, an ongoing struggle. It wasn’t like my grades in japanese were bad, but that’s the thing about expectations. Once set, you’re going to have a hard time shaking them off.

-------

Hours later, I was walking through the streets of Musutafu, checking occasionally on the navigator app on my phone to make sure I was going in the right direction.

The restaurant was situated right in the middle of the city, with its very own building. It was catered specifically to celebrities, including Pro-Heroes, who wanted a bit of privacy for themselves. The lowermost floor served as a lobby, while the upper ones housed the actual dining areas.

Despite the Tatsuma family name being fairly well known we’d never needed to use something like this before, but ever since Ryuko made it to the Top Ten last year it’d suddenly become impossible to go anywhere with her without being instantly recognized. I counted my blessings that my fame by association wasn’t strong enough to receive face recognition on the street. Aside from eye and hair colour, my sister and I looked nothing alike.

I walked into the lobby, quickly looking around the room for Ryuko, but it seemed like she wasn’t there yet. I took out my phone and tapped the screen. No missed calls or messages and the time was 17:55, so I was five minutes early.

Ryuko had a bad habit of being late for everything, because of how busy she was with work. Establishing her own Pro-Hero Agency at the age of twenty-one was no small feat, and after placing on the Top Ten Hero Rankings she’d only kicked her workaholism into an overdrive.

There was a waiting area with a couple of benches and a small table laden with a collection of fashion magazines and comic books located to the side of the lobby. With a sigh I flopped down and grabbed one at random. It turned out to be the latest issue of Superman.

The Superhero genre had gone through its own weird little metamorphosis with the appearance of Quirks. Obviously superpowers had ceased to be fantasy, but at the same time, they were also made so much more mainstream. With strict laws on Quirk usage and how few people actually made the cut to become Pro-Heroes, a market for escapist fantasies was born.

Of course, the actual content had changed as well. Real-life Heroes were merchandised to hell and back, which obviously included comic books, cartoons, movies, action figures, toys, the works. Fictional characters suddenly had to compete with them for the same niches, in addition to new inventions. Moreover, the message had also undergone an overall shift, mainly to reflect modern society. Gone were vigilantes who took the law in their own hands like Batman, Daredevil, Spider-Man and Punisher, replaced by licensed heroes who worked with the law enforcement.

Origin stories had also been altered, largely to remove people gaining superpowers by accident or anything like it. No more having a lightning bolt strike a chemistry set to give you amazing abilities, mainly just Quirks and the occasional “I am actually an alien/supernatural being”. The unpowered superhero types had also all but disappeared.

Now, I have no evidence to support it, but the cynicist in me tells me that the reason for that is because “potentially deadly accidents can give you superpowers” or “you should go out and punch supervillains even if you don’t have powers” aren't really the kind of messages you want to be airing in a society in which Quirkless kids struggle with feelings of inferiority on a daily basis.

...God, that’s depressing to think about.

I put away the comic and checked my phone again. 18:15, no new messages. Ryuko would’ve sent a message if she was going to take much longer, so she should be here any moment. Or it was a real emergency.

Sure enough, just as I was thinking about, my sister came in through the front door, with that very careful style of walking as fast as humanly possible while not outwardly appearing to be in a hurry. Because God forbid the Number Ten Hero hurry for anything less than lives at stake.

I mean, I got it.

She was a public figure now. She had to think about the effect she could have on the wider society just by the way she acted. If she was hurrying, people might panic. But still.

Ryuko had immediately drawn the attention of several patrons, but she ignored the onlookers and made her way through the lobby, greeting me with a warm smile as she approached.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry.” She responded, rubbing the back of her neck. “There was a holdup at the agency. You know how it is.”

“I guess.”

Ryuko frowned, but didn’t say anything.

It had to be said, the restaurant took its promise of privacy seriously. Instead of having a central dining area, the upper floors of the building were split into individual rooms, where there was no possibility of being eavesdropped or bothered.

After we checked in at the front desk a waiter took us to the one Ryuko had reserved, a small room on the third floor. It was very simplistically adorned, but nice enough. I also noticed that the heating in the room had been turned up, which must’ve been something Ryuko had asked the restaurant to set up beforehand. I guess there are some perks to her fame.

“Here we go.” The waiter said with a slight bow. “I trust everything is to your liking?”

“It is wonderful, thank you.” Ryuko replied.

“Then I shall leave you to it. Please, once you have chosen your order, use the intercom and one of us will be there.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Ryuko’s whole demeanour changed. The ever present tension in her shoulders loosened as she swept me into a hug, lifting me clear off the ground. After my last growth spurt I was of equal height with her, but she had years of physical training to fall back on. I returned the hug awkwardly and eventually she relented, putting me back down on the ground.

“Look, I’m really sorry about being late.”

Does that mean you’re going to stop doing it?

That was what I wanted to say. But it wouldn’t have been fair to Ryuko. Her job was to save lives. What was an inconvenience to me compared to that?

“Alright.” I eventually settled on a quiet reply.

“So! Let’s get some food!”

She took a seat and grabbed one of the menus from the table, handing me the other one as I sat down opposite to her.

Wow. These were some seriously expensive meals. I knew Ryuko’s agency was doing well, but still...

“What are you thinking?” Ryuko interrupted my thoughts.

“A hamburger.”

She put down her menu just to look at me in sheer disbelief.

“I take you to the best restaurant in the city and you want a hamburger?”

“Have you or have you not known me my whole life? You took me out to eat, what did you expect me to pick?”

She looked away in disgust, and I rolled my eyes. I would sooner die a second time than eat kale soup or whatever else hipster food she was having.

Yes, kale had apparently crawled back from it’s grave for another go just to haunt me, it was apparently now “in” again.

Ryuko called the waiter via the wall-mounted intercom, and did her best not to frown as I ordered the biggest, greasiest, bacon- and cheese-filled hamburger they had on the menu, plus a bowl of french fries with sauce and bacon chips. She herself ordered lobsters alongside some sort of fruit salad appetizer.

“So, how’s flight practice been?” Ryuko questioned after the waiter left for the kitchen. “I heard you got to fly free for the first time last week.”

“Yeah.”

Ryuko gave me a look.

“It was fine.”

“I know for a fact you can use more adjectives than fine, Ryuuzaki.”

I sighed and took a deep breath. If Ryuko wanted me to be descriptive, then might as well go all in.

“Flying under your own power is the best thing imaginable. All the worries, all the drama and all the things that seem so big down here, from up there they’re just... nothing. Insignificant. Up there, it feels like you can do anything. It feels like you’re free, for the first time in your life. On the ground you feel clumsy and there’s just so much everything, everywhere. You can barely see ten feet in front of you because there's always something in the way, and you never know what might be hiding around a corner. Everything is so small and tight and cluttered and confined.”

I leaned back in my chair, thinking back to that moment of first taking flight with my own wings under the real sky, free of safety harnesses and obstructions.

“Up there, it’s just me and the skies. I can see for dozens of kilometers in every direction. I feel free, in a way that nothing on earth can match. I feel untouchable. I feel safe. I feel… like I’m at home. If anything, after that being on the ground level again is just a disappointment.”

I looked at Ryuko.

“Is that enough adjectives for you?”

She ignored the barb, instead smiling brightly.

“I’m happy for you. I never took to flight like that, but I’m glad you’ve found it enjoyable.”

“Wait, how can you not like flying?”

“Eh, it’s alright. But there are better things.”

“That’s it, you’re not my sister anymore.”

Ryuko was about to reply, but there was a knock on the door as the waiter arrived with our food, and the argument was immediately forgotten in favour of greasy goodness.

When Ryuko called this the best restaurant in the city, she wasn’t kidding. The hamburger buns were freshly baked, warm and crisp. Between them were three patties and a veritable mountain of bacon, cheese, lettuce and sauce. I began devouring it at a rapid pace.

The thing about having sharp teeth was that they looked cool, but getting used to eating with them instead of regular incisors had been a challenge, at first. Biting into my tongue was an ever-present threat, and instead of cutting out a chunk I had to tear it out unless it was something really soft. And stuff tended to get stuck on them very easily. All in all I probably would’ve preferred normal teeth.

But you work with what you’ve got. And they did look cool.

“Anything else happen recently?” Ryuko started the conversation again. “You seem a little glum, today.”

Should’ve known that she’d notice. I never could keep a secret from her, aside from the big one.

“Well, there was one thing.”

Ryuko gestured for me to elaborate.

“I guess… I’ve just been thinking about the future.”

“What about it?”

“It’s just… we had… What do you call it? Career discussion? At school. And… it got me thinking about whether I should really become a Hero.”

“What kind of career discussion would make you think that?” Ryuko squinted, her eyes suddenly hard.

“It was nothing.”

“Clearly it wasn’t nothing, if it got you doubting your childhood dream.”

I winced. “The teacher… said some things.”

“What kind of things, Ryuuzaki?” Ryuko pressed.

“He was being a kind of a jerk, and said some stuff about Hero families and stuff. It doesn’t really matter. It’s just… He asked me why I wanted to become a Hero.” I paused. “I know I’ve said I wanted to be one since when I was little, but I guess it’s just... I decided to be a Hero because it’d be fun. Because I’d get to use my Quirk and be a dragon and that’s what I love doing. But now it just seems a little… childish, don’t you think? Not something that should motivate a Hero.”

“Of all the-” Ryuko began to respond, then paused mid-sentence and seemed to reconsider, and started again.

“Ryuuzaki. Do you really think that nobody else does that? That you’re the exception, for wanting to do it because you think you would enjoy it?”

I didn’t respond, so she continued.

“Surely others in your class also want to become Heroes? Do you… never talk about it? Why they want to do it?”

Not really? I barely talked to people other than Yui at school, and we didn’t talk about things like that.

“Look.” Reading the answer from my face, Ryuko went on. “The idea that you’re only allowed to become a Hero if you’re some perfect exemplar of justice, that you should never enjoy it, is not only an impossible standard to meet, it is not healthy. No functional human being is like that.”

Ryuko paused, stopping for a moment to think before continuing.

“Let me rephrase this. Why do you think I originally decided to become a Hero?”

“I… don’t know. You’ve never talked about it.”

“I’m going to tell you a story. About what happened before you were born. I know you’ve figured out more about what happened than Mom thinks you have, but I want you to hear it first-hand.”

I nodded, with a bit of trepidation.

“It… It was, well, rough, after Ryuunosuke kicked her out and I was born. There’s just no way to put it gently. Mom had to drop out of school and find a minimum wage job. We lived paycheck to paycheck. She tried her best, she really did, but coming from the rich Tatsuma household to living in a tiny apartment in the worst part of the city was hard on her too. She had no idea how to budget things. Sometimes she’d buy things even I knew back then we couldn’t afford, and then we had to live on oatmeal and rice for the next two weeks.”

That was… not something I’d thought about. I had had clues of the overall picture, but to hear about what it must’ve been like...

“She took up smoking to deal with all of it, at first every now and then, but eventually she was doing a pack every day. You know, because she breathes out smoke when she gets angry, so it wasn’t bad for her lungs as it otherwise would have been. But the addiction and all the other issues remained. Our apartment smelled of cigarettes every day.”

She laid her hands on her lap, clearly frustrated.

“I- I can’t blame her for it, she’d been cast out of the only life she’d known, even younger than I am now. But after it’s all said and done, even if I can’t resent her for it, I… I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about the financial side of things when I decided to become a Pro-Hero. All of this-”

Ryuko gestured vaguely around us.

“Being able to afford to eat outside in a fancy restaurant. Getting new clothes just because I liked them, not because the last ones were too small or too worn to wear. Buying jewelry because I thought it was pretty. All the things that I couldn’t do, growing up.”

She seemed a little bit melancholic as she spoke, and I digested this information. Then she perked up a little, continuing on.

“Of course, things did get better. When I was six, Mom met Dad, and he joined the family. It was the best thing to ever happen to us. And not because of financial stability, but because of what it meant for Mom. It was like she was a new person. She was happy again, and she even quit smoking altogether. They waited a long while before having you, you know. Mom wanted everything to be just perfect for your childhood, the way mine wasn’t. I think that’s why she went so far overboard in the other direction, trying to give you the most normal childhood imaginable.”

She sighed.

“But to get back on track, greed is pretty much the definition of selfishness. It’s not my only reason for starting down the path to becoming a Pro-Hero, but it has been a major influence every step of the way. It’s part of me.”

She looked up again, folding her fingers together.

“So would you say that makes me a bad Hero?”

“Of course not.” I hastened to reply. “But it’s not the same-”

“But it is.” Ryuko said, grasping my hand by the wrist, her expression dead-serious. “I wanted to become a Hero for the money. You want to become a Hero because you think you would enjoy it. That is not a bad thing. Anybody who embarks on a career should enjoy what they do. In the other direction lies burnout and depression. I’ve seen and known people who couldn’t handle the intensity of training to become a Pro-Hero, while we’ve had to physically drag you away from training. Used right, that can be a source of strength, not a flaw.”

She rubbed her eyes.

“Nobody’s perfect. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Pro-Hero without a shred of selfishness in them. They’re human.”

“But what about- about people like Ryuo? He became a Hero for selfish reasons, didn’t he?”

“That’s true. Our uncle became a Hero because it was expected of him, to further the prestige of the family. But tell me, can you imagine him ever doing this? Questioning his own motivations?”

Ryuko’s expression darkened, a bit of venom entering into her voice.

“No, Ryuo Tatsuma is the kind of person who would follow his convictions without a moment of hesitation all the way to the end, even if that end is verbally assaulting a five-year old who had done nothing to him.” She said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “So I say that simply by asking these questions, you are already more of a Hero than he ever will be. I’m not saying that you’re wrong to be concerned, because without a doubt, there are Pro-Heroes who take it too far. They have allowed their vices to rule them, more concerned with fame, riches or ambition than they are with actually saving people. The key is in moderation.”

Ryuko sighed.

“Self-awareness can be an incredibly useful trait. But, ‘Zaki, sometimes you take that way too far and twist over into crippling yourself with self-doubt. You’re thirteen. You have your whole life ahead of you, to figure things out. Nobody’s expecting you to be a Hero yet. That’s what you go to Hero School for, dummy.”

She poked me in the forehead.

“As long as it isn’t your only reason for becoming a Hero, and you don’t allow it to interfere with it, there is nothing wrong with having a selfish reason to become a Hero. Damn near everyone does. The one and only thing that matters is if you have the potential to become a Hero, and a willingness to give everything you have towards that goal. The first you have in spades, and I know you can muster the second if this is the path you want to take. So the only question that’s really worth asking, is if you want to become a Hero. Nothing else. If you want to, you can. If you don’t want to, then don’t.”

The silence stretched on.

Finally I swallowed, opened my mouth, then closed it again before finally settling on an answer.

“I… I’ll think about it.”

“And that’s okay. You’ve still got two whole years until the entrance exams, and besides, there are adult courses for Heroes. I talked to Edgeshot at the Hero Rankings gala, did you know that he was twenty-three when he decided to become a Pro-Hero?

Huh. That’s actually something I’d never considered.

“Thanks. For… all of this. Putting up with me.”

“That’s what big sisters are for.”

Chapter Text

I frowned as I beheld the empty training field. It was a simple, empty expanse of bare ground several hundred meters across devoid of vegetation or any other distinguishing features. The ground was packed hard, trampled and upturned by countless claw marks.

Ryuko had rented it some time ago, once it became clear the forest was not an appropriate location for sparring. When two multi-ton dragons go at it in a forest, there’s going to be damage. And with her having graduated from UA she needed a place to train with her Quirk, even when I wasn’t with her.

Today, we were supposed to be sparring. After the discussion in the restaurant two weeks ago, Ryuko had promised to clear her schedule a little, and a couple days ago the school had sent a message saying evening math lessons were cancelled. Seemed like they’d finally canned Fujiwara.

But something must’ve come up, since it was twenty minutes past the time we had agreed upon and there was no sign of Ryuko. I glanced at my phone.

Twenty-three minutes, now.

My finger hovered over the call button, weighing my options. Even if she was constantly late, Ryuko would have at least called me if she knew she was going to be this late. If it was an emergency, I didn’t want to distract her. But if she was actually coming, I didn’t want to just leave without saying anything.

After a few moments, I pressed the button. If she couldn’t talk she just wouldn’t pick up, and I’d leave her a message that I’d gone home.

It rang for a while, but just as I was about to end the call it was picked up.

“Hi!”

I did a double take, because that was not my sister’s voice. It was much higher pitched and younger, full of energy.

“Ah, um.” I floundered. “I must’ve had the wrong number?”

I really didn’t see how I could’ve, considering it was the same one I used on a daily basis, but it was the first response I could come up with.

“Oh, this is Ryukyu’s phone, this is just her intern speaking-”

I frowned, and not just because the voice sounded way too young for a student.

“She doesn’t have an intern.”

“Oh, um, I only started today?”

Was that a question or an answer?

Before I could formulate a response, I heard a muffled voice call out in the background.

“Oh, uh, Ryukyu’s asking who I’m talking to so…”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, her sister.” I responded, slightly bewildered. “Did you just... grab her phone from her desk when it rang?”

“...Yyyyeeeesss?”

At that point, I heard the phone being grabbed from her hand, and it was Ryuko’s voice that came through the speaker next.

“‘Zaki? Is that you?”

“Yeah. I guess you’re not coming over for the sparring today?”

“Wait-” Ryuko paused, probably to look at a clock. “It’s already past three?”

She sighed, and I could picture the way she was rubbing her eyes. “I’m sorry ‘Zaki, I got distracted. I got an intern application from UA today and I’ve been going over it all day and I just…”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. Uh, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it today, but I’ll see about something next week?”

“Nah. It’s alright.”

I hung up on her, sighing in disappointment. Another afternoon wasted.

I put my hands in my pockets and started walking away, towards the city. The training field was located on the outskirts of Musutafu, next to a large park on the opposite side from home. A straight path through the city center would probably be faster, but it’d also be really crowded, and I preferred to walk the long way around. I pulled out my headphones and put on some music, an instrumental soundtrack from eighty years ago I’d found on the internet.

Music had a way of clearing my head and calming me down, making it easier to think. It made it hard to stay in a bad mood.

The day was actually quite beautiful if you could discount the cold, and I was wearing five layers of clothing for that. The sun shone overhead, illuminating the fresh snow covering the park, the paved pathways layered with frost.

The river crossing through the park had yet to ice over, and dark water churned beneath as I crossed a small wooden bridge, admiring the view and taking off the headphones for a moment. Save for the noise the river made, it was quiet. No birds, no speaking, no cars… nothing. It was… pleasant.

But the cold was starting to seep into my limbs and ears so I put the headphones back on and kept moving, accelerating to a jog. Might as well get a little bit of training out of all this.

The river fell away into the distance, replaced by a winding pathway past thickets of pines. A background of occasional bird calls and songs began to appear, feeder posts dotting the landscape. An irrational desire to transform just to shut them up popped in the back of my head, but I just turned the volume up on my headphones to drown it out.

Time passed. I was making good time towards home, lost in my own thoughts, when I felt something tap my shoulder lightly.

As I turned to see what it was I saw the briefest glimpse of a clenched fist before my right temple exploded with pain. I staggered and fell, my elbow catching roughly against the pavement.

Before I could even begin to form a reaction something impacted my stomach like a sledgehammer, knocking the air out of my lungs. I scrambled onto my elbows, gasping for air and tensed for the next blow to fall.

Instead, there was a noise like somebody was speaking, but my ears were still ringing from the first blow. I shook my head, hard. The headphones were lying on the ground next to me.

“-thought you were so clever huh?! Thought you could get away with it?!”

I recognized that voice. I blinked repeatedly, and as my vision focused I could make out the figure of Katsuke Fujiwara, standing over me. He looked even more disheveled than usual in his hoodie and loose pants, his eyes slightly bloodshot.

“Well guess again!”

I winced in pain, the loud noise sending waves of pain through my head. I had no idea what he was on about, but I could worry about that later.

Picture the bottle.

It’s drilled into the heads of every child to never use their Quirk in anger, over and over again.

You are the bottle.

But there are limits to what people are expected to tolerate, even in this society.

Now uncork the bottl-

A kick crashed into my ribs, sending me sprawling on the ground once more, the back of my head hitting the pavement hard. With my concentration broken the energy field fizzled out, the transformation interrupted.

“You thought I didn' come prepared, huh? Do you think I’m a fuckin’ amateur? I know how your Quirk works. You need to concentrate to consciously activate it.”

He tapped a finger to his temple, smiling. “I read your file. They removed my access but they weren’t quite fast enough.”

“Mistä vit-” I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. It was like a yo-yo was bouncing around the inside of my skull. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“When they fired me, you fucker! Your sister came down on the administration like a sack of bricks.”

What?

“I didn’t…”

I hadn’t asked Ryuko to do that. The topic was never even broached. She wouldn’t...

“She told the principal I’d ‘verbally assaulted’ her beloved kid sister. That they needed to get rid of me.” Fujiwara foamed, but I wasn’t listening.

Had Ryuko gone behind my back? She would’ve had to have gone out of her way to make sure I wouldn’t know about it. Would she really do that? Maybe he was lying? But the anger seemed genuine?

My head hurt just from trying to think. I tried to pull myself up, but a wave of nausea rolled over me, and I fell down on my elbows.

Can’t fight. Can’t run. Trapped. I felt a tendril of panic rising up my throat.

“Nothing to say for yourself, huh?”

Nothing to… nothing to say.

That was it. Keep him… keep him talking. Draw it out. Hope somebody comes.

That I could do. With a clear goal to work towards, I could shunt aside the panic and focus. Keep him talking, make him think I’m beaten. He seems to enjoy that. Don’t talk back, he’ll only get angry. Ask questions instead.

I pulled myself into a crouch, fighting to keep my dinner down as I maneuvered my right side away from Fujiwara.

“How-” I croaked, my throat dry. “How did you even find me?”

As I spoke, I ran my fingers down the side of my pants, feeling for the blocky shape of my phone in my pocket. Tracing it’s outline, I found the distinct button on the side.

“Easy. I know where you live. A real fancy house you got.” Fujiwara sneered. “After that it was just a matter of followin’ you.”

And I hadn’t even noticed. I shook my head- I needed to focus.

One long press, two short, one long, three short, followed by the small vibration of confirmation. When Ryuko had explained the usage of the panic button the first time around, I’d thought it stupid and pointless. If I got out of this alive, I was never complaining about her attention to detail again.

Help would be coming. I could take a small amount of comfort in that. Now, all I needed to do was hold out until then.

“So let me get this straight. You… you got kicked out of Hero School?”

He frowned, and I did my best to conceal the wince at how obvious my stalling tactics were. Smooth talking convincingly was very much not on my list of strengths.

“That’s right. I had to watch people like you get everything handed to you, while I was booted out because I “lacked potential”. And now you think that you can just take away everything I had left? I lost my job, and now I’m going to lose my apartment. I’ve got nothing left!”

He leaned in closer and raised his hand, fingers splayed.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Because soon enough neither will you.”

His fingers suddenly began twisting, the tips opening up into hollow tubes, tiny grooves lining the sides. I realized I knew all too well what those were.

Those were gun barrels.

So that’s what his Quirk was.

Well. Fuck.

What happened next was pure instinctual response.

Faced with death staring you in the face, there’s only two options. Fight or flight. And flight wasn’t on the cards.

So I did the only thing that I could.

I headbutted Fujiwara.

Now, as a rule, legacy Quirks are nowhere near as strong as true Quirks. Dad could drive his horn through several inches of solid steel plate, while I couldn’t do anything close to that outside my dragon form.

But, nonetheless, I had horns. And by necessity, I had fairly strong neck muscles, if only to deal with the extra weight. And so, driven by do or die desperation, I could put a fair amount of force into a headbutt.

There was a terrible crunching sound as the flat side of my forward horn slammed into his face, his nose cartilage shattering in a spray of blood.

Fujiwara staggered back, blood streaming between fingers clutching his shattered nose, but I was in no position to exploit the opening I’d created. The usual adage that a headbutt hurts you as much as the other guy can be mitigated with proper technique, and stops really applying if you have actual horns. However, there was a truth in that headbutting does still hurt, and doubly so if you happen to have suffered two nasty hits to the head, beforehand.

My head felt like it’d been split open with an axe, and a bit of warm blood was dripping down my horn and into my eye. I wanted- needed to run, right now, if I wanted to have any chance of making it out alive, but the ground seemed to be swaying beneath my feet.

“YOU LITTLE BITCH!”

And it seemed like my brief respite was over. If retreat is impossible, then the only way is forward.

I weighed maybe half of what Fujiwara did. I was pretty tall for my age and in decent shape, but he was an adult man whilst I was barely a teenager. I had some fighting experience, but that was a lifetime ago, in a different body. If he wasn’t lying, Fujiwara would’ve had far more recent combat training. My only advantages were a dubiously useful legacy Quirk and raw, manic desperation to live.

There was no way in hell I was going to win.

But god, I had to try.

If there was one piece of fighting knowledge I remembered from all those years ago, it was to control the legs. That’s the key. If you control the legs, you control the fight.

Instead of trying for another headbutt, I went low and tackled Fujiwara, hooking a leg behind his in an attempt to trip him. I gave it everything I had, but the difference in mass and strength was just too much. He staggered and hobbled backwards, struggling for footing, but didn’t fall.

A knee slammed to my stomach, sending me staggering back, away from Fujiwara. There were stars in my vision, but I could see him raising his hand and-

There was a burning sensation in my chest. My ears were ringing. I glanced down, and oh that’s a lot of blood-

I fell, but the sensation felt distant, like it was somebody else’s back crashing on cold, frost-encrusted pavement. My vision was blurry, but I could see Fujiwara, a wisp of smoke extending from his fingertip.

He- He just shot me.

It was getting harder to breathe. There had originally been three pinpricks of pain on my chest, but now a dull ache seemed to be spreading across my whole body.

I’m dying, aren’t I?

I- I can’t die. I h-have so much to do. I have a life! A sister, a family! I can’t just die, not again.

I could feel warm, sticky blood on my chest. Wisps of mist were coalescing in the cold air, rising on small columns towards the sky.

I didn’t want to die.

But what could I do? The Fucker was just… just standing there. He looked- he looked shocked almost, like he hadn’t meant to go this far.

That made me feel angry, more than anything. He was shocked. What fucking bullshit. He’d attacked me out of nowhere. How fucking dare he be shocked that he’d- he’d…

Killed me.

I could feel my head getting light and lighter, my thoughts growing fuzzy. There was nothing I could do.

Well.

Maybe?

I could try transforming. It’s a long shot. But it’s the only one I’ve got.

Dragon would be tougher. I don’t know if wounds remain. Never had reason to test.

Everything’s so sluggish. Time’s running out. I have to try.

Imagin-

It’s hopeless. Can’t focus. Hurts too much.

Imagine the bottl-

No!

It slipped away again.

It’s impossible. I can’t do it.

Imagine the bott-

Hnnng.

I don’t want to die.

Please!

God, if you’re listening, I don’t want to die.

Imagi-

Fuck, I’ll take anything. Satan, if you’re listening, help me.

Imagine the bottle. You ar-

It was no use. I felt my head floating.

I was going to die.

Again.

For some stupid, meaningless bullshit. If I’d kept my damn mouth shut, we wouldn’t be here. But I hadn’t and so we were, so what was the point?

What was the point in any of it? Look at me, I literally got handed a new life, with fucking superpowers. And not just anything, but a superbly powerful Quirk. A loving, well-off family. A chance to become an actual, no-joke Superhero. All the advantages in the world laid out for me, and what do I do with them? Get shot and killed by my bitch of a substitute teacher in some godforsaken, nameless alleyway.

What a fucking joke.

Well, I suppose I can’t complain. Most people don’t get another do-over after fucking up one life.

The pain was really starting to set in now. My chest was burning, tendrils of liquid fire seeping across my body. It was getting harder to think.

But… that was just it. Most people don’t get a do-over. For whatever reason, I’d been given another chance, where billions of others lived and died. Maybe I didn’t deserve it, but I had it nonetheless.

I owed it to at least not let that life slip away without a fight.

When I went to meet my maker, or whatever else awaited me, I wanted to be able to stand tall and say “I fought every step of the way here”.

Hnnng.

I shifted, the sensation of movement so distant I wasn’t sure I didn’t just imagine it, and did everything I could to just focus.

The last thing I thought of before all conscious thinking was washed away by an ocean of pain was the bottle.

Then, once more, there was darkness.

I don’t want to go.

------

Reality slammed into my consciousness like a freight train, an overflowing stream of images, sounds, smells, sensations, all in painful clarity- the park, blood staining the snow, but viewed from above, and Fujiwara suddenly looking so much smaller so much less threatening.

An overwhelming wave of nausea washed over me, my stomach churning like a grain mill. Vomit spilled out between my jaws and onto the snowy pavement.

That was when it really hit me.

I was alive.

And not just alive, but in my dragon form. I could feel the strong, steady heartbeat hammering my chest, the muffling sensation of being clad in an armour of interlocking scales, the comforting heat in my chest, the confusing yet somehow natural sensation of suddenly having three additional extremities, and all the other small things that marked the shift.

I checked over myself. The plate-like scales that covered my chest seemed untouched, and it certainly didn’t feel like I’d been shot. I was nauseous and dizzy, but I wasn’t dying.

Which meant-

I lifted my head toward Fujiwara, and I saw several emotions flash through his face. Anger. Fear. Regret.

I charged.

What ensued could not even at the most generous of terms be called a fight. Previously Fujiwara had had gross physical superiority on his side, but now the situation was more than merely reversed. At least then we had been operating on the same orders of magnitude.

I bowled the man over with ease, roughly knocking him into the snowy ground. Before he could move, a massive, clawed forelimb came down on his chest, pinning him to the ground like a mouse trapped by a hunting cat.

I lowered my head to look him into the eye, and I could see real fear as fangs longer than his forearm came uncomfortably close to his face. He was sweating profusely, though that could probably be attributed to the sheer heat emanating from the furnace in my chest- the snow-encrusted pavement was rapidly melting in an expanding radius around us, columns of mist rising towards the bright evening sky.

Honestly, more than anything else, I wanted to kill him.

Tear out his throat, watch him bleed out and feel what I’d felt.

I could say it was an accident, I was just defending myself. Nobody would ever know.

But…

I pictured Ryuko’s face, twisted with disappointment

I moved my jaws away from Fujiwara’s head. I couldn’t do it.

This act seemed to trigger some sort of defiance in him, as he brought his arms- still free, stupid, stupid- up and fired. I closed my eyes in an instinctive reaction to the thunderclap of noise, but instead of the burning sensation of being shot what I got was more like… I guess somebody chucking golf balls at me really hard? It still hurt, but the pain was mostly superficial, muffled by my scales.

That was one way to find out they’re bulletproof, I suppose.

I tried to pin his arms but he kept firing at random as he struggled to get free, and I felt one of the bullets pierce the membrane of my right wing. A jolt of pain passed through the limb and warm blood began trickling down it’s surface.

Seeing no other option, I shifted the majority of my weight on my forelimbs. With his hands pinned between just short of three metric tons of angry dragon and the pavement, there was a crunch followed by a yell of pain, and finally the gunfire seemed to stop for good.

There was finally silence in the alleyway. Well, aside from Fujiwara’s whimpering, but I wasn’t inclined to give him much in the way of sympathy.

I breathed in and out, scalding-hot air puffing in the cold air. The wound on my wing was aching, but it was nothing I couldn’t deal with. The actual membrane itself had little in the way of blood vessels of nerves. For a few moments I just focused on breathing. In and out. I was alive.

I was shaken out of it by the sound of sirens coming closer. Turning my head to watch, I saw a white and black police patrol car approaching along the pathway. It pulled to the side as it came close, two officers of Musutafu Police Force piling out.

“I-”

“Holy shit you have to help me!” Fujiwara suddenly yelled out. “This crazy dragon is trying to kill me!”

Oh.

Shit.

My eyes flickered down at Fujiwara, pinned beneath my claws. This probably didn’t look very good on the outside.

“Get off him and put your hands in the air!”

And now there was a gun pointed at me. Again.

I stepped back and off Fujiwara, but I wasn’t really sure how I was supposed to put my hands in the air as a dragon. I’m a quadruped, I would just fall over.

That was when the sound of wingbeats filled the park.

I’d spent thirteen years of my life living with Ryuko Tatsuma. During that time I’d seen her in almost every state of emotion thinkable. I’d seen her happy, playful, serious, sad, disappointed, jealous, embarrassed, stern, disgusted, surprised, hungry, afraid, and more.

But I don’t think in all of those years I had ever, at any point, seen her well and truly angry. Disapproval? Sure. Frustration? All the time. But genuine anger?

It was something to behold as she dropped to the ground, the earth shaking with her landing. She wasn’t even wearing her costume -she must’ve dropped everything when the panic button went off- but there wasn’t a soul in Japan who wouldn’t recognize the Number Ten Hero of Japan as she glowered down, the distinct smell of ozone in the air. Fujiwara’s face had gone pale as he looked up at her.

“Officers.” It’s not really something you notice yourself, but from the outside perspective turning into a dragon has a way of distorting your voice. Obviously the vocal cords are completely different, and your voice ends up sounding a lot deeper and scratchier, like it was being run through a distorter. “Would you like to tell me why you are brandishing weapons at my sister?”

To their credit, the police took it in a stride. The older-looking officer lowered his gun slightly, addressing Ryuko.

“Ma’am, we responded to a distress call from a panicked pedestrian, telling there were gunshots coming from this area. When we arrived we reacted according to the situation as we saw it. He-” he indicated Fujiwara, “-called out for help, and we moved to defuse the situation.”

Ryuko whipped around to glare at Fujiwara, and I saw a momentary, almost imperceptible flicker of surprise in her eyes before she glared down at him. Leaning back onto her hind legs, she tapped a clawed finger on a device strapped to her wrist. She’d shown it to me once- a communicator manufactured by Pro-Hero Support Item companies, outfitted with all the latest features: an adjustable strap, EMP-proofing, all the capabilities of a commercial smartphone, and more.

A voice started to play from the device.

“-nothing left! Well, it doesn’t really matter. Because soon enough neither will you.”

Another feature was the ability to link panic buttons directly into it, receiving GPS data and audio recordings from them once triggered. For a few more seconds there were sounds of struggling, Fujiwara shouting and then-

Gunshots.

Ryuko turned off the recording.

“I received an emergency message from my sister here, and came as fast as I could.” She scowled. “Now can you please point the guns somewhere other than the victim?”

The officer sighed, and holstered his gun, moving to check up on Fujiwara. “Sorry Ma’am, standard procedure.”

“I, um-” Suddenly all attention was on me, and I flinched. “What happened was, I was walking home when Fujiwara attacked me. He- he shot me. T-that’s his Quirk. I managed to use my own to s-subdue him.”

I wasn’t sure if the officer would’ve believed me by myself if his expression was any indication, but with Ryuko backing me up I guess he didn’t want to argue.

“You know this man?”

“He, um, he w-was my school teacher?” I hated the tremble in my voice, no matter how justified it may have been.

“How old are you?”

“She’s twelve, officer, this is getting ridiculous.” Ryuko bit out, clearly starting to lose her patience.

The man’s eyes widened slightly in realization.

Oh.

I guess with the transformation and the voice- he mustn’t have been able to tell.

“Alright then.” I’ll need to call dispatch and get an ambulance for him. You said his name was Fujiwara?”

“K-ka-katsuke Fujiwara.”

He nodded and began walking over to the patrol car.

Ryuko approached me, her eyes drawn to the blood on my wing.

“Are you alright?”

I couldn’t help it- now that she was here, now that it was over, the shock finally began to set in. And with it went the last of the composure I’d been holding on to.

Dragons can’t really hug comfortably but I did the next best thing, pressing to Ryuko’s side, ducking under her wing. Now that adrenaline was fading I could feel the tremors in my limbs, and I was confident if I had tear ducts they’d be leaking right now.

Ryuko seemed surprised at the contact, but instead of shying away leaned in, pulling her wing over me.

“Shhh. It’s alright. I’m here now.”

“I-I was dying, Ryuko.” I choked out.

“Sssh. You’re not dying. You’re going to be okay. It’s just a bit of your wing, it’ll be fine.”

“It’s- it’s n-not-”

“Everything's going to be alright. Can you shift back to human for me?”

“I- don’t k-know. I was shot. B-before I transformed. I was- I was going to die.”

Ryuko shifted, craning her neck down to look me in the eye.

“And you transformed to get through it?” There was a note of alarm in her voice that hadn’t been there before.

I simply nodded, and she put a clawed forelimb on my shoulder.

”Okay. We need to get you to a hospital, as soon as possible.” She seemed to contemplate for a second, then went on. “Fastest way to go is flying, and I can waive the license for an emergency. Do you think you can manage it?”

“Y-yeah. I t-think so.” The bleeding had stopped by now, leaving a small rip in the membrane, but it was tiny compared to the full surface area of my wings.

“That’ll have to do. And whatever happens, don’t shift back until we’re at the hospital.”

She turned to the officers, who were checking on Fujiwara.

“I’m taking my sister to the hospital. You can contact my agency for a statement.”

For a moment I was afraid the police were going to argue, but then the senior officer nodded.

“We'll want to talk to you at a later date, but health and safety takes precedence. We’ll call an ambulance for him.” He nodded towards Fujiwara.

Then we were off, Ryuko leaping into the air with me right at her heels.

She led the way, speaking to her communicator and checking on me every few moments over her shoulder. The wound on my wing hurt a bit, sure, and it was quite cold so far up, but it was nothing I couldn’t bear. I took the time to try to calm down and get a hold of myself. Bad enough that I’d been stammering like an idiot in front of the police.

Ryuko could reach speeds of over a hundred kilometers per hour on overland flight, and though I couldn’t match her I could manage sixty in a hurry. The city scape whipped by below us, and in a manner of minutes we reached Musutafu Central Hospital.

It was a large, blocky building with a large helipad on the top. It seemed like they were prepared for us, as the landing area was cleared and marked with red flares.

The tricky part would be the landing. Taking off and keeping aloft was fairly simple despite my relative inexperience, but landing in such conditions was going to be tricky. It was getting dark, and the forewind was substantial.

Ryuko knew that too, as she pulled up closer to me, her voice carrying over the wind.

“Don’t worry about the landing. Nobody’s giving style points, as long as you can hit the helipad. It can take an impact.”

It seemed like her words would be tested soon enough as I spread my wings and began slowing down, only to find my increased air drag was allowing the winds to pull me off course. I adjusted, and then some more, but the end result was a faster approach than ideal, and I landed heavily on the helipad, claws skidding on the metal.

Ryuko landed gracefully beside me, a claw on my side steadying me. I folded my wings, and pulled myself upright.

A bald, bespectacled man in a white coat strode towards us, a hand making broad gestures towards the side as he struggled to make himself heard over the wind.

“Follow me!”

The elevator was a wide, spacious one, probably doubling for cargo as well. Ryuko transformed to give me more space, keeping a comforting hand on my side the whole time.

As the doors closed and the noise of the wind disappeared, the doctor introduced himself with a bow.

“Dr. Shojiro Matsubara. Ryukyu I’ve worked with before, but I do not believe we’ve met before?”

“Y-yeah. Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.”

“A pleasure to meet you. Now, I believe you were shot, before using your Transformation Quirk?”

“Y-yes.” I replied. “At least t-three times. In the chest. I bled, a lot.”

“I see.” Matsubara nodded gravely. “First of all, do I have your permission to use my Quirk on you?”

“Um-”

“It’s a simple sensory Quirk. As long as I’m touching you, it allows me to scan your internals. It’s faster and more precise than getting X-rays..”

“Alright.”

He pressed a hand to my chest, and it felt like an electric tingle running through me. He nodded, and withdrew the hand, running his fingers through his beard.

“It seems like you’re in perfect health aside from the wound on your wing, as far as I can tell with your altered biology. It seems to have already stopped bleeding, however, so we shouldn’t have to worry about it for now. According to the registry your Quirk shunts material not part of your body into storage when you shift, correct?”

I nodded, and he continued.

“I assume that’s where the bullets have gone, unless they exited through the back. That’s good.”

“But… won’t they reappear inside of me if I turn back?”

“It’s… hard to say. There’s still so much we don’t understand about Quirks, and each is unique in its own way. But either they do, or they don’t. If they don't, that’s our best case scenario. But if they do it’ll definitely still be easier to remove them than digging them out now, if they were still inside of you.”

I guess that made sense.

“So what’s going to happen then?”

“Well, it’s hard to say.”

“What do you mean?”

“In treating Pro-Heroes, I’ve come to find that most Transformation-type Quirks can be divided into three groups, based on how they interact with wounds present on the user when activated. The first type simply replicates the wound on the new form. That is not the case here, as is evident. The second possibility is that the Quirk simply heals the wounds as it transforms the flesh into its new form, allowing it to function as a form of regeneration. Ryukyu, that is how your Quirk works, correct?”

“Yes. Wounds are healed between transformations.” She frowned. “I didn’t want to assume anything about Ryuuzaki’s, however.”

Matsubara nodded. “Sibling Quirks are often very similar, like the two of you, but we should assume nothing. Especially for genetic half-siblings.”

Ryuko looked like she wanted to say something to that, but then thought better of it.

“The third possibility, however, is that the Quirk records the state of the previous form, and restores it when the transformation is reversed. This is why we’ll have an emergency room waiting when you turn back, if the wounds return at full force.”

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, and he led the two of us deeper into the building.

“Is it really okay for me to be here?” I tested my weight on the floor. “I mean, is the floor going to hold?”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Matsubara assured me as he led the way. “Public buildings are constructed to a high standard, because we have to be able to service a wide range of body types created by Quirks. You’re on the upper end, but still well within the safety margin.”

The hallways were bustling with activity, and it was all I could do to keep my tail from accidentally knocking things over or getting into anyone’s way, all the while trying to avoid scraping the floor with my claws.

Eventually Matsubara led us into a room filled with medical equipment, another doctor waiting for us.

“This is Doctor Yoshiko Fujioka.” The short, brown-haired woman bowed. “She will be assisting me.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Now, I would like for you to revert your transformation, so that we can assess the situation.” Matsubara continued.

“Alright.”

I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes, bracing for the pain to return.

Picture the bottle. Imagine your body being squeezed into the bot-

I staggered a step backwards, my eyes flying open, feeling nauseous, heartbeat hammering in my ears. I was treated to the sight of my heavy, clawed forelimbs.

“It didn’t work?”

Matsubara’s question hung in the air. Instead of replying, I tried again, exactly as I had done every day for the last nine years or so. I pictured the mental images Mom and Ryuko had taught me to help consciously activate my Quirk.

Except nothing happened.

“Why can’t I…”

Why can’t I transform?

I felt panic tightening in my chest again, but Matsubara stepped forward, taking control of the situation.

“Please, calm down. You have gone through a highly traumatic event today, the stress and mental strain of which cannot be discounted.”

Yeah.

Yeah, that had to be it. Deep breaths.

Matsubara stepped forward holding a hand out towards me.

“Could you attempt it again? I would like to try using my Quirk to see if I can identify what is going wrong.”

I shrugged, and leaned forward to his touch.

“That is odd.” He noted as I made the third attempt. “The Quirk Factor is moving, the Quirk is activating, and then it simply shuts down.”

“What does that mean in practical terms?” Ryuko asked.

The two doctors shared a look, before Matsubara replied. “It means we don’t know what’s causing it. We’ll need some time to make calls and confer with my colleagues- this is not a situation I’ve come across before.”

“I’ll need to take care of some business as well.” Ryuko said, looking at me. “I’ll be back as soon as I am able.”

“Please, lie down and try to rest if you can.” Matsubara added.

I laid down on the floor, dozing off in short order. My sleep was light and restless, half-formed shapes and images flicking across my mind. I wasn’t sure how long it was until I was awakened, my keen hearing picking up on the sound of the door opening.

Ryuko stepped inside, smiling softly as she saw that I was awake. I’d always been a light sleeper, to the point that she’d never been able to sneak into my room when we were younger.

“Sorry if I woke you up.”

I blinked a couple of times, shaking off the last of my sleepiness.

“It’s alright.”

“I just got off from giving a statement to the police. Everything should be okay for now.”

“So I’m not in trouble for what I, uh, did to Fujiwara?” I asked, suddenly remembering the unnatural way his hands and fingers had been bent after I’d stepped off of him, bone sticking out from underneath the skin.

“They’ll want you to come in at some point to give a full account of what went down, but with the audio recording and physical evidence it should be an open-and-shut case of self defence.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

We fell into a silence for a few moments, before I opened my mouth again. There was something that had been digging at me for a while now.

“Ryuko?”

“Yes?”

“Did you arrange to get Fujiwara fired?”

“...”

“Please.” I prodded. “Did you?”

“Yes.” Ryuko admitted.

“...Why?”

“Why- What he did was unacceptable for someone supposed to be in charge of your education. So I looked up his name and sent a complaint to the school administration.”

“No, why didn’t you tell me about it?” I shifted my position on the floor to look at my sister, raising my head so that we were at eye level. “I mean, it certainly would’ve been easier to just ask me for his name than going through the school records.”

“Would you have agreed?”

“Would that have stopped you?” I countered, and Ryuko flinched. “There are other ways to deal with people like that than getting them fired.”

“I didn’t have him fired. The school did.”

“Of course they did, you’re the Number Ten Hero!” I felt the heat in the room rise alongside my anger. “You’re always saying you need to be careful with everything you do because of the amount of influence you wield. But now it’s okay for you to pressure the school?”

“Sometimes it has to be done.” Ryuko folded her arms. “There are times when avoiding conflict has its uses, but people like that need to be taught their actions have consequences, or they will never stop. To believe otherwise is pure naivete.”

“This isn’t even about him.” I would have scowled if I could have, a little bit stung by her words. “This is about why you went out of your way to keep me out of it.”

“This is why.” She gestured at the two of us. “After the restaurant, I just… didn’t want to have an argument. I didn’t want you to have to worry about this too.”

“And look where that got us.” I muttered.

“I had no way of knowi-” Ryuko began, a bit of indignation creeping into her voice, when the doors to the hospital room were thrown open.

“Ryuuzaki!”

Mom was at my side in an instant, Dad following just behind. Matsubara and Fujioka came last alongside a doctor I didn’t recognize, closing the door behind them. The three of them stayed at a respectful distance as my parents fussed over me.

“It’s alright sweetie.” Mom said, a bit of tears in her eyes “You’re going to be okay.”

“I…” I hesitated. “I can’t transform back.”

“We heard, the doctors filled us in. It’s going to be alright.”

“Ryuko told us about what happened.” Dad butted in, a comforting hand on my shoulder. “What you did was very brave.”

I didn’t really feel that way, but I wasn’t going to argue.

Matsubara cleared his throat, stepping closer as he gestured at the third doctor.

“This is Doctor Kaete Watanabe.” The portly man bowed.

“I am honoured to meet all of you. Dr. Matsubara has told me of your situation, and we agree that, with your permission, I may be able to help you.”

“His Quirk allows him to heal people at a touch. We wanted to see if that could help resolve Ryuuzaki’s situation.”

“Alright.”

Watanabe stepped forward, touching a hand to the side of my head. I felt a pleasant warmth spreading from his fingertips, a faint stinging sensation on my wing as the small rip closed shut. But aside from that...

“I… don’t really feel much different.”

Matsubara frowned. “Could you try transforming again, just for clarity's sake?”

Picture the bottle. Imagine your body being squeez-

The world spun around me. I felt a faint buzzing grow in my head. The others were speaking, but it felt distant, unreal.

I was still a dragon.

“Well.” Matsubara said. “I can truthfully say that I’ve never come across a situation like this, but after conferring with my colleagues there are… several explanations. There are records of people suffering brain damage and being unable to shift back, or discovering late at life that what they thought was a Mutant-type was in fact a Transformation.”

“It’s also possible it is some kind of internal mechanism or evolution of the Quirk itself.” Doctor Fujioka added. “Truthfully, we do not know. Exactly how Quirks truly function is still an unexplored field of science, and many aspects of each unique Quirk can only be discovered by trial and error.”

“Isn’t there a Pro-Hero with the ability to turn off Quirks?” Mom asked.

“Nullification-type Quirks do not remove the physical effects of the Quirk, they simply disable them.” Ryuko answered.

“That is correct, though it should still be tested. Mind control is another possibility to consider, but they are rare and often… finicky in what they can accomplish.”

“So what do we do about this?” That was Dad speaking.

Matsubara was silent for a moment, weighing his words.

“Obviously, we’re not going to be giving up. First of all we’re going to run some checks, and we’ll continue to explore possible new ways of approaching this. It is possible this is only a temporary state of affairs, but…”

He paused for a moment, before saying aloud what everyone present had already realized but were refusing to think of. “I’m sorry, but you may need to prepare for the long-term possibility that Ryuuzaki will not be able to shift back to human form.”


PROLOGUE ARC END

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

Age: 15

Flying under your own power is the best thing there is.

Anybody who thinks it isn’t, hasn’t experienced it. Which, to be fair, most people haven’t.

The countryside spread out under me, fields, forests, rivers, lakes, even the occasional building. Cars bustled along roads and highways like tiny little ants, pedestrians only barely visible even to my keen eyes.

I folded my wings and went into a dive, letting my mass drag me downwards, and felt the wind against my scale-covered skin. It was cold, so high up, but I produced more than enough heat to keep myself warm.

I let myself fall until the treetops came uncomfortably close before spreading my wings, letting the air drag slow me down as I pulled into a more level flight path before beating them several times in short succession, rapidly ascending back towards the sky. I punched through the cloud layer, droplets running across my scales, before stabilizing into level flight once more.

The sight up there, it... you can’t really properly appreciate it from a plane. It’s magnificent, sure, but it’s nothing compared to viewing it with unrestricted field of view, of actually being there instead of just observing it through a narrow window.

An endless expanse of white, cotton-like clouds spread out below me, disappearing beyond the curve of the horizon. Columns reached towards the heavens like mountains. The setting sun cast it’s orange glow upon the cloud layer, casting it in a dizzying range of orange shade and shadows.

I basked in the warmth of its rays, my winds spread wide as I traced lazy spiral in the sky, enjoying the view. No matter what happened, I could take comfort in the freedom the heavens offered, that promise of safety. As long as I had the open sky over my head, I could feel like I was the master of my fate. I could go anywhere I wanted, at any time.

At least in theory.

In truth, even if nothing physical tethered me to the ground, I was still beholden to the expectations and laws of society.

Eventually the sunset began to fade, forcing me to leave the heavens behind and return to ground level once more. I tilted my wings, beginning a long, slow descent.

The Utapau Open Air Flight Facility was one of several of its kind in Japan, a dedicated location for those with Flight-capable Quirks to use their abilities in full.

For most Quirks, following the law was simple. Don’t use them in public, but on your own private property it’s fine.

But when you add three dimensions to it, things became a little bit stickier. What counts as private airspace? Suddenly you have people coming into contact with aircraft and collision risks skyrocketing.

When they were eventually instituted, the laws had taken inspiration from the regulations imposed upon UAVs in the dawn of the 21st century. Flight without permission was strictly forbidden over cities, densely-populated areas, crowds, events, airports, and even outside of them you were limited to 150 meters above ground level and daylight.

However, some people, like me, wanted to experience more than that limit of 150 meters. And to cater to that audience, places like this were created. Areas closed to normal air traffic, where those with Flight-capable Quirks could have a moment of reprieve. Where they could fly freely, and experience true freedom.

Even if it was only for a fleeting moment at a time.

That was a part of why I wanted to be a Hero. Ryuko had eventually managed to hammer it into my head that that wasn’t necessarily something I should feel guilty about, but I still felt sympathy for those in the same situation who didn’t have the inclination for Pro-Hero career. Experiencing the freedom of flight and then having it be taken away is possibly even more cruel than never knowing it.

I came in low towards the main facility, folding my wings as I landed on the designated area near the parking lot.

“I was wondering if we were going to have to call you down before the night fell.”

The speaker was an bald man in his fifties, wearing the blue uniform of the Utapau Facility. Niikura Masao had been my flight instructor when I was first allowed to spread my wings.

“Yeah, well, you know me. I like it up there.” I said as I pulled off the tracking anklet and handed it to him.

“Yeah, I know. Can’t blame you there.” He smiled. “God knows if I were you I’d do the same. Anyway, I’ll take this inside and sign you out.” He said, holding up the anklet. “You can get home.”

“Thank you so much for this.” I bowed my head. Utapau Facility took safety very seriously, requiring a constant record and tracking of everyone in the air. The anklets could deliver a vibration when the fliers needed to return to the ground, whether due to an emergency or simply weather conditions.

However, there was the slight problem that I couldn’t fit through the front door to sign myself in and receive an anklet from the front desk. Masao had agreed to give me a helping hand, and for that I was eternally grateful.

“It’s nothing.” He waved it off. “You’re our most frequent customer anyways, it really isn’t a bother.”

I nodded, and then I was off.

Running at speeds higher than humans are normally capable of technically counts as Quirk usage on public roads and was therefore illegal, so I had to walk home in case a cop happened to pass by. The odds were low and it would be a minor violation, but I didn’t feel like risking getting into trouble. Even so, I made good time.

It was nearly dark by the time I reached home, the lights of Musutafu in the distance illuminating the night sky. I trotted over to the door to my room, the garage-style door having been added in a renovation not long after it became clear that my situation would be a long-term one. It swung open, and I stepped inside.

My room had been combined with the neighbouring storage closet in order to make room for me to be comfortable, about wide enough that if I stretched the tip of my tail to one wall I could just barely reach the opposite one. The ceiling had also been expanded into the attic- I could fit inside a normal room, but it was a tight fit and I had to be careful not to poke holes in the ceiling with my horns, so having the extra space added that little bit of extra comfort that made it easier to relax. Meanwhile the wooden floor had been covered entirely by a soft mat that gave way beneath my feet, making it much more comfortable to walk on than cold, hard surfaces that my claws could scrape against.

Sometimes it still made me feel a touch embarrassed about just how much money had been sunk into the renovation. Mom and Dad were well off, but they couldn’t really be considered rich either, and this kind of money didn’t come by easily. I could’ve made do with less, but they wouldn’t take a no for an answer, and I suspected Ryuko had helped with the funding of it all.

There were Public Housing options for people whose Quirks made it impossible to live in normal apartments, but that would have required that I move out and live on my own in the government-maintained facilities. And after what had happened, that wasn’t an option on the table as far as my family was concerned. Dad especially had been incensed at the inflexibility of government programs.

I crawled onto my chair, a custom-made one given to me as a birthday present by Ryuko. It was kind of like sitting in a human chair backwards, with the backrest on your chest, except it was designed specifically to be used that way. It allowed me to lie down comfortably while leaving both of my forelimbs free to use.

Which was mostly just to use my computer. Claws weren’t really meant for fine manipulation, but with a touchscreen and text to speech I could manage well enough provided the machine was of sufficient size.

After some time spent wasting time on the internet, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps outside my door. Dad had a heavy gait, not just because of how big he was, but it was like he purposefully put the maximum amount of force and weight behind every step. Mom had a slower, deliberate style of walking. The sound I heard was neither of those two, which meant that it was almost certainly Ryuko. Her walking style was much harder to pin down, seemingly changing with no rhyme or reason.

“Come in.” I called out just as the steps stopped before my door, and Ryuko stepped inside, smiling sheepishly.

After she had moved out she’d been less and less frequent of a visitor, but for the last two years she’d taken more time off her busy work schedule and made it her goal to spend at least a little bit of time with me every day, even if it was just briefly coming over in the evening. Ryuko had also been… I want to say more realistic when it came to her schedule, only arranging something if she was absolutely certain she could make it. She’d even gone so far as to hire a secretary to help deal with time management and paperwork.

“Did you have fun flying?”

“Yeah. I’m never going to get tired of watching the sunset.”

“Good to hear.” Ryuko looked around the room, wincing at the various posters of herself plastered around the walls. Her eyes finally settled on the computer. “Looks like the screen is getting scratched up again. I’ll get a new one ordered.”

“It’s fine, it’s still in working condition.” Sure, the surface was a bit beaten up, but that was a natural consequence of using a touchscreen with claws. It still had life left in it before it became too scraped to be usable.

“I insist.” Ryuko pressed, and I sighed.

“How was work?” I asked, changing the topic of discussion.

“Oh, it’s actually been very quiet lately. I think All-Might has been staying in Musutafu more than usual, and crime rates simply plummet in his vicinity.”

“Mmm. That's good.”

“Well, anyways I’ve got to go. Still have some paperwork to finish before calling it a night.” Ryuko said, rising to her feet. She threw a quick hug around my neck before walking out of the door. “Goodnight!”

“Night.”

Probably one of the worst things about my condition was the muffled sensation of touch. I preferred tactile shows of affection over verbal, and having a layer of armoured scales between you and the other person does wonders to dull that, to say nothing of the anatomical difficulties of a dragon trying to hug anyone.

After Ryuko left I returned to my computer, idly scrolling through pages, killing time reading news articles and fanfiction. The internet had been my primary source of social contact outside of family for the last two years, since I hadn’t been able to attend a public school.

Soon enough the clock ticked to 19:00, and a small icon popped up at the edge of the screen showing that I had an incoming video call. I tapped on it, and it expanded to cover the whole screen.

“Right on time, Ryuuzaki.” A friendly, warm voice came over the speakers as the image feed turned on.

Kyou Kawaguchi had been my therapist for the last two years. She was a young woman in her late twenties, black hair tied to a neat bun behind her back.

“Like always.” I replied, shifting my resting position so that she could better see me in the small camera mounted atop the screen. “What’s in the schedule for today?”

There had been other therapists with more experience and better recommendations, but none of them had lasted very long. This was only my fourth session with Kawaguchi, but I had already decided I’d be sticking with her for the time being.

The reason we’d originally chosen her was that five years ago, there had been an incident where a group of villains going by the name of Villain Factory had kidnapped and experimented upon several individuals, bioengineering them and injecting them with Quirk-boosting drugs. The end result had left them permanently mutated, and they had been forced to deal with the aftermath. It had made international headlines, in part because the ones to finally dispose of the villains hadn’t been licensed Pro-Heroes, but instead illegal vigilantes. Kawaguchi had made a name for herself helping the victims adjust to their new lives, giving her unique experience in dealing with situations such as mine.

But even more than that, I’d felt like I simply clicked with her. She knew exactly when to press a topic and when to leave it be, how to coax me into dealing with things I was reluctant to without making me feel like I was being pressured or forced into anything. She knew when I needed help convincing myself to do something, and when I genuinely didn’t want to do it.

“I thought we’d begin with the expression reading.” She replied, not missing a beat. Expression reading was a little game she’d devised, where instead of asking me how I felt that day, she would try to read my body language and tell me how I looked.

One of the things that was easy for me to forget was just how difficult reading a dragon’s body language could be, for a human. After all, humans had a highly expressive facial features with intricate system of facial muscles that allowed for a wide range of emotions. I had a reptilian snout and a pair of lipless jaws filled to the brim with razor-sharp teeth. Even though I still had the instinct to smile, for an example, I physically couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the necessary features to do so.

A large part of adjusting to being a dragon therefore came from learning to better express myself through body language. And in order to do that I needed to know how I came across to other people.

“I’d say that you’re tired, but content. Underneath it all, you’re a bit apprehensive, more than what is usual for our sessions.” She listed off. “How close was I?”

“I’d say about on the money.” I replied. “Though I’d say that I’m also a little bit excited.”

“The entrance exams?”

“What else?” I stretched my forelimbs, the chair creaking as I shifted my weight. “On one hand, I’m terrified. On the other, at least once it’s over I can finally stop worrying about it.”

“You should have nothing to worry about.” Kawaguchi smiled again. “You have a very powerful Quirk, and you’ve been training relentlessly. And nobody can fault your grades.”

After the incident, it had been pure hell trying to claw my grades back to where they had been. Otherwise I might’ve felt guilty about using my pre-existing knowledge to boost my grades to get an advantage, but with the limitations imposed on me by my new existence it merely brought me to a level playing field.

It felt reassuring, in a way, to know for a certain that my grades were my own achievement. They weren’t perfect, but they were very good, and they were mine.

“I know. Ryuko says I’m a shoe-in, but it’s just…” I paused for a moment. “UA is the best chance I have. Sure, there’s other schools like Shinketsu, but they don’t have the same kind of resources at their disposal.”

I’d been forced to drop out of middle school and complete the grade in homeschooling. Even if the educational system was supposed to accommodate for all types, infrastructure was rarely so quick to catch up to the theory. And arranging even the barest minimum steps necessary for somebody of my size to attend to a school took quite a bit of effort and resources, let alone enough for a productive learning environment. And you couldn’t get homeschooling for becoming a Pro-Hero.

“Speaking of your sister, how have the two of you been? In our last session, we talked about what happened to you two years ago and her role in those events.”

“It’s… we’ve been doing better. I thought about what you said and I… don’t really blame her for what happened, if I really think about it. She couldn’t possibly have known what would happen.”

“Have you told her that? From what you’ve told me, I think she might blame herself for what happened.”

I glanced down. I knew that. Of course I knew that.

“No. I haven’t.”

“I think you should talk to her. It would be good for the both of you; you don’t want to leave something like that to fester.”

“I know. It’s just… we put off talking about it after the incident. We didn’t have the time or the energy, there was just so much to do, living arrangements, visits to the hospitals and all the specialists and now… now it feels like it’d be weird to bring it up now, you know?”

“I do get that. If you really feel like you can’t, then nobody can force you to.”

“I just. I don’t want to have an argument. We’re doing fine now, and I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Isn’t that same reason Ryuko didn’t tell you about getting Fujiwara fired?”

“Heh, I guess it’s a kind of a family flaw.” I replied. “Ignoring our personal problems until something prods us into dealing with them.”

“The best time to do deal with it was two years ago. The second best time is today. I think it would do good for you, to clear the air before you head into the entrance exams so that you can focus fully on your future.”

“I…” I balked.

“You don’t have to do it right now, of course. I know how much you don’t like sudden interruptions to routine.”

“I… I can do it tomorrow? We’re going sparring again.”

“Is that a question or a statement?” Kawaguchi asked with a wry smile.

“Right. I'll... I will do it tomorrow.”

Kawaguchi nodded, and moved on. “Anything else? You mentioned nightmares, last time.”

“Um, yeah, that’s actually been going better, recently. I mean, I still have nightmares, but not about the incident.” I shrugged. “It’s back to being eaten by sharks for me.”

“Anything you want to talk about regarding them?”

I shrugged again. “It’s just regular nightmares. They go as far back as I can remember.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, or it starts to become a bigger issue, remember that you can talk to me about anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure.” She smiled. “If there is nothing else, I believe we’re done for today. I’ll see you next week.”

As the screen winked into blackness, I sighed.

Instinct wanted to put off talking to Ryuko, but the rational mind told me Kawaguchi was right. I needed to address this.

Just… have a talk with my sister.

Easy, right?

-----

“You’re being too predictable. If you want to win you have to vary your attacks more.”

I breathed in heavily as I pulled myself on my feet, dust settling down around me. The midday sun glared overhead, parching the training grounds with its rays, but if there’s one upside to being a dragon it’s that you can’t overheat, it’s physically impossible. I could comfortably sit inside a forge if I felt like it.

“I thought you said to stick to my strengths?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Ryuko replied. Though she had had her face smashed into the dirt considerably smaller amount of times than I, her dragon form was covered in a layer of dust all the same, dulling the dark pink colouration of her scales.

“I said that in order to win you needed to identify your advantages over the opponent and leverage them. That doesn’t mean using the same trick over and over again. Now, are you ready to go again?”

I nodded, and Ryuko lunged forward. I responded by moving to slam my shoulder into her but she twisted aside at the last moment, stepping to the side. She bit into my left forelimb, hard enough to get a grip but not so hard as to penetrate my scales, and tugged.

My footing lost, I staggered forward as Ryuko pulled back and spun around, her tail smashing into the side of my skull with such force that it slammed into the ground, creating a cloud of dust. I growled and swiped a claw at her, but like a striking cobra she simply whipped back away out of my reach.

“You’re still trying to simply use your mass to push me around. It’s not a bad idea necessarily, but if your opponent is expecting it they can catch you when you overextend.”

I grunted as I waited for my breathing to steady down. We’d been doing this for over an hour now, and I’d still yet to win more than a single bout. Of course, Ryuko was a Pro-Hero, the current Number Ten nationwide, but she also held back a lot to keep it interesting. Sometimes she’d even invent handicaps for herself, like not being allowed to use a certain limb, so that she could train fighting debilitated.

“Again.”

This time I sprung backwards, avoiding her snapping jaws as I turned around and beat my wings, taking to the air. Ryuko followed right on my heels but I spun back again and dived on her just as she had taken off.

It was a maneuver she’d taught me, but the problem was that she also knew how to counter it. Just before I made contact she flared her wings, arresting her forward momentum to dodge my charge at the last second.

Her claws locked into my flanks as I passed by turning the controlled dive into a chaotic tumble as we both wrestled to be on the top for the landing. Ryuko had the better starting position and raw skill, however, and I crashed onto the ground, carving a furrow into the dirt.

Again Ryuko sprung back, beating her wings to leap back and avoid retaliation. Even holding back, she was simply too fast for me. She would outmaneuver me in an aerial battle, and a head-on attack would be feinted and counterattacked.

I needed to fight her on my terms. But what were those? She held the advantage in all regards except sheer mass, and after I’d won a match by knocking her into the ground in a head-on collision she’d punished every subsequent attempt at repeating that same tactic. She wanted me to find new angles of attack.

I looked over my sister with an appraising eye. Ryuko’s longer neck and forelimbs gave her a huge advantage in reach. So my best bet would be to force a close-quarters slugging match.

Easier said than done.

“Again."

This time I went on the offensive, swiping a claw at Ryuko. She avoided it, her jaws darting in to grab it and pull me off-balance but I was waiting for it, launching a headbutt at her. She flared her wings between us as a distraction, trying to avoid the attack, but I went low instead and hooked my forward horn under her armpit. I braced my forelimbs on the ground and heaved upwards, flipping Ryuko on her side. Before she could right herself I jumped on her back and managed to pin her in place.

Ryuko shook her head, amused, before lightly tapping on my forelimb on her back. I knew she could have broken out of the hold if she really wanted to, but that wasn’t the point of this exercise.

“See?” She said as I stepped off of her, and she swept to her feet. “I knew you could do it. That was a good trick, with the horn.”

I shrugged.

“Now, we’ll see if you can repeat it.”

-----

Despite my best efforts, the score would be left at two to I-didn’t-even-keep-count. Eventually I was simply too tired to go on, and Ryuko decided we’d call it a day.

“You’ve been improving steadily.” Ryuko said as she sprayed the dirt off of me with a pressure washer, having transformed into her human form. “You still need to work on your coordination, though. You have six limbs, a tail and your head, and you need to use them in concert. Not just one at a time, but all eight, acting in harmony.”

“I know.” I sighed, shaking myself to let the water reach into every crevice and nook. “Moving around is one thing, but in a fight it’s entirely another. It’s like... it works when I don’t think about it, but as soon as I do it starts to fall apart.”

“That’s just how it is sometimes. Only practice will make it better.”

“That’s what you say about everything.”

“Am I wrong?” Ryuko noted with a wry smile as she shut off the water spray.

I considered just how much time I spent training, and had to concede the point. I shook myself, water dripping off of my scales. With the heat emanating from within and the not-inconsiderable wind, I was dry again in short order.

“One last thing, you’re being too skittish about using your wings for combat.” Ryuko said as she walked over, having put away the sprayer in a small equipment locker by the side of the training field. “They’re not so fragile that they’re going to snap and break instantly; they have claws for a reason.” She rapped her knuckles on the elongated phalanges for emphasis. “You can use them to grab, bludgeon or misdirect the enemy.”

“Right.” I flexed my wings, the membrane stretching between the thin “fingers”. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it for criticisms. You are doing well when it comes to strength and speed training, better than I was at your age. I guess all those evenings spent frolicking and training in the forest have paid off.” She smiled. “Now, let's go for ice cream!”

The boundaries of the training field were marked by wire fences to keep anyone from wandering in and getting hurt, but as we made our way out I noticed a cluster of children hanging out nearby, chattering amongst themselves. From what I could make out, they’d been watching our spar from a distance. Ryuko noticed my ears twitching in their direction, and glanced at them.

“That's just the local kids, they sometimes come out to watch.” She noted. “Sometimes they even gather the courage to ask for autographs, but I think you’ve intimidated them.”

I glanced at her. “Do you… ever get worried that somebody is going to spy on your training? I mean like a villain or something?”

“The thought did pop into my head, but ultimately what can be done? Indoors facilities of that size don’t come cheap. It boggles the mind how UA can afford so many.”

“Hm.” I grunted noncommittally.

After that we fell into a silence. Ryuko took the lead, making her way through the park as I followed couple steps behind her. There had been a quiet, unspoken agreement between us to never use the path I’d taken two years ago, instead taking a route counterclockwise around the city. It was even longer, but it wasn’t like we were in a hurry.

We gathered no small amount of stares as we walked by: Ryuko was famous nationwide, and even in a Post-Quirk society a dragon is not a usual sight for most people. It wasn’t unheard of, but the vast majority of Mutation-type Quirks did not create such divergent body types, still tending towards the basic humanoid frame.

After the incident, two years ago, there had been a brief bit of legal uncertainty over the status of my Quirk. I was technically always using my Quirk, so did that make simply stepping into public areas illegal? The law made an exception to Mutant-type Quirks due to their permanent nature, but mine was classified as Transformation.

In a way I had been fortunate for the Villain Factory incident to have happened as it did and when it did, because these same questions had been asked already. The gears of the legislature grind slowly, but with the earlier incident having highlighted the problem they were already moving by the time I became stuck in my dragon form. The law was amended to clarify the legal status of Quirks that technically belonged to one category but for whatever reason exhibited traits of another.

That was one hurdle I didn’t have to concern myself with; I could go where I wanted. Where I could fit, at any rate.

We rounded out another corner, coming to a wide open field. Several families were spending their saturday outside, and children were scampering around the area. A parking lot was located on the other end of the field alongside a small shack for park keepers equipment, with an ice cream stand located in between them.

“I’ll wait here.” I told Ryuko as I laid down near the treeline, curling my tail around myself.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“And melt everyone’s ice creams? I’d rather not.” The heat wasn’t that bad unless I got angry, but I’d rather not risk it.

“Alright. Vanilla sandwich?”

“Yes, the usual please.”

After Ryuko left I closed my eyes, content to bask in the sunlight and listen in on the sounds of the park. The wind whistling in the trees, children laughing, leaves rustling...

“Look Mom, a dragon!” The excited voice called out right next to me.

“Hiroko, it’s rude to point.” She said. “He’s having a nap.”

“It’s alright.” I said, cracking an eye open. A young girl of maybe five years was pointing at me, bouncing up and down while who I assumed to be her mother held her hand. She startled at my voice, looking up at me, but the kid, Hiroko, slipped out of her grip and ran over to my side, chattering excitedly.

“Are you really a dragon? Is that your Quirk? My Mom says I can’t use my Quirk outside the house.”

“Well, I can’t turn it off. I’m just a dragon.”

“That’s so cool!” She leaned in closer, putting a hand on my lower-left fang, her tiny fingers unable to wrap around the large tooth. “They’re so big!”

At that point her mother intervened, lifting Hiroko under her arms and off of me.

“Hiroko! You can’t just do that to anyone you meet!” She admonished the girl, before turning to me. “I’m terribly sorry about this.”

“It’s okay.” It was maybe a little rude, but I didn’t mind.

“Come on Hiroko, we have to go.” She lifted the kid over her shoulder, turning away.

“Bye Mr. Dragon!” She called out over her mother’s shoulder, waving a hand.

Well. That was cute.

Just as they were walking away Ryuko returned, a cone in one hand and two large ice cream sandwiches in the other.

“I saw you met your first fan?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t think I don’t recall the aquarium. I long for the day to come when your merchandise hits the shelves. Then I can pay you back for the last seven years.” She snorted.

“Can we just eat the ice cream?” It was starting to melt, from the combination of the midday sun overhead and simply being near me.

Ryuko smiled, and then tossed one of the ice cream sandwiches up towards my head.

“Open wide.”

There was a loud chomp as my jaws snapped shut, the ice cream beginning to melt near instantly in my mouth. The semi-liquid mass dripped down my throat, filling it with the taste of sweetness.

Ryuko took a bite out of her cone, before tossing out the second sandwich that disappeared down my maw just the same as the first.

As we ate, yesterday’s conversation with Dr. Kawaguchi returned to me. Now was the perfect opportunity.

But what if it broke down in an argument? We were having a good time. I didn’t want to tarnish that.

But I also thought of what Kawaguchi had said. That you can’t leave things to fester.

Still I hesitated.

Just do it, you coward.

“Ryuko?”

“Hm?” She inclined her head, wiping off a bit of ice cream.

“You, uh… you know I don’t blame you for any of this? Right?”

Ryuko stopped like she’d been suddenly struck.

“Because I know I might’ve given the impression I did, at the hospital. But, um, you weren’t at fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

“‘Zaki, no, I-” Ryuko started, but I went on, now that I’d started speaking.

“And even if you were, I forgive you. So, um, I’m sorry for getting angry. At the hospital. And giving the impression it was your fault.”

Suddenly there were a pair of warm hands wrapped around my neck, even if Ryuko couldn’t quite reach all the way.

“I forgive you. And I’m sorry too.”

We were silent for a moment, before she continued.

“I’m sorry for going behind your back, and not hearing you out. I just… sometimes it’s easy to forget how mature you can be. So I’m sorry. I promise not to... go around you like that in the future.”

Ryuko relaxed her hold around my neck, barking out a sad laugh.

“And I’m sorry that you had to be the one to bring this up. Really, as the older sibling, it should have been my responsibility. But I… I guess I was doing the same mistake all over, wasn’t I? Avoiding the problem in the hopes that it’ll go away.”

“I forgive you for that, too.” I said, pressing my head against her side. “I probably wouldn’t have done it unless my therapist hadn’t prodded me into it.”

“Even so, I know it doesn’t come easy for you.” Ryuko said.

“I mean, it’s… it’s not like my life has been ruined.” I began. “I can still do things, I can still… accomplish my dreams. I can still become a Hero. My life is not defined by my ability to fit through a regular door, or take a shower, or go to a movie theater. I can live with it.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.” Ryuko looked melancholic.

“Life isn’t always fair.”

Ryuko sighed. “You know, I’ll make you a deal. If I’m not allowed to feel responsible for what happened to you, you’re not allowed to complain when I get you something to help you deal with it.”

“You really don’t need to spend so much money on me.”

“Remember when we talked about my motivations to become a Hero? What’s the point of having all of this money if I can’t use it to spoil my only sister?”

I sighed. “You know, you’re not being a very good dragon. Spending your hoard so easily.”

“Well I haven’t seen you kidnap any maidens either." Ryuko laughed. “So I don’t think you have room to talk.”

-----

We eventually continued our way home, walking a meandering path along the parks and the streets, just talking and joking with one another. There was no elephant in the room, no awkwardness, just two siblings spending time together.

“And I kid you not, Gang Orca just walks up to him, looks down, and smiles at the guy. He never showed up to another PR event again.”

I snorted. “Yeah, he’s kind of like that, if you piss him off. Otherwise he’s actually pretty nice.”

“Once you get past the exterior, eh?”

“Shut up.”

It was actually a real shame that I’d had to stop attending Gang Orca’s lessons, I had gotten to like them a lot. However, the simple reality was that there were no entrances large enough to admit me to the swimming pool area, and it would have been wholly unreasonable to expect them to work around it just for my sake.

The streets were bustling with people as we finally arrived at our destination, but closer to home we were a more known sight, and so the staring wasn’t so bad.

The front door was the other entrance to the house which had been modified to accommodate me. I could fit into most rooms, as long as the furniture wasn’t too clustered and I minded my head, but the big problem was regular-sized doors. Far too narrow.

As soon the door closed behind us, Mom called out from the kitchen.

“Ryuuzaki! You’ve got mail!”

Everything stopped. I didn’t dare to breathe.

“Is it from-”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

Ryuko was off like a rocket, and I followed in her wake as fast as I could, mindful of my tail and wings, trying to avoid knocking anything over.

There was an envelope on the kitchen table, marked with the white and black logo of UA High School.

“Can I?” Ryuko asked, a knife in her hand.

“Sure.” I didn’t trust my claws with such fine manipulation, especially not at the moment. She cut the envelope open, and retrieved a small letter within, placing it on the table for me to read.

It was handwritten, neat and orderly text containing a lot of unimportant words that I skimmed over, until my eyes reached the part that I was looking for, the very last sentence.

Therefore, we cordially invite you to attend the UA Academy's Recommended Students Entrance Exam at the 19th of February 2173.

Signed, Principal Nedzu.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

The day before the exam, Ryuko sat down with me in the kitchen.

“Tomorrow’s the big day. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly?” I responded, nervously fidgeting with my tail. “I’m terrified out of my wits. I’m going to be measured against the elite of the elite.”

“No more elite than you. Remember, you are as good as anyone else in there. I would not have given the recommendation if I hadn’t thought you had everything it takes to succeed.”

“Did you take the recommended student exam?” It had been… ten years ago, now. Had it really been that long?

“Who would’ve recommended me? Ryuo?” Ryuko smiled bitterly. “No, I took the regular exam. But I knew people who did, and witnessed it happen, in my later years.”

“So how does it differ from the standard test everyone gets?” I tilted my head in curiosity.

“The test itself has three sections. The written test, the practical test, and an interview. The main difference is… well, the regular exams are graded on a direct, linear points system. You receive points based on getting the right answers in the written exam, and by accomplishing the objectives of the practical exam. They change it every year to keep people from guessing; when I took it it was about who could save the largest amount of rescue dummies during a simulated villain attack. One point per dummy, and the ones who got in are the thirty-six with the most points. Sounds simple, right?”

I nodded, hesitantly. Clearly there was more to it than that.

“Not so for the recommended students test. The regular exam measures your academic success and physical ability, but for the recommended students, those capabilities are not in question. After all, that is the point of the recommendation: the school must vouch for your grades, and a licensed Pro-Hero must vouch for your combat abilities, in order for you to qualify for the recommended student program.”

I nodded again. Even though I was homeschooled, I still had to take exams to track my progress, and I had obtained a voucher from the Ministry of Education regarding my grades to send to UA.

“So instead, the principal follows and analyzes the examinees over the course of the exam, and picks out who he wants at his own discretion rather than automatically awarding the spot to those who had the highest mechanical performance. It’s not meant to be a direct comparison of strength and ability, but rather who he judges to have the greatest potential.”

“...So what’s the point of the test other than the interview…? I mean if it’s not going to measure anything?”

“In part it’s because that’s what people expect, and they still provide insight into the contenders, allowing the principal to examine them in action.”

“Right…” So now I couldn’t even trust in the results of my own performance, I had to hope that the impression I made on some complete stranger was good enough to qualify.

“Hey.” Ryuko said, noticing my ears drooping. “As long as you’re honest and forthright, I have no doubt that you’ll get in. And even if they don’t see your real potential, then all the worse for them because I know you can breeze through the regular exam.”

“Wait. You can still take the regular exam even if you don’t get in via the recommendation exam?”

“Of course you can. There’s only four spots in the recommended student program, it would be a pointless waste to ban applicants who clearly had a great deal of potential, even if they didn’t make the final cut.”

“...Does that happen? I mean, wouldn’t the regular exam be dominated by failed recommended students?”

“It does, just not that often. All the top schools compete for recommended students, and yeah, UA is the top choice, but for most of those people if it comes down to being a regular student there or a recommended spot in Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, Seiai or the like, they’ll pick the latter.”

But thanks to my circumstances, I specifically wanted to go to UA, because despite their low admission rate they were renowned for their ability and willingness to accommodate to the students who did get in.

“You’re going to be alright.” Ryuko went on, a playful smile entering her features. “And remember, if nothing else, beat Endeavour’s kid. I’m sick and tired of him crowing about his son like he’s the best thing since sliced bread at every PR event.”

“And you’re certain he was the only one doing the crowing?”

“Obviously.” Ryuko grinned. “See, the difference is, when I do it, it’s just a statement of fact.”

-----

The main building of UA Academy towered before me, dwarfing even me with its immensity. The pathway through the campus was clearly marked with signs and arrows, leaving no room for confusion as to where to go.

I yawned, my jaws stretching wide as I felt my eyelids droop- no matter how hard I’d tried, sleep had been hard in the coming. On top of simple anxiety keeping me awake at night, when I did manage to fall asleep mixed in with the usual fare of being eaten by sharks, chased by sharks and stranded on the open water with sharks (sometimes substituted for crocodiles, orcas, piranhas, barracudas, etc) had been a mixture of scenarios ranging from flunking the exam to simply being laughed out of UA. Nothing rational, but my subconscious mind was merciless.

Regardless, I needed to do this. I could do this.

I pushed onwards, claws clicking on the concrete pathway. The campus was quiet on a saturday, the majority of the students at home.

The doors themselves were a trio of towering wooden edifices: probably intimidating for most, but also a necessity, for people like me. They swung open as motion sensors detected my approach, admitting me into the entrance hall.

Please await the beginning of the entrance exam here, a large sign spelled out. I glanced around- maybe four dozen teenagers around my age were lounging around the lobby, waiting. A low murmur was audible in the hall as I made my way towards an empty spot, my sharp ears picking up on the tense conversations around the room as people sized up their competition. Apparently my appearance was drawing quite a bit of attention.

I set myself down to on the floor, trying my best to ignore the chatter, and observe the room. There were a couple of other examinees I recognized: there was Todoroki, his white and red hair impossible to miss. I wondered if that was natural? He’d also gained a large patch of burnt skin on his face since the last time I’d seen him in person, ten years ago.

For an instant I considered going over to talk to him, but then squashed it as the stupid idea it was. He didn’t look like he was in the mood for small talk, and truth be told, neither was I.

“A dragon?! UA really is the most heated high school in the country!”

The source of the disturbance was a boy in a blue tracksuit who’d just arrived through the front doors, his black hair cut in a short, military style buzz. He was the second tallest person present after myself, but I had no idea how tall that actually made him- everybody looked short from my perspective.

“Are you by any chance related to the Number Ten Hero Ryukyu?!” He shouted as he made his way towards where I’d laid down. Did he really not have any concept of indoor volume?

“...She is my sister.” I replied curtly, noting that many of the other examinees were turning towards us to see what the disturbance was about.

“Alright! I love her! The Dragon Hero is burning hot!”

“...Did you just call my sister hot?”

“Yeah! She's such a passionate Hero, her hot spirit is like a roaring inferno!”

...Was he leading me on?

People like this didn’t actually exist, did they?

“I see you’re following in her footsteps!” He stood ramrod straight, before bowing low. “I love it!”

...Honestly I had zero idea how to respond to that. Thankfully I was spared having to do so by the doors to entrance hall being thrown open.

“Gather around everyone! It’s time to begin the Recommended Students Exam!”

The high-pitched shout caused a jolt of pain in my ears as a man with a massive spike of blonde hair jutting from his head entered the room, wearing a padded black jacket.

“My name is Present Mic, and I will be taking things from here! Everyone, line up and take a number card from the pile!”

He laid a stack of large, white signs on a table, each with a number written on it. Grateful for the distraction I began making my way over and one by one each examinee took one from the pile. There was a sticker in the back, and most people attached it to the front of their shirt- I just slapped the number 07 on my chest scales. That’s one upside to having reduced tactile sensation.

“Everybody ready?!” Mic did a quick headcount, and seemingly satisfied, lead us down the hallways to a large lecture hall filled with desks laid out in orderly rows. On each one rested a small tablet, or as in the case of one in the far end of the room, a particularly large tablet with a stack of cushions instead of a chair, as I’d requested in my application.

“The written exam begins now!”

-----

“The written test is now over!” Present Mic shouted as we exited the classroom, sending a throb of pain through my ears once again.

Ryuko had been right, it wasn’t really so much a test of academics, but a more abstract test of the mind and personality. Which also made it so that I had zero idea about how well I’d done.

“Next up is the practical examination! And after that the interview!” Present Mic continued. “For the practical, we’ll be judging you six at a time! We’ll be starting with the numbers 06, 31, 12, 41, 16, and 23! Follow me to the Exam Field!”

As the those carrying the numbers he called out filed out to follow Mic, Todoroki and the buzz-cut boy amongst them, the rest of us dispersed around the entrance hall once more to await our turn.

This time nobody approached me, and I drifted off to my own thoughts.

Eventually the first round of examinees returned from the practical exam, as Present Mic called out another set of numbers.

“42, 11, 01, 34, 14 and 37! You’re up!”

The students in question left with Mic, while the returnees replaced them. I noticed buzz-cut was glowering at Todoroki- if he’d tried the same approach as he’d given to me, I could see how things had probably gone.

However, as soon as he spotted me his previous enthusiasm seemed to flow back to him, and he marched over to where I’d been lying down.

“Allow me to-” He began, standing ramrod straight, hands clasped at his sides, before bowing forward so hard his head impacted the floor. ”-APOLOGIZE!”

Utterly bewildered, I had no chance to speak out before he went on, forehead held to the floor.

“Over the course of the written exam, I came to realize I had unintentionally given you insult! I had spoken in crude form of your sister, and so I must apologize! My conduct and lack of discretion were simply unbecoming of a future Hero!”

“It’s… alright?” If he was trying to fake it, he probably would’ve tried playing a more… orthodox approach. So in a way, his bizarre enthusiasm actually made him seem more sincere. “...I accept your apology.”

“Thank you! My name is Inasa Yoarashi! I look forward becoming a Hero alongside you at this fine Academy!”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.” I replied, once again wondering if this guy had an off-switch or something. “Bold of you to assume we’ll both be getting in.”

“I am nothing if not bold! I love boldness! It is the hallmark of a passionate Hero!”

I guess he just was… like that. But still… it was actually fairly nice. That childlike enthusiasm was contagious, almost… innocent, in a way.

“I saw you giving the stinky eye to Todoroki over there.” I noted, glancing over at the split-haired teenager busy brooding on the other side of the room. “Did he give you the cold shoulder or something?”

“Cold is certainly one way to describe it.” He noted, his voice turning sour. “He has the same eyes as his father. Even if he graduates, he will not become a Hero.”

“...Don’t you think that’s a little harsh of a judgement to make this early? Three years is a long time, and people change.”

“Maybe. But I doubt it.”

For a moment there was an awkward silence, stretching on for an uncomfortable length. This was exactly why I'd made friends with Yui, all those years ago. I never know what to say.

"...So what's your Quirk?" 

It was the best I could come up with, but it seemed to re-ignite his enthusiasm, and he launched into a bombastic monologue about the hot spirit of heroism intersped with the occasional actual mention of his Quirk, some sort of aerokinetic ability.

After that the conversation turned to other topics, consisting of him chattering endlessly about whatever he liked (which seemed to be absolutely anything and everything, except the Todorokis) whilst I offered vague responses and the occasional comment. Sometimes I’d tune him out for a moment only to realize he was quite capable of carrying the conversation entirely on his lonesome, seemingly without even noticing. Eventually, however, his monologue was interrupted by the sound of the door being slammed open.

“39, 30, 45, 18, 07 and 15! It’s your turn in the spotlight!”

“That’s you!” He shouted, clapping a hand to my shoulder, or as close to it as he could reach. “Show them your passion!”

“...I will?”

Uncurling myself from my position on the floor, I pulled myself up to follow Mic. Five others followed, two girls and three boys. I watched my competition as Mic lead us out the front door and through the campus- I had no idea what the test involved, and it paid to be prepared if it involved direct competition.

The most striking was a six-armed arachnid mutant, his body covered in light fur and his face replaced by that of a tarantula, mandibles clicking in anticipation.

The other two boys were more plain in comparison, the first a blonde walking with confident stride, the other a dark-haired boy walking in a slouch, constantly seeming to jitter and twitch.

The first girl had her black hair tied to a high ponytail, looking a little bit out of place in her tracksuit as she sent glances in the direction of the rest of us.

The other girl wore her shoulder-length dark green hair open, raw confidence seeping into her every movement and expression. She had that cat-like way of walking, like she owned the place and the rest of us just hadn’t realized it yet.

Just as I watched them, I saw that they in turn studied me. What they found, I had no idea.

We made our way across the paved pathways in tense, anticipatory silence. Present Mic tried to fill the air with chatter, something about his radio show, but nobody was listening. Credit to him, he didn’t let that stop him.

Eventually he brought us to one of the massive training areas in the outskirts of the campus, a massive concrete structure literally kilometers across. I could barely spot the transparent dome covering the roof of the exam site. It boggled the mind how they could afford all of it.

Mic lead us to the massive gates which opened of their own accord, granting us access to a large antechamber, a clearly marked starting line drawn across the floor and a gate lined with green and red lights leading further into the arena.

“The practical test is a three-kilometer race! In order to pass, you must reach the other end of the training grounds!”

Past the gate the arena seemed to be filled with a wide variety of terrain: I could see huge rocky cliffs, tightropes and log platforms suspended over chasms, streets covered with ice or openings that periodically belched jets of fire, narrow and slanted pathways, a large lake, all topped off with what looked to be a medieval castle of some sort in the distance.

“However, it is not a race that can be completed simply by running!” Present Mic went on. “Use your Quirks to get past the obstacles if you want to have any hope of finishing!” He whirled around to face us, hands held open. “Any questions?!”

The brown-haired guy held his hand up immediately. “Is using Quirks on other examinees permitted?”

“Nope! Your performance is judged individually, and getting frisky wouldn't just be unsporting, it’ll deduct from your score! Anything else?”

We looked at one another, and as nobody spoke up, he went on.

“Now, take your positions on the starting line! When the light goes to green, it’s go time!”

I moved to the starting line, the thud of my heavy steps echoing in the chamber, and the others followed.

“Get ready! And always remember, Plus Ultra!”

As soon as the lights on the gate blinked green I sprung forward at a run, taking a couple of bounding leaps forward through the gate before launching myself into the air with a heavy beat of my wings.

I rapidly gained altitude, raising over the circular arena, studying the terrain laid out before me. Flying high would allow me to bypass the obstacles along the way which, while perhaps boring, seemed to be the most practical solution.

Still, a bit of doubt wracked me. The purpose of the recommended student exam was not to merely measure raw ability, but to show off one’s talents as a whole. But at the same time, deliberately handicapping myself from flight when it hadn’t been forbidden hardly seemed like a heroic quality either.

Glancing down, I saw the other examinees had began their journey through the arena. One of them- the brown haired boy judging by his absence- had seemingly transformed into a two-legged, ostrich-like reptile of some sort- if I hadn’t completely forgotten my dinosaur books, a Gallimimus. He had chosen to take to the streets, and was in the process of navigating past the fire geysirs dotting the road.

The ponytail girl had chosen the same route, having somehow produced a scooter out of nowhere. She was neck and neck with dinosaur boy, swerving past obstacles as they went. The arachnid boy was scrambling up the side of a sheer cliff face, and the blonde boy was doing the same with the assistance of tendrils of water spouting from the nearby lake.

The last of them, the green-haired girl, had apparently chosen to follow me. Her body had split into a half a dozen pieces, her head, arms, legs and parts of the torso all rocketing through the air below me in a loose cloud.

She saw me watching, smirking confidently as her remaining arm wiggled free of her sleeve, a black void where the flesh should’ve connected, suddenly moving noticeably faster.

Interesting, but it didn’t really matter. Like Mic had said, the objective was just to get to the finish line as fast as possible. Other examinees didn’t factor into it.

I turned my attention back to my own progress, just when it happened. Dozens of vents, hidden around the arena, suddenly began to spew out thick clouds of mist, a nigh-impenetrable fog suddenly descending upon the arena.

It seemed like I shouldn’t have underestimated UA- of course they would be prepared for flight-capable Quirks, with appropriate obstacles. With visibility dropping to near zero I had to spread my wings to slow down and descend towards the ground level. I could have tried to guess the position of the finish line but that was the first thing they had taught in flight lessons, never ever fly without a reference point. Without instruments or visual contact, you could think you’re holding the same bearing and altitude only to end up in a wildly different direction.

Soon enough the ground came visible again, and I slammed down into stone floor as I wracked my brain for the right directions, cursing my lack of foresight in not memorizing the layout of the arena. Stupid, stupid. Worrying about irrelevant things rather than putting my head in the game.

Still, I had to have cleared at least half of the arena by now, so I was in a good position. The mist seemed to actually be thinner near the ground, to the point that somebody smaller or more maneuverable than I probably could’ve maintained low-level flight. I had no idea how it was even possible to get gas to behave that way, but UA must’ve had their ways. I could see the logic in it: if they did nothing the obstacle course would be redundant for fliers, but totally banning or impeding flight totally would unduly restrict them. This way they could let them use their Quirks, before forcing them to deal with the rapidly changing circumstances.

Now I just needed to concentrate, before the lead I’d built up slipped away.

I could see the castle wall some distance away in front of me, while the faint scent of burning gas was wafting from the opposite direction, alongside the sound of an engine running, which meant the fire traps were that way.

So extrapolating my position from that, the direction I needed to go was-

Forward.

I took off like an arrow, clawed forelimbs digging into the ground as I galloped onward. The castle wall loomed before me, an imposing edifice of hewn stone. I didn’t have the time to go over it.

I’d lost too much time already.

I accelerated instead, setting my head down as Dad had taught me.

Thousands of kilograms of angry dragon impacted horn-first into roughly a meter-thick structure of stone and mortar.

The stone gave way first.

There was a noise like the strike of thunder as the wall shattered, a shockwave spreading out from the point of impact, stone cracking and buckling. I smashed through to the other side like a cannonball, a cloud of dust and stone fragments exploding around me. Stumbling slightly, I used my wings as a third pair of limbs to stabilize my footing as I accelerated again.

Behind me the wall creaked and groaned, and from the corner of my eye I could see large parts falling off as structural integrity failed, chunks of masonry suddenly losing their supporting sections. But I paid it little heed, continuing onward as fast as I could manage.

Up ahead I could feel the air getting colder, which meant that I was getting closer to the frozen area. The testing site was circular, which meant that the other paths would be converging as we approached the finish line, and soon enough I could hear the sound of an engine approaching.

I could see the headlight of a motorcycle turning around a corner just as the frozen area became visible, the pathway covered in ice, slick and smooth like a mirror’s surface.

It seemed like ponytail girl had managed to pull ahead of the dinosaur boy, who wasn’t visible yet but I could hear his exhausted breathing in the fog. I still had a lead on them but it was shrinking by the moment the motorcycle revved up and accelerated: I was a good runner, but I wasn’t going to overtake one in a straight line.

I reached the beginning of the frozen portion, my claws digging into the ice.

Just concentrate on the run, don’t think about the others. Whoever goes over the finish line first isn’t the deciding factor.

I slipped and slid my way forwards, my claws scraping long marks into the frozen pavement. The layer of ice was too thin to get a proper grip on, and trying to pierce into the pavement below would’ve forced me to slow down too much. I used my heavy tail as a counterweight whenever I started to slip in an effort to maintain my balance, but it wasn’t good enough. I was wasting time.

The motorcycle was gaining on me, even as I tried to pay it little heed. Just focus.

The fog was starting to clear a little, and I could tell we were approaching the finish line. Suddenly a cluster of objects emerged from the fog above me- the green-haired girl. She turned around to look down at me, giving me a wink and the waggle of a disembodied finger.

I could feel frustration bubbling in my chest, no matter that we weren’t supposed to be in a direct competition. The fog was still thick enough that I couldn’t fly properly, but maybe…

Tensing my rear limbs for a mighty leap I took to the air, but instead of true flight I half-glided over the frozen pavement. With my claws almost scraping the ground I didn’t have the room to make full use of my wings, but it was faster than going on foot.

The motorcycle was running into the same problems I had, the tires skidding on the ice, and I could hear dinosaur boy not too far behind.

Green-hair was closer than I would’ve liked but the glide trick had bought me some time. Flying so close to the ground felt awkward and clumsy, but if I went any higher I risked getting lost. So I settled for craning my neck as far as it could go and trying not to hit the ground with my wings.

Still, it was working.

Green-hair seemed frustrated at the turn of events, splitting into yet more parts, but she seemed to have hit her limit: she couldn’t cut off more parts of her torso without starting to lose clothing, and there seemed to be a maximum number of times she could split her other pieces into ever smaller chunks.

Barely before I could even realize the finish line emerged from the fog, whipping by underneath me in a flash. I spread my wings wide, air braking rapidly to avoid smashing into the opposite wall of the test site.

“And number seven takes the first spot!” Present Mic shouted, holding up a stop-watch. “Fifteen isn’t far behind, though!”

Green-hair rocketed over the finish line just as I managed to bleed off my momentum, claws scraping on the concrete. Her landing was much smoother, easily arresting her velocity and landing on her feet, assembling herself back together like a puzzle box.

The motorcycle girl crossed the line mere moments late with dinosaur boy- definitely a Gallimimus- hot on her heels.

“Thirty and forty-five as well! What a super-tight race!”

As the two of them decelerated green-hair walked over, the frustration I’d seen earlier had been wiped off, replaced by the same easy confidence I’d seen earlier.

“That was a close one. You win this time, but next one’s going to be mine. Watch me!”

“...Okay.”

Seemingly satisfied she turned away, and I laid down to wait for my breathing to slow. Physically I’d had worse, but nothing can quite compare to the excitement and anxiety of having your entire future on the line.

Ponytail and green-hair exchanged a few words in low voices but for the most part we waited in silence, too exhausted for small talk, until few minutes later the hydrokinetic and the arachnid made their way across the finish line. 

As we returned to the waiting area buzz-cut was nowhere to be seen, alongside a few others. Soon after I laid down to wait a large man with canid features wearing what seemed to be muzzle on his face arrived through another door, calling another examinee to the interview.

There was nothing to do now save to wait and try to calm my nerves. I’d finished the race first of my group, but this damn test didn’t even let me take comfort in that. I curled my tail around myself, doing my best not to fall asleep.

Eventually I was the only one left in the entrance hall, and soon enough the dog-person arrived to call me in.

He lead me into the interviewing room, a bland meeting room dominated by a desk with a chair on either side. The unoccupied one was, surprisingly enough, actually one I could sit on. Though technically it was more of a couch, a long eight-legged one I could lay down on length-wise.

However the chair, nice as it was, was not the most interesting thing to note about the room. That title belonged to the occupant of the other chair, on the opposite side.

A rat.

The principal of UA was a rat. A rat in a suit, bigger than normal and with weird paw things but still. Smelled like a rat, looked like a rat, yeah, I was pretty sure he was a rat.

A fucking rat.

“No, this is not a joke, my dear.” A pleasant, chipper voice rang out. “You are in the correct room.”

Was I that obvious?

“Yes.” The principal said again. “And no, I’m not reading your mind.”

“Then how-”

“Please, allow me to explain.” The principal said, taking a sip from his teacup. “My Quirk, High Specs, grants me intelligence above that of a human. You are not used to most people being able to read your body language and facial expressions very well, correct?”

I could only nod.

“The combination of human instinct and inhuman body might fool most people, but not I.” He straightened his tie, before offering me his hand. “But I digress. Principal Nedzu, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear.”

I looked down at the proffered limb, staring for a moment before awkwardly reaching to shake it with my own, just the claws alone being larger than Nedzu’s entire arm.

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.”

“Sit down, sit down, you must be exhausted.”

Physically not that much, but mentally god yes. I climbed onto the chair, carefully testing if it could hold my weight before settling in.

“Ah. Nervous?” He asked, but didn’t wait for a reply. “Don’t be. I’ve been following your progress, like I have everyone’s, and you’ve performed exceptionally in the previous tests.”

“And yet they’re the ones with the least weight towards the end result, are they not?”

“Quite so, quite so. Well then, shall we begin?”

“...I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then we shall tarry no longer. I have read your files, reviewed your answers to the written test and analyzed your actions in the practical. I am, therefore, almost ready to make my judgement. However, there is one question I feel like I must ask first.” Nedzu set his paws on the table, steepling them in a very human-like gesture. “What is your reason for becoming a Hero?”

Wow. Straight to the point, huh.

“You said reason. Can I give you my reasons? I’m not sure I can compress it to a single one.”

“Of course! Take as much time as you want, my dear.”

“Alright. I guess my first reason is that… that I enjoy using my Quirk, and because I think I’d be good at it. I, um, I actually considered abandoning this path when I realized that, because it didn’t feel… it didn’t feel like a sufficiently heroic motivation.” My tail twitched slightly, but I brought it to wrap around the legs of the chair in an.effort to keep it still. “...But, my sister, Ryukyu I assume you know, she talked me out of it. She taught me… that I shouldn’t feel ashamed of that. That I should turn that into a source of strength.”

“I see.” Nedzu smiled. “She always had that ability to bring comfort to those around her, even in her time with us. I am glad to see she has gone one to be a great hero, both in public and private.”

“Yeah... that’s actually my second reason. I… want to follow in my sister’s footsteps.” I fidgeted in place, a little embarrassed to voice the thought aloud to the principal, but Ryuko had herself told me to be honest. “We don’t always get along, and we aren’t always honest with each other, but… she’s done so much to help me… she’s the best sister I could’ve asked for. So… I want her to be proud of me. I... want to be like her.”

“You have every reason to.” Nedzu nodded. “Is that it?”

“No, I... do have one more. I- I assume you know about the, um, incident from two years ago?”

“It was brought to our attention, yes.” Nedzu answered, his expression dark.

“I… I came so close to dying there. I… don’t really know how I managed not to. But whatever it was, regardless of how it happened, I did live. And, I felt like I’d been given another chance.” A third one, at that. “Most people, in that situation, don’t get one. Most people don’t have a Quirk that could allow them to survive that experience, even as I am. So I guess what I’m saying is… I feel like I should put my life to good use. So that nobody else has to go through what I did.”

I laid back down on my seat, slowly exhaling through my nostrils. That had sounded so much better in my head. Nedzu was just looking at me, his expression giving away nothing. He probably thought it was stupid. Hell, it was pretty stupid. Why did I even both-

“Well then.” Nedzu began, interrupting my thoughts. “We usually do the announcement via mail, but I do not believe there is any harm in breaking from tradition, as you are the last interviewee and I’ve made the final decision.”

I couldn’t help the twitch of my ears, or the colony of butterflies in my stomach as Nedzu drew out the announcement.

“You were already close to the top of the list, but first I wanted to ascertain whether your motivation stemmed from feeling locked into this career because of your circumstances, that you wanted to become a Pro-Hero because it was the only thing you could do. I can safely say you’ve passed that test with full marks.”

Oh.

That- I didn’t even- Does that mean-

“It is therefore my pleasure to welcome you to the Heroics Department of UA High School.”

He folded his paws again as he went on, his expression like he had said this same thing many, many times before, without ever getting tired of it.

“This is now your hero academia.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

On the day of the entrance ceremony I had resolved to arrive early, in order to have a chance to prepare myself. UA was well known for being not just the best, but also the most unorthodox, and Ryuko warned that they might very well throw us down the deep end right away. So I had wanted to prepare myself, maybe get done with socializing with my classmates before it all began.

Emphasis on ‘had’. See, it turns out a lot of people had the same idea. Hordes of students crowded the hallways of UA, and unless I wanted to bulldoze my way through I was stuck moving at a snail’s pace.

So when I finally arrived at the door to 1-B, my margin was looking a lot thinner than I would’ve liked. The entrance itself was massive, easily large enough for me to use, and I suppose it also served to intimidate and awe those of the regular size bracket.

I’d dreamed of this day for years, but now that I was here… I suddenly wished I could be anywhere but here.

This, all of this, it still didn’t feel real to me. It was as if it was all still a dream, distant and fleeting. Like if I stepped through the door I’d have to face reality. They’d tell me that it was all a joke, or just a mistake, and that I was stupid for even thinking it had actually happened.

I exhaled heavily, before pushing the door open. If I waited any longer I might actually convince myself to turn around. Despite its size the door was light as a feather, requiring little force at all to move.

The room itself was as you’d expect, well-lit and large, filled with neat rows of desks. There were several students already there, lounging around or in their seats, conversing in low tones, but everything ceased as I entered. You could’ve dropped a pin in the stunned silence, until somebody spoke out.

“That’s... a dragon.”

A bespectacled boy with thick fur covering his body turned towards me, bowing low.

“Jurota Shishida, sir. Ah, excuse me, but I don’t think everyone’s here yet.”

“...I don’t see how that’s a problem?”

“But you can’t start the lesson if everyone isn’t present?”

Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait. Is he-

“Do you… think that I’m the teacher?”

“Are… are you not?” He asked, taken aback.

“No!” Do I really seem like that? “No, I’m not the teacher. What makes you think that?”

“...Well, you’re not wearing the student uniform for one.” He pointed out.

I glanced down at the vest I was wearing. “Excuse you, this is my student uniform. It isn’t my fault the default version is only feasible to use for humanoids.”

“I- Of course. My apologies.” He bowed again, before offering a furry hand. “Jurota Shishida.”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.”

“Would you happen to be related to the famous Pro-Hero Ryukyu by any chance?”

“She is my sister.”

“I see. Ah… should I call you sir or a miss?”

I honestly wanted to laugh.

“A question for the ages.”

“But... how do I refer to you?”

“I really don’t care.”

“I-”

“Ryuuzaki is a girl’s name.” A girl with vines for hair supplied from the background, and I sighed.

“Foiled again.”

“Ryuuzaki?” Somebody called out from the back of the room, and I was suddenly struck with the realization that I recognized that voice. “Ryuuzaki Tatsuma?”

There, seemingly only now paying attention to what was going in in the doorway, was Yui. She was wearing the student uniform of UA, her expression completely flat as usual.

“You two know each other?” An orange-haired girl who’d been sitting near her asked.

“Same elementary and middle school.” She looked back up at me. “Last time you weren’t a dragon.”

“...There was an incident.”

“An incident.” She repeated flatly, the tiniest twitch of her eyelid betraying her thoughts on the matter. “One that made you disappear without a trace.”

“What was I supposed to do?”

“Anything.”

“I didn’t even have your phone number. Was I supposed to just hang around the school limits trying to catch you?”

“Yes.”

“...”

Seeing that I had no answer, Yui pointedly turned away, returning to a conversation with the orange-haired girl.

I sighed, and turned away, lumbering towards my own seat.

“Don’t you think that was a little harsh?”

“...”

My desk was easy to find, being far larger than anyone else’s and located at the very back of the class, presumably to prevent my size from blocking anyone’s view. Since I couldn’t hold a pen I was permitted to use a computer for making notes and doing tasks. A chair like the one I had at home had also been provided and I crawled onto it, my head still swimming from the previous encounter.

It’s not like I hadn’t neglected to contact her out of maliciousness. I just… there had been so much going on. I’d put it off. And then it was so late that contacting would’ve been awkward. So I put it off more, until it fell out of my mind entirely.

I mean, what would I have told her, anyway? “I got shot and stuck as a dragon so I can’t go to school anymore, we’ll probably never see each other ever again”?

Over the next fifteen minutes or so the rest of the class trickled in. A boy with pitch-black skin, another one with yellow skin and what looked to be a salt shaker for a head, and I thought I saw green-hair from the recommended exam in the crowd as well. They were a varied bunch, that was for sure. They probably thought I couldn’t hear the comments made about me, but my ears were keener than they looked.

“Huh… I would’ve thought I would’ve remembered a dragon in the entrance exam...”

“Idiot. She’s Ryukyu’s sister, she’s obviously one of the recommended students.”

“Recommended student and a dragon? That’s just unfair...”

At some point another student claimed one of the desks in front of mine, and I turned to regard them. A short girl with an equine mutation featuring a pair of hooves and two long horns sticking out of her blonde hair.

She meep-ed slightly when she realized I was watching her, stumbling for words.

“You- um, you’re a dr-” She trailed off in that way that was exceedingly familiar to me, that mix of frustration and embarrassment as you try to remember the right word, just on the tip of your tongue yet so far out of reach.

“Dragon?”

“Yes! Thank you, a dragon. You’re a real dragon!”

“...Yeah.” I wasn’t really sure what to say to that.

“That’s awesome! Can you fly? No, of course you can, you have wings. Oh! Oh! Can you breathe fire?”

“...I’ve never managed to, no.” I admitted, but it didn’t seem to bother her.

“You’re so warm!” She leaned in closer, holding her palms near my scales, before rocking back on her heels? Or do you say hooves? And offering me a hand.

“Oh, um, I’m Pony Tsunotori! Nice to meet you!”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.” I replied and met her handshake, wondering how many times I’d need to introduce myself before the day was over.

“Oh! You’re Ryukyu’s sister!” She started chattering excitedly, suddenly switching to english seemingly without noticing. “<She’s awesome! I have every volume of her manga series, and…>”

She trailed off, before suddenly turning red.

“I did it again, didn’t I? I’m so sorry, I got excited and I was talking abo-”

“<It’s fine, I understood.>”

Pony sagged in relief, doing her best to give me a bright smile.

“Thank you. Um, I moved over from America only last year. My father’s japanese but my mother is from the US and I’ve lived over there all my life so my japanese isn’t… always so great.”

“That’s fine.” I understood her struggle better than she realized. “Now, what’s this about a Ryukyu manga, and how have I never heard of it before now?”

“Oh! It’s… well, it’s one of those american manga. Drawn in the same style, but written in english. But it’s really good!”

“Oh? Do you have any? I’d like to see it if possible.”

“I don’t have any with me, but I have some back home. I… could bring some tomorrow?”

“That would be fant-”

The door was suddenly thrown open as a bombastic voice rang out across entire classroom.

“PLUS ULTRA!”

Poor Shishida looked like he’d almost jumped out of his fur, and several others near the door also flinched at the sheer volume of buzz-cut’s entrance.

“I have always wanted to say that!” He said cheerfully as he strode in, surveying the room. “Good morning my fellows students!”

Pony looked up, casting a dubious look towards the overly enthusiastic boy.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just… like that.”

“Tatsuma!” He shouted across the room as he noticed me, starting to make his way over. “I told you we would meet again!”

“I suppose you did.” Well shit. Now it was going to be awkward if I didn’t recall his name. Hm. I shifted around in my chair towards Pony. “This is Pony Tsunotori.”

Buzz-cut took her hand and shook it heavily. “Inasa Yoarashi! Great to meet you!”

Success!

I did my best to commit “Inasa Yoarashi” to memory, that trick only works once before it gets weird. At least his personality was… distinctive, to say the least.

By my count everyone was here by now, chatting in small groups, introducing themselves and making friends. Then, as the clock ticked to 10:00, unseen by the majority of the students, the door opened one last time. One by one the class fell silent as they noticed the new arrival, until even Yoarashi had realized something was wrong, and turned around.

“So good of you to notice. To your seats.”

Instead of the suit and tie I’d seen previously our teacher wore what I assumed to be his hero costume, a skin-tight red bodysuit and a pair of silver gauntlets.

“My name is Sekijiro Kan, but you may call me ‘Vlad King’ or ‘Sir’. I will be your Homeroom Teacher, starting from this moment until you either graduate or leave UA.”

He didn’t elaborate on what he meant by the latter, but most could probably guess. There were hundreds of horror stories of UA students being expelled for failing to meet the mark of the prestigious academy.

I’d even had the displeasure of running into one.

“We will be leaving soon for the entrance ceremony, but we still have some time to get us started. At the beginning of each year group, I give my students a promise, and ask for one in return.”

He walked up to the front of the class, folding his arms before him.

“You have, all of you, passed the entrance examination, and in that you have something to be proud of. It means that you have the potential to become a Hero. But this is only the beginning of your journey.”

Right. Getting in was only step one. Now we had to prove we deserved to stay.

“I promise that in the next three years I will do my utmost to bring out that potential in each and every last one of you. I will give you the best education possible to prepare you for the trials ahead. I will be a harsh but fair teacher. My door is always open if you ever have a problem you feel like you cannot face by yourselves. I promise I will hear you out, and do what is in my power to help.”

He spread out his arms towards us.

“But I cannot do it alone. You will all need to do your part, not just as individuals, but as a group. Because from this moment onward, you are in this together. Look around yourselves: for the next three years, these people will be not just your class, but your team. Their triumphs and fails shall be yours, and yours theirs. You will lift each other up when you fall, and push one another towards ever greater heights when you succeed..”

One by one, he looked each of us in the eye as he spoke.

“Can you promise to me that you will do this?”

For a few moments there was silence.

Then Yoarashi jumped to his feet like a spring, hand over his heart.

“Such a hot-blooded beginning! I give my solemn promise!”

Others joined in, and I mumbled something vaguely affirmative as well. It all felt a little cheesy, but I went along.

Once the noise had died down, Vlad King went on.

“Excellent. In a few moments the Principal will do it formally, but for my part, welcome to UA High School. Your journey starts here.”

For a few moments he let us bask in that warm feeling, before moving on.

“Now, enough of that. Form a single file, behind me!” He barked out, and the class hurried to obey, and I lumbered into the last spot.

Vlad King lead us through the hallways into the same hall we’d taken the written portion of the exam in, only this time filled with people instead of desks. There was a small eruption of noise among the other classes as we entered, growing a notch in volume as I ducked through the doorway.

Apparently even at UA a dragon is not an ordinary sight.

I made note of the various Pro-Heroes scattered around the place, herding their students into formation: I recognized Hound Dog (I had looked up his name after the exam) and Present Mic, but I didn’t recognize the others. One peeled off from the crowd and started walking towards us-

Is that woman wearing a BDSM outfit? In a school?

I have several questions about this.

“There you finally are, Kan! Now we just need Aizawa and we’ll have all the first years here.”

“He’s not coming, probably at the training grounds already with 1-A. You know how he is, he thinks this is all a waste of time.”

I guess she actually is supposed to be a teacher. Huh.

The woman frowned, but nodded.

“Of course he wouldn’t even notify us… we’ll need to adjust the formation to not leave a gap…” She trailed off as she returned to the other teachers, whilst Vlad King turned towards us.

“Move in alongside the other students, tallest at the back, shortest in front.”

Within a few moments we were lined, with me at the back against the wall to avoid blocking anyone’s view. The teachers stood in front near the podium, clearly waiting for something.

“Hey, you two were recommended, right?” The boy with the pitch-black skin whispered towards Yoarashi and I. “What’s the principal like?”

“...You’ll see.” I replied, pre-empting Yoarashi who seemed about to launch into a full-blown speech and draw attention to us.

Just then, there was movement near the podium, and a white, furred head popped over the top, probably standing on stool.

“Good evening everyone! I am Principal Nedzu, and I would like to welcome all of you to UA High School!”

Immediately, muttering broke out.

“Is this a joke?”

“What is that?”

Undaunted, Nedzu went on. “What am I? A rat, a dog, a bear? Who knows! What matters is that I am your principal.”

“...The teachers aren’t reacting so I guess it must be true...”

As the crowd calmed down again, Nedzu continued. “It is so good to see many new faces here with us today, on this fine day. Whilst we teachers do our best, people like you are the ones who have made UA into the respected institution it is today: young, talented students, eager to learn.”

He went on for quite a while, speaking of the importance of education and building the future. I realized that I’d gotten off easy before: when the principal wanted to talk about something he could talk. And talk. And talk.

“To finish us off, there is a certain anecdote I wanted to share with you all. It is often asked of me, why is UA called a Hero Academia? After all, the Heroics Department does not cover even a fifth of our student base. But I believe that is an altogether incorrect way of thinking about it. All of you, my dear students, are on the path to become heroes. Oh, you may not all go on to become Pro-Heroes, but you do not need to fight villains to be a hero. A police officer is just as heroic, or a fireman, or a doctor. But, I hear you asking, what about everyone else? What about businessmen, teachers, janitors, scientists, mailmen, shopkeepers and all the others? I say, saving lives directly is not the only way to be a hero. Society must be built and maintained, in order for there to be any worth to saving it, and even those who might otherwise be dismissed as worthless all have their place. I firmly believe that all of you will go on to do great things, and make the world a better place.”

He stopped for a few moments to let his words sink in, before moving on.

“That’s all from me! I hope to see all of you at another speech, three years from now!”

“Class 1-B, on me!” As the mass of students began to scatter towards the doors, Vlad King marched to us and began barking orders again. “We’re not done yet for today. Follow me!”

He lead us through the hallways again before reaching our homeroom. However, instead of taking us there he raised a hand to point at the two rooms next to it, marked as the locker rooms for boys and girls respectively.

“Put on your gym uniforms and get to the training grounds. We still have work to do before the day is over.”

The room was like you’d expect, lockers and benches lining the walls, with a door leading to the showers near the back. On the bench in front of each locker was a transparent plastic wrap containing a gym uniform, blue and red with a stylized white UA logo on the chest.

“Greetings, meatbag. Prepare for the clothing substitution procedure.”

However, instead of a locker on the last spot along the line was a silver-coloured robot, a bulbous head staring in my direction as a pair of long manipulator arms clicking in anticipation.

“What is that?” The orange-haired girl asked, looking concerned, and I sighed.

“It’s my assistant. I can’t reach back far enough to get the clasps on my uniform, so the school gave me one to help.”

“...But why is it calling us meatbags?”

“They just do it sometimes. You’re better off ignoring it.”

“And ‘It’ can also hear you. We’re wasting time here, meatbags.”

I sighed again and moved over, letting the robot’s hands reach over undo the clasps around my wings and take off the school uniform. Slowly the others began to change their uniforms, occasionally casting glances in my direction. Yui was still steadfastly ignoring my very existence, and I had no idea what to do about it.

Soon enough we were all clad in our gym uniforms, and filed out towards the training grounds, the boys trickling out of the other locker room soon after.

As we were walking across the school grounds, green-hair moved to walk beside me.

“So you’re the one, huh?" She grinned up at me. I wasn’t sure if it was a friendly grin or not. "Who knocked me out of the running for recommended student?”

I… wasn’t really sure that was how it worked, but before I could formulate that thought into words she went on.

“I am going to prove to everyone that I deserved the recommended student spot. Just you watch it!”

“I agree.”

“And- Wait, what?” She stammered, suddenly taken aback.

“Well, I don’t particularly feel like I did anything special to deserve the spot. So I agree. You probably deserved it more than I did.”

“Well- Regardless. My name is Setsuna Tokage. Remember it, because I’m going to be the one who kicks your ass.”

She walked over to talk to the orange-haired girl, leaving me to stew in me own thoughts, until a voice interrupted me.

“Why sell yourself so short, Tatsuma?”

The speaker was a blonde boy with bright blue eyes, walking with his hands in his pockets.

“Just being honest.”

“There’s a line between honesty and needless self-deprecation. You should feel proud, of having made it here.”

I shrugged, an exaggerated motion using my wings.

“You don’t have to believe me. But remember, by doubting yourself, you are also doubting everyone that brought you here. You are doubting your sister, who staked her professional reputation on your recommendation. You are doubting the judgement of the principal, who decided you deserved this spot.”

The blonde boy bowed slightly.

“Neito Monoma. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

He left to join the others, and soon enough we reached our destination.

The training grounds were your typical sports field, with race tracks, sand pits, and so on. Vlad King was waiting for us, still in his costume. I guess the teachers just wear those around all day?

“Good. Now that everyone is here, we can begin.” He gestured towards the training grounds. “In middle school, all of you have taken physical tests during PE. These are supposed to allow the government to track your fitness. However, there is one element which is missing from those tests. Can any of you tell me what that element is?”

Confidently, the orange-haired girl raised a hand. “Our Quirks.”

“Precisely. Physical examinations forbid the usage of Quirks, or exclude those entirely who cannot avoid their use. That rule is not in place at UA. Observe.”

He took up a small ball from the bag at his feet, testing its weight it a couple of times before rearing back and throwing it into the distance, its landing marked with a puff of dust. He showed us the tablet in his free hand, showing a distance of 102.3 meters.

“A respectable distance, but it could be better. Now compare that to this.”

He grabbed another ball, but instead of throwing it he tossed it straight into the air above. Suddenly, strands of red liquid whipped out of the holes in his gauntlets, smashing into the ball as it descended.

It shot out as if fired from a cannon, making a long arc into the distance to the point that it was barely visible even to my eyes. He raised the tablet again, this time with the result of 1251.0 meters. A gasp ran through the class.

“You will all take the standard eight-part test. 50 meter dash, standing long jump, side steps, grip strength, ball throw, toe touching, sit ups and distance run. And yes, you can use your Quirks however you want. The more inventive the better.”

An excited chatter broke out amongst the students.

“We really are at UA, aren’t we?”

“This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

“UA really is the most hot-blooded school in the country!”

And to be honest, I wasn’t inclined to disagree. It did sound pretty awesome, to get to measure myself and my Quirk against others. Ryuko was so far above there was no point to compare, and Gang Orca’s lessons usually took care to avoid direct competition.

“Quiet.” Vlad King didn’t raise his voice- he didn’t have to. Even Yoarashi’s boundless enthusiasm was reigned in by his tone.

“Remember, you are not just taking this test as individuals, but as a group. And to that end…” He brought up the tablet again, this time showing a list of numbers.

“This is the average score of Class 1-A, who took this same test earlier today. This is what you are aiming to beat. Do not disappoint me.”

And just like that the atmosphere of the class had changed again, a whole new dimension added to the situation. There was the excitement from before, yes, but also a sense of collective competitiveness. We weren’t just proving ourselves to Vlad King and each other, but also being measured against 1-A, as a whole.

“We begin with 50 meter dash. Two at a time, Yoarashi and Tatsuma first.”

“Oh, the recommended students first? Now this is getting interesting...”

Starting and finishing lines had been marked into the dirt, a camera bot ready to measure our results. I took my position a fair distance away from Yoarashi, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I opened my wings wide, phalanges stretching the membrane to its full extent. I could hear a few gasps from the other students- I could fold my wings well enough to fit indoors, but fully unfurled they were a fairly impressive sight, their full span measuring over a dozen meters between the wingtips. With their enormous surface area the sheer volume of air that was displaced with each beat was massive, and the muscles along my chest and flanks that generated the necessary torque were necessarily equally so.

Stretching each of my limbs in turn, I dug my claws into the dirt and crouched, muscles coiled like springs. Yoarashi stood at the ready as well, hands held at his sides as he positively brimmed with energy.

“Ready, set, go!”

All of that tension was released in an instant, my claws gouging out sprays of dirt as I rocketed forwards, my wings sweeping backwards to give me an additional boost. Distantly I noticed the wind slamming into the other students far behind us, but I alone hadn’t generated all of it. In fact the airflow created by my wings was an afterthought compared to what Yoarashi made.

I’d heard him talk about his aerokinetic Quirk, but his typical style of overstating everything and anything had left me in the dark as to the sheer scale of it. He was creating nothing less than a miniature cyclone behind himself, rocketing ahead of me like a cannonball.

All of this took place in only a couple of instants before we were over the finish line, Yoarashi clearly in the lead. As we both decelerated, Vlad King called out the results.

“2.83 seconds for Yoarashi, 5.44 seconds for Tatsuma.”

“I got first place!” Yoarashi whooped. “Still, you were really fast too! Especially considering your size, acceleration can’t be your strong suit.”

I nodded in acknowledgement.

He was actually right on the money: conservation of momentum had worked against me here; I was strong, but I was also heavy, and rapidly accelerating all of that mass required a massive amount of power.

“Next up, Monoma and Rin.”

“Ah, can I ask to wait a little longer? I-” Monoma protested, before being cut off.

“No. You’re next on the list, so it’s your turn. You won’t always have the option of picking and choosing in a real situation.”

“Fair enough. Well then, let us go.”

He and the athletic-looking boy with black haired tied to a ponytail took their positions, and Vlad King gave the signal. The other boy dashed off into a sprint, but the blonde boy pointed his hands behind himself and created a wind blast to help himself forward. His aerokinesis was similar to Yoarashi’s Quirk, but it seemed less focused somehow, carefully only boosting himself rather than taking his feet off the ground. Interesting.

“5.51 for Monoma, 7.03 for Rin.”

Soon after, we settled down to watch the others take their turns. It was fascinating to see all the varied Quirks in action. Like in the exam Tokage split herself into pieces and flew over the finishing line, whilst the vine-haired girl used her Quirk to launch herself like a catapult.

Pony’s Quirk apparently allowed her to detach her horns, causing them to hover in the air. She used them to propel herself, putting them beneath her armpits. Her pair, the boy with literally coal-black skin, looked like he submerged into his own shadow and then launched himself out of it. Exactly how that worked I had no idea.

“That was a good use of your power.” I said to Pony as she returned. “It’s a versatile Quirk.”

“Thanks! It’s not as cool as yours, though. Flight must be so cool of an ability to have.”

“It is. Have you ever tried flying using your horns?”

“Yeah, but proper flight is actually really hard.” I nodded in sympathy as she went on. “Since it’s dependent on something not actually attached to me, high-level flight is risky. Dad never let me try, but I’m hoping at UA I can learn a little more.”

“That sounds like something your costume could help with. Like, have slots in the back you can insert your horns into for easier flight.”

“Oh! That’s a good idea!” Her face lit up for a moment, before crumpling. “It’s probably going to be too late for my first costume...”

“At least it’s something to look forward to.”

She nodded glumly, and we returned to watching the performances of the other students.

Shishida could transform even further, shrugging off his shirt before growing much bigger and bulkier. He bounded over the race track on all fours, whilst the orange-haired girl could increase the size of her hands and used them as fans to boost herself forward. Yui used her Quirk to grow a grain of sand beneath her feet into a boulder, while the plain-looking boy was somehow able to rotate his lower body rapidly to boost himself forward.

The boy with the white, blank sphere for a head seemed to have the weirdest Quirk of them all however. It looked like he spit out what a three-dimensional speech bubble out of his face, containing the japanese onomatopoeia for “running”. The bubble grew as it floated a few meters forward before popping, leaving the physical kanji letters standing on the ground. However, when the start pistol fired, he took off at a much faster rate than he looked like he should’ve been able to, and even his pair seemed to be surprised at their own speed.

It was the oddest Quirk I’d ever seen, but potentially also the strongest. Like, holy shit, he could warp reality just by talking?

Of the remainder, however, around half of the class resorted to simply running as normal as Rin had done, unable or unwilling to use their Quirks. In particular the short girl with the large brown bob-cut running down across her face seemed to struggle, scoring notably lower than anyone else.

“Right then. Grip strength next.” Vlad King produced several measuring devices, both enclosed and open-ended, presumably so that people like me, Shishida and orange-hair could use them as well.

The class set to work: obviously the aforementioned two performed well, but most of the class seemed to be struggling. The girl with vines for hair used them to press down on the handle and the huge, yellow-skinned boy with what looked like a salt-shaker for a head were also scoring above the norm.

I looked down at the measurement tool: I was pretty sure I could get a decent result too just by sheer size, but my forelimbs weren’t really designed for grasping objects. However...

“You said that anything goes, right?”

“As long as you’re using your Quirk.”

“Hm.”

I grabbed the tool and carefully inserted it between my jaws, taking care not to put it between teeth, and then bit down.

Physiologically, my skull structure seemed to have taken notes from both crocodilians and large theropods. The bone structure was immensely thick and solid, not just to support my horns when they impacted, but also simply withstand the enormous pressure exerted by the closing muscles of my jaws when I bit down.

A large saltwater or nile crocodile could impart a bite force of over two thousand kilograms with its jaws, capable of breaking the thigh bone of a water buffalo like a dry twig. We’d once asked the zoo to borrow one of the measuring tools they used, but they had been rather crass with us after I’d bitten straight through the metal.

The measuring tool now jammed between my jaws beeped out loudly, the digital display flashing red to warn that I’d met and exceeded the maximum rating the device was built to withstand and measure. I released my jaws and the tool clattered onto the ground.

“I am going to mark that as ’maximum score’. We’ll need to get a proper one out of the Support Department at a later date, but the test must move on.”

A boy with gray hair and weird eyebrows that seemed to rim his eyes had apparently turned himself to metal, squeezing the measuring tool with all his strength. However-

“What the hell Monoma?! How are you using a different Quirk?!” Somebody shouted.

Instead of aerokinesis, he was currently squeezing the tool with enlarged hands, exactly like the orange-haired girl.

“Ah, that would be because of my Quirk. ‘Copy’ allows me to replicate the Quirks of other people.”

That was… potentially insanely powerful. Or insanely weak, depending on the circumstances.

“Man, all of these crazy Quirks are making me feel inadequate!” The gray-haired boy yelled out, before clenching his teeth. “I guess I’ll just have to WORK HARDER!”

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!” Yoarashi howled, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that his own Quirk didn’t help with the test. “I applaud such fiery passion!”

“Plus Ultra!”

“Plus Ultra!”

I guess he found a kindred spirit.

Huh.

Third test was standing long jump. If I was still capable of grinning I would’ve done so as I took my position, ready to go.

I simply jumped into the air, and… never came down. I flew over the jump track, to the edge of the training grounds, before slowing down to a hover to show that I could go as far as was needed. I turned around, the rest of the class like ants in the distance.

Vlad King sighed and waved for me to return, marking down another max score.

Yoarashi launched himself with his Quirk, but it seemed like he hadn’t mastered proper flight yet, and ‘only’ managed several hundred feet. Monoma copied his Quirk again, continuing his trend of good but not outstanding scores.

Many of the students used similar tactics to the 50-meter dash, and once again a number of them had yet to even use their Quirks. Like me Tokage floated over the line, waving cheekily until Vlad King gave her a max score as well.

The brown-haired boy with the squinty eyes created several translucent barriers in the air, using them as stepping stones to prolong his airtime, whilst the bob-haired girl caused large mushrooms to grow on the jump track, achieving a similar result. The speech-bubble guy used the kanji for “bounce”, using them as a trampoline.

Side steps was the first test that I had real trouble with. My claws afforded me incredible traction, but the fact of the matter was, I was too big and too heavy for the kind of agility this test required.

Yoarashi took the lead again by using wind blasts to either side, whilst Monoma did the same. Curiously, he wasn’t using the hand-enlarging Quirk for this one. Did that mean he could copy only one Quirk at once?

The ball toss was up next. The girl with pale gray hair revealed her Quirk, seemingly some kind of telekinesis as the ball simply took off, finally landing in the far distance as it seemingly left her range. Tokage replicated the feat, just by having a disembodied hand carry the ball, while Yui miniaturized the ball and enlarged it mid-air.

I awkwardly grasped the tiny ball in my claws, tossed it into the air and then spun around to bat it with my tail. It wasn’t perfect- the ball was so small that angling my tail to hit it correctly was difficult- but it was a good score nonetheless.

The sixth test, however, was a different matter altogether.

“I can’t do this.” I stated, matter of factly, as I rolled off of my back and onto my feet, a couple of giggles reaching my ears from the direction of the other students. I was a quadruped with a very large tail. My body was simply not configured to be able to perform the motions of a sit-up.

“So that’s a zero then.” Vlad King noted, not even looking up from the tablet.

“I physically cannot do sit-ups.”

“It is your Quirk. Warts and all.” Vlad King responded, unsympathetic.

I supposed I couldn’t complain, especially as my anatomy worked in my favour come the seventh test. Turns out toe touching is really easy for a quadruped. Orange-hair and Monoma simple lengthened their fingers while Tokage obviously could just float one over, but most of the class seemed to be forced to rely upon regular human attributes.

In particular I noted that salt-shaker, braid, skull-face and the headband guy hadn’t even used their Quirks yet, though braid seemed to perform well regardless, moving with the grace of a gymnast.

The last test was distance run, which I took home with a comfortable lead. Yoarashi could beat me in burst speed, but once I had enough time and room to build up speed I could outfly him handily.

There were no particularly interesting developments in the test, the established pattern holding firm. The rest of the class arrived intermittently at the finish line, bob-hair finishing a full minute after everyone else, panting and sweating heavily. I also noted that speech bubble guy seemed to have a sharp limitation to the amount he could create, if the way he was conserving his Quirk was any indication.

Soon enough Vlad King called us together for the final tally, showing the results on his tablet.

1. Neito Monoma
2. Ryuuzaki Tatsuma
3. Inasa Yoarashi
4. Setsuna Tokage
5. Manga Fukidashi
6. Ibara Shiozaki
7. Jurota Shishida
8. Itsuka Kendo
9. Sen Kaibara
10. Pony Tsunotori
11. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
12. Yui Kodai
13. Shihai Kuroiro
14. Kosei Tsubaraba
15. Reiko Yanagi
16. Hiryu Rin
17. Kojiro Bondo
18. Juzo Honenuki
19. Yosetsu Awase
20. Kinoko Komori

I heard a sigh go through the gathered students as the average results popped on the screen below the list, a couple points below 1-A.

“I- I'm sorry everyone, for not being better. I dragged down the rest of-” Bob-hair began, but Vlad King interrupted her.

“This is the fault of nobody here. You will do better next time. Take care to reflect upon what you did right and and what you did wrong. Class, you’re dismissed for the day. Take a class schedule and a permission slip from my desk on your way out, and return the latter tomorrow. We are going on a field trip on tuesday.”

Already? I suppose UA really wastes no time...

“Man, Honenuki, how did you place so low?” The boy with the spiral Quirk questioned skull-face, as we began walking back towards the main building. ”You blew away the entrance exam, I thought you were supposed to be the strongest!”

“It’s not that simple, you know. My Quirk just happened to be suitable for the entrance exam, and besides, there’s the recommended students to consider. I’m sure Yoarashi or Tatsuma could’ve outdone me there.”

“But then who is the strongest? Is it you Monoma?”

The boy in question whirled around, pointing a finger at the boy. “Did you not hear a word of what Honenuki just said?”

He pointed to each of us in turn.

”In terms of destructive capacity Tatsuma is unmatched, except maybe by Shishida. Fukudashi is absurdly powerful and versatile, he just lacks endurance. Yoarashi has the best range and area of effect out of everyone here. Komori, even though she took last place, has potentially the scariest Quirk of them all. Rin I’d wager is the best of us all in a Quirkless match. Shiozaki has the greatest potential for capturing an enemy. The usefulness of Awase’s Quirk increases exponentially in the right environment. Tokage is second to none when it comes to reconnaissance. I made it to the top spot this time because had so many potent and versatile Quirks to use, but in a real scenario that’s not always possible.”

He spread his hands, gesturing towards us all as he leaned back dramatically.

“There is nobody who is ‘the strongest’. All of us here are strong, and we will grow even stronger.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I still think Tatsuma is the strongest.” The air-bubble guy grumbled. ”You just can’t compete with being a dragon.”

“Are you kidding me? Fukidashi can do basically anything!”

As they descended into bickering, Monoma turned around, sighing theatrically. “Well, I tried.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

“...And then I got second place in the test.”

“See?! See?!” Ryuko whooped. “What did I tell you?!”

She and I were sat down in the kitchen, Ryuko on a chair while I was curled on the floor.

“The tests were just suitable for my Quirk.”

“Some day you’re going to run out of excuses, ‘Zaki.” She said, shaking her head. “Did you at least make some friends?”

“Maybe? I think, one, or two.”

“Oh?”

“Her name’s Pony Tsunotori. I don’t know if that really counts as friendship, we just talked a little. She was nice.”

“That’s how it starts.” Ryuko said, clapping me in the shoulder. “Who was the other one?”

“Inasa Yoarashi. The other recommended student in our class, I met him in the exam and apparently he thinks my Quirk is cool.”

“Well he’s right. Yoarashi… I think I've heard that name before. They’re a new name on the Hero scene, but they’re from Hokkaido so I don’t know too much about them.”

“He’s… really enthusiastic. About everything. And he won’t shut up about it.”

“That’s… not exactly the kind of person I would’ve expected you to make friends with.”

“Well, I have only actually met him twice, but he’s got a certain kind of… I guess innocence to him. The kind of childlike enthusiasm where it’s like he thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread, just the way you are. It’s hard not to like him.”

“That’s great to hear. Anybody else?”

“I… Yui is in my class.”

“Oh? But that’s good then?”

“I…” I faltered. How do I put this…

“We… well, we didn’t get off to a great start when we met again. She got… kind of mad at me.”

“Why? You got along great in grade school, from what you’ve told me.” She frowned.

“Because I didn’t tell her about what happened.” I sighed. “Two years ago.”

“Well, it’s your choice whether or not you want to talk about it.”

“No, I mean, I didn’t… tell her anything. Back then. She thought I just disappeared.”

Ryuko looked at me in disbelief. “So you just… never even sent a message. To your best friend. To tell her that you were dropping out of school because you’d been injured. And she never tried to contact you either?”

“I… yes.”

She buried her head in her hands. ”Oh my god. You two were made for each other.”

I made an indignant noise.

“Don’t even try it. You were friends for what, seven years, and you never even invited her over?”

“...Well she didn’t, either.”

“Hence why you deserve each other.” She shook her head. “You should’ve at least sent her a message, and she should’ve tried to contact you after you disappeared. You’re both idiots.”

Well.

I suppose I can’t argue with that.

“Well, it isn’t all bad. At least this way, you two still have a chance to fix things. Not everyone gets given that kind of chance.”

“But how do I fix this?” I lowered my head onto the floor, feeling miserable.

“Well, you can’t. Not by yourself. It’s a two-way street.” Ryuko said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “What you need to do is just talk to her. You both did something wrong, and the first step to correcting that is apologizing. From there, you can put this behind you and move on.”

“But what if she's still going to be mad at me?”

“If she continues to hold on to a grudge after you’ve apologized…” Ryuko took a deep breath, sighed, and continued. “Then that’s on her. Repairing a relationship takes two, and you can’t make her be your friend again. What matters is that you can move on with a clear conscience.”

I slumped, my ears drooping. I couldn’t find fault in her words, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

“Hey. One argument won’t break seven years of friendship. And if it does… well, then she wasn’t worth it in the first place.”

I laid down on the floor, exhaling through my nose.

“...Thanks.”

“That’s what I’m here for, ‘Zaki.”

For a few moments we just sat there, in silence.

“So, how come you never told me about the licensed Ryukyu manga?” I finally said, changing the subject.

Immediately Ryuko’s expression shifted into one of exasperation.

“Because I knew you’d be like this.”

“Like what?” I asked, tilting my head and spreading my ears in an innocent gesture.

“Like that.”

“I’m just curious about this series that has been so expertly hidden from me. Why, if I knew that there was a manga series made of my beloved sister, I would surely have obtained every volume.”

“I know.” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “It’s not even a very good series, you know.”

“But I don’t know, that’s the thing. Why, do they mention me?”

“Of course not, you know full well they don’t do that.”

I did.

Despite the celebrity-like status of most Pro-Heroes there was an unspoken rule among most media outlets to not draw attention to their immediate families, unless they actively sought it.

Ryuko had talked to me about it, when she began her career, and I’d studied the topic myself, when I was piecing together the history between my time and today.

In the beginning, when Vigilantes transitioned into Pro-Heroes, there had been certain growing pains, as society adjusted to the new reality. One of those problems had been, well, tabloid gossip.

The Pro-Heroes were on the spotlight, and so inevitably their private lives were put under the magnifying glass. And when villains, who might bear grudges against those Pro-Heroes, took notice… it rarely ended well for anyone, including the publication responsible.

The public backlash tended to be lethal for business. A self-serving motivation, to be sure, but it did the trick. For all the media circus surrounding Pro-Heroes, they shied away from direct coverage of their families lest they be held responsible for misuse of the information they distributed.

My injuries at Fujiwara’s hands, for an example, were never made public.

It was hardly an ironclad rule, waning back and forth as journalists grew bolder and hungrier for scandals, or backed off after being burned.

But it held most of the time.

“You know, that’s actually something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” Ryuko spoke out, shaking me from my thoughts. “I have been sent an invitation for an award ceremony in a week’s time. I’m permitted to bring a single guest, and I think it would do you good to come along."

I felt myself recoil at the very thought. I’d never been to one of her PR events but I’d seen her on TV and heard her speak of them. “You know I’m going to hate it there.”

“I know. I know you hate that kind of attention. If I could spare you from it I would. But in this line of work dealing with the public is unavoidable.” She sighed, her voice sympathetic. “Most Pro-Heroes don’t enter the public eye until their debut, but the UA Sports Festival complicates things. And with your Quirk and your name, no matter what you do you’re going to be famous across the country by the end of the semester.”

I felt a chill run through my body, the sharp spines along my back shuddering. “Is there no other way?”

“There isn’t really a way around it, I’m afraid.” She replied, sombre. “Going underground isn't really an option for you. I won’t force you to come, but you’ll need to learn how to deal with it eventually. In the Sports Festival you’re going to be in a high-stress situation in front of thousands of people, that’s going to be televised across the nation and even abroad. I was thrown head first into the deep end, and it wasn’t pretty. This way you can make your first public appearance on your own terms, deal with it all in a controlled environment. I’ll be there right besides you, and the event isn’t about you so if it gets too much you can bail out at any time.”

I sighed in defeat, and nodded. I couldn’t find faults in her logic, no matter how much the thought of being paraded before the cameras made my skin crawl beneath my scales.

“It’s not all bad. I can’t wait for the day I can buy some of your action figures.” Ryukl said, her tone much lighter.

“Don’t think you can distract me from the manga.” I fired back. “You still haven’t answered what’s so horrible about it that you’ve kept it from me all this time.

“It’s just… wildly inaccurate.”

“Please tell me it’s a romantic subplot with Endeavour.”

“Enji Todoroki is older than either of our parents.” Ryuko replied, exasperated. “He has children around my age.”

“...Is it Hawks, then? I know you had a crush on him at one point.”

“I did not.”

“It is him, isn’t it?” I couldn’t help myself: though I tried to stifle it a giggle escaped me.

“Stop that.” Ryuko swatted at my snout. “You sound like a seal choking on a fishbone.

“That’s not a denial.” I replied, still giggling.

“Shut up.”

“Stiiill not hearing a denial.”

-----

On Monday we returned to UA for our first proper day of school, as Heroes-in-training. I studied the faces of my fellow students as one by one each took their seats, trying and failing to connect faces to names.

Pony greeted me warmly as she arrived, and Yoarashi similarly stopped by my desk. Though it seemed like he had made it his mission to befriend every single person in our class. Predictably Yui didn’t even glance in my direction as she came in, though the orange-haired girl with her at least offered a friendly wave.

Aside from that, however, most of the class seemed to hold their distance. Which I wasn’t necessarily inclined against. Better than being overwhelmed.

Our first class was Foundational Hero Studies. There would be regular classes in the afternoon, according to the schedule, but this was why we were in the Heroics Department.

To say that the atmosphere was charged with excitement would be putting it extremely mildly. Everyone was the edge of their seats, waiting for the teacher to arrive.

And what an arrival it was. Everyone was watching the door, so nobody anticipated the window being thrown open, a white and blue shape leaping through. The first warning anyone got was when the black-skinned boy shrieked in surprise, pitching over his chair as none other than All-Might himself appeared in front of him.

“Ah, perhaps it would have been better to come through the door. My apologies, young man! But nonetheless!” He offered, before turning to the rest of the class, spreading his arms. “I am here!”

The cheer that rang out was nothing short of explosive.

When I’d been doing research into the time that had passed between my time and today, the effects of the Symbol of Peace were even more pronounced. The man had caused a double-digit drop in the crime rate across the country, single-handedly, and been a major if not the contributor in abolishing the chaos that had reigned since the appearance of Quirks.

And now he was here. Teaching us.

The thought made me feel just a little bit light-headed.

And I wasn’t the only one. Poor Pony looked like she was hyperventilating, and Yoarashi looked like he was going to pass out from excitement.

“Greetings, my young students! Today, we will begin your Hero studies! And what better way to do that, than Battle Training!” All-Might spread out his hands, gesturing towards the far wall of the room which suddenly opened to reveal rows of numbered compartments. “And for that you’ll need these! Each of you have submitted a request alongside your admittance forms, and today they are here! Clothe yourselves for battle, my young students, and meet me at Training Grounds Alpha! Because from today onwards, you are Heroes!”

-----

A trip to the changing rooms later, we arrived at the Training Grounds, each clad in our Hero costumes for the very first time.

Monoma wore a fancy suit and tie, with several old-school watches on his belt. Tokage’s outfit was a domino mask and a skintight bodysuit of blue scales, showing off her athletic figure. Yoarashi had opted for the most extra superhero costume I had ever seen, consisting of an armoured suit coupled with a large cape, furred collar and a pair of heavy-duty goggles. Pony had opted for an orange jockey uniform, with a horse halter and stirrups.

And as for me, well…

“Hey, what gives? Where’s your costume?” Pony asked.

“Whatever do you mean?” I mimicked a shrugging motion with my wings. “I’m wearing it right now.”

She looked at me blankly. “...Is your costume not having a costume?”

“Do I really need one?”

“...I guess not.”

As Pony had pointed out, I’d just taken off my student uniform. What need did I have for a showy costume, when nothing could ever be as showy and distinctive as being a goddamn dragon?

It would only be needless inconvenience to get a costume on. I couldn’t always count on having an assistant around to help me.

“I didn’t completely neglect to make use of the opportunity, though.”

I turned over my right forelimb, showing an armband around my wrist. It was made of dark grey plastic, with a comparatively small screen mounted on it.

“This support item has all the functions of a mobile phone, and more. With the combination of touch screen and voice commands, I can receive and send messages and calls, allowing me to communicate effectively out in the field.”

“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed, moving closer to examine the device. Though small for me, to her it was the size of a laptop. “Wait, does that mean that you’ve never had a mobile phone before now?” She asked, looking horrified.

“No. Um, I wasn’t always like this. Stuck as a dragon, I mean.”

“How did that happen then?”

“I… don’t really like talking about it.”

She looked a little put off, but bounced back pretty soon.

“So! What do you think the Battle Training is going to be like?”

“Well, my sister told me about it a little from her own time here. All-Might didn’t teach her, but she said they often had villains vs heroes team exercises, so probably that.”

“Oh.” She looked a little surprised, not to mention nervous. “Don’t you think basic training would come first? I mean, everyone went through the exam, but I don’t think everyone’s had formal training before.”

Her eyes flickered towards the other students, but it was clear she was referring to herself.

That gave me pause. I’d never really thought about it, but in hindsight, obviously not everyone would have had the same opportunities I had. A willing, experienced teacher with a similar Quirk, time and place to train, looking back on it I had had quite a few advantages.

It was a humbling thought to consider. In the end I wasn’t here at UA because of my achievements. I’d been blessed by the cosmic lottery by a powerful Quirk and favourable circumstances.

Did I really deserve to stand here, beside all the others who had done the same with so much less?

I shook my head, trying to banish the thought for the moment. Now was not the time for existential crisis.

“I don’t know. UA’s kind of famous for unconventional teaching methods and letting people learn by doing.”

“I'm just worried, you know? I’ve been doing some reading online and there’s all these stories, it’s just, you know?” She began speaking faster, nervously wringing her hands. “UA has high standards, and I don’t want to disappoint them after coming this far and where would I even go and I’m rambling again-”

Expulsion. She was talking about fearing expulsion.

She was here as a transfer student, so the prospect must have been twice as terrifying to her.

“I don’t think, um, you have anything to worry about.” I spoke haltingly, trying to find the right words. I sat down, doing my best to convey reassurance through body language and conceal how unsure I actually was of what I spoke. “I’m sure Vlad King and the principal understand people coming here have different backgrounds. UA is known to be harsh, but not unfair.”

“I guess.” Pony, seeming at least a little bit reassured. “I think it’s starting now” She added as All-Might arrived.

We listened to him as he explained the scenario. Two teams of two per round, heroes vs villains. Villains have hidden a nuclear weapon within a building, and the heroes must secure it or capture the villains to win. Villains win if they capture the heroes or fifteen minutes have passed. Wrapping a capture tape around an opponent is proof of capture, and the weapon can be secured by touching it.

Both teams are given the layouts of the building, tape, and communicators. Villains have a little time to prepare, but are not allowed to move the bomb after that.

Now this was getting interesting. I’d sparred against Ryuko more times than I could count, but an elaborate scenario like this was all new to me.

It stirred a surge of excitement in my chest, followed by trepidation.

“Isn’t this going to put you at a disadvantage?” Pony said, giving voice to my concern. UA and my home had space enough for me to move around, but most buildings were not designed to be comfortable for a dragon. I would have trouble squeezing through doors, and the cramped spaces were going to be a challenge to fight in. Especially with the capture tape, a faster, more agile opponent was made exponentially more dangerous to me.

“It’s the name of the game, isn’t it?” I said, trying to push down my own unease. “Heroes rarely get to choose the ground they fight on. I’ll just have to deal.”

“Now, we shall determine teams! Everyone, draw your lots!” All-Might’s booming voice rang out as he grabbed a small box, holding it towards us, and one by one we each took a small piece of paper containing a single letter.

I awkwardly held onto the slip with my claws, looking around the room for the other “E”. Thankfully it wasn’t Yui, she was paired off with Pony. I didn’t think I could’ve handled the awkwardness.

Soon enough the only ones without a pair were me and the salt-shaker guy, and he sheepishly presented me an “E” slip. I guess he’d been hoping for somebody else.

He was the second largest person in the room after myself, with inhumanly large hands and a skin color like straw wheat. The most bizarre part however was the aforementioned salt-shaker like head, with seven of what I presumed to be his eye holes on the side. From what I’d seen he was kind of shy and passive, following others around.

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.” I introduced myself. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t know my name already but I certainly hadn’t gotten his yet.

“...Kojiro Bondo…”

“Seems like we’re a team.”

“Yeah…”

“So what’s your Quirk then?”

“Oh… I can shoot glue out of my head.”

Oh. That was… something, certainly.

“That’s good then, you can help cover my weakness. It’s going to be hard for me to fight faster opponents in an enclosed space, but you can slow them down.”

“I guess…”

I tried to discuss strategy with him a little more, but it was like having a conversation with myself. Just my luck that I’d be paired off with someone even less talkative than I was.

After a few moments to acquaint ourselves with our teammate, All-Might moved on by taking another box from his cape, shaking it and taking two rubber balls out, each with a letter corresponding to a team.

“Our first match will be A as Heroes, up against F as Villains!”

-----

A few moments later we were at the observation room in the basement, gathered loosely around a collection of screens. The building would change with each round to keep it fresh, but the location of the first round was a squat concrete building, perhaps three floors high.

“Does anybody know what Awase’s Quirk is?” The orange-haired girl asked.

I glanced at the CCTV, doing my best to commit the names to memory. The student in question was adjusting his bandana whilst conversing in low tones with his partner, the squinty-eyed kid.

“No idea, other than that he didn’t use it yesterday.” The boy with the spiral Quirk replied.

“That foretells it should not be of physical nature, at least.” The gray-haired girl replied.

“You never know, he might have been hiding it.”

“You think Vlad King would’ve stood for that?” I interjected, and the attention of the room was suddenly on me. I swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in my throat, and went on. “I mean, if he was deliberately sandbagging?”

“Hm, I guess that’s true.” He conceded.

“Hero team, you may enter!” All-Might’s voice boomed out from the loudspeakers.

The two got up and moved out, approaching the building with trepidation. Instead of going for the doors, however, the two moved by one of the walls, and Tsubaraba jumped on his partner’s back who began scaling the sheer concrete seemingly just by using his palms.

So he could stick to things? I could see how that wasn’t very useful yesterday. I also had to appreciate the sheer upper body strength required to pull yourself and another teenager directly upwards.

Indeed, Awase seemed to be struggling a little, and the two apparently elected to take the first window they came across. The hallway was pitch-black, the only light being from the window they had just entered through.

“The villains! They must have smashed the lights while they were preparing.”

I glanced at the screen. The gray-haired boy was standing guard over the bomb, while Kuro… whatever his name was, was nowhere to be seen, but based on seeing his Quirk yesterday he was probably lurking around somewhere.

It was an interesting situation. Near the outer walls the Heroes could open up windows to give themselves illumination, but if they wanted to find the bomb they would need to venture deeper inside and into the pitch-black darkness.

As they hesitantly began to do just that, All-Might flipped a switch and suddenly the video turned into muted shades of green.

Of course UA would go to the effort of putting a night vision mode into their CCTV system.

Of course.

“Aww, they’re holding hands!” Tokage’s voice came from behind me.

True to what she said, on the screen Awase and his partner advanced cautiously, using their free hands to sweep for obstacles while the other clutched each other’s hands.

“Do not laugh!” All-Might said, and several students looked abashed. “It is the right choice, to communicate and avoid being separated, all without making noise that would allow the Villains to locate them. To do what is needed for the mission, even if it is embarrassing, is very heroic!”

And true to what he was saying, the black-haired boy (Kuroiro, as I overheard the chatter from the others) seemed to be having trouble with the darkness himself, having emerged from it near the entrance. He must have been waiting to get the drop on the Heroes as they came in, but it seemed like his Quirk did nothing to improve his night vision.

For a few tense minutes a game of cat and mouse was played in the darkness. I could see sweat on the faces of the hero team: it cannot have been easy, trying to navigate in the darkness while making minimal noise, all the while Kuroiro could burst out of nothing at any time. And all the while relying only on human senses and shaky memory of the internal layout.

Kuroiro was getting close, and I could tell he must’ve heard the footsteps of the Hero team too. He slowed down, careful not to reveal his presence as he creeped closer.

I strained my ears to listen in, past the noise of the discussion. The CCTV had no audio feed but All-Might must’ve had a personal communicator, muted so that only he could hear, but my ears were sharp enough to pick it up anyway.

Just then, as Kuroiro closed in to attack, a harsh voice crackled in.

“What’s taking so damn long?!” A glance at the other screen told me iron-skin was speaking angrily into his communicator, his patience clearly at an end. “Are you doing anything down there?!”

The effect was immediate. Awase and his teammate perked up in alarm, unable to see Kuroiro but now knowing he was near. He cursed, before going on the offensive.

It was… an odd fight, to say the least. Neither of the two sides could actually see each other, leading to a lot of blind flailing around. Kuroiro emerged from the floor, a wild sweep of his arms managing to hit the leg of the squinty-eyed kid who gave a shout of surprise as he lost his footing.

A few more seconds of struggle ensued as the two wrestled, until Awase intervened, drawn by the sound. He tackled Kuroiro off of his teammate, slamming him onto the floor.

There was a flash of orange light, and Kuroiro’s back was suddenly stuck to the concrete, unable to raise. Before Awase could extricate himself, however, the black skinned student wrapped a piece of capture tape around his torso.

“Awase is out!”

The student in question slumped to the floor, defeated.

“Just go, Tsuburaba!” He yelled out at his teammate. “I’ve immobilized Kuroiro but he got me as well! Go and find the bomb!”

True to what he said, it seemed like Kuroiro was unable to escape his imprisonment, even with his Quirk.

Taking his teammate’s advice, Tsuburaba took off at a running pace now that making noise was no longer an immediate issue. After confirming the bomb wasn’t anywhere on the second floor he took the stairs to the third one, where the lighting remained untouched. It seemed like the villains had run out of time during preparations.

It took a few minutes more for him to find the bomb and the other villain, going by the name of Tetsutetsu according to the other students.

The two exchanged a couple of words before Tetsutetsu charged, his skin hardening into shining metal. Tsuburaba exhaled, the air suddenly solidifying into a translucent, glass-like shield hovering before him, but Tetsutetsu swung his metallic fist, shattering the shield right after it formed, before pressing on.

He was a big guy, as his leave-nothing-for-the-imagination costume showed, and clearly held the advantage in the fight. It was obvious he had some form of self-defence experience, though I’d hesitate to associate his movements with any particular style.. He was swinging wildly, trying to get a good hit in, though to be fair that was probably all he’d need. No need to worry about defence when your opponent would probably hurt himself more by hitting you.

Tsuburaba was being pushed back, desperately evading and blocking the hardened punches being thrown at him, and his arms were getting pretty bruised. Any time he created an air shield Tetsutetsu smashed through and kept on coming, until he finally managed to land the decisive blow.

A huge uppercut smashed into Tsuburaba’s jaw, bodily lifting him off the ground. He came down hard, and didn’t get up. Tetsutetsu took out his capture tape, wrapped it around him, and that was that.

All-Might called the match, and a moment later the two teams were standing in the observation basement once more.

“Now, my young students, we must analyze the previous round!” He swept his muscular arm towards the four students who’d just returned. “In order to improve, it is important to know what went right, and what went wrong! Therefore, I would like to hear your comments!”

A complete silence met him. You could almost hear the crickets.

“Anyone?”

Finally, the gray-haired girl with the telekinesis Quirk sighed and stepped forward. I really needed to either remember their names or come up with better placeholders.

“The villains had a an agreeable plan, but hung it entirely on the heroes taking the most apparent route in and the lack of illumination hampered Kuroiro’s efforts in tracking them down.”

“A most dismal failure on my part.” The boy admitted. “I must rectify this immediately.”

“This is all part of the learning experience!” All-Might flashed a dazzling smile and a thumbs-up. “You might consider submitting a request for night vision equipment to be added to your costume, for an example!”

Seemingly given confidence by the example, others began chipping in.

“Tetsutetsu’s impatience cost Kuroiro the element of surprise.”

“Tsuburaba didn’t seem to have thought of how to actually beat Tetsutetsu.”

“All valid points! Next match, Team E as Heroes vs Team D as villains!”

“Ha!” Tokage shouted, her expression exuberant as she turned towards me. “This is perfect. We are going to crush you!”

“Alright.” I replied sincerely. “I believe in you.”

“That’s not what you’re supposed to- Urgh. Never mind.” Tokage growled and stomped off towards the door.

The orange-haired girl, Itsuka Kendo apparently, offered me an apologetic look. “Sorry for her, it’s just a bit of a sore point for her.”

“It’s fine.” I waved her off.

“Well, good luck!” She gave Bondo and I a warm smile, green eyes sparkling, before moving to follow her teammate. “May the best team win!”

We had a few moments to prepare, so I turned to talk to Bondo as we waited.

“I’m going to need your help. Tokage’s going to be hard for me to fight in enclosed spaces, but you can trap her pieces in place.”

“I’ll try…” He trailed off. “But she came in fourth yesterday. I heard she almost got in on a recommendation…”

He seemed to realize who he was talking to, and quickly backtracked. “I mean, of course, you did get in on a recommendation, I’m just… not sure if I’m really cut out to take her on…”

Well that puts us two for two, then.

“It’s alright. Just do your best. I figure I can take on Kendou, so you just need to keep Tokage off my back long enough for us to get to the bomb.”

“Right…”

Hm. Kendou would probably wipe the floor with him in close combat. We can’t afford to split up. That would make finding the bomb difficult.

“Time to go! Hero Team, you may enter!” Well, time was up.

“We could try alternative entrances.” I said, sizing up the building in front of us. “But I’m not fitting through a window without smashing down a part of the wall, and that’d cost us a lot of points in the final score. What fo you think?”

“I’m fine either way…”

“...Then we take the front door.”

The hallways were just barely wide enough for me, forcing Bondo to walk behind me. It felt a little claustrophobic, but the fact that I could’ve broken through the walls at any time helped assuage that feeling. I’d just be docked a lot of points for it.

We moved deeper into the building, my ears twitching as I listened for any sign of the villain team. I could hear faint ringing noises in the distance, but they came from all around us so that was of no help.

Suddenly the whooshing sound of displaced air carried into my ears, and a pair of dark shapes flew out from behind the corner. Two parts of Tokage, with a piece of capture tape held between them.

It seems like she’d come to the obvious conclusion.

I swung a clawed forelimb in an attempt to swat them out of the air but only managed smash the wall, the force of the impact ringing across the structure and gouging a deep indent into the metal.

I felt a mix of frustration and desperation bubble in my chest. Tokage was too fast, and I had no room to move. If she got a capture tape around me it would be all over.

I snapped my jaws wildly, forcing Tokage to evade. She darted back like a mongoose circling a cobra before diving back towards me.

“Bondo, now!”

I squeezed right against the wall as best I could, my weight causing the metal to deform, but creating enough of a gap for Bondo to push his head over my shoulder.

He sucked in a deep breath and leaned forward, before a jet of gray liquid sprayed out his eyeholes. Shaking his head back and forth he covered the entire hallway in the sticky substance, the spray catching Tokage’s pieces and gluing them to the floor.

“Well done, Heroes!” A disembodied voice rang out, echoing in the hallway. “You’ve captured two of my constituent pieces! But it seems like you’ve blocked your own path as well!”

She was right. The path forward was now covered in glue, and with how tight the hallway was for me I’d end up covered in it as well. It would slow us down unacceptably.

“...Sorry…” Bondo said, looking despondent.

“Not your fault.” I weighed our options. Power forward or go back? Neither options struck me as being favourable. Being covered in glue would make it even easier for Tokage to tag me with capture tape, while backtracking could take us even further away from our target.

“What’s it going to be, brave heroes?” Tokage’s voice floated across the hallway, taunting us. “Forward or back?”

“We go back.” I said after a few more moments. There wasn’t much of a point in not discussing it aloud: Tokage’s reconnaissance abilities and my inherent lack of subtlety made it pointless to even try to conceal our location. “We can take the next hallway left and then go left again.”

“Oh? A bold choice. Let’s see if it pays off.”

Where the hell was her voice even coming from?

I strained my ears, sweeping back and forth before spotting a small ventilation shaft near the ceiling. Less than a second later a massive clawed fist impacted the grate, talons ripping through the metal like sheet paper and smashing another indent into the wall, but I was too late. I caught a glimpse of an eyeball and a disembodied mouth floating down the tunnel, a mocking wink directed my way before disappearing around a bend.

I sighed in frustration and extracted my fist from the wall before turning to Bondo.

“She’s using the vents. Keep an eye out.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s get moving.”

The hallway groaned as I squeezed myself around, turning to follow Bondo back the way we came from. There was another intersection a little way back, and soon enough we were moving down another hallway.

-----

“What do you think?” Kaibara asked as he sat down next to Monoma, watching the two teams through the displays. “Who’s going to win?”

“If it was a head-on fight, I’d definitely bet on Tatsuma. In a straight confrontation, I don’t think there’s any one of us who would have an advantage over her.” Monoma replied after a moment’s consideration, a hand on his chin. “But this scenario doesn’t play to her strengths, as you can see.”

“It’s going to come down to time.” Shishida agreed. “Miss Tokage needs to delay the Hero Team as long as possible.”

“Her confidence.”

“What was that Yanagi?”

“Her confidence.“ The pale-haired student replied. “Tatsuma’s abilities are exceptional, but she lacks confidence in them, and Bondo is far too subdued and shy to make up for it. That’s going to be their downfall.”

-----

I surveyed the hallway before us, covered in a thick layer of glue. This wasn’t working.

We’d settled into a rhythm: go down a corridor, get ambushed, Bondo glues Tokage’s pieces in place but rendering the hallway inaccessible in the process.

“Do you think that you could limit the spray of glue next time?” I asked. “At this rate we’ll run out of hallways before she runs out of body parts.”

“...I don’t think so…” Bondo said, bringing a hand near his eye holes. “It’s hard to see when I’m using it, so in order to hit a small target like that…” He visibly slumped. “Sorry…”

“Well.” I sighed. “We’ll just have to deal.”

I paused for a few moments, assessing our options. None seemed good.

“Running out of options? You always just give up, you know!”

“Can you seal the air vents?” I glanced towards where Tokage’s voice was coming from.

“I could, but I might not have enough glue for another fight after that...”

I sighed again, deeper. “Alright, conserve it for something more important.”

What to do, what to do...

“Do you think your glue has dried yet, in the other hallway?”

“...Probably?”

“Then we need to backtrack again.” I bit out in frustration.

“Oh, are you sure that’s the right way to go?”

She was trying to stop us from going that way. Unless it was a double bluff.

Shit.

No, can’t do that. Can’t let her get to me.

We turned around, returning to the first hallway moments later. The glue had solidified, but where Tokage’s pieces had once been stuck the floor there were only cracks in the dried mass.

“Ooooh, that doesn’t look good for you, now does it?”

“Kendo must’ve pried them free.” Shit. Why didn’t we capture the parts? This really wasn’t good. “If she can recover her parts, she can just keep delaying us over and over.”

Bondo looked as distraught as I felt, but stayed silent. I had to make a call, quick. Do we go back and secure the other parts, which they might’ve already freed, or press forward?

Fuckfuckfuckfuck.

No good options. But which was the least bad one?

Indecision paralyzed me, even as the clock was ticking.

Ultimately that was what resolved it, the time. Even if we went back and secured all of Tokage’s pieces there were no guarantees it would actually matter in the time we had left.

“We go forward.”

I sniffed at the air, trying to ignore the overwhelming stench of glue burning my nose. I usually relied more on my hearing, but in a pinch my sense of smell wasn’t bad either. Tokage’s scent was everywhere, but I could at least get the vague idea of where Kendo had gone.

I began moving along the corridor, stepping over the dried glue.

“We have to hurry. Only a few more minutes left.”

“You’re running out of ti~ime!”

“Shut up!”

With Kendo’s trail we now had a path to follow rather than a blind search, and progress was much quicker. We went up several levels, picking up pace as we went, emerging from the stairs into another hallway, extending left and right-

“Watch out!”

Only Bondo’s shouted warning saved me, as two of Tokage’s pieces shot out from beneath each corner. They’d laid down a strip of capture tape across the doorway, holding each end. If I’d taken one step further I would have been right on top of them as they sprung their ambush, and they could have simply wrapped the tape around my midsection and taken me out of the exercise.

As it was, I swung a clawed limb at Tokage, knocking one piece out of the air and ripping the tape from the grip of the other.

Then another pair dropped from the ceiling, holding a piece capture tape. There was no room to evade as the jaws of Tokage’s trap closed in. Then, suddenly, a spray of glue flew overhead, nailing the chunks and knocking them to the ground.

I turned back to glance at Bondo, who looked like he thought I was going to eat him at any moment.

“I’m sorry, but you didn’t see the other pair and she was about to capture you and I didn’t have time so I sprayed her and-.

I growled in frustration. “It’s fine.”

Except it wasn’t. The way forward was now covered in glue once again.

“Oh dear, it looks like you’ve blocked your own path once more! How shall you proceed now?”

I glanced down at my wrist, checking the time. Less than two minutes left. I felt panic coiling around in my chest, closing my eyes to try to clear my head and just think.

This wasn’t working. Even if we looped around to find a new path, we’d never make it in time. Tokage only needed to delay us for a scant few minutes. And if I couldn’t come up with something we would do that all by ourselves.

We were going to fail.

What do I do, what do I do...

I saw Bondo glance at me with concern, and I felt an overwhelming urge to vent my frustrations at my teammate. He certainly hadn’t helped come up with a solution.

“What will you do, heroes? Tick, tock, the clock is racing away!” Tokage’s sing-song voice emanated from the air vents.

Alright.

That did it.

I didn’t want to do this, but giving up was not an option.

“Follow me.” I snapped at Bondo, before walking through the wall on our right. I’d say “smash through”, but “walk” is really the more accurate term for all the resistance it offered to me. I simply bulldozed through the metal and concrete like it wasn’t even there, and after crawling through cramped corridors letting loose like that felt good.

“All-Might said-” Bondo began, but I cut him off.

“All-Might said we’d lose points from collateral. But I’m pretty sure we’d lose more points from losing. Come on, we have to hurry.”

I thundered down the room, straight through the next wall and into another hallway, bypassing the glue entirely. This was definitely the right way to go: my nose may not have been as sensitive as my ears, but I could tell Kendo’s scent was getting stronger.

A few moments later we came upon a door and I slammed it open, Bondo right on my heels.

And at long last, we found our objective. The room was fairly expansive, about the same size as our classroom, with series of pillars on either side. And there, on the far end, was the bomb.

Before we could do anything, my ears picked up movement above us. Before either of us could react Kendo dropped from the ceiling, her fists rapidly growing in size until they were each equal in mass to the rest of her body. Evidently the increase in size came with a requisite boost in strength, as a massive fist impacted Bondo and sent him flying through the doorway out of the room.

“Now!”

With Bondo out of the picture for the moment a blue shape slipped out of the air vents near the ceiling. It seemed like Tokage had gathered herself in a loose cloud of parts, holding a piece of capture tape as she darted towards me.

However, by now I finally had room to fight properly. As Tokage rocketed towards me I waited for the right moment before sinking my claws into the floor and pivoted my entire body, my tail swinging towards her like a baseball bat.

My tail isn’t just for show. It accounts for more than a quarter of my total body weight, and most of that in raw muscle. And to make matters worse for the poor fool that gets hit by it, it’s covered by thick, segmented plates of armor, making it akin to being hit by a truck at full speed.

My tail collided with Tokage’s torso, the impact making a noise akin to a thunderclap as she was physically hurled across the room and into a wall, slumping onto the floor with a groan.

The swarm of body parts lost cohesion, and with the threat neutralized for the moment I sprung forward towards the bomb.

“Think you can just ignore me, do you?” An enlarged fist smashed into my side with a surprising amount of force, staggering me. Kendou didn’t relent, assaulting me with a barrage of punches in a methodical, jackhammer-like rhythm designed to keep me off-balance.

But still, this was an enemy I knew how to fight. Kendo was strong but far, far lighter than I, and as I recovered my footing I threw myself forward, my thick, armor-like scales absorbing her return blows as I slammed into her. Her boots slid on the concrete floor, my claws and sheer mass granting me an inexorable advantage in a pushing match.

Recognizing the futility of matching force with force, Kendo grabbed my shoulder and flipped herself over it at the last moment, narrowly avoiding being body-checked into the wall.

There was a resounding thud as I hit the wall, a deep crack appearing in the concrete. I spun around, sweeping my tail at my opponent, but she deftly dodged over it, taking a couple steps back to put herself between me and the bomb.

Time was running out. I didn’t have even a second to spare to check the clock but I knew it had to be down to the seconds.

I used the momentum of my tail to twist my body around before taking off again, charging at Kendo.

All I needed was to touch the bomb. Let’s see her halt in excess of four metric tons of bone, scale and muscle.

And to her credit, she did her best to do just that.

She went low, aiming a lightning-fast chop at my left forelimb just as I was about to put my weight on it. She wanted to break my balance, cause a stumble that she could exploit.

It was a tactic Ryuko favoured, and even if fighting a human wasn’t quite the same as fighting a dragon, I knew well the counter to that move.

I lowered my horns and swept them horizontally, catching Kendo’s midsection with the flat side. She grunted in surprise as she was thrown off to the side, landing roughly on the concrete and leaving me with a clear line towards the bomb. Tokage was still recovering from being slammed into a wall, neither of the villains in a position to stop me.

But in the end, they didn’t need to.

“Fifteen minutes have passed!” All-Might's voice rang out suddenly, moments before I slammed into the bomb, knocking it on it’s side. “Villain Team wins!”

And that was it.

“Please proceed to the observation room as soon as you are able!”

It was over.

“Did I hear that right?” Tokage had staggered onto her feet, holding her side. “Did we win?”

“Yeah.” I took a deep breath. Just a training exercise. “You did.”

“Ha! I knew it!” Her mouth curled into the biggest shit-eating grin I had ever seen as she pumped her fist in the air. “In your face!” Kendo looked at her celebration a little disapprovingly, but she couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her own features.

Bondo’s face was hard to read, but going by his body language as he limped inside he seemed absolutely crushed.

“Are you alright Bondo? I hit you pretty hard. You too Tokage, that tail slap was no joke.”

“I’m fine…”

“I can regenerate!”

“Let’s head down then, the others must be waiting.”

-----

“You know the drill by now!”

“Tatsuma was far too indecisive.” Yanagi said. “She took too long to make decisions, and only committed to smashing through the walls after it was too late to make a difference.”

“To be fair to her Bondo was also completely passive, leaving her to make all of the decisions by herself.” Shishida noted.

“Tokage also did a good job getting under her skin!” All Might added. “That’s an important lesson, for all of you. Many villains are talkers, who will make you doubt every decision you take. Careful consideration is important, but in a life or death situation you must be decisive!”

I unsuccessfully fought to keep my ears from drooping, as he turned towards the villain team.

“However, Young Tokage, while it worked out for you in this training exercise, in a real situation you can never be sure how your opponent will react. Provoking your opponent is inherently unpredictable!”

She nodded, but even that couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as All-Might turned back to the rest of the class.

“Anything else, perhaps something you feel the teams did well? Positive feedback is important! Even if it seems obvious to you, it might be something others have missed.

“The Villains had a good plan.” said. “Realistic, and suited to the circumstances.”

“Tatsuma’s combat effectiveness was scary.” Kendo admitted. “Once she got through the hallways we could barely slow her down.”

“All good observations!” All-Might flashed a brilliant smile and a thumbs-up. “I would add two more, however. Young Tatsuma, no matter how you feel yourself, you should spare a thought for the morale of your teammates as well. As a recommended student they will look to you, and if you accept defeat before the match has even begun you do disservice to them as well.”

I cast my eyes down onto the floor. Every word of what he said was true.

“In turn, Young Bondo, you are a teammate, not a sidekick. You cannot simply passively follow the lead of others. Offer your own opinions and solutions rather than leave your teammate to make all of the decisions, no matter how intimidating they may be.”

Intimidating?

Me?

Was that the problem the whole damn time?

“But do not look so downcast, my young students! You came within an inch of victory, and I have no doubt that next time you shall do better! Learn from your mistakes and move on, for learning is what you are here for!”

With that All-Might turned to randomize the next set of teams, only to be interrupted when the door to the observation room creaked open, and the tiny form of the principal entered as everyone turned around.

“Good morning 1-B!” He said, his sound chipper. “I hope your first class is proceeding well?”

There was a general noise of assent as All-Might suddenly stood up straighter. It was almost a comical sight, to see the Symbol of Peace intimidated by a rat.

“Ah, Principal Nedzu! Was there something you wanted?”

“I was just coming by to check up on all of you, see how things are going.” Nedzu replied, checking up on his watch. “After all, it is almost halfway through the period. Remember, you have 1-A in the afternoon as well, nor would we want our young Heroes here being late for lunch, would we?”

He looked up at the much taller man, a bit of sweat appearing on All-Might’s brow.

“Of course! Nutrition is highly important! Very well, we may have to cut down on the review portion, but rest assured you will have plenty of opportunities to analyze your performances in the future. Now, fourth round, let’s get moving!”

He took out two balls from the box, showing them off to the class.

“Team C as Heroes against team F as villains!

That meant Yui and Pony against uh… spiral guy and the boy with the braids? I really really need to get better at remembering names, I must’ve heard them before...

As we waited, a faint sound of somebody speaking carried to my ears. I glanced to the side and saw the Principal conversing with All-Might on the other side of the room, a fair distance away.

“You know, you have to be more careful with your scheduling. You’re really cutting things to the wire, with no room for error. What if something happened?”

Nedzu’s voice was barely more than a whisper above the background chatter of excited students, next to impossible to overhear. But it seemed like he had underestimated the precision of my senses.

“I know, I know. But it’s their first day of school, and I wanted to go Plus Ultra for them. I am not blind to how much my presence means to them.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to split teaching the two classes to separate days?”

I felt a little bad, listening in on what was obviously a private conversation. But it wasn’t if I could just block the sounds from carrying over, and besides, they wouldn’t talk about anything secret in a place like this, anyway.

“I did not wish to show favoritism to one or the other by delaying their lesson.”

“Just hold that thought, come the afternoon.”

“I will be the very model of impartiality, worry not.”

“I trust that you will. Now, I think I’ll take my leave. You have twenty bright, young students to attend to.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

“Well done my young students! We have finished just on time!” All-Might spread his arms. “You have all performed beyond my expectations. I will be forwarding your evaluations to your Homeroom Teacher. But now, I must be off. Duty calls, and so does lunch! Plus Ultra!”

Pony Tsunotori smiled as All-Might made his exit, disappearing in a burst of speed. The exercises had finished without incident, leaving everyone sweaty, tired and hungry.

But oh had it been worth it. For those fifteen minutes, she had felt like a real Hero. Every step she’d taken to reach here, she would have taken them twice over for this.

Pony yawned and stretched her arms. “Man, I could really use a shower right about now.”

There was no response from beside her. Yui Kodai had spoken maybe ten words to her teammate over the entire exercise, all of them strictly related to the mission at hand.

“What do you think lunch is going to be like?”

Kodai grunted noncommittally. That seemed to be her go-to answer when addressed directly, communicating that she’d heard the speaker but declining to respond, shutting down the conversation.

Pony suppressed a sigh at the non-response, but let it go. Can’t win everytime. In the meanwhile warm shower called to her.

Some time later Pony emerged from the showers, feeling clean and energized. Now all she needed was a bit food and she’d be set for the rest of the day. She walked over to her locker and beginning the arduous task of putting on the UA student uniform, carefully pulling on the white dress shirt over her horns. The changing room was bustling with activity as her classmates were preparing themselves for lunch.

However, there was one absence that Pony immediately noticed.

She poked her head into the showers, glancing around. She found the large, scaled form of Ryuuzaki Tatsuma in the far end of the communal showers. She stood under the torrent of water falling from the showerhead, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as she soaked in the warmth.

“Are you coming? Everyone’s leaving for lunch.”

The massive dragon startled as if she’d been dozing off.

“Yeah.” She hissed, her blood-red eyes blinking rapidly. “Yeah, I’ll be along in a moment.”

Pony nodded and retreated back to the changing room, returning to her locker.

Moments later, there was a sound of heavy, clawed footsteps on tiles, followed by Tatsuma emerging from the showers, her scales glistening with water that was already turning to steam.

Pony’s new friend seemed a little down. Ryuuzaki Tatsuma was hard to read at best, owing to vast differences in physiology, but in the small amount of time they had spent together Pony had learned to look for her ears. They might perk in excitement or surprise, flatten in anger or droop in worry. It had been strangely adorable to see a dragon the size of an elephant look like a puppy being scolded for pooping on the floor, after the second round of battle training, and her mood did not seem to have bounced back to normal yet.

So Pony resolved to find a way to cheer her up. Because that’s what friends did. After finishing dressing herself and straightened her tie she approached Tatsuma, her hands behind her back to keep them from fidgeting.

“Hey, do you wanna sit with me?” Pony said, rocking back and forth on her hooves as she looked up at Tatsuma. “We can eat lunch together!”

“You sure you want do that?” She answered in her strange, hissing voice. “When I eat, it tends to be a little… loud.”

Pony eyed the jaws that could have comfortably swallowed her whole, jagged teeth the size of daggers jutting out even when they were closed. She didn’t doubt it.

But if she was being honest with herself, the offer hadn’t been purely for Tatsuma’s benefit alone.

“I’ll be fine!” She waved it off.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity. It was a large, open space meant to accommodate a third of the student population at a time, with each year group’s lunchtime being staggered to avoid overcrowding. There was no separation between classes with business, support, general and heroic students intermingling freely.

They made their way towards the tables through the crowd, Tatsuma’s sheer mass clearing a path for Pony, like a scaly icebreaker. It struck Pony just how large her draconic classmate was, taking up space nearly equal to a full table just by herself even with her wings fully folded and tucked against her side. She didn’t exactly push her way through, but most students were wise enough to make way.

In all the stories Pony had heard of UA almost everyone had praised the food, and she could see why. She quickly loaded up her plate on salmon and rice, with plenty of cheese sauce. The meal wouldn’t have looked out of place in a restaurant, and yet it was provided to them for a pittance.

They found a spare table, and Tatsuma settled down on the floor alongside it, curling her tail around her legs to take up less space.

A pair of robot helpers struggled to carry the steaming pot between them, joints grinding as they dropped it in front of Tatsuma.

“Lunch Rush sends his best regards, meatbags.”

Contained within was a vast quantity of cooked meat and bone, cut in large chunks. It looked like it had been well-prepared and seasoned, though there must have been hundreds of pounds of it.

Tatsuma carefully lowered her head to snatch a piece of meat between her teeth, before throwing her neck back, jaws snapping. There was a horrendous crunch of bone as she bit down, dagger-like teeth sinking into the meat. It reminded Pony of a feeding show at a crocodile exhibit. Tatsuma twisted her head back and bit down again, and little by little what must have been dozens of pounds of meat disappeared down her gullet.

She repeated the process, faster this time. The noise was considerable as meat and bone were subjected to immense amounts of pressure between her jaws. Tatsuma paused after swallowing the second piece, red eyes scanning the cafeteria, and Pony couldn’t help but have a look as well.

The clamour of the cafeteria went on unabated. They had drawn attention, certainly, but not in a bad way. And she could tell Tatsuma was glad for that, a tension bleeding out of her posture that Pony hadn’t even noticed was there.

“That is super manly!”

Tatsuma turned around, the floor creaking under her weight. The student who’d just spoken was a crimson-haired boy, sharp teeth flashing a confident smile. He craned his head to look up at Tatsuma- even sitting down her head was above eye level for all but the tallest people.

“That’s so cool!” The boy leaned in closer. “They put real bones in your food?”

“Yeah. I need a lot of bone in my diet.”

“That’s awesome! Do you ever get worried you’re going to choke?”

Pony questioned whether that was really an appropriate question to ask during a meal, but Tatsuma seemed to roll with it.

“I can’t really choke.” Tatsuma shrugged. ”It, uh, it involves a lot of boring biology, but I can breathe through my nose even if the primary airway is blocked.”

“Oh. Is that so that you can breathe in through your nose while breathing fire out through your mouth?”

“Yyyes.” Tatsuma said, drawing out the word, but the other student paid no heed to it.

“Dude, that's the opposite of boring biology.” Flashing a brilliant smile, the boy held up his hand. “Eijirou Kirishima, from 1-A.”

“Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, 1-B.” She took his hand in her claw, the size difference making the shake look awkward.

“Pony Tsunotori, also 1-B.”

“Damn, 1-B has a dragon? I guess we’ll have to pick up slack.” He grinned, shaking Pony's hand as well. “Anyway, I’ve got to go now, just wanted to drop by and say hi.”

“That was a little bit weird.” Pony said as the boy walked away, presumably to find his own classmates.

“Could’ve been worse. Curiosity I can deal with.” Tatsuma shrugged, before adding. “And he was the first person I’ve met at UA who didn’t immediately ask about my surname.”

Pony felt a bit of red creeping up her cheeks. “I guess that would get old pretty quickly." She sighed. “When I first enrolled in a japanese school, all anybody would talk about was that I was american. My japanese was even worse back then.”

“Do you miss it, the US?”

“Every day. Not that I hate it here, but sometimes it’s just… hard. It was worse in the beginning, when I understood maybe half of the conversation, and even now I still miss phrases and words. It’s frustrating.”

<”You know, we can just have the conversation in english, if you want to.”> Tatsuma replied, in surprisingly good english. There was a noticeable accent, but nowhere near as thick as most japanese she’d encountered.

“Thanks, but no. It’d be comforting, but I’ll never get better at japanese without using it.” Tatsuma meant well, but she had made a promise to herself, when she decided to come to Japan. No taking the easy way out.

Plus Ultra, as they say.

“Fair enough.” Tatsuna replied in japanese again, nodding. “I can respect that.”

“Your english is really really good though!” Pony exclaimed with a smile, feeling a little bad for shutting her down like that when she’d only wanted to help. “

“Oh, I just… use the internet a lot.”

“Well, it’s obviously working!”

There were a few seconds of silence, stretching on to become uncomfortable. Tatsuma was as still as a statue, triple-lidded eyes blinking slowly before she spoke again.

“Say, how have you found Japan so far? You said you’d been here for a little over a year?” It was obvious Tatsuma was just trying to come up with small talk to fill the silence, but Pony appreciated the effort nonetheless. It was clear her new friend wasn’t a very sociable person.

“Yeah!” She replied enthusiastically. “I’ve been living with my uncle. I don’t regret coming to Japan, but it hasn’t always been easy.”

“Taking that kind of leap into a completely different culture can’t have been.”

“True. My father always told me stories of what it was like here, but it’s one thing to hear it and another to live it.”

“Did he teach you japanese?”

“A little bit, and I took a japanese elective at school. Most of it, um, I learned through watching anime and reading manga.” Pony could feel her cheeks redden, but Tatsuma didn’t seem to react to her confession.

It was just… embarrassing to admit. She didn’t want to be thought of as the dumb, american tourist who only knew Japan through anime.

She’d seen the upturned noses, heard the scoffs and witnessed the dismissive attitudes towards her. Not always, not everywhere, but frequently enough to make note of. She’d come here to learn of her father’s home country, and even before leaving she’d done her best to educate herself. She loved Japan.

But in the beginning, she had often slipped up. She still did, if less frequently. She’d miss a social cue, or show her ignorance of a particular custom, or slip into english without noticing. It hadn’t made it any easier to make friends, and so she had learned to appreciate them wherever they may be found.

Tatsuma lowered her massive head, nodding. It was impossible to gauge her expression, but Pony didn’t feel like she was being judged.

“Like I said, I learned english from the internet. But I think our food is getting cold.”

They returned to their respective meals, before leaving. Pony made a bit of small talk, but it seemed like Tatsuma had reached her conversational quota for the moment. As they were making their way towards 1-B’s classroom, Pony’s phone suddenly began vibrating. Taking it out of her pocket, she glanced at the screen.

“Sorry, I have to take this.” Without waiting for a reply Pony tucked around a corner, clicking the green icon as she brought the phone to her ear. <“Hi mom!”>

<“Pony! How’s my sweetheart doing?!”> A bright, cheerful voice rang out from the speaker.

She took a deep breath, savouring the sound of her mother in her ears. She’d missed it so, so much.

<“Good! We just got off from lunch, so you called at a good time. I still have a little bit before the next lesson.”>

Due to time zone issues, keeping in contact was hard. When Pony had free time, her family was asleep. When her family had free time, Pony was at school. Weekends were fine, but otherwise finding a good time to talk was nigh-impossible, and thus all the more treasured for it.

Sure, they texted too, but it wasn’t the same as hearing each other’s voice. It was also the only english Pony allowed herself, outside of slip-ups.

<“That’s great! I’m going to sleep in just a bit, but we can chat for a bit.”>

<“Yeah, anyway… I talked to my homeroom teacher, and he said the trip’s not going to work out.”>

<“Well, we always knew it was a long shot.”>

<“He said UA does make some allowances for transfer students but the date’s in the lead up to the sports festival and I really can’t miss those lessons. The flight there and back would just take too long.”>

<“I know sweetie. Your future has to come first. We’ll mail you the presents, and sing the song over a video call, like we discussed.”>

<“Yeah.” Pony sighed.>

<“Hey, cheer up! You’re doing amazing, so far from home! You got into one of the greatest Hero Schools on the planet entirely on your own merit. You have a bright future ahead of you.”>

<“...Thanks, Mom.”>

<“You can count on me, sweetie! Now, have you made any friends yet?”>

<“Well, one. I think. Her name’s Ryuuzaki Tatsuma.”>

<“Tatsuma?”>

<“Yeah, she’s Ryukyu’s sister.”>

There was a beat of silence, and Pony could all but hear the eyebrow being raised at the other end. <“Ryukyu, eh?”>

<“It’s not like that!”> She squeaked, indignant. <“I became friends with her because she was nice! What kind of person do you think I am?”>

<“The kind that has three different posters of Ryukyu in her room, owns all twelve volumes of her official manga series, has watched every last one of her televised fights, dressed as her for halloween three times in a row… want me to go on?”>

Pony stomped her foot in frustration, unable to help herself. <“Mom!”>

<“I know, I know, I’m just teasing. How has class been?”>

They chatted for a few more minutes, until Pony had to tear herself away from the conversation in order to make it to class in time, pulling into her seat just as Present Mic arrived for their first English lesson.

It was, naturally, stupendously boring for her to sit through, being that it was her native language. To his credit Present Mic gave her a bit of breathing room, and she noticed him cutting her some slack when it came to focusing on the lecture.

But even so, Pony wasn’t the type of person who could just sit still with nothing to do, and as the class ended she was all but bouncing up and down in her seat.

“I’m guessing you didn’t enjoy the class that much?”

“It was horrible.” Pony bemoaned to Tatsuma, turning her seat around. “Your english is near-perfect yourself, how do you not die of boredom?”

“Practice.” Tatsuma replied, tilting her head. “And I appreciate the opportunity to refresh my memory. Skills degrade faster than you would think.”

“Well you must have the patience of a saint. I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”

“You could ask for a pass?”

“Already tried.” Pony sighed. She’d even foreseen this exact situation occurring, from the year she’d spent in japanese Middle School. “Vlad King said I should still be present. Helps build up class unity or something.”

“Well. Even if it feels bad now, when the midterms start getting closer it'll probably be quite nice to have one class you can practically sleep through.” Tatsuma noted. “And then you can trade english tutoring for help in whatever class you’re struggling with.”

“I guess that’s fair.” Pony sighed. Then she perked up again and began digging around in her school bag, before retrieving a small softcover manga book, laying it onto Tatsuma’s desk. Pony could tell the exact moment her friend realized what it was when her ears suddenly perked up.

“I promised to bring it, so here it is! Volume One of Ryukyu’s official manga!”

It was something of an absurd sight, a massive dragon caaarefully turning each page with gentle nudges of her claws. After a few moments Tatsuma paused, raising her head to look at the clock, with only a few more minutes left until the next class.

“I need to- can I borrow this? This is the best thing that I have ever read.”

“I-”

“If you let me borrow it, just for tomorrow, I’ll get Ryuko to sign it for you.”

Pony felt her eyes widen in their sockets. “Ryuko as in-”

No way.

“As in Ryukyu, my big sister, yes.” Tatsuma replied distractedly, seemingly ignorant of Pony’s reaction. “She doesn’t mind. And even if she does, I’ll just make her do it anyway.”

“A Pro-Hero autograph can go for hundreds of dollars! Surely you can’t-”

“Sibling privilege.” Tatsuma replied with a firm note of finality in her voice. “She’s dragging me to a PR event on Sunday, it’s the least she can do.”

Pony considered her options. On one hand, it was a keepsake of hers, well-worn and treasured. She didn’t want to part with it. But she also wanted her new friend to be able to appreciate it.

And the idea of having it be signed by Ryukyu herself made Pony’s heart accelerate at the mere thought.

“Alright.” She relented. “But only if she agrees!”

Not that Pony knew how she could possibly force Ryukyu to do anything, but then again she was an only child herself.

Tatsuma nodded distractedly and carefully clutched the book in her claws, putting it away into a pocket in her wrist holder.

The last class of the day was simply titled “Homeroom” in the schedule, and as soon as Vlad King walked into the classroom he dropped off his papers onto the desk and turned to the class.

“Our first order of business will be the selection of Class Presidents. You have twenty minutes.”

All hell broke loose almost instantly, a dozen voices clamouring for attention simultaneously. People were shouting, expressing their opinions, forwarding themselves as candidates- it was pure mayhem.

Pony looked back towards the front of the room, but instead of reining in the class like he had done on the first day Vlad King had simply leaned back on his seat, seemingly content to observe. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kendo give up trying to make herself heard over the general noise, getting up from her seat and walking towards the back of the classroom.

A moment later a great noise rang out from behind Pony, a tremor running through the floor. She swivelled on her chair to see Kendo standing by Tatsuma who had stood up from her seat, her tail resting against the floor.

Pony realized she must have slammed it on the floor, to draw everyone’s attention. Kendo nodded gratefully at the dragon, before turning to regard the class, all eyes now on her.

“A shouting match will get us nowhere, and it’s obvious that there’s only one way to fairly resolve the issue. We hold a vote, and the two with the highest totals are made president and vice-president.” She looked across the room. “Does this sound alright with everyone?”

Seeing that there were no dissenters, Kendo turned towards Vlad King with a questioning look.

“That is acceptable.” Pony frowned. That was more subdued than usual, at least from what she knew of their teacher. He liked to take charge.

“Right, we’ll need some paper slips and-”

“Don’t need them.” Pony piped in. “I can just quickly add everyone into a group chat and make a poll.”

“That sounds alright. Any objections?” Hearing none, Kendo turned to Vlad King. “Sir, permission to use our phones in class?”

“Granted, but make it quick.”

Pony was already on her smartphone, thumbing through the messenger app to create a new chatroom. The school had mandated the sharing of phone numbers for security reasons, and she fired off invites to everyone in the class before moving onto the poll.

Within moments everything was set up, and the voting began. Pony scrolled over the list of names she’d created, considering how to cast her own vote. In truth she had scarcely had time to interact with most of her classmates, to judge how well suited for it they may have been.

Kendo was the obvious candidate. She breathed the essence of the older sister, the reasonable mediator. Even just from her handling of the class just moments ago, it was as clear as day that Kendo had the qualities of a class president.

But it was that obviousness that made Pony hesitate. In all likelihood Kendo would win anyway, and whether she did so with one additional vote wouldn’t matter. She could afford to entertain other options, and she felt her thoughts turn towards her newest friend.

Tatsuma had been a little more withdrawn after the battle training, and Pony couldn’t help but sympathize. The losing was hard enough, but with the expectations that come with being a recommended student…

Even if she didn’t win, Pony could show her her support. It was the least she could do, after Tatsuma had been nothing but friendly and helpful towards her. She thumbed the button, and the screen blinked, a loading symbol replacing it.

It seemed like she’d been he last one to cast her vote as the image changed into that of an infographic, showing the results. Predictably at the front, with eleven votes, was Itsuka Kendo. However, second place…

“It is decided, then.” Vlad King spoke out. “Kendo will be class president and Tatsuma vice-president.”

Beside her own vote, two more of her classmates appeared to have done the same, bringing Tatsuma to a total of three. With Monoma and Honenuki both at two votes and Tokage and Yoarashi at one, she barely scraped into the second place.

There was a brief instant of silence of stunned silence. Then the spell broke, a wall of noise erupting from the class.

“What? How did that happen?”

“Congratulations!”

“How did I only get-”

“I knew it!”

“I, for one, welcome our new draconic overlord-”

Pony could see Tatsuma physically recoil from the cacophony, her ears twitching. The dragon glanced at Vlad King, who simply raised an eyebrow in return. Pony could see her a draw a breath in resignation, before her tail came down on the floor again.

Even though she was prepared for it this time, Pony couldn’t help the instinctive flinch at the loud bang that ensued. The class quieted instantly.

“Thank you.”

She glanced back at Vlad King, who nodded, and stood up.

“These two shall now be your class presidents. Their duties are to assist me in organizing the class and its activities, and keeping order. For a class of prospective heroes, this is no small responsibility, and I expect that all of you will comply and aid them in their duties wherever possible.” Once more he paused, his gaze lingering over the class.

“Now, onto the next order of business. Has everyone brought back your permission slips for tomorrow’s trip? If you have, return it to…”

The rest of the day passed by in short order, and soon enough Pony and Tatsuma were walking towards the school gates.

“Thanks again for letting me borrow the book.”

“You’re welcome!” Pony smiled. “So, how’s Vice-Presidenthood taste like?”

“I don’t know.” Suddenly morose, she breathed out through her nose, and Pony could see the heat haze in the air. “I don’t know if I really deserve it. I’m not the most social person in the class.”

“You know, I’m sure Vlad King would still allow you to withdraw, if you don’t want it.” Pony ventured, but Tatsuma shook her head.

“...No. I’ll do it.” Tatsuma sighed, her massive body shuddering. “I won’t like it, but I’ll do it.”

“Then why?”

“Why aren’t we having this conversation in english, even though it would be much easier for you?”

“I told you.” Pony replied, her mind returning to the conversation in the cafeteria. “I’ll never get better at japanese if I- oh.”

“Exactly. Bowing out would be the easy thing to do. Which is why I can’t. So even if I don’t feel like I fully deserve it, I will accept the responsibility and trust placed on me.”

Chapter Text

“Excitement.”

I pulled my ears up and raised my tail.

“Curiosity.”

I tilted my head to the side.

“Sadness.”

I flattened my ears, holding my head perpendicular to the ground.

“Anger.”

Keeping my ears flattened I drew back my head, tucking my tail and expanding my wings.

“Very good.” Dr. Kawaguchi told me. “With enough practice, you won’t have to consciously think about it, the correct response will simply come to you naturally.

“I think that’s already been happening.” I confessed. “I’ve started to notice that it’s been happening involuntarily.”

“Then you have been progressing even faster than I could have expected.” She gave me a bright, reassuring smile. “But that's enough of that for today.“

“What’s next?” I said, suppressing a yawn. It had been a long day.

“You’ve told me about your experiences at UA already, but I’d like to hear more about what you thought of it. Last time we talked about your expectations, going in. We’ll start off with anything positive that surprised you at UA?"

“Dealing with my classmates.” I said after a moment of consideration. “It’s, well, it’s been easier than I had thought. Everyone’s more mature, and things aren’t constantly moving at lightning speed. I don’t feel like I’m being judged for being a little withdrawn.”

“That’s often how it is, growing up.” She said. “What about negatives? Any unpleasant surprises?”

“Well embarrassing myself in front of the entire class doesn’t really qualify because I pretty much saw that one coming. But there was one thing. I don’t know if it’s just because, you know, first day of school and all that, but I got the sense that UA likes keeping us in the dark. On saturday we had a big Quirk test right out of the blue. Today we had battle training under All-Might, with no warning. And tomorrow we’re going on a class trip, and we don’t even know where we’re going. I don’t like that.”

“You like routine, and knowing what’s coming, so that you can mentally prepare for it.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, undoubtedly it will be at its most difficult in the beginning, when you haven’t yet gotten a feel for how UA does things. It will get easier. But in the meanwhile, have you tried asking your homeroom teacher? It would be perfectly appropriate for Class Vice-President to inquire about an upcoming class trip.”

"Um, no, I haven’t.” I admitted, a little bit embarrassed. “The whole thing still feels so new to me. I…” I wasn’t sure how to put my thoughts into words. I had told Pony I would accept it, with all the confidence I could muster, but in truth I was still of two minds about it. I had my doubts about my suitability for the role, and I dreaded the responsibility that came from it.

But those were all things that I needed to work on, weren’t they? In becoming a Pro-Hero a vast amount of responsibility would be placed upon my shoulders, and my self-doubts were the reason I failed in the Battle Training scenario.

Like Ryuko said, I needed to confront my shortcomings earlier rather than later, while I could still do so in a safe environment. So I’d accepted before I could talk myself out of it, and now there was no going back.

“I don’t really know how to feel about it.” Was what I ended up saying aloud. “Can we open that can of worms some other time? I have one big issue I wanted to talk about, and it’s getting late.”

I was starting to feel my eyelids inexorably slipping downwards. Sleep beckoned, and I wasn’t going to be able to hold it back for long.

“Absolutely.” She replied immediately. “These sessions are for your benefit alone.”

I nodded, taking a few moments to find the right words. “During the exercise today, I made an observation. Before getting into UA, I trained extensively with Ryuko in using my Quirk in a fight. I never thought that was anything special, until today. In hindsight it seems obvious, but I noticed… I noticed most of my classmates weren’t very good at using their Quirks in a fight.”

Dr. Kawaguchi leaned in, intrigued.

“Even just saying that aloud sounds really arrogant, especially because I lost, but it’s the truth. They were brilliant in their own ways, and most of them knew how to fight, they just… most of them had very little experience fighting using their Quirks. They didn’t have the luxury of a Pro-Hero to train and spar with them.”

“So you started to wonder about your own circumstances?”

“Yeah. And… and more specifically it made me think of Fujiwara. I started to think… could he have been on to something?” I said, giving voice to the thoughts that had been gnawing at me the whole day. “Do those coming from Hero families really have an unfair advantage over those who don’t?”

I’d considered going to Ryuko with this, but I wanted an outside opinion, from someone impartial. And as much as I loved my sister, she was neither of those things.

“I see.” She began, folding her arms on her lap. “I cannot tell you whether you are right or wrong. I can only advice you to consider the matter in a vacuum. Detach the idea from Fujiwara, because he does not own it. No matter what, his actions were unequivocally wrong. Do not let him taint an idea just because he advocated for it.”

I sighed. “I don’t really know what to think, to be honest. On the one hand, it doesn’t seem fair that some have the opportunity to receive proper training in a key area to being admitted to a Hero School. But at the same time, you can’t just tell them to stop giving advice to their family members, you know?”

“Dragging everyone down to the same level doesn’t seem right either?”

“Exactly. It’s… it’s more like everyone should have an opportunity to excel, regardless of where they came from. Instead of banning training, it should be made more available.”

-----

Come the next morning I arrived at the gates of the UA campus only to find the path blocked. A mass of people crowded before the gates, and as I got closer I began to pick out words.

“What is it like to have All-Might as a teacher?”

“Channel Nine here, what’s your opinion on-”

“Do you ever get afraid of being-

Dozens upon dozens of reporters and cameramen were standing in front of the gates, barring access to the students arriving to school. I could see several of my classmates trying to get past the reporters, but they refused to shift.

I swallowed the lump that had been building in my throat. It seemed like my first brush with the media would come even sooner than I had ever feared. But it didn’t matter. I had a duty to fulfill.

As I drew closer a hush settled among the gathering, my towering silhouette easily visible over the crowd. I made my way through the mass of students, coming face to face with the reporters, and immediately had several mics shoved into my face.

“Are you a teacher?”

“What is it like-”

I ignored the questions as I stared down the reporter in front of me.

“I am going to have to ask you to move aside.” I usually made an effort to avoid intimidating people, subtle cues taught by Ryuko and Dr. Kawaguchi. Keeping my head low and wings folded in order to appear smaller, holding my tail upright, moving with deliberate, careful motions, using my ears to communicate. I made no such effort now, drawing myself to my full height, leaning forward and glaring down at the man in front of me.

For a moment, nobody moved. I kept staring, unblinking.

Then the man’s nerve broke and he stumbled aside in a hurry.

“Thank you.”

I forged onwards, my bulk serving to carve a path through the reporter crowd to the gates, and my fellow students followed in short order.

I diverged from the usual path to our homeroom, finding a secluded hallway. I glanced around until I was confident nobody was around to see me, and then leaned against the wall, the structure creaking under my weight.

That had not been as easy as it had looked.

But I had done it. That was the important part.

I remained there for a few moments, gathering my strength, before pushing myself off the wall and resuming my journey towards 1-B’s homeroom.

“What’s this about?” I surveyed the scene in front of me as I entered the classroom.

Kendo and, uh, Shishida? The guy who looked like a werewolf, were sat on either side of a desk, arms locked.

“They’re armwrestling.” Yosetsu supplied.

“Thank you” I replied. “Why are they armwrestling?”

“Well, Tetsutetsu and Yoarashi decided to pass the time with a hot-spirited competition of strength.”

“Uh-huh.” Sure, that I could see. ”Where’d they go, and how did Kendo get involved? Doesn’t seem like her.”

“Well, Tetsutetsu won so he proclaimed himself the class armwrestling champion, and that nobody could beat him. So Kendo took him up on that, and literally threw him off his seat. Then Monoma challenged her and lost too, so now he’s sulking.” The boy indicated to the back of the class where, sure enough, the blonde was browsing his phone, expression sullen. “Then Shishida challenged Kendo, and that’s where we’re standing at right now.”

As he spoke, Kendo forced Shishida’s arm down, slamming it into the table. The furred boy groaned but vacated the seat, and Tokage stepped up to take his place.

“Well, as long as they finish and get back to their proper seats before Vlad King gets here, it shouldn’t be an issue.” I said, after a moment’s consideration.

“What, not going to take your turn at the table?”

I turned to look at Awase. “That would hardly be fair. I outmass the rest of 1-B combined. I can’t exactly turn off my Quirk.”

“Then make it a Quirk Armwrestling duel!”

“And wreck the classroom? No thanks.”

I settled down on my desk to wait for class to start, getting my desk in order. The armwrestling match seemed to be dying down, with Kendo as the uncontested winner. With no more challengers, she walked over to me.

“Good job with the reporters.” She flashed me a thumbs-up. “They wouldn’t listen to me so I was going to call the teachers, but you resolved the situation. I knew you could do it!”

We talked for a few more minutes, about Class President business, before the clock ran out and she had to take her own seat before Vlad King arrived.

He got straight into business, walking in front of his desk.

“I have reviewed your performances yesterday, taking into account video footage and All-Might’s notes. You have done well, but all of you have room to improve.”

He then began going over each student in turn. Awase required more hand to hand training. Komori needed to work on her confidence. Yui had to communicate more with her teammate.

“Tatsuma. You spar with your sister, correct?” At my nod, he went on. “Describe the rules and circumstances of the sparring, please.”

“Um, open field, Quirk use is allowed, first one to pin the other to the ground wins?”

“Damn, that sounds awesome.” I heard somebody whisper in the background. Tetsutetsu, I think.

Vlad King ignored them. “It’s a good basis from which to work forward from, but we’ll need to focus your training on how to fight and safely incapacitate human-sized opponents, as well as enclosed spaces.”

I nodded, it made sense. I expected him to say something more, but I supposed All-Might’s lecture had been sufficient, and he moved on to talking to Tsuburaba about strengthening his Quirk.

Eventually he had covered everyone, and the topic turned to today’s lesson.

“We will travel via bus to the training site, due to the distance. Kendo, you are in charge of getting everyone seated.”

“Umm… how will Tatsuma be getting there?” Kendo asked. Unless they got me a special bus all for myself...

“An excellent question. Tatsuma will be making her own way to the training site.”

I felt my ears perk up in excitement as I realized what he meant. “I will be following the bus from the air?”

“Yes. You will maintain an altitude of no more than one hundred meters, and remain in eye contact with the bus at all times.”

“Understood.”

“Now, all of you have the option of using your Hero costume instead of the gym uniform if you wish to. Today’s exercises include rescue training in field conditions, so consider if your costume is suitable for it. In either case, get yourselves ready and meet me at the front doors in fifteen minutes.”

-----

I took off with a beat of my wings, leaping into the air. No matter how many times I did it, nothing ever beat the freedom of being in the air. I tucked in my limbs and gained speed, following the bus along the road.

I could make out awed faces looking out of the windows as I became visible. I resisted the urge to show off, and concentrated on maintaining my altitude and relative position to the bus. Violating Vlad King's trust would surely lead to a much more boring trip come next time.

The training site was a huge dome, stretching hundreds of meters into the air. The diameter must have been absurd, just from a cursory look.

I landed on the parking lot, claws digging into the dirt.

“That was so cool!” Pony exclaimed as she ran over. “You have to give me a ride one day!”

“Uh, maybe.”

As the class piled out of the bus, a man in what looked like a space suit complete with a bulbous, darkened visor, approached us from the direction of the main doors.

“Welcome, welcome!”

“It’s Thirteen!” Pony cried out.

“Who?” I asked her.

“Don’t you know him? He’s the Space Hero: Thirteen! Specializing in rescue operations!”

“Huh. I guess it makes sense he’d be here today, then.”

Thirteen lead us inside the dome, spreading his arms wide as we entered, with me awkwardly ducking through the doorframe.

“This is the Rescue Training Center! Or as I like to call it, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!”

The place was just as gargantuan as it looked from the outside. There were forests, rocky hills, urban cityscapes, and even an entire lake, with a luxury yacht in the middle of it all.

“It is capable of covering all the necessities of Rescue Hero Training! But before we begin, I have something I would like to talk about.”

“The floor is yours, Thirteen.” Vlad King told him.

“As I’m sure some of you are aware, my Quirk is called “Black Hole”. It can suck in and tear apart anything.” Thirteen began, a tinny, artificial voice coming out of his helmet.

“I have turned this power towards rescuing people from disasters, but it could just as easily kill and destroy. I have no doubt many of you possess similar abilities. In our super-powered society, the use of Quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. It may seem that this system is a stable one. But we must never forget that it only takes one wrong move with an uncontrollable Quirk for people to die.”

I would have grimaced if I still could have. He had a point. I thought back, thinking of gunshots and a man pinned beneath my claws. I shook my head, focusing back to the speech.

“On your first day, you learned of your own potential. On your second day, you began to learn how to apply it in battle, and the danger it can represent to others. In this class, however, you will learn another perspective! You will learn how to utilize your Quirks to save lives. Your powers are not meant to inflict harm. I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you’re meant to help people. That is all. Thank you for listening!” Thirteen bowed deeply, to the sound of enthusiastic applause from the class.

“Great. Now, to start us off, let’s lay down some ground rules.” Vlad King began.

“Ah, yes!” Thirteen raised a finger. “While the facility is as safe as I could make it without compromising its purpose, there is always a chance of an accident. Therefore, I must ask that you do not stray away from the exercise area currently in use, and always obey instructions from myself or Vlad King.”

“We will be visiting each of the four zones in turn. Landslide and Shipwreck zones first, then a lunch break, followed by Conflagration and Storm zones.” Vlad King listed off.

“You will receive training in how to utilize your Quirks in rescue missions under different conditions. We will use these to simulate civilians in need of help!” Thirteen held up a life-size dummy, not dissimilar to the ones I’d seen back in my time, only with a bit more electronic equipment. “They may be inanimate, but they are equipped with sensitive systems to provide a degree of realism. Treat them as you would real civilians!”

Some time later, we found ourselves near the Landslide zone, concrete buildings upturned and halfway buried in the dirt. As I stood there waiting, I saw Monoma walking towards me.

“Could I ask to borrow your Quirk for the duration of the exercise? I believe doubling up on our physically strongest Quirk would be the most useful contribution I could make.”

“Are you sure mine is what you want?” I tilted my head. “Does your Quirk help you acclimate to what you copy? Because otherwise you’ll have a hard time dealing with a completely different body structure.”

“It does, up to a point. Not instant mastery, but enough to get me by. And I’ve gotten quite good at adapting.”

“Still, wouldn’t Shishida’s be more useful? You would at least retain humanoid shape.”

“Ah, his Quirk possesses a certain drawback. It releases a chemical rush into his system when the transformation is activated, causing a state of heightened emotion and somewhat impaired judgement.”

“Well, knock yourself out.” I shrugged my wings. “I can offer some tips, but don’t expect me to babysit you.”

“I would not dream of it.”

He gently laid a hand on my scales, and was enveloped in a familiar flash of energy.

Watching the transformation… it brought back memories. A longing that I’d pushed into the back of my mind.

Within moments there was a second dragon standing in the field. Compared to my white-grey colouration his scales shimmered in shades of yellow, growing darker around his stomach and wings. I also noticed Monoma’s dragon form didn’t quite stand at eye level with me, being a fraction smaller and slimmer than mine.

I saw him flex his clawed forelimbs experimentally,

“Wow. Is this how you feel all the time?”

“What do you mean?”

“This… feeling of power. It’s like a furnace is burning in my chest.” He marveled. “And it’s suddenly all so sharp.”

“Eh. You get used to it.”

“Even the sense of touch? Everything’s… muffled.” He said, running a claw along the ground.

“It does suck, but it’s also comforting. Having a layer of nigh-invulnerable scales between you and the world, I mean.”

Monoma gave me an inscrutable look, before averting his gaze.

“I suppose.”

And then there was no more time for talking. We were spread out to work in small groups, assigning at least one sensory Quirk per team. Kuroiro slipped into the cracks in the rubble, coming back to inform Tetsutetsu where to dig, with Awase standing by to reinforce the broken concrete to ensure it didn’t collapse. Tokage located the dummies using her detached eyes and ears, before Honenuki softened the ground and dived into it like it was water. Shiozaki’s vines crept through tiny openings, feeling for the dummies before relaying their position for Kendo to dig out. Shishida was a one-man rescue crew, his sensitive nose locating his targets before digging them out with his prodigious strength.

Like him I didn’t need a teammate, though Monoma stuck close by to renew his borrowed Quirk. Thirteen hadn’t been kidding about the dummies, they were designed with chemical dispensers that gave them a smell similar to a human’s body odour, some of them were fitted with voice modules that called out for help, and they even had systems for simulating heartbeat and breathing.

So I spent the next two hours with my ears pressed into the ground, listening for the signs of another dummy, before using my claws to excavate them. If I handled them too roughly they’d chime an alarm, and instruct me to be more careful. Vlad King and Thirteen wandered around the Landslide zone, offering advice and criticism.

The constant concentration was taxing, but physically the rescue training was easy. For me anyway, I could tell the others were starting to tire, some more than others.

At the two hour mark, Vlad King called a break of fifteen minutes before we moved onto the Shipwreck zone. After a bit of a rest and some water everyone was feeling invigorated again, and we gathered at the beach.

“The most important thing to learn about how to rescue somebody who’s drowning, is how to avoid drowning yourself in the process. At that point you have failed to rescue your target, and are in need of another rescuer yourself. A common cause for this is that once a person has entered a blind panic, they may latch on to a would be rescuer and drag them underwater as well. This is why it is always best to approach them from behind and take hold of them, rather than that they take a hold of you. Are you with me so far?”

Everyone nodded along.

“Good. There are rescue dummies floating on the water, and your task is to bring them back to the shore.” Vlad King held up a stopwatch. “Your time starts-”

“Wait, we’re supposed to go swim like this?” Monoma asked.

Vlad King stepped in front of him in a flash, eyes smouldering.

“And?”

“...And we’ll get… wet?”

“An astute observation.”

“Am I to understand that you consider yourself too good to get your clothes wet?” Vlad King directed an absolutely scorching look at Monoma. “That your comfort is secondary to rescuing drowning civilians?”

I was starting to feel a little bad for Monoma by now. He could have worded it better, but this...

“Of course not, I just-”

“Then get to it. I told you to dress appropriately for rescue training.” With that he turned away, addressing the class once again. “Any other interruptions? No? Good. Your time starts now.”

I had considered my options while we were waiting. I didn’t have the aerial maneuverability to pick up a dummy with anything approaching care, and flying so close to the water I’d be creating significant waves. No, I needed to swim over to the dummies.

I eyed the murky water warily, a feeling of dread creeping up my spine. Well. Nothing to it. I just had to cope.

I stepped into the water, careful not to create a wave with my mass, and then got to swimming. Gang Orca’s lessons came to mind and I tucked my wings against my body, using my tail to propel myself.

Despite my hesitation costing me a bit of time I rapidly passed most of my classmates. Everyone was using their Quirks where they could: Kendo was using her enlarged hands to front crawl her way forwards, Pony once more used her horns as anchors to draw herself forward, and Tokage was already hovering over the first dummy, lifting it out of the water.

I reached mine only seconds later, grabbing it in my claw and turning around. It helped that most of my propulsion came from my tail, leaving my forelimbs free to hold on to the dummy and keep it above the water.

Just don’t look down.

I reached the beach moments later, rushing onto firm land once more. Vlad King raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

The rest of the training in the water passed by in similar fashion. I did my best to spend as little time in the water as possible, and I could tell the others were starting to notice my behaviour.

We were standing on a break by the lake, taking a moment to relax after the intensive training. A car had stopped by from UA to drop us field lunches, and everyone was eating and chatting in small groups.

“So, Tatsuma." Tetsutesu asked, wiping water off of his hair. "I got to ask, are you like… afraid of the water or something?” 

“No.” I denied immediately.

“She is.” Yui’s voice suddenly chimed in. With how quiet she could be, it was easy to forget she was there. “During a class trip she found the center of the boat and refused to leave it for anything.”

“It was a rickety fishing boat. It could have fallen apart at any moment. I am not afraid of water.”

“Prove it.” Yui continued prodding. I glanced around, seeing the eyes on me.

“Fine.” If that was what it took, fine. I could handle a bit of water. Just before diving under the water, I saw Yui whisper something to Yanagi.

Underwater, the visibility was poor. The rays of sunlight coming from the windowed ceiling overhead pierced into the water, but could not illuminate the entirety of the lake.

My body kept the water around me comfortable warm, and I could hold my breath for an extended period of time. I figured I’d just chill a couple meters under the surface for a few moments, maybe just long enough to make them worry. That’d teach them. I concentrated on that thought, doing my best to avoid thinking about where I was.

It really was dark down here.

Then, I saw something, a tiniest bit of movement in the corner of my eye. I whipped my head around, but it was gone.

I felt a chill running through my spine, and it wasn’t from the water temperature. The water was murky, but I was certain I’d seen something.

I tried to calm myself. Just a couple moments, and I’d return to the surface, and I could put this whole stupid thing behind me.

Then I felt something brush against my tail, and spun my head around.

I screamed.

-----

There was a muffled noise coming from the direction of the lake, causing Itsuka Kendo to turn her head towards the waterfront, just in time to see the water’s surface be broken by a massive splash. The beat of wings filled the air and a large white shape rocketed into the air and towards the ceiling.

There was a sudden choking noise coming from beside Kendo, and she whipped around to see Yui make a single, undignified snort. By her standards, it was akin to rolling around the grass in laughter.

“What did you do?” Kendo demanded, glancing back up at Tatsuma before returning her gaze to her friend. Many of her classmates had noticed the commotion as well, gathering around.

Yui looked at Yanagi, who lifted her hand and a collection of rocks between the size of a pebble and a basketball burst out of the water, levitating over to the shore. They came to a halt, before rapidly arranging themselves into the distinct outline of a shark. On the surface it was obvious that they were simply rocks, but down in the murky waters...

“Ummm… guys, she’s not coming down.” Kaibara’s voice suddenly interjected.

Everyone’s attention returned to the ceiling, where the white-scaled dragon had perched on one of the light fixtures hanging from the metal framework. It was hard to tell, given the distance, but Kendo could’ve sworn she was shivering as if caught in a cold breeze.

“What are we going to tell Vlad King?”

----

“And I hope that properly demonstrates why phobias are not a matter of cheap comedy, and should never be made light of.” Vlad King finished his lecture, his tone positively scathing.

After a while, they had managed to coax me down from the ceiling. The worst of shock had long since worn off, replaced by a deepset feeling of humiliation roiling around in my chest.

“This manner of behaviour is unbecoming of future Heroes, and I am disappointed in both of you.” Vlad King went on. “Yanagi, I am letting you off with a warning for now. Kodai, you knew exactly what you were doing. I am assigning you two weeks of detention with Principal Nedzu. Do not let me see you pull a stunt like this ever again.”

He let the two suffer his glare for a few more moments, before turning around to address the rest of class. “You have ten more minutes of break left. Use it well. Dismissed.”

The others scattered, but as I made to follow Vlad King held up a hand. “Tatsuma. A word, please.”

I stopped cold, a chill running through my spine.

“You are not in trouble. If you are up for it, I would simply like to discuss what just happened with you.”

I nodded, still apprehensive. “Alright.”

“First of all, do you feel up to completing today’s exercises? I can grant you leave to skip class and go home early.”

“I… I’m fine now.” In truth I was still a little shaken up, but I didn’t want to miss out on the remainder of the rescue training.

“If you say so, then I trust your judgement.” Vlad King nodded. “However, I would still like to address the underlying issue. I noticed during the shipwreck rescue training that you acted skittish around the water. Was that a factor caused by your phobia?”

“I… Yes.” I admitted. “I get… nervous around deep water. Swimming pools are fine because the water’s clear and I can see with my own two eyes there’s nothing in there, but… as soon as I can’t, even if rationally I know there can’t be anything there, I start to get anxious.”

“I see. Your file told me you saw a therapist on a regular basis, have you discussed this issue with them?”

“No, I haven’t.” I bowed my head. “Well, I’ve mentioned it, but I haven’t talked much about it. I don’t think she knows how bad it is.”

Vlad King nodded again, accepting my words without judgement. “I would recommend that you do, or if you don’t want to talk to your regular psychologist, we have several licensed therapists on staff here at UA and we can schedule an appointment with one of them.”

“Can I think about it? I don’t really feel up to making a decision like that at the moment.”

“Perfectly understandable, take as much time as you need.” Vlad King said, giving me a reassuring nod. “Now get back out there, you still have a bit of break left.”

I nodded, feeling a little better, and began making my way towards the beach again.

“Man, how can you be afraid of sharks?” Tsuburaba asked incredulously as I returned to the rest of the class.

I sighed. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“I mean, you’re a freaking dragon! You could eat a great white for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”

“I said I’d rather not talk about it.” I growled from between clenched teeth, my voice physically reverberating through the ground.

Tsubaraba took an involuntary step back, eyes widening and beads of sweat appearing on his skin as the air temperature suddenly spiked to sauna-like levels.

“Right, right, taboo, zip, let us discuss something else!”

The others immersed themselves on various conversations as I laid down on the grass, calming myself down and observing. Pony and Monoma were skipping stones by the beach. Kendo was giving a lecture of her own to Yui and Yanagi.

And Yoarashi was… walking towards me.

“Yo! Tatsuma! I wanted to talk to you about something!”

I braced for another question, or expression of disbelief, or even just an expression of sympathy. But the stream of words that came out of his mouth was none of those things.

“See, I started thinking, after I saw you flying on the way here-”

“If you’re asking for a ride, the answer is no.”

“What? No, I want you to help me learn how to fly.”

“What?”

“See, I can use my wind to propel myself along the ground or in short bursts but every time I try sustained flight I’d lose my balance and spin out. But! I had an idea! See, if I add these tubes to my costume, I could channel the wind through them to keep myself stable!”

“...I’m flattered, but I’m not sure how much help I’d be. My method of flight is completely different from yours.”

“That’s still more than nothing, which is what I’m starting with!” He exclaimed, bowing deep enough to put his forehead on the grass. “I would be deeply honoured by your assistance!”

“I’ll do it, just don’t expect a miracle.” I replied. “You might want to ask Pony too, she was talking about learning how to fly too.”

“We can make into a group activity!”

“Great...”

After the break, the Conflagration zone training passed without incident. Vlad King and Thirteen went through an extensive lecture on safety before letting us loose, talking about the dangers posed

To be honest it felt a little redundant in my case, since I was immune to heat and smoke, but I was told I needed to understand what those who aren’t go through.

The last rescue training was conducted in the Storm zone, wind and rain generators creating realistic weather conditions across the cityscape. The idea was that we needed to coordinate search and rescue over a wide area, with the weather making things even harder for us.

It went fine until around an hour and a half into it. Kendo and I were clearing out some rubble when all of a sudden an alarm began blaring out.

“What do we do?” I looked at Kendo.

“I don’t know, everyone’s spread out. Maybe yo-”

Before she could finish Vlad King rounded a corner, gesturing towards us.

“Class Presidents! Gather everyone together and meet me outside the zone!” He yelled over the wind. “Do a headcount and make sure everyone stays put until further notice, I’m calling Nedzu to see what this is about!"

He pulled a communicator to his ear, leaving us to it.

“Well we definitely don’t have the time to find everyone individually.” I noted.

“I hate to a make a habit of this, but I don’t think everyone could hear my voice over the alarm and the wind.” Kendo said, looking up at me. “Could you..”

“Yeah.” I drew in a deep breath as Kendo clapped her hands to her ears.

“1-B GATHER AROUND!"

Even though I had instinctively folded them flat against my skull, the noise still rang in my ears. I could be really, really loud when I needed to.

Moments later the rest of the class began to trickle in, full of questions we had no answers to. Once everyone was there we headed out of the Storm zone, finding Vlad King and Thirteen waiting for us outside.

“Well, I’ve just gotten off the phone with the Principal, it sounds like it was just the reporters. They broke into the main building, but they’re contained and the police have been called.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting to have been the cause, but most of the possibilities I’d thought of had been considerably more grim.

“However, in accordance with protocol we’ll be cutting the lesson short and returning to UA.”

“Oh come on!”

“Really?”

“It’s standard procedure. UA takes no chances within regards to security. We only had an hour left, at any rate.”

And that was that, Vlad King brooked no further arguments. After that everything seemed to happen in a blur, Thirteen and Vlad King herding us to the bus and back to UA. In no time at all we found ourselves dismissed for the day as Vlad King and Thirteen rushed off, leaving us in a state of bewilderment and confusion.

“But how did reporters get past the security system?” I told Yoarashi and Pony as we were walking towards the exit. ”I’m just saying, Vlad King seemed to be in a lot of hurry for somebody who’s just following standard procedure.”

“You’re overthinking it!” Pony exclaimed. “There’s probably a back door, or they got in when the door opened for somebody who is authorized. The teachers have it under control. They wouldn’t have cleared us to leave otherwise, right?”

“...Maybe.” I admitted. “It just doesn’t feel like things are adding up.”

Just as we were about turn around the corner, I heard a voice call out from behind us.

“Tatsuma.”

I turned to see Yui standing in the hallway, as impassive as ever.

“Could we talk?”

I glanced at Pony and Yoarashi. “Do you guys mind if I…?”

“That’s fine.”

“We’ll wait for you!”

“Alright.” I watched them walk down the hallway until the disappeared around a corner, and turned towards Yui. I had planned on seeking her out at some point today, but then the incident at USJ had left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I thought of it. But now that she was here I might as well hear out what she had to say.

“I’m sorry.” She began, quietly. “I’m sorry for what I did earlier today. It was completely inappropriate of me.”

I didn’t respond. What she’d just said was... exactly correct.

“In my head it was just a way of getting back at you. But it wasn't. It was… it was bullying, wasn’t it? I was a bully, right then. Just like those two, at grade school. And… that’s not who I want to be.” There, just for an instant, her voice cracked. It was gone the next instant, her usually flat inflection reasserting quick enough to almost make me question if it had ever happened, but I had heard it.

“So I’m sorry. It won’t ever happen again.”

I considered her words for a good while. She was right in that it had been bullying, and that it wasn’t okay for her to press my phobia like that.

But she’d also recognized she was at fault, and personally came to apologize to me. In seven years, I had never heard her speak for that long at a time for anything other than a school presentation.

And then there was that momentary chink in her icy facade just now. That, more than anything else, had convinced me of her sincerity. I had known her long enough to know what a slip-up like that meant for her. I knew that she must be genuinely desperate.

I remembered Ryuko’s words, about one incident weighed against seven years. I remembered my own feelings of regret over what had happened between us, and the apology I’d been preparing for her over my own failures. Perhaps she had done more wrong to me than I had to her, but it didn’t matter. I knew what was running through her head, and I couldn’t bring myself to hold it over her head forever, not when she had already been punished appropriately for it.

“I accept your apology.”

Yui’s face was like a sheet of ice, but not even she could help herself, and there was a slight relaxation of her shoulders. It made me feel more confident in my choice.

She nodded and made to leave, but I raised a claw. “Wait.”

Might as well get it done now, and clear the air between us. I took a moment to compose myself and find the right words. I’d thought extensively about what I would say, but now that I was here, face to face, all my preparations seemed to have disappeared into the mists.

“I’m sorry too, for what happened two years ago.” Yui’s expression remained impassive, but I knew she had realized what I was talking about. “There was… something happened, that left me unable to turn back to human. It was the worst day of my life. At first, there was so much to do, so many things to adjust to, so I pushed off telling you. I just… couldn’t find it in myself to do it. And then, it only got worse. I would’ve had to explain why I’d put it off for so long.”

There was a silence for a few more heartbeats as Yui looked at me, impassive as a statue. Then she let out a tiny sigh, her stony mask dropping fully.

“I accept your apology. And I’m sorry too. I do understand why you didn’t contact me, that’s the thing, because I went through the same process. When you didn’t show up to school, I assumed you were sick. To make contact I would have had to find your phone number somehow. When the teacher told us you weren’t returning to class, weeks had already passed. I would’ve had to explain why I only made the effort then.”

She shook her head.

“Then when you turned up here, three days ago… I got angry. I told myself you’d just ran off. Because otherwise, I would have had to confront the fact that I hadn’t tried to make contact either.”

“Sounds like we both suck.”

“...Yeah.”

“...Do you want to hear what happened, that day?”

“It sounds like something you’d rather not revisit.” She said, a sad smile on her face. “I think, that if you ever feel comfortable sharing it with the rest of the class, I can hear it then.”

We sat in silence for a few more moments.

“So, friends?”

“...Yeah. Friends.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Ryuuzaki became dimly aware of raindrops landing on their face. Sluggishly opening their eyes, they saw the night sky stretching before them, dimly lit by the silvery disk of the moon on the horizon, peeking the from between the clouds. And all around them was the sea.

They were floating on their back, arms and legs limp in the water, the ocean surface as still as a pool and broken only by the ripples of the rain. The water was pleasantly warm, but it was like frozen icicles had been stabbed into their body. They tried to turn around, begin swimming, but it was as if their limbs were made of lead. No matter how much they tried to move, they were paralyzed, unable to move.

Then, they felt something. The tiniest of currents in the water.

Ryuuzaki ceased their struggles to move, and all was still. Not a sound could be heard save for their laborious breathing, even despite the downpour.

Then they felt it again. A tremble in the water, stronger this time, they could feel the water moving, lapping over their face. There was something moving in water.

Something right behind them. They could feel its mass passing by again, avoiding a brush by mere inches. There was a distant sound, a distorted wurble that grew in intensity, seeming to come from all around them.

Ryuuzaki struggled to turn around, to see, to fight, or even just flee, but their body refused to obey. Something moved under them again, right below them, the wake of it’s passing washing over them.

Then it was gone. The water was still once more. But Ryuuzaki knew exactly where it had gone. It had not fled. It had dived. It was gathering speed for an attack.

Ryuuzaki redoubled their efforts, but it was to no avail. The background roar grew higher in pitch, and volume. A certain manner of manic desperation began to set in, and one of their fingers twitched. Then their arm. The sluggishness that had afflicted them was soon gone. And yet they knew it was far too late.

Before they could turn around there was a lance of pain across their back, and then nothing.

My eyes flew open, taking in the sight of my bedroom.

I looked down, seeing my white-scaled, clawed forelimbs, slowly controlling my breathing. My subconscious liked to taunt me, and I was almost always human in my dreams.

And when I had dreams, most of my them were nightmares.

I screwed my eyes shut for a moment, trying to scrub the memory from my head. Mercifully it faded quickly, as dreams are wont to do, and soon enough it was nothing more than a vague jumble of impressions.

Pillows were scattered on the floor- I must have been tossing and turning in my sleep. I gently gathered each of them and tossed them back to the pile that served as my bed before yawning and stretching my wings, the clawed tips scraping the walls. The digital clock across the room told me it was 6AM, meaning I’d gotten maybe five hours of sleep. Less than ideal, but I wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep again, so I might as well begin the day.

-----

“Favorite colour?”

“Orange.”

“Favorite Food?”

“Minced chicken with cream.”

“Alright, what about favorite hero? And you can’t say All-Might.”

“Ryukyu, obviously.” I replied without missing a beat, rolling my eyes.

“Okay, I deserved that one.” Kendo said with a laugh, raising her arms in surrender. “It’s crazy to think that the Number Ten Hero is your big sister. That’s almost like having All-Might in your family.”

“It’s really not.” Honenuki interjected. “All-Might is such a mythical figure because we don’t really know him. If you knew All-Might personally he wouldn’t be All-Might to you, he’d be, well, whatever his real name is.” The skull-faced boy stopped and glanced at me, and then hastened to add. “Of course, that’s just my thoughts on the matter-”

“No, no, you’re right.” I admitted. “It’s pretty much like that. Ryuko is an awesome hero, but it’s hard to see her with the same awe as everyone else seems to. She’s, well, to me she’s been my sister for a lot longer than she’s been a Pro-Hero.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Kendo deflated a little, before perking up again. “Yui, how come you never told me you knew Ryukyu’s sister?”

“...You never asked.”

We hadn’t exactly made some grand announcement of it, but the others had clued in pretty fast that Yui and I had made amends, even if they didn’t know what it had been about.

“I did! Many times! But every time I asked you about what school was like you just deflected.”

“Oh.” Yui replied flatly. “Must have slipped my mind.”

Ever since, I’d noticed Kendo had taken steps to include me in their group of friends, including inviting Pony and I to sit at their table during lunch. Which was how I found myself there, curled on the floor beside the very crowded table, occasionally taking a bite out of the steaming pile of meat in front of me.

“So, what about-”

“Just give it a rest already, Kendo.”

“Come on Setsuna, I know you like Ryukyu too!”

“I do, I just don’t see what the big deal is.”

To be honest the crowd was a little uncomfortable. Cramming five people and an elephant-sized dragon around a single table wasn’t exactly ideal. I took up one entire side of the table, with Pony and Honesuki on either side and Kendo, Yui and Tokage filling the long side opposite to me. I’d curled my tail around myself, but even so I was acutely aware of how much space I was taking, and even a small movement could knock somebody over.

But declining the invitation would have been rude. And I didn’t want to make Pony feel like she needed to refuse for my sake.

“But aren’t you interested to hear more about her?” Kendo pressed Tokage.

“Kendo, I don’t doubt anybody here is uninterested, but don’t you think you’ve interrogated Tatsuma enough for now?” Honenuki intervened. “In fact, let’s turn it around. Who are everyone’s favorite heroes?”

“That’s a great idea!” Pony piped in. “Let’s make it so that All-Might and family members are forbidden.”

“Conveniently that leaves you able to nominate Ryukyu.” I noted.

“Well, yeah.” Pony huffed. “But that’s true, Ryukyu’s my favorite. She’s just always so cool. I could never be so calm and collected.”

“I should get you to actually meet her.” I mused. “I assure you, she’s not nearly as cool once you get to know her.”

“Stop ruining my childhood idol for me.” Pony whined, shoving at the side of my head. “You can go next, then, if you’re going to be like that.”

“No All-Might or family, huh?” I scratched the side of my head. “It would have to be Gang Orca.” I paused, and after a moment of consideration went on. “You know, from a distance. But he’s genuinely trying to the best with what he’s got.”

“What about you Yui?” Honenuki asked.

“...Miruko.”

“Come on, you could at least explain your rationale!” Kendo prodded, but Yui only gave her a flat look that screamed “I have said my piece, now leave me alone”.

Apparently the two of them had been neighbours ever since they were little, though they went to different schools, which put Kendo in an awkward spot between me and Yui recently. I think she felt bad for me, especially after the fiasco during Battle Training, but also felt obligated to take her friend’s side in our little squabble, and now she was trying to make up. I wasn’t sure how much I liked that thought. She was nice enough to be around, but being pitied didn’t sit well with me.

But then again what did I know about her motivations? I was fully aware that I didn’t always quite get people.

“Setsuna? I know you like Ryukyu.” Kendo asked, once it was clear Yui would volunteer no more information. Tokage had seemed a little glum the entire time, and I wondered if that was because of me. Again, though, I had no idea.

“Eh, she’s pretty good, but Golden Saurian is even better. Dinosaurs are cooler than dragons anyway.”

What?!

I surged to my feet, suddenly looming over everyone, and slammed a clawed forelimb on the table.

“How dare you?!”

I leaned forward, the metal creaking under me, though I was careful not to put my full weight on the table. “Dinosaurs. Are. Not. Cooler. Than. Dragons.”

Nobody moved, and for a moment I was afraid I’d gone a step too far.

Then Pony snickered, and the tension suffused.

“Dragons are just lizards with wings.” Tokage replied, kicking back on her chair. “Cheap imitations of the real thing.”

“Cheap? They’re the classics, the original monsters. Knights versus dragons is a staple of storytelling!”

“Jurassic Park is a timeless masterpiece and honestly Rexy is better than any dragon.” By now, the others seemed to be completely lost as to what we were talking about.

“Toothless would like to disagree with you.” I muttered.

“The what now?”

“Uh, nothing.” I cursed at myself, trying to think of something that had retained its relevance better. “Er, Smaug! Smaug is better than Rexy.”

Tokage scowled. “Smaug is just an overgrown worm with wings. You can’t compare him to a proper dinosaur.”

“But can a dinosaur fly, or breathe fire? I didn’t think so. Anything a dinosaur can do, a dragon can do better.”

“Yeah, ‘cept they’re not real. Anybody can just slap extra traits on to an existing animal to try and make it look cool. At least we know dinosaurs existed.”

“Emphasis on the past tense.”

“You think dragons would have survived being hit by an asteroid?”

“All I’m saying is, dinosaurs had their chance. Dragons cannot disappoint us.”

“Because, again, they’re imaginary. My point is, dinosaurs are killing machines perfected by evolution, following its rules. Dragons can never come close to matching that kind of authenticity.”

“You’re going to stand there and talk about authenticity right after bringing up Jurassic Freaking Park?For starters, where are the feathers-”

“Oh my fucking god do not even start on the goddamn feathers-”

Tokage looked ready to go on, only for a thin vine suddenly whip out from behind me, poking her in the chin.

“Do not take the Lord’s name in vain!” Shiozaki yelled from the neighbouring table, while giving us the stink-eye. Tokage only groaned in frustration and put her head on the table.

Soon after that things started to calm down, as everyone began to realize we needed to finish eating before the next class started, and I was glad for the bit of peace and quiet. Don’t get me wrong, it had been surprisingly fun to spend time with my peers and socialize, it was just something to be engaged in in moderation.

With the lunch break coming to an end we returned to our Homeroom, where Vlad King was waiting for us.

“Today’s class will be mainly theoretical.” Vlad King began, only to be met with a chorus of groans that were summarily ignored as he pressed on. “On Monday, you had a chance to demonstrate your Quirks in battle. Over the course of the next three years you will all become intimately familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of your classmates and their Quirks. But out there in the real world, you will come face to face with a dizzying variety of enemies and situations, and you will be expected to be able to take on each and every one of them. Adaptivity and analytical skills are strict necessities for a Hero, and they are what we will be working on today.”

Vlad King laid a stack of papers on his desk. “I have prepared several different hypothetical scenarios for you to take on. Working in pairs, you will prepare a plan for how you, as a team, would approach the scenario and achieve success. Points will be awarded based not on the magnitude of your combat skills or Quirk, but how well you are able to apply them, and understand your own strengths and weaknesses. Pick your pairs and retrieve a scenario paper from my desk.”

Huh. That… actually sounded like it could be real fun.

I turned towards Pony. “Do you want to-”

Then, just as they had yesterday, alarms suddenly roared to life, filling the air with sirens. But this time there was something off, a different pitch in the noise.

“What, did the reporters get in again?” Somebody asked.

“No, this is the Level Five alarm.” Vlad King frowned. He reached under his desk, pressing some hidden button, and the alarms cut out. At the same time armoured shutters slammed on the windows, whilst a huge blast door descended from the ceiling to cover the doorway.

“What does Level Five mean?” I asked, a sudden feeling of dread descending into my stomach.

Vlad King paused, taking a deep breath. “Level Five is code for villain attack on UA.”

A stunned silence settled over the class as everyone struggled to process the statement. Villains. In UA.

“A-Are you serious?”

“What do we do?”

“Are we in danger?”

“I’m needed elsewhere. Kendo. Tatsuma. You have the class in my absence.” Vlad King opened a drawer on his desk, taking out a folder and handing it to Kendo. “Do not, under any circumstances, open the door until I return and present the code phrase written inside this. With the lockdown active this classroom is built to withstand military ordnance, and can only be opened from the inside. It has its own air supply and generator. All other classes and personnel are also on lockdown in their own classes, so you have no reason to open the door until I return. In case of further emergency, the folder has instructions.”

I felt a strange sort of calm settle over me as Vlad King rattled off the instructions. I was self-aware enough to know that given the opportunity, I could twist myself into knots of uncertainty and indecision. But this I knew how to deal with.

“Right.” I breathed out, hoping I looked more confident than I felt. “We won’t disappoint you.”

“I have faith that you will not. And remember, you open the door only for me, only with these codes. Nobody else.”

He gave Kendo and I a hard look, before putting a hand to his ear, probably to some hidden communicator.

“This is Vlad King, 1-B is in lockdown. I’m on my way.” He hurried out of the door, the locks clicking into place behind him.

A deathly quiet fell over the class once more, nobody quite sure what to say or do.

Then, the silence was finally broken by a scraping noise as Yoarashi pushed off his desk and sprung up to his feet.

“I’m going after him.”

“I’m coming with you.” Tetsutetsu said, scrambling to follow the taller student towards the door, but I was faster.

“No you’re not.” I said, moving to physically block the doorway with my body. “Did you not hear what Vlad King just said?”

“You think we’re just going to stand and wait here while there’s villains running around the place?” Yoarashi asked, pulling closer. “When people's lives are at stake?”

“We were given an order.” I growled down at him, vehemence creeping into my voice that surprised even myself. “You two know what those are, right?”

“Alright, let’s cool down everyone.” Kendo said, stepping between us with her hands held out. Yoarashi backed off and I sat down against the door with a snort.

“I know what you’re going through.” Kendo went on. “We all do. But you two can’t just run off on your own. Think about it, you don’t even know where the villains are.”

Tetsutetsu looked down at his feet, sullen, but Yoarashi seemed willing to argue.

“Then we’ll find them! If there’s even a small chance that we’ll be able to help, we have to take it!”

“At any cost?” Shishida asked from his seat, pushing up his glasses. “Engaging villains without permission or license, when not in self defence… I hope you realize that it would be vigilantism? That’s a real, legally defined crime.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take, if it means helping those in need.” Yoarashi scowled. “A Hero should never hesitate.”

“You may be ready to pay the price, but consider this: you would be getting everyone here in trouble, not just the two of you.” Monoma pointed out, having stood up as well. “Kendo and Tatsuma certainly, for allowing you to go. I won’t insult them by saying that’s why they’re against this plan of yours, but you must understand that your actions have consequences beyond yourselves. All four of you could end up expelled.”

Yoarashi looked defiant, but when he opened his mouth to argue nothing came out. After a few moments, he cast his gaze down and wordlessly returned to his seat, though he still seemed furious.

“I know we’re all shocked and stressed out, but please, let’s just all calm down a little.” Kendo said, hopping onto a chair to address the whole class. “There’s nothing we can do about what’s happening out there, so let’s try to take our minds off it, alright? Let’s get some homework done while we wait for Vlad King to return.”

“You want us to do homework while there’s villains on the school grounds?” Tokage asked incredulously.

“Do you have a better idea?” Kendo replied. “In fact, I could use a little bit of help with that derivative problem Ectoplasm gave us during Math class…”

She trailed off, as everyone simply looked at her. I winced.

“Come on Yanagi, I know you know what I’m talking about. It’s the one on page fifteen.”

The pale-haired girl sighed. “Well, you just have to…”

It was an incredibly transparent attempt at a distraction. And yet, for all that, it worked. Little by little she drew everyone in, not taking a no for an answer, providing the first spark to get people started.

I felt a newfound respect kindle for Kendo. I did not think I could have done what she could, breaking the ice like that.

I think on some level everyone wanted to let themselves be distracted, and for the next few minutes she went around the class, organizing people into study groups.

“This is crazy.” Kendo confessed in a low voice, having joined me by the door once everyone had gotten settled, flipping through the folder Vlad King had given her. “Look at this, there’s different passwords depending on the time of the day, code words to convey hidden messages in case somebody's listening... And then there’s the instructions for… as far as I can tell, every scenario under the sun. There’s food, water and a medical assistant bot in the closet. There’s a hidden doorway into the toilets, which are also in lockdown.” She kept going through the pages, glancing in the direction of the others to make sure they were out of earshot. “There’s even instructions in case of a nuclear war, pandemic, earthquake or tsunami.”

“I guess Vlad King wasn’t kidding when he said they take security very seriously.” I ventured, unsure what to say.

“I suppose.” She took in a deep breath, and glanced in the direction of the rest of the class. “This is all just… kind of crazy. Like, I’m not alone in that, right?”

“You’re not. I don’t think there’s anyone in this room who would disagree with that sentiment.”

“You seem to be very calm about it.” She pointed out, to which I could only shrug.

“I’m just good at hiding it.” I said, truthfully. “And, well, we have our orders. We know exactly what to do. There’s a certain kind of comfort in that certainty.”

“Fair enough.” Kendo said. “Anyway, if you watch the door I’ll try to keep the others distracted.”

“Agreed.” It seemed like a fair division of responsibilities.

And that was that. While the others got started on homework I waited by the entrance, watching and listening for any signs of Vlad King’s return. The blast door that had replaced the regular door was a thick slab of metal, a small window mounted on it. There were no handles, only a pair of buttons, titled “alarm” and “open/close”.

Time passed. I wasn’t sure how long, I didn’t check a clock, though it can’t have been more than a few minutes, when I heard something.

“Sssh.” I hissed to the others, my ears twitching. “Footsteps. Approaching.”

Vlad King had said everyone was in lockdown. So either it was one of the Pro-Hero teachers, who were all supposed to be heading out to deal with the villains, or-

I felt my blood freeze as the source of the footsteps walked around the corner. A tall man in his mid-twenties, messy brown hair coming to his shoulders. He walked with a slough, checking each door he walked past. I saw the badly scarred hands, and instantly knew who it was.

I slammed a claw on the alarm button, and a keening alert sounded throughout the building once again. By now everyone had noticed the commotion by the door, and were gathering behind me.

“Is that a villain?!”

“What’s happening?!”

“Ah, just who I was looking for! Long time no see!” Every word was like a cold needle being shoved underneath my skin. The voice wasn’t quite the same as in my memories, dripping with smug self-satisfaction rather than fury, but it was undoubtedly him.

“You cannot be here.”

“I can’t? Hm.” He looked down at himself, theatrically spreading his hands. “But here I am.”

“Tatsuma, who is this?”

“Are these your classmates? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Katsuke Fujiwara.” I heard a sharp intake of air from Yui.

“He’s a villain.” I bit out. “That’s all.”

“Now now, you’re selling me short here, after all I did for you!” Fujiwara continued taunting.

“Tatsuma!” Kendo shoved at me, putting a bit of enhanced strength into it to emphasize. “You’re burning up the floor.”

I looked down and lifted my forelimb, only to see clawed footprints scorched into the floor. I took a deep breath, struggling to control my emotions.

I felt beyond frustrated at myself.

I was supposed to be past this. I’d gone to therapy and everything. I hadn’t had an issue in months. And now he could just waltz back and take that all away. It felt like I was right back to where I‘d begun.

“How are you here?” I spat out at Fujiwara, a bit of smoke escaping from between my teeth. “You’re supposed to be in prison.”

“Oh you know, just thought I’d come in for a visit.” He smiled, showing a gap-toothed grin. “A couple new friends of mine gave me a lift, and with them distracting everyone over at USJ I thought it’d be a perfect opportunity to come and say hi.”

“So this was all just set-up?” I asked, incredulity momentarily overriding my anger. “The villain attack, everything?”

“Tatsuma, are you sure you should be-”

“Don’t kid yourself, you’re not that important. No, they have much bigger fish in mind. They needed some extra muscle, and I needed a ticket inside, so I simply took the opportunity. But they’ve served their purpose.”

“So that’s it?” Yui said, pushing her way to the door. “You’re just here because you can’t let go of a childish grudge?”

Fujiwara scowled at her, but I didn’t see a spark of recognition in his eyes. He’d always been a terrible teacher, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t remember Yui. “Hardly. I serve but my own role in a much greater design.”

“And that is?”

“Ridding the world of fake Heroes, those who feed upon the hypocrisy of society, one at a time.”

“And you’re doing that by assaulting a school?” I bristled, leaning forward - when had I stood up?

“If that’s what it takes.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Fake heroes… you’re a follower of Stain, aren’t you?” Monoma asked, realization dawning on his face.

“What can I say? Life in prison has a way of showing you the way the world really works.” Fujiwara shrugged his shoulders. “I was illuminated to the truth.”

“How do the two of you know each other?” Tokage asked from behind me and for just that moment, I felt like punching her.

“He tried to kill me.” I growled.

“Tried? Trying to sell me short again, are you? I did kill you.”

“What are you talking about?” Somebody asked.

“It didn’t take, as is obvious.” He nodded towards me, oblivious to the glare I was directing his way. “But I did kill her. There was quite a lot of blood, as I recall.”

“Shut up.”

“And screaming, too. It was all rather pathetic.” He went on. “Do you remember it? That day in the park? I wasn’t planning on killing you, but then you went and broke my nose. You just don’t do that to a guy. So really, you brought it on yourself.”

“Shut up.”

“Tatsuma…”

“It was a sight to behold. One of the great and proud Tatsuma clan, with a proud tradition stretching back to the emergence of Quirks, choking in her own blood and screaming for her big sist-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” The entire blast door shook. Detachedly, I saw that my fist was resting against it, the metal around it dented.

I looked down at my hands, and blinked.

Clawed, scaled, massive.

Not soft, tiny and weak.

I took a shaky breath and then released it, smoke streaming out into the air.

“Tatsuma.” Kendo put a hand on my side. “Stop. Please. Calm down.”

“Why is he still talking?” Monoma spoke up, pointing at Fujiwara. “No, really, why? He has to have come all this way for a reason. But now that he’s here, he’s not even trying to get inside. He’s just talking, almost as if he can’t get insi-”

“Shut up!” With a sudden roar, Fujiwara brought up his hand towards him, and a horrible bang rang out. I closed my eyes, and for a moment I thought I felt a burning pinprick in my chest, but when I dared to open my eyes there was nothing. Only a small mark had appeared in the armoured window, and a hole in the opposite wall where the bullet had ricocheted off to.

“See?” Monoma looked a little shaken, but to his credit he quickly regained his composure. I didn’t think I could have, in his position. “That- that just proves my point. He can’t get inside. There’s nothing he can do to us from the other side of that door, unless one of us opens it. He’s just trying to provoke you into opening it for him.”

I recoiled as if struck, as the moment of horrible realization washed over me, and everything clicked into place, why he was here. It had been bugging me this entire time. I was a dragon with bulletproof scales, and we had already seen how that fight would go.

“He’s trying to get you into trouble.” Yui whispered. “He doesn’t need to kill you. If you open that door…”

Not only would I be engaging in vigilantism, I’d also be putting my classmates in danger. I’d be betraying the trust Vlad King and my class had placed on me. I’d be facing expulsion, or worse. That was what he was after.

“I- you’re right.” I bowed my head as i stepped back from the door, my tongue suddenly feeling heavy in my mouth.

“Coward!” Fujiwara howled, metal fingers beating on the armoured glass. His smarmy mask from before was gone completely, his face twisted with fury. “Come out and face me!”

“Why?” Pony piped up from where she’s moved to stand beside me. She almost shied away as everyone’s attention suddenly turned on her, but she straightened her spine and spoke up. “Why should she?”

“If you don’t open this fucking door.” He spat out, leaning forward. “I am going to go find the next classroom and kill every last little shit in there instead.”

“Everyone is already in lockdown.” I pointed out. “If you can’t get through our door you can’t get through theirs. You have nothing. No leverage.”

Fujiwara scowled, but said nothing.

Then, I heard a sound. Could it be…

I scrambled to my feet, pressing against the window.

“You failed again.” I began, slowly picking up speed. “You couldn’t kill me two years ago, and you can’t stop me from becoming a Hero now. That's all you are, a washed-up failure.”

I felt myself get angrier and angrier, streams of smoke escaping from between my teeth. He really thought he could just walk out of this with no consequences? Well fuck him. Might as well keep going, now that I’d gotten started.

“You can hide behind Stain’s ideology all you want, but in the end you’re just a petty, vindictive asshole who can’t accept that you and only you ruined your life and your future. You want to ruin my chance to become a Hero? Well you can’t, because I am going to become a better hero than you ever could have.”

“Don’t make me laugh, you-” Fujiwara began, but I simply raised my voice and talked over him.

“I wasn’t done talking yet. Remember that spiel about how Hero families have an unfair advantage?! You might’ve even had a point about that! But then you lost every little bit of ground you might have had to stand on when you decided to take it out on a thirteen-year old who had done nothing to you! So you can take it and shove it up your ass too! In fact, no, I’ll do one better, I’m going to fix it because fuck you and everything ou stand for. And, and-”

A cluster of translucent, shimmering red tendrils suddenly wrapped around Fujiwara’s hands, coiling around his fingers and binding them in place.

“-And I’ve kept your attention just about long enough.

“You-” Whatever he was about to say was interrupted as yet more tendrils wrapped around his face and ankles, yanking him off his feet, dragging him backwards. He slammed into the wall, more and more red liquid surging around him to form a cocoon that began to rapidly harden.

I sagged in relief; I was just about out of material. But it had been cathartic as hell to let it all out.

“Well done.” Vlad King said, stepping into the view of the blast door window. “You heard my approach?”

“I heard footsteps and hoped it was you.”

“I came as fast as I could, once you rang the alarm.” Vlad King nodded, glancing at the dent in the door. “None of you were hurt? He didn’t get inside?”

“No, sir.” Kendo supplied. “He tried, but failed.”

“He’s, uh…” I tried to figure out the best way to explain. “I know him. He was here to, well, he wanted to provoke me into opening the door.”

I glanced at Fujiwara, his eyes blazing with fury though his mouth was bound by a layer of hardened blood, and I saw Vlad King’s eyes widen widen slightly in recognition.

“We can go over the details later. At any case, the danger’s passed. You can open the door now.”

Kendo nodded and moved to open the blast door, but I stopped her. “He didn’t say the code word.”

“Really?” Vlad King said, raising an eyebrow. “At a time like this?”

“A time like this is exactly when it should be insisted upon.” I replied, doing my best to hold firm, hoping I was right. “You were very clear in your instructions, at any rate.”

Slowly Vlad King’s expression morphed into a smile. “Well done. Most fall for that.”

There was a moment of silence.

“You still haven’t said the code word.

His smile got fractionally wider. “One-one-one-one-three Beekeeper Trifecta Germany Epsilon Budapest.”

“Checks out!” Kendo said after a moment of consulting the folder, and I pressed the button.

The door groaned as it was pulled open, the dented metal grinding against the rails as it retracted into the ceiling. I had hit it very hard indeed, but Vlad King hadn’t been lying about it’s durability. The dent was shallow, and the mechanisms overengineered.

Vlad King stepped inside, his eyes taking in every detail. I felt like like disappearing into the ether as his gaze swept over the burnt claw-marks on the floor. But he said nothing, and eventually nodded slowly in approval.

“You did well, all of you.” He said, folding his arms. “This was not a situation you should have been expected to be able to deal with, not this early into your training. That none of you were hurt is the important part.”

“Um... I don’t mean to pry, but-” Kaibara began, only for Tetsutetsu to interrupt.

“If you feel the need to say “I don’t mean to pry”, you’re definitely prying.”

“I’m just saying, a villain just tried to break into our classroom. I mean, I think that’s a situation that deserves at least an explanation.”

I gave Vlad King what I hoped to be a pleading look. I knew I’d need to tell the full story eventually, or the others would fill in the gaps with their own imagination, but, just… not now. I had a feeling I’d have to revisit that day more than enough, by the end of the day.

“We can talk about it another day.” He said with a shake of his head. “For now, we are needed outside. The police are here, and your families have been notified and are on their way.”

“What happened out there? Was anyone hurt?” Pony asked.

An odd look crossed Vlad King’s face. “It was… a villain attack. There were no life-threatening injuries. That’s all I’ll say on the matter” He said with an air of finality.

He lead us into the same hall where the entrance ceremony had taken place, with the other classes already gathered, with one notable exception. 1-A seemed nowhere to be seen, and with Fujiwara’s mention of the USJ I suddenly began to develop an idea of what might have happened.

We settled down to wait, as the police called people one by one to different rooms to take their statements, though judging by the turnover rate it didn’t seem like most students had much to say. From what I could make out of the general chatter and gossip, the closest the others had come to contact with the villains had been seeing Fujiwara pass by, and hearing gunshots and yelling. All of which continued to further point towards 1-A as having been the target of the main attack.

Predictably when it came 1-B’s turn the interviews took significantly longer, which didn’t go unnoticed among the general student base. Rumors were already starting to circulate, as 1-A’s continued absence began to stand out.

When my name was called, I gave the officer a full account of what had happened, from the beginning of the lockdown until now, as well as who Fujiwara was and why he had been after me.

By the time he was done asking questions I was tired to the bone, and I laid down to wait, doing my best to tune out the chatter of the other students. Little by little the crowd was starting to disperse, as parents arrived to pick their children up. Thankfully, my classmates gave me a bit of space, and didn’t try to talk to me.

I think I drifted off for a moment, until I was brought back to awareness by a rush of noise. There was a commotion by the doors, and a moment later they were thrown open, two figures walking in.

“You might be the Number Ten Hero, but you can’t just walk into the middle of a police operation!” The frustrated detective yelled out.

“Watch me, and see if I give a damn.” Ryuko replied without so much as slowing down her pace, her gaze sweeping across the room. “Where is my sister?”

An instant later her eyes settled on me, and no amount of protests could keep her as she rushed to my side. I pulled Ryuko into an awkward half-hug, and to my surprise she didn’t protest, throwing her arms around my neck despite the dozens of eyes upon us.

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m alright.” I breathed in, taking in my big sister’s scent. She smelled of ozone and… home. “I’m alright now.”

Chapter Text

Interlude 1

Sekijiro Kan walked into Nedzu’s office, immediately taking note of the atypically chaotic state of the room. Stacks of papers were scattered across the table, alongside empty teacups.

The rat-like Principal himself sat on his specially elevated chair, animatedly talking into a phone with a half-filled cup of tea in his off hand.

“No, we will not be holding a public press conference until friday and that is final. Our first priority is to the students and their families. No, I am not open for interview, nor is All-Might. Yes, we will be reviewing our security protocols to be better prepared for future incidents. No, I am not going to make any further comments. Goodbye.”

Kan settled down, patiently waiting until the Principal finished the call, before clearing his throat.

“Ah, Kan, did you need something?”

He raised an eyebrow at the principal’s ragged appearance, but said nothing of it. “I’m here for the meeting. Detective Shinshaku should be here soon.”

“Ah, of course, of course. My sincerest apologies I have just…” Neezu blinked once, then twice. “Well, I won’t lie to you, in between handling the fallout of the USJ attack it slipped my mind completely.”

“Understandable.” Kan said, his expression neutral. “Artificial Humans, an attempt on All-Might’s life, children forced to fight for their lives….”

“A greater tragedy does not erase the lesser. What happened with 1-B could have been so much worse.” Nedzu said, adjusting his glasses. “If he’d gotten inside…”

“But he didn’t. Our security protocols proved adequate.”

“That’s the kind of statement I expect to see from you in the press release tomorrow. I want to hear what you think about all of this.”

Kan sighed. “What can I say? My students shouldn’t have had to deal with that on their own. They weren’t prepared or trained to come face to face with a villain. But I can’t help but feel glad that at least they weren’t at USJ. I’ve read the interview manuscripts, some of Aizawa’s students were seconds away from a painful death. Seconds.”

Kan ran a hand across his face. “But all in all, my class is doing as best as could be expected. No injuries, and while everyone was obviously shaken there should be no lasting issues, though I will be monitoring the situation. With any luck they will emerge stronger for the ordeal, having seen the face of villainy firsthand. But there is one of them that gives me concern.”

“Tatsuma? She did well in handling the situation yesterday, did she not?”

“Concerning the circumstances, yes. I could not have expected more out of her. Yet I cannot overlook the fact that she almost had a breakdown in the middle of the villain attack.” Kan sighed, rubbing his temples. “Academically and physically she’s been doing very well, but psychologically, what she’s already been dealing with, and now this… Nobody should have to have that much on their plate at once, least of all a child.”

“You fear she’ll crack under the pressure?”

“Only time will tell, but I fear she’ll find it all too much to deal with.” Kan nodded glumly. “She’s a good kid. She’s adapted to her condition surprisingly well, and she knows what she needs to do to improve herself. Just the other day, she impressed me when she stepped up to the title of Vice Class-President. It wasn’t what I expected, but I think it’s just what she needs. But we can’t ignore the warning signs either.”

“What would you suggest we do then?” Nedzu asked. “She is already attending therapy.”

“Nothing. We’ll continue to give her all the help that she deserves, but this is something we cannot do for her. But if things take a turn for the worse, we may have to start considering alternative options.”

“Dropping her from the Heroics Course?” It wasn’t often that Kan got to see the principal shocked. “From everything that I know of her, it would devastate her.”

“It would.” Kan agreed. “The hardest part of being a teacher is knowing when to let go of a student, even if it’s for their own good. But sometimes it must be done. I’ve seen it before. Just because I can understand what she’s dealing with does not mean I can ignore the reality of the situation. Our first duty is to her health and wellbeing.”

The two of them sat in morose silence for a moment.

“This is, of course, still just a hypothetical scenario.” Kan added after a while. “The first warning signs are there, but the picture is not yet complete. She deserves the chance to prove she can make it.”

-----

Ryutsuki Tatsuma was a tall woman, only half a foot shorter than Kan. She was the spitting image of her older daughter, with long white hair in a neat ponytail and sharp, blood-red eyes.

Nedzu took charge, greeting her with a curt handshake. “Welcome, welcome, Miss Tatsuma. This is Sekijiro Kan, and Detective Shinshaku.”

“Thank you for coming on such a short notice.” The Detective was a portly man with a thick moustache, a pair of ram-like horns jutting out the sides of his head. He bowed respectfully as he shook her hand.

Tatsuma nodded curtly. “My eldest elected to remain with her sister, as did my husband. Ryuuzaki was… a little shaken by yesterday’s events.”

“Absolutely understandable, though I hope to talk to them at a later date.” Shinshaku nodded as he sat down. “I’ll cut to the chase then, we’re here to discuss the events of the villain attack yesterday, specifically in relation to your daughter. Though it was part of the larger attack, a separate investigation has been assigned due to the sheer scale of the event, as well as to avoid it being buried underneath the events that took place at the USJ center.”

He looked around the table, but seeing that nobody had anything to add, he opened a folder and retrieved several documents, laying them down on the table.

“Katsuke Fujiwara, age 25. Expelled from UA’s Heroics Course ten years ago on account of disruptive behaviour, repeatedly neglecting to complete assignments, and failing the first term final exams. Moved on to an educational career, until he was fired from the position of Assistant Teacher at Himeji Middle School two years ago. Convicted of attempted murder and several lesser charges soon after. The victim of the crime was Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, a former student of his whom he viewed as having been responsible for his firing. She survived, but with crippling injuries.”

Kan noticed Tatsuma’s jaw tighten at the mention of her daughter, but she held her silence.

“Fujiwara was incarcerated at Rodia Penitentiary, and was logged with several incidents of bad behaviour and fights. Two days ago, Rodia Penitentiary came under attack by a previously unknown group of villains which we now know as the League of Villains. Eight guards dead and seventy-two convicted villains disappeared, all of whom were recaptured yesterday. As of present, seventy-one of them remain in custody.”

“Are you saying-”

“Miss Tatsuma, the reason we wanted to speak with you was because yesterday, Katsuke Fujiwara disappeared from detainment without a trace soon after his capture.” Nedzu stated grimly.

“You cannot be serious!” Tatsuma shouted, springing to her feet and slamming a hand on the table. “You lost him?!”

Kan flinched. “We have no concrete evidence, but we believe he may have been extracted by the League’s teleporter.”

“You knew they had a teleporter and didn’t properly guard him?” Tatsuma seethed.

“Please.” Shishaku began, bowing his head. “I will not seek to make excuses, but simply explain the circumstances. Seventy-two villains were arrested yesterday, as well as the creature that fought All-Might. Given it’s power we expected it to attempt to break out, or for the League of Villains to attempt to retrieve it, and so the officers on the scene made the call to prioritize it’s guard detail. We did not expect the League to risk their teleporter for the sake of the rank and file villains.”

“So what are you going to do about this failure?” Tatsuma questioned, still clearly furious. A thin wisp of smoke had slipped out as she spoke, dissipating into the air.

“That is what we are here to discuss today.” Shishaku said firmly. “We will, of course, be dedicating our resources to catching the League, but what we wanted to speak to you was about what we can do for you and your family, Miss Tatsuma.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“On two occasions Katsuke Fujiwara has attempted to attain revenge against your daughter, and we have no reason to believe he intends to stop. After direct physical attack failed, he attempted to get at her through indirect methods. The logical next step is to go after family. We need to consider the appropriate security measures and contingencies to ensure your safety.”

-----

“Again.”

The white-skinned Nomu lifted the prisoner off the ground with one hand before slamming him face-first onto the floor again. The first few times he’d tried to resist, but now he simply lay limp and took the blows. Whether that was because he’d resigned to the futility of struggling or simply couldn’t muster the effort to, Kurogiri wasn’t sure.

“Careful now.” He said to the only other occupant of the bar, laying down on a stretcher, bandages wrapped around his arms and legs. “The floorboards were just replaced last month.”

Shigaraki Tomura responded by throwing an empty soda can at his head, which passed harmlessly through the black mist. “You’re useless, you know that?”

Kurogiri elected not to point out that without him, they’d all be sitting in Tartarus already. Tomura was in an irritable mood, and it was best to leave him be.

“Can’t even follow simple orders.” The younger man grumbled.

“I did my best to retrieve the Nomu, but he was surrounded by twenty police officers and half a dozen Pro-Heroes.” Kurogiri explained for what felt like the twentieth time that day. “I was lucky to be able to retrieve the traitor.”

“Yesss…” Tomura drew out the word, returning his attention to his current victim. “Traitor. Such a nice word.”

Katsuke Fujiwara coughed blood onto the floorboards, his face a mass of purplish bruises. The Nomu had not been gentle in it’s ministrations, under Tomura’s instruction. His hands were still bound with handcuffs and encased with blocks of hardened blood, after Kurogiri had snatched him from a police transport.

“You know, I didn’t give two shits about any of you. You’re nothing more than bottom-feeding trash. The others, they failed, but at least they had the decency to follow orders and get captured trying. But you?”

Tomura pointed a finger at the man, powering through the pain from the gunshot wound in his shoulder. “You ran away. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? That you could just betray me and walk away?”

Technically he hadn’t noticed. Tomura hadn’t even bothered with a headcount of the thugs they’d recruited, it had been Kurogiri who had taken note of the disappearance and notified the other villain after their escape, which he had latched onto.

“I gave you the chance to participate in the greatest villain attack in recorded history, and you threw it back at my face. I don’t appreciate that.” Tomura’s features twisted into a snarl. "I don’t appreciate that at all.”

Before the younger man could go on, however, the video monitor mounted on the bar’s wall flickered to life, displaying a blank “Sound Only” notification.

The change in Tomura’s attitude was instantaneous. His flippant smirk was gone as he turned face the monitor, bowing his head respectfully. “Master.”

“Shigaraki Tomura.” An old, gravely voice sounded from the speakers, though distorted. “Have you given thought to my suggestion?”

“Yes, Master. You’re right. Relying on chaff like this is not going to work.” He said, giving a contemptuous glance to Fujiwara before returning his gaze to the screen, with something approaching reverence in his eyes. “I will rebuild the League, with real villains this time, stronger than ever before.”

“Oh? This is the man that has had you in such a frenzy all day? You took quite a risk sending Kurogiri after him.”

“Traitors can’t be allowed to walk freely.” Tomura sneered. “It would set a bad example for the others to come.”

“But of course.” There was a crackle of distortion that might have been a laugh. “Now, have you any candidates in mind for recruitment?”

“Yeah, I had Giran snoop around and he found two that I liked. The first one’s a real nutcase, but he killed three Pro-Heroes and was only taken down by Endeavour and Ryukyu working together. We’d need to bust him out of the deathrow, but that shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Indeed, it seems Kurogiri here is quite adept at jailbreaking! And the other?”

“He’s the one who killed the Water Hose couple years back. I think he goes by the name of Muscular, or something like that. Giran said he’d get in contact with him but it’d take a while.”

“I see. Both are quite excellent choices for recruitment. But tell me, Shigaraki Tomura, do you have candidates of your own? Giran cannot build your League for you.”

“Yeah, I have.” Tomura scowled at the scolding tone of the voice.

“I think one of the kids we fought yesterday might have had the right attitude… well, we’ll see. But in the meantime, I wanted to find and recruit the Hero Killer.”

“Oh? He would be quite a catch, but Stain is known for being quite hard to get a hold of.”

“Yeah, well Ku-” Whatever Tomura had been about to say was interrupted by a rasping voice speaking out down from the floor.

“...S-stain?”

Kurogiri was surprised Fujiwara was still capable of talking, with the Nomu still pressing his face against the floorboards.

“Y-you want to find Stain? I can- I can help. I can h-help you find him?”

“You?” Tomura said, sneering down at the man. “You’re nothing more than the trash of society.”

“I f-follow his path. I can lead you t-to him.”

“You’re one of his disciples?” Kurogiri asked, curious. The Hero Killer was known to work alone.

“What does it matter?” Tomura asked, clearly irritated. “He’s a traitor.”

“Come now, there’s no harm in hearing him out, after all the trouble you went to to bring him here.” The voice spoke out from the screen.

Tomura scowled again, but acquiesced. “Nomu. Bring him here.”

The white-skinned Artificial Human lifted Fujiwara off the ground with one hand and held him out to Tomura, it’s four eyes staring vacantly into the distance.

“Here’s how this is going to work.” Tomura said, putting a thumb onto Fujiwara’s neck as he hung limply from the Nomu’s grip. “You’re going to tell me everything about Stain and how to find him, and I might be persuaded to let you live if you’re useful enough.”

“How- How do I k-know you won’t just kill me afterwards?”

“You don’t.” Tomura replied, laying his index finger on the man’s neck. “You can always choose certain death by refusing, of course.”

“I-” Fujiwara hesitated, only for Tomura to lay down his middle finger.

“The question you have to ask yourself is, are you the kind of person who can do that?” Tomura said, bringing his ring finger on contact with skin, leaving only the pinky. “Are you ready to die?”

“Alright, alright!” Fujiwara yelled out, his eyes wide with fear.

“Didn’t think so.” Tomura leaned back, his cracked lips curving into a grin.

“I don’t, I don’t know how to find Stain.” Fujiwara began, before hastening to add. “B-but I know somebody who does!”

“Looks like you’ve had your stay of execution.” Tomura said. ”Let’s hope that your usefulness lasts.”

BEGINNING OF SCHOOL ARC END

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

“I can tell them.”

“What?” I asked, shocked out of my reverie. I’d been staring at the door to 1-B’s Homeroom, pondering whether to open it or run away.

“I can tell them.” I twisted my neck around to see Vlad King standing behind me. “I can inform the class of who Katsuke Fujiwara was, in as little or as much detail as you want me to. But after everything that has happened, they should be told something.”

“No. I’ll tell them myself. I don’t want them to-” To what? To think less of me for it?

“...I want them to hear it from me.”

Vlad King gave me a long, hard look, but eventually gave me a curt nod.

Everyone else was already at their seats when we arrived, and by the time Vlad King pulled the door shut behind him all conversation had ceased. Everyone’s eyes were on us.

Vlad King gave me one last look, probably to ask if I was sure about going through with this. I nodded, and he moved off to the side.

...If that was a test, I hoped that I’d passed it.

I walked over in front of Vlad King’s desk where he usually stood when giving a lecture, looking over the class.

For a few moments I felt paralyzed. I had the whole, undivided attention of the room. I don’t think I had ever felt that small as I did in that moment, no matter that I outmassed the rest of my classmates put together.

I shook my head, trying to get the unwelcome feeling out of my head. This was ridiculous. I’d done so much worse. I’d stood up to a horde of reporters, and those were way more of a hostile crowd than this.

...Those were also people whose opinion didn’t matter to me.

Fuck.

“Wednesday…” I began, forcing myself to start. The beginning was always the hardest, Dr. Kawaguchi had advised me. Once you get going it becomes easier. “On wednesday, we came under attack by a villain with the intent to kill or maim you for the sole purpose of getting at me. More than that, he attempted to provoke me into facilitating his attack, and nearly succeeded.”

Little by little I began to pick up pace, words spilling out from between my jaws.

“I do not enjoy talking about it, but considering the circumstances, I feel you deserve to know… why.”

I stared past my classmates, doing my best to focus on a spot on the opposing wall rather than meet their eyes.

“Well. I’ll try to be brief. My Quirk is called Horned Dragon, a Transformation-type. It allows me to shift into a rhinoceros-like dragon form.”

Yui and Pony already knew this, but a few others made a horrified gasp as they realized what I was getting at.

“The obvious question is, then, if I wasn’t born a dragon, why have you never seen me as a human? Two years ago, I had an encounter with Katsuke Fujiwara, the villain who attacked us yesterday. Well, he wasn’t a villain yet, then. He- he had a grudge against Heroes, and we didn’t get along once he got wind of who my sister was.”

I steeled myself, trying to control my breathing. In and out. In and out.

“He ended up getting in trouble because of it, and he blamed me. He tried to kill me… and I guess, in a way, he succeeded. Nobody really knows why, but after he shot me, I didn’t die. What happened instead was… I became stuck in this form.”

In. And out.

“No matter how hard I try, I can’t transform. Healing didn’t help. Mind Control didn’t help. Forced Quirk Activation didn’t help. Quirk Erasure didn’t work. For all intents and purposes, my Quirk is a Mutant-type.”

Nobody said anything. I could read a mixture of emotions in their faces, but nobody said anything. Were they expecting me to say something more?

Well.

I did have one more thing.

“I… also have an announcement for the class, that I’d like to make.” I began, taking a deep, shaky breath. “During the attack… I almost opened that door for Fujiwara. He could have killed or maimed you, because of that. You had to stop me. And that- that isn’t conduct befitting of someone entrusted with leading this class. I- I would, therefore like to resign from my position as Vice-President of Class 1-B.”

A deathly silence met my proclamation. Nobody moved a muscle.

Then, Monoma spoke up.

“I see.” He stood up, and slowly turned to look at Kendo. “I propose an immediate election.”

Kendo held his gaze for a moment, and then stood as well, nodding. “I concur. Tsunotori?”

Pony looked shocked for a moment, before her face shifted into an expression of determination as she took out her phone, tapping on the screen a few times. “Right. I’ve reopened the poll.”

“Everyone, cast your votes.” Kendo ordered.

I looked down at the small screen mounted on my wrist and opened up the chat room Pony had created, checking the results as they ticked up.

Only one candidate was receiving any votes. By the end it was nineteen votes to- to-

“The ayes have it, Ryuuzaki Tatsuma is re-elected unanimously.” Kendo announced.

I looked up from the screen. Not a single person remained seated, each and every last one of my classmates looking at me.

…

...

I tried to muster up a response, but though my jaws moved no words came out. In that moment, for the first time I wished I could cry as a dragon, because words alone felt entirely inadequate.

“Why?” I managed to whisper after a few moments of struggling with the strange tightness that seemed to constrict my throat.

“How could we possibly hold what happened against you? It’s like what Vlad King said, on our first day. We lift each other up when we fall.” Kendo said, her expression deadly serious, but there was a soft warmth in her eyes. “You have performed beyond anyone’s expectation as a Vice-President, and there is no-one we would rather have in that position.”

-----

Vlad King had given us a few moments to gather ourselves, before moving onto business.

“In three weeks time, the UA Sports Festival will be taking place. Despite what happened, we must move on and show the world that we are not afraid.”

Right. The biggest sports event in the country. Now that the introductory week was over we’d need to start preparing for the main event of the whole semester.

“The Sports Festival represents an immense opportunity for each and every one of you. The whole nation will be watching, and if you want to make it big you’ll have show the world what you’ve got. Pro-Heroes, managers and recruiters will all be following the event with close attention, and if you do well that can open the door to work experience spots and internships, and beyond that, job opportunities and marketing deals. Networking is critical, and you only have three opportunities to make an impression in front of everyone, so be sure to bring your best. This could determine the shape of your future careers.”

I could remember cheering for Ryuko on the TV way back when she was still in UA, and to be honest now that I thought about the media circus was absolutely insane, especially for the higher years. You’d have in-depth analysis by experts, betting pools, the full works. The first-year event was usually just a warmup, since the competitors were mainly unknown factors.

But with all the attention the villain attack had brought, who knows?

“In the coming weeks no expense will be spared in preparing you for this ordeal, but do not think that that alone can carry you to the top. You must carry the drive to succeed yourself, and Go Beyond.”

-----

“Man, I am just so PUMPED!” Yoarashi yelled out as we began packing up for the day. “The UA Sports Festival! I’ve always dreamed of being there myself!”

“No kidding.” Kendo said. “I don’t think there’s a single kid in Japan who didn’t imagine themselves in that arena.”

“And now we get to be there.” Shishida said. “It almost feels surreal.”

“Aren’t you excited?” I asked Pony, who looked a little glum.

“Yeah, of course!” She pulled up a quick smile. “Don’t mind me!”

I frowned, but was distracted by a loud noise from the front of the classroom.

“What the-” Monoma had pulled open the classroom door, looking out in disbelief. I glanced over his shoulder: the hallway was packed with people, so thick that you could barely squeeze out of the door.

But curiously, they weren’t crowding around our doorway. No, it was more like this was the edge of the crowd, with the target of their attention further down the hallway to the right.

“What are they doing here?” Tetsutetsu asked.

“Scoping out the competition, of course.” Monoma begun. “We-”

"They’re not here for us.” I interrupted him. “Notice where they’re looking? That’s the direction of 1-A’s Homeroom.”

Monoma blinked like an owl, absorbing my words, before his eyes widened with realization. Then his face twisted with an emotion I knew all too well. Resentment.

“Why? What makes 1-A so special?” He muttered. “Do they think that we aren’t a threat?”

“Monoma, they’ve literally been on the evening news for the last two days.” I pointed out. “They’re famous, of course people are going to focus on them. And they’ve got the Number Two Hero’s son in there.”

“We faced a villain too.” He said stubbornly. “And you’re the sister of the Number Ten Hero.”

“Are you… jealous of 1-A?” I asked, a little incredulous. “Because you really, really shouldn’t be. I’m not trying to downplay what happened to us, but they didn’t have a blast door between them and the villains.”

I tried to pick my words as carefully as I could, but I couldn’t help the small twinge of annoyance I felt at Monoma’s attitude. He’d never known what it was like to defend your very life against a murderous villain, knowing that each breath you draw could be your last.

It wasn’t something I’d wish upon my worst enemy, and for him to reduce it to a matter of popularity, of all things...

“Look, if you want, think about it this way. Everyone’s going to be looking at 1-A, and they’re going to be put in front of the media circus.” I explained, trying to appeal to pragmatism instead. It was clear that I wasn’t getting through on the emotional front. “They’re going to be the obvious targets, while we can prepare out of sight.”

“Hmmm…” Monoma said, and I could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. “I guess you’re right.”

“Glad to hear. Now, let’s get moving.” I said, pushing past him into the hallway, using my bulk to clear a path through the crowd.

“Actually, I think I’m going to go do some opposition research.” Monoma said, shaking his head. “Tetsutetsu, you want to come with me?”

“Yeah! I wanna see how tough these guys are!”

“That’s going to be trouble.” I told Kendo as the two disappeared into the crowd, elbowing students out of the way. “Should we go after them?”

“Mmm, Tetsutetsu is pretty hot-headed but Monoma should be able to keep him in check.”

“Well, if you say so.” I replied, though I didn’t feel all too confident. “Pony, you want to walk to the training field together? Yoarashi reserved it for practising flight, for the next two hours.”

“Sure.” She said as we walked down the hallway, the crowds rapidly clearing as we left the Heroic Department behind, though her usual cheer seemed a little subdued. “Can you just give me a minute, I have a call I need to make?”

“Of course.”

-----

Soon enough, Saturday rolled around. It was funny, how the award ceremony had felt like an insurmountable obstacle just a couple of days ago. But now, after everything, it really didn’t seem that big of a deal.

“You know, you don’t have to come.” Ryuko told me, sitting at one of the lawn chairs at our backyard, munching on an apple.

“I never did, you said it yourself."I sat curled on the grass across from her, devouring my own dinner. UA handled lunch, but we still had to maintain a delivery deal with a local catering company because there was no way our kitchen could handle the amount of meat I needed on a daily basis. "I am choosing to come."

“It’s just that after what happened, the media is going to be out in force.” She shook her head.

“Isn’t that the whole reason I’m coming? To experience it first-hand?”

“There’s a difference between acclimatization and throwing yourself in right at the deep end. We can do this some other day, once things have settled down.”

“For the next three weekends I’m going to be training.” I pointed out. “And then it’s the Sports Festival, which is only going to make things even wilder.”

“Well, I know when you’re past being convinced.” My sister sighed. “I’ll pick you up at six and we can walk to the venue.”

“What, you’re not going to arrive via limousine like all the cool heroes?”

“If you find one big enough to accommodate you, I’d be happy to. But until then we’ll walk.”

-----

The rest of the day passed rapidly. I stayed mostly in my room, avoiding the crew of technicians who’d shown up to set up security cameras, alarms, and the like.

Thursday evening Mom had sat me down with Dad, explaining what she’d been told at the meeting with the police, and Fujiwara’s disappearance.

It was… frustrating, that what we did had been so easily undone, but at the same time I wasn’t sure I could blame the police for being unable to stop a teleporter. It was just a mess, all around.

They’d also told me about the new security measures that would be implemented. There was precious little Fujiwara could do to me personally, but he’d already tried hurting me indirectly. The fact that we lived next door to Ryuko and her agency was a god-send in that we wouldn’t have to move to a safe house or anything, but there’d be a lot of new security measures and systems we’d all have to get used to.

True to her word Ryuko showed up at six, all ready to go.

“You know, I’m pretty sure it’s considered some form of cheating to use your costume to substitute formal wear.”

“What are you talking about?” She smiled, adjusting her claw-like head decoration. “This is a proper qipao dress, perfectly appropriate for an award ceremony. Besides, you’re literally naked.”

“Don’t remind me.” I grumbled. “It’s hard enough to not think about it as it is.”

“You know, it is a shame I never got to teach you how to use makeup.”

“If you think there was ever a chance of that, I don’t believe you’ve ever even met me.”

“I know you don’t care, but do you think Mom would have let you go in front of the world looking like you’d just rolled out of the bed?”

“She could try and stop me.”

The walk passed quickly in conversation as we approached the city center, drawing quite a bit of attention to the two of us. The location the ceremony was being held at was one of the fancier hotels in town, with a dedicated area for events like this.

Mygeeto Hotel was a huge, towering building, illuminated by spotlights lined along the walls. There was quite a crowd near the entrance already, with dozens of reporters and news crews milling around the barricades set up around the red carpet. I felt a chill run through me, my gait involuntarily slowing as we approached.

“I told you there was going to be a lot of media.” Ryuko said with a sympathetic smile. “Last chance to back out.”

“No, I said I’m doing this.” I said quickly, knowing that if I stopped to think I’d convince myself to back down. “Are you sure I won’t tear up the carpet? I mean…”

“Relax, the people who plan these events know what they’re doing. In a Post-Quirk world an organizer who can’t account for things like people having sharp claws doesn’t stay in business for very long.” She paused.  “Also, I called in ahead of time to make sure they knew you’d be coming.”

"Right.” That did calm me down a little. “Thanks.”

A little.

And then there was no more time for talking. The security took us through the crowds and onto the carpet, and suddenly all attention was on us.

They don’t matter, I tried to tell myself. All the people whose opinions meant anything were either not there or walking by my side.

It wasn’t working very well.

The camera flashes were blinding, and even worse than that was the noise. People reporting, gossiping and judging on every single thing, my ears picked it all up

“Is that Ryukyu’s sister?”

“Yeah, her name was on the UA recommended students list…”

“Can’t she turn off her Quirk?”

“Very disrespectful-”

I felt incredibly awkward as we finally reached the doors, and I ducked my head to fit through. The ballroom set up for the ceremony was even fancier than I had imagined, with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and glass tables laden with various delicacies.

It was kind of like being elephant in a china shop. Everywhere we went, there were important-looking people in fancy attire, and I constantly feared I’d knock somebody or something over with my tail. It was something I dealt with every day by necessity, with my size and weight I could break most things with just a misstep. But here the pressure multiplied manyfold, in front of so many people. Thankfully most people took one look at me and gave me plenty of space to move.

And then there were the Pro-Heroes. Dozens of them, people I’d only seen on TV before, here in the flesh conversing with one another or enjoying the available cuisine. Sure, nothing could quite live up to meeting All-Might, but it was still kind of overwhelming.

“Right.” Ryuko said, turning to face me. “So, what we’re going to do tonight is, we’re first going to socialize with the other Pro-Heroes a little bit, then we’re going to talk to the press, then there’s going to be the ceremony itself, then a little more socialization and then we’re done. If at any point you feel like you need to leave-”

“I won’t.”

“If you feel the need to leave, tell me and I’ll have the staff get you out via a back entrance. Remember, you’re only here for your own sake.”

“Right.”

I stuck close Ryuko, letting her lead the way across the room. A lot of eyes followed us, for obvious reasons, but there was one pair in particular that I recognized.

There, lurking on the outskirts, talking to some green-haired lady was Ryuhachi, also known as Ryuo Tatsuma, our uncle. He looked much the same as when I had last seen him ten years ago, though his scales had darkened slightly to an ochre green.

“Why is he here?”

“Who?” Ryuko asked, following my gaze. “Oh, Ryuo? I specifically invited him.”

“Why?”

“Because he can’t refuse without looking like a jackass. And if he does accept, I get to see him squirm when I get handed another award. He thinks Mom is a traitor to the family? He wants to yell at a five year old?” Ryuko’s expression grew sour, and I could smell a tang of ozone in the air. “Well, he can have a front row seat as I eclipse his every achievement.”

I just stood there for a moment, before hurrying to follow her. Never let it be said that my sister can’t hold a grudge.

Ryuko lead me towards a cluster of people, and I felt my heartrate pick up again as I recognized the faces. Miruko and Endeavour, the Number Eleven and Number Two Pro-Heroes in the country.

“Are there… are there usually this many Pro-Heroes in these types of events?”

“Hm? Yeah, pretty much. If you want to make it big, just winning a lot of fights won’t be enough. You really have to make good use of PR, because popularity plays a huge role in the Hero Rankings, and the Hero Rankings are everything when it comes to, well, anything.” She said. “I mean, underground heroes obviously don’t care, but for most of us rankings influence support company deals, marketing, teamwork, and just in general the ability to get anything done. And of course, there’s the prestige involved in the higher rankings.”

I nodded as if I understood, as we reached the pair of Pro-Heroes. Objectively I knew that Ryuko worked with these people and knew them personally, she’d even told me about them occasionally.

But that was entirely different to seeing her walk up to Miruko and pull the shorter woman into a quick hug, before exchanging a quick nod with Endeavour. I thought I was starting to get the point of how disturbing it was for my classmates when I talked about Ryuko so casually.

“...I want you to meet Ryuuzaki, my younger sister.” I tuned back to whatever she was saying.

“Oh! This is Ryuuzaki?” Miruko bounded up to me, snatching my claw into a vigorous handshake. “Your sister speaks so much about you!”

The Number Eleven Hero was a short but very muscular tan-skinned woman, with white hair coming down mid-thigh. Her most striking feature, however, were the massive bunny ears that extended a good foot into the air above her like horns.

“Um, hi. Nice to meet you.”

“She’s as shy as you were at her age!” Miruko elbowed Ryuko in the side as she stepped aside, causing her to stumble slightly.

I had met Endeavour only once before, and that had been at a distance, but it was impossible to avoid exposure to the Number Two Hero. His flame-mustached face was everywhere, from the news to licensed merchandise.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” He said. “My son had mentioned your participation in the Recommended exams.”

That seemed improbable given we didn’t really interact, but I had no cause to dispute his words. I took Endeavour’s hand and shook it as the man looked me up and down. I don’t know what he was looking for, but it seemed like he’d found it.

“I’ve heard good things of you.” He continued, giving me a firm look. “I hope to see you live up to them in the Sports Festival.”

Did… did I just get a compliment? From Endeavour?

“But at any rate, I had just finished my discussion with Miruko. I shall leave you to it.”

“Hm.” Miruko said as Endeavour walked away. “The old grumpy is usually more gruff than that. I think he likes you!”

I felt so confused.

Ryuko, for her part, only frowned.

“So your sister finally brought you out to the big leagues, kid? About time, too, with the way she keeps talking about you.”

I really wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“You’ll need to work through that shyness, at least.” Miruko boomed with laughter, clapping me in the shoulder with surprising strength. “A hero needs to be bold!”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I said neutrally.

“Ha! Take care you two, I have a bowl of punch with my name on it!”

After Miruko left several other Pro-Heroes stopped by to offer congratulations to Ryukyu, though I was thankful for the fact that Ryuo elected to skulk around seething instead.

Things continued at a steady pace for a while, Ryuko exchanging pleasantries with various Pro-Heroes as I hung back, aside from occasionally being introduced to new people.

Eventually a suited man came by, his name tag identifying him as an employee of the Ryukyu Hero Agency.

“Ryuuzaki, this is Hiroto Koizumi, my PR Manager. He’s responsible for managing my interactions with the media.”

“Nice to meet you.” He gave me a charming smile, before turning to Ryuko. “I’ve got the interview set up, the crew is waiting.”

We were directed to a smaller side room, where we were met by a tall blonde-haired woman with cat ears standing alongside a cameraman, both of them carrying press badges.

“This is Naoko Kurosawa of Channel Nine live here at Mygeeto Hotel with Ryuko Tatsuma, better known as the Dragon Hero: Ryukyu!”

“It’s my great pleasure to be here Naoko.” Ryuko was of course in her element, slipping into her role with natural ease. “I’d also like to introduce you to my younger sister Ryuuzaki Tatsuma, who decided to join me today.”

“Nice to meet you!” Kurosawa told me enthusiastically, as the cameraman shifted slightly to get me in the shot as well. “Is this your first public appearance?”

“...Yes.” I said, feeling incredibly out of place.

“Ryuuzaki here recently started her training at UA’s Heroics Course.” Ryuko smoothly took over from my stumble.

“I see, the classic tale of following in the footsteps of your big sibling. Can you tell our viewers what it’s like to be the younger sister of the Number Ten Hero?”

“It’s not something I think about most of the time.” I doubted that was the answer she’d been looking for, judging by her expression. “I just- she’s my sister. Her rank doesn’t factor into it.”

“Ah, so you’ve been able to keep humble!” She smiled pleasantly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s good, very good. Well, Ryukyu, we’d like to ask you some questions about…”

With that, it seemed like my contribution to the interview was done, and I certainly wasn’t about to butt myself back in. I hung back as Kurosawa threw a couple more quick questions at Ryuko, just generic ones like “how are you feeling on this historic night” and “is there anything you’d like to tell our viewers?”, that sort of thing. In a few moments it was over and done with, and we returned to the main ballroom.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It was certainly something.” I said, letting hold of the breath that I’d been holding.

“Hey. You did fine.” Ryuko told me, reaching up to put a hand on my shoulder. “I did much worse, when it was my first time in front of a camera.”

“Mmm.”

Ryuko was about to say something more, but before she could we were interrupted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Pro-Heroes and civilians, the time has come for the main event of the evening!” An old man holding a mic had stepped up on the raised platform dominating one side of the ballroom. I think I remember seeing his face before, unless I was entirely mistaken that was the mayor of Musutafu.

I’d never seen my sister pale that quickly, except for the time Mom found an empty bottle of hard alcohol in her room when she was sixteen.

“Wait, how can it already be that late? I still need to- I have to go.” She fumbled, looking around. “Will you be alright by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Right.” She pinched her nose for a moment. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Ryuko disappeared into the backroom, leaving me alone on the ballroom floor. Well, if there’s one good thing about being a dragon it’s that most people aren’t exactly eager to talk to you, and I was mercifully left alone for the most part. However, there was one face I was semi-glad to see approach me.

It’s funny. You’d think that looking down at Gang Orca instead of up would make him look less scary. It doesn’t.

It really doesn’t.

But at the very least he was familiar, in a way nobody here aside from Ryuko was.

“Tatsuma.”

“Gang Orca.”

There was always this little moment of awkwardness whenever I met somebody who knew me before the incident, where I wondered if they knew why I was, well, the way I was.

“My congratulations on your admission to UA.” He said, either oblivious to my nervousness or, more than likely, simply uncaring of it.

“Thank you.” I said.

“Tell me.” Gang Orca began, as bluntly as ever. ”Why did you cease attending the lessons at the aquarium?

“I- Two years ago, I was-”

“I know.” He stated. “I saw the police reports. What I do not know is why you stopped attending the lessons.”

“Because I couldn’t have fit through the doors!” I bit out, defensive.

“I see.” He said, folding his arms. “And did you ask any of the staff or myself whether there were alternative accommodations available for use?”

“I assumed-”

“But you did not ask. Do you think you are the only one to suffer from issues with nonstandard body size?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “But that is in the past now. Do you still suffer from Thalassophobia?”

“...Yes?” I said, feeling a bit of whiplash from the rapid change of topic. It was true that I hadn’t explicitly asked, but…

“Why are you asking me?”

“Yes, I still have it.” I corrected my statement with a growl.

“You have not sought treatment for it?” He went on, utterly immune to my growing annoyance.

“I… No. I have not.”

“Unwise.” He stated matter-of-factly, as he did everything. “Especially in this field of work. It is an avenue of weakness villains will exploit.”

I bit my tongue to keep myself from speaking out. He wasn’t wrong, but…

“The best time to do so would have been as early as possible. But it is never too late.” He took out a small card from his pocket, handing it to me. “Call that number anytime within business hours to set up a meeting.”

I looked at the card as if he’d just handed me a loaded gun.

“...Why?”

“Is it so hard to believe that I am trained and licensed to deal with such issues?” He said with a grunt, turning away. “They are quite important to me, as you might imagine.”

“No, I mean… why?” I asked. “You don’t work at UA. You’re not responsible for me.”

Gang Orca paused for a moment and then turned back around, his expression unreadable. “Because being a Hero is so much more than just fighting villains and waving in front of a camera.”

-----

I found myself a good spot to watch the ceremony, on the outskirts of the room, with my back against a wall. The crowd was starting to congregate around the main stage, but I could easily see over their heads just by standing up straight.

“...Please welcome, the Pro-Hero Ryukyu!”

Just as Ryuko re-emerged onto the stage, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. A woman wearing a press badge around her neck was making her way across the room in my direction, followed by a cameraman.

I initially hoped they were simply trying to get closer to the stage, but as they drew closer and closer it became obvious they were coming for me. And I’d just cornered myself between the crowd and the wall.

“Excuse me, I’m Yuuna Takenaka from Heroes Daily. We’d like to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

“I-”

“You are a UA student, correct? Has wednesday's villain attack and the failure of UA’s security shaken your faith in their ability to provide a safe learning environment?”

“No, I-” I began, before realizing the loaded nature of the question.

“You-” I began, annoyed, but she interrupted me again.

“Do you feel safe in UA’s care?”

“Yes.” She opened her mouth, presumably to throw another question at me, but this time I kept talking, raising my voice to speak over her. “It took the largest villain attack of the decade and a teleporter of unprecedented power to breach UA’s defences, and even so it was dealt with without permanent injuries or deaths.”

“What about All-Might?” She countered. “Do you feel safe under his tutelage, knowing that he is being targeted by a powerful villain group?”

Damn. That… actually wasn’t something I’d thought of. And the more I did think about it, the more complicated it got. Of course, having the Number One Hero there . But at the same time, if his presence was inviting attack and students were being caught in the crossfire…

I had no easy answers to that, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to form any in time to give to the reporters. But thankfully I did have an easy out.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about it, because we have people specifically trained and qualified to do that. I have full confidence in UA and my teachers, and whatever judgement call they end up making I will accept, because they are the experts with all of the relevant facts and experience.”

I saw the reporter blanch at the stock non-answer, and gear up for another shot, but I took the opportunity and pressed my advantage.

“But while we’re on the topic, wouldn’t you say that the constant media attention on All-Might and the fact that his presence at UA was widely reported upon despite UA’s attempts to keep it down were likely contributing factors to the villain attack? In fact, and you can correct me if I’m mistaken, but did the villains not use the media’s as a cover to break into UA for scouting? I mean, I am just a highschooler, but I think I remember something like that happening.”

That last part may have been a little much, but I wasn’t in the mood to be generous. For her part the reporter had the grace to look abashed.

“Let’s talk about something else, then-” She began, but I took the opportunity to interrupt her in turn.

“Sure, we can talk about something else. Like, for an example, how you’re preventing me from following my sister’s award ceremony, despite the fact that you’re ostensibly here to cover it?”

I nodded towards the stage, and without waiting for a reply I pushed past her and the cameraman.

I sagged in relief as soon as I got out of sight, feeling utterly exhausted. For a moment I considered taking Ryuko’s offer to leave, but I’d already come this far and I didn’t want to call it quits now.

By the time I’d found a spot on the other side of the room Ryuko was stepping down from the stage, the main ceremony already over. Her eyes scanned the crowd, easily spotting my massive form as she made her way over.

“What did you think of my speech?”

“Well I’d be happy to offer my opinion, but I was kind of distracted with having a mic shoved into my face at the time.” I told her.

Ryuko’s face fell slightly. “Let me guess, Heroes Daily?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll lodge a complaint against them. They’ve been going downhill in recent times, with rampant gossipmongering and paparazzis. If they keep it up they’ll probably start losing press badge privileges for events like this.” She said with a scowl. “That’s a big part of what I have a PR Manager for, to set up interviews and make sure the ones doing it know the right balance between just throwing softball questions at you all day and being obnoxiously pushy.”

“I don’t know, even that one we did just felt kind of… fake.”

“You get used to it, after a while.” She assured me, but I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. We fell into a silence for a while, before Ryuko broke it again.

”You know, I think I saw ice cream on one of those tables.”

“Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

For the next two weeks, we barely did anything but train. Of course we had to attend regular classes as well, but they were an afterthought compared to the amount of sweat we poured into training for the Sports Festival. And when the school day was over we’d simply press on. At first, I feared the looming competition might poison the atmosphere. After all, there could only be one winner, and I remembered Ryuko's stories of the eve of the Sports Festival, with everyone looking over their shoulders for the slightest advantage in the upcoming trials.

But to my surprise, that didn't happen. Most of it I could attribute to Kendo, organizing after-hours group training and gluing the class together. But the more surprising contribution came from Monoma. The blonde-haired boy moved amongst the class, offering encouragement and kind words to anyone who would have them.

Nevertheless, Foundational Heroics classes were always the highlights of each day, and today Vlad King had directed us to one of UA’s indoor training areas, a large room with a soft mat covering the floor.

“Today, we will be taking a step back and going over one of the more basic aspects of combat.” He announced as we gathered around him in a loose semi-circle. “For some of you this will seem self-evident, but you would be surprised to learn how many Pro-Heroes fail to grasp it.”

“Sir!” Yoarashi’s hand shot up, straight like a plank. “What is this aspect?”

“An excellent question. Allow me to demonstrate it in action.” Vlad King stated, turning towards the younger man. “Attack me. Use any means within your disposal.”

Yoarashi hesitated for a moment, before grinning and raising his hand, a massive column of spiralling air gathering above him.

Before he could release it, however, Vlad King simply moved. One moment he was standing there, and the next Yoarashi crashed face-down onto the mat, his arms bent behind his back Vlad King’s knee pressing against his spine.

“Now, can any of you identify the mistake he made there?” He asked as he got off of Yoarashi.

“He didn’t try to increase the distance between himself and you?” I suggested.

“Not incorrect, but not the answer I’m looking for here.” Vlad King said. "Why didn't he create more distance?"

“I thought you would use your Quirk.” Yoarashi admitted as he pulled himself to his feet, looking properly chastised.

“Precisely.” Vlad King nodded. “For many people, when allowed to freely use their Quirks for the first time in their lives, it quickly grows akin to a second pair of limbs. They become reliant upon it, forgetting that they have a perfectly serviceable pair of flesh and blood ones, and leaving themselves open to a more conventional attack."

"Not all of us." Tetsutetsu scoffed, pointing a thumb at his chest. "A long-range type like Yoarashi is one thing, but anybody trying to pull that on me would be in for a surprise.”

"Would iron skin help you get out of a hold, like the one I used on Yoarashi there?" Vlad King replied evenly. "Or take Kendo for another example of a physical Quirk, would her strength prevent me from picking her up and throwing her?"

"Well, no-" Tetsutetsu admitted, before folding his arms in defiance. "-but only if you managed toaaah!”

His face met the mat the same way Yoarashi’s had, Vlad King’s boot on his back.

“Like that?”

“I- You caught me by surprise!”

“I did.” Vlad King confirmed, nonplussed. “What of it?”

Tetsutetsu spluttered as Vlad King rose off of him.

“Catching your enemy by surprise is a great way to win a fight. Villains will certainly make use of it, and I hope that you will learn to appreciate its value as well.” He offered a hand to pull Tetsutetsu up. “Do you at least accept that there is a possibility in which you could end up in a hold on the ground?”

The gray-haired boy glared at the taller man as he was pulled up, but nodded sullenly.

“Then you’ll want to learn how to counter that kind of move.” Vlad King said with an air of finality, before returning his attention to the wider class. ”Never underestimate what a skilled fighter can do in the right circumstances, even without using a Quirk. Today, we will be covering Quirkless self-defence. In later lessons, once you all have the basics down, we will be moving into more advanced techniques.”

That all made sense. However, I was starting to see a certain problem with all of this.

“Kendo, Rin, Yoarashi, Tokage, Honenuki. All of you already possess a certain level of proficiency in martial arts or self-defence. You will not benefit as much from this training session, but you will take this opportunity to refine your skills and reinforce your foundation. The rest of you, do not be afraid to approach any of them for guidance.”

Namely, the fact that I was permanently a quadrupedal walking tank. I just didn’t really see what I was supposed to gain from a self-defence class.

“Kendo!” Vlad King barked. “You will lead the class in warm up and stretches until I return. You have ten minutes. Tatsuma, you’re with me.”

“Sir! Class, follow me!”

As Kendo led the others to start doing laps around the classroom, Vlad King turned towards me.

“I assume I won’t be participating in today’s lesson?” I asked.

“Correct. You will rejoin the class in the future once we start covering more advanced topics, particularly fighting larger opponents, which will double as your training for fighting smaller ones. But forcing you to participate in a Quirkless self defence lesson would be pointless, considering your situation and physiology. Here at UA we do not mold students to fit the training, we mold the training to fit the students.”

“So what will I be doing, then?” I didn’t think for a second that he would actually let me sit idle.

“Follow me.” Vlad King beckoned me with a hand gesture, starting to walk towards the doors.

“What would you say is the single greatest advantage of your Quirk in a battle?” He asked me after a while, as he lead me down a path through the building.

I was silent for a few moments. I’d say my Quirk is very well-rounded, but…

“My size.” I answered finally. “The advantage of reach and mass is very hard to counter. Engaging me in Quirkless combat would be futile.”

“Unless they had access to special equipment, or there were external factors to consider.” Vlad King reminded me sternly. “Never convince yourself of your own invulnerability, no matter how weak your opponent. But it is not a bad answer, though not the correct one.”

I shrugged.

“Flight.” He gestured towards my wings. “Three-dimensional mobility. That is your true strength. Many Quirks can be used to boost mobility, in a variety of ways, but true flight is surprisingly rare.”

I nodded in understanding. “If you can fly you can dictate the pace of the fight.”

“Unless the enemy has a ranged option.” Vlad King corrected. “On the ground, you can afford to take hits, but in aerial combat avoidance must be your first choice. No matter how strong your scales are, a good hit in the wing membrane will bring you down. Have you been trained in crash landing and impact mitigation?”

“Yes.” I replied. “It was covered in flight instruction.”

“Good. One less thing to worry about.”

We arrived at one of UA’s fake cities, a massive expanse of concrete jungle. Two people were standing there waiting for us.

The first was obviously a teacher, and I was pretty sure I'd seen him in the entrance ceremony. He was clad in a simple red cape with frayed edges, a cowboy hat and a gas-mask on his head, with a revolver holstered at his hip. The other was clearly a student, a short girl with long, light blue hair, some of it twisted into two horn-like spirals. She wore a form-fitting green jumpsuit, with spiralling patterns around her ankles and wrists.

"Tatsuma, this is Nejire Hadou from class 3-A, and Snipe, her Homeroom teacher."

"Nice to meet you!" The girl greeted us cheerfully, her voice seeming oddly familiar. She bounced forward, and without so much as a pause leaned down to admire my claws, running a finger along one's edge. "Do you sharpen your claws or do they stay sharp naturally?"

"Um. They grow inside out in layers, like a cat. The outermost layer periodically sheds away to keep them sharp." I glanced at the two teachers over her head, giving them what I hoped was a pleading look.

"Hadou, please remember to give Tatsuma some personal space." Snipe chided her gently.

"Tatsuma?" She blinked. "Wait, you're Ryukyu's sister?"

"Yes." You know, if I didn't love Ryuko as much as I did, I could see myself growing to resent her for this.

"We met once already!" Hadou said with a snap of her fingers. "We talked on the phone that one time! Remember me?"

Then it all clicked, where I'd heard her voice before. She was the one who had-

Oh wow.

I felt my head spin a little, struggling for something to say.

"You were Ryuko's intern, right? I never saw you at her office."

"Oh, she had some big family emergency soon after we talked, and had to cut back on heroics a little for a while." She gave me an odd look. "We agreed to go our separate ways, and I found a different internship."

And she didn't even know.

I felt a confused mess of feelings curling in my chest.

If she hadn't been there that day, maybe-

But she couldn't possibly have known-

If I couldn't hold it against my sister, then logically I couldn't blame her for what had happened as a completely unintended consequence of her actions. But even so, an irrational, emotional part of me whispered of what could have been, had she not distracted Ryuko that day.

Not for the last time I felt incredibly grateful for the fact that it's easy to maintain outward composure as a dragon.

"Oh, um. That's a shame."

"It's alright!"

"If you're done, we're on a schedule here." Vlad King reminded us sharply.

"Sorry!" The older girl said, without the slightest drop in her level of enthusiasm.

"The Third Years have been training just as hard as we have, if not harder- after all, this is their last chance to leave an impression." Vlad King went on. "Hadou here needs to practice her accuracy while you need to practice dodging, so we thought we'd combine the two lessons for efficiency."

"Um… how is that going to work?" I questioned, trying to think of the right way to put this. "I mean, I don't think I could provide much of a challenge for a Third Year."

"Simple." Snipe said, putting a hand on his holster. "You won't be fighting each other, you'll both be fighting me."

"Hadou's objective will be to hit Snipe while riding on your back, while you focus on avoiding his return fire. That way, he can adjust the level of challenge the two of you need individually."

"My Quirk allows me to control the bullets mid-air, making them safe."

"It'll be like a superhero team up!" Hadou cheered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked. "What if she falls off?"

“I can fly!” She gave me a thumbs-up. “I’ll just catch myself.”

“Why do you need me at all, then?”

“To make it harder on her.” Snipe replied, tapping his boots together, small fuel nuzzles extending from the sides. “Shooting from an unstable platform while both it and the target are moving and dodging in three dimensions, will be a good way of challenging her.”

...Challenging, huh. I'd hate to see what kind of training they'd consider "hard".

"So, uh, Hadou-" I began, after Vlad King had left to rejoin 1-B.

"Call me Nejire!" She interrupted with a chirp.

"-Nejire. What is your Quirk, if I can ask?"

"Oh! It's called Wave Motion, I can convert my stamina into energy and fire it out!" She raised a hand, and a small, blast of swirling golden energy shot upwards, reaching towards the clouds. "They pack a punch, though they're a little slow."

"Right. Hop on then. You can hold onto the vest straps." I really wasn't sure how to speak to Hadou. She spoke and acted like somebody half her age, but by every right she was the senior here.

"We can start as soon as you're ready." Snipe called out, as I lowered my head and Hadou climbed on, settling up near my shoulder blades.

Well. I guess that was that.

"Um, hold on, then."

I bounded forward, gathering speed before taking off with a mighty leap, beating my wings furiously to gain some initial altitude. I had no expectations that Snipe would go easy on-

A gunshot rang out, echoing across the cityscape. For a moment, I felt my stomach drop out, my breath suddenly constricted.

There was a slight thud, and a dull thump against my chest. I opened my eyes just to catch the flattened bullet fall off my chest scales, dropping towards the ground.

Oh. When had I closed my eyes in the first place?

"Are you alright?" Nejire asked with concern in her voice, and even Snipe had come to a halt, though his mask was unreadable. Humiliation burned my ears.

"I'm fine!" I tried to sound reassuring. "I was just taken off guard."

I wasn't sure how convincing it actually was, but Snipe nodded and kicked his bootheels together, activating the rockets built into them and taking flight.

The next time embarrassment won out, and I managed to just flinch, pulling myself into a quick dive that sent the bullet hurtling overhead, the bright tracer leaving a trail across the sky.

Rather than fire again, the trajectory of the previous bullet curved, coming around for another pass as Snipe exerted his Quirk. I waited for it to close before spreading my wings and arresting my dive at the last moment, avoiding the attack.

Once he was sure I'd gotten my head back into the game the training began in earnest, a barrage of shots coming my way whilst Nejire started shooting back, lighting up the morning sky with flares of energy bolts. I wasn't sure if Snipe had realized what had happened, but I suspected he had. He conserved his ammunition, firing sparingly and reusing missed shots.

They weren't real bullets, of course. For one they were too slow, and I was reasonably sure the impact I'd felt was that of a rubber tip. Not even UA would go so far as to shoot real bullets at a student, no matter how accurate they were or how bulletproof I was, especially when I was carrying another, presumably squishy human on my back.

Or so I hoped.

Nonetheless I was kept busy, as Snipe weaved his projectiles to and fro, and I struggled to keep up, trying to keep track of the small bullets amidst the lightshow Nejire was creating with her return fire. This wasn't something I'd ever practiced before and it showed: I felt frustratingly sluggish, furiously maneuvering to avoid incoming fire. Newton worked against me, as I struggled with my own momentum when making tight turns.

But Snipe knew what he was doing, and never offered me a challenge I couldn't have overcome. When I was hit, it was because I made a mistake. Nonetheless at least a dozen bullets grazed my scales as the morning went on, until eventually the seemingly unending barrage abated for a moment.

It seemed like Snipe had elected to spare me a bit of breathing room.

I finally had a sliver of free attention to spare to watch what Nejire was doing, only to drop my proverbial jaw. I didn't know what I had been quite expecting from her, with her silly exterior and seeming childishness.

But this…

The sky was lit by a blinding constellation of lights, energy blasts slowly spiralling in patterns of dizzying complexity. It seemed that knowing her attacks lacked speed, Nejire had decided to compensate with quantity,

At first it appeared as a crude machine gun spray, an attempt to substitute precision with raw firepower. But now that I had time to focus on it I realized that wasn't the case at all.

No, the spread and timing of her fire was far too regular for that, and an expression of pure focus had replaced childlike curiosity on Nejire's features.

I didn't have even a fraction of the concentration required to unravel the pattern in full, but I could gleam glimpses of it: an egregiously off-target shot that almost caught Snipe as he was forced to dodge in it's direction here, a slow-moving cluster of projectiles that came to be relevant a full minute later as the fight progressed there.

To coordinate all of that, while hanging from my back, adjusting for my own movements and position at any given time..

It was humbling, to see what even a Third Year Hero student was capable of, let alone a full Pro-Hero. It also highlighted how far I still had to go.

-----

Another day, another Foundational Heroics class. This time a theoretical lesson, and the soft scraping of pencils in paper filled the 1-B homeroom as we worked on a set of problems Vlad King had assigned us. Being that I was unable to properly hold and write with a pen I instead tapped my answers via a computer mounted on my desk, my claws clicking against the large touchscreen.

Explain the difference between Provisional Hero License and the full Hero License.

Whilst the Provisional License permits Heroics without direct supervision, it only does so for emergencies. It does not entitle the holder to establish a Hero Agency, become or take on sidekicks, or make commercial deals. It is also contingent upon remaining a student in an officially recognized Hero Academy...

As I was writing I heard Pony's phone going off, and saw her glance down, before giving Vlad King her best puppy-eyes look. He gave her a single nod, and she flew out the door like a missile, and didn't return even as the lesson ended.

“Is it just me or has Pony been acting a little off, lately?” Kendo said, setting down her tray on the table. Pony still hadn't come back from where she'd gone off to, and after waiting on her for a while we had to go lest we miss lunch ourselves.

"Define "weird". We've only known each other for a couple of weeks, for all we know this could be normal for her." Monoma pointed out as he sat down as well. He didn’t seem to have any particular group he hung out with, instead drifting between them seemingly on a whim.

"You know what I mean.” Kendo chimed in. ”She's been disappearing more and more recently."

"Maybe she's just having constipation." Tokage suggested with a grin. "Who knows?"

I knew.

I tried not to eavesdrop, but Pony underestimates how good my hearing is and I couldn't help but overhear a thing or two.

She had been making calls to her family, back in the US. Her birthday was coming up, but with the Sports Festival just a week away she couldn't afford to take the time off for a visit.

Pony missed her family and home.

And wasn't that just it. If it was something else, I don't know, but homesickness… how could I not feel for her?

I was mostly over it, I could never go home again. I'd accepted that it was impossible. And year by year, it got harder and harder to remember. But sometimes, a little innocuous detail could remind me of the life that I had lost. And what I felt then, I knew Pony felt now.

I wanted to help her, I really did. But I didn't know how. I didn't know what to tell her or to do to make her feel better.

And that, more than anything, was why I was considering telling the others. It felt like an intrusion of privacy, a secret that wasn't mine to share, but… they might know what to do. They might be able to help her where I couldn’t.

I mulled the thought in my head over and over as I munched on my lunch, but found myself no closer to an answer.

Eavesdropping was a bad habit I needed to get rid of, and gossiping didn't sit right with me. But I couldn't help but go back to those words.

"You will lift each other up when you fall."

As the Vice-Class President, and even moreso as her friend, I felt a responsibility to help her.

Maybe… I didn't need to tell them the full story? Pony's birthday was a matter of public record, and it was perfectly reasonable deduction to make that she was homesick. I hope.

Latching onto that idea, I examined it from all angles. If I told them only what could have been learned without listening in, then it wasn't really a breach of her personal privacy, right?

Right?

"I think she's homesick." I finally relented, blurting out the words before I could regret the decision.

"What do you mean?"

"Her birthday's coming up, she's probably just missing the US." I elaborated as the others turned to look at me, trying to look as nonchalant as I could.

"Oh." Kendo said with a note of realization. "Oh yeah, this must be her first birthday in Japan."

That quieted even Tokage, who seemed to have been lining up another quip, as Kendo's words sunk in. Silence reigned, first becoming discomforting, then suffocating.

Then, finally, Honenuki broke the ice.

"Maybe we should do something for her?" He ventured, ever the reasonable one. "We can't help her with homesickness, but we can try to make sure she knows she's welcome here."

"A birthday party?" Kendo leaned forward with a thoughtful expression, looking at me. "When is her birthday again?"

"...Tomorrow." I told her.

"Yeah, I'm not sure we could get a party organized in time for that.” She winced.

"Doesn't need to be anything big, just a small celebration with the class." Monoma pointed out. "I don't think Vlad King would begrudge us a moment before starting the day's lessons."

"Mmm, that just seems a little barren." She considered for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "Pony's a huge fan of anime and manga, right? We could see what's in the theaters, and take her to the movies. She'd probably like that."

"Yeah, that could work." Monoma nodded. "It's a little on the short notice, but we could ask around to see who's available."

"We'll also have to find out if Pony has any plans of her own that day." Honenuki said. "Don't want to organize an outing only to find out she can't attend."

"It'll work better as a surprise, though." Tokage replied.

"If you want to try to figure out Pony's schedule without her finding out, be my guest." Kendo told her.

"You know what? I will." Tokage bit back, folding her arms.

I followed the conversation I'd set in motion as it unfolded, feeling more than a little out of place amongst the back-and-forth as ideas were thrown back and forth. But this was what I'd wanted, right? To get the others to figure out how to help Pony, when I couldn't.

Of course, chances were it was always going to be something I wouldn't be able to take part in.

"What about the cake?" Yui chimed in quietly.

"That's right! We'll need to get something for her." Kendo said, turning towards me. "I wonder what kind of cake would she like?"

"I don't know."

"Well you're the one closest to her." Tokage pointed out. "You two are always hanging out when I see you."

"Like Monoma said, we've only known each other for a couple of weeks." I bristled. "So I don't exactly know her dietary preferences in intricate detail."

"Maybe instead of cake, how about apple pie?" Monoma suggested. "Pony would probably like that, right?"

"What, because she's a horse she must love apples?" I asked.

"What, no! Apple pie is an american thing." He paused. "I think."

"That's also a stereotype."

"We could just ask her what she likes." Honenuki pointed out, but Tokage protested.

"But then that would ruin the surprise."

“Guys, she’ll probably just appreciate the thought and effort put into it either way.” Kendo said with an air of authority, bringing the argument to a halt. "So. We'll organize a movie night and bake her a pie for a small celebration tomorrow. Any objections?"

"Just one." I raised a claw. "How exactly do we acquire that pie?"

"We could buy some from the store." Honenuki said.

"I don't know about that." Tokage argued. "Store bought would be kind of... impersonal, for something like this."

"Then how do we get some?" Monoma asked. "Do you know how to make some?"

"Well, no. But somebody here must, right?"

A moment of uncomfortable silence followed, as everyone looked around at each other.

"Seriously?" The question escaped my mouth unbidden. "None of you know how to bake a pie? It's the easiest thing in the world."

"Do you?" Tokage shot back.

"Or course I know how!" I raised my voice, eliciting a couple of looks from the nearby tables. "I just…"

I looked down at my enormous, scaled forelimbs, each longer and thicker than an adult man, and adorned with dagger-like, razor-sharp claws.

"...I can't make one." I said, morosely.

For a moment Tokage looked a little taken aback, an unknown emotion flickering across her face.

"Well, you have the knowledge while lacking the means, while we have the means but lack the knowledge. The solution is self-apparent." Kendo chirped, dispelling the sombre mood. "You can instruct us, and we'll do the baking."

"That…" Sounded like a terrible idea. But I didn't want to dismiss it out of hand. I didn't have to like it, but if it was for Pony…

That's what friends do, right?

"Well… I'd need to actually be there, to be of any real help. And I can't exactly fit into a normal kitchen. We'd need a place that's accessible me, and…"

And I knew of only one place that had that. Fuck.

"Well. We'd need to go to my home."

-----

"-just remember to clean up afterwards. Love you."

"We will. Love you too Mom."

I tapped the screen on my wrist-mounted communicator, ending the call with a sigh before trodding back into the cafeteria. I saw that Pony still hadn't returned, while Kendo and Tokage were standing a little way from the others, talking animatedly.

“-this isn’t about you or her. This is about Pony.”

I didn't quite catch Tokage's reply, over the background noise of the cafeteria, but Kendo's reply was clear.

“You don’t have to like her, you just have to put aside your stupid rivalry for a little bit. Can you do that? For Pony's sake?”

I was starting to seriously wonder if I should make a public service announcement to everyone that hey guys, I have super-sensitive hearing so I physically can’t help eavesdropping if you’re talking in my general vicinity.

...Maybe some other day. Instead I made my way back to the group, my heavy footsteps interrupting the argument.

"Oh, Tatsuma! What did she say?"

“We’re good to go on that front.” If I didn’t know better I could have sworn Mom had started tearing up when I mentioned I’d be bringing friends over. "Did you sort out who's coming?"

"Me, Yui and Tokage." The last of them gave Kendo a dirty look, but didn't contradict her. "Honenuki and Monoma have other commitments that can't be easily rescheduled. We also got Yoarashi onboard."

"It would be my honour to take part in such a passionate project!"

"Does he know how to bake a pie?"

"Um, no."

"Marvelous."

"I've been talking to the others and got them in on the plan." Monoma interjected. "But unfortunately there wasn't anyone else available on such short notice. I could try to persuade them, but..."

"No, it's fine. We'll be fine." I sighed. Past a certain point having more people would be more of a hindrance than a help, but it would have been nice to have at least somebody who knows how to bake.

I guess this was just going to be one of those days.

-----

“You know, it occurs to me that we never actually discussed how we were all going to get to my home.”

Kendo, Tokage, Yoarashi, Yui and I stood outside UA's gates, which had thankfully been vacated by the media. Eventually even they must have gotten bored.

With the afternoon classes over, hundreds of students were leaving the campus, streaming towards the nearby train station.

“Why? Just take a train-" Kendo began, before her eyes widened with realization. "Oh.”

“Exactly. I normally use the commute to go for a run.” I scratched my side in thought. “I could tell you the right route, but you’d still have to wait for me to show up.”

“That won’t do.” Kendo decided. “We’ll all go together. We can turn it into endurance training.”

"Are you sure? It's a fair amount of distance, I don't know-"

"Are you implying we wouldn't be able to handle it?" Tokage wheeled about, sudden edge of steel in her voice.

"No, I just-"

"Then it is decided."

The others looked ready to charge out at once, but Yui reached out and tapped Kendo in the shoulder. When the taller girl turned around she poked her in the chest of her pristine UA uniform.

"Don't you think we should change clothes first?"

"Oh, right!" Kendo rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Let's go for a change of clothes first."

A few moments later the others had gotten changed, and we set off. I lead the way, setting what I thought was a reasonable pace.

-----

Yoarashi collapsed with a groan, falling onto one knee on our front porch as he gasped for air. Yui looked little better, her typically stoic demeanour cracked by exhaustion, and even Kendo was struggling to control her breathing.

See, the law says that even if your Quirk is always on you're not supposed to be actively using it to perform superhuman feats. So no running around the streets at full tilt. But the thing is, while it's easy for law enforcement to spot somebody who's outrunning motorcycles on foot, how would you enforce restricting, say, superhuman endurance?

What I'd forgotten, after so long, was how fast regular humans tire. While it was only a light jog to me, the pace I'd set was absolutely punishing on the others.

I'd tried to correct it and slow down, but, well…

"Come on, get up, that was nothing!"

Some of them had taken it as a challenge.

Tokage had fared better than the others, or at least she was the best at concealing it. She'd egged the others on, pushing them beyond what was probably wise, refusing to slow down.

Even Kendo, usually the voice of reason, seemed to have gotten swept up in the spirit, with the Sports Festival looming so tantalizingly close.

"You think you can become a Hero if you drop from a bit of exercise? I thought you said you were hot-blooded or something?"

Yoarashi struggled onto his feet with obvious effort, swaying but remaining upright as he pumped his fist. "Right! I can still keep going!"

And now I had to deal with four tired, sweaty teenagers.

“Maybe leave that for another time? We do still need to actually bake the pie.” I ventured in an attempt to curtail their enthusiasm, shrugging the direction of the doors. “You can go back to training once we’re done with that.”

"She's right." Kendo said, rubbing the back of her head, seeming a little embarrassed. "Maybe a quick break before we get started?"

I would have frowned if I could have. It wasn’t as if I disliked the others, but my room was my space, where I could recharge and lay off stress. I had never considered that they would be sticking around for more than strictly necessary for the baking.

But I could see the logic in her words. This was going to be difficult enough as it was. And I'd already invited and brought them here. I might not be an expert by any stretch of imagination, but denying them would be very, very rude.

After a moment’s consideration, I shrugged and lead the way. The doors swung open as I approached, the recently-installed security camera recognizing me.

"Well. Welcome, I guess."

How long had it actually been since I'd had friends over? Yui had been my only friend growing up, and we never spent time together outside of school. It would have had to have been… I was suddenly painfully aware that I had no idea how I was supposed to act in this situation.

Most of the house was fairly normal, other than the raised ceiling and somewhat unusual arrangement of furniture to give me enough room to move around.

Not so much for my room.

My room was in fact, by most standards, rather strange. It was in truth less a room and more of a large chamber, with a raised roof and thick, reinforced walls. What furniture I had retained was sturdily constructed and bolted into the floor at the corners of the room, with the exception of the chair, but even that was designed to slide along the floor rather than topple over.

It was the one place where I didn't have to worry about knocking something over and breaking it with a misstep or because I wasn't keeping track of my tail.

"Well, this is-" Kendo began, but Yoarashi interrupted her.

"Now this is a proper lair of a dragon!" He announced, stepping further into the room. "It is so hot-blooded!"

"Literally." Yui noted, tugging at the collar of her shirt.

"You know there are adjectives other than "hot-blooded", right?" I asked Yoarashi.

"What a hot-blooded statement!"

I squinted at him. He had to be fucking with me, right? I could never tell with him.

"You have a dragon-sized computer?!" Tokage exclaimed, excitement seemingly overriding her grumpiness for the moment. "And a chair?"

"Yeah." I said, thankful for the distraction. "Being a dragon… kind of limits one's hobbies. I spend a lot of time online."

"Is that why your english is so good?" Kendo asked. "You've been acing that class."

"...Yes."

I stood by the door, feeling vaguely uncomfortable and unsure what to do.

Was this normal? Should I tell them to stop? Would that be rude? A million unanswered questions swam around in my head, competing for attention.

“What’s this? Kendo asked, looking at the large wooden bin in the corner. It was filled to capacity, a strip of metallic white material hanging over the edge.

“Oh. That’s, um, that’s where I put the waste after I shed my skin. I haven’t gotten around to emptying it yet.”

Kendo reached into the basket, lifting a large patch of shimmering white scales, about the size of a bedsheet. The edges were ragged, where I’d scratched the strip of dead skin off with my claws, but for the most part it was intact.

“There’s loads of this stuff." She said, looking down into the bin.

"I renew most of my surface area every few months." I shrugged. "Of course there's going to be a lot of it."

"What do you do with all of it?"

"We send it away with the garbage disposal. It doesn't burn so it needs to be sent to a landfill."

Tokage made a strangled noise, like she'd been about to say something before stopping herself. I turned to look at her, tilting my head in the universal "What?" gesture.

"You just throw it all away?!” She gestured animatedly towards the waste bin.

“I mean, yeah?” I asked with a shake of my head, feeling a little defensive. “What else am I supposed to do with it?"

Tokage made a frustrated groan. "I thought you were supposed to be the expert on dragons?"

I just looked at her blankly.

"Armor! You make armor out of dragonscale!"

"...I mean, I guess you could?" I ventured. "I don't know if it would make for good armor, though."

"Of course it would!" Tokage threw her hands in the air. "It's dragonhide!"

“Alright, tone it down.” Kendo said, stepping forward and looking up at me. “If you’re not comfortable with it, just say the word and we won’t speak of it any more.”

“I mean, I don’t necessarily have anything against it, I don’t have a use for the stuff. But isn’t it kind of… gross? You’d be wearing strips of my dead skin.”

“But it’s genuine dragonscale.” Tokage emphasized, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Do you really think anyone would mind?”

“Well, if you say so." I sighed. "You can have it, I don't really care."

Kendo nodded. “We'll take a sample for the Support Department and see what they have to say about it. We might be all getting excited over something that would be totally impractical."

Yoarashi and Tokage deflated before Kendo's realism, but didn't raise any objections.

Looking around the room I saw Yui looking through the cabinet built into the opposite corner of the room. It was a small thing, a glass door display I used for… a few memoirs.

"You told me about these once." Yui said, noticing my eyes on her. "You made them yourself, didn't you?"

The small plastic figures looked out from the shelf, cast in dynamic poses and waving a variety of weaponry in the air.

"I did." Another thing that Fujiwara had taken from me.

"Do these guys have chainsaw swords?" Yoarashi asked, leaning in closer.

"Yeah. Yeah they do."

"That is awesome!"

"Well, I think everyone is sufficiently rested by now." Kendo said. "We should stop imposing upon Tatsuma and do what we came here to do."

"I can tell you about those some other day." I told Yoarashi, and he reluctantly tore himself away from the display as I lead the group out of my room.

The kitchen wasn't anything particularly fancy, but it had all the necessary equipment. The table used to be bigger, but we had to get a smaller one so that I could fit past. I sat myself down, my tail and back half still in the living room, and began wracking my memories.

"Right, so, first we'll need the ingredients. Um, Kendo, there's flour and sugar in the cabinet next to the fridge. Yui, Yoarashi, we'll need milk, cooking oil, eggs, butter and apples from the fridge. Tokage, if you could get the baking powder from over the cabinet? Just, uh, gather it all on the table, we need to make sure we have enough of everything."

A few moments later the requested ingredients were piled on the table, and I inspected their findings.

"Yui, those are citruses, not apples." I squinted at the yellow fruits she'd gotten. "How do you even mix those two up?"

"..." Yui mumbled something that even my hearing couldn't pick up on.

"Just, um, apples are smoother and green-coloured. Yoarashi, could you get us some? In the meanwhile, we'll need bowls from that cabinet, and the measures should be above the sink, just get all of them."

Eventually, we’d finally managed to measure the correct proportions of ingredients, laid out on the table in order.

"Right. Um, Yoarashi, why don't you crack the eggs into the bowl?" I turned around to look at Kendo. "Alright, you can mix the flour and baking powder. What you'll want to do is take a small amount of flour, add the powder, stir, and then add it to the-"

"Here I go!" There was a loud cracking sound, and I whipped my head around again. Yoarashi had smashed the eggs with such force that half the yolk was on the counter, and there were shell fragments in the bowl, mixed in with the dough.

No.

Don't set fire to the kitchen.

No, bad dragon.

I was thankfully distracted by the sound of the front door opening. Mom said she wouldn't be home until six and Dad didn't get off of work until seven on a tuesday, meaning it had to be…

Oh.

This was going to be good.

A few seconds later, Ryuko walked into the kitchen, out of costume. She must've gotten off of work early.

"Oh, hi 'Zaki. Are these your classmates?"

I savoured the look of mental short-circuiting on the others' faces as they came face to face with the Number Ten Hero of Japan, in a casual shirt and jeans.

"Yeah. Yui Kodai, Itsuka Kendo, and Setsuna Tokage, this is Ryuko, my big sister."

"Nice to meet you."

Whilst the other stuttered out a response, I moved on. "Can you help us? We're having some trouble here."

"Sure." She said, rolling up her sleeves. "What do you need?"

"Show Yoarashi how to crack eggs. He's using way too much force."

"Got it."

"Right." I turned back to Kendo, who was looking slack-jawed at Ryuko. "So, where was I?"

"Uhhhh… the baking powder mixed with a little flour?"

"That's right. Then you add the mix to the rest of the flour. That way it'll spread more evenly."

-----

With Ryuko's help the dough progressed quickly, and I talked Yui through peeling and cutting the apples. It was… odd. I could understand not being familiar with baking, sure, but Yui seemed, well, she seemed like she'd never even seen food being prepared before.

After fifteen minutes or so the pie was all but done, with Yoarashi sprinkling on the last of the topping.

That was when we were interrupted by a loud, high-pitched beep coming from Ryuko's direction. She quickly got out her phone and checked the screen, her face falling instantly.

"I need to go."

"Go." I said, concealing my disappointment. "We'll be fine."

"It's, well, I'm not allowed to tell you." She said over her shoulder, even as she was all but running towards the door. "But you might want to turn on the TV."

"Right. Be safe!"

"Always."

She ran out, and I could hear her transform and take off as soon as she was outdoors. The others looked shocked, probably unused to the suddenness with which a Pro-Hero might get called into work.

"What did she mean?" Tokage asked.

"If it's big enough to warrant them to call in the Number Ten Hero like that, it's probably big enough to be in the news." I sighed, trying to conceal my nervousness. "Get the pie in the oven, set the timer for 30 minutes, and get to the living room."

Part of what had made Ryuko so successful was her ability to rapidly respond to situations over a large area. There were few heroes who were better in a fight, or could respond quicker, but almost none who could exceed her in both categories.

It had also made it hard for her to stick to a schedule, as she could be called in at a moment's notice.

But she had genuinely made an effort to improve in the past two years, making it clear that when she was off work she should only be called in for when there were no other options. For her to run off like that…

"Television. On. Channel Nine." I called out as we piled into the living room. The voice command had been a necessary addition, so that I could make use of the TV without having to try to fiddle with a tiny remote and ruin it with my claws.

The screen flickered on, rapidly coalescing into the image of a city, probably being filmed from a helicopter. Fires dotted the urban landscape, thick columns of smoke rising towards the sky as firefighters and Pro-Heroes alike struggled to contain them.

A running script was scrolling on the bottom of the screen, showing the words "RAMPAGE ACROSS HOSU". The reporter was saying something, but I tuned her words out and focused on the feed.

There, amidst the fires, were two figures. Massive, muscular forms, humanoid in shape yet distinctly inhuman in nature. Exposed braincase, smooth, rubbery skin, it was the visage that had been plastered on every news outlet for the last two weeks.

Nomu.

One alone had been enough to fight All-Might himself, and now two more were on the loose. The first, an eyeless, black-skinned giant, walked with a steady purpose as it emerged from a burning building into a park, smashing aside a tree trunk. The other was a slimmer creature, it's four eyes blinking rapidly as it scuttled about in the larger Nomu's wake.

Local Pro-Heroes were already on the scene, as a heavily-armored man used the vents in his elbows to propel himself forward, slamming a devastating haymaker into the white-skinned Nomu's face and sending it flying into a wall.

"That's Ingenium!" Tokage called out.

"You know him?" I asked.

"I used to live in Hosu." Tokage said, but didn't elaborate.

"His younger brother is in 1-A, I think." Kendo noted.

On the other side of the small park, a huge spectral bear was fighting the black-skinned Nomu, the vague outline of a man visible within. He raked the creature with his claws, but the wounds seemed to close as soon as they were being dealt, and a contemptuous backhand sent him to the ground with concrete-cracking force, before the Nomu raised a foot to stomp on his head.

We watched in frozen silence as another hero wrapped his tentacle-like arms around the monster’s other leg, just as a goat-horned hero jumped on its back while a third one directed a pressurized stream of water at its face. The black-skinned giant staggered and fell with a crash, and the ghostly bear scrambled to his feet, but it was a small victory at best.

The Nomu was already getting back up, none worse for the wear. The camera suddenly swung around to focus on Ingenium, desperately evading the white-skinned Nomu's tongue which had grown to grotesque proportions, outsizing the creature itself.

It was clear that the heroes were outmatched. But even so…

“Is it just me, or do these Nomu seem kind of… weak?” The others turned to look at me. “I mean, not to put down the efforts of any of these Heroes, but the Nomu was supposedly able to fight All-Might. They should have been squashed flat, already.”

"You're not wrong." Kendo admitted. "I hate to say it, but these Heroes are not on the level of All-Might."

More and more Heroes were arriving to fight the Nomu or help combat the spreading fires, many of them possessing flight or speed type Quirks.

"They must be calling in every rapid-response Hero available.”

Suddenly a spiralling blast of flame lit up the sky in the distance, illuminating the evening sky. Once again the camera swung about, focusing on a pair of figures fighting on the rooftops.

One was unmistakable, the fire-wreathed form of the Number Two Hero, Endeavour. Opposite to him was another man, wrapped in long strips of cloth, wielding a shortsword as he dodged the Flame Hero's Hellfire.

He was more known to the general public by reputation, but I'd recently looked him up in more detail, and what I saw matched the blurry photos I'd seen in old news articles.

"Is that… Stain?"

"Yeah." I swallowed, my tongue suddenly feeling like lead in my mouth. "It is."

The Hero Killer was there, fighting alongside the League.

We watched in grim silence as the two disappeared into an alleyway, though the light of Endeavour's fires was still visible. Almost unbidden, my mind went back to that day two weeks ago.

"You're a follower of Stain, aren't you?"

That couldn't possibly be a coincidence. It just could not.

Back in the park, the battle was going poorly. Nothing the heroes could throw at the black-skinned Nomu seemed to do more than slow it down, but they had nowhere to retreat to, lest they allow it to attack the firemen struggling to pump water into a burning building at the edge of the plaza. Even the news reporter had fallen quiet, following the battle unfolding below.

The ghostly bear was thrown across the entire clearing as it sought to bar its path, the ethereal shape flickering out. The man within didn't get up.

Then, a familiar shadow passed overhead, and suddenly I knew that they would be alright.

Ryuko in her full dragon form landed on the black Nomu like a meteor, cracks snaking across the concrete as she slammed it into the ground with a mighty crash. A cloud of dust was kicked up, but by the time it cleared the Nomu was back on its feet, swinging wildly at its assailant.

Despite her size Ryuko dodged gracefully before biting down, fangs sinking into black flesh as she yanked back, pulling the Nomu forward. It's footing lost, she lifted it bodily into the air and hurled it across the street with a twist of her neck, away from the firefighters.

Yet still the creature was undaunted as it stood right back up again, the wounds left by Ryuko's teeth visibly healing until they disappeared entirely.

She yelled something at the other Pro-Heroes, though the news helicopter was far too distant to capture her words, but they took off to assist Ingenium with the other Nomu, while Ryuko faced the black-skinned one.

However, rather than attack her, it instead turned around and began plodding towards the firefighters again.

"It's just attacking indiscriminately?"

Wasting no time Ryuko sprang forward, and as soon she closed the distance the Nomu wheeled about, and met her scaled punch with one of its own, the street shaking from the shockwave of their clash.

"Yeah.” Kendo nodded. “It seems to be just attacking whatever's nearest."

Out in the distance, the other Heroes had gone to help Ingenium, even as the speedster struggled with the white-skinned Nomu. It had grown vastly in size, huge muscles bulging underneath it's skin as it swung wildly at its opponent.

Ingenium dodged again and again, narrowly avoiding the massive fists that cratered concrete with every blow, even as the other heroes rained fire on it from afar. But every attack they threw at it, it could seemingly throw back, absorbed into it's skin and reflected towards the source.

“Why doesn’t he put more distance between them?” Yui asked quietly. “He’s so much faster, he should be leading it around.”

“It’s like Tokage said, it is simply attacking whoever’s closest.” Yoarashi said, gritting his teeth as he leaned closer to the screen. “He cannot risk losing its attention, or it’ll go after the rescue workers.”

Ingenium darted in close once more, but this time the Nomu extended it’s huge, multi-branched tongue, swinging it towards the Turbo Hero. So close, there was no way he could dodge in time.

Suddenly, blue flames spat out of the exhaust pipes, and he rocketed forward far faster than before, grabbing a hold of the tongue as he went soaring over the Nomu's shoulder. The monster was yanked from its feet, dragged into the air behind Ingenium. Engines howling with exertion, he swung the Nomu by its tongue, smashing it against the street like he was wielding some grotesque flail. The impact sent shudders across the pavement, kicking up a cloud of dust. Ingenium's engines sputtered and died, smoke streaming out of the exhausts as he fell, only for one of the newly-arrived heroes to catch him. The others watched the white Nomu with apprehension, but it seemed like the Turbo Hero's final attack had been enough, and it stayed down.

The camera swung back to the other Nomu and Ryuko, on the other side of the plaza. She had pinned the Nomu down, her massive claws holding each of its arms in a firm grip. Yet, seemingly mindless determination drew the creature forward.

It began pushing itself up, twisting its own arm in the process. With a disgusting rip it came off entirely at the shoulder, revealing a mass of red flesh beneath the black, rubbery skin. Within seconds the stump began writhing, new muscles and bone pushing out to form a new arm.

The Nomu rammed it's barely-reformed fist into Ryuko's face with such force that the huge dragon staggered from the impact. It wrapped it's massive fingers around her throat, squeezing with both hands in an attempt to choke her.

She replied by simply raising on her hind legs, lifting the Nomu clean off the ground. It’s footing broken, she slammed it down again, headbutting it into the concrete so hard that it formed a crater.

Before it could get back up again Ryuko sunk her jaws into the Nomu's shoulder and yanked to the side, swinging around to gather momentum before tossing it high into the air, sending theit flying almost directly upwards, well away from the helicopter.

"What is she doing?"

"She's getting it into a position where she can use her most powerful attack without having to worry about collateral damage." I'd seen her use this move before on many occasions.

Ryuko followed the Nomu into the air, spinning around to slap it with her tail and sending it ever higher. She beat her wings, coming to a halt as she opened her jaws, revealing rows of dagger-like fangs.

"Is she going to-"

"Yes."

Just as the Nomu reached the apex of its flight and gravity began pulling it back down towards the ground, there was a clap of thunder. The sky was split by a gigantic arc of lighting flashing between Ryuko's throat and the Nomu, passing through it and into the clouds beyond. It persisted for several seconds, twisting and crackling as the Nomu howled.

A few moments later its charred hulk crashed into the pavement, streams of smoke rising from its surface.

It didn't get up again.

With both of the Nomu down, the tension slowly seemed to unwind as we leaned away from the screen, trying to process the events that had just taken place.

No matter which way I looked at it, I saw the connection. Fujiwara. Stain. The League of Villains. There had to be something there.

I just didn't know what it was, or what to do about it. But it kept eating at me, gnawing at the back of my mind.

"Your sister is awesome." Yoarashi finally said, breaking the silence and shaking me out of my thoughts.

"She is." I said, grateful for something else to think about. "Ryuko is the one who taught me all I know about being a Hero. I owe her everything, for being here."

"Don't put yourself down!" Yoarashi said, clapping a hand to my shoulder, as best as he could considering our size difference. "It was your own labour that brought you to this point! Others may stoke it, but only you can light the fire within you!"

"Even so, it was her recommendation that got me to UA." I told him. “She staked her reputation on me.”

From the corner of my eye I saw Tokage giving me an odd look, but she said nothing.

"...Is this you?" Kendo asked, looking at a cabinet off to the side of the room. There were a couple pictures of me. You know, before. She was looking at one of them, a picture from when I'd graduated Grade School, standing side by side with Ryuko.

I nodded.

"You look… nothing like what I imagined, and yet exactly like yourself." She commented.

I shrugged my shoulders, unsure what to say.

"Do you ever miss it?"

…

“Kendo.” Yui spoke up, a note of reproach in her voice.

I shrugged again, helplessly. I had accepted I wasn't getting my human body back, so what's the point of reminiscing about it? All it does is… make you feel sad.

The doctors had two theories as to the cause. The first was that it was physiological, that my body had died and there was nothing to shift back into. The other possibility was that the barrier was psychological in nature, created by my trauma at the hands of Fujiwara.