Everywhere he looked, the fire seemed to spread endlessly. It snaked around him, blocking off any other possible exits he could've considered taking. He hadn't seen any of his family on his way towards the exit but it didn't help that there was a choking smoke already forming when he woke out of bed.

Regardless, his options were out now. He was trapped and with nowhere to go, he was terrified. He didn't know how all of this started, but all he remembered upon waking up was this maniacal laugh reaching him through all the smoke. It shook him to the very core, how purely evil it sounded. He hadn't heard any other sound except for the burning of wood and blazing fires.

Even so, he was confused. Why hadn't anyone showed up yet? Surely a fire of this proportion would attract someone, right?

A sound from his left shocked him into a defensive position, hoping to not be caught off guard.

However, he did not expect to see his older sister jumping over the fire to reach him from her elevated surface.

"Onee-chan!" he shouted.

She quickly made her way to him and enveloped him into a heartfelt hug, basking in this short moment of peace they had together.

"Thank God you're still okay," she said relieved to see someone.

"Where's mama and papa?"

A silence followed, the look on her face one of grief.

"I murdered them."

They both looked up in shock to see a shadowed man walk through the fire, completely unharmed, and looking at them with a sick smile on his face.

She positioned him behind her, trying to protect her brother from the man.

"Go!" she yells at him. "Run away! I'll stall him for you! Just go get some help please!"

The man watches the exchange, a look of boredom on his face. Deciding he had seen enough, he makes his move.

"Sorry, but no one is gonna leave here alive" he said, getting the two's attention as he created a fireball in his hand before launching it at the boys back, igniting him instantly. Immediately, he cried out in pain as the fire scorched away at his skin. The boy was starting to lose consciousness as his eyesight started to fade. However, before he went under, he could clearly see his sister's pure fear on her face as she screamed his name as he went unconscious.

9 Years Later

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The steady hands of a clock are all that is heard in a certain UA room as two figures sit in silence, both heavily engrossed in their chess game.

The first figure is not easily describable, as he has the features that many would associate with a dog, or a mouse, or even a bear, but actually he was UA principal. His face sports a confident grin as he sees the other figure struggle with keeping up with him in their game.

The other figure, was seated in his chair, his medium length brown hair pushed back so it didn't irritate his brown iris eyes, which were busy scouting the board. His physique was not one of a muscle fighter of any means, but rather one more fit for speed over brawn. A slight frown marred his face as he viewed the board, looking for any option available.

A few more seconds passed in silence before the male sighed.

"No matter what move I take, I lose in five. I can never seem to win against you Nezu."

"I'm sure within a few years, you'll be able to win against me. You already showed an improvement from our last game, Shinji," Nezu said with a cherry smile on his face, looking at the boy.

"And I'm sure whatever countermeasures I come up with for our next game will be thoroughly stomped out before we even start," the boy said with a resigned sigh.

Nezu laughed, before standing up and pouring a cup of tea for himself.

"Even if you do know how our next game will go, it would still be a learning experience for you."

Shinji stood up as well, stretching before walking to his bag that he brought with him before putting his belongings away.

"That is true," Shinji said. "I still have to prove that your recommendation wasn't wasted on me."

That's right. While in the past, UA only allowed for four students to come in on recommendations, principal Nezu had surprised everyone by saying that he would be recommending a fifth student personally.

Naturally, everyone was curious as to who could have captured the principal's attention to issue a new recommendation spot of course. But Nezu wouldn't budge, saying that the boy wouldn't be revealed until the first day of school, thus ending the meeting.

Shinji was special as his quirk was nothing breathtaking or flashy. It was just called candy. It allowed him to simply create a candy he wanted by exchanging the calories in his body for the makeup of said candy. However, Shinji wasn't noticeable for his quirk, but rather, his vast intellect. He had aced everything during his time in school and could usually be seen with an advanced book in his hands.

Maybe that was why Nezu was drawn to him. They both shared a natural intellect that they matured through hard study and practice, both eager to learn at any notice.

Of course, he didn't just get into UA on knowledge alone. Shinji was a self-taught fighter, using quick agility to get the advantage on his fighter. He was a force to be reckoned with to be sure.

After all was set up and back to the way it was before he got there, he bid goodbye to Nezu before taking his leave. Tomorrow was his first day at UA and he would work hard to become an amazing hero.

He would make sure of that.