Chapter two: Warren Stone

Although the food was good, "Kiki's Restaurant & Bar" was special for more than this reason alone. It had survived the trial of time and it was very popular, especially by El Paso locals. A local hero had married the owner of the restaurant a few generations ago. Although the hero lineage became history, the locals kept its memory alive.

Warren Stone both loved the restaurant history and food. Of course, he wasn't allowed to drink alcohol yet but it was one of his favorite place in El Paso. He was brought here to celebrate his admission to the Hope Institute and for the occasion, his parents had reserved the whole restaurant for themselves!

The "Sand Castle" hero association was not the greatest one but their speciality made them unique in the South part of the USA. Not only they had lots of patrols to do but they also owned the entire White Sands National Monument. In term of influence, this hero association covered Arizona, Texas and New Mexico.

Their signature quirk was called " Sand Body". This quirk would absorb the minerals through their feet and their hands, changing their lower body and their arms into sand. It also allowed them to control the earth around them. It was easier with sand and becoming increasingly difficult the less granulated the earth around was. Controlling small pebble was still possible but larger rock was very difficult. It made this quirk almost unbeatable in deserts setting. Although Warren quirk was somewhat similar, it actually mutated. Not only he didn't need to touch sand with his feet, he could change his whole body into a blue sand elemental with a simple thought! Not only that but it also contained a powerful soporific agent!

Even if in the USA you could become a good hero with a non-flashy quirk, there was also less chances for you to reach the top. A hero who was powerful and unique would have chance to be recognized by the public. Such recognition was always good for the hero business as well as increasing your influence. Toy companies could even sell toys and other merchandise of yourself if you were popular enough in the whole United States of America. Even if it was just increasing the reputation of the Sand Castle hero association for the locals, having a flashy powerful quirk would help them remain deeply rooted in their own sphere of influence.

Warren's quirk appeared when he was three year old and he was, of course, trained by his family who, slowly but surely, trained him with his quirk. It was soon evident however that his quirk wouldn't develop the same way as theirs. Even though he could work in the family business, they realized that he wouldn't be able to shine as much as his two brothers when in the desert.

They didn't loved him less for it however but they encouraged him in expending his views. It was fortunate that Warren was at ease everywhere and didn't mind being away from home. He also had being fascinated by other heroes and he grew up wanting to be just like them. Most hero's story came from urbans areas, where crime was more abundant. Over the years, it was apparent that Warren Stone would love to make a name for himself in a big city and become part of a great hero agency or a popular hero team to make a name for himself.

However, his gentle and layback attitude made it hard for him to be seeing as hero material. He was sleeping easily ten if not twelve hours per night. Maybe it was because of his quirk but he was extremely hard to awake during his sleeping period. And during the day, ever since young, he had being addicted to soda. As a young teen, it became energy drinks and coffee. Although not narcoleptic, he was always a bit difficult for him to concentrate during his classes. He soon became homeschooled where professional tutors helped him overcome such difficulties. For his family, it was a small sacrifice seeing how Warren was willing to compensate over his own flaws during his tutoring.

In the end, Warren's efforts had pay off. Soon he would head to the Hope Institute where his new life would begin. He was incredibly excited... which was only shown because of a permanent smile on his face. He didn't get a recommendation but he wasn't worried too much about it. He had confidence with his family training, he would be able to beat others who didn't have such background. There was others like him too and most of them were successful in the entrance exams.

The whole family celebrated joyfully the whole evening. They sang, laugh and everyone had a nice time. Warren family were all close and when there was alcohol, they would be even more cheerful than usual. A few days later, Warren packed only the bare necessities. He took the plane with one of his brother to go to the Hope Institute...

Warren slept during the whole flight of course. His brother, during the flight, couldn't help but wonder if he would really be able to adjust to the Hope Institute once he get there. He shrugged, shoving such thoughts on the side. The world of heroes had a lot of colorful characters so it should be ok.

When the plane landed, Warren was smiling, having a good dream... He was already dreaming of the wonderful school life he would join!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The second character have finally be introduced! As I was writing this, the latest Hero Academia chapter showed someone with a sand type quirk. I had to make sure the America version of that quirk was different lol! Also, the El Paso restaurant I mentioned truly exist. I chose that one because of its location and good reviews... but also because the nickname of one of my friends is "Kiki" lol!