My parents held me the entire time I cried, their arms and bodies exuding love. They cried with me and whispered words of encouragement into my ears as I wept. Most of their words were drowned out by my hiccupping sobs, but their loving and soothing tone was enough to gradually calm me down. Nearly three hours later I sat on the couch with my parents, a mug of hot tea in my hands. I felt exhausted, dehydrated, and utterly spent. But at the same time, I felt cleansed. Sometimes all you really need is a good cry.

Once I had finished crying, I told my parents all about the attack. The villains showing up, getting teleported to the Squall zone, fighting Zyo and Ryuketsu, the wolf, saving Bakugou, and passing out. I also told them that Recovery Girl had healed me and had saved my hands and shoulder, as well as my life. They didn't speak the entire time I told my story, and when I was done they maintained their silence. After a few moments my dad got up, made me tea, then sat back down.

I took a few sips, then set the mug down and looked at my parents expectantly. My mom was the first the break the silence.

"Kokuree…" She began, speaking so softly it was nearly a whisper. "I...maybe this is selfish of me to say...but I don't want you to go to U.A. anymore…"

My mouth fell open.

"Please, just listen to me!" She continued, her voice rising in volume and pitch as she looked pleadingly at me. "Why is your heart so set on being a hero?! We never pushed you to be a hero; we never forced you down this path! I just don't understand! Maybe it's just because I don't have a quirk like you, but I just don't know why you're so insistent on being a… a weapon!"

"...mom…"

"NO!" She yelled, getting to her feet again. "I will not allow you to do this to yourself! Being a professional hero is one of, if not the most, dangerous professions in the world! Everyday I'd have to watch the news and see you fight some new villain. And everyday I'd have to watch my only child be hurt. You aren't even a side kick yet and already you've almost die-" Her voice broke and she covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes filling with tears once more. My father stood and put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently back down onto the other couch. He pulled her head to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Then he lifted his head to look at me and nodded towards my room.

"Try to get some sleep Kokuree," He said. "We'll talk more tomorrow." I stood up mutely and walked to my room, shutting the door behind me and collapsing onto my bed without bothering to get undressed. I was convinced that sleeping would be impossible, but almost immediately my eyelids grew heavy and I slept.

XXXXX

I opened my eyes and found myself sitting at a desk in an empty classroom. A thick layer of dust covered every surface, and the windows were cracked and grimy. The smell of mold and rot filled the air, making me want to gag. I looked down and saw that I was wearing my U.A. uniform, but the right shoulder was torn to shreds. Suddenly, a low growl began to resonate through the room. The sound sent my heart into overdrive and I bit back a scream as I slowly turned around.

The wolf was standing in the back of the room, glaring at me. Bloody saliva poured out of its mouth like a waterfall, leaving a murky puddle beneath it. It leered hungrily at me, its yellow eyes filled with hate. I felt my chest began to tighten uncomfortably and I gasped for breath, but it felt like no air was filling my lungs. The beast snarled at me, then leapt into a sprint.

I cried out and scrambled out of the desk, throwing myself to the side just in time for the wolf to sail harmlessly over my head. I jumped to my feet and ran out of the room, taking off down the decrepit hallway of the abandoned school. The monster roared in fury behind me and I heard its claws scratch the linoleum floors at it took off after me.

I ran for my life through the school, careening into lockers and doorways haphazardly as I tried to get away. Eventually I dove into another classroom and threw the door closed behind me, locking it right as the wolf slammed into it. I screamed and jumped away as the door shook in its frame, the wolf howling in anger as it threw itself against the door.

I looked around for an escape route, but in my panic I had chosen a classroom with no other doors or windows. There wasn't even a place I could decently hide. I was trapped like a rat.

I backed into a corner and stared in horror as the door continued to shake violently. I screwed my eyes shut and pressed my hands against my ears, trying to block out the terrifying scene before me. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked to my right and saw a man in a blue and white suit. He was tall and muscular, and had on a blue and white helmet. He pressed a button on the side of his helmet, and the face plate slid up. I gasped when I saw the face of the man standing beside me…

It was me. Only older. Maturer. He looked sure of himself in that costume. Confident. Brave. Heroic. The symbol of a hero. He smiled at me.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked me. I pointed fearfully at the door, which had begun to crack.

"Mu-mu-mu-" I stammered. The man looked at the door and laughed, a hearty and cheerful sound.

"What , that mangy thing?" He laughed. "That thing isn't scary at all. All you have to do is show it who's boss."

"But I'm afraid!"

"Fear is a part of being a hero. You can't break down whenever things get scary."

"But what if I don't want to be a hero!" The words burst out of my mouth like a bird from a cage. The hero looked down at me in shock.

"Why don't you want to be a hero?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Because, I don't want to die."

"But dying is a part of life! Sure, heroes have a higher mortality rate than most, but people die every day. You could get hit by a car, or mugged, or fall down the stairs, or-" He stopped when he saw my stricken expression. He sucked in through his teeth. "All I'm trying to say is, humans are fragile creatures. Any given day could turn out to be our last. And if we're going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to die with a smile on your face, protecting the people you love?"

I looked up at myself in awe. I couldn't even begin to imagine myself ever being as brave as the hero in front of me. He was a pillar of hope, a conduit of justice. Heroism exuded from every inch of him. And as we looked at each other-two sides of the same coin-I began to feel something stirring inside me.

It started out small. Just a tiny flare of heat in the center of my chest; small and quick enough that I thought I had imagined it. But, that spark rapidly grew, expanding and growing hotter as it spread throughout my body. The warmth ate away at my fear until nothing remained. My body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing.

I looked down on myself and grinned, a grin spreading across the hero's face.

"See! You're braver than you know Kokuree!" The hero said. "Just look for yourself!

I looked down, and saw that my U.A. uniform had been replaced by my hero suit. Suddenly, the battered door gave away with a shriek of splintering wood and the wolf charged in, angrier than I had ever seen it. I faltered and took a half step back, but the hero put his hand on my shoulder and held me in place as the wolf charged at me.

"Come on Kokuree!" The hero roared. "You can do this! Show that thing what a hero can do!"

I yelled and charged forward. The wolf and I met in the middle of the room, leaping at each other. I drew my fist back, a grimace of determination on my face. The wolf snarled and bared its fangs.

"Do it!" I heard the hero yell. With a roar, I threw my fist at the wolf, aiming a vicious right hook at its snout…

...and missed.

The wolf hit me full force, sending us both flying to the floor. I tried to scream, but it came out as a strangled gurgle as the wolf latched onto my throat. I had just enough time to squeak before the wolf snapped my neck with a quick jerk of its head.

XXXXX

I woke up with a jolt, my eyes darting wildly around my dark room. It hardly took a second to realize that I had fallen victim to another nightmare and I groaned, exasperated.

"Why won't they stop…?" I whispered. "I beat the wolf...I proved I could be a hero...why hasn't it gone away?"

At that moment it all seemed so pointless. I had trained for seven long years to get into U.A.. How many friends did I lose because of my constant training and studying? How many trips, get-togethers, or parties had I missed? How much of my life was taken from me by the hero academia? I couldn't even begin to quantify it.

And for what? What was the point of it all? How could I ever hope to be a hero and defeat the most evil villains in the world if I couldn't even defeat an imaginary wolf?

These thoughts and more continued to haunt me through the night and into the early morning. I must have slept at one point, for when I opened my eyes again my mom was poking her head through the doorway.

"Kokuree? Your alarm went off, aren't you going to get up?" I propped myself up on my elbows and glanced at the clock, kicking myself for not waking up earlier. I made as if to get out of bed, but stopped as I looked down and realized that I had slept in my U.A. uniform.

Suddenly, the U.A. garb that I had worn with so much pride only a day filled me with apprehension. It felt as if the clothes were too tight, and they just looked wrong to me. I didn't understand what I was feeling at first, for the wish that my body was trying to convey had disappeared a long time ago. But just like that, I recognized it. I looked at my mom and took a breath, then said:

"Actually mom, is it okay if I don't go to school today? I really don't feel great at all." The words sounded wrong as they left my mouth, my tongue struggling with the unfamiliar sequence of words and syllables. My mom gazed at me with a look of shock, and I couldn't really blame her. I hadn't asked to stay home from school since back when I was bullied by Sumisu in second grade.

The light of understanding filled her eyes as we looked at each other, and she nodded slowly with a sad little smile.

"Of course, Kokuree. Just yell if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah I will. Thanks mom." My mom hesitated in the doorway for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something more. I waited for her to ask why I suddenly wanted to stay home. I waited for her to ask if I was okay. I waited for her to ask if I wanted to leave U.A.. I waited...but nothing happened. Evidently deciding against it, she just nodded again and closed the door.

I waited a moment to make sure she was gone, then got out of bed and practically ripped off my uniform, tossing it unceremoniously onto the floor. I changed into clothes fitting my mood- a gray shirt and gray shorts-and climbed back into bed.

It felt strange, laying there in bed when I would have been well on my way to school. All I could think about was what my classmates' reactions were going to be. Would they worry? Would they be angry? Happy? Would they even notice?

Several times during that first 45 minutes or so I felt an overpowering urge that I had to get to school. I would get out of bed, even going so far as to grasp the door knob at one point, but each time I retreated back underneath the sheets. I tried to sleep more, but it proved a fruitless exercise. I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable as thoughts of school and the USJ attack haunted me. But most of all, my mom's words echoed in my head:

"Why is your heart so set on being a hero?!"

Words are such small things. Just a collection of sounds and characters that, when put together, convey messages. And yet, those seemingly insignificant words had rocked my entire world. I suddenly questioned everything that I had worked so hard for and what I had dreamt off since that fateful day in second grade.

Of course, I knew why I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to save people. I wanted to stop villains from spreading evil. I wanted people to look up to me. I wanted to convince my grandparents that quirks were good things, not impurities. But now, those reasons seemed...hollow. Childish. Unrealistic.

I was eventually broken out this gloomy cycle by my phone chiming softly on my bedside table. I picked it up and saw that Kirishima had texted me.

Kirishima: Hey, where are you man?

I couldn't help but grin a little bit. At least someone cared about me over at U.A. Swiping up, I typed out a reply.

Me: Home sick...not feeling great at all.

I hesitated for a moment, my finger hovering above the send key. It didn't feel right, lying to Kirishima like that. He deserved to know what I was really feeling, and he may even have had some valuable insight. But at the same time, my insolent adolescent pride kept me from telling him the truth. My phone chimed softly as I hit send.

XXX

A small group gathered around the desk as Kirishima peered at the screen intently.

"Home sick...not feeling great at all." Kirishima read. The group sighed collectively.

"See, he's fine!" Kaminari said.

"I suppose we were all concerned for naught…" Tokoyami murmured.

"I don't know about that you guys…" Kirishima said with a frown. "I think Shiamasu is going through some stuff right now."

"Why do you say that Kirishima?" Midoriya asked. "He said he's sick, why don't you believe him?"

"Come on, think about it." Kirishima said. "For one thing, just look at how quick he got back to me. It didn't even take him a minute to reply. Don't you think that if he was really sick, he would have been asleep?"

The group of students looked at each other.

"...Maybe…" Uraraka admitted. "But he could have just been awake when you texted him."

"That may be true, but that isn't the only piece to the puzzle." Kirishima replied. "You've all been sick before, right? I know that when I'm sick enough to stay home from school, I can even look at screens, they make me queasy. I assume that you all are the same way?"

There was a murmur of assent. Kirishima plowed on.

"Not only that, but think about where we are. We go to the most prestigious school in the entire country. I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't bear to miss even a second of my time here, not after I worked so hard to get here."

There were more nods this time as everyone saw the logic in Kirishima's words.

"Gee Kirishima, that was a pretty amazing analysis." Midoriya said. "It hardly took you any time at all to see all that from one tiny text."

Kirishima nodded, too worried about his friend to take any satisfaction from Midoriya's praise.

"But wait guys…" Asui began. "If Shiamasu isn't sick, then why isn't he here?" Everyone looked at Kirishima expectantly.

"That I can't tell you, sorry." Kirishima answered with a shrug. At that moment the door slid open and Present Mic strolled in, yelling at everyone to take their seats. As his classmates scrambled to their desks, Kirishima couldn't help but feel a pang of concern for his friend.

'What's up with you, Shiamasu?'

XXX

Eventually, exhausted from my poor night's sleep and constant worry and self-doubt, I slept. Thankfully, I didn't dream.

I woke up to my phone chiming again. I groggily reached for my phone and lifted it to my face. It was another message from Kirishima.

Kirishima: Hey. Look, I don't know why you lied, but I know you aren't sick.

I narrowed my eyes.

'How did he…?' I read on.

Kirishima: My guess is, the attack on the USJ really messed with your head. I don't know what you're going through right now, and I don't think I would really relate even if I did know. But, I do know that whenever I get in a funk, these always help get me through it. Hopefully they'll help you too. I better see you in class tomorrow.

At the bottom of the message was a link. I tapped on it, and my screen transitioned to a video. The screen was black for a moment, but then the screen displayed the words:

All Time Best Pro Hero Compilation

A bombastic symphony began to play in the background, accompanied by the booming laughter of All Might. A moment later, the screen it up as a burning building filled the screen. A villain stood on the roof, laughing maniacally as firemen and police officers scurried around below him. Suddenly, in a flash of gold and white, All Might dropped from the sky and landed in front of the burning building. The hero, smiling widely, drew his fist back. As the background music reached a crescendo, the hero threw his fist forward. An enormous blast of wind erupted from his fist, blowing out the inferno as if it was a birthday candle. Goosebumps cropped up all over my body and a chill traveled up my spine as the symbol of peace, still smiling, leapt up the building and apprehended the stunned villain.

'Holy…' I thought.

But my amazement didn't stop there. The video played for nearly an hour, and it was just one heroic scene after the next. There was All Might, all smiles as he faced impossible odds and triumphed every time. There was Endeavor, taken on villain after villain with his incredible fire. There was Best Jeanist. Present Mic. Midnight. Mt. Lady. Gunhead. And countless other heroes that I had never even seen before. There was even a clip of Mr. Aizawa saving a group of hostages.

I can't even begin to describe the emotions I felt as the video played. It was just...incredible. It was better than anything I had ever seen in my life. I couldn't believe that I had never seen it before. Those heroes were the embodiment of everything I strove to one day be. They were fearless, heroic, steadfast, honorable. They were amazing.

The longer I watched, the more I felt it: the fire inside me. Those heroes and their acts of bravery were rekindling the fires of my passion. They were chasing away my feelings of self-doubt. They were reminding me why I wanted to be a hero. I felt rejuvenated, and I basked in the warmth of my newfound motivation. I wanted to run outside and yell out like All Might, "I am here!"

Smiling, I sent Kirishima a text thanking him and telling him not to worry about me. And I meant it. I was in a bad place, but Kirishima and his video had pulled me out of it. He didn't have to worry about me anymore.

Somehow, my eyelids began to grow heavy once more despite the inferno of passion roaring in my heart. Smiling, I lay my head back and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me.

XXX

I opened my eyes in the same classroom that I had trapped myself in earlier. The wolf was still at the door, howling and clawing furiously to get in. But, unlike earlier, I felt no fear. I stared at the door calmly as the beast raged outside.

"Welcome back," A voice said. I turned and saw my older self standing there once again, decked out in my hero costume. He grinned when he saw the look in my eyes.

"Well well well, you look different." He said, looking me up and down. "Nice suit."

I wasn't surprised to see my hero costume had replaced my school uniform once again.

"Thanks." I said with a grin. "But I think I look better in it." My older self threw back his head and laughed.

"Cracking jokes now are we?" He giggled. "Are you even the same kid I met earlier?" I shrugged, still smiling.

"Mostly." He raised his eyebrow.

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"A friend reminded me who I am, and who I want to be."

"And who is that?"

At that moment the wolf broke down the door and entered the room. It stood on the opposite end, staring at us malevolently. Slobber leaked from its mouth and its fur bristled aggressively as its yellow, hate-filled eyes bored into us.

But, for the first time, I looked into the eyes without fear. I met the monster's gaze head on, without backing down. I turned back to my older self and thumbed the button on my helmet, the face plate sliding down.

"Who am I, you ask?" I said to him. "I'm a hero."

The wolf charged, and I charged forward to meet it. As we leapt at each other, I felt a smile grow on my face. The wolf stretched forward to claw at my belly, but I grabbed its throat and brought it to the ground. It yelped in pain, and I drew my fist back.

"I'm a hero!" I yelled, punching the wolf in the head. As my fist connected with its head, the wolf exploded into stars and I was enveloped by blackness.

XXX

"Kokuree?" I heard a voice say softly. I opened my eyes to see my mom standing in the doorway, looking at me with concern. "Are you feeling up to dinner?" I smiled and sprang out of bed, startling my mom with my unexpected energy.

"Absolutely, dinner sounds awesome right now." I said. "What are we having?"

"Um...donburi and sushi…"

"Perfect! Let's go." I pushed past my mom and strode down the hall to the kitchen. My dad looked up and smiled at me as I entered the room, looking at me with the same concern as my mom had moments ago.

"Hey Kokuree, how you feeling bud-?"

"Hey dad!" I interrupted him. "I feel terrific, thanks for asking." I grinned as I looked past my dad and saw the table covered with food. I sat down and clasped my hands together.

"Thanks for the food, looks great!" I said cheerfully before tucking in to the food with gusto. My parents looked at each other in bewilderment, completely caught off guard by this sudden change. My mom looked at my dad, but he just shrugged and took his own seat and began to eat with me. My mom looked at us both incredulously for a moment, then dropped into her own seat and watched as I shoveled the food in.

Minutes later I pushed my plate away and sighed in contentment, rubbing my stomach happily.

"Aw man that was great, thanks again." I said. My parents nodded, still stunned. "Oh, by the way mom, I need my uniform washed and ironed for school tomorrow." That seemed to wake my mom out of her stupor, and she looked at me with a mix of shock and anger.

"School…?"

"Well yeah...I have school tomorrow." My mom narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"I thought that I said-"

"I know what you said mom." I cut her off, the smile leaving my face. "And while I respect your wishes, there isn't anything in the world that you could ever do or say that would stop me from going to U.A.. I belong at that school. I've made friends there, and I love it. You and dad both know that it's all I've dreamed of ever since I got my quirk."

"Of course we know that, but that doesn't change the fact that you were nearly killed at that place." My mom said.

"Mom, U.A. had nothing to do with that!" I countered. "If anything, it's because of U.A. that I'm still alive. My friends and teachers saved my life, they didn't put it in danger! And yes I fought villains, but I won! I beat those bad guys and sent them running! Don't you see, I know who I am now!"

"And who, exactly, are you Kokuree?" My dad asked.

I looked between my two parents and felt my chest fill with pride. My heart soared and I felt my heart beat strongly in my chest, but not from fear. I felt the weight of the world slip off my shoulders and I straightened my back proudly. I looked at my parents and smiled my best heroic smile.

"Mom...dad...I'm a Hero."

Hello all! Sorry for the long wait, I never intended to keep you all waiting for as long as I did. Now that I'm back in school things are definitely busier than they were, so unfortunately updates are not going to be as often as they once were. That being said, I will try to get a new chapter out every two weeks at the longest.

Anyway, thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope you all liked it. Now for the reviews:

Symbi0sis: That's an excellent suggestion, thank you!

Victorsmyname: I'm glad that Shiamasu comes off as intended: real. The last thing I want from this story is for Shiamasu to come off as another wish-fulfillment, never-wrong, perfect person. I want him to be real and relatable with real feelings. I'm glad that I succeeded in that regard.

Lord Terronus: Welcome back, I'm glad that my writing keeps you coming back. And never be afraid to fanboy (it only fuels my writing). Hope you liked this chapter.

KyuubiNoPuma: Yes...Asui tongue *shudders*.

RottingCrow: Thanks! I'm glad that you like Boosted, thanks for the review. Although I hope you don't make a habit out of reading it that late (or is it early?)

Anywho, thank you all again for your reviews, they mean the world to me! And thank all of you who read this chapter, I hope it was up to par. If you're new to this story and like it, please show your support for it by following and/or favoriting it. And please, leave me a review. I really love to see all of your comments. Let me know what you all think! Anything and everything is welcome. Also, feel free to PM me if you want to talk or ask questions. That's it from me for now, see you all on the flipside.