The provincial license.
Getting one of these meant they could legally do hero work within their province! It could drastically change the trajectory of a young hero's career. But getting one was not easy...
All of class 1A felt their intestines churn as their sensei went over the itinerary once more.
"If you complete all three stages, then you have a chance at getting your provincial license. But even then, the staff will assess your leadership and cooperation skills and grade you."
"Gulp..." Eiji smacked a soy leaf off his shoulder. This was going to be very difficult. Shinso looked at his watch and tapped on its screen.
"The busses are ready. Gear up. We leave in twenty minutes."
"..."
"...Well? Go."
"Gah!" Everyone leapt from their seats and made a mad scramble for the locker rooms! They had so little time!
"I do NOT feel prepared for the provincial license! My power move isn't even that cool!" Eiji whimpered.
"Well you ain't doing cuss with that attitude." Meiwaku huffed and puffed as he ran inside the lockers with them. "I'm going to get a perfect score! Watch me!"
"With my speed, this thing will be a jog in the park!" Tasen shrugged. "I'm not worried. It might even be fun!"
"That's because you don't care!" Eiji stammered.
"Calm down man. Think about it. Worst case scenario, you got to take it next year. Worst WORST case scenario, you don't get your license at UA, but you get it after and can be a sidekick or something."
"A sidekick?!" Eiji didn't like that idea at all. In fact, he felt quite sick about it. He needed to process out loud to someone!
Zipping up his last boot, Baachu stumbled out of the locker room with leaves sprouting all over his head. He was really stressing out. Shakily, he dialed up his support system, and after a few rings, Bakugo picked up.
"Bub? You on the bus yet?"
"N-Not yet. Oh I feel sick..."
"You eat too much dairy or something?"
"No! I'm super nervous about getting my provisional license!" Eiji squirmed and rocked back and forth.
"Don't get too stressed out, bub. It's not the end of the world if you don't pass." Bakugo rolled his eyes as he held the phone to his ear and tightened his gauntlets.
"But if I don't pass the three stages, then I might have to take remedial classes and- and—"
"Bub! Take a deep breath—" Eiji inhaled... and exhaled... "—It ain't the end of the world. It's not that big a problem."
"But what if I take too long?! A-And then I become a sidekick for the rest of my life?!" Eiji was not calming down yet.
"Ain't the end of the world."
"But—!"
"Geez kid! Listen:" Bakugo cleared his throat, "You... are tiny! The world... is huge! You got yourself so focused on your own little story! But it ain't all that! Open your eyes a bit! Once ya do, the little things like getting your license won't seem like such a big deal." Bakugo said, having been in that position before.
Eiji breathed in and out once more, taking in the advice.
"Yeah. It's not just my story..."
"Right! Now go out there and don't go half-assed! I got something I gotta do now."
"Right. Okay. Thanks, dad. I'll see you later."
"Yup. Bye."
Bakugo hung up his phone and sighed at his reflection. He really didn't want to go to this event he was dragged into. But he already said yes, and now he was stuck with his sentence for the rest of the evening...
"It ain't that bad. It ain't just my story... dammit."
## Nabu Island
"Isn't it like, super strange that there aren't any villains here?" Camie Utsushimi mumbled as she walked along the quaint, warm streets.
"Maboromicamie, I've told you this already. This is Nabu, and my hometown doesn't get a lot of action, and that is alright by me!" Cami's sidekick said with a sigh. Sometimes it felt like she carried all of Camie's brain cells...
"Oh! You never told me this was your hometown, Mahoro! This place is like, so cute! You must be like, the town hero here!" She bounced. But Mahoro did not seem so enthusiastic. She just deflated a little bit.
"...Sure. Let's just get what I came for and go..." She stomped off towards her old, island home. Tentatively, she knocked on the door, and a slow, old man came answering.
"Hello-?! Mahoro!"
"Hi dad..." She smiled and softly hugged her old man.
"Eueh? Like, who's this cute old button?" Camie butted in on their moment.
"Oh. Right. Maboromicamie, this is my dad. Dad, this is Pro-Hero Maboromicamie, the Hero I've been working under for the last six years."
"Oh!" His eyes widened, "I finally get to meet your boss!"
"Dad, she's not my boss! She my coworker—"
"Oh my Gucci, like, your pops is totes adorbs!" Camie hugged Mahoro's dad, not knowing that was socially unacceptable, but he didn't seem to care too much.
"Stop hugging you two! I just want to grab my box of things and get back on the ferry..." She moped.
"Oh, alright alright! I have your box right over here..." Her dad walked slowly to the other room, leaving Camie behind. As he opened up the attic he talked quietly to his daughter, "So? Meet anyone of interest yet?"
"...No."
"Sweetheart... you're thirty-four. Your time for having kids is—"
"I know! I know!" She crossed her arms, "Although, I don't really want kids even if I did meet someone."
"Mahoro!" Her dad gasped, nearly falling off his ladder.
"What! But it's not like you don't have grandkids! Katsuma has like, eight kids!"
"Four kids is not eight, Mahoro..." Her dad shook his head and sighed. Carefully putting the box on the counter and leaning on it, he rubbed his brow. "I just want you to be happy..."
"I am happy! I love being a hero!" She declared with her arms in the air.
"Then be a hero! Stop being a sidekick to that, uh..." They both looked into the kitchen to where Camie was eating out of his fridge. "Why are you working for her again?"
"I don't work FOR her, I just— grr! Gimme that box!" She snatched it out of his grasp and peeked in. The goods were safe. "Now I gotta head back to the mainland..." Coming into the kitchen, she dragged her ditzy coworker out of the room.
"Come on, Camie. We're leaving—"
But, as soon as she stepped out the front door, her jaw dropped.
The entire island was there. Everyone was standing outside her door; with a symphony of shouts they greeted her!
"Mahoro!"
"Oh no..." She gulped. An older lady gave her a tight hug and squealed,
"Mahoro! I saw you coming in by the docks and I just had to tell everyone else that you were here! We threw this greeting together last-minute, but we knew you wouldn't mind!"
Well, Mahoro was not enthusiastic about the whole shindig, but Camie was almost brought to tears.
"Oh fam! You've got, like, such a great community! It makes me feel so totally despacito, but like, in a good way yeah?"
"Yup. Thank you Auntie, for putting this all together..." The sidekick smiled a polite smile. Now, she didn't mind some of these people, like her Auntie and the farmer and the guys from the docks. But the rest of the lot? Well they only have one thing on their minds, and that's—
"Mahoro! How is Katsuma?! He just went up in the rankings by five spots, didn't he?!"
"I heard Katsuma's expecting another baby! You excited for him?!"
"Mahoro! Think you could bring me your brother's autograph next time you visit?!"
Slowly, the visible line of anger rose in the poor woman. This happened every time. Every time.
"Katsuma is doing great! Now if you'll excuse me, I got to catch my ferry..." She said as she tried to shove her way through the crowd, but they didn't give her two steps forward.
"Mahoro! Can you do a trick?" A little boy bounced at her leg. That... she might do. She did like using her quirk—
"Now now, son. If you want to see a REAL illusion, ask this fine hero over here!" The boy's dad pointed to the confused Camie. "Her illusions are so realistic! She can make your wildest imagination come true!"
"Umm, like, I can't just use my quirk, like, whenever. But my sidekick totally can!" Camie smiled awkwardly with a little peace sign. "She's super good! She so good she could, like, be my boss, right fam?"
All the eyes turned to Mahoro. But they weren't sure. The grocery store clerk tilted his head funny and mumbled,
"We've all seen Mahoro's illusions, and they're really cute! But..."
"Hey!" Her old father stepped besides his daughter, "Mahoro has really improved! She is a talented hero, with skills that could get her her own agency!"
"Then why do you work with that weird lady?" The little boy asked innocently. Camie didn't seem to understand who he was talking about.
"Yeah! Katsuma has his own agency!"
"Ditch this city slicker and become your own hero!"
"Yeah!"
Suddenly, Camie understood what was being said. She looked to Mahoro with big eyes and whimpered,
"Ditch me?"
That was what did it. Mahoro wasn't going to stand for this one bit longer.
"Everyone SHUT UP!" She screamed. A large illusions of a lion roared across the sky, silencing the onlookers. "Grr! Why are you guys like this?!"
"..." All the islanders looked at each other with guilty postures. Then quietly, Mahoro's Auntie came up to her with a weary smile.
"We just want to make sure you're happy..."
"...Oh." Mahoro looked across the faces around her. They all seemed genuine. "I am happy." She smiled reassuringly, "I love my job! I have great friends, and there's nothing else I'd rather do!" Then looking to Camie, she smiled warmly at her coworker.
"I like being the sidekick to the best hero in the world! And if I'm this happy, then who cares about what people consider successful! I love being the sidekick to Maboromicamie!"
Camie just about cried of joy. Squealing, she squeezed the breath out of Mahoro.
"Ooooh! I couldn't have asked for a better sidekick!"
Putting their hands to their hearts, the town finally understood. As long as Mahoro was happy they were happy. Her dad gave her a hug and smiled,
"Then you better get back to work, right?"
"Yeah. I'll come back to visit again soon."
The town waved off the ferry the two heroines stood upon, children chasing the boat as it left the station. It made Mahoro feel warm on the inside. They might be annoying, but the people of Nabu were family.
She'll be back home soon.
"Oh fam? I was like, super curious. What's in that shoebox you came for?" She preyed the lid open.
"N-Nothing! Just—"
"Ah! Cuuuuuute!" Camie pulled out a little Ground Zero action figure that looked to be very old. And there were even more toys and stuffies in the box!
"Gimme that!"
"Are you a fangirl or something? These are ancient! You must be like, the first Ground Zero fan ever!"
"...Maybe. But I only got these because he's doing a signing event and he doesn't do fan service very often and—!" Her face was bright red.
"I like, totally went on a date with Bakugo!"
"...WHAT?!" Mahoro gasped in awe, "What was he like?! Was it only one date?! Why not more?!"
"Oh my God! He had like, a super cute kid! His kid was like, four and he could, like, grow little flowers!"
"...And?"
"And his kid was totes adorbs! He liked coloring and singing! What a cute little baby! Probably all grown up now!" She squealed with pure joy.
"...What was Bakugo like?"
"Oh him? He was like... well he was... umm... He had good style?"
"She doesn't remember anything about Bakugo..." Mahoro mumbled in aggravation. No wonder they only went on one date...
"Let's get you back to that signing thing so you can get um... get signatures!" Camie hugged her sidekick.
"Heh. Yeah. Sound good."
## Kirishima household
Stretching his muscles, Kirishima Eijiro checked the time. He was about to head over to a meeting, and this was one he didn't want to be late to!
"Sneak attack!" Mina hugged him from behind, "You going to meet with Midoriya soon?"
"Yeah! I'm not sure what he wants to talk about, but I don't want to be late!"
"Well, have a good meeting." She pecked him on the jaw, "I'll be here, taking a well-deserved spa day! It has been a heckin stressful week..."
"No kidding! If I had known Eiji's 'big mistake' involved your studio, then oof..." Well, needless to say, Bakugo probably would've blown up the entire gym if Kirishima had told him. But what you don't know can't hurt you, right?
"Have fun sweetie. Oop! Hi Kōkyō!"
"Hey momma!" The boy beamed as he ran into the kitchen and shoved an apple into his face hole.
"Huh? Going somewhere, buddy?" Kirishima asked the middle schooler as he hurriedly gathered his things. Kōkyō ended up doing a lot of things after school, most of the time training with Deku. But Kirishima was hanging out with Midoriya, so where was Kōkyō going?
"Yep! Goin' to a friend's house!" He said with a big ol' sharky smile.
"...Yeah?" Kirishima and Mina exchanged nervous looks. It seemed like Kōkyō made a bunch of friends his first day in middle school, but he had such trouble making friends before; it was kinda hard to believe...
"Yep! We're gonna spar!"
Okay. Kirishima liked sparring as much as the next hero, but going to some kid's house to get beat up!?
"I'll drop you off!" Red Riot said quickly, throwing on his crocs.
"P-Poppa! You really don't have to do that!" Kōkyō's pink face grew red.
"Nonsense! I'm heading that direction anyways! Nothing like a little father-son bonding time, right?"
"But daaaad..."
"Uh-uh-uh! This'll be fun! I'll just drop you off and head out! Let's GO!" Kirishima dragged his annoyed son out the door. He wasn't going to let his kid get beat up! From this moment on he was going to be more vigilant!
## The suburbs
"Is this the place?"
"...Nope."
"How about this place?" Kirishima asked with a big ol' grin. Kōkyō dragged his feet and shook his head.
"Poppa, I can walk the rest of the way. I'm fine really!" But Kirishima ignored him.
"How about this house?"
"Yep. That's the place."
"Great! Let's go!" He dragged Kōkyō to the door and eagerly knocked. "I'm just going to say hi and see your friend, that's all!"
"You really don't have to! I mean it!" His son was already embarrassed by him. And they haven't even met the family yet!
"Oh I don't mind! Haha!" Kirishima laughed at his son's antics. Then, the door slowly opened...
And Kirishima's heart nearly stopped.
This was the worst thing that could've happened. He couldn't have predicted this. Panic speckled his forehead with droplets of sweat as the looming man blocked the doorway with his massive body.
"Huh? Hey Bōdō! You're classmate is here! And— GASP!" The very large man dropped his newspaper, "Red Riot?!"
Kirishima almost couldn't speak. It was like a ghost stood before him. With a strange sense of confusion and fear bubbling up in his stomach, Kirishima whispered,
"Rappa?"
"HAHA! Red Riot! A man worthy of being called a man! Come in!" A booming voice declared, socially forcing Eijiro to enter.
"Rappa?" Kirishima squeaked again.
"Bōdō! Come here!"
A thick, blocky-looking boy came out of the back yard and gave a happy smile. He had the same fists as his dad, and that made Kirishima nervous. All of this made him nervous! What the hell?! Rappa Kendo?! The guy who tried to kill him in high school?!
"You didn't tell me your classmate's dad was THE Red Riot!"
"Oh dope. I didn't know that. Hey Kōkyō."
"Hey Bōdō."
"Wanna see my backflip?"
"Yeah!"
And they ran into the backyard, leaving Kirishima in the presence of the huge, looming... villain?
"Red Riot! I can't believe your son is the kid that's been hanging out with Bōdō! HAHA! It's fate!" He slapped Eijiro on the back, knocking the wind out of him. But the poor Red Riot had no idea what to say! He was in a villain's—
Wait. If he wasn't in prison... then was he still a villain? With his hair in a bun and his button-up shirt tucked in, Rappa didn't exactly scream 'villain'.
"Come in! I have tea!"
"...Rappa?" Kirishima once again mumbled to himself. Suspicious of everything, he sat himself down at their kitchenette. Everything seemed so... quaint. Cheery. Normal.
Awkwardly receiving his tea, Kirishima put it to the side and cleared his throat.
"So! Rappa! You... are not in prison— ack! I mean—!" That wasn't exactly something you say to someone. Ever. But Kendo just laughed.
"Straight to the point! I like your style, Red Riot! Very manly!" He smiled boisterously, "I must say, you putting me in prison..."
Kirishima sweat profusely. He was one of the heroes that threw him into prison! Rappa probably hates him!
"...Was the best thing that ever happened to me!"
"...Hah?"
"I'm serious! Through counseling I got to reflect and realize a lot of things about myself..." He said with a serious demeanor. He folded hands in front of his face and leaned onto the counter to accentuate the gravity of what he was about to say.
"My desire to have an honorable battle to the death stemmed from my inner desire to have a greater purpose in life... And my need for violence stemmed from a traumatic childhood produced by my aggressive father..."
"...!?"
"Any snacks?" Rappa beamed, changing the air in the room dramatically.
"I'm good. Hey, uh, hold up... How-? I'm sorry, this is a lot to process." Kirishima rubbed his temples.
"Haha! Take your time! Basically, prison changed my life! I got years shaved off my sentence for good behavior, and as soon as I got out I went to seminary!"
"...Seminary?!" Kirishima's jaw hung open.
"Yeaha! That's where I met my beautiful wife, and we settled down, and now I am a pastor!"
"..." The cogs in Kirishima's mind were grinding and clanging together. "I'm sorry... WHAT?"
"Haha! It seems that fate has brought us together again! And for that, I am truly grateful! So..."
Standing in front of Kirishima, looming and tall, Rappa bowed. And with a tone of genuine gratitude, he yelled,
"Thank you, Red Riot! For everything!"
"...!" Never before had Kirishima felt this kind of honor. Slowly, a smile crept onto his lips, and he bowed back. "Hai! You're welcome!"
"Oh, and that fight I vowed after you recovered?"
Tension shot back into Kirishima.
"I threw my shoulder out years ago. But if our sons choose to be heroes then we may yet see a legendary spar!"
Well, Kirishima wasn't sure what the future held for Kōkyō, but he understood the gesture Rappa was trying to communicate. He gave a reciprocated nod,
"Hai. I think so. Thank you for telling me your story, Rappa!"
"No, thank you Red Riot!"
"Oh, and you can call me Kirishima." He smiled on his way out and looked to the back yard where Kōkyō and Bōdō sparred. Yeah. It was nice, seeing this.
The future seemed just a little brighter now.
## The mall
Deku stood amongst a tight crowd, glasses on, hat down, hoodie drawn. He shuffled the several bags in his arms and scanned the line. No one recognized him. Good. Except, that also meant Kirishima wouldn't recognize him...
Then, somebody bumped his shoulder!
"Sorry!"
"Oh! Sorry bro, I—"
A couple seconds passed before their brains finally clicked.
"Midoriya!"
"Kirishima!"
"Man, nice disguise! You look like a normal guy! So what did you want to talk about?" Kirishima asked as the crowd thickened. Why were there so many people here?
"Oh! I wanted to talk about several things, but first: take these." Midoryia shoved a bag full of posters into Kirishima's arms. "This has been a tradition of mine since the beginning of Kacchan's hero career." He smiled purely and wholesomely.
"Huh?" Red Riot opened his bag in confusion. "Posters of Bakubro?"
"Yes! Kacchan is signing things today, and I made sure to get in line as soon as I got here!"
"Wait— this is the line?!" Kirishima had done signing things before, but he'd never done one for a crowd of this size before. "Man, I'm not that popular..."
"That's not it! It's just that Kacchan doesn't do fan service very often, he rarely does promos, and he is in the top three! When times come like this where fans get to actually get a signature from him they come from all over Japan!" He mumbled rather quickly, scaring the other people in line.
"Right. And these are?"
"His merchandise! He never signs things for me if I just ask. So we have to go... incognito!"
Kirishima grew a devilish smile. Midoriya's motives were pure, driven out of admiration. But little did he know, this was THE perfect opportunity to embarrass Bakugo... And Kirishima wasn't going to let this moment slip through his fingers!
...
...
One and a half hours later...
One and a half hours! Kirishima was going insane! He was a patient guy, but this was eating up with soul! His manly heart could only handle so much... But finally, the two men made it to the end of the line!
"Kirishima! We're next! You ready?!" Izuku asked with genuine excitement. A terrible smile radiated off of Eijiro's face.
"Oh, I am SO ready..."
"Next." Ground Zero called out, so unamused it hurt. He hated this. He really did. All he could think about was Eiji's provincial license, and he still had three more hours before he could go home...
Ugh.
"OH MY GOD IT'S GROUND ZERO!" A voice squealed loudly for all to hear. Bakugo immediately shot upright in his seat.
"Oh shit..."
"Kacchan!"
"Grr...! Shitty Hair! Deku! What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Wait, Deku's here?!" A voice from the crowd gasped.
"Shh! Kacchan! I just wanted you to sign some—"
"Just gimme that!" Bakugo snatched the poster and wrote:
"To Midoriass,
Fuck you.
-Ground Zero."
"Now will you get the hell out of here?!"
"GROUND ZERO SIGN MY CHEST!" Kirishima screamed as he pulled up his shirt.
"Hell no!"
"But aren't we paying you for the service?" He blinked his eyelashes and leaned onto the table.
"This ain't that kinda service, you shart!" Growled the hero. A security guard tapped his shoulder and asked,
"Are these men giving you trouble?"
A tiny smirk graced Bakugo's features. Midoriya and Kirishima gasped.
"Could you escort these two idiots out of here?"
"Yessir."
"What?! Noooo!" Squirmed Red Riot as he was dragged away from the sight, "I want my money's worth!"
"But Kacchan!"
"Ck! Damn nerds," Bakugo pouted, "Hanging out without me..." Looking back at the long line of expectant fans, Katsuki gave a drawn-out sigh. He was going to be here for a lot, a *lot* longer...
"God damn it. Next!"
## The old tea shop
"Huh? This is such a strange little, um... restaurant?" Kirishima said as he looked around. The owner was absolutely ancient, and there was nobody else there...
"It's a small tea shop!
"But it doesn't even look like a tea shop..." Kirishima mumbled as he sipped on his Gold Tips Imperial tea. Just tasted like hot leaf juice to him.
"It's nearly abandoned, and that's exactly why I brought you here..." Midoriya said as he put down his fancy cup. "I wanted to talk to you about something sensitive..."
"..." Kirishima didn't like the sound of that, or the amount of silence Izuku was allowing. It meant this was something serious...
"Before I do, I need you to vow you'll never tell anyone."
"...I guess?"
"Only me, Kacchan, Ocho, Maru, and one other person know. It's a terrible secret that could put you in danger."
"Huh?" Kirishima's intrigue was peaked.
"It's about my quirk."
"Ha?" Kirishima was really confused, "Yeah. I can keep a secret."
"...My quirk..." Midoriya inhaled slowly, and breathed, "Was given to me."
"...? Given?"
"By All Might."
"WHAT?!"
"Shh!" Deku silenced him, but the shop keeper was so hard-of-hearing he didn't even hear Kirishima leap to his feet. "This is very secretive information. You cannot tell anyone. Even Mina, for now."
"You... You got your power? From All Might?!"
"Yes..."
"How?! Why?!"
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes."
"So can I."
"..." Kirishima just stood there a moment with his jaw swinging open. "Midoriya... I feel honored but... why are you telling me this?"
"Because... I'm going to retire soon..."
"...What?" He took a seat. That was kind of sad news for him. Midoriya wasn't that old. He could still fight, so why retire?
"I'm looking for someone to train into being the next holder of my power."
"...?" Kirishima looked around the room dumbfounded. "You want me to help you find someone or something? Is that why you're telling me this?"
"I've already found someone..." Izuku shifted in his seat, anxious.
"Then... I'm so confused. If you've already found someone, then... why would you tell me this? Any of this?"
"..." Looking around the room, Deku made sure he was making the right decision. But he knew what he had to do...
"Kirishima... I think Kōkyō has the potential... to become a great hero."
Immediately, something snapped in Kirishima's mind.
And he did not like what was said.
"You think WHAT?"
"I-I-It's just, Kōkyō is such a pure kid who wants to be a hero, and—"
"You want to—? You're giving him—? No!" He stood from his chair and paced back and forth, "Is that the only reason you've been training him?! So you could 'suss out' what he's made of?!"
"No! I-I want Kōkyō to know he can do whatever he wants, quirk or no quirk!"
"Do you REALLY think that if you're just going to throw your quirk at him?!" Deku wasn't sure what to say, but this wasn't exactly the response he was hoping for.
"Kirishima—"
"MIDORIYA!" Woah. Kirishima was legitimately angry. But he calmed himself down, carefully taking his seat again and inhaling slowly. "Have you told Kōkyō about your power yet?"
"...Yes."
"God dammit, Midoriya!" Eijiro tisked and looked away, "Don't tell me you already—"
"No. I... decided to come to you, first."
"Damn right! Who wouldn't tell a child's PARENTS that you're planning on giving him the most DANGEROUS QUIRK EVER!?"
"...I never told my mother." Izuku sighed, "I thought... it'd keep her safe. Keep her from worrying. But if I'm honest, Kirishima... it stressed her more than the truth would have, and it was a real drain on her health. I don't want that for you. Y-You're my friend..." Said the number one hero, looking small and meek.
"...Well great. Now you told me! Now I'm still going to get stress ulcers! I remember you in UA, Midoriya! You wore a sling more than your uniform!" He shouted, standing to his feet once more. But... as Izuku looked into Kirishima's eyes... he didn't look angry.
He was scared.
"Kirishima. I mean this when I say it..." He looked into the man's eyes with seriousness in his tone, "If you wish, I will not give your son my quirk."
"...?"
"That is why I wanted to meet with you today. Not to tell you what I am going to do, but to ask for your permission."
"...I can say no?"
Although it was very difficult for Midoriya to do, he nodded in submission. Slowly, the number one hero stood from his seat... and bowed to his friend.
"Kirishima... I believe Kōkyō could be a fine hero, nearly as fine as you, with or without a quirk! His morals and heart is strong because you raised him! But let me help!" He shouted at the floor he stared at.
"Kōkyō will preserver and crawl to great heights, but if you let me... I can give him the power to leap!"
Ultimately, with his old friend bowing before him, Kirishima was defeated. He slumped into his chair and pulled his bangs away from his forehead. He could say no. He could turn Midoriya away, and Kōkyō would never get hurt.
Then again... everything in Kōkyō changed after Deku came in.
The training, moving to middle school, that Nomu attack, this quirk— it was all so dangerous! But there was life in Kōkyō's eyes that hadn't been there before. It was almost like he was never a quirkless reject to begin with...
Like he could be a hero.
"If I say no, will you stop training Kōkyō?" Asked the concerned father.
"Hai. I'll stop it all."
"And for your successor?"
"...I'll find somebody else..."
A minute passed, the entire time Kirishima contemplating. Finally, he stood and pulled Midoriya up.
"Anyone can be a hero no matter the quirk, as long as they have a courageous heart..." He mumbled. With a weary sigh, he patted Midoriya's shoulder. "I think you're right."
"Huh?"
With a nervous, but reassuring smile, Kirishima spoke,
"Kōkyō will become a fine hero."
"Gasp!" Izuku gasped with hope! Was Kirishima saying-?
Eijiro grabbed his things and meandered to the exit, turning back once more to Deku.
"Don't let his legs break when he leaps. Please?"
"Y-Yes! Hai!" Deku bounced like a schoolboy on Christmas! He was so ecstatic! He could barely contain his excitement! "I'll train him! I'll make him strong enough to handle it!"
"..." Kirishima smiled. But it was a weary smile. A defeated one. Only one thing flashed through his mind: every injury he witnessed Midoriya endure... And then he imagined it on Kōkyō...
"I don't like this, you know," He said slowly, "so don't think I'm okay with this. Because I'm not."
"O-Okay."
"But... thank you for asking me." He said genuinely before leaving the shop.
Kirishima wasn't sure he'd ever like the idea that his son would be given such a power, but his feelings could be put aside, for now. He knew how this would end up. He'll see Kōkyō broken, and pushed, and brought to his limit. But in the middle of that, he could still see it: like a light Kōkyō had been reaching out towards for so long...
And he will leap.
## Bakugo household
Bakugo snored away on his couch, his hero-gear partially on and his mask like a bandana. He would be happy if he never had to sign anything ever again. But suddenly his slumber was woken by a loud crash in the front door!
"*Snort!* Huh?! Who's there?! Die!"
"DAD!" Eiji came crashing over the couch edge and tackled him to the floor!
"Oof! Bub? What's going—? Dear God..."
Baachu's arm was in a sling, his body was covered in scratches, and his nose had a hefty bandage. But his scuffed face wore the biggest grin.
"Guess what?!" He beamed, reaching into his pocket. With a little giggle he presented his prize! "Look!"
"Huh?" Bakugo held it at arms-reach and squinted like all middle-aged men do.
"I got my license!"
"Oh! You got it first go!" Bakugo proudly scruffed his son's hair, who soaked in every ounce of the praise.
"Yeah! Oh boy you should've seen what we had to do! At first there was laser tag, then everything fell apart and we had to rescue these actors, and then you'll never guess who was the fake villain at the end!"
"Huh? Who?"
"The Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi! He actually scared the pee out of this one kid! He was so scary..."
"Bird-Face?"
"Yeah! But my whole class made it through! Easy peasy!" He laughed with absolute glee.
"Heh. Not bad bub. Not bad." Bakugo was so proud. Eiji was getting one step closer and closer to becoming a hero. It won't be long until he started facing some real dangers out there, but right now, he was just a kid in school, making friends and building memories.
"Oh yeah, and dad? I was wondering if you could do something for a friend of mine? He missed out on something he was looking forward to." Eiji pleaded as he pulled out a blank postcard.
"Huh? As long as it ain't signing something. 'Cuz I ain't signing one more thing."
"..."
"..."
"...Could you sign this for him?"
"Gah!"
