World of Hero Academia: Legacy's Perigee & Quirk's Horizon

by SirAngelo

The word of Quirks is as varied and broad as the people who live in. Take a trip away from the boy who would inherit a grand legacy and become the World's Greatest Hero to see the trials and tribulations of another group of future heroes. Join Sagittarius Class of Sol Horizon High as they struggle to achieve their dreams and fight the legacy of a world turned upside down.

It all started so simply, like most complicated things do.

Some time ago, so long it almost seems like a distant other world, a child was born in Qing Qing City, China with bright, luminescent skin – the first human born with an observable, paranormal power, but far from the last. After that, as time progressed, more and more people were born with (or manifested) these superhuman abilities. Whatever caused these Meta-Abilities – or Quirks, as they later became known – was a mystery. Were they simply the natural progression of human evolution, or was something external driving these changes and growth? Whatever the answer, that glowing baby in China signalled the beginning of worldwide revolution. The birth of a superhuman world.

It was a societal change even greater than The Renaissance or The Industrial Revolution, and an environmental and global shift only trumped by the KT-Extinction Event or the last Ice Age. The boundary of what was and wasn't human blurred and stretched, as more and more bizarre Quirks began to rise. As with most of human history, society began to create lines between who was "normal" and everyone who wasn't – a plotline ripped straight out of comic books – as bigotry and prejudice against Quirk-possessing humans rose. And then there were those with powers who began to run amok, unchecked and uncontrollable, using their Quirks to take what they wanted and inflict damage with wanton abandon. Governments began to break down in the rise of these criminals and underworld lords, as societal progress came to a screaming halt and even began to regress. The entire world sank into a new Dark Age...

Not wanting the world to sink into chaos and anarchy, a handful of people across the world stood up and used their Quirks for good – to fight against the villains and crime bosses and reclaim the peace and hope that had been swallowed by the darkness. While in modern terminology, these people would be labelled Vigilantes, in truth, they were the first Heroes of the Age of Quirks. In time, what remained of the governments and authorities of the world officially sanctioned individuals to use their Quirks in the name of peace and justice, to do what normal individuals could not do. To do what even in an extraordinary world would still qualify as extraordinary.

Here and now, the world pulled itself from the brink of destruction and reinvented itself, creating a superhuman society where the world revolves around Quirks. But, even though absolute disaster was averted, crime is still rampant across the globe, with people abusing their Quirks for various means and motives. And that is where Heroes come in - the valiant defenders of society recognized and idolized the whole world over.

Every nation on Earth has it's own hero culture, each a little different from each other. In Japan and America, it has become the de facto form of celebrity culture, complete with merchandise, product endorsements, and popularity rankings. Elsewhere, Heroes are used as agents of the state by authoritarian regimes, not only fighting crime but tamping down those that would contest the will of the state – whether for good or ill.

But in other nations, being a Hero is much leaner job, treated as a civic duty and service; less glamorous and monetarily rewarding, difficult and trying in it's challenges, but ultimately fulfilling by those who do the job.

And that is where we find ourselves and our story, in Canada, one of those countries of more humble, lesser heroes. The world of Heroes and Quirks is a world that is broad and deep, so let's pull back from Japan and the boy who would become the Number One Hero and the legacy he inherited to the western coast of Canada, and the students trying to grapple with a less enviable inherited legacy.

---

Course 1

Sol Horizon Secondary School for Heroics

---

"Get outta the way 'less you want your shit pushed in, losers!"

"We run these streets! Not even the cops and heroes can stop us!"

A young man stopped as he was about to cross the street, one foot hanging in the air off the curb even as the "Walk" signal beckoned him to come, but he was distracted by the commotion erupting down the street. Off in the distance, he could clearly see two people barrelling towards his location – not on the sidewalk, but just off of it – smashing through cars and cyclists, while pedestrians fled in terror. One of them almost had a reptilian look to him, with a long, prehensile tail that had several purses and handbags slung about it's length. The other was human enough from the waist up, but below that was the body of a powerful thoroughbred horse, ironshod hooves hammering the streets and tearing up chunks of asphalt with every pounding step, with his tailed companion mounted atop his horsey back.

Though, really, the young man didn't look any more strange or less normal than the two, in truth, most noticeably possessing hair of different shades of blue, with his forehead wearing a bejewelled crest, two horns bearing a spiralling grooved pattern curving up from it. Such was the state of appearance in the world of Quirks...

In recent weeks, the Sirocco neighbourhood of Vancouver's west end had been dealing with a rash of petty thefts and vandalism incidents, all conducted by a gang calling themselves the Barbats. Many members possessed Quirks focusing on mobility or speed, allowing them to hit their targets and then flee before the heroes or police could arrive on scene. Even in situations where a hero could pursue, the Barbats would always shake them, and this success had only caused them to act bolder and bolder, striking a well-trafficked street on a Tuesday morning, for example.

The youth figured these two running roughshod through the street, on a collision course with himself, were members of these Barbats. He could have simply walked away, cross the street in time to avoid being run over by the centaur-like brute. It was an important day, truth be told, and he had somewhere to be and very soon at that. Just walk away and let the authorities handle things; maybe this time they would catch one of these vandals. Had to happen eventually, right?

But right now, all the young man could see were the people running in terror or knocked aside by this rampage – barely conscious drivers in smashed cars, injured cyclists and their mangled bikes – and thought how many incidents like this had these two caused? How many people had they hurt or forced to cower in fear?

Zamza Tenryu removed the messenger bag slung about his shoulder and set it on the curb. He then removed his blazer and tie and neatly placed them atop the bag, so as they wouldn't get damaged in what was to come. He then stepped into the street, right in the middle of the warpath of the two vandals, arms folded as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt.

"Are ya blind or deaf? Outta the way asshole!"

"Don't make any difference to me! My Centaurus Quirk will turn him into roadkill!"

Zamza showed no fear in the face of the two and their threats. He took a breath instead, hands balled into fists and resting at level with his hips, his sleeves now rolled up to his elbows.

His eyes never left the two charging at him. His composure never broke or shifted, even as the two were now bearing down directly on him, the thundering of the hooves filling his ears, chips of road flying by his head.

The flesh of both his arms suddenly began to turn jet black, the dark pigment spreading over the skin like a roiling tide from where the sleeve was rolled up to all the way to the tips of his fingers, blanketing everything visible. Zamza's fists clenched tighter at the transformation, tendons and muscles flexing and bulging through the blackened skin.

"Heavenly Thunderclap."

"Ha! Look! This punk must think he's some kind of he – HRRK!"

In a sudden flash, both blackened arms shot forward, Zamza slamming the palm of his hands in the sternums of each of the hoodlums, enough force behind the blows to stop their rampage and send them reeling back. Lizard Tail was knocked off his perch atop his comrade, while said comrade was forced up and back, balancing on his hind legs. The impact of the attack made a rumbling sound akin to it's namesake, followed by a loud wheezing sound: the wind being driven out of the lungs of the two. Zamza followed through with the blow, stepping forward and directing the momentum of the attack down. Both Lizard Tail and Centaur were slammed into the ground they had previously been tearing up – the lower half of the centaur man having returned to that of a regular human – and the combination of the palm thrust and Zamza's weight kept them pinned down. The two vandals stirred and gasped for breath, Zamza having taken care not to knock them out or break any bones; appropriate force for an appropriate threat.

Less than a minute later, two squad cars and some hero Zamza didn't recognize were on the scene to apprehend the two and take them into custody. A fast response. Maybe they would have made it in time without Zamza's intervention. Oh well, no harm done, he reflected as he collected his things and dressed back up.

"Look kid, I'm not gonna say I don't appreciate what you did here," one of the arresting officers said to Zamza when the dust had all settled. He looked more annoyed than upset or angry, as if he had recited a similar speech many times before. "But you just can't go out and manhandle people with your Quirk, whether they're criminals or not." Fortunately, Zamza had anticipated such a speech, responding with a bright, confident smile.

"Worry not officer, while I may look like an ordinary citizen taking the law into his own hands, I am in fact a hero course student attending Sol Horizon Secondary, complete with my provisional license!" Zamza spoke quickly and assuredly, but all it won him was a raised eyebrow from the cop.

"You're a hero student?" Zamza nodded vigorously. "From Sol Horizon?" He nodded again, with even more vigour. "Then how come I don't recognize you?"

"Oh, I just moved here. Today is my first day, in fact." The cop remained skeptical, but Zamza had already brought out his wallet, flashing him a laminated card. "But I do have my provisional license. Just got it last year, so hopefully it's still up to date."

The officer took the card silently, scrutinizing it as Zamza continued to chatter. "And, don't worry, there is no need to thank me. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time in order to do my duty as a hero-in-training. And considering I'm new to the area, this is also a perfect way for me to intro-"

"...this thing says you're only licensed to operate in the Greater Victoria Metropolitan Area."

Zamza's confidence faltered in an instant, leaving him wide-eyed and stammering as the officer continued to scrutinize him. He babbled something before looking at his license – seeing that it did in fact say that, in black and white – looking back at the officer, then back at his license, before letting out a nervous chuckle and sheepish smile.

"Uh... hey! Would you look at the time? If I keep this up, I'll be tardy for my first day at my new school. Can't allow that, can we?"

Before the officer could say anything else, Zamza stowed away his license and darted across the intersection as quickly as his legs could carry him. "Nice meeting you, sir! I promise I won't interject myself into situations like these every morning! I look forward to working with you all the future have a good morning buh-bye!"

---

Fortunately, Zamza's little encounter didn't delay him too much from his critical appointment. Didn't hurt that he turned his previously leisurely stroll into a light jog.

Sol Horizon Secondary School for Heroics. Established seventy-two years ago, it quickly managed to obtain prestige and acclaim as one of the top hero schools in not only British Columbia, but in all of Canada; Depth Charge – currently considered to be the top hero in the entire province – counted Sol Horizon as his alma mater. The school offered an intensive, combined curriculum of general studies and Hero Course for Grades Seven through Twelve, known for the demanding workload it placed on it's students, but also for the quality of education it proved, well staffed and fully funded. If a kid in the Lower Mainland area of B.C. grew up dreaming of being a pro hero – and many of them did – then this was the school they would dream of attending.

And, from this day forward, this would be the school Zamza Tenryu called his own.

Stepping through the threshold of the open gates and onto the campus grounds, Zamza got an eyeful of the crowd of students milling about; returning students catching up with their friends after an eventful summer, or young kids taking their first step into this monumental, towering world. It was a vibrant and varied crowd, as one would come to expect with the student body of a hero school – so varied that nary two people were alike! Tall students, short students, skinny or broad; students with wildly different coloured hair or skin pigments – from blue to green to pink to orange. Students whose forms strayed away from things like primate, mammal, or bipedal: those with wings or more than two legs or less than two legs! People with heads that resembled wolves, serpents, ghostly flames, stone blocks, or mechanical parts! If anything, Zamza felt a little plain with only his crest, horns, and two-toned hair of ultramarine and icy blue to stand out. He felt like his height of five-foot-ten was fairly average for a boy his age, and while his arms, legs, shoulders, and everything else were trim and muscular, that didn't count for a whole lot of uniqueness points in this sort of environment. In fact, beyond the slightly almond shape of his eyes and pale skin tone revealing his mixed-ancestry, Zamza could feel himself blending right into this crowd of strangers; just another member of Sol's student body.

Not helping that fact was the uniform every student wore, as mandated by the school charter: a dark red blazer trimmed in black worn over a white shirt, along with a tie and either black slacks or a black pleated skirt. Zamza could already see a few students trying to customize their outfit within the boundaries of the rules – shoes or different socks or tights for the skirt wearers – but beyond that, the only difference between him and anyone else were the pattern of the tie, and the badge sewn onto the blazer's breast badge and epaulets. Zamza's tie being a satiny soft, almost reflective grey. Meanwhile, his badge proudly displayed the school's crest of a sun flanked by two lions, with a series of stars woven into the fabric beneath it, the same amount of stars attached to either of the jacket's shoulders, five. These two markers denoted which Grade a student was in, each Grade having it's own unique tie pattern, while adding a star each year, finishing with six for a student's senior year.

Taking an envious look at the assembled students, Zamza carried himself through the school's forecourt to the main building. He had arrived early for a meeting with administration, not to socialize like the others; not that he recognized any of the faces in the crowd, nor was it likely any of them would know of him to stop and chat. Maybe someday – hopefully soon – Zamza reflected, but just not today.

The main school build of Sol Horizon wasn't all that big in practice – only being two storeys tall, with the centre of the building really being an open-air courtyard, making the building a rectangular-shaped ring in essence – though the grounds it was on were nothing to scoff at. The school grounds spread out behind the main building containing numerous more supplementary buildings, training sites, and fields, all framed by a meticulously maintained swathe of greenery, the various flora contained along the side of the stone paths cutting through the grounds making it seem more akin to a botanical garden than a school campus. Zamza had even heard there was greenhouse somewhere on the property which the cafeteria staff used to grow their own fruits and veggies. A beautiful setting for one's youth, as well as a perfect expression of Vancouver's history of natural beauty incorporated within a modern cityscape.

Though, the part of the building Zamza liked the most was the great glass half-dome affixed to the front of it, the main entrances flanking the grand edifice. The curving wall of interlocking triangular panes revealed the main foyer of the school – yet more students inside – and the entire structure seemed to be held together without any visible frame or grid to keep everything in place. Zamza couldn't quite put his finger on why he though the dome was impressive, just that it felt "modern" and "cool", for whatever value those words had in this world.

Having been to the school a few times in the pass weeks for other administrative business, Zamza moved with confidence to his destination, slipping through the front doors and then up one of the curving, arcing stairways that led to the second floor.

"Hey, didja hear?" A female student said as he passed by her and another on the way up. "Apparently someone from school dealt with two of those Barbat goons on Damon Street this morning." Both girls had six stars sewn onto their blazers and wore black ties with a faint gold cross pattern on them; they were a year Zamza's senior.

"Really? Who was it?"

"Dunno. Some guy, but he took off his blazer and tie, so no one knows what year he's in." The first girl held up her phone, Zamza getting a peek of a photo himself pinning down Lizard Tail and Centaur on a social media site. Some bystander must've taken it. "Not from our class, though. Don't really recognize him..."

"Hey! Maybe it's one of the new students?"

"What!? You think a twelve-year-old took down two criminals who have been evading the pros for weeks?"

"Was just a thought, is all..."

At the apex of the stairs, now out of earshot of the two, Zamza grimaced and scratched the back of his head. The first day of school hadn't even official begun and he was already developing some notoriety among the student body. So much for his desire to maintain somewhat of a low profile.

"Hi, I'm Zamza Tenryu. I'm a transfer student and was told to report here early today." He told the person behind the desk at administration. Just like the grounds outside, the offices of Sol Horizon's faculty was abuzz with activity, perhaps even moreso. Numerous teachers streaming about, performing last minute preparation for the coming school year, set against the background of numerous ringing phones and other staff members answering them and talking on them; no doubt in constant communication with important people and places Pro hero agencies, government offices, and any numerous other necessary third parties required not only to run a school, but a school meant to train a new generation of heroes and guardians.

Zamza waited for around five minutes, minding his own business and trying his hardest not to stand out and distract the busy people about him, before he heard a familiar voice call his name, instinctively snapping to attention at the sound.

Turning, Zamza found Sol Horizon's Vice Principal and a person he had met with plenty during the recent pass, Ai Meganeko. She was a tall woman, taller than Zamza actually, and her height was only accentuated by how thin she was. Dressed professionally and impeccably in a grey pantsuit, her bright pink tied in a tight bun, cat ears poking out from it atop her head, and if that were all one were to take in of the woman, they would probably think her cute, especially considering the pun of her name. But the most apparent and sharpest feature of the educator were her eyes: large, wide, bright green, with slashed pupils, framed behind large, circular glasses, and seemingly locked in a severe and piercing glare. Having spent enough time with the woman, Zamza always felt a little uneasy around her, and he figured that is exactly what Ms. Meganeko wanted.

"Thank you for coming early, Mr. Tenryu." She greeted curtly as she approached him from across the busy office space. Trailing at her side was an older man – probably in his fifties to Ms. Meganeko's thirties – dressed not quite as sharply as her (rumpled and unironed pants, with a slightly too large white shirt and an especially too large tie) with more-salt-than-pepper hair, and a windburnt face that seemed as if the skin of his face was stretched too tightly over his bones. Though the most noticeable trait this man possessed was a massive pair of bangs that formed two large strands, growing in arcs that hanged halfway down his face. To Zamza, they almost looked like cricket antenna.

"This is Mr. Anderson." Ms. Meganeko explained, Zamza now staring intently at the man before him, even as the two exchanged brief introductions. "He's Sagittarius Class' homeroom teacher for the year. He'll handle any questions you may still have about life here at Sol Horizon."

"Hey, wait! Now I recognize you!" Zamza snapped his fingers in excitement. He thought those antenna-bangs look familiar. "You're Detect Man! I'm a big fan, sir!"

Detect Man was a pro hero with over twenty-five years of experience working across Canada. While not famed as a combatant, his analytical skills combined with his Quirk, "Detect", made him an invaluable asset for manhunts, search and rescue operations, and things like drug or illegal weapon busts. Zamza beamed at meeting such an esteemed hero, though the man himself sucked in his teeth, flashing a rather sour expression.

"Knock it off." He grumbled. "It's Mr. Anderson, kid, nothing else. 'Specially considering that I'm retired now."

"Oh, uh, sorry, sir. Guess I got a little too excited there." Zamza chuckled sheepishly, while cursing himself. How could he forget? If a pro wanted to teach at a hero school, they either had to go on sabbatical or retire. The thinking being that while hero was an important job, being a teacher was just as important, if not more, so everyone should be able to devote a hundred percent of their effort to the job at hand.

Guess I've been so use to the same old faces around Victoria the past four years, didn't really sink in until now that I'd be dealing with a whole other group of famous heroes.

For his part, Mr. Anderson just waved him off, settling back to a neutral expression. "Don't worry. I'm more than use to it after all these years." He sighed then, irritably adjusting his tie. "Though, I'd be surprised if any of the first year kids even recognize me now. Ah, whatever. C'mon, let's get on our way. Homeroom starts soon."

Mr. Anderson motioned for Zamza to follow as he shuffled off, the latter taking a moment to turn back to the Vice-Principal. "Oh, by the way, Ms. Meganeko – not super important or anything, but... my provisional license still says I'm only cleared to operate in Victoria, and I was wondering if-"

The Vice-Principal quickly cut him off. "We have put in the paperwork with the provincial hero registration offices. The change has been made on their own databases, we're just waiting for the physical card. It should be here this week and we'll notify you as soon as we have it." Zamza smiled, offering his thanks, Ms. Meganeko returning it with a sharp nod. "Now, off you go. Best of luck to you, Mr. Tenryu."

Zamza jogged out of the offices, following his teacher, and as soon as he had caught up with him, a bell went off, ringing through the halls of the school and across it's exterior grounds. The first bell of the day signalled everyone had five minutes before classes officially began with homeroom period. It was a flurry of movement around Zamza and Mr. Anderson, with students grabbing books and supplies and darting off in a mad dash – seniors and upperclassmen moving with certainty and an air of routine, while the younger and smaller first years were wide-eyed and confused, double- and triple-checking maps or cheat sheets to make sure they had the right direction or room.

"Oh, by the way, sir," Zamza started to ask as his guide descended back down to the first floor, "what was that stuff about 'Sagittarius Class' Ms. Meganeko mentioned?"

"An idiosyncrasy of the school's founder." Was Mr. Anderson's cryptic reply, before further explaining with, "He wanted a way to discern classes year over year and after graduation, so he decided to apply the name of a constellation to each one. You guys are 'Sagittarius Class', the seniors above you are 'Tucana Class', the ones a year below you are 'Ara Class', so on and so forth."

Zamza nodded along. It made sense in a quirky and odd way, though he didn't see a definitive pattern. "And how are the names assigned?"

Mr. Anderson paused, turning back partway to reveal a crooked smile, teeth stained yellow from nicotine. "We teachers throw darts at a board, see what sticks." Zamza blinked in confusion, unsure if that was a joke or not.

Eventually, the two found themselves outside a classroom, which Zamza assumed would be his home classroom for the year. He went to enter it, only for Mr. Anderson to hold up a hand, making him stop. "You wait out here, kid. I'll call you in when it's time." Zamza silently asked "why", raising an eyebrow at his teacher. "If I let you go in there before the bell, then everyone will see the new kid and get all curious and chatty. I'll never be able to wrangle their attention after that. This way – letting me introduce you – I control the conversation, how it starts and how it ends. Understand?"

"Uh, sure. Whatever you say, sir." Zamza didn't really want to have a big to-do made of his entry into this class, but he figured there was no helping it. Hero course transfer students weren't rare, but they weren't common either, especially those that transferred so late into their high school career.

Mr. Anderson slipped inside the classroom, leaving Zamza standing out in the halls, with fewer and fewer students accompanying him by the second. Every now and again, when he figured he could get away with it, Zamza took a peak into the class, to try and get a glimpse of his soon-to-be classmates. It was every bit as colourful a bunch as he expected, with a few individuals immediately catching his eye. There was a girl with skin a pale shade of lavender, a large pair of scaly wings jutting out through slits in her uniform; another girl with brown skin, red hair, and a great, segmented tail tipped with a barbed stinger; and the biggest and tallest kid in the class was a Black boy with six arms, two pairs coming out of his shoulder and the third from the middle of his ribs. Zamza actually had to stop himself from gawking on more than one occasion, nervous but excited at the prospect of meeting these kids, or befriending them, or working with them...

You got this Zam, you got this! It's all gonna work out!

Finally, second bell rang, heralding the official beginning of the school day at the start of homeroom period. One eye peaking into the class, Zamza saw all the students take their seats as Mr. Anderson sat down at his desk near the front of the board.

"Okay, okay, settle down everyone." Mr. Anderson addressed the students, slumped over the desk and balancing himself on his elbows. "We got a bit to get through before first period so let's keep the horseplay to a bare minimum. First, though, I do want to say 'welcome back'. I hope everyone enjoyed their summer and did well on their pro hero internships and job shadowing assignments.

"Next, important business, we have a transfer student joining us this year." That caused a low murmur to generate among the students, all of them perking up and looking attentively at their teacher who continued, but not before motioning for Zamza to come on in.

Taking a deep breath, Zamza crossed the threshold, entering the class to find many pairs of eyes all focused on him, observing, but open and amiable. He made an effort to offer his friendliest, warmest smile – to get their relationship off on the right foot before he even said a word.

But, Mr. Anderson kept talking, and quickly dashed Zamza's hopes with three words.

"Until recently, he was studying at Victoria's Royal Avalon Academy. So, Sagittarius Class, please welcome your newest member: Zamza Tenryu."

In the space between the teacher uttering "Avalon" and "Academy", Zamza could fell all the air sucked out of the room, the expressions of almost all the other students changing in an instant. Some became more neutral and subdued, while others glared with heated suspicion, watching him, judging him, not as if he were an enemy – nothing that extreme – but like he was their rival.

It was true that Sol Horizon was considered one of the best hero schools in the province and the country... emphasis on "one of" and not simply "the best". In it's illustrious history, the school always placed high in rankings by educational and heroic organizations that dealt with that sort of thing, but while it was usually in the top ten of all of Canada – sometimes rising to the top five – it had never cracked the top three. And when considering province, it had never once been considered the single best hero school in British Columbia. Those honours went to Royal Avalon Academy of Victoria, which had been declared number on in BC for the past nineteen years, and almost always ranked in the top five nationwide, usually hitting the top three, and on occasion claiming the number one spot itself. Zamza honestly never put too much stock into these rankings and grades, but he came from the school that was usually on top, it was a whole different story when you were constantly being told you were good, just not good enough. Nothing could cause a complex to develop faster than that.

And this was the mess Zamza had hoped to avoid, at least for the first day of school. All he wanted was a chance to bond with his new classmates and let them form an opinion of him before the truth came to light. Now they were just going to think he was a snob or an elite or any other preposterous preconceived notions they had about Royal Avalon students. He sighed through his smile. What a mess.

"Well, uh, yeah, the name is Zamza. Nice to meet everyone." He said, trying to gloss over the awkward parts of his origin. "I'm really happy to be here at Sol Horizon, and am looking forward to getting to know you all and working with you over the next two years."

His speech did little to assuage his colleague's misgivings and well-learned distrust of all things from Royal Avalon. One girl, with bright, orange-red hair tied back into a ponytail, her face covered in freckles, shot her hand into the air. "So, what's your deal then? Why're you here? You flunk out or something?" She asked in rapid-fire order. She had been one of the students who grew apprehensive, still wearing those emotions on her face.

"Highly inappropriate, Ms. McIntyre." Mr. Anderson groused.

"Just curious, Mr. A. We all are."

"It's okay, it's okay." Zamza waved off Mr. Anderson's concern. "It's not a real interesting reason or anything, kinda boring to be honest. I just had to move to Vancouver over the summer. For personal reasons." He lied, still offering his warm smile and hoping it was enough. "Besides, if I were a dropout, there's no way I'd be able to attend such an amazing school like Sol Horizon!"

He chuckled to punctuate the joke, hoping to defuse the situation, but most everyone seemed unmoved from their positions. Zamza sighed through his smile again.

"Alright, alright, enough." Mr. Anderson said, exerting his control over the class. "You can pester Mr. Tenryu here on your own time. Go and take a seat Zamza and we'll start homeroom."

Zamza did as told, finding an empty seat in the second row. Fortunately, as soon as he stopped being the centre of attention and Mr. Anderson began to inform the class about the coming semester and year, thing settled down. From first impressions, Mr. Anderson seemed to run a tight ship, probably why he was a homeroom teacher, and none of the students wanted to get on his bad side by interrupting proceedings.

"Grade Eleven now, it's a big year for you guys. Now that you have your provisional hero licenses and some field experience from your shadowing assignments, we're going to start integrating you into the work study program. You'll be working alongside the pros in a more active capacity than your first internships. These are mandatory and you're required to log a certain number of hours each semester. The school is currently finalizing agencies for you to work with, we'll discuss this in more detail later in the week. Also, you'll be participating in the Cascadia Inter-School Heroic Challenge later in the year. It's not for a while, but it's something to remind yourselves of later..."

---

From there, the day moved at a cheetah's pace, almost a blur to Zamza. Mr. Anderson gave everyone their schedules for the semester, as proper classes began. Mr. Chen – a bald Asian man who looked at least decade younger than Mr. Anderson – came in to teach English, followed by Ms. Greene – a tanned woman around the same age as Mr. Chen, her hair buzzed short and dyed green – who taught Social Studies. Though, for Zamza, he knew them better as Grounder and Emerald Flowsion, respectively. Even after the rebuke he received earlier, it was still difficult for him not to get giddy with excitement seeing these heroes in the flesh. He had been fully immersed in the world of heroes for the past four years, and yet he still had that fanboy heart at his core.

Lunch break came after morning classes ended, the entire student body migrating through the school to the lunchroom. It was situated at the back of the school building on the bottom floor, on the complete opposite side of the main entrance and it's spectacular glass dome, which allowed for plenty of seating not just within the cafeteria, but also the school's interior courtyard or the grounds immediately outside the building, both outdoors spaces located to the immediate north and south of the cafeteria.

Obtaining his meal, Zamza observed the lunchroom, but only seeing a potential minefield. While he had briefly chatted with a few of the more friendly and cordial students in-between classes, he hadn't much of a chance to really connect with anyone, so he felt a little put-out at the idea of inviting himself to eat with someone he barely knew. Not to mention, while he noticed a few of his fellow Sagittarius students eating together, a few others were with students from other classes – those with four or six stars on their jackets. He was less than keen on trying to win over yet more people, especially those who wouldn't be with for the majority of the year.

So, after standing idly about like a goon, vainly hoping that someone would invite him over, Zamza figured it just wasn't worth the hassle or awkwardness and exited out of the south end of the cafeteria, entering the interior courtyard at the centre of the building's ring.

Outside, several stone tables and benches were spread along the perimeter of the space, nestled along a well manicured lawn inter-cut with cobblestone walkways. There were fewer students out in the yard, and only a few were eating. Others, who must have finished their lunch already, were playing games on the lawn or just generally hanging out and chatting with their friends; more catching up on the first day it would seem.

Immediately, Zamza took a breath, feeling better now that he was away from the clamour of the lunchroom. Looking for a seat, he actually found someone from his class, eating by themselves, much to his surprise. A shorter girl with dark skin – a little on the light side; probably a Black-Caucasian mix, Zamza thought – and a stocky body and wide hips. But the most immediate and striking feature was her hair; so long that it draped down to the small of her back, a light, shimmery golden blonde colour, and (most of all) the bountiful mane of hair took the form of dense, curly fluff. Zamza was struck by the sight, thinking it looked more like a cloud or sheep's wool than human hair.

Well, working my charms on one person is easier than dealing with a group. Better take my shot.

"Hi. Mind if I sit here?" He asked, approaching the girl, who currently held a small book in her left hand, while she nibbled on a sandwich carried in her right. For a few tense seconds, she didn't answer, Zamza fearing she was ignoring him, but it turned out she was just absorbed in her book.

After turning the page with her thumb, she looked up at him, big eyes that were a light rosy colour. "Go right ahead." She said in a quiet, polite voice. Zamza sighed and smiled.

"Thanks!" The transfer cheered and quickly sat down, placing his tray of food before him. The girl nodded and smiled, going back to reading her book, and Zamza himself was about to dig in to his lunch, when he began to gawk at her hair again. It just looked... so poofy and fluffy, soft and satiny, like a dream spun in a cotton candy machine. Against his better judgment, Zamza worked up the courage to say, "So, weird question – sorta inappropriate too, sorry – but, your hair -"

"Go ahead." The fluffy haired girl said, eyes not even moving from her book. "People ask me to touch it all the time. I've just learned to accept it." She looked up from the book again, rosy eyes taking a bit of a serious edge. "But only one touch. Understood?"

"Yes. Of course."

Sitting up slightly from his bench, Zamza leaned over, finger extended to gently prod and poke the fluffy, puffy mass of golden thread. However, with his finger barely a centimetre away from touching it, an intense jolt of pain erupted from the pile of curly hair, travelling up Zamza's index finger and through his hand! A shock so big Zamza thought he may have seen the arc of lightning connecting them!

"Yow!" He reeled his hand back on instinct, shaking it. It was more surprising than painful, but it still stung like crazy. "That's one hell of a static shock." The girl nodded in agreement, eyes down on her book again, but otherwise not even reacting to what had just happened. "And I'm guessing most people don't even try for a second touch, eh?"

"Hazing the new kid there, Cerise?"

Zamza turned around to face the new speaker, finding not only another young woman, but another member of his class, and another Black person, though her complexion was a fair bit darker than Cerise's. She stood tall and proud, fists resting at her hips and a warm smile on her face. Her proud and confident demeanour was only amplified by her muscular body, somewhat hidden by her uniform's jacket, though there was no hiding her long, powerful-looking legs. Her hair expanded out in a natural afro, tight coils of dark, kinky hair that had a slight burnished orange colouration along their tips.

"Oh, of course, Zee. What else would I be doing?" Cerise replied. "I am ever the prankster after all." Cerise's dry tone indicated quite the opposite. "Zee" chuckled, her soft amber eyes lighting up as she did.

"Well, at least I got to you before you ate the new kid alive." She then turned to face Zamza. "Actually, I've been looking for you. I know what it's like to transfer in, to be the new kid, so I wanted to give you a proper welcome to Sol Horizon," she extended her hand in friendship, "Zyra Freeman. My friends call me 'Zee', though."

Zamza stood up, matching her smile, quickly finding that Zyra was actually a few inches taller than her – even without the hair. "Good to meet ya, Zee. I'm Zamza, but, uh, you knew that already, of course."

"Yep, yep." Zyra nodded, before waving a hand at Cerise. "Looks like you met Cerise. Don't worry, I know she's quiet, but she isn't shy or rude. Just how she is."

"Don't lie to him, Zee." Cerise replied, eyes once more on the pages of her book and not the people she was speaking to. "I am an uncontrollable, rapacious hellion and everyone knows it." Though, she did briefly tear her eyes from the page, looking at Zamza, just long enough to say, "It's Cerise LeBlanc, by the way."

"Plus she's got a sense of humour. Some have called it 'dry' and 'charming', but I just don't see it." Zyra and Zamza shared a small laugh. Cerise made no reaction, save to turn another page with her thumb.

"So, you're a transfer, too? Or, were a transfer, I guess." Zamza asked, highly curious. He had no idea there was another one in his year. Most hero students that transferred schools were usually because they couldn't meet the high demands of a prestigious institution and went to a lesser one. Someone transferring in mid-career to a school like Sol Horizon was quite rare.

"Yep. I came to Sol Horizon at the start of last year, just like you are now." Zyra explained. "Came from So-Cal Hero University." This caused Zamza to stop in shock, blinking rapidly.

"W-wait, wait, wait! So-Cal HU? The one in San Diego?"

A crooked smile formed on Zyra's lips. "Well, I'm not talking about the one in Akron, Ohio."

"That's freakin' crazy, man!" Zamza exclaimed, loudly. Probably a little too loud, as some of the other students in the courtyard were giving him looks. Clearing his throat and restraining himself, he continued. "I mean, I know Sol Horizon and Royal Avalon are esteemed and all, but So-Cal is on a whole other level!" Zyra didn't seem to be lying, but Zamza still couldn't believe it. So-Cal Hero University had numerous top level heroes study in it's halls, giving it titles like "The UA of America." or "The UA of the West." Captain Celebrity studied there. All-Might studied there for a semester or two! He was beyond impressed, flabbergasted, especially considering Zyra's body language told him she didn't think it such a big deal.

"Not to mention – I mean, your American then, right? Coming here for school is a little out of the way, isn't it?"

Zyra just waved him off. "Yeah, but I'm here now and happy I am. Sure, you guys say 'Grade Eleven' instead of 'Eleventh Grade', you spell 'color' with a 'U', and your pop doesn't have any high-fructose corn syrup in it, but..." she paused, as if to reflect on something. Probably her last year in a foreign country. "Sol Horizon's a good place to be. I like it here, and I like all the people in my class. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, truthfully. Don't let the dirty looks from this morning get you down. Not a whole lot of people take the 'rivalry' with Royal Avalon seriously. And those that do, well, their bark is worse than their bite. You'll win them over before long."

"Thanks!" While Zamza hoped-slashed-figured that was the case, it was nice to hear it from a peer, especially nice to hear it from someone once in his position, and for that person to have actively sought him out. If anything else, he was going to count today as a good simply because he met Zyra Freeman. "Honestly, I find the whole rivalry thing to be a bit ridiculous. I had never met anyone who was an active student from Sol until today, and I bet most of them hadn't met anyone from Avalon, either."

"Yeah, but we're in high school, right?" She said with a shrug. "We do stupid things and put too much stock in even dumber things." Zamza nodded along; Zyra seemed oddly sage-like for a girl their age. "Anyways, hate to stop by and run, but I do have something else to do. Just wanted to say 'hi' and make sure you're doing well."

Zamza rubbed the back of his head, a touch embarrassed. "Well, again, thanks a lot. It was really cool of you, Zee."

"No worries, man." Zyra smiled again, flashing him a quick peace sign. "I'll see you guys after lunch. Take care 'till then."

The friendly and confident Zyra Freeman then made her exit, moving at a light jog. Zamza smiled and nodded again before sitting down to finally eat his lunch. That certainly made up for the first impression this morning. Maybe things wouldn't be as much of a mess now as he previously had dreaded.

"Hey, Cerise? Are we friends, too?"

A pregnant paused followed Zamza's question. Another page turned over. "If you want to be."

"Awesome!" The new student cheered, again a bit too raucously, before digging into his lunch.

It had grown cold and was a little unappealing. Such is life, sometimes.

---

One thing Zamza didn't have to adjust to at Sol Horizon was the schedule, it being almost identical to how Royal Avalon handled things. The morning classes were split into two periods, the subjects alternating each day between standard lessons one would find in a "normal" high school setting: Language & Literature, Social Studies & History, Mathematics, and Science. After lunch, a shortened period followed, it alternating between French and Lifeskills – a sort of catch-all course that combined Cooking, Health, and a few other odds and sods like Driver's Ed, or how to calculate a budget or do your taxes.

But after that first afternoon period, came the real meat of any hero school's curriculum: Hero Course Studies. At Sol Horizon, the day of school concluded with a two hour block of Hero Course Studies (at least for Sagittarius Class; Zamza couldn't speak for the other grades) and took a myriad of forms, though they all focused on the core of teaching what it meant to be a hero, and how to be the most effective hero one could be. From classroom lectures regarding the history of professional heroes in Canada and abroad, to live demos on how to properly engage with social media or conduct interviews or press conferences, to delving into theorycraft regarding costume colour coordination or the use of support gear to boost one's Quirk. But, the bulk of such lessons trended towards physical exercise and training; lectures and theories were good, but in the end, the Quirk was like a muscle. It needed to be used, trained, expanded, and sharpened if one desired to be a hero. Training and drills were the fundamental bedrock that made up any good hero course.

So, after French class, Zamza and the other students of Sagittarius Class were informed to change into their PE uniforms and meet at Bure Gymnasium, one of the many auxiliary buildings on the school grounds, for their first Hero Course Lesson of the year. Zamza admitted, he was a little bummed out they were told to change into their gym clothes instead of their hero costumes, hoping to scope everyone else's style out, but he guessed that was going to have to wait for another day.

Sol Horizon's PE uniform was composed of black, nylon track jacket with orange piping and the school's crest blazed on the back and the left breast, along with either nylon track pants or shorts in the same colouration and styling, Zamza himself donning the jacket and shorts for the late summer afternoon. He was one of the last of the boys to leave the locker room and enter the gym proper, still getting use to all the new spaces at the school.

What he found was a spacious, well equipped, but otherwise ordinary-looking gymnasium. Reinforced glass walls divided the space into multiple portions – allowing for a separate weight room, a room filled with punching bags, treadmills, and other pieces of exercise equipment, and even rooms which had painted lines used to signify the zones for volleyball or basketball courts. But the chamber the students had assembled in was large and mostly barren, the only real thing of note in it being the lines etched on the hardwood floor. They were circular courts, multiples of them, and to Zamza, that only signalled one thing for today's training. Combat drills and sparring.

"Alright, everyone, hustle up and line up!" The teacher said, prefacing her orders with a sharp spurt of her whistle. The teacher was a woman dressed in a track suit similar to the students, with olive skin, short blonde hair tucked beneath a ball cap, and two curving horns rising from it, originating just above her ears. Despite her sex and gender, they clearly resembled the horns of a bull, and Zamza knew immediately who was teaching them. Mina Labrys AKA The Mina-Taur, a hero who made her name working in Edmonton, Alberta for many years, known for her strength and determination.

Everyone scrambled together to get into a loose line, Zamza having to restrain his smile at the fact of receiving training for The Mina-Taur herself. Coach Labrys took a moment to size everyone up. "Well, good to see everyone again. Been a while since I taught y'all, but you look like you've grown up and bulked up." Coach Labrys nodded approvingly. Zamza figured she must have taught Sagittarius Class in a prior year. "Now, as I understand, we have a new student here with us. Uh..." she brought up a clipboard she was holding at her side. "Zamza Tenryu, is it?"

"Yes, coach!" Zamza took a step forward and raised his hand at being called.

"Tell me, Tenryu. Have you told anyone what your Quirk is? Shown it off, at all?" The horned teacher asked.

"No. I haven't Been too busy of a day."

Labrys nodded again. "Good, good. Flip side of that, has anyone here toldya their Quirk or shown it to you?"

"Again, no, but..." Zamza leaned over, looking down the line of students, from Zyra to Cerise and everyone in between. "I think I can make some educated guesses based on looks, but other than that..."

"Okay, okay..." Coach Labrys seemed happy with the answers. "Works out for me. What we're gonna start with ladies and gents is some one-on-one sparring." Zamza knew it. And then the coach pointed at him. "And I don't mean to put you in the hotseat, kid, but I'm gonna have you run the gauntlet, face off as many people in the class as you can manage."

Zamza was slightly surprised by that, as was most everyone else in the class it seemed. A low murmur rose from the people around him, wondering what the reason was.

As to that, Coach Labrys was happy to explain. "See, y'all have been training together for the last four years, going on five. It'll be six by the time you graduate. You've seen each other develop your Quirks and techniques, know each other's abilities as well as you know your own. But, when you get out into the real world, you won't have that advantage. When you're in the field, whether it's working with another pro, trying to deescalate an argument or confrontation, dealing with thieves and robbers, or fighting some maniac trying to blow up a city block, there's no guarantee you'll know the Quirks of other people you're involved with, whether friendlies, enemies, bystanders, or otherwise."

The murmurs began to die down as everyone started to see Coach Labrys' point, even as she continued. "And I know a lot of you kids are as sharp as a knife. Real good at analyzing and planning. But in the heat of the moment, when our job is to minimize damage and loss of life, you can't necessarily do that. Sometimes you have to charge in, working on gut feeling and instinct, improvising and adjusting your plans as things play out." The seasoned pro then pointed at Zamza. "That's what makes him a good opportunity for everyone. A chance to see how you fair against the unknown. Again, sorry for putting the spotlight on you, kid."

"No, I understand, Coach." Zamza gave a nod, signalling he was good to star in such a production. "I'm more than okay with this." He quickly unzipped his jacket and tossed it aside, revealing the white muscle shirt he had on underneath, as well as some scarring on upper arms. Three slashes cut across his left bicep, while a jagged line tore across his right one, eventually transitioning onto his chest. These too drew spurts of conversation from his fellow classmates.

Zamza walked up into one of the rings, standing in the centre and turning as to address the class. "I don't know any of you that well, and you guys don't know me that well, so let's forget this morning so I can tell you who I really am." While he projected as much warmth as he could this morning, and he still wanted to befriend all the people before him, Zamza's voice was now much more even, free of stutter and stammer. Eyes steeled and chest puffed out, he held out an open palm towards the other teens.

"I'm Zamza Tenryu, and I want to become the best hero I can possibly be. Not only that, I want to raise the heroes around me so that they become their best. I want my generation – our generation, all of you – to be a shining example to the rest of the country and the world. So that when people in need hold their arms out, we'll be their to take their hands and help them!"

In contrast to the glares and cool expressions of homeroom, Zamza's speech was met with a much more gracious reception. Slight grins, smiles, even a smatter of applause. Zamza hoped this was the moment to turn the opinion of his fellow students around, showing them his sincere self and feelings.

Coach Labrys, however, didn't seem all that taken by his word. "Yeah, yeah, fine speech, kid. Regardless, we're burning daylight and I do want you to do other things today besides combat. That being said, any takers for the first go at the newbie?" The smile and the glint in her eyes made Zamza blanch slightly; just a bit too much relish in this words for his liking, especially from a teacher.

Immediately, as soon as the coach made that offer, a student wordlessly pushed his way forward, volunteering himself. He was an Asian kid, about Zamza's height, but with a more lithe and wiry frame, black hair kept short and neat, bangs impeccably swept to one side. Slate grey eyes peered out from beneath rectangular glasses, narrows frames to the point they were invisible. The young man moved towards the fighting ring with purpose and determination, clear and swift strides with no wasted motion or energy, and his expression was serious and composed, inscrutable and almost bordering on cold.

As he took his place opposite Zamza in the ring, Coach Labrys shook her head and chuckled. "Park, huh? Why am I not surprised? Alright, on my mark boys."

"Phew, walking around with an expression like that, I bet you're a real hoot at parties." Zamza quipped to his partner, nothing more than friendly taunt, though "Park" barely reacted to the comment, just simply drawing himself up into a fighting stance, feet spread wide and fists held up to guard or strike.

Jokes aside, Zamza also got into a fighting stance, taking a breath as he did this morning. He breath out the tension and breathed in focus. He didn't want to show-off or go all out on day one, but he did at least want to give the kids of Sagittarius Class a taste of what he was made of.

Manifest, Primary Frame.

Just as this morning, a wave of black began to travel down Zamza's arms, a roiling tide covering his arms. With his arms fully visible, the blackness originated from just above his elbows, covering that down to the tips of his toes. His legs, likewise, turned black with the activation of his Quirk, starting from the knees down. The most basic form of his Quirk caused the students on the sidelines to go abuzz. They were hero students, and they had been taught to observe, speculate, and analyze when shown an unknown Quirk.

"Black arms and legs. Do you think it's carbon hardening?" The girl with the wings and lavender skin mused aloud, Zamza barely able to pick her up

"Nah, look closer. There's a pattern on his skin. I think those are suppose to be scales." Zyra pointed out, loud enough for the others to hear.

"So, what? Is he suppose to be, like, a lizard boy, or something?" An East-Indian girl with bubble gum pink hair and a voice just as high and sickly sweet asked. "That's kinda ew..."

"Wait, isn't 'Tenryu' Japanese? Something dragon. Dragon something, right?. That's what it means, I think." A boy with spiked-up green hair brought up. "Maybe that has to do something with his Quirk."

"Oh! A draconic style Quirk. How exciting!" Stated another male student. This one lacked a head entirely, everything above his shoulders being a ghostly black and blue flame. Two greenish points within the fiery mass seemed to be representative of eyes.

"This isn't a comic book." A dark-looking girl scoffed, shaking her black-and-blonde hair. "Our names have nothing to do with our powers or abilities..."

Cutting through the chatter and the tension of waiting was the sharp "twee" of Coach Labrys' whistle, signalling the start of the exercise. "Get to it, boys!"

Immediately at the sound of the coach's whistle, "Park" whipped his leg, a lightning fast snap kick... while he was still five feet away from Zamza. All that happened was his white sneaker came slipping off his feet and was now flying towards the transfer student.

It may have been travelling fast, but it was still a shoe, Zamza quickly sidestepping while offering a quirked eyebrow and another quip. "Who throws a shoe? Honestly?" The shoe sailed by his right, as Zamza planted a leading foot into the floor, ready to close the gap in an instant and strike his opponent.

Before he could launch off, though, a massive shot exploded along his right rib cage. He staggered, his breath hitched, as pain surged through the side of his body. Before him, there was only white, but out of the corner of his eye he saw... Park! Slamming the heel of his hand into his rib cage. How in the world did he get to his flank this quickly, was Zamza's immediate thought. He tried to orientate his body to face the student, but Park just stood up and delivered three high kicks across Zamza's sternum. The blows were quick and precise, but thankfully less painful than the palm thrust to the ribs.

Zamza grunted, but went for the counter, going to bring his left fist into a hook to clock his fellow classmate, only to be met with empty air. In the blink of an eye, Park had disappeared! In fact, the only thing near Zamza now was the white sneaker that had flung off his foe's foot.

What the...? Zamza whipped about, seeing Park was back at the position he started. How did he travel from there to here and back without me noticing? It must be some kind of super speed Quirk, but... no! Zamza looked at Park, then the shoe by his side, then remember the white he saw when first struck, trying to put the puzzle pieces together. ...Teleportation!? Is he... swapping places with his shoe?

Kevin Park!
Quirk: Switcheroo!
He can instantly swap places with any unattended object he can see within five meters! The object can't be smaller than a playing card, nor can it be larger than a refrigerator.

Even after the successful hits, Kevin's face was as stoic as ever, an expression of intense concentration and nothing more. If Zamza had to hazard a guess, this guy was one of the top students in class.

And he's first in this gauntlet. Lucky me. Oh well, Zamza grinned despite the throbbing pain in his ribs, deciding to follow the coach's advice. Sometimes, all you could do was charge in and work off gut instinct!

Zamza bolted forward, hands up and eyes open. Kevin responded by removing his other shoe and tossing it straight ahead. He was clearly trying to use that to close the gap between them quicker, so all Zamza had to do was attack the moment Kevin swapped places and he could take control of this exhibition bout.

Then Zamza felt his legs swept out from under him and he was on his back, Kevin kneeling atop him, pinning him to the ground. He had swapped places with his first shoe, the second one a feint, and scored a decisive blow. The second shoe fell harmlessly on Zamza's chest, capping off the series of events for the new student with such a comic note.

"TWEEEE!"

"Okay, good first round. Break up and reset."

For his part, Kevin helped Zamza back to a standing base, though he was giving him a critical, harsh look as the latter dusted himself off. "I was expecting more." Kevin Park stated, right to Zamza's face, before turning about and rejoining the rest of the class on the sidelines.

Zamza scratched his head, grimacing. "Well, I do try to meet people's expectations, but you know..." he mumbled to himself, while Coach Labrys appraised the others.

"'Kay, maybe shouldn't have thrown ya into the deep end right away. Who next?" The gym teacher scanned the row of students, almost all of them standing neutrally, save for one boy. Easily one of the biggest kids in the class, this musclebound student was waving his arm in the air, excitedly jumping up and down, as if the coach had asked him who wanted to cut classes and go to the PNE.

Coach Labrys took a hard look at the students, before saying. "...LeBlanc! Get in there, you're up!"

The big guy groaned vocally as Cerise shuffled her way into the ring. Now that she didn't have a book in front of her round face, Zamza could see her expression registered as calm, almost to the point of sleep, with a long, languid smile etched on her lips.

"Let's make this quick, Zamza, okay?" She stated when the two faced across from each other.

"No worries, Cerise." Zamza went back to his fighting stance. Even after his lose to Kevin, the black scales on his arms and legs had not receded. "I know not to underestimate a rapacious, uncontrollable hellion like you."

Once more, Labrys' whistle signalled the starting bell, this time Zamza taking the initiative. Given how much of it there was, he figured Cerise's hair was apart of her Quirk, and whether she launched, sculpted it, or transmuted it, he wanted to give her no time to set-up or attack.

For her part, Cerise held her ground, seemingly anticipating Zamza's quick attack and reacting even faster. The massive mound of hair behind her seemed to grow and shimmer, almost engulfing Cerise as it formed around her, the girl consumed by this massive cotton ball that only her head peaked through.

And then, the sharp scent of ozone filled Zamza's nostrils, as arcs of lightning began to rip and rise from her hair.

Oh. That explains the massive static shock... Zamza dug his heels into the polished hardwood, skidding to a stop and pulling back his extended fist as to not be fried by however many volts Cerise's hair just unloaded into the vicinity. But Cerise seemingly was expecting that, too, The moment Zamza came to a stop, Cerise emerged from his woollen cocoon, right hand balled into a fist and cock back.

"Finishing move! Battery Ram!"

Her soft voice didn't befit a battle cry or exclamation of power, but as Cerise punched – with Zamza too far away for her to reach – lightning coursed up her arm and off her hand, twisting and curling into the form of a bighorned sheep! Zamza tried to kick back off the ground, but found the bolt too quick, as the horns of the ram slammed into his stomach. Zamza groaned and rolled off the point of impact, spinning away and falling to his knees.

Cerise LeBlanc!
Quirk: Static Wool!
Her abundant, voluminous, and extremely floofy hair constantly generate an electric charge! She's able to freely unleash and control this electricity, though there is a limit to how much she can generate and hold in a day, and unleashing too much at once could fry those golden locks!

Zamza was ready for another exchange, but by the time he looked back up, Cerise was already halfway back to the sidelines. She did turn to Zamza and say, "Thank you," bowing slightly, however.

Man, this sucks. Zamza griped, mentally, standing up and shaking himself off. He wasn't sore about losing, just that he was getting blown-out so quickly. He at least wanted a chance to show what he was made of.

Coach Labrys was back surveying the students. "Okay, next up, will be -"

"C'mon, Coach!" Exclaimed the big, excited guy from earlier. "It's me, it's me, it's gotta be me!" He bellowed, pushing his way to the front of the line, almost getting right up in Coach Labrys' face, who just sighed.

"Yeah, sure, go for it, Kreiger. I should know better than trying to stop you when you're like this, you walking freight train..."

"Woo-hoo! Alright!" The big guy cheered, taking off his jacket like Zamza and marching forward in his black t-shirt and track pants.

The guy was certainly big, in every sense of the word, Zamza observed. Well over six foot, with a short mop of curly blonde hair. He had a bit of a belly to him, but was barrel-chested, with arms and legs like tree trunks, and a neck like an Easter ham. "Kreiger" puffed his chest out and smiled toothily at Zamza, sheer exuberant energy practically radiating from every pore on his body.

"I gotta say man, that speech of yours really got me pumped up!" He declared, flashing a big, hearty thumbs up to the new student.

"Well, good to hear." Zamza said, smiling slightly. "But, I mean, I made that big, cheesy speech and now I've been beaten in under a minute twice. I feel like a big dork, right now, if I'm being honest." Despite the confession, the big guy just shook his head.

"Nah, man. You got nothing to be ashamed of. I like heroes, and I like people who understand what it means to be a hero, like you!" The big guy flexed his arms, muscles bulging and expanding, as he continued to speak in his boisterous and uplifting manner. "Being a hero is about passion! Heart! Sincere, honest emotion! Proudly declaring your ambition for the world to hear! Wearing it all on your sleeve and putting it all on the line! Stuff like that gets me pumped like crazy! It makes my blood boil and makes me want to give ten-million percent!"

Roland Kreiger!
Quirk: Hot-

"My name is Roland Kreiger, and my Quirk is Hot-Blooded!" Roland continued to shout. "The more amped and pumped I get in my heart, the more amped and pumped my muscles get!" He flexed again, and indeed, Zamza was pretty sure they were getting bigger with each passing sentence. "Passion is power! Excitement is energy! That's my heroic creed!"

Hey! You stole my job!
Anyway, Roland does get stronger the more pumped he gets, but if he gets pumps up too much or too quickly, he can overheat and damage his muscles and internal system.

"C'mon, Kreiger!" Coach Labrys yelled from the sidelines. "The whole point of this exercise is that you're not suppose to be aware of each other's Quirks!"

Suddenly, the massive and muscular Roland looked very sheepish and embarrassed. "Ah, jeez. There I go again. Getting too ahead of myself and saying stuff I shouldn't."

"No worries man, we can still have a quick match." Zamza said, big grin on his face. He was mostly happy that someone appreciated his effort, even in some lacklustre performances "And thanks for the pep talk. I think you got me fired up enough, that I want to shift into a higher gear." Tensing his hands into fists, the muscles on his arms began to expand against the blackened skin of his Quirk, Zamza announcing, "Manifest, Striker Frame."

More scales began to sprout on Zamza's limbs, these ones being larger, thicker, more defined, and more colourful that the layer of black now beneath them. Scintillating dark blues dominated his arms and legs, mixed in with streaks of sterling white and bright yellow. The patterns on his hand, combined with the thickness of this newly formed armour plating, gave the impression Zamza was wearing highly stylized gloves or vambraces, and the muscles and tendons beneath these scaled limbs were taut and powerful.

Zamza Tenryu!
Quirk: Metamorphosis Δ!
He can transform his body and manifest new body parts, referring to these forms as "Frames". There's many more secrets and layers to this Quirk too, but those reveals will come later on, okay?

"Nice, man!" Roland cheered, clapping his hands and bouncing excitedly and the balls of his feet. Oddly agile for a guy his size. "Seems like you got a primo Quirk!"

"Eh, it gets the job done." Zamza answered with a shrug and a grin, just as the sharp whistle blast cut through the air.

"Passion Punch!"

Roland came roaring and running towards Zamza, delivering a powerful punch with his right arm that he was fortunately able to block by crossing her forearms together, Roland chaining blows to try and break the transfer's guard. He could tell from the force of the blow that Roland was holding back for the nature of the exercise, but also if he didn't have his armoured scales, his arms would be covered in bruises and welts.

On Roland's next attack, Zamza hopped up and stopped the heavy fist with his left foot, before kicking off it, combining his own jump with Roland's punching power to backflip far away. The moment he touched down, he charged his foe, his legs tensing like springs before releasing and letting him jet along the hardwood in a flash. Roland went for a low, sweeping kick with his elephantine legs, Zamza responding by twisting his body as to slip underneath the narrow clearance it provided. Back parallel to the ground as he soared along, he brought his fingers up and over to stop his momentum, then flipping into a four-point stance and leaping into the air with a powerful launch, going airborne. For style points, he did a few twists and flips before he closed the distance between him and Roland, landing a diving axe kick, which Roland blocked with his forearm. The blocked blow found a level of purchase, with Roland's knees buckling and the large student grunting as he pushed Zamza off.

Zamza felt almost as pumped and passionate as Roland did during the outset of the match, finally being able to show off what he was made of. The power boost Metamorphosis provided him did allow him to evenly match with powerhouse Quirks and brawling fighters, but he preferred to use the increased speed, agility, and manoeuvrability his morphed legs provided him.

Taking initiative once more, Zamza darted to Roland, who responded by throwing another punch. Zamza deftly hopped up onto his forearm, priming for a kick, but was surprised when Roland had to wherewithal to react, raising his arm up at intense speed. Such intense speed that Zamza was flung up into the rafters! Roland grinned from down on the ground, clearly expecting Zamza to helpless descend into his range, but the transfer had other plans.

Landing feet first on the underside of the rafters, Zamza sprang off the metal beams, rebounding at the same speed he ascended. He then re-orientated himself, tucking into a ball before flipping over and extending his limbs back out, streaking down like a meteor and ready to meet Roland with a dive kick, while Roland clasped his massive hands together and swung them in a upward arc.

"Azure Kick!"

"Passion Hammer!"

The two collided, Roland's strength and size versus Zamza's momentum and armour, and such colossal force that Zamza could swear it unleashed a minor shockwave, air rippling out about them. But, in the end, despite all the power, both students were largely unharmed and still standing, Zamza bouncing off of Roland's fists and shuffling a few steps back. Tingling sensations partly numbed his left leg, while he could see Roland was shaking his hands after the collision. Both were ready for another clash, when...

"TWEEEE!"

"Okay, good effort both of you." Coach Labrys declared. "But no way am I gonna let this continue. Y'all are not gonna trash the gym on the first day of school." Both boys in the ring chuckled; they probably were going a bit too hard for what was suppose to be a sparring session. "Kreiger, you're out, and... Corazón! You're up to bat!"

"Ah, dude! That was great!" Roland cheered, even as he stepped back to the sidelines. "I don't care if you're from Royal Avalon or wherever, I'm super psyched to have you in our class!"

Zamza brushed a thumb against his nose. "Well, happy to hear that. Good to know I have some supporters after day one." He smiled and nodded to Zyra and and Cerise on the sidelines, the former which returned the smile, while the latter just inclined her head slightly.

The next opponent entered the ring, "Corazón" being the winged girl with lavender skin, Zamza turning to face her, his limbs still scaled up. "Alright, Sagittarius Class, show me what you got! We're teammates and partners from here on out, and I'm going to do my best to be worthy of your respect. Let's go!"

---

"Phew, I am beat! Can't remember the last time a hero course lesson took this much out of me..."

Zamza did end up running the whole gauntlet during the class, facing off against each student from his class. He got to see a wide variety of Quirks that day – boosters, emitters, creators, and shapeshifters of all sorts. Through it all, Zamza did play some of the secrets of his Quirk close to his chest, but a distinct disadvantage of the exercise was that the students who sparred with him later on had more info about his Quirk, while he still had none about their's. Due to that, Zamza suffered more losses than wins today (or draws for that matter), but he was happy he was able to show his new class a little of what he could do.

Following the sparring session, Coach Labrys had each of the returning students demonstrate some of the things they had learned after training and working through summer break. Then, things sort of wound down for the day with some more basic exercises and drills. But, beyond Zamza sometimes getting his butt kicked, the rest of the class went great. Zyra and Roland's vocal approval of him seemed to help warm some of the other students up, and the two even took time out to introduce him to some of the others. All and all, he couldn't have asked for a better end to the day. Things were certainly looking up!

Having survived his first day at Sol Horizon, Zamza departed his new school, saying goodbye to his new friends and classmates, and then heading straight home to his apartment. It was a cozy, quiet little place located on Oz Avenue, just on the eastern edge of the Peacecraft neighbourhood, about a fifteen minute walk from the school. Not only that, but it happened to be nearby both a bus loop and a SkyTrain station, giving Zamza easy access to most of the city, even if there wasn't anything all too exciting in the immediate vicinity of his new home.

Entering the small, empty apartment, Zamza hopped onto his couch, stretching out and yawning. They hadn't been assigned much homework for the first day, so his night was relatively open, and spent a bit of time pondering what to do with it. Maybe he should have asked if one of his classmates were doing something? He got a few of their phone numbers, was it too early in their relationship to call them up?

All of those questions quickly turned irrelevant, as Zamza's phone began to buzz and ring from it's place on the coffee table. Maybe it wasn't too early and someone had decided to call him! He reached over and grabbed the phone with high hopes and expectations.

But the moment he saw the name and number on call display, his mood turned sour. Should he even answer this? Nothing good came whenever she called him.

No. She's too persistent. No way in hell she'll give up if I try and ghost her.

Furrowing his brow and scowling, he answered the phone. "Not like you to call me with your actual number instead of a dummy phone," was his greeting. He wanted to make it clear from the outset he was not pleased with this intrusion.

"I know you don't pick-up if the number doesn't show up on your call display." She replied, her voice smooth and refined as ever. A diplomat's voice; someone use to quelling chaos. "Plus, I figured I had a responsibility to check-in on you."

"'Check-in'? Why would you need to check-in on me?" Zamza said, playing dumb.

"Well, seeing as how you did out of the blue decide to transfer schools and move cities, it seemed highly appropriate." Zamza rolled his eyes, so hard it felt like his eyeballs were about fall from their sockets. Of course she knew he had transferred; she had eyes and ears practically everywhere. Never would admit it, though. "I can't say approve of such a change, Zamza. You have your responsibilities-"

"I know what my responsibilities are!" Zamza snapped, cutting her off. "I'm to become a hero. And I'll become a hero in Vancouver, too. No real difference whether I graduate from Royal Avalon or Sol Horizon, is there?"

A pause followed, and Zamza hoped that his foul mood and line of questions had shut her up and this would be the end of it for now. Of course, like always, he never got what he hoped for.

"What has spurred such a sudden change, Zamza?" She asked, direct and cutting. A person didn't quell chaos by letting it fester and explode; it needed to be suffocated like a fire. "I hardly doubt the curriculum suddenly became too hard. If you had a breakdown, you would have pulled out of school entirely."

"You're on thin ice here."

"Are you chasing another lead on Project Titaniclad?"

"No!" Zamza spat, heatedly. "You always think it comes back to that, don't you?" By this point, Zamza was so worked up, he was pacing around the apartment floor. "I have my reasons for doing what I'm doing, but it's nothing sinister or shady or anything like that! I'm doing this because I think it's the best for me!"

"...You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment again, Zamza." Was her reply, followed by a biting sigh. Zamza hated that sigh of hers. He felt more anger well up in his throat.

"Then why don't you stop me and drag my ass back to Victoria? You and your buddies have that power, don't you?"

"Because even though I may not understand why you do the things you do, I respect you enough to give you the space to make your own decisions." A small pause followed. "And your own mistakes. Please don't go digging for truths you can't handle or picking fights you cannot win. One day you'll be able to properly illuminate our past and bring those who created us to justice, but until then –

"Don't talk about it like that! Like we're some kind of science experiment!"

"...but until then, you are just a student. Your job is to learn and grow and become the best hero you can be.

"Regardless, stay safe, Zamza, and try to enjoy your new life. If you ever need help, do not hesitate to reach out."

The call ended after that, Zamza so furious he was shaking. She really had the gall to say all that? Act like he was a dumb kid getting in way over his head? Pretend she was some sort of caregiver or guardian? What an absolute joke...

The pleasant memories of his first day and new friends faded from his mind, replaced by the bitter frustration that had taken hold of him. She always had that effect, putting him in a bad headspace even when she had no intention of doing so. Zamza threw himself back onto the couch, laying atop it, staring at the ceiling and stewing in his own anger and negative feelings, all alone in his quiet apartment.

He did that for about an hour, before getting up, deciding to channel this angry energy into something constructive. He may not have much homework to do, but he did have some personal research he had been meaning to conduct. He had been so busy the past few weeks settling in to the new apartment, do the paperwork necessary to complete his transfer, learning the new neighbourhood, that he hadn't much time to do it.

Better now than never.

Like any major city in the age of Quirks and heroes, Vancouver was a hotspot for Quirk-related crimes and illicit activities. It had it's gangs – small and large, nascent or dying or dead – and it's shady figures or bigtime super-villains, but what he was looking up was more... in the dark than most. His years connected to the world of pro heroes had allowed Zamza some information and whispers most others never heard, little threads that could be just rumours, but also could be key leads he needed to figure all of this out.

So, logging on to a variety of social media sites and forums – some shadier than others – he began to look-up a few critical keywords to his quest.

"The Dead-Enders".

"The Cauldron".

"Project Titaniclad".

---

So, hey, this is something different, and probably a little bit surprising. But, it's a story I have been working on, bit by bit, for sometime, and something I wanted to give my best effort for. I am actually a big fan of My Hero Academia. I started reading the manga partway through the Sports Festival, I believe, or maybe a little later on. My best friend K (referred to as such for anonymity and because he doesn't have much of an online presence) is also a big fan, picking it up shortly after me and we frequently talk about it.

Thing is, we're not only just fans of the story and the characters, but of the world itself. I think it is a fairly unique setting for the superhero genre – being set after an unknown amount of time, after great societal upheaval, and a world where the powered people are the clear majority – and we frequently discuss the mechanics of the larger world, stuff that will probably never be explained in the manga or anime series proper. Stuff like, "When did Quirks first pop-up" or "How long has it been/what year does the story take place in"? "What are professional sports like in this world"? And most frequently and most consequentially, "What is hero culture like in countries outside of Japan"?

And that last question is a lot of the crux for this fic's creation, along with a dose of creator provincialism and bias: What is hero culture like outside of Japan, specifically Canada. You can kind of see some ideas in this chapter already – hero courses starting in Grade 7, teachers being teachers first and either retired or on sabbatical from their hero duties – that point to my general idea of Canada having less of a celebrity culture than Japan (or the US, as is most likely the case from what little we've seen) and it more being a social or civil servant job; a member of the state meant to improve the life of the people around you.

There's also a lot going on in this chapter, because there's a lot that's need's to be introduced. The MHA manga always did a good job with pacing it's early chapters, as there really are only three characters of any import in the first few chapters (Deku, Bakugo, and All-Might) before we ease into this world, meet more characters, more mechanics. That was less doable since I wanted to have our cast be more experienced through their hero course, which is why our protagonist, Zamza, uses the transfer student trope and can serve as your guys' view point character.

The question then became how much or how little do I introduce in the starting chapter. Because I easily could have just overloaded everyone by going on and on about this student and their Quirk, and the next student and their Quirk, and this faculty member and so on. But then that reads more like a character sheet than part of a story, so scaling it back to a point seemed the way to go. And I think it works pretty well. I tried very hard to display Zamza's core traits in his first few interactions with others, and all the other character who get named I think give you a good idea as to what they are about.

Funny enough, I think of all the Sagittarius Class students, Cerise was the first one I wholly came up with and finalized when I was creating these characters. Her look, her Quirk, her personality and mannerisms. Just super pleased with all those decisions and I love my little sheepy girl. Also, when I came up with Mina Labrys, I totally forgot about Cow Lady in the first movie and how similar they would be. I just wanted to make my dumb, terrible pun. So, I dunno. Maybe her and Cow Lady are cousins or something.

But I am very happy with this first chapter, considering the undertaking and scope of this project. I really am looking forward to showing everyone a further extension of this world we all love (or, my idea of an extension) and Zamza and all the other characters I've created. Also, the name is very much a placeholder. That was the one thing I'm not wholly confident on at time of writing. I think it's the subtitle that I am not sure of. So, if you do like it, let me know! Otherwise, don't get too attached to it.

Other than that, please let know what you think! Questions, comments, and critiques are always welcome, and I hope to see you next time and many more times, as the story of Sol Horizon and Sagittarius Class unfolds!