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In one of the mountain regions of Japan, Gran Torino had Tsukauchi pull a few police officers to follow some information regarding the sightings of Kurogiri, the black mist. There hadn't been anybody else that anybody in the area could recognize, so the elderly hero thought it more imperative that the entire operation remain under wraps.

Just as expected, Kurogiri was in the area and was incapacitated with a solid kick that had the teleporter stunned on the forest floor. The other detectives reconvened and were gathered where they now had the most versatile villain in their custody.

Despite being cornered, the villain was still acting confident enough to start going off topic about another ruffian in the area besides himself. Acting like it was nothing more than a bluff, Gran Torino told the villain that he could relay the information to the police when they returned. A subtle rumbling could be felt by the others that was steadily gaining intensity with each impact. Kurogiri's mission was to recruit his master's assets while he was in prison. To protect his disciple with the weapons he left behind.

Above one of the trees, a head came lumbering out behind the enormous oak. Reason why Kurogiri was visiting the area was due to the presence of Gigantomachia; a quirk user that had the ability to grow to the size of buildings while having a physical body that would put a rhino to shame. Around his neck was a radio that was just as big as his chin. The officers were panicking while Gran Torino was certain that even this monster was too much for him.

Thinking that this was the turning of the tides, leaping off the grass and back onto his feet was the league member that Gran Torino worked hard to locate. As he ordered the giant to attack the police, something happened that nobody had expected to see.

Gigantomachia suddenly screamed in pain while clutching his skull with both hands. He was repeatedly referring to some sort of pain in his head that wouldn't stop. Nobody could make heads or tails of the strange behavior that came out of nowhere.

From out of the forest, dozens of undercover ESD officers came pouring from the treeline while training their weapons on the rapidly shrinking ruffian that Kurogiri had been trying to recruit. He beat a hasty retreat before anybody could react to the escape attempt. From up above, the sounds of a helicopter were getting closer and closer until the leaves in the trees were shaking violently from the descending choppers. A rope was dropped from one of the single rotor units to allow the commander of the unit charged with the retrieval of the two suspects that were just there. They immediately located Gran Torino and approached the man with a bit of an aggressive stride.

"Gran Torino, may I ask why you've stumbled across my operation and decided to intervene?"

It took a second for him to respond to the agitated commander of the current unit that was now working to move Gigantomachia by strapping him to a series of pulleys that dropped from a twin rotor helicopter.

"... Um, what?"

Trying to maintain his composure, the ESD commander elaborated upon his question.

"The Emergency Security Department already had these two under investigation. We were to apprehend them both until you interfered; so I will ask you again. Why on earth did you interfere in our investigation and allow one of the suspects to escape?"

This was not a good look for the elderly hero. Not only did he drag in a friend to try an apprehend the villain, he treaded on some pretty big toes just now.

Tsukauchi had to intervene to give Gran Torino some breathing room. After speaking to the commander, the police investigator was given a warning and was promised that the ESD would inform his superiors about the unreported investigation that went underway without the sanctioning of the police department. Had they gone through the proper channels and taken their time rather than rushing off due to time, they would have been informed about the already undergoing investigation by the ESD.

Because of them, a suspect was given a chance to escape with their disturbance. Things were far from looking good for heroes as a whole for the botched arrest that Gran Torino had rushed into.

UA Dorms Several Hours Later

Returning to their dorms, the victorious and exhausted junior heroes were just thankful for being able to get back to their own beds. It was well into the evening with the sun sitting under the horizon and the quartet of students dragging their feet a little when they entered the dorms. First one to be greeted was Izuku. He was also the only one who was tackled hard enough to be sent flying back out the sliding doors. Thankfully, the sliding doors had proximity sensors that opened the door based on the approaching object.

Outside on the concrete, Midoriya was assaulted with kisses and hugging by none other than Mina herself. She had been worried sick after seeing the news broadcast about the entire facility being caved in. A phone call was made where they spoke, but that was a pale comparison to having him there in person.

Kirishima looked at the open display of affection like it was just an old hat of a situation for him. Growing up with Mina for a time did make this sort of thing between her and Midoriya was just part of the course knowing the pinkette.

All the others were asking if their classmates were okay after such a dangerous event. Ridiko had baked a pound cake ready for consumption when the four of them returned. Everyone else worked hard to help make their returning champions feel relaxed and comfortable. Iida intervened and asked that the others give the four of them their space while they worked to recover from such a taxing ordeal.

Izuku was finally let back up by Mina and stopped his friend from being overly defensive for Midoriya's sake. They were all okay and here. Mina tangled her left hand into Izuku's scarred right one with his declaration that they all made it back safe. Her head leaned up on the boy's right shoulder with affection. He kept his promise to her, and she couldn't have been happier.

The festivities were underway with Todoroki and Bakugou sitting in the commons with their phones out. They were making the most of their time still awake to just unwind before tomorrow morning.

"Shoto! Ka-chan!"

Both teenage boys looked up just in time to catch a bottle of soda each. Izuku was able to let the others mingle while approaching the two students in their class who were due for a second exam for their provisional licenses.

"Midoriya. I'm glad to see you well."

"Hm, welcome back idiot."

It was nice to see how much progress he and Katsuki made to reconnect after all these years. They cheered their good fortune with their glass bottles before drinking. Their time had to be short due to the license training early the next morning. They bid a short farewell before going back up to their rooms.

Now that Izuku was finally back, there were some of those who were rather keen on having the boy for themselves. It would seem that conjugal duties fell upon the shoulders of Midoriya once again.

Out back, Nakamura was smoking in his usual spot while staring at a handkerchief that was similar to the one he already owned. After he paid Nighteye a final farewell, he went to go check up on Eri. The instant she saw and realized it was Nakamura, she cried tears of joy and ran right into the waiting arms of the kind man who promised to see her again. Haru was genuinely happy to see the child finally safe and out of that wretched facility after all that time he was ignorant of her pain.

He deeply apologized for leaving her behind, her clarifying that she never felt resentful of his absence. To prove it, she pulled out the delicate square of blue silk she fought to keep safe no matter what. It was her way of feeling connected to someone who she knew would come for her.

Turns out she knew that the man who fought to save her was him. That feeling of being safe was only felt once before by the child, when they met and he held her while she fell asleep.

It hurt to be recognized by someone he failed to save from their pain. Haru felt tears come out involuntarily as he just started to cry and repeatedly tell her that he was sorry. Sorry for abandoning her. To let that maniac torture her. To fail in protecting a child who needed him. Her hug meant so much to Nakamura at that moment. They both let themselves be vulnerable so that they could start to heal from all this. Before leaving, he carried her and patted her back just like before. Exhaustion caught up to her and she was instantly asleep.

During the time he held her, a small nightmare caused her to involuntarily activate her quirk. The pain in her arms and legs. Feeling her flesh be torn apart before reassembling over and over. Pain and misery for being told she was unwanted.

In reality, her horn was starting to light up with energy starting to emit from the growing bone in her forehead. Nurses and doctors rushed in to stop the girl from erasing the man who was holding her, but there was an odd phenomenon; or rather lack thereof. Nothing was changing about the man who was being exposed to the full power of Eri's quirk.

He actually ordered the medical stall to leave and allow the child some space from the crowd. His orders were absolute, so they had no choice but to obey. What Nakamura did for the child was to hum a folk tune with the girl's head still leaded up against his shoulder. It was a song from a long time ago that still meant a great deal to him to this day. The visions that were terrifying the subconscious of Eri's mind were all scared off by a pleasant melody she could feel in her chest. Her first thought on the simple melody was how gentle it was. How it made her feel safe listening to it. Before long, the energy pouring all over him and Eri dissipated into nothing.

He swore to keep her safe on top of now promising the child a better life. One that would be everything that she would need and deserved from a parent.

If she could keep a delicate piece of fabric completely unharmed while going through hell with those twisted idiots, then he can provide for her needs. Bittersweet memories always made him sentimental to a fault. The handkerchief slipped back into his pocket as he snuffed his smoke and got ready for bed.

Izuku's Bedroom

"Uhhh, hello?"

Sleeping in Midoriya's bed was a student he recognized as Kendo Itsuka from the neighboring class. It left Izuku a little puzzled as to why she was sound asleep on his mattress and in his sheets. He was about to wake her before Mina came in while being mindful of the door. She wanted to explain as to why Kendo was sleeping in his bed, but got caught up with conversation in the bath and lost track of time. As it were, the reason was actually far more innocent than he first thought.

Turns out that Kendo was suffering from nightmares for quite some time after her time at the summer camp. At first it wasn't a big deal, but things kept her from sleeping properly the longer she went without rest.

The one who wanted to help her out was Nakamura himself. He called her down from the dorm and asked that she share a bed with the delirious Kendo until further notice. He gave her a week to sleep with the girl while asking her to keep things appropriate between them. Getting a raspberry from the girl just made the man laugh at her expense.

Sure enough, the UA dorm mother even dropped off a packet of sleep therapy techniques through the bottom of Mina's dorm door. All these techniques were actually quite effective and had the girl out like a light for almost two days. Apparently by getting her to sleep without nightmares for a few hours allowed her brain to just go into a dreamless sleep. They originally were sleeping in her room, then migrating to his room when she started to miss Izuku. Itsuka was still out cold and slept peacefully when the couple reentered the dorm room from the hallway.

Izuku was understanding and even willing to let her sleep there, despite the fact that he was… Struggling with something. A coy smile crossed her face before she started yanking Izuku to her room. Catching Ochaco along the way, they certainly had a time of it that night.

It was good to be back.

The Next Morning

Up and awake to start their day were Katsuki and Shoto. Their weekend was almost a nonstop blur of different lessons that were all hammering in the information needed to pass their next license exam. Nakamura was up and early as usual making breakfast for everyone at breakneck speed when he noticed the two boys walking past him. He pointed out their breakfasts were ready on the kitchen counter behind him.

They grabbed the boxes and thanked the man before taking off for the morning. Haru was wrapping up the last of the breakfast meals for the dorms and had an ESD officer dressed in all white instead of black take it to the designated building. Checking the time, he realized he was still a bit ahead of time and decided to go get ready for his next appointment.

Out front of the dorm gates was a bus waiting to be boarded and two teachers waiting to board said bus. All Might and Present Mic were asked to attend the lessons with Bakugou and Shoto as chaperones with Present Mic acting as a guard. Things were looking dicey ever since the fall of the remaining yakuza members, so the school was now requiring some sort of oversight by teachers in their staff.

Another major reason for such a ruling was out of concern for the escape of Kurogiri during a botched ESD operation. His teacher was the first to reach the retired hero and inform All Might of what had happened in the forest. Although All Might was concerned about the escape of the teleporter, Gran Torino did clarify that they still managed to capture the one Kurogiri was trying to recruit in the first place. A user who could change his shape to colossal proportions had apparently been tagged with some sort of transmitter that had been placed into him from the first time around that he was taken into police custody. That transmitter apparently also had a kill switch that could induce a state of pain for the giant if he ever decided to get involved with the wrong side of the law again.

He was placed under arrest without incident, so there was some good news. Unfortunately the elderly hero's involvement with the ESD was discovered and reported on. The public were asking what it was about the heroes that made them think they were above the law to do something without following the rules. Some were even upset enough to call heroes out for being bloated with their own egos.

Either way, the ESD issued a statement that they should have double checked their sources before going through the operation. Apologizing as they did quelled the public distrust of costumed heroes, but people were still more in favor of the government supporting the ESD operations over hero agencies. They clarified that money wasn't an issue without success.

As things were, the heroes of today were in for a rude wake up call that would change the world of quirks unlike anything else before it. All they could do is hang on and hold on for dear life through the storm that was approaching.

Community Center

There was a community center where the make-up lessons were taking place for those who failed the first time around. Amongst those requiring a second exam, a constant was recognizable with how it was they failed.

Most of them failed due to the lack of delicacy they had in using their powers. Whatever lesson that was in store for the students was one that would have the students recognize this shortcoming. Shoto was certainly in that school of problems as even his first practical lesson had him failing immediately.

Both teachers wished their students good luck as they waved goodbye to them. The auditorium seats were the closest people could get who weren't directly involved with the make-up lessons. There was a set of stairs that led up to the bleachers, although something at the top of said steps was someone who was more of a headache than he was worth.

"Hello, mister former number one hero! My thanks for looking after Shoto!"

It just seemed inevitable that active heroes were just eccentric as all hell. Endeavor, the pyro hero, had beaten All Might to the punch on arriving at the auditorium and had been waiting for him to have a conversation. Present Mic wanted to dip out of the awkward situation, so he tried to slip out with the limp excuse to go get coffee.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

All Might heard the voice of the worst possible person to show up in this situation. He turned slowly, as if the speed of how he turned would change whatever it was he thought he would see. No such luck.

"You… I could ask you the same question, bastard."

"One of my regulars was a school teacher. They called out sick and had nobody to fill the position and asked that I fill it. I actually have a reason to be here…"

As expected, the two men stood face to face with a glare on each of their faces that would make even the most hardened tremble. Present Mic was about to leave before All Might Gripped the educator's arm and kept him there. This was the exact opposite of what Mic wanted when he excused himself to go get coffee. He was even going to get All Might a cup, too.

"Unlike you, shit for brains…"

Neither were willing to back off from one another while the other was staring daggers into them. Even the temperature was rising alongside Endeavor's tolerance for Nakamura. Fearing a repeat of the UA Sports Festival, he made sure that Present Mic was there to stop them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated as we are about to begin."

"Hm, lucky you. You're lucky you're worthless enough to ignore when I got shit to do."

The two of them spat a last minute insult at one another with Haru giving Endeavor the finger. Present Mic finally was able to use his coffee excuse after almost having to break up a fight with the world's number two hero involved. Endeavor asked that All Might join him for a discussion regarding something that he felt All Might was far more knowledgeable in. There was no actual bad blood between them, so the retired hero acquiesced.

A Few Minutes Later

Coming through the tunnel, Inasa and Todoroki were caught in a discussion as they walked to the main auditorium. More accurately, Inasa was talking his ear off while Shoto was only giving the minimum he needed to answer the long winded boy, which in itself was a funny coincidence.

These two were honest to god opposites; from their tastes in noodle dishes to their personalities. This was just another annoyance on top of knowing his father was here to watch his training when he would have preferred Nakamura to show up. He still had an obligation to attend these lessons if he wanted to get his provisional license anytime soon.

Once the students were all gathered in the auditorium, A familiar face showed up to instruct the students on how the lesson was going to proceed. Mena, the first exam's instructor, was looking to have missed a week's worth of sleep since the last time they met. Still, he trekked on and told the students that their lesson plan would be handled by a hero who was insistent that he kick things off with a lesson plan of his own. The whole room went silent as Gang Orca entered the training space. None of the students dare speak out of turn with this iconic hero.

His stoic persona almost immediately gave away to a much more agitated and angry one. He wanted to lead the class, but there were a few students he felt needed to be educated differently for how much of an extreme they took things during the rescue section. Those four were Inasa, Katsuki, Shoto, and finally Cammi.

She didn't really fail perse, but Orca felt bad if she were to be separated from her classmate without even having a chance to show her potential.

The students were all set to go in starting the lesson, with Orca taking the rest of the students for a differently structured lesson plan. There was quite the speech made by the hero as he introduced the four he selected to their challenge.

From out of the opening gate, a gaggle of elementary school students were all excitedly running out to meet the young heroes in training. What stopped them from getting out of control was a loud clap from someone behind the group. The one who was supervising the children was none other than Nakamura Haru himself.

All Might noticed how the man was now wearing an apron with a bear theme to it as he approached the children. They all were paying attention to their current substitute teacher as he addressed their current behavior.

"Now, now; behave yourselves. You're all here to meet heroes, yes. That doesn't mean that you can do whatever it is you want and not expect to get into trouble, okay?"

"Yess, Nakamura-sensei"

With a satisfied smile, he lifted one of the kids onto his shoulders and led the charge of childrens to get up to all sorts of antics with them. Gang Orca told the students that these children are to be won over if they wish to remain within the provisional lessons. It would emphasize their need to control their powers as well as make them try to connect with the most inattentive version of a person. A trial by spitfire, as it were.

Orca was a little surprised at how easily the children were listening to the man. They all paid attention to him when he requested it along with being able to gain their interest over what he was doing for them. It sort of threw the power balance off as the kids were now all heavily invested in the older man while the students were being treated like last week's garbage.

Whenever a student did come over to see what was up with the older teens, it eventually led to the three boys getting jumped by a bunch of midgets and Cammi using her very noticeable assets to coo the boys in. This backfired when it came to the girls of the elementary school.

Meanwhile, Nakamura was already challenging the other classmates into a game of hit the can with your quirk. He brought a shoulder bag with him to the auditorium and had a rubber bouncy ball as his weapon of choice. He even upped the ante with a crisp then thousand yen note for the one who could beat his score. A little girl was holding up the man's phone with the automatic slow motion capture aimed right at the wall that Nakamura drew a large bullseye target on with a dry erase marker.

All the ranged users were incredibly confident that the money was already theirs. The children were allowed the first turns, and it was quite a staggering chart of points between each student. One student was certain of getting the money and had his nose up in the air.

"Okay, my turn!"

Amazingly enough, he elected to take the shot from the opposite side of the room. Many of the kids were all saying that this adult was acting too confident if he thought he was going to not only make his shots, but get the ball to bounce back to him from that distance.

They were forced to eat their words when in less than five seconds, Haru hit the red bullseye dead center and even got the ball to bounce back exactly enough for it to bounce once on the rebound. Nobody said a word as Haru just plodded along back to the kids while humming a tune. Returning to the elementary students, all of them exploded into a flurry of questions over the incredible act of finesse he just pulled.

Scrubbing through the capture only served to further reinforce that he did indeed hit all his shots.

A lot of them asked if his quirk was something like extreme motor control or super strength, but he shot down all their guesses. None of them could believe that he was quirkless when he told them.

Thinking he was joking, Haru took out his identification and showed them that he was indeed without any sort of unique ability. He even took off his shoes to show them he had the joint in his pinky toe. This only spurred the kids to keep asking why he was so physically adept in comparison to all the other adults they knew. The somber smile on his face got all the kids surrounding him to stop talking, as they had never seen an adult look and feel so sad.

"When I was younger, a lot of people tried to hurt me. I tried to tell them to stop, but they didn't listen."

It was direct and honest, the way he spoke to children. Because of this, they felt that this was the truth being told to them without any sort of white lie to cushion the narrative.

"It only got worse, so I had to become stronger… To survive…"

There was a bit of a gloomy atmosphere that settled over the kids. They all felt sorry for the nice man who they all came to enjoy the company of. Someone like him didn't deserve to go through all they did just to be able to live. Wanting to lift the mood, he knelt down with an apologetic smile to speak to the kids.

"Hey, it's okay. It happened and now I'm here, meeting all you amazing future heroes! I wonder what sort of hero you all want to be?"

Hands began to sprout up to be called on and share their personal reasons for being a hero. Many of the answers Haru got were usually attached to money or fame, though a few were trying to be noble here and there. None of these answers were seen as bad in the adults eyes, but he also elaborated that being a hero can mean more than that in the future. How heroes were once champions that rose to be the one thing that stood between the innocent and the wicked. What he added was that the definition changed over time.

Saving people is something you can do without the costume. Getting famous was often just luck mixed with some talent. He asked them all what they were going to be as people when they became heroes. For him, he wanted them to be good people who happened to be great superheroes. That for him was the true meaning of being a hero.

Every single child there listening felt invigorated and moved by the man's speech. They all cheered and leapt upon him, leading him to fall into a giggling pike of kids that were pinning him to the floor.

Up in the bleachers were All Might and Endeavor with an increasingly impatient Present Mic all watching the kids interact with one another. Seeing Nakamura be so loved by the children and gain their trust so easily made the now number one hero feel a bit envious. Those kids understood him in an instant and already grew to admire the man who was completely powerless. The more he thought about it, the more flustered he felt.

"All Might, what does it mean to be the number one hero?"

Turning to the hero, All Might looked interested as to what Endeavor wished to talk about.

"Years of hero work, and here I am. Still, the crime rate went up and the legacy you built is slowly eroding. Climbing that mountain, I saw how far away the top was… And it frustrated me. Whether it was for fame or power, none of it seems to be what it is I've wanted when I got to the top."

Seeing the hero who was once a temperamental ball of anger mellow out to this wayward lost soul was new for the hero. Looking down at the man who was now drawing something on the floor with his markers while waving away the license administrators was a bit of a funny sight to see.

Nakamura was a man who knew how to connect with those he wanted to teach. Especially for someone like him. He was clueless when he first began to mentor Izuku, but Haru always managed to pick up the slack. Had it not been for him, All Might feared what could have become of Midoriya.

"... Honestly, I don't know. All I wanted to do since I could remember was to fill the void of a light that people could follow. I ran and kept at it until I reached it. Now… Look at me. All that pain, all that work, and now I have to watch it all slowly crumble all around me…"

He resented All Might for years. Hell, he straight up hated him with true vitriol. Yet he couldn't stop himself from understanding what All Might was going through. If he were All Might as he was right now, life would be nothing but an unending hell.

"But I made those decisions. I wanted to connect to those who needed me, no matter where they were. That was my mission. Not yours."

Both heroes look at one another as All Might spoke honestly to his longtime rival.

"Find your own path. Make your own connections and let yourself be guided with what you believe to be the right choice. My legacy is over, but you still can find yours."

Even at his worst point of hating this man, All Might certainly knows how to put together an inspiring speech. Looking back down towards the man he was bitter about, the kids were all admiring the sudden work of art that he created. It was a perspective optical illusion that mesmerized the children. Watching the man work, he never knew that Nakamura could be so eager to show these kids something that would capture their feelings.

That smile he had was a toothy grin that illustrated how much he cared that these children become better people, all thanks to him. It also gave him a bit of insight as to why he hated Endeavor so much.

Thinking back, he felt doubt creeping over him as he saw that everything always led back to the children he spawned and mistreated. Perhaps the beating he got from the man was indeed warranted.

"Shoto!"

Endeavor called out to his son with an earnest look in his eyes to wish his son the best. Shoto took a moment to look at his father with both eyes before turning back to the kids asking him questions in rapid succession.

"Here, watch this."

Presenting his right hand, something that looked to be a flower of sorts began to grow outwards. The thin layer of ice rounded itself out until it became a perfect sphere. What kept it from looking clear was the frost all around it. Now that Shoto had the kid's interest, he now was about to grab their attention.

Flipping the hand that held the orb the size of a beach ball upside down, the frozen bit stuck to his palm. He then used a flame to then clear out the frost lining the ball to reveal something truly breathtaking. As the ice began to become clear, something was beginning to grow inside of the ball. The kids saw what looked to be a butterfly made out of thin crystals begin to take shape. It was hook, line and sinker for Shoto as the kids were now completely enamored with what else he could do.

"That is incredible, well done."

Shoto turned around to see Nakamura with two kids climbing on his shoulders with a gaggle of children all following him. More than he was a dorm mother, he currently seemed to be more of a mother goose. A hand roughed the hair on his head and made Shoto feel genuinely proud of what he did. Endeavor felt envy that his own flesh and blood looked to a stranger for fatherly affection over his actual father. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he knew why this was the case and had no actual right to say anything.

One by one, he approached each student and got everyone to come and play together. Even an ice rink with Haru teaching the kids how to skate was a part of the fun. There had to be a little improvisation with the skates being made out of Shoto's ice, but it was fun nonetheless. There were a multitude of activities they all took part in which made this training session just a fun filled day of games.

All Might still couldn't make heads or tails of Nakamura. One minute he's a vicious thug, the next he's an elementary school teacher that got a bunch of rowdy kids to listen to him with charm alone.

"As much as I know you have him, you can't deny how good he is when it comes to taking care of kids."

There wasn't anything he could say against that. Thinking back on when his son threatened him when he tried to insult Nakamura, he saw why it was that Shoto got so angry. All the things that were his responsibility as a father were done by him. Not because Haru thought it was the best way to get at Endeavor; he genuinely came to care for the children he looked after.

Afterwards

Nakamura was outside in his truck serving handmade ice cream with all sorts of flavors for everyone. Even the teenagers had their custom scoops, courtesy of Haru as a job well done. Coming outside were the adults who were in the audience to give their support to the students.

All Might and Present Mic were each given their own ice creams along with the teacher that came from Shiketsu Academy. Endeavor was ignored for obvious reasons. Ice cream was never his forte, so he too ignored the man and approached his son. Shoto was a bit suspicious of the man who never approached him before with anything less than impatience and anger. His hand reached out to pat his son on the head, but the teen stopped his father by stepping away from him instead.

He was his actual father and refused to even accept a pat of the head from him. It still hurts to see how little his son actually accepts him after all this time. That head pat that Shoto openly accepted from Nakamura replayed itself in Endeavor's mind to remind him of how much distance there was to cover.

"I'm proud of you, son."

Being told he was loved by a man that once didn't care for affection was a strange feeling to have; especially if that man was your father. Haru was out of eyeshot behind his van to smoke in peace while eavesdropping on the conversation.

"One day, I'll be a hero you can look up towards. Your dad is the number one hero, after all."

While the others were seeing this as a heartwarming scene, Shoto didn't know what to think. He wasn't comfortable at all listening to his father be so forthcoming. Remembering what Haru said to him, he spoke honestly about how he felt about such a change in heart.

"We'll see. If you can, then you can."

Endeavor was expecting full on resistance or reluctance to even be a part of his life. To hear his son sound like he was giving him a chance was quite the motivator. A subtle nod was all that needed to be shown that Endeavor was indeed serious about changing.

Behind the food truck, a very different take on the matter was starting to conjure up some very deep seated emotions better left untouched. If anybody were to look at Haru's face at that moment, they would have seen a twisted face overflowing with hatred and wrath. Even the cigarette was crushed in his fist with the ember still burning. Hearing the man have his change of heart now was driving Nakamura insane. Only after all the damage. Only after the scarring. Only after driving them all insane.

He loved Shoto enough to let him process his emotions, but Haru was not in a state to talk to anyone. A few minutes later, Shoto and Bakugou went looking for Haru. The call to come back to the bus was the only reason they stopped searching. They wanted to thank him for helping them out during the training. Without knowing of the turmoil he was dealing with, they both returned to the bus and elected to tell the man at a later time.