Anton grunted while rubbing his head, a bead of sweat dripping off the tip of his deep cocoa hair.

It was the end of an odd school day, and he was one of the first people out of the entrance at the school. That girl that sat behind him seemed to wave goodbye, but he simply shrugged on his backpack and headed out of the classroom towards the dormitories. Students had the option to stay at their own housing or pick the dorms. Considering the skyrocketing prices for a month's rent in a cardboard box, let alone an apartment, Anton had no other choice but to stay on campus.

He walked out of the main building onto the yellow brick pathway towards a humble three-story brownstone building perched by the edge of the oceanside cliff. It had light blue shutters lined next to the large windows. A few oak trees, panted and imported from other parts of the country, shaded the empty clearing that led up to the entrance.

A few movers were carrying in a large leather couch through the front. Some other students were lounging in the shade of the trees as the sun faded downward and cast long rays of cantaloupe beams over the meadow.

Anton kept his head down as he passed some of the other students. Some of them were older, clearly heroes about to move on to graduation. They must have made a big gamble to leave their other programs to come to this one.

Or, they didn't have a chance at graduating elsewhere and they came here.

"Didn't you see the scores needed for the entrance exam?" Anton said to his Pathogen.

Yeah, it was 50 points. Isn't that like a failing grade?

"It was out of fifty! Don't you remember?"

Sorry, I was busy checking out the competition. Speaking of checking out, you're blowing it with that Robyn girl.

"Shut up," Anton said, the lightest of bushes tinting his face. "She's probably just being nice."

She thinks your cute! And it's about time we got some action. Our hormones won't be raging like this forever.

"Shut up," Anton said in a louder voice. As he did so, he misstepped and smacked his shoes on a brick that jutted upward from the walkway. Anton stumbled to his left, colliding with a taller student that was holding a hot dog.

The impact caused the hot dog that was drenched in mustard to smash onto the plain white tee shirt of the person holding it. The hot dog stuck onto the shirt as the guy gasped.

"Oh, God," he said. "My hot dog!"

Anton immediately stepped back and thrust his hand into his pockets. He did not want to get into a fight early into his time here, but it appeared that mistake would cause it. He felt that he had to assert his dominance.

The other guy looked up. It was the spider guy that first took on Bakugo. The six limbs jutting out from his back twitched in alarm.

"That was my hot dog," Hunter said.

"Yeah? Well...not anymore." Anton said.

Maybe we shouldn't make enemies so early.

Anton ignored the Pathogen and thumbed the small dagger in his arm. He glared at the man with spider powers and dared him to make a move.

Hunter did nothing as he stood with the hot dog clinging onto his shirt from the mustard. The boy appeared angry at him, which was odd since he had done nothing to him.

"Well, what are you gonna do about it?" Anton asked.

"What do you think I should do?" Hunter asked.

"Let me guess," Anton said as he scowled. "You want to break my guts apart. You're gonna take those spider arms and have them pierce my skin so you can rip me in two and break every bone in my body. Then, you're going to slash my head off and send it back to my family so they know what happens when someone messes with you. You just want to send a message with me."

A silence fell between them. Hunter tilted his head.

"Are you crazy? I'm just gonna go get another hot dog," Hunter shrugged. He turned back towards the dorm building and headed inside.

Anton blinked and watched the man walk away. "That was strange."

Strange that somebody didn't want to beat you up?

"I...guess."

Maybe you should stop thinking everyone is out to get you and relax. Look at that kid under the tree! He's very relaxed. He's playing chess by himself!

Turning to the shade of the tall oak tree closest to the edge of the cliff, Anton saw a serious looking boy that was somewhat taller than him. His hair seemed to be the stereotypical pointy and spiked dark red hair of an anime protagonist. As Anton approached him, he noticed the boy's yellow eyes were narrowed at the chess board on the ground in front of his lap.

Anton decided to take the Pathogen's words at heart. Maybe he was being too picky. After all, his class seemed to be happy about discovering his quirk instead of being disgusted. This could be that place of safety that he always longed for. Instead of having his brother breathing down his neck and telling him to get away from people, maybe he could be more open-minded and try to enjoy other people's company.

What Anton also noticed was that the boy was wearing a puffy black jacket in the warm air of the late summer's afternoon. Black snow pants draped over his legs, criss-crossed in a seated position as he examined the board below him. His feet were covered by grey snow shoes that scrunched the emerald grass underneath him. Around his wrists were two rows of diamond bracelets that sparkled with the rays of sun refracting of their surface.

Anton stood feet away from the other side of the chess board.

Stop staring like a creep. Make friends!

"What's up," Anton said.

The boy said nothing.

Anton blinked and crossed his arms to soothe himself.

"Are you gonna sit and play or just watch me?" The boy said in a soft, yet deep voice.

Anton scratched the back of his head. He was not a fan of chess, but he figured that he needed to connect more with his class in order to be successful in school. He kneeled down and looked down at the board.

"So, do you want me to go first or what?"

He said nothing.

Anton sighed. He reached down and took a pawn from the first row. He moved it forward a spot.

The boy moved a pawn to the right of his queen.

Anton moved his first pawn forward another step.

The boy moved the pawn that was next to his previously moved pawn.

Anton pushed his one pawn forward again.

Suddenly, the other boy moved his queen in the opening made from the other two pawns diagonally. He pushed it as far is it could go diagonally to the edge of the board.

"Checkmate," the boy said.

Anton stared down at the board. Checkmate?

That means you lost, Bobby Fischer.

"Oh," Anton said. "Wait...what? How did I lose already?"

The boy looked up and gave a tiny nod. "Nice game. Wanna try again?"

Enjoying other's company was going to be harder than Anton thought.

Detention was a surprisingly boring affair.

Katsu, with his back in his hand, strolled out of the building into the parking lot of the school. He and Moxie were forced to simply sit in opposite corners of the room as Bakugo kept looking down on his phone. They sat in silence for an hour, and not a word was muttered. Katsu swiped the occasional look over at Moxie, who was perfectly placed right by the window as the sky above began to transform into a kaleidoscope of lemon and tangerine.

Living with Shoto, Katsu had no experience or help when it came to women. Shoto was hopeless as far as being charming and giving tips and tricks. The only reason his relationship with Momo took any strides was due to them working together so much. Beyond that, he had no help in that department.

Of course, if it was only her good looks, Katsu felt that he would not care as much. Yet, there was something about her that made his day just a little better seeing her. It was odd since they had only known each other for a day. She was a refreshing, open individual that had a quirk that complemented his. He still had no idea what he wanted out of the relationships with his classmates, but he was okay with that. It was a long year, and he wanted to take it one step at a time.

"Catsu!" A southern-drenched voice mispronounced his name.

Katsu turned around and saw Moxie hop down the steps towards him. They stood at the edge of the parking lot. She carried her backpack like a purse as she reached him.

"Where are you going?"

"Downtown," Katsu said. "That's the hotel me and Shoto are staying at until my things come from the movers."

"You need a ride? I live in Beverly Hills now, but I like driving so I can take you. Besides, it's already like five o'clock and I don't think the next bus comes over for a bit."

"I didn't know you drive," Katsu said, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "That's so cool! You have like a car and everything?"

"Better than the bus, I bet."

Katsu gazed up at the sky. He did hear that the buses came once every thirty minutes. He must have just missed it at this rate. If he waited for the bus, he would probably not get back to the hotel until much later in the day. He was also told that Los Angeles traffic was an absolute nightmare during rush hour.

"It's that or wait thirty minutes. And based on who we met in class, this neighborhood could get pretty rough," Moxie said with a playful tone.

"Wow," Katsu said with a goofy grin. "You are a cool girl."

Moxie chuckled, the lightest hint of a blush on her face. "Glad you just now noticed that. If only you could convince my brothe-."

"Greetings, fellow 1-Aers!"

Katsu had to restrain his hand from smacking his face. Just as he was promised some quality time with this interesting girl, Lloyd strolled over like a wrecking ball to Katsu's hopes. The Canadian boy approached them with a wave.

"Lloyd, how you doing?" Moxie asked.

"Just got out of a meeting with student council. Well, it wasn't a meeting. It was more of an information session with people who were interested in joining."

"You seem like a guy cut out for that kind of thing," Katsu said while ruffling the back of his head.

"You noticed," Lloyd said with a tight smile. "Yes, I believe I have been put on this Earth to lead others away from danger, both in battle and in the follies of student government!"

"You staying on campus, Lloyd?" Moxie asked.

"In fact," Lloyd said as he took out a map from his pocket. He unfurled it like a kite and scanned the lines and dots on the map. "My parents were able to afford me a small efficiency not far from Roxbury Park. I could take the bus according to this map."

"Don't worry about it," Moxie said as she tapped the paper map that obscured the boy behind it. "Sounds like we all live close to each other, so I can drive us!"

"Phenomenal," Lloyd said as he carefully folded his paper back up to its previous immaculate state. "I will join you all if you wish."

"Wish is a strong word," Katsu muttered as the three walked across the sparse parking lot.

Within seconds, Moxie pulled out a set of keys and hit the unlock button. A loud horn honked out the first twelve notes of the song "Dixie." Both Katsu and Lloyd looked up and guffawed at the sight of the classic car before them.

The beautiful car gleamed under the dim lights that just flickered on in the parking lot. It was a car Katsu had never seen upfront before. Like a spotlight falling on a talented ballerina, the apricot paint shined with a wax finish that made the hatchback vehicle as translucent as a tinted mirror. The silver hubcaps on the wheels had flecks of dirt from the roads it had travelled before; a few dings pitted the black front bumper. Otherwise, the car was in pristine condition for its time.

"1969 Dodge Charger," Moxie waved her hand next to the car like she was a model selling it on a game show. "Just like The Dukes Of Hazard!"

"The what?" Katsu asked.

Moxie opened the front door and pulled down the driver's seat. "There's another row behind the front. Just climb in."

Lloyd thanked her and squeezed himself in the narrow opening. Katsu stared at his reflection on the car's hood. The bandage on his nose reminded him of the crazy day that he had endured. It was the beginning of an uphill climb for all of them, but he had a feeling that the people in his class could work together to become Pro-Heroes.

"Catsu," Moxie said, mispronouncing his name. She gestured at the seat next to the driver.

Katsu looked over at the grinning girl. He liked how his name sounded coming from her. He would let it slide.

He slid himself into the car. All the doors slammed shut, Moxie turned the keys. The roar of the v8 engine rumbled the car. The vibration shook Katsu, but it gave him a soothing shake as the sound plateaued at a soft hiss.

Dropping the clutch, Moxie grabbed the marble handle of the stickshift and put the car into first gear. She slammed on the gas and floored the car forward. With a quick twist of the steering wheel, she whirled the car around towards the main highway.

Katsu gripped onto his thin seat beat, the fabric seemed to not be nearly tight enough to hold him in place. Lloyd slid around in the back; his seatbelt forgotten as he slammed into the side of the cockpit.

Once they reached the exit, Moxie twisted the wheel again and spun onto the main road. With a thump, Katsu almost hit his head on the ceiling as he pushed himself back down into his seat. They zoomed down the asphalt road, the school behind them already shrinking with every moment they pounded down the highway.

"You have a heavy foot," Katsu said, the railing next to them racing past as the sun set.

"Aww," Moxie looked over at Katsu. "You're scared?"

"In fact," Katsu raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering if you could go faster."

Moxie grinned at him and revved up the engine. She punched the clutch down and shifted all the way down to fourth gear.

Lloyd finally buckled himself into his seat and clutched his heart. "Don't they have speed limits in America?"

Moxie looked into the driver's mirror and locked eyes with Lloyd. "Yeah, but we use miles per hour instead of kilometers. That's why we're faster."

"No, it's not," Lloyd shouted as the car got faster and raced down the road. "I know what miles per hour is. We're going almost eighty!"

Katsu could not help the infectious laugh that he emitted as the car barreled down Pacific Coast Highway. Somehow, they had been blessed with little to no traffic as they zipped around the tight corners and dips of the scenic route. The whisk of the air flew past them in jets of cool late-afternoon gusts. To his right, the large sun began to hide itself underneath the cerulean horizon of the ocean that tickled the sky with it's large waves.

They traced a path around the silver rails that kept them from plunging off the cliffs, the smooth ride complementing the relaxing sunset that soothed Katsu's eyes with gentle flashes of indigo and violet that streaked the sky above them. He had never seen a sunset this beautiful, the warmth of the sun keeping his skin protected from the air that rumbled past.

The car descended down into the flats of the shoreline and passed miles of beach. The ivory sand was dotted with surfers and families that roamed about in the chilled air of the impending night. The umbrellas and lifeguard shacks blurred past in static beams while Katsu stared out at the shoreline. All he had seen of the ocean before was the bay of Tokyo that was polluted with giant tankers and floating shipping containers.

Also, Katsu thought while he reached a hand out to tickle the air that now flowed through his hand, the water was not nearly as pristine as what lay before him.

They rode onward past Palisades Park, the lush green grass separating the bike trails from throngs of joggers that were black silhouettes dancing in front of the setting sun. Slowing down from traffic, Katsu smelled the faintest hint of honeysuckle permeate the air. He stuck his head out, his arm still sailing through the crisp air.

"I can't believe it," Moxie said and pointed over towards her right. "That's the Santa Monica Pier!"

Like an excited child seeing a candy store for the first time, her grey eyes twinkled at the sight of the pier. The tall ferris wheel at the center of Pacific Park spun with a vibrant neon green light shining like a giant lighthouse.

The copper streetlights flashed on above them as they slowed to a halt. The breaks squeaked, and the car lurched at the red light once they had pulled off onto Ocean Avenue.

"I'm thirsty," Moxie said. "Anyone want a Coke?"

"We should only be drinking water," Lloyd said. "It's healthier."

"I could go for a soda," Katsu said to Moxie.

A green light shone on her face, and the car rolled into the intersection. Seeing a sign with an orange seven emblazoned on it, the car strolled into the parking lot of the convenience store and slid into a spot. Putting the car in park, Moxie shut it off. The engine died off into nothingness as the still twilight sky devolved into darkness with every passing moment.

Getting out, Katsu stretched his legs. Cars whooshed past on the street past the sidewalk with a few pedestrians strolling by the convenience store. The faint chirp of crickets ticked past in the small shrubbery that acted as a diveder between the sidewalk and the building. Katsu stumbled forward as Lloyd tumbled out of the car from the driver's side.

"You guys alright," Moxie asked as she looked down at Lloyd who was struggling to stand upright. She had already draped her school bag onto her back. "You look like some Auburn fans that drank a bunch of moonshine on Bourbon Street."

"Auburn fans?" Lloyd grunted out as he grabbed onto the frame of the car to steady himself.

"Just never been in a car that fast before," Katsu said as he wobbled on his gelatin legs.

Moxie giggled and practically skipped towards the entrance. Katsu looked over at Lloyd who had finally regained his balance. They both bumbled forward into the glass doors. Pushing it open, the were assaulted by the bright fluorescent lights of the conveince store. The register counter was to the immediate right of the entrance with stacks of cigarettes and scratch-off tickets that advertised the state lottery.

To the left, rows and rows of snacks stood on rickety racks with glass coolers for drinks towards the back of the store. Moxie was already examining the drinks with the deep intensity of an art critic studying a long lost Van Gogh.

Katsu walked over towards the drinks and stood next to her. They existed in silence, both of them occasionally stealing a glance at the other.

"You know, I hadn't really seen the ocean before this," Katsu said to break the silence. "Just the Tokyo Bay, but that doesn't count."

"I hear ya," Moxie nodded. "The Mississippi delta is kinda gross looking. You gotta go to the Gulf for some better beaches. Biloxi. Gulf Shores. Florida. Otherwise, it's gators in a giant mud pit."

"You think I should have punched Bakugo like that?" Katsu turned to look at Moxie.

She stared at the drinks in front of her. Her finger traced the cold glass while focusing on specific selections. "Guy probably deserved it from something he did in his life. Just imagine he kicked a puppy one time, and you'll feel more justified."

Katsu furrowed his eyebrows towards her. "I feel bad because I got us both in trouble earlier. I never got to apologize."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Moxie said. She opened up the door. A swirl of frigid air burst from the cooler. She reached in to grab a bottle. "I probably shouldn't have put so much energy in you. Guess I was excited to use my quirk for something other than jambalaya and po boy sauce. It's water under the bridge."

She pulled out a bottle of Doctor Pepper and slammed the fridge shut. "Beside," She said while waving the bottle next to her face. "I think we've gotten to know more about each other from it. Like, you seem to be a guy that seems chill but easily gets stressed."

Katsu let out an unsure chuckle and ran a hand through his long straw-colored hair. "Me? No way."

"You do," Moxie teased. "And I don't blame you. You guys over there in Japan always stress out over everything. Y'all don't know how to get your inner-flow working properly. Y'know? Millions of things to worry about in the world, and I think what one teacher thinks about you should be the least of them. But what you need to learn is how to stay calm."

"I'm always calm! I just...don't normally break my teacher's doors and then punch them into walls," Katsu shrugged.

"Guess that's something we gotta get used to around here," Moxie said. She took a small step forward, Katsu able to see his reflection in her charcoal eyes. "The unexpected."

A comfortable silence wrapped around them like a wool blanket.

Just as Katsu felt brave enough to take another step closer to Moxie, he saw Lloyd pop around the corner, his shoulders slumped and leaning forward.

"Hey, Lloyd. What'd you g-."

Lloyd held a finger up to his lips and bumped it repeatedly. He goose-stepped towards them and grabbed onto their shoulders. Lloyd pushed them both down into a squat and faced them.

With another finger, he gestured over his shoulder towards the front of the store. Katsu leaned over and balanced himself by placing one hand on the linoleum floor. Craning his head, he peaked around the tower of potato chips.

In front of the register was a short man with a peach fuzz dotting his round chin. Wearing a black beanie and a leather jacket with matching pants, he held out a straight razor in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. The cashier held up his hands in front of him.

"I don't even have anything," the cashier said in an even tone.

"That's what you said last week," the robber said, flecks of spit flying from his mouth. "But Raimundo and Cletus came in here later that day and got five hundred. They told me!"

"Someone came in and bought five hundred dollars worth of scratch off tickets," The cashier said. "There's no money in the register."

"Open it up right now, sucker," The robber said through his bared teeth.

Turning back to the other two, Katsu knew they had to act. This was a test that was sent to them by some higher being, and he knew that they were given this chance to show their worth as future heroes. Also, it may be easier since the man appeared to have no physical quirk.

He remembered what Shoto had once said about simple hold-ups like this one. Divide and conquer. Take all options of escape off the table.

He shifted his gaze towards the other two and held up one finger. He pointed at Moxie and gestured for her to go around the corner Lloyd had come from. From that position, she would be directly in front of the register or right behind where the robber was standing. Then, Katsu pointed at Lloyd and them himself. He held up two fingers and pointed right at the Robber. He was gesturing for them to confront the Robber paired up together with Moxie flanking him.

They both nodded at him. Moxie remained crouched and spun on her heels. She waddled around the corner, herself and her backpack disappearing to the other side of the store.

Katsu took a deep breath. His heart was thumping into his ribcage, and he felt the blood rushing to his head. He did not think he would have to deal with a real situation as soon as this. However, he thought back to his training. He thought back to his mentor. The past five years were a training session for this situation. He was as ready as he would ever be.

He faced Lloyd and gave him a curt nod. The Canadian returned it.

They both got up and spun on their feet. Katsu rushed around the corner to charge the man, the darkness of the outside world illuminated behind the Robber.

"Halt, citizen!"

Katsu froze in place.

The Robber spun around on the heels of his tattered black boots and noticed the pair of kids in their school uniforms standing next to each other.

Katsu turned and saw Lloyd planted between him and the rack of chips. In the open, Lloyd stood and shouted at the robber.

"Cease your criminal activities this instant."

Katsu, his mouth as open as a tunnel, gaped at Lloyd. "Dude, this is not the plan I had in mind!"

Lloyd blinked and turned to face Katsu. "I thought you wanted to confront him."

"I did," Katsu pointed at the guy who was frozen in place. His razor was still pointed at the poor cashier. "I meant that we would sneak up on him and take him down together!"

"But the California Hero Statutes state that we must alert all quirkless citizens of our presence before we engage in hero activities," Lloyd lectured. "It would be like a police officer just shooting without asking questions."

"I don't care about statutes," Katsu said. "We need to take this guy down!"

The Robber rolled his ink-black eyes and pointed the razor at the kids. "Look, I know you guys are kids, and you might have quirks. I'll go easy on you. Just get on out of here, and I won't have to use this on you," he said as he flashed the razor towards them.

Katsu instinctively recoiled at the sight of the razor. He gritted his teeth and covered his arm.

That reaction was enough for the Robber. He grinned and twirled the leather blade in his hand.

"Oh, so blades are something you don't like," The Robber said. "I don't blame ya. No one likes to get cut. But you superhero kids, you're supposed to be invincible, right? you're supposed to be the ones that are lucky enough to fly and be zapped by lightning and walk away like it's a bad sunburn. That means this blade here is your weakness."

Katsu grunted. The man was surprisingly perceptive.

The robber took a step towards them and licked his chapped lips.

"So how about you let me get my money, and I'll be on my w-."

Bang!

A raucous blast erupts into a flash of shocking light in the small room. The eruption bounces off the tiles and linoleum floor causing a harsh ringing to vibrate in Katsu's ears. As he covers them up, he sees the Robber collapse instantly, spurts of blood exploding from his gut. He screamed as his body collapsed to the ground like a falling stack of cards. His body folds into a heap. The razor flies from his hand and bounces off one of the cigar cartons behind the register.

The man slumped on the ground, his limbs flailed lifelessly as blood spurted out from the wound in his chest.

Katsu and Lloyd, as much as they liked to think they could keep there cool, screamed.

They ran up to the man. Looking down, they saw the blast of the shotgun leave a hole in his gut.

They screamed again.

Turning towards their right, they noticed Moxie. A smoking, sawed-off shotgun was clasped in her hands.

They screamed a third time.

Lloyd then noticed the beads of blood that dotted Katsu's face. Katsu saw that Lloyd's face was decorated in the same fashion.

Pointing at each other's face, they screamed a fourth time.

The Robber-Christoph Andretti (voiced by Danny Devito)

More stuff. This time, I hint at a character's introduction instead of straight up do it.

I know I'm not giving everyone equal time, but don't worry! It will all benefit the story in a great way.

So did you enjoy this! Let me know! Keep sending in people. Any more students, teachers, or villains are appreciated.

But most importantly, keep reviewing! It's what wakes me up in the morning and it's what gives me good dreams at night. The more you review, the better for all of us! As always, any suggestions, fan art, story arcs or ideas are appreciated!

Thank you. See you soon!