Kirishima hummed a tune as he walked. He was excited. Today was the first day he'd be introduced as Red Riot! Hopefully.

He glanced at the address sent to his phone. Looking at the building, he judged that this is where the dojo would be.

The building he entered wasn't fancy, by any means. It was a modest looking apartment building, which was surrounded by many other buildings.

Walking inside, he noted a receptionist at a counter. Making his way to her, he checked in, as if it were a hotel.

"The dojo is two hall on the left, third door on the right." Thanking the kind lady, he took her directions.

Arriving at the dojo, he could see why it was called a dojo.

It was because in the literal and traditional sense, it was an actual dojo. A place for fights and a place for tea. Kirishima pumped his fist in the air. This is going to be great!

He paused after entering, due to a figure in black sitting at the opposite end of the room He was in.

The figure looked like he was meditating. Kirishima thought it looked super peaceful. Mustering his courage, he walked to the figure and sat down.

This was...akward to say the least. It's been over twenty minutes now and the figure said absolutely nothing to him. The figure just meditated. Screw this. I'm going to sleep. Kirishima was about to lay down when the figure spoke.

"Why do you want to be a hero?"

Kirishima blinked. "I-uh. What?"

The figure rose his head, his eyes level to Kirishima's. "Why do you want to become a hero? What is your conviction?"

Kirishima was silent. He hadn't thought this would be the discussion for the day. He also hadn't thought of this since the first day of school. What was he to say? He wasn't sure there was a right answer.

"Your silence means one of two things." The figure appeared behind Kirishima, startling the boy. "One idea is that you're in it for the fame and glory. You wish to be recognized by others to validate your existence."

Before Kirishima could answer, the figure spoke.

"The second reason is that you're just following a childhood high. You've seen the heroes of today and what they could do. However, not once had you asked yourself "What good could I do for others?".

"There is a third reason, but the reason you have may not sound good once spoken. I will allow you to speak once."

Kirishima hesitated for a second. He looked down in embarassement. "I just want to prove my worth as a man. I see all these amazing heroes that are saving lives, and then there's me. Throughout my entire middle school life, ever since I got my quirk, I've just hated how not flashy it was." Kirishima refused to look at the figure's eyes.

The figure hummed, after a minute of thinking. "You have a strong conviction. Self worth and being willing to prove yourself is a good start to a hero career." Kirishima looked up, startled.

"However, its not strong enough." The tone the black clad man used was as sharp as a whip. Kirishima was surprised. "How do I make my conviction stronger?"

The figure, now in front of Kirishima, grinned. "You drop any and all selfish ideologies. You can aim to become stronger, but you do not need to prove yourself a man to anyone but yourself."

The figure crouched in front of the redhead, eyes gleaming. "Starting from today, every action you do as a hero is for the good of others."

Kirishima nodded. "Yes sir!" He paused. "What do I call you?"

The figure in front of him chuckled. "Call me Izuku. You are my apprentice after all."


Kirishima stood on a rooftop, eyes adjusting to the dark environment. As he searched with his eyes, he noticed that he was in the middle of the city, lights flashing every other second. He also noticed his teacher standing at the edge of the rooftop he was on.

"Kirishima. The first lesson for today is awareness of environments, especially with a lack of light."

Izuku walked towards the redhead, blindfold in hand. "Today, you're going to fight me, as I'm blindfolded."

Kirishima sputtered. "Izuku! Isn't that dangerous? You could trip and fall! and from this height, you could die from the landing!"

Izuku laughed. "Don't worry about me. I would worry about yourself." He put the blindfold on, and Kirishima thought he disappeared.

Alright, what did Aizawa say the other day? Be wary of everything? Maybe? Oh god, where did he go? He was answered by a kick to the middle of his back, knocking him to the ground. Breathing hard due to the wind literally knocked out of him, he activated his quirk and stood still, more alert than before.

Only to receive a clap to his ears.

Grunting in pain, Kirishima unwillingly knelt to the ground, trying his best to rid the ringing in his ears. His eyes flew wildly around him, completely at a loss of the fight. He couldn't hear, he could barely see in the dark, and he couldn't focus enough to activate his quirk.

He stood up, the ringing leaving him, and as a result, a hand grabbed him and twisted him into a choke hold. He looked up, and there was his teacher, slightly pressing his index finger to a pressure point in his neck.

"Kirishima. Do you yield?" Kirishima barely heard it, but responded to the muffle. He tapped the side of the teacher's arm, and was released.

He saw his teacher stare at him, waiting for the red head to gain his footing.

"That was your first spar with me, Kirishima. What have you learned?"

Kirishima was silent. He expected a learning opportunity from this? All I learned is that I got my ass kicked. SO not manly.

Izuku clapped his hands once, gaining the hard head's attention. "You should have learned to pay attention to your surroundings, as well as to make minimal noise when fighting. You were rather loud, but I gave more than enough giveaways to my location at all times." At the student's confused expression, he sighed.

"One: I whispered. A lot. You should have been listening.

"Two: My shoes. I purposely scraped my feet on the floor to help you enhancen your reflexes.

"Three. I was in front of you, for the most part. Had you not been focused on yourself, you would have seen me as clear as day."

Izuku walked to the edge of the rooftop. "For the next month, I am going to train you to the bone, so you can help as many people as possible. After training, you will join me on the field. Remember, I chose you for a reason, so don't start giving up on me. The first day is always the hardest."

Kirishima nodded. At least I have my quirk.

"You will not use your quirk when training and on the field with me."

Fuck


"You want me to what now?"

Kirishima and Izuku were overlooking the space between rooftops. Izuku knew this was coming.

"Kirishima. The most efficient way to travel on foot is through parkour. This includes vaulting rooftop to rooftop, regardless of the space between." Noting how terrified the apprentice looked, he softened his gaze, just a tiny bit.

"Kirishima, I'm only asking you to try."

The apprentice took one last look at the depths below, and calmed down. Backing up, he looked at his teacher, determination visible. "Alright! Being a man means risking it all for the good of others! I got this!"

Izuku's eyes widened ever so slightly. He was going to do it! Atta boy Kirishima!

Kirishima sprinted to the edge. I can do this. I can make it. I can do this. I can make it

He leaped. Izuku smiled. Maybe he can do this after all.

The vigilante in training saw the other rooftop. He was filled with pride. "I've got thissss--AHHHHHH"

He missed.

Now he was falling.

Izuku sighed. He had a long way to go, before Kirishima could hope to match up to a pro.

Jumping after the screaming boy, Izuku caught him and threw a grappling hook to a nearby stairwell, enabling their safety.

Standing up, Kirishima dusted off his knees. That could have been better. He rolled his shoulders, waiting on the next thing. He learned a lot from that experience, the first lesson being to never do that again.

"I need you jump to the rooftop again."

Kirishima inwardly groaned. Of course he was to do this again. He sluggishly moved his feet and slowly made his way up the stairs. Izuku gained an idea.

"Hey Kirishima!" Izuku walked to the student. "I have an idea."


"YEAH!!!"

Kirishima was flying over rooftops now.

Well, he wasn't really flying, but he was able to leap from roof to roof, with some help at first.

What they did was attach a rope of silk like properties to Kirishima's waist and had him jump. Once he couldn't get any higher, Izuku yanked the redhead to him. Eventually the student didn't even need that kind of help. He had somehow convinced his legs to actually pull through with the exercise.

It was similar to what Izuku did when he was learning.

Smiling, Izuku walked over to the proud teen. Clapping a hand on his back, he didn't need to say his congratulations audibly. Kirishima had received that message with the smile his teacher gave him.

"Alright, Kirishima, calm down. we're here." Izuku tapped a device that was in his ear. Kirishima was stunned. I hadn't even noticed! What does he mean 'we're here'? His musings were interrupted by a masculine voice.

"So this is the kid, huh?" A tall man with black hair walked to him. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a black tie underneath a large brown trench coat, with black pants and shoes, topped off with a matching coloured fedora styled hat. Before Kirishima could introduce himself, the man did it for him.

"Eijiro Kirishima. Fourteen years old. Quirk: hardening. You're attending UA high school and are the unofficial protector of Mina Ashida, another UA student. Both of you are taking the hero course for your high school careers."

The tall man observed the red head's response. To his amusement, the red head was shocked silent, no doubt wondering how he knew so much. Naomasa laughed.

"Don't worry, I don't spread the information around." He stuck his hand out. "I know this is an American formality, but I like it. Name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. Hopefully we'll be working together in the near future." Kirishima reluctantly shook his hand, unfamiliar with the American greeting."

Catching what Naomasa said, he looked to Izuku for what he meant.

Nodding, Izuku answered. "Naomasa is a detective of the police force, and the only one that trusts me enough to see me do what I do without being squeamish about it."

Kirishima whipped his head around, eyes wide as saucers. "The police?! You aren't- I'm not getting-

bwah, what?"

The detective laughed. "No, Kirishima, I'm not arresting you. I already know what QL is up to. I've already approved his plan to have an apprentice. Now, I'm here to make sure he's chosen correctly."

Kirishima rose an eyebrow at that.

The detective continued. "I am going to ask you a string of questions and see what do in each scenario. It's important you think your answers through, as you can only answer once, no takebacks. Understand?"

"Yes."

RINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

The detective grunted, pain shooting through his mind like the recoil of a firearm.

"Detective! Are you ok?" Izuku rushed to his side, helping him up. "Kirishima, there is something you must know." The teen in question looked up. "Naomasa here has a lie detector quirk. If he hears a lie from the person he's talking to, a signal tells him. Sometimes it gets painful depending on the lie told. His official alias is True Man, which means it is of great importance that you answer with the truth. Do you understand?"

Kirishima looked at them, a blank expression evident in his eyes. Naomasa was in for a long night because-

"Yes."

RINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

.

.

.

Naomasa had never been scared of anyone before that night.


Izuku sighed. He knew the boy he picked wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he also had a good heart. If they can get past Kirishima's intriguing charm, they can actually progress.

The both of them giving up on making him understand the instructions, since Naomasa might actually develop an ulcer, they dove into the questions, trusting that the first answer to come out of the boy's mouth to be truthful.

Hesitantly, he started.

"Kirishima. Imagine you're by an alley."

Kirishima nodded. So far, so good.

"You see a man with a knife slowly walking forward. He's already suspicious enough, but he starts threatening someone who seemingly isn't there. What do you do?"

Kirishima didn't hesitate. "Run in that direction and make sure he's actually talking to someone If he is, get that person out of there!"

Izuku and Naomasa were impressed, maybe this kid was a good choice.

Naomasa continued. "Okay. next scenario. A small girl or boy runs into your arms, asking for help. She's shivering, and she tells you things like she doesn't want to go to the bad man/woman. what do you do?"

Kirishima thought about this. For a long time. He placed himself into the question, and while Aizawa didn't go over scenarios like this, he now believed this would help the class ten fold.

He looked towards the vigilante and detective. "Take her to the police, assure her that she's safe. Have her describe the bad man/woman to the police and keep her out if harms way."

He looked proud of that answer. For a split second he swore he saw pride and a smile on the vigilante.

Naomasa nodded. "Okay, final question. You're capturing a known sex offender and you're bringing him/her to the precinct. You feel someone attacking you. How do you proceed?"

Kirishima thought about this, albeit not for very long.

"I guess I wouldn't attack? The attacker could say I started the violence? I would think that my main job is to bring the captured to the station?"

Naomasa nodded. "That'll be all for me." He looked to the vigilante. "You've got yourself a good soldier."

Kirishima looked pleased. "I passed?"

Izuku nodded. "With flying colours. We can begin the actual training now."

Naomasa smiled. "Yes, I look.forward to you lending QL a hand. I trust you know what you're getting into, Kirishima?"

"Yeah!"

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG

"PLEASE STOP LYING!!!"

"I'M SORRY!!!!!!!!!"


"Alright. Training starts tomorrow after school."

Izuku and Kirishima were at the dojo. Both returning from the station, they were ready to call it a night.

Kirishima turned to go, but something caught up in him. "Hey Izuku?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Well, something the detective said isn't setting right with me. What does he mean by asking me if I know what I'm getting into?" Kirishima looked at his teacher, showing that he in fact had no idea and probably jumpstarted a way of alcoholism for the detective. Probably.

Izuku immediately sobered from his good mood. Somber eyes looking at the redhead, he sighed, sitting down. He motioned for Kirishima to do the same.

"Listen, Kirishima. I'm not going to lie to you. The path we're taking, me more than you, is a path of nothing good. I mean it's good were doing it, but what you will see is less than pleasent.

"You will see women completely vandalized. You will see little boys and girls whose dignity are forcibly taken. Men who were strong have been crumpled into shells of their former glory. You will see caskets of victims you could have, would have, saved."

Kirishima could do nothing but watch as his teacher rewatched everything he'd done wrong, and watched as Izuku filled himself with regret.

The vigilante looked at Kirishima, eyes void of any positivity. "Kirishima, I'm not going to sugar coat this. The job I have, the job you're training for, most of the time you'll hit dead ends. You will have cases slip from your fingers, sometimes the victims not surfacing until a month or two later, in body bags." Kirishima shuddered as his teacher continued.

"I want you to understand, that right now, this moment, is the only time you have to back out. To go back to your parents, to Mina, and hug them, and forget about all of this."

He smiled. "Now, if you continue on this path, you can help prevent as much as you could from happening to Mina, go further than you ever thought possible to make sure she's safe, to make sure your family is safe."

He sighed, his hands running through his hair.

"Kirishima, I don't have a family to go to, but you do. You've more than likely a mother who dotes on you, a father to talk to, and you have a future girlfriend to be with." Kirishima rose both eyebrows at the vigilante.

"Yes, Kirishima, I've seen the way you both look at each other." Kirishima grinned, but his mood dropped when he realized the context of the talk.

Izuku nodded. "Kirishima, are you going to reject this opportunity and live in blissful ignorance, or will you take the step to keep men and women, boys and girls, safe. Even those you don't know?"

Kirishima didn't hesitate. He needed to help as many people as he could. He needed to keep Mina, his parents, his classmates, people on the street, and in their homes, safe from monsters that'll hurt them. He knew what Izuku did, and he needed help.

"Yes. I will help them!" Kirishima looked at the vigilante, determination in his eyes. Joy overtook Izuku, and he reached out to clasp Kirishima's shoulder.

Kirishima looked at the shoulder, and back to the vigilante. He saw the vigilante had silent tears stream, but for once those tears made Izuku more manly than ever before. Kirishima vowed to achieve that level of manliness before he hit twenty years old.

Calming down, Izuku wiped his eyes of any tears left, and stood up, bringing his apprentice up as well. He smiled, and cleared his throat.

"Well, Kirishima. Expect a month of extra hard training. Now, go home, rest up. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Kirishima's head whipped to the vigilante, questions in his eyes. Izuku didn't have to have a quirk to know what he was thinking.

"I am the school's new dean of student conduct, after all. I will also be acting as a counselor for all first year students!"

Kirishima was stunned.

Izuku pushed him to the door. "Off you go! See you tomorrow!"