ALDERA JUNIOR HIGH
10:06 P.M
"Hmm... since you're all third years, it's time for you to think seriously about your future."
Inside Third-Year Classroom A, the voice of a homeroom teacher can be heard. He was announcing to his class about their plans that were written in their handouts that they had filled out the day before class.
"I'll pass out handouts for your plans now, but..."
He swiped the bundles of handouts on his desk, a smirk growing on his face as he was about to announce it. Two students, in particular, were excited to hear the news. One of them had already activated his quirk upon the anticipation, his hand and hair morph into stone.
"...you're all..."
He then tossed the handouts behind him, the devilish smirk turns into a wistful smile as he announces today's topic.
"...pretty much planning to go into the hero course, right?"
The class had erupted into a cheerful bunch, chanting 'yes!' on their teacher's jolly announcement. Quirks of all kinds were showcased by them all, except for three students in particular.
One of them had a devilish smirk adorned on his face as he puts his legs onto the table in front of him. Another was keeping his head low and dejectedly raised a hand to join in the cheering, and the final one, Akira, was reading a manga behind his textbook.
After morning's predicament with the villain and Miko's treat in the local convenience store, he changed the black hoodie he was wearing into the school Gakuran in the school toilet. After that, he and Miko part ways for a while to go to their class for the whole day.
"...wonder what's on sale at the Gunpla store in town? Maybe I should ask Miko if she wants to swing into town after school." he pondered to himself, not hearing what's going on in class as the manga in his hands was way more interesting at the moment.
"Yes, yes, all of you have wonderful quirks! But using your powers at school against the rules!" the blonde teacher reminded them all on quirk usage in public areas are strictly prohibited unless you have legislation to use it under your belt.
Suddenly, the one with a devilish grin had called out to the teacher.
"Teach! Don't lump us all in the same group. I'm not gonna be stuck at the bottom with the rest of the rejects!"
KATSUKI BAKUGOU
AGE: 14
QUIRK: EXPLOSION
"Hey! That was uncalled for, Katsuki!" someone had yelled out to him for the insult he gave to the rest. Others joined in the yelling, only prompting Bakugou to laugh at them.
"You all should just shut up like the extras!"
The teacher in the room didn't even bother to stop the fiasco. He knew that Bakugou had a big ego since the start of the school year and he was too tired to deal with it.
"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to U.A High, right, Bakugou?"
This had gotten some whispers in the class after hearing where he was going to enrol.
"U.A? That national school?!"
"It was in the top 0.2% this year, you know!"
"Their acceptance rate's always really low, too!"
Hearing the whispers in class was enough for the ashen blond student to defiantly assert himself being the top dog here, as he gets up and stands on top of his desk.
"That's exactly why you guys are just extras! I aced the mock test! I'm the only one at school-"
As Bakugou continued to blabber his accomplishments, Akira had gotten a text message from his phone in which interrupted him from his reading marathon.
It was from Miko. The message was:
"Dude, whatcha doing right now? I'm bored as hell~"
He typed back, hiding his phone under his desk away from prying eyes. It was unnecessary as everyone's focus was shifted towards Bakugou instead.
"Catching up Golden Kamuy right now. Question is, what's one of the top students in Aldera Junior High is doing messaging with an underachiever like me in the middle of class?"
Typing...
"Very funny, Matsuzaki... Can't a girl catch a break? By the way, I look at the morning news and apparently, that new hero Mt. Lady is making big waves on the villain you just knocked out."
"...okay so?" Akira didn't really care about it. He just did it so he could have the Chocolate Sunday Miko was hogging.
"Kinda expected that kind of answer from you. Look, wanna ask if you wanna hit the town after school? There's a new boutique store opening there and I hear a rumour that one of your Gunpla's is on sale. So how's that sounds, Akira?"
A small smile had adorned his face. Miko always knew what words to say to the boy.
"How do you always know what I'm thinking, huh? Don't tell me you have a mind-reading quirk that I'm not aware of."
Typing...
"Call it... a woman's intuition, if you must know hehe..." a sticker of a laughing Pepe the frog was followed by that message. A bead of sweatdrop from Akira's forehead was his only response to it. Nonetheless, he replied to his childhood friend.
"Say no more, Miko. Meet you at the gates then." Akira then shuts down his phone, continuing where he had left off in the manga.
Suddenly, he heard an explosion nearby him that had again interrupted his reading.
Grumbling in annoyance, he takes a gander behind him as he saw the ashen blonde kid had slammed his palm onto the green-haired freckled kid's table. The table exploded, causing freckles here to slump to the ground behind him.
"Hey Deku!" Bakugou yelled out to freckles known as 'Deku'. His right hand smoking from the usage of his quirk.
"You're below the rejects! You're Quirkless! How can you even stand in the same ring as me?"
"No, wait, Kacchan!" Deku frantically waved his hands at the spiky-haired teen in front of him, slowly backing away from his menacing childhood friend.
"I-It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything! Believe me!"
IZUKU MIDORIYA
AGE: 14
QUIRKLESS
Akira was confused. He didn't hear what had happened just now that had caused spiky boy here to have a massive uproar against a fellow Quirkless of Akira's.
So, he had whispered to the blue-haired girl sitting beside him to fill him in on what's going on.
"Oi, why is Katsudon angry with Mitochondria over at the back?"
Akira was horrible at remembering people's names...
"...have you been reading again, Matsuzaki-san?" a bead of sweatdrop was let out by her towards her whispering deskmate.
"...could be, but that doesn't matter now. Tell me what's going on here, man."
"Apparently, 'Midoriya' here had signed up for U.A in his handout. You can guess what happens next from the looks of it."
"Oh... well, then. Thanks for filling me in." he then continued reading his manga. This had caused the blue-haired student to be slightly taken aback by his laid back demeanour on this whole thing.
"A-aren't you going to stand up for him? Both of you are quirkless, you know?" Akira merely waves it off with his hand by saying to her,
"I can see that clearly... But what's that got to do with me, though?"
"Wha-?! I-It's a hero's job to help someone in trou-"
"It's none of my business..." Akira cuts her off, still reading the manga in his hands. He was on a page where a man with glasses and a bear was doing something questionable in the spreadsheet. He then continued to the blue-haired girl,
"Look, I get it. I feel bad for the guy but that's his problem, not mine or yours," he stated his reason for not butting in.
"If Mitochondria-"
"Midoriya."
"As I said, Misouriya wants to enrol in U.A, by all means, go for it... It's his decision and who am I to judge and stop him? Plus, I don't even know him too well."
"...That's not a very heroic thing to say, coming from a guy who's studying in a classroom aspiring to be heroes..."
"Not all of us can be like All Might, you know? That's how the world works..."
"Also, why don't you help him if you're so eager to do so, huh?"
She didn't answer, her mouth was shut tight as Akira called her out on this. A sigh he lets out by the downcast look she was having as Akira said to her.
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't blame you for pointing that out to me. But, if Midoriya really wants to be a hero like you said just now, something like this needs to be overcome by himself."
"If I step up, not only I'll bring more trouble than a solution, but it'll cause freckles to feel worse than usual, you getting me?"
The blue-haired girl nodded at him, understanding what he wants to say.
The reason why Akira wasn't targeted as Midoriya does is that he was being realistic and perceptive with the situation. He knows Katsuki had a foul temper and no words can get passed through him unless a splash of reality was given to him hands down.
Akira was tempted to give one right now, but that means he would be exposing himself to the secret he was trying to keep to himself. Only Miko knows what Akira is capable of, and he intends to keep it that way.
Drawing attention to himself is the last thing Akira wanted in life. He didn't like being the centre of attention. He only did the vigilante gig for some kicks of ecstasy which he failed to do so.
He wasn't stupid, just forgetful most of the time...
Finally, the conversation was over. Akira finally read his manga in peace after Deku had gotten back in his seat.
The class continued as usual...
MUSUTAFU CITY
12:02 P.M
"GYAAAAHHHHH!"
"Thief!"
In the streets of the bustling city, a woman had screamed out in terror. She activated her quirk in instincts which develops a blue dome barrier around her fallen state.
Nearby her was a shop clerk that had run out from the convenience store. He had been robbed by a thief, as the man proceeded to call out for a hero.
"Someone!"
However, no hero had come to the rescue as the thief had deliberately picked the right time for him to commit his heinous crimes out in the open.
"Hahaha! Catch me if you can!" green sludge of the thief's arms flailed around aimlessly, a mad dash he had made towards his escape point. Away from the crowd that only watched him from afar.
Cash around his slimy body can also be seen flying away, leaving behind a trail of stolen cash and green sludge behind his wake.
"Huh, there's no hero around." a civilian took notice of the lack of hero present in the scene.
"Normally, someone would come right away. This guy's taking advantage of the chaos from this morning, I guess." another civilian gave a possible explanation o why the lack of heroes in the scene. Then, he made another comment about society today.
"There are tons of people around who don't know what to do with their Quirks."
Some people would turn out to heroism, some would turn towards the villainous side, like that speeding sludge man. The majority would end up being the average joes you see walking in the streets, minding their own business without a care in the world.
"There's no end to them..." They could only see the thief making his escape from afar.
"There is an end."
Someone had declared out loud to the masses. His body shifts into muscle mode as he was about to get ready to enforce justice.
They all look back to see who said that. Doesn't matter, as they all now adopt hopeful smiles as they see who it is.
"Why?"
As the slime thief looks back at the corner of his eye, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Of all the time and places that a hero would show up...
It's the living legend himself.
"Because I am here!"
"Miko, did you have to inspect every single piece of clothing in that store?"
"They look cute. Of course, I'm gonna pinpoint them all so I could think ahead with my budget. It's like your Gunpla that you always stare at the store just now."
The school had ended for the day, and Akira had met Miko in front of the gates as planned. Both of them took a bus into town and went window shopping for quite some time.
The Boutique store in question was actually one of the No. 3 hero's subsidiary stores by Best Genius if Akira recalled correctly. And so, he did what all men did while waiting for his friend to finish up their daily inspection of the trade.
He sat down at one of the Ottomans seats in the store and do nothing essentially. Sometimes, he picks up his manga to catch up where he had left off, other times he would wander his hazel eyes towards the busy crowd in the streets, picking up interesting things along the way.
One time, he saw a kid with a butt chin and a giant crab man walking past each other.
Most of the times though, he would nod or shake his head when Miko asked him if this jean jacket or any article of clothing looks good on her or not.
In most situations at that moment, many boys would kill to be in Akira's position. To hang out with one of Aldera's Junior High beautiful schoolgirls is simply a prestigious status for the boys in most schools.
Not to mention that Miko was a prodigy for her age.
Akira however, had no clue about this culture. All his life, he had been training his whole body to the brink of his limit, hangs out with Miko because the other kids refuse to play with him since he was quirkless and finally, more training.
Miko was indifferent. Quirk or no quirk, she finds everyone as an equal. One thing that she really admired about Akira is his blunt honesty. Most kids just want to be a hero to be famous or even to get with chicks by some.
Some would say that they want to make a difference by being the symbol of hope just like All Might. Although it was admirable, Miko can't help but finds the idea a bit too idealistic for her.
Akira, in the past, however, wants to be a hero not because he wants to make the world a better place, no...
Nor he does it for the glory or the fame.
He wants to be a hero... just because he wants to.
A hero for fun.
Most people would find this ridiculous and ridicule the boy. Not her though.
It was an utterly pure wish that she had found charming.
In Miko's own words, he was... something else entirely.
They were currently walking back home, heading towards a tunnel by the looks of it. Shopping bags were in Miko's hands and a single bag containing a Gunpla model was in Akira's. A fun, eventful day in the city, they suppose so...
Not noticed by the two of them over the distance, was the green-haired kid that was in Akira's class. He was seen entering the tunnel with a fist in the air and a hearty laugh, mimicking his idol's laughter.
"Say, what did you buy actually? It looks cool, honestly." she eyed the Gunpla box in his hands inside the plastic bag.
"Oh, this... It's actually an ASW-G 08 Gundam Barbatos, the Fourth form to be precise. It comes with its iron mace and long sword." He beamed out his love for mechs towards Miko, who could only sweatdrop by his weird antics.
"Barbatos? Isn't that like... a name for a duke of hell?"
"Mm-hmm, most Gundams would just use like laser guns and beam sabres to battle. Not this one, though. Barbatos got its name due to the sheer brutality he gives off to his opponents personally with his own two hands, or crude weapons like the mace."
"Uh-huh..." She didn't get some facts, but she nonetheless supports the boy's enthusiasm. It was rare for Miko to see Akira be so lively about something. She misses that Akira sometimes.
"It's a fresh take for the mech series, honestly. And I've been eyeing this baby since its first debut in the Gundam series." he hugs the Gunpla box like he was coddling a baby.
"Well, as long as you've got it, I'm happy for you, bud."
Silence persist between the two until Akira broke the ice by asking her why she was bored in class just then.
"Miko, wanna ask something."
"Ask away."
"You rarely opened your phone during class, especially in the middle of one. What makes it so boring that you're willing to do that?"
"Well... the teacher asked us if we have actual plans for the upcoming graduation in the next few months of all things." This had caused Akira to quirk an eyebrow at her.
"Huh... My class was talking about it as well." Is this some sort of annual thing to do for Aldera Junior High?
"Really, eh? Then I can bet that you can guess what's troubling me recently, right?"
A hand was put on his chin, as the boy was pondering on what could have troubled Miko. He decided to say something that his gut feeling was telling him.
"Hmm... Is it related to our morning in the cafe when we talked about where we want to enrol?"
"Yep. That's the one." Seems Akira's gut feeling was spot on.
"Why though? I thought it's pretty clear for you to enter U.A since you keep pestering me to join you there."
"Yeah, but that's not the point. It's more about... you that I'm worried."
A finger he had pointed to himself. The boy was confused about why his childhood friend was worried about someone as strong as Akira in the first place
"...Me?"
"Yeah, I'm just worried that... what if entering U.A might not be for you, now that I rethink about it." she fumbled her arms for a bit, her gaze looked down at the concrete ground they were walking.
"People might... look down on you because of something they don't expect to be from a hero should be. And I know you don't like being the talk of something. It's just it isn't your style, right?" she continued.
"I don't want that to happen to you. If I could, I just want you and me to spend the rest of our days, feeling fulfilled with what we have, that's all..." she had now remembered something that she almost forgot.
"On second thought, have you even put U.A in the handout about your future plans, Akira?" she had asked him.
"...I left it blank," he told her about this.
"What?" now it's Miko's turn to be confused.
"I'm keeping my options open for the moment. Still thinking about it, you know." he then looked at her in the eyes. Hazel staring at emeralds as he then continues.
"Miko, I know that I said I wanted to be a hero just because I wanted to be one. That's why I trained so hard, to the point I felt like my body was about to give out on me. But, after two years of non-stop training, I'd gained... this much strength."
He clenched his fist in front of him, looking at it with a gaze of mixed feelings.
"Now I can just end fights in one punch now... People might look at this as a good thing, but I felt like I'd achieved... nothing." he lamented on this gift he had.
"It's more like I made my life way more unfulfilling in a way."
"But..." Miko's ears perked up by what she was hearing.
"U.A might be one of the places that I could... try and find something worthwhile in my life. More importantly, if there's you in there, then there's no other place than I rather be."
A small blush was on her face upon hearing this. Who knew he could be romantic, even though Akira didn't have a clue what romantic supposed to be in the first place.
He lacks certain social skills due to his alienation, so he was practically speaking from his heart towards Miko about this since it's the only thing he knew what to say.
"...Also, I hear the pay is good for being a hero."
The blush was now gone. Goddamit, Akira...
Still, it didn't deter Miko's initial thoughts about him in the first place.
"If I were there, huh... You sly idiot..." a small warm smile she had let out by this, as she asked him something else.
"...You wanna swing by at my house for dinner? My mom's cooking hamburgers tonight." Miko asked the boy walking beside him.
"Uh... Is that okay, actually?" Akira didn't want to bother Miko's parents' hospitality that much. He lived alone in his apartment since both of his parents had to work overseas.
"Of course, it's okay. It's been a few weeks since you haven't come to say hi to mom and dad." she insisted to him. Akira's practically a part of Miko's family by now.
The boy with his Gunpla contemplates for a moment, before letting off a sigh.
"...well, I guess I could for a moment. Tomorrow's my treat, though. Since today you've been awfully generous to me by the bet we made and you lost yesterday."
So that's why Miko's been treating Akira lately, she lost a bet that both of them made yesterday. It was to see if Akira could beat her in a game of Street Fighter V and Akira was known to be horrible in video games.
However, he had done the unholiest thing in fighting game history that not even Miko had expected from him.
Spamming the low kick combo on her.
"Next time, we're playing Mario Kart. See how you could out drift my Luigi, loser~."
"You're on-" before he could continue the charade, Miko's hand was outstretched in front of him.
"Akira, look." she pointed a finger towards something in front of her.
Some sludge freak is trying to force himself onto a student. Said student was none other than Akira's classmate.
Both of them didn't notice the hulking man behind the sludge villain, as he had come from a manhole pursuing the thief.
In most situations, one might scream and call for help. Not for them though, Miko had tagged along on some of Akira's vigilantism and she had grown used to these kinds of things.
"You know what to do..." She lazily said this to him.
"Yeah, yeah... Just hold onto something. Might get a little breezy."
He cocked his fist backwards, readying for a punch.
And thus swung Akira Matsuzaki's fist of impromptu justice.
"It's all right now young man!"
He had caught with the villainous thief. It seems that the villain was forcing himself into the body of a young student to hide from him. Green sludge entering his mouth and nose, suffocating the poor lad.
Simply unacceptable.
"Because I am here!"
All Might is here...
And he will save the kid from this villain, for that is simply what a hero must do.
Upon noticing the hero, the villain had sent a wild swing of his green tendrils towards All Might. He merely ducked the oncoming tendrils as he rushes on forward, cocking his fist back as he was about to deliver a cross that will subdue the villain by the wind pressure alone.
With a might bellow, he had called out one of his signatures moves that he had developed during his time in the States.
"TEXAS SMAS-"
He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as a strong gust of wind had blown towards him instead. It also had incapacitated the villain as he shrieks out in shock.
"HRAGGHH! WIND PRESSURE?!"
The villain thought this was All Might's doing. Instead, the man himself was struggling to even hold his ground from the wind pressure that was sent towards his way as well.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!"
The villain had given out from the pressure alone, his slime fluids scatter throughout the tunnel in a disgusting fashion.
The boy was finally free from the clutches of the villain. In front of his blurry vision, he could only see All Might's figure as he mumbles his name out before passing out, completely unaware by his true saviour who had now just realized that his jig was up.
"All... Might..."
After regaining his balance, All Might was wondering to himself. Who could have beaten him to the punch and showcase this spectacular display of power just now?
He got his wish, as in front of him were two teenagers. One girl was staring at him with wide eyes while the other boy, who All Might had deduced is the one who is responsible for this amazing save, had his fist forward.
The man deduced the motion he did was a punch by the looks of it.
His smile was growing even wider. He was told that his successor was in this city. Could this boy be the one they were talking about?
He must simply ask the two if they were responsible for saving this young man here, primarily the young man who was looking... scared?
Must be the pressure of meeting an idol he deduced to himself.
No matter, he would try not to get both of them intimidated by him.
Meanwhile:
The two of them were shocked to the core.
Of all the times. Of all the places. And of all the people that they had to meet was him.
Normally, if this was a normal situation, both of them would have been excited to meet the Number One Hero himself in the flesh.
Not this one. In fact, it was possibly one of the worst timings that Akira ever had in his life.
Miko, knowing that this was bad for her friend was sharing the same feeling as him.
Two words were let out from their lips.
"Oh..."
This was Miko's.
"Shit."
Chapter 1: Complete
Next Chapter: 2
What It Takes To Be A Hero
A.N:
Hey guys, Griffin 02 here...
So, Akira and Miko finally meet the Number One Hero himself. Wonder what's going to happen, since Akira who's a person that hates attention meets the person that basically brings attention everywhere he goes?
Find out next time on Dragon Balls Z- just kidding.
Also, put some cameos of Gundam Iron Blood Orphans in this chapter. I really like that old series, go check it out if you can.
Nevertheless, a disclaimer must be put. I do not own MHA or OPM for the belongs to Horikoshi and ONE respectively.
If you like the chapter, leave a follow and a review if you can. Really appreciate what you guys have to say in this. Criticism is also encouraged so I can improve on what I lack in this story.
Also, check out my other fanfiction if possible, like KLK: SS. I really appreciate it if you follow and also give a review on my main work which is that fanfic, a crossover between Kill la Kill and Gurren Lagann, made by Studio Trigger themselves...
With that, I see you guys in the next possible chapters! Adios...
