"Brief!" Nejire called out as she chased after her. Running out of the building, Bulla dashed down the street, not knowing where she was going. Brushing through the crowd of people as she ran past, she couldn't bring herself to stop. Despite having had minimal combat training, along with Pan, the two still carried superior stamina to regular humans. She ran for what seemed like half an hour to forty-five minutes, continuously wiping tears from her eyes.
Finally stopping in a nearby alleyway, she rested her hands on her knees and took several deep breaths. After a minute or so, she was able to catch her breath, and she leaned against the brick wall, taking cover behind an empty metal trash bin. He's right... Bulla thought as she slid along the wall, sitting down with her eyes aimed on the sky that was visible through the narrow alley. "I understand what I may gain from allowing you into the Hero Course, Pan Son. But to the Bulla Brief, I don't see how anybody would benefit." She remembered.
As she buried her face in her hands. I can't protect anybody... "You seem to be distressed." A man suddenly said, startling her.
"W-W-Who are you?!" She said, pulling herself to her feet.
The man was wearing hoodie, with the hood up, and sweatpants, and his lips were incredibly crusty. He seemed to be middle-aged, with a bad habit of scratching his neck. "Don't worry. I'm just a friend trying to help."
"How would you be able to help?!" She asked, bringing herself to her feet.
"Perhaps I can give you a solution to whatever problem brought you to tears. You should talk about it." He suggested, leaning against the wall.
"I-I guess..." She said hesitantly, taking a step back.
"Then go ahead. I'm all ears." He said.
"And why should I? I don't know you."
"True, but sometimes it helps to have an outside ear listening in. Someone who's disconnected from your issues that can give you an unbiased opinion." His hand raised to the sky as the Sun passed somewhat over, leaving the shadow that he emerged from over half the alleyway.
"I-I guess..." With a deep breath, Bulla leaned her shoulder against the wall, careful not to let her guard down. "I wanted to get into UA High. That Hero Course they have, I wanted to get into it so bad, and but without that man's recommendation, it's hopeless."
"UA High? Why would you want to get into that stuck-up place?" He asked.
"I want to be a hero. I want be able to wipe away the fear from other people's hearts. When faced with danger, I want them to feel safe, like everything will be okay." I can't tell him everything... It wouldn't be wise. "But Sir Nighteye seems to think that I don't have what it takes. And his words, well, I can't help but believe them." She began to hug her chest and lower her head.
"Hm. All of that hero stuff is overrated, anyway. Personally, do you know what i think you should do?" He asked, prompting her to look up at him "Join the League of Villains...and destroy everything."
"W-What are you-?!" Bulla took a step back.
"You should help them destroy the rotten society that those awful heroes created. You should just destroy anything that makes you upset, anything that you don't like!" He preached, pulling himself off the wall. With his arms stretched out to either side, he gave a crooked smile.
"N-No! You're crazy!" Bulla shouted as she backed away.
"Then I guess you don't plan on ditching that pesky hero mentality. I hate when kids don't stop to look at reality in all its cruelty." His words became cold and sinister, sending a chill down Bulla's spine. "I'll just have to remove what would be another stain on the hero community." With his words, he stepped closer, and Bulla found herself frozen in fear.
Why can't I move?! She thought to herself.
"Don't worry. All the worry in your heart will be lifted in a matter of minutes." The man continued speaking as he got closer. Now just mere feet away, Bulla could see it. An evil smile, and dried up face similar to that monster's.
Protect... Vegeta's words echoed throughout her mind and her eyes widened. A soft glow washed over their faces as Bulla raised her hand and stretched her fingers. "Explosive wave!" She cried out as a white beam, highlighted in a blue glow, launched forward in a scattered shape and blasted the strange man, slamming him into a wall at the opposite end of the alleyway. As the dust settled, she could barely make out a slumped silhouette through the shadows.
"Brief!" A familiar voice said to her. Nejire ran into the alley and wrapped Bulla in her arms, securing them around her chest. "Don't run off like that! Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah... I'm j-just a little shaken up." Bulla told her, holding her elbows in her hands.
"I would be, too." An unfamiliar voice now said. Nejire and Bulla both turned to see a blond woman walking down the alley.
"Ryukyu!" She said in excitement. "I'm glad you got my message!"
"I watched the whole thing. Ms. Brief, was it?" She asked, receiving a nod from Bulla. "Even though you were scared, you still took action to stop the assailant. And your Quirk is certainly nothing to scoff at either." She explained, dropping to one knee and putting her hands on Bulla's shoulders. "Tell me, why do you want to be a hero?"
"Because..." There was something so familiar about this moment. As if she'd seen it a dozen times. Looking into the woman's eye, she now realized that there was a familiar warmth to her golden gaze. One very similar to her own mother's. Before she could understand what was happening, she found herself embracing the woman, tears streaming down her face. "I want...to protect th...the world, like my daddy asked me to." She fought back the urge to cry out loud, making the hics between her words all the more apparent.
"There, there, Bulla Brief. We'll make sure your father's wishes come true. I believe that you can be a hero, too." Ryukyu told her, gently pressing her head into her shoulder. "You have my recommendation. In six months, I will put faith in your ability to get into UA High."
Looking towards the shadows, the man that had previously been slumped over was now vacant from the perimeter, having left behind the pile of rubble that he had sat in. Who was that guy...?
Six months seemed to pass by in a flash. Pan and Bulla spent half a year studying for the entrance exams. As it turned out, following the written exam would be a practical exam with other students that were being recommended, making Bulla nervous. She spent the little free time she had training with Pan and Nejire separately, meanwhile, Pan would often train with Bulla and Togata separately.
After a couple months, Officer Hiwajima visited the orphanage in order to give Bulla and Pan a pair of residency cards, with any information needed to identify or reach them listed. In that time, Nejire also helped Bulla better utilize her long-range capabilities, while Togata helped Pan train in close combat.
Before long, the day of the written exam arrived, and Pan and Bulla arrived on the grounds of UA High, marveling at the incredible size of the building. In front of them, a couple of students seemed to be speaking, a boy with buzzed black hair and a boy with two different hair colors, red and white. As the boy with red-and-white hair stepped off angrily, the girls continued to walk along the path.
"Ah, good morning to you!" He said as they passed him, beginning his stride to keep pace with him.
"Oh, uh, good morning..." Pan told him as Bulla looked away.
"It's wonderful to find other strong-willed and passionate people! I do hope we find ourselves in the same class!" He said excitedly.
"Yeah, that'd be...nice..." This dude is such a weirdo... "You really seem to be high-strung. A lot of energy, I take it?" Pan asked him as they entered the building.
"Of course! Without overflowing energy and passion, how could one hope to become a true hero!" The boy yelled, raising his fist to the sky before holding out his hand. "My name is Inasa Yoarashi. It's such an incredible opportunity to meet you."
"Thanks, but we're just a couple of girls trying to get into the Hero Course. I'm Pan Son, this is my friend Bulla Brief." She told him, shaking his hand. "Pardon her, she's pretty shy."
"It's no trouble at all! Very understandable to he nervous when taking on the world of an up and coming hero!" The two had a brief chat before continuing to the designated room for testing.
Roughly half an hour after the students were seated, Present Mic entered. "A good morning to all of you! Are you ready to roooock?!" He asked the class rhetorically before beginning his explanation. "Just as you would any other school, recommendation or not, we need to make sure you're all loud enough to stay here at UA!"
"Excuse me, Sir!" Pan said, raising her hand.
"Let's hear a request from our audience!" He shouted. "Applicant 17-5638, what can I do for you, today?"
"Sir, I wanted to ask what our practical exam would consist of?" Pan asked him, holding her hands against her lap.
"I love love LOVE the enthusiasm, but please focus on the trial at hand for now." He recommended.
"Yes Sir." Defeated, Pan placed her hands on her desk and remained quiet.
"Alright, well let's get this concert STARTED!"