"So, the world's on the brink of collapse and what does Author-san do?

Start writing a new friggin' story. You better shout out loud and make yourselves heard if you want more from this."

(-)

The drill is a tool meant to drive one onward. The means by which we break down the obstacles which bar our path, and leave behind a mark on the world so that others may follow. There was once a man whose entire existence was the embodiment of this ideal. He was not born great or strong, just another child who was brought into a world of darkness deep underground. He never considered himself to be special, and simply lived his life while trying to blend into the background. Such was the nature of his meek and timid childhood.

But standing with the boy was another individual, one who was nearly the boys polar opposite in every way. Whereas the boy was quiet and humble, his friend was loud and boisterous. While the boy did his best to follow the rules and hide from the spotlight, his friend was rebellious and always took center stage. The boy was content with the status quo, but his friend had plans for greatness.

They were brothers in all but blood, and although the boy was unaware of it, he was just as great a pillar of support for his friend as he was to him. And it was because of this, that the elder brother was able to back-up everything he said. He was nothing more than bluster at times, yet it was because of the younger brother that he could maintain such a facade even when things looked their bleakest.

It was a truly inspiring story of greatness from small beginnings.

However this is not that story...

What follows is the story of a different reality. A story that while sharing the same characters, is much different from the former.

(-)

The day had finally arrived. After weeks of nervous anticipation, filled with bouts of panic and self-doubt, the UA entrance exam was only a few hours away. Clenching his trembling hands, the boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. On the exhale, he could feel his nerves begin to subside, but not disappear entirely. Raising his head, he looked into the mirror in front of him which showed a perfect reflection of the determined look on his face. Simone Kussaku, while somewhat short for his age, was far from looking unappealing. His short dark-blue hair was slightly messy, and kept in-place by a pair of goggles that he rarely took off. Hanging from his neck was a small drill-shaped object that was an heirloom from his deceased parents. However unlike the goggles, the drill NEVER left his person for any reason whatsoever.

Staring hard at his reflection, Simone gave a firm nod, as if he were answering an unspoken question. Grabbing his shirt as he exited the bathroom, he quickly dressed himself before heading towards the door of his apartment. A small creature of some sort was languidly napping on his bag, but woke up upon hearing his approach. The creature in question was Simone's pet; Boota. He honestly had no real idea as to what exactly Boota was in terms of a species, but the fuzzball seemed to share a lot in common with a mole. The best guess that Simone could come up with was that Boota is a mole of some sort that has a Quirk of its own, one that makes him a type of animal hybrid. But that was just conjecture. It didn't really matter in the long run, as Boota never showed any adverse effects, if there even were any.

Boota jumped up onto Simone's shoulder as he grabbed the bag as he stepped out of the apartment. Closing and locking the door behind him, he had his destination set. Straight to UA, his aniki Kamina's alma mater.

There was once a time when Simone was content with just sitting in the background and making no waves whatsoever. He wasn't one for taking center stage, plus he was a little socially awkward. So he would just hold back and remain in his aniki's shadow, providing support to his bombastic bro. But that all changed when his parents died during a villains botched attempt at a bank robbery. Naturally, their deaths hit him hard, causing him to practically shut down and sequester himself in his house. He stopped going to school, he never answered the phone or door, and barely ate at all. After a couple of weeks however, Kamina had enough of simply waiting for Simone to get over it, and took it upon himself to rip him out of his spiral of depression. Quite literally one must add, as the older teen made his arrival known by kicking the front door off its hinges and sent it flying into the far wall. After storming the house and finding Simone, he then proceeded to throw him out the window as if he were a sack of rice, followed by a ten minute tirade of motivational talk that was less of a pick-me-up, and more of a call to arms.

At first Simone wasn't very receptive to his aniki's attempts, and the next day he was back to hiding away in his room. That is, until Kamina arrived to do the same thing a second time... and a third time, and a fourth time.

Simone chuckled at the memory, having forgotten at the time that Kamina never stopped at something until he accomplished it. Even if the latter had to constantly replace the broken doors and windows. But in the end it worked, and Simone decided that he wouldn't let his past hold him back from reaching his future. Come Hell or high water, Simone was determined to live his life to its fullest and never let his fears or insecurities get the best of him. And what better way to do that than by becoming a Hero? A Hero that would never hesitate in the face of danger, who would keep on fighting no matter how much the odds were stacked against him, and carve a path forward so that others may follow.

And the first step to reaching that goal, was for him to make it into UA.

(-)

Now, Simone would be lying if he said he didn't feel the least bit intimidated upon arriving for the entrance exam, a sentiment that was undoubtedly shared by numerous other applicants. After all, this was the most prestigious academy in the country for aspiring heroes, and with so many students trying to get in, they knew only a tiny fraction of them would actually achieve that goal. Simone would have to give it his all during the exam if he wanted to even stand a chance at getting in. That being said; the towering size of the building in front of him was not doing his nerves any favors. For most it was simply a building, but for the aspiring Heroes, it was a mountain they must climb on their journey to becoming a pro.

Taking a deep breath, Simone let out a long exhale to try and settle his nerves. Smacking his cheeks, he gave a firm nod as his face set into a look of determination.

"I can do this!"

"Damn right you can!"

Everyone who was currently at the entrance turned their gazes towards the source of the shouting, and just managed to catch sight of a figure leaping out from one of the sixth-story windows and landing on the arch that allowed for people to enter through the perimeter wall around the school. Even in a world filled with flashy Quirks and colorful costumes, the man who stood atop the gate was in a league of his own. Subtlety is not a word in his vocabulary, as he always announces his presence wherever he goes by shouting his over-the-top catchphrases at the top of his lungs. The man wore a pair of slightly worn-down jeans with a white belt that was too large, so the excess leather was used to tie his sword to his side. His mid-torso was wrapped in bandages, which only served to make his muscles more prominent, while the rest of his somewhat tanned skin was left exposed and covered in various blue tribal tattoos. He also wore a red cape that was frayed at the ends, giving it the illusion of being flames. And lastly, he wore a massive pair of neon-orange sunglasses that were similar in shape to the letter 'W'.

Flashing a grin that could rival that of All Might's, the man pointed straight up at the sky to take his signature pose.

"With a blazing soul that puts the sun to shame, a fighting spirit that never wavers no matter the odds stacked against it, and the determination to reach such great heights that not even the stars will be beyond his reach!"

The man then jabbed his thumb at his chest, right over where his heart was.

"To you starry-eyed children who were lucky enough to witness my amazing entrance, I have but one question for you,"

By now everyone had crowded around the front of the arch to get a better view of the bombastic man who was putting on such a loud performance. He was a Hero that never shied away from the spotlight, rather he charged right at it whenever he had the chance, so all those present already knew who the man was. Yet the man still had to ask the question that his fans would echo in eager excitement.

"JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!"

There was a visceral response from the crowd as they cheered wildly following the mans querie.

"It's him!"

"I can't believe I'm lucky enough to see him in person!"

"The manliest Hero that ever was!"

"So cool!"

The Hero grinned in satisfaction at how much he got the crowd riled up. Crossing his arms in front of him, the sunlight seemed to suddenly shift in order to reflect off his glasses.

"IT IS I, KAMINA!"