Chapter Three: A Million Dreams

Gael grunted as he was thrown to the ground for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. His backside felt sore and throbbed as he quickly pushed himself up to his feet. Sweat trickled down his face, soaking the collar of his shirt. The faded grey shirt uncomfortably stuck to his back and Gael desperate wanted to shed the piece of clothing off. He didn't, however, as he naively believed it served him as a thin layer of protection to the relentless punches and kicks thrown his way. It didn't.

"So," Gael started with a wheeze. "Are we almost done?"

"No." Captain Harvey barked. The man hardly looked winded. His uniform was crisp, as though the two hadn't been training in the summer heat for the past three hours. His mouth was set in a firm line as he regarded the thin boy struggle to stand straight before him. "We will continue until you get this right."

Gael grunted as another he took another hit to his chest. He wanted to scream at the man, tell him that no amount of kicks or punches to his body would teach Gael how to fight. There was no instruction. No telling him how to block the attacks or how to stand. Captain Harvey wanted him to learn by watching but it was difficult to see when half of their lessons had Gael's face in the mud.

He wanted to say something but in the end, Gael remained silent.


Being a picky eater was idiotic and dangerous once the depression hit. Food was hard to come by and turning away a meal because you didn't like it was unheard of. Gael hadn't always been a picky eater. As a kid, he would demolish anything his mother put on his plate. The plate would sometimes return to the sink cleaner than when his mother handed it to him. When his enhancement emerged, however, Gael found himself with a difficult relationship with food.

Maybe it was because he missed his mother's cooking. That was the reason his supervisor had given their resident chef when the then nine-year-old refused to eat the slop provided. To his mind, the grey sometimes-liquid-sometimes-solid gruel they were provided with looked as though it were ready to eat him back, it jiggled like Jell-O, smelled like meat, had the consistency of pudding, and tasted like dirt.

Gael had found himself lucky to be stuck with a quirk like his. It meant he had a substitute for food if he found himself in a situation where he didn't have anything on hand. Of course, it wasn't the same. He still felt hunger gnaw at him but it was manageable.

U.A's lunch program consisted of tons of different types of food. The prices were low and pretty much the whole student population swore by Lunch Rush's food. And despite the wide arrange of options, Gael had always kept it safe and ordered a single bowl of white rice every lunch period. It was rather tasty and managed to fill his aching stomach. It was also the cheapest option on the menu. It never made him feel queasy or did it set off his overly sensitive gag reflex. Most importantly, however, was that rice was familiar.

As a kid, Gael remembered his mom making Spanish rice for every meal. It was one of his favorites growing up and he had practically lived off of it, that is until his enhancement had emerged. Even then, plain rice was one of the only dishes he and his team could cook without completely ruining.

There was no doubt that Gael had been intrigued by the other types of food items he's seen other students eat. They smelled and looked incredible but he didn't chance it. He knew himself as a picky eater well enough that he would sooner force himself to eat something he didn't like and make himself sick than throw food away. It was a habit enforced on him by his upbringing. So, he stuck to white rice.

He did feel a little guilty about it though. Lunch Rush would always deflate when he got to the front of the line and order his usual lunch. The Pro Hero would try to persuade him into ordering something else for a change; Something more filling and with more flavor and despite how curious Gael would get, he refused. It wasn't anything against the man. Not at all. It was Gael's own fear and distrust in food.

Gael thanked Lunch Rush as the Pro handed him his tray before turning to the mess of tables surrounding the cafeteria. It was always crowded and every table seemed full at first glance. It was no matter. Gael never ate inside anyways.

The teen moved to his usual spot outside. A small field near the cafeteria had a few other students loitering around. Some with the same intention of enjoying their lunch outside like Gael and others to take in a bit of fresh air before their lessons continued for the day. It was quieter outside and definitely had fewer people around.

The foreigner smiled pleasantly at a few students that met his eye. Most nodded or acknowledged him back, some ignored him. It was nice. Something Gael had gotten used to since the first week of school.

As he walked towards his usual spot, Gael noticed a familiar head of hair sitting alone under a tree. Like him, Shinsou didn't seem to seek out some company as their peers had. It didn't come to a surprise that the purple haired boy preferred the solitude taking his lunch break outside provided. Gael had noticed him before but never approached.

Today was different, though. Gael had spoken to the boy during class and had rather enjoyed their conversation. However short it may have been. Nevertheless, Shinsou seemed like a likable sort. He was nice enough and their conversation had ended on a good note. Again, Gael couldn't make much of the other teen's personality. One short talk during class wasn't enough to make assumptions on. Gael then found himself curious about the other boy. He had wanted to make some sort of connections in the school and Shinsou had been a good start. However, Gael wasn't sure if the purple haired teen even wanted to be friends.

He was overthinking it.

Gael had always had trouble fitting in with kids his age. He had to grow up pretty fast. There was no room for playtime or make believe while on the run. His parents had made an effort, of course, to shelter him from their bleak lives. Sock puppets, made up bedtime stories, silly songs. His parents had really tried. When they died, Gael's childhood died with them. Later, as a 'junior recruit', his age no longer mattered.

What a stupid title. 'Junior recruit'. A blanket term for someone who was far too young to be considered for war. At least he was one of the lucky ones. To have survived for this long. Odd circumstances put aside. It was the irony that really motivated Gael these days. Most of the men on his squad had admitted they didn't have many hopes for his life expectancy. He was brash, naive, and small. Untrained before the Captain got his hands on him. Most bet he would see the dawn of his thirteenth year. Jokes on them, however. Gael had made it to his ninety-first.

So with the confidence of a ninety-one-year-old man, Gael strolled over to his classmate and plopped down beside him. The teen heard Shinsou huff in confusion but ignored the sound as he carefully balanced his tray on his knees. From his peripheral vision, Gael noticed the putout look the purple haired teen was sending him. It made Gael want to get up and run. Heat rose to his cheeks as he vaguely considered doing so but damn it he was hungry. White rice never looked so appetizing or interesting than at that very moment.

"Uh," Shinsou started, not bothering to disguise the annoyance in his tone. Gael hid his flinch. "Why?"

"...Lunch?" Gael responded dully.

"But why here?"

"W-well. I figured since we are classmates and all and y-you seemed nice."

"I seemed nice," Shinsou parroted. "So we had a ten-word conversation and from that, you figured we were friends."

"It was more than ten words," Gael replied quickly. "And, yeah. Or no? I g-guess you don't have to consider me a friend or anything! I do though. Consider you a friend, I mean. Wait, that sounds weird. I meant that I would like to be your friend. Not trying to force anything on you, of course! You can tell me if you want me to get lost. I'd understand. Honestly, I should've asked if you were alright with me being he—"

"You can sit here," Shinsou huffed, cutting Gael off. "Just stop with the word vomit."

Gael beamed at his classmate who only huffed before turning back to his own lunch. The didn't speak again. The silence was not at all awkward, however. It was nice just having someone sitting nearby. It was much better than watching the other students happily mingle while he was sitting alone. Gael glanced back at Shinsou from underneath his hair. The other teen seemed happy to just eat and scroll on his... phone.

And wow. Phones, in particular, had come a long way since the 40s.

The Yamamoto's had given Gael his own phone. Of course, he hadn't known it was phone when Mrs. Yamamoto had placed the shiny rectangle in his hand. He had thanked them for the gift with a shaky smile, mentally wondering what he was supposed to do with the 'mirror', before pocketing the device. It was to his immense wonder and fascination when the 'mirror' had lit up after a few curious proddings. He had played with it all night and well into the morning, figuring out its's components and capabilities.

It also took him a full day to realize he didn't accidentally break his new phone when it suddenly shut off on him.

Curiously, Gael chewed on a mouthful of rice before he carefully dug out his phone from his bag. He held it gently in his hand, still overly cautious about its rather delicate look. He took a moment to inwardly giggle at the ridiculous picture he had set for the lock screen. The shaky picture he got of himself and a squirrel was one of his favorites. He was just about to open up one of the game functions when a low hum caught his attention.

"I actually have a question for you, Vega," Shinsou started. "Why are you in general studies? I remember you mentioning your quirk on the first day. Not quite sure about what it was but I recall it was pretty impressive. Enough to get you into the hero course, for sure."

"U-um, well," Gael stuttered. "My quirk isn't all that great and besides, I'm not all that interested in being a hero."

"Oh?"

"I don't think I'd make a very good hero, that's all."

"Seems like a waste, to be honest," Shinsou remarked dryly. "To be given such a great power and not use it—"

"You don't even know what it is," Gael said, cutting the other off.

"Fair enough," Shinsou conceded after a long moment. The purple haired teen shrugged his shoulders slightly and leaned back a bit as he regarded Gael. The Hispanic boy fidgeted under the intense stare but didn't look away. Losing eye contact was a big no-no during a staredown. "So what is it?"

"W-what is what?"

"Your quirk," Shinsou sighed. "What's your quirk."

"Oh, right," Gael said replied. "It's, um. I can absorb energy and, uh, manipulate it. I can siphon power off um, trees and plants, people, anything that gives off natural energy. Wind too but I still haven't figured out how to, well, grab hold of it, for lack of better term."

Shinsou was quiet, his face unmoving as Gael spoke. It made the foreigner more than a little uncomfortable. Gael wanted nothing more than to change the subject to something else, anything really, but he wasn't too sure how to do so.

"Can you take electricity?" The sudden question through Gael off but he answered nonetheless.

"To an extent, sure. I don't very much like it though. Uh, it leaves a gross taste behind. Like dirty pennies," Gael admitted with a shiver.

"Tch. you have a powerful quirk," Shinsou muttered. "You could have made it to the hero course, no problem."

"B-but I don't want to be in the hero course?" Gael reminded him.

"Bullshit."

"Honest. Being a hero is not really for me. I don't want that future. I don't want to fight for the rest of my life."

"What's that supposed to mean? Most of the kids in the general course are here because we didn't make it into the hero course. Anyone in our class would give anything to move up."

Gael sighed. Shinsou was not listening to him. In fact, the boy was actually rather busy projecting himself on Gael. It was a little bothersome but Gael didn't let it get to him. He could understand his classmate's ire. In a sense, Gael could also understand why his own unwillingness to become a hero frustrated the other boy. It was more than a little ironic, actually.

"Well, I don't. It may sound selfish and—and stupid to you but I didn't come here to become a hero. Having your own dream is well and good, however, you have to realize and accept that not everyone wants what you want. It doesn't work that way," Gael finally said.

"I get that. What I don't understand is why you are so willing to throw away that big an opportunity," Shinsou bit back. "Why don't you take advantage of your privilege?"

"Privilege?"

"Yeah, privilege. Not everyone manifests an amazing quirk, Vega. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You didn't have to grow up with everyone calling you useless or a—a villain because of your quirk. Anyone with a flashy enough quirk can just go about life without any issues while people like me are forced to prove themselves day after day."

Shinsou didn't know. Obviously. He didn't know and Gael had to remind himself that. Gael didn't face the same issues Shinsou had. Their problems were similar yet worlds away. Gael could understand that. Gael could relate to that. He had been in Shinsou shoes, once upon a time. Probably not in the same way Shinsou had implied but close enough. Though he was a little peeved at the other teen, Gael was not about to let his anger get the best of him. Instead, the teen took a moment to take another bite of his lunch as he considered the simmering boy beside him.

"I can promise you that nothing was ever easy just because my quirk is better than some. Growing up with my quirk was really crummy. There were times where I wished I was born without it," Gael admitted.

"...Why?"

"Not many people were exactly happy that I had a quirk. It was different where I'm from, I guess. Very conservative. Later on, I was forced to train— to become a hero. With and without my quirk. For hours, sometimes all day. I hated it but I didn't have much choice. Actually, I didn't get the chance to make decisions for myself. My, uh, instructors always chose for me; Sometimes with my best interest in mind and others— not so much. When I— I got out, I decided I would do what I wanted for a change. I don't want to be a hero. I just— I just want to finish school, get my contractors license, and get the hell out of dodge."

"...Was it your parents? Did they want you to become a hero?"

"No," Gael responded firmly. "My parents only wanted me to be safe and happy. They would have supported me if I wanted to be a hero or not but they wouldn't have made me do anything I didn't want to do."

Gael and Shinsou remained quiet for a long while after that. Neither knew how to respond. Gael wanted to kick himself. The Hispanic teen mentally ran over everything he said, nitpicking every word in search of a possible clue he may have accidentally left behind. He didn't think he said anything that would make Shinsou suspicious of him. Logically, Gael knew he shouldn't have said anything. Information, no matter how vague, was dangerous. He could only hope now that Shinsou didn't dig further.

"Shinsou," Gael finally said. "I'm sorry for saying all that. I-I shouldn't have—"

"No, you're right."

"said— what?"

"You're right. I shouldn't have blown off your personal decisions like that. I just couldn't understand how you could blow off becoming a hero so easily. I've been so caught up with my own shit that I never considered anything else, you know?"

Gael nodded and set his half-eaten lunch aside. He watched as Shinsou seemed to shrink into himself, his own food forgotten beside him.

"I've always wanted to be a hero," Shinsou whispered. "I wanted to show others that I could be a hero, even with a villain's quirk. But at the entrance exam— and pretty much every deciding factor for being a hero relies on combat quirks. The flashier the better. It's impossible, I know, but I won't give up on my dream just yet."

"...And you don't have to," Gael said after a few seconds of silence. Shinsou turned to look at him, his purple eyes clouded in confusion. "The sports festival is coming up and teacher said if you leave a lasting impression, you could move into the hero course!"

"I remember," Shinsou sighed. "But I doubt I could win."

"You don't have to win!" Gael said excitedly. "You just have to get far enough to show off how amazing your quirk can be. In fact, I'll even help you!"

"What? How?"

"You can't rely on quirks all the time, pal. Sure, they're great but I promise that knowing how to throw a punch or perform a smooth takedown will help you so much."

"I know how to punch," Shinsou snorted.

"Do you?" Gael practically sang. "Do you really? Punching people isn't just making a fist and swinging at someone. I'm talking about technique and form, Shinsou."

"What's in it for you then? You don't want to get in the hero course, fine, but why would you help me get there?"

"...I don't know," Gael sighed as he tugged at a bit of his hair. "I just want to, I guess. Besides, telling people in the future that I taught a Pro Hero how to punch is its own reward."

Shinsou let out a shocked laugh at that admission. His shoulders and back were no longer tense and his face was completely relaxed as opposed to the closed-off expression he had worn just moments before. It was a good look on him. Definitely better than the worn and bleak features that had no business on someone so young. After their laughter died out, Shinsou turned to Gael, his brows drawn slightly before he nodded with a sigh.

"Alright," the purple haired teen agreed. "I'll let you train me."

"...Way to make it sound like your doing me a favor," Gael grumbled. "How's after school sound to you? Every day leading up to the festival."

"I— yeah. That sounds fine," Shinsou accepted just as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. The teens sighed at the sound but nevertheless stood and threw away their trash.

"Be prepared to work hard, Shinsou," Gael warned. "I don't know what your limits but I'll find out later today."