30/08/2022

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you are the greatest!

The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 3

Izuku enjoyed the lunchtime sun. His friends had noticed that he was always energetic in the sunlight and he wished he could tell them why but he knew he couldn't. He just joked that he was solar powered, making fun of the truth. Today was particularly nice. The sun was just the right temperature without being too hot.

"Are you sure you aren't a cat?" Hitoshi asked, amused when he stretched.

"I'm sure," Izuku said, as he sat down and opened his eyes again. He gave both his friends a smile.

As he pulled out his lunch, Izuku looked at them both. "I'm sorry I've been-" he paused. He wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Upset?" Hitoshi supplied.

"Tetchy?" Ochaco tried.

"Worried?" Hitoshi said.

"Sad?" Ochaco giggled.

"Concerned?" Hitoshi tried again.

"Hey, that was me!" Ochaco complained.

"You were concerned?" Izuku asked.

She nodded. "You weren't yourself, Izuku," Ochaco told him.

"I'm sorry," Izuku immediately said. He put his lunch down. "I was being silly," he said.

"Hmm?" Ochaco asked.

He took a deep breath, just letting himself enjoy the sun for a moment longer before he explained. "With everything that I've told you about heroes, I was surprised when you said you put down hero on the career's counselling form," Izuku told her.

"I know," Ochaco said. She sounded regretful but still sure of her decision. "I get everything you've told me. You haven't lied. It's just that… I want to give something back to my parents and, I want to be a rescue hero so that I could have rescued your dad. I want to do it so that I can help people the way you do, Izuku."

Izuku frowned at that, trying to determine what she meant. "Help people like me?"

Ochaco nodded. "You help people, Little Dragon. You helped me. You helped Hitoshi. You help just by being you. I want to be someone people can rely on, and that's why I put it down."

He still didn't get it but he nodded. He looked at Ochaco. "I think you would make a great Hero, Ochaco." He told her.

"You do?" She seemed surprised by his admission.

"I do. You are going to be a fantastic rescue hero! It's not just that your quirk is so suited for it but, you are suited for it. But that's one of the reasons I don't want you to be a hero."

"I don't get it," she said, looking to Hitoshi for a translation.

The purple haired boy shook his head. "Izuku's explaining this," he murmured as he ate the sandwich he had for lunch.

"Everything I've told you about heroes is true, Ochaco. I don't want you going into a system like that. It's going to hurt you," Izuku said, biting his lip to keep from crying.

He was fifteen! He didn't cry at the drop of a hat anymore.

"The way most heroes work…" He shook his head. "They don't care for people. They care for the system, for maintaining the status quo and that's going to hurt you."

Ochaco shook her head. She wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or touched that Izuku cared so much.

"They won't hurt me, Little Dragon. And maybe I can make it better," she suggested. She remembered everything Izuku had shown her about heroes. She'd checked his information. It was right. Some of them… well, let's just say if she saw some of them, she'd promptly head in the other direction. It would be safer.

"Maybe," Izuku said but he didn't sound convinced. As much as he knew Ochaco would try, he didn't think she'd be able to change that much. She was going to get even more hurt if she tried that but he couldn't see any way of stopping it.

He'd thought about what her becoming a hero would mean. In the end, it wouldn't mean much. She'd still be his friend. And he remembered his Dad had Gargoyle and other heroes working for him. Even if he wanted to support his dad, it wasn't impossible for them to work together. If it came to that, he could help her change the system and she could help him.

He didn't like applying it to his friends but something his Dad had told him about management stuck. There was no point in making needless enemies. There was no point in hurting Ochaco by not supporting her choice.

And if things were as bad in the Hero industry as he'd shown her they were, then… she'd see things his way.

Yeah, he really didn't like thinking that way about his friends.

"Little Dragon, even if we go to different High Schools, we'll still be friends."

He smiled. "We will be," he promised.

"So what did you put down, Hitoshi?" Ochaco asked.

Izuku was interested in that as well. He picked up his lunch as Hitoshi gave Ochaco a look.

"Like Izuku, I wasn't sure what to put down," he admitted. "I mean, when I was little I thought about being a hero, and I've got to admit one part of me would love to do that out of spite."

Izuku nodded as he picked the chopsticks in his bento out and snapped them in half. Occasionally someone called Hitoshi's quirk a villain's quirk. It didn't happen often but it happened enough that he could feel that being a hero would be something to spite them. "So what did you put down?" Izuku pressed. He'd been meaning to ask for the last few days.

Hitoshi chuckled. "I copped out," he said. "I put down cafe owner," he told them.

For a moment there was silence and then both Izuku and Ochaco burst out laughing.

"Cat Cafe I presume?" Izuku managed to say.

"All others are inferior," Hitoshi said, affecting a snooty air. "Besides, it's not that bad a suggestion. I'd be able to make coffee as strong as I wanted."

Izuku chuckled at that. Hitoshi always looked tired.

"True, true," Ochaco said.

Hitoshi leaned back. "I'll probably end up applying for UA General Studies," he said. "I know everyone focuses on their Hero course," he started to explain before his friends could ask. "But they aren't one of the best High Schools in the country just because of their Hero course. Most of their funding comes from alumni and when you break down the funds, it's not the hero students who provide the most."

"It's not?" Izuku asked. He was actually interested in this. Everyone knew UA was one of the top High Schools but he had to admit, he'd been like everyone else who mostly thought about their Hero course. After all, the current Number One and Two Heroes were graduates from UA.

"It's not," Hitoshi confirmed. "I looked into it. Most of their funding comes from the graduates who go into support, especially if they can get some of their inventions approved for use in the wider community."

"That doesn't happen very often though," Izuku pointed out. Mei had complained about it often enough. She lamented the fact that to really make babies, she had to go into Hero Support. She couldn't make them for the general public, which would have netted her a greater profit.

"True, but for the few it has, let's just say they are making mega-yen! The next biggest contributors are the management students," he kept going on UA's funding breakdown. "Then, depending on the year it varies between the General Students and the Hero Students."

"So why does everyone focus on the heroes?" Ochaco asked.

"'Cos they are the big names," Hitoshi dismissed the question. "But if you think about it, only a few students can become big names, so it makes sense that most of UA's alumni funding comes from other courses."

"So you think you'll apply for UA General Studies?" Izuku asked for confirmation.

Hitoshi nodded. "Unless I figure something else out," he agreed. "What about you? Where do you think you'll apply, Izuku?"

"I don't know," Izuku replied honestly. "Dad wants me to go out and experience the world but I still need to finish school, and I don't want to take a gap year. So I'll probably just go to a good high school either in Management or General Studies, like you Hitoshi."

"So it could be UA?" Ochaco asked.

He didn't like the connotations about heroes that everyone thought of when they thought of that High School but he had to admit that UA was one of the best High Schools in the country, not just for their hero course. "Maybe," he said.

Hitoshi laughed. "It's not that bad, Izuku! And you know, I was sort of tempted to try out for UA's hero course."

"What?" Izuku gasped.

His friend nodded and even Ochaco looked on with interest.

"Not seriously," Hitoshi told them. "But when I was looking into the numbers, I noticed something else about UA. There's really, really few Underground Heroes that come from UA," he told them. "It's a discrepancy, which is why I was tempted to try out. I'm pretty sure that their exam is biased."

"I'll let you know," Ochaco promised.

Hitoshi grinned. "You know, I used to think that if I couldn't get into UA's hero course through the exam I could get in by being promoted at the Sport's Festival. But now I have another thought."

"Hmm?" Izuku asked as he ate his bento.

"I'm still tempted to try it."

"The Sports Festival?" Ochaco asked.

Hitoshi nodded. He grinned, almost looking like a cheshire cat. "If I get into UA, I'm so tempted to go to the Sport's Festival."

"And you don't want to transfer?" Izuku asked for confirmation.

"Nope!" Hitoshi laughed. "I want to see their faces when a General Studies Student wins the festival each year and doesn't want to be a hero!"

Izuku burst out laughing. Oh, that thought was funny!

Ochaco was laughing as well. "Not going to happen! You'll have to put up with coming second."

"Why?" Hitoshi asked.

"I'm going to win it!" She told them.

They laughed again.

"That is very tempting, Hitoshi," Izuku said as he packed up his now empty bento. "It would be fun to win the Sport's Festival but stay in your course." He could imagine the consternation of the Heroes, especially if you won it in second or third year.

It would also have an impact on the public.

Izuku blinked. Hitoshi had told him once that he didn't think a single event would be enough to change the hero system. What else had he said? Izuku frowned as he thought, casting his mind back. He'd said that there would have to be events that shook the public's faith in the system.

UA's Sports Festival was televised and the public knew that the third year hero students who won were going to be the next big thing in the industry. They felt comforted by the fact that they could see the next heroes early.

But what if the heroes didn't win? What if someone from the management course, or the general studies course won? And made it very clear on the podium that they had no intention of changing courses…

That would make an impact.

It wouldn't be the one event that changed the system but it would be one of those events that shook the public's faith.

Except… He didn't think he could do it. He could win the Sports Festival, that was no problem but he was likely to be discovered and being arrested or taken by child services was not going to give the impression he wanted. The victor would have to be Hitoshi.

"If you want to do that, Hitoshi, you're going to have to be fitter than you are," Izuku told his friend.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," he returned. "If you want to win the Sports Festival, you are going to have to get stronger and fitter to keep up with the Hero students. Your quirk will come as a surprise but once it's known-" Izuku shrugged. He didn't need to explain that once Hitoshi's quirk was known people knew how to deal with it.

"Hey!" Ochaco objected. "I'm going to win!" She said.

"No! I will," Hitoshi countered.

"Neither of you will win if I try," Izuku interrupted.

"Hey, no fair!" Ochaco yelled but she was laughing.

He grinned at them. They both knew Izuku was better at physical activity than them.

Hitoshi wasn't laughing. "It's true, though," he said. "I am going to have to get fitter if I want to try that."

"What, you were serious?" Ochaco asked.

"Probably not," Hitoshi admitted. "But it would be fun. And being fitter isn't going to hurt," he added.

"I can help there," Izuku offered.

"I'm not about to do any death marches, Izuku!" Hitoshi told him.

"How about some jogging and stretches?" He countered.

"That I can probably do."

"Me too!" Ochaco said. "If I'm going to get into a Hero course, then I need to work on more than my quirk."

Izuku smiled at his friends. "I'll help you both," he promised.

After all, as Mei said, it wasn't the end of the world. It was just the start of a new one. And having someone on the inside of the Hero profession could be useful, no matter where he wanted to go.

He had to have faith that Ochaco would always be his friend, and that wouldn't happen unless he had faith in her.

-ted-

Himiko licked at the blood covering her knife. The moron thought she was some easy mark and he'd paid the price for it! Really, he had no idea how to treat a girl!

She pulled out her phone, as she let her form shift. Her screen saver was a screenshot of a message. Anyone who got a good look at it, would see that it was a few years old but it made her happy, and that's all that mattered.

You know I like blood, Izu?

Of course you do, it's for your quirk.

My parents are worrying.

Because you like blood?

Yes.

There's nothing wrong with you.

（＾ω＾）

We'll talk when you can then?

Of course, Izu!

She looked at the message. There's nothing wrong with you. Izuku knew that. But somehow everyone else seemed to think that there was a problem. Her parents. The therapist they sent her to. The other school kids.

Probably the moron she now looked like.

Except there was nothing wrong with her. Izu knew that. He understood. All she wanted was the blood and she was tired of pretending otherwise.

So she was out on her own! It was both harder and easier than she thought it would be. And sure, there were morons like the idiot who's blood she'd just drunk but she was free to be herself! And that was so much better than going to some boring High School and having all her classmates look at her oddly. She hated that, just as much as she hated listening to her parents whisper to each other. They weren't as quiet as they thought.

Freedom was better. Being able to do what she wanted, when she wanted was the best.

And sure, she didn't have any plans for the moment, that didn't matter.

She could do what she wanted.

She could even find Izu! Except, she had no idea where to start. She thought he moved to Tsu but she didn't know for sure. Oh well… in a few years, she was sure Izu would start doing something!

And she'd find him then.

She could wait, especially since she could do what she wanted. And who knew, maybe something interesting would come up. It would be fun to find out 'cos there was so much to explore, and now, on her own, she could do that.

This was great!

-ted-

My country generally encourages people to get through high school before they think about careers though some people do take up career training earlier. So how the hell does someone really make a realistic judgement of their career prospects that early?

My discord is on this code: ZX2R5h2cEm FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out.

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!