When the singing ends, and it's time to blow out the candle, you know exactly what you want to wish for.

The best defense is a good offense. Besides, who doesn't want to punch bad guys so hard that they go flying? I want to be strong, stronger than Sadow! That's why I wish to be able to fight people like he can.

With your birthday wish firm in your heart, you breathe over the tiny flame, smiling as the smell of the burnt-out candle fills your nose.

"What are you waiting for?" Akia asked as she picked the half-melted stick out of your ice cream. "Go on; dig in!"

And that you do, sharing the rest of the afternoon with Akia, Benimaru, and Horie.

You couldn't be happier.


It's de-ja-vu.

Like every other day, Sadow comes to bug your friends, this time over dinner.

Except for today, the target isn't Benimaru or Horie.

It's you.

"Well, that's different," Sadow comments, gazing at the newly repaired Mr. Fluffles, a new arm sown on by Akia as part of your birthday gift from her. "Why don't I tear that one off like I did the last one."

"You wouldn't dare," Benimaru gasps.

"I did it once and got away with it. Why wouldn't I this time? I'm Mr. Wakimoto's favorite, after all. I'm the only person at this stupid orphanage bound for greatness. The rest of you losers should be happy just to be alive and, even better, a stepping stool for me to stand on."

You hand Mr. Fluffles to Horie before standing up, fury in your eyes. "You're not better than us!"

Sadow chuckles. "Finally developed a backbone, have you? Wow, I'm impressed. You really do care about that stupid bear." His smirky is as cocky as ever. "And yet false bravado is just that. You're a cow -"

You don't know what comes over you.

You simply act.

Before Sadow finishes, you get him by surprise, punching him square in the jaw.

Sadow stumbles backward as a tooth echoes off the tile floor; it is a solid hit.

He stares at you in shock.

Then he spits his blood in your face.

Some of it gets in your mouth.

"You're gonna regret that pipsqueak," Sadow threatens.

In a panic, Horie picks up the tooth. "Wait, I can fix this!"

Instead of accepting the help, Sadow uses his quirk to backhand Horie on the back, knocking her to the found.

And then he charges.

But so does Ben wrapping his arms around your torso before activating his force field.

Sadow repeatedly slams his fist into the shield you're trapped within.

Six seconds go by.

"You're dead, Bubbleboy! Both of you are once I pop this thing!" Sadow yells in a rage.

Another few seconds go by, and you can see Ben getting sicker and sicker.

But he isn't the only one who is queasy.

You are as well.

Your whole body is shaking, like something is trying to eat you from the inside out. Burning even.

You shriek in pain.

Akia runs over immediately, hearing the commotion.

"What is going on here?!" she accuses Sadow.

"Kaz-u-ha-diot started it!" Sadow complains. "She knocked my tooth out!"

"Likely story," Akia scoffs, pulling Sadow away from you and Benimaru.

The boy is in complete shock before grinding the teeth still in his mouth.

"I'm gonna tell Mr. Wakimoto then! And then I'll get you fired."

"Go ahead, brat," Akia casually dismisses. "Now scram while I clean up your mess."

Sadow does as he's told, allowing Benimaru to lower his guard, literally, before hurling on the floor next to you.

Seeing Benimaru, Horie, and Mr. Fluffles are alright… you black out, the pain becoming too great.


Your birthday wish comes true a few short days later.

Everything seemed normal when you first woke up in the emergency room. The doctors simply assumed it was some sort of adverse reaction to Benimaru's quirk and sent you back to the orphanage.

They were wrong.

You realize that on Friday, the day of your physical education class.

The coach, Mr. Sugita, asks the class to run five laps around the track. He's known by everyone at the pre-school as a grumpy old man who could never make it as a hero and seemed to be taking it out on his students.

The last time you attempted this, you were barely on your feet by the time you finished.

But this time?

You feel like the wind.

Your senses are dulled.

You're focused.

It's like you could do anything.

It's like…

It's like…

An action surge.

You test that theory on various other sports over the next few days. Both Horie and Benimaru are confused by your sudden interest in physical activity and even more confused about the fact you're so good at it all of a sudden.

As you're playing basketball, you're approached by Sadow.

"I've heard rumors you unlocked your quirk," Sadow reveals.

You give him a cheeky smile. "Maybe."

Sadow growls. "Well then, why don't we put it to the test?"

You take a defensive stance. "You wanna fight?"

"More like a race."

"And why should Kazuha agree?" Horie argues. "You're mean."

Sadow brings out his hands from behind his back, revealing Mr. Fluffles. "Because if not, I'm gonna make good on my promise to destroy this stupid little bear."

The boy turns around, ready to run. "Catch me if you can."

Sadow sprints away, and you can feel your blood boil. "Get back here with Mr. Fluffles!"

If you weren't convinced that you found your quirk before, you are now.

You spend over an hour chasing after Sadow, and while you're slower than him, you're not yet out of breath. The adrenaline pushes your body to the limit, just like it would Sadow's.

Eventually, Aika catches Sadow off guard, grabbing him by the collar and ending the chase, taking back Mr. Fluflles.

And as you come down from your adrenaline high, you collapse, your body is thoroughly worn out, and your legs cannot support the rest of your body.

Sadow is in a similar state but seems angrier than anything; the drawbacks of his quirk are noticeable but far more under his control. "Why are you copying me?! That's my quirk!"

"I…."

"Give me my quirk back! It's mine and only mine! You can't have it!"

"But I didn't take it."

"Liar! You're just a bootleg me! That's your 'villain' name, Kaz-u-ha-diot: Bootleg!"

"Shut up!" you scream. "Just face it, Sadow! You're not special! You never were! Just because you have a powerful quirk doesn't give you free rein to be a jerk! Now leave my friends alone!"

"Big words coming from the loser on the ground."

Sadow struggles against Akia, but she holds true. "Are you done with your temper tantrum?"

The bully, furious, punches Akia in the gut.

Even though it's coming from a five-year-old, Sadow's quirk causes Akia to stumble, loosening her grip on Sadow just enough for him to run and kick you while you're down.

"That was for my tooth," Sadow says as he kicks you again. "And that was for being a copycat."

With that, the boy walks away, and Horie immediately moves to heal you.

Horie doesn't know what to say, her cheeks stained with dried tears. "That is… a really cool quirk. Way better than Sadow's!"

"Yeah!" Benimaru adds, clearly out of breath. "You're gonna be an awesome hero someday."

"Thanks," you smile as the pain leaves your body, thanks to Horie.

I'm just glad to have an excellent quirk.


What you didn't realize then was quite how extraordinary your quirk really was.

The next day, Akia takes you to the pediatric quirk specialist for your first quirk diagnosis test.

Dr. Tsubasa begins the exam with an x-ray of your foot. As expected, you only have one joint in your pinky toe rather than two, a ubiquitous sign of whether the user is born with a quirk.

Confirming you have a quirk, the doctor takes you into the back room.

He questioned you on a variety of topics.

"When did you first discover your quirk?"

"How does it feel to use the quirk?"

"Did anything weird happen in the days leading up to the discovery of your quirk?"

"In your own words, what does your quirk do?"

The list goes on, and you answer each of them honestly before being taken to a small gym to test your new quirk, pushing your adrenaline rush ability to the limit as you understand it.

You are invited back to the office a few days later, curious to hear the results.

On Dr. Tsubasa's face is a broad smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. The bald man's eyes are obscured by the shine of his glasses. You don't entirely trust the man; he makes you uneasy, as do most adults.

"I'll cut straight to the point," Dr. Tsubasa tells Akia. "Our analysis was… interesting."

"How so?"

"Kazuha's quirk seems to be a weaker version of another boy from your orphanage: Sadow Okura. If these differences are attributable to sex, age, or the nature of Kazuha's quirk, I cannot tell you."

"But how is that possible? Sadow and Kazuha aren't related."

"I believe Kazuha may have a copy-type quirk."

"Copy?"

"There was another child who registered a similar quirk recently. According to Neito Monoma's file, his quirk allows him to hold any quirk in his body and use it for up to five minutes at a time, merely by making contact."

"But I've been using Action Surge for way longer than five minutes," you say.

"There certainly seems to be differences between you and Monoma's quirk," the doctor concedes. "But to the exact extent requires further testing. And considering the reaction your body had to obtain Okura's quirk, I am apprehensive about testing my theory as of now."

"How am I supposed to use my quirk then?"

"Patience, child. It can take years for people to learn all the complexities of their quirks, hence why the quirk registry can be amended over time. With enough practice, experimentation, and discipline, you should be able to learn the full extent of your quirk."

You nod.

"We appreciate it, doctor," Akia bows her head. "I'll ensure that Kazuha uses her quirk responsibly."

Dr. Tsubasa chuckles darkly. "I'm unsure for how long she'll be your responsibility."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, ma'am. While the practice of quirk marriages has become frowned upon by society, the practice of quirk adoption is as prevalent as ever."

"You're… not wrong. I've seen many children whose future foster parents first learned about them due to their quirk registry. Almost… all of the ones that have been adopted, actually."

The doctor's smile becomes a bit more genuine. "You're lucky, kid. With a quirk like yours, even with all its properties not revealed, I'm sure you'll find a family sooner rather than later."

You're unsure how to answer that. "Uh, thanks, doc."

"I'll be sure to watch for your development, Kazuha Chiba."

Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, you pull on Akia's sleeve. She immediately gets the picture.

"Until next time, Dr. Tsubasa."

With a gruff huff, he diminishes the two of you.

Akia seems like she has a lot she wants to say.

And yet, neither of you says anything at all.

For the next chapter in your life may start sooner than you think.


A few months after the doctor's appointment, Akia pulls you into her makeshift office.

Akia… seems sad.

"What's wrong?" you question Akia. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Akia clarifies. "I'm just happy for you, is all."

"Why?"

Akia pushes forward various folders.

You don't understand the context and all the words, but you do recognize the people in the photos contained within. You've already met most of them at the monthly adoption events or otherwise.

"Who are these people?"

"People… interested in adopting you," Akia reveals.

The first is of a green-haired lady. Her name is Inko Midoriya. You met her son Izuku while you were at the park. He was being bullied by a blonde boy with fire powers and some thugs, and afterward, you helped get him some water and help pick up his things. He was incredibly you were grateful, and you spent the afternoon playing together with him. You didn't spend all that much time in the grand scheme of things, only seeing him two other times afterward, so you're surprised to see Inko among the documents.

Izuku is really nice. He could make for a really nice brother. It doesn't seem like he's got a great social life, though…

The second is a red-haired man you met during the last adoption event. When you met him, you couldn't help but fan-girl over him. The man was the No.2 Hero, Endeavor, after all. It's undeniable that Enji Todoroki is only interested in you for your copy quirk, as he made clear during your first interview last month. Still, you know he'd make you a great hero under his tutelage.

Mr. Todoroki might be scary, but he's powerful. And he's a hero, right? So he must be a good person. I could learn a lot from him, at least.

The third is a face that you could never forget. That's because, to this day, you're still unsure if he's a dog, a rat, or something else entirely. His name is Nezu, and he's the principal of Yuuei Academy, often referred to as U.A. You aren't quite sure why he came to visit you since it seemed like he was more interested in your lineage than your quirk. But after asking you some questions, he ended up playing with you, Horie, and Benimaru. You're still not entirely sure what sparked his interest in you, but he's clearly a nice man… dog… mouse?

Nezu is really smart. Way more intelligent than me. I'm sure he had his reasons for coming to see me. And he's the principal of Japan's most outstanding hero university! The school taught not just Endeavor but All Might and many other up-and-coming heroes rising up the charts! I wonder what I could learn from the man that led them? It's every kid's dream to go to U.A. to be a hero, and I might see a side of it that none of them can.

The final picture is that of a blonde man. Reading beneath it, you realize this is David Sheilds, the daughter of Melissa. Much like Izuku, you met Melissa while playing in the yard. She had come to Japan with her father on a business trip but had gotten bored waiting in the hotel room and escaped. Realizing she was lost, you brought her to Akia and spent the entire day with Melissa until her father picked her up. You wonder how much of your potential adoption is based on her desires rather than her father's.

Hanging out with Melissa was really fun. And to learn that her father works on All Might's support gear was such a shock. I mean, support gear helps some heroes use their quirks without hurting themselves, to begin with! And they're fantastic! Maybe I could help design cool support equipment too. Or get equipment of my own when I'm older?

And yet, as you look through the folders, a small doubt creeps into your mind.

Do I want to leave Horie, Benimaru, and Akia? This is my ticket out of here; I'll probably never get a chance like this again. But they mean a lot to me, and it's possible that some of these families could lead to me growing apart from them.

Choosing my new family… my new parents…. my new brothers and sisters.

This could change the entire course of my life.

And I'm only four!

What do I do?!

"Is there… anyone you'd like to meet with again?" Akia asks. "In the end, this is just as much their choice as it is yours. I know it's tough, but just answer from the heart."


Decision Point: Who Are You Interested In Adopting You? (Pick Two In Order of Preference. First Choice Will Be Counted As Two Votes, and the Second Choice as One Vote)

A - Inko Midoriya

B - Enji Todoroki

C - Nezu

D - David Sheilds

E - Nobody