Prologue
In a world where superpowers known as quirks were prevalent in society, many people had the power to either protect others or maintain their own wants and desires. These people had the abilities needed to reshape reality however they saw fit.
In many ways, the world had become its own animal kingdom. A world in which only the strong would survive and the weak were left to die. A world where those with powerful quirks could do whatever they pleased without fear of retribution.
Still, there were those who believed that protecting the pack was more important than anything. Those who understood the values of courage, loyalty, and companionship.
Alexander embodied this to his core and became one of the greatest heroes, while also being known for having the true spirit of a wolf.
This is the story of how a young pup became the alpha of his pack and gave hope to a world where only a quirk determined a person's value.
Chapter 1: A Wolf in Hero Society
"Today's the day. Today I take the UA entrance exam."
My name is Alexander Talbain. I just turned 14 last May and I'm about to take a high school entrance exam. I'm what people would call a wolf man. I have snow white fur and a long fluffy tail. My family and I just moved to Japan from Norway due to my parents getting new jobs here, something I wasn't expecting at all.
It ended up working out for me though since my dream is to be a pro hero. Here in Japan, there's a school called the Hero Academia or UA, which has the reputation of being the best hero school in the world.
I was a little nervous to be honest since it's entrance exam is supposed to be very difficult. Still, I was also feeling pretty confident since I had been training all my life. That's not to say I had always planned to be a pro hero, but more that I needed to get stronger out of necessity.
I'm originally from a village that rested in the snowy mountains, meaning it was below freezing all year long and was hit by blizzards often. At the front of the village was a port that was used for fishing boats and trading.
Behind us was a thick snow-covered forest that was full of wild animals. My dad would take me hunting often since it was our main source of food and would teach me what I needed to know, including self-defense.
This was especially important because of how common it was for there to be fights, usually with rival clans over things like territory. It was the kind of place where you learned how to survive before anything else and being tough was a must.
As I thought about this, I pulled out the document that explained how the test worked. It was given to all the applicants so they wouldn't be surprised by anything.
"Ok, so according to this, the first part is the written exam. After that, is the practical exam. This is where they test out quirks and see if we qualify for the hero course.
I shouldn't have too much trouble on the written exam considering how hard I studied all summer. It's the practical portion that's stressing me. Depending on what it is, I could either get the highest score, or be totally screwed. If it's just about showing how useful our quirks are for combat and rescue, then I should be fine."
As I was making my way into the building, I suddenly heard yelling from behind me.
"DEKU YOU DAMN NERD, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?! A QUIRKLESS LOSER LIKE YOU SHOULD JUST GO HOME AND DIE!"
I turned my head and from the corner of my eye, I saw two boys arguing. One had green hair and was kind of scrawny looking while the other was a slightly taller blond kid with spiky hair and an angry look on his face. It was pretty easy to tell who the instigator was here.
"This looks pretty bad. Should I step in? And what did that guy mean by quirkless?"
As I watched the two argue, I heard the green haired kid, who I assumed was Deku, call the loud one Kacchan. He told the blond guy that he was going to get into the school no matter what.
I was glad that Deku was standing up for himself, but I was getting a bad feeling about where this would lead. I was proven right when Kacchan charged at the kid with explosions coming from his hands.
At that moment, something inside me stirred and before I knew it, I was running towards the two at full speed. Next thing I knew, I had grabbed Kacchan by the arm and flipped him over my shoulder.
"Hey! Are you insane? What do you think you're doing using your quirk like that? Don't you know how dangerous that is? Not to mention the trouble you'd get into for using it without a license!"
After yelling at Kacchan like I did, I turned to Deku to make sure he was ok. When he wouldn't respond to me, I figured he must have been in shock. It honestly wasn't surprising given what just happened.
After I shook him a few times, Deku finally blinked before looking up at me. When he did though, he had a look of horror on his face.
"What the, who are you, WHAT are you?"
"Um… a white furred wolf?"
"Yea, I get that, but-"
"HEY YOU, YOU DAMN MUTT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING GETTING IN MY WAY?!"
Deku and I turned our heads and there we saw Kacchan completely red in the face, glaring at us.
"ANSWER ME YOU DAMN EXTRA! IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A FIGHT YOU GOT ONE!"
"Ugh, must you be so loud? Anyway, from what I saw, you had that coming. You realize this is a school for heroes, right? So why is someone like you here?"
"What did you say? YOU REALLY WANNA DIE, DON'T YOU?!"
"Thank you for proving my point. Using your quirk to attack people, threatening to kill them, that's what villains do. I don't know what's going on between you and this Deku kid, but you better change your attitude if you really plan on becoming a hero."
"Did he just call me Deku? How does he know that name? Did he overhear Kacchan calling me that? Also, why is he tall… and buff? Is he really 14?"
Kachan was now seething with anger. The look on his face was murderous. A face that said he would be out for blood if he ever saw me again. I wasn't intimidated however and stood my ground.
"Tch, whatever, just stay out of my way you damn extra!"
As I watched Kachan enter the school, all I could do was wonder what his problem was. Why was he so angry and why was he so fixated on this Deku kid.
Before I could figure anything out, I saw Deku write something in his notebook as he thanked me for helping him. I tried to tell him it was no big deal, but he ran inside before I could get a word out.
This whole thing left me with a lot of questions, but with the entrance test starting soon, I didn't have time for any of them. All I could do was pass this thing and hope that I would get some answers.
"Finally, it's over."
After what seemed like forever, I finished the written portion of the test. It wasn't very difficult and I'm confident I got a high score. The issue was that it was ridiculously long, even with the multiple-choice portion. I thought only midterms and finals were allowed to be that long.
After taking some time to rest, I made my way to the auditorium. I soon realized that I was actually pretty early because there weren't a lot of people there yet. Still, I didn't have anything else to do, so I found a good spot and sat down.
While I was waiting for the rest of the would-be students, I overheard two girls talking from the other side of the room. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but as a wolf, I have a very strong sense of hearing. It also didn't help that they were talking about me, which further caught my attention.
"Did you see that guy over there?"
"How could I not? He's a wolf, and a huge one at that!"
"I know right, and what's with his clothes? I've never seen anything like them. They look like they're from another world. Not to mention that weird necklace of his."
"Yea, and those arms of his are practically tree trunks. Same goes for those legs. He isn't even wearing shoes. It's like he isn't ashamed of showing his wolf feet."
"Where would he even get shoes though? His feet are just as big as the rest of him."
"Exactly, then there's that long fluffy tail of his. Do you think it wags when he's happy?"
"I don't know, I just think his whole outfit is weird. Is he cosplaying or something?"
"I'm starting to think I should have worn something more appropriate," is what I thought to myself as I continued listening to them.
I knew that my clothes were a bit odd compared to what everyone else was wearing. That's because they were the same ones I wore back in my homeland. The thing is, I'm of Nordic/Viking descent, my whole village is really. So we wear traditional Nordic clothing since it's both a part of our culture and was specifically made for the cold.
The version I'm wearing, however, was made with warmer climates in mind. My parents bought them for me before we left, and I instantly fell in love with them. They were comfortable and very flexible, so they didn't restrict my movements at all. More importantly, they reminded me of home.
As I thought about this, the auditorium was suddenly flooded with students. After about five minutes, the whole room was completely filled with test takers. The room was then flooded with smoke that was coming from the stage as three spotlights shined down on its center. Immediately, a man with extremely long-standing blond hair rose up from the floor.
"Hey there little listeners! Hope you're having a great time, cause we're finally getting to the main event!" the man shouted.
I didn't like him, if I'm being honest. I would never judge someone based on appearances since I know what that's like, but I couldn't help feeling tense after seeing him. He was just so loud, boisterous, and flamboyant that it made me feel uneasy.
I don't know if it was a trait from my quirk, but people like him always put me on edge. Combine that with his 80's style clothing and the fact that his hair was longer than his torso, and you get someone I never want to be around.
It took me about a minute to calm down, but once I did, I was able to listen to the strange man. He explained that we would be fighting robots that came in three types and that they were worth one-three points depending on the type. He also explained that our points would equal our score. So, fifty points would be 50%, sixty points would be 60% and so on.
I was relieved to hear that. I was worried that I would have to do something really flashy since I often hear that pro heroes need to have something that makes them stand out. With this, however, I could focus on the task at hand and do what needed to be done.
Suddenly, a boy with blue hair and glasses stood up. He called the man Present Mic and started chastising him for forgetting a robot. Before I knew what was happening, the boy suddenly turned and pointed at me.
"And you! Stop all that fidgeting, it's very distracting."
"Distracting? Yea, I'm fidgeting, but that's just cause-"
"Listen, we are here to become heroes! If you aren't going to take this seriously, then just leave!"
Everything went silent. I couldn't believe that this kid who I never before met was trying to lecture me. Especially after he had the nerve to yell at a teacher.
"Excuse me, but who the hell do you think you are?! First off, if I'm fidgeting, it's because I'm a wolf and I can't help it, something that should be blatantly obvious!"
"Secondly, if you had been paying attention then you would have realized that Present Mic was about to explain the fourth robot when you interrupted him. So really, if anyone is being distracting around here it's you!"
"Thirdly, how dare you yell at me like that, especially considering how far away I am from you. Do you even understand how rude you are? Maybe you should think about your own actions before calling out some random stranger like that."
I was absolutely livid with this guy. I felt my face wrinkle as I growled at him. My tail was standing up and my claws were digging into the desk. He Flinched!
Before anything else could happen, Present Mic was able to calm the situation down. Truth be told, I'm glad he did. I was here to be a hero and the last thing I needed was to get into a fight with some jerk.
I listened to the rest of the announcement and learned about the zero-point robot. Apparently, it was meant to be an obstacle and that we should just avoid it. I thought it was strange to use a robot as an obstacle instead of as an opponent, but decided to leave it for now and headed to the next phase of the exam.
After making my way to the test site, I was blown away by what was waiting there. There was a monitor that showed a huge replica of the city that we were expected to run through. It made sense, since they were simulating what actual hero work would be like, but it was still impressive nonetheless.
As I waited for the test to begin, I started thinking about the best course of action for me to take. Even though I was happy that I didn't have to do anything flashy, something was telling me that this practical exam wasn't as straightforward as the school wanted us to believe.
My dad always tells me that I have good instincts and that I should pay attention to them. Well, they were practically screaming that something more was going on here. This was UA we were talking about after all and they only accept the best of the best here. Honestly though, I just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
Before I could think about anything else, Present Mic appeared on the large screen. He explained that once the doors opened, the test would begin and that we had a thirty-minute time limit to rack up points.
Immediately after that, the doors opened, and I dashed out of the room at full speed. I was halfway towards the city when I heard the other students calling out to me. They were yelling that I was cheating, but Present Mic defended me by saying that there are no countdowns in real hero work and that they needed to step on it.
Ten minutes had passed since the exam started and I found myself fairly deep in the city, having taken out a good number of robots on the way. From my calculations, I was sitting at about thirty-five points after destroying a bunch of one and two pointers using my claws and fangs to rip them to shreds.
After another minute of racing through the streets, I found myself surrounded by three pointers.
"Alright, now's my chance to really show what I can do."
I opened the water pouch I'd been carrying and poured the water into my hand where it came to rest, floating above my paw. I then shot my arm forward, causing the water to blast through one of the three pointers like a cannonball. I then used the water to create a buzzsaw that I had spin in a giant circle around me, destroying every last robot.
I'm sure this surprised anyone who was watching all things considered. Everyone thinks that since I'm a wolf, that was my only power, but that's not it at all.
The truth is, I actually have a second quirk. I have the power to control and manipulate water. The doctor who identified it called it 'Undine' after the water fairies and nymphs in European mythology because of how unusual it was when compared to water-based abilities.
I could shoot water like a bullet, use it like a whip, create tentacle-like arms, freeze it solid like a sort of pseudo ice quirk, or make it scolding hot. I even have what I call my arctic breath, which is like a minor form of ice breath that I had been training with for a while now. The downside however is that I need an actual source of water to use it.
"Ok, that's fifteen three pointers down. If I'm right, then I should have around eighty points after that. It should be more than enough to pass, but I should probably try to get the highest score possible. I don't want the examiners to think that I'm only willing to do the bare minimum after all."
As I thought about this, I heard the sound of fighting from a nearby street. I ran over to investigate and saw several students struggling against a horde of robots. There were five of them in total, with only two of them in any shape to fight. The others were either too injured or exhausted.
Seeing no other options, I raced through the metallic army, using my claws to make a path. Once I arrived, I quickly grabbed the three injured students before using my water whip to latch onto a nearby pole and swing away, calling out to the others to follow. They did as I instructed, and we managed to hide inside one of the buildings a few blocks away.
"That was close. I didn't think there'd be so many robots in one place. At least I was able to raise my score a bit."
After catching my breath, I sat the three injured students against the wall. Before I could examine them however, I was approached by a girl with vines for hair and a guy with electricity running through his fingers.
"Hey man, thanks for the save back there. Man, I thought we were really done for. Haha, I gotta say, I wasn't expecting to be saved by a giant wolf man. I don't know what caught me off guard more, the robots or you. Name's Kaminari by the way."
"Um… you're welcome?"
This Kaminari guy was a little weird. He seemed sincere in his thanks, but I couldn't tell if he was complimenting me or not. That's when the vine haired girl spoke.
"Thank you so much for helping us. Surely you're being here is a sign that the earth mother is watching over us this day."
"... Excuse me?"
"Yes, a wolf, the very symbol of nature in its truest and most primal form, clad in snow white fur. It's clear that you are her chosen."
"Um… I think you might have the wrong idea here."
"Oh divine being, blessed by she who brings forth new life, tell my thy will and I will see it fulfilled."
As I watched the girl bow her head, I turned to Kamanari who looked just as confused as I did, if not more so.
"Um… is she a friend of yours?"
"Don't look at me bro, I just met her two minutes ago."
Just then, the vine girl got even closer to me with pleading eyes.
"My lord, please tell me what you would like me to do. Guide me towards the path of righteousness."
"O-Ok, could you go and keep a look out for any more robots? I'm gonna see if I can help these guys with their wounds."
"It shall be done, oh blessed one!"
Just like that, the girl raced out of the building, leaving Kamanari and I completely dumbfounded.
"What the heck was that? Is she in some kind of cult?"
I shook my head before parting ways with Kaminari and began treating everyone with the emergency kit I brought. Lucky for me, their injuries weren't too bad, and I was able to dress their wounds.
With the others taken care of, I headed out in order to try and earn more points. Suddenly, the ground started shaking and when I looked up, I saw a giant robot and quickly realized it was the zero pointer. I could tell immediately that there was no way I could take that thing on and ran back inside.
I was proven right when I saw that thing destroy an entire city block from one of the windows. Knowing that I was in a bad spot, I covered the wall on the far side of the room in water before freezing it with my arctic breath. I then shattered the wall with a powerful punch. With it out of the way, I gathered the injured and ran as fast as I could.
I was just about to reach another building when the alarm went off, signaling the end of the exam.
Sigh "Well, I guess that's it then. So much for getting the top score. At least you guys are ok."
I won't lie, I was disappointed. I really wanted to make a good impression on the examiners. I'm sure I passed the entrance exam, but making it into the hero course was another hurdle all together. At least, that's what I thought. It wasn't until later that I found out that my gut feeling about the test was right.
It had been a full week since the test, and I was anxiously waiting in my room. I'm usually a patient guy, but with something this important, I couldn't help but stress over it. Just then, my dad came in with an envelope in his hand with my mom following close behind.
I practically jumped on top of them when they showed me the envelope. I was ready to open it when my mom reminded me to wait for Nikolas, my six-year-old adopted little brother.
Nikolas is a really shy kid and is timid by nature. He was a lot like me and the rest of my family in that he was born an animal person as well. Instead of a wolf however, he was born a raccoon.
I was surprised that I almost forgot about him. Sure I was preoccupied, but still, I had no excuse. He was one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to be a hero after all so it made sense that he should be here to see this.
Suddenly, the little guy showed up in front of my door and asked me if that was the letter from UA. I told him yes and after he hugged my leg, we opened it together. Inside was a small device that projected a video of Almight, the number one hero in Japan.
As we watched the video, Almight explained that I had gotten the top score on the exam which took all of us by surprise. He explained that what sent me over the top was what he called rescue points. He then explained that these points are awarded for acts of heroism. He followed that by asking what kind of hero school would it be if it didn't praise the selflessness that comes from being a hero?
As we all howled and cheered, Almight finished his speech with the words I would carry with me for the rest of my life.
"Now Alexander, it is with great pride that I welcome you to this school and watch you grow into a fine Hero."
"Welcome to the Hero Academia!"
