I won't let Endeavor blackmail me using Himiko as a hostage like this, nor do I want to give Clair what she wants either. Commander Bate is giving me an out, and I'd have to be an idiot not to train with her, considering her long list of credentials. While there's an argument that Clair's skills would better align with Himiko's quirk, Himiko isn't ready to be alone yet, and I need to protect her from Endeavor. Besides, Cathleen should be a great help to Himiko anyway, and this will make dealing with the blood packs easier. So, going with the commander is just the right decision.

Your choice made, you cough into your fist to get the pro-hero and military woman's attention. "I thought Himiko and I were supposed to be the 'children' here, but you're the ones bickering like schoolgirls."

That gets Cathleen Bate's and Clair Voyance's attention. "Well, she's not wrong. We're not exactly acting like adults in this situation," the commander admits with a slight chuckle. "So what is it gonna be?"

You grab Himiko's hand, step forward, and stand protectively before her. "We'll be Cathleen's C.I.T.'s."

That chuckle turns into a smirk. "Already on a first-name basis, huh? Fine with me. Welcome to boot camp, cadets."

You expect Clair Voyance to react badly, but she doesn't. "Very well, then. Can't say that I didn't try."

"Yeah," Cathleen gives a knowing glance to Clair Voyance. "You certainly did."

"I truly hope that you don't regret this, Kazuha. And I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. Though I doubt this is the last you'll hear from Endeavor."

"And I'll be ready."

Clair Voyance bows before exiting, accepting your answer, a complete change from her initially hostile attitude.

Okay, seriously, what was that about? Giving up so quickly?

Seeing that things have calmed down, Pony smiles at you. "Sorry, Kazuha. I hope you and Himiko enjoy the camp, but my mom needs me now. See each other around?"

"Yeah," you confirm with the horse girl. "And good luck with your quirk."

"Thanks."

As Pony departs, you look back in the direction that Clair Voyance left, staring into her back as she talks to other camp attendees like nothing ever happened.

"What was that about?" you grumble. "Did that bitch seriously think that was okay?"

Cathleen frowns. "Hero politics are complicated. You should know that better than anyone."

"Politics?" Himiko jumps in. "Oh, like how Kazuha is president?"

"Yes," Cathleen softly smiles, "but think bigger. Instead of at your school, we're talking about politics of hero society."

Himiko gives a toothy grin in understanding. "But what does this have to do with Ms. Voyance?"

The commander doesn't seem annoyed by Himiko's questions, giving her genuine answers.

"As Clair Voyance said, connections in the hero industry are vital. I don't know your girlfriend's entire history with Endeavor, but he has a lot of influence as one of the world's top ten heroes globally. And for a hero like Clair Voyance, if he decided to exert that power against her, that would be career-destroying. As much as I don't believe anyone should be a hero for economic reasons, it is an undeniable reality of our industry. Even if Clair Voyance wanted nothing to do with this, the moment that Endeavor decided to cash in that favor, she had no choice but to make a show of it."

"It was an act? I couldn't tell," you admit.

"You might be charismatic for your age," Cathleen acknowledges, "but Clair lies for a living. You'll improve at picking up on these things as time passes."

"And she did this to make a genuine report to Endeavor that she put in an effort and failed?"

"Correct, because the best lies always have a grain of truth. I doubt Clair Voyance will bother you again."

"This is very confusing," Himiko complains. "I thought Clair Voyance wanted us to be her C.I.T.s, but that was a lie? So she didn't want anything to do with us?"

Cathleen puts a hand on Himiko's shoulder. "If you had picked her, I'm sure she would've taken her job seriously as a mentor. She truly cares about the students at this camp; otherwise, she never would have been hired. Maybe what heroes have to do sometimes might be unheroic, but at the end of the day, the good ones are still heroes to their core. And Clair Voyance? She's one of the good ones."

"How do you know so much about the hero industry?" you raise an eyebrow. "And your quirk is 'classified?'"

Cathleen smirks. "Well, why don't the two of you get settled in? I'll meet you in our room later tonight. I must contact my lieutenants to ensure they can handle the classes."

"Lieutenants? Is that what we are?"

"No," Cathleen corrects. "They're the ones who teach the classes most days. At least the ones I'm not having you attend. It'll be just the three of us most of the time unless you need a proper boot camp for physical conditioning."

"I see."

"We can talk more once you've moved your luggage. The three of us will have plenty of time to get to know each other better."

"Guess I can wait till sundown for you to spill your secrets."

"Same here," Cathleen grins.

As Cathleen excuses herself for her business, you grab Himiko's hand.

"We'll be okay," you promise your girlfriend. "This will be the best summer ever."

Himiko kisses you on the cheek. "I know."

A few hours later, you and Himiko are lying on your beds, waiting for Cathleen's planned meet-and-greet with you. Your girlfriend already helped you finish unpacking your suitcases; the camp served dinner an hour ago, too, and Cathleen was nowhere to be found.

At least I got to see Pony and Jason again, even if I'm getting a vibe that Jason might be jealous of our C.I.T. status, considering that was supposed to be him until a few months ago.

As you and Himiko finish off one of the blood packs, Cathleen finally arrives, brimming with energy. You have a sneaking suspicion that sleep will be a sought-after commodity throughout your stay at the Central Park Hero Camp.

"Hey," you casually greet. "Are you gonna tell us what you've been hiding from us now?"

Cathleen throws a folder on the coffee table. Peering at its contents, you realize it contains profiles on you and Himiko… and neither appear to be your applications.

"Are these…."

"Government documents?" Cathleen casually says as she changes into more comfortable clothing than the counselor's uniform. "Yeah. I have connections like that."

You grimace, knowing you might have underestimated Cathleen by a wide margin.

"According to the official quirk registrations, Himiko here is quirkless," Cathleen points out, throwing on a sleeveless workout shirt. "But we know that's not true. And considering I have photos of you not being half-dragon until you met Ryukyu and the rumors about your family history, I have to say that's also a lie."

"What rumors?" you press, knowing that your adopted father has been incredibly secretive about those suspicions throughout your life.

"That you're All for One's daughter."

"Huh," you muse, quickly collaborating her words with what little you've gathered over time. "Well, I don't care if I am or not, especially if my father killed my mother. I've heard this for years, and while I might not be happy with Nezu, he and Chiyo are my real parents."

"I'm not saying you're secretly a villain, Kazuha, far from it. I know your character. You've got good parents. Mr. Principal and Recovery Girl raised you well. But I need to know how your quirks work if I'm going to help you.

"You said you'd tell us your quirk; now you're asking us to reveal our secrets first."

"Think about it as a task of mutual respect and trust. Show that you trust me, and I can give you information that would be much better off remaining confidential."

Himiko peers between you and the commander, her mind already made up. "My quirk is called transform. When I consume the DNA of any creature, I can turn myself into them for a limited amount of time. But…."

"Her biology is different," you say, picking up where Himiko left off. "And Himiko develops cravings for DHA when she goes too long without it. It's less about an addiction and more that blood for Himiko is like water to you."

"I see," Cathleen says, unphased. "Have you undergone quirk evolution yet?"

"I don't think so," Himiko continues. "Though with Kazuha's help, I learned I could turn into animals. I don't have to just take on a human form."

"Thank you for telling me this. I promise to use this information to help you," Cathleen swears. "Though if your quirk is anything like a vampire's, how have you been getting your blood?"

"Oh, that's easy," Himiko smiles. "Horie's quirk can regenerate lost blood cells. Using that, we could draw blood relatively safely and store it in blood packs for Kazuha and me at our convenience."

"The both of you?"

"Well, my quirk is a copy-type," you sigh, Himiko spilling the beans, putting her trust in a stranger. "If a willing person gives me their DNA, and I consume it, I get a weaker version of their quirk."

"That is similar to All-for-One."

"I guess," you admit. "But I don't steal any quirks like my supposed birth dad did. And I can't give them away. It's quite a bit weaker than his."

"It doesn't matter how strong a quirk is if you know how to use it correctly," Himiko protests, mimicking your father's words. "Besides, your dad might not even be that villain."

"Whether he is or isn't doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I protect the people I care about."

"Can you tell me what quirks you've copied?" Cathleen interrogates.

"Action Surge, which allows me to control my adrenaline levels. With my shielding quirk, I can create telekinetic barriers. My adoptive father's quirk, High-Spec, substantially improves my brain's processing power and my I.Q.. As you're aware, the Dragon quirk mutated my body into that of a Dragoon, according to mythology. And lastly, I have Himiko's quirk."

"That's quite a few," Cathleen notes. "I doubt you've been able to use most of them effectively."

"No," you admit. "I can't even use my wings to fly. They're more like a glider right now."

"Ms. Bate? Can you please tell us your quirk now?" Himiko begs. "I think we've given you enough information about ourselves to earn your trust."

"That you have," she says, touching her chest. "Cathleen Bate."

In the blink of an eye, Cathleen's figure changes before your eyes, her hair changing into a distinct blonde. While she's not in costume, you recognize her immediately."

"Star & Stripe?!"

"I'm sorry for the deception," America's #1 Heroine apologizes. "But it was necessary."

"What are you doing at hero camp?!" you ask, flustered.

"I'm on forced shore leave. But honestly, it's a passion of mine to help the next generation grow. It's been a yearly tradition for me to participate in the camp."

"Wow," you breathe. "That's… amazing, Star & Stripe."

No wonder Clair Voyance backed down immediately. The last thing Endeavor wants to do is make an enemy of America's #1 hero. Now I have to wonder if Clair knew of Cathy's intentions.

"Please, call me Cathleen or Cathy. You don't have to be formal around me. I hate that stuff. Especially when it's supposed to be a secret."

"Right," you correct yourself. "I mean, your quirk is obviously extraordinary. It's really similar to All Might's. But how exactly can it help our quirk development?"

"Well, the exact details of my quirk are hidden from the public, and it's incredibly versatile," Cathy begins. "But when I tell you, please, you can't tell a soul."

"You have our word."

"Yep," Himiko chirps.

"New Order allows me to set a rule by touching the target and calling out their name. If I meet those conditions, I can manipulate and add new properties to myself or anything else I lay my hands on. Theoretically, even the air itself, or anything about the world, regardless of whether it's incorporeal."

"You can do this an unlimited number of times?"

"No," Cathy clarifies. "My quirk isn't omnipotent and can only directly affect something I touch. While rules on inanimate objects are easy, their sense of self must align with my understanding of them if I'm targeting a living being. And most importantly, I can only impose two orders at any given time."

"But how can that help with us?"

Cathy looks at Himiko. "Do you mind if I touch your shoulder?"

"Uh, sure, Cathy."

The pro-hero does precisely as she requested before putting her hand on her chest. "Cathleen Bate."

In an instant, your mentor shrinks… into the form of Himiko's twin.

"What did you do?" Himiko questions in confusion, poking Cathy.

"I placed the order to turn my body into an exact duplicate of your body, quirk factor includes, with the exception that I'd retain New Order," Cathy says with Himiko's voice, putting a hand to her mouth. "Huh. I'll never get used to that."

"Does that mean you have 'Transform' now?" I realize.

"Correct, my pupil," Cathy mocks. "Oh, and a perfect understanding of how it works."

"New order is broken," you voice, not realizing you've spoken aloud.

"Which is why I'm not letting you copy it," Cathy reinforces. "At least, not until I'm considering retirement."

"You say that despite looking like a schoolgirl."

"And your girlfriend," Cathy jokes. "Though seriously, don't get any ideas about that."

Himiko pouts, causing you to internally snicker.

"It's a bit like cheating," Cathy acknowledges, "but with this ability, I can use my orders to copy your quirk factors, albeit only for the time being."

"And, in turn, teach us how to best use them," I finish.

"Yes," Cathy confirms. "Which is why we won't be in class often."

"Because you'd have to reset your form."

"That's a big part of it, yes."

"Well, I'm looking forward to learning with you, Cathy," Himiko says. "Now, can you try this on? I want to see what I look like in it."

"I'm not a dress-up doll," Cathy frowns as Himiko ignores her.

"Rule of advice," you smirk. "This is why I don't turn into Himiko."

"Please, Cathy?" Himiko begs.

"Fine," the pro-hero relents. "But you should use this time to think about what quirks you want to focus on," Cathy directs toward you. "We don't have infinite time, and unlike Himiko, you aren't constrained to only one quirk. You have to figure out what ones are most important to you, particularly those you know you wanna keep long term."

You nod. "Understood."

So, I have a few options. With High Spec and Action Surge, while I've noticed my body might have issues with quirk capacity, those two aren't a massive strain on my body. Maybe the others are more pressing? If I pick 'transform,' then Himiko and I can practice simultaneously rather than forcing Cathy to divide her time between us, at least as much. Otherwise, more time will be spent going back and forth, meaning we won't get as much instruction from Cathy. Other than that, I should really consider, as Cathy said, what quirks would be the most useful to improve. It's not often you get to train with one of the greats one-on-one, so I can't waste this opportunity.

DECISION POINT: What Quirks Do You Want To Upgrade? (Pick Two)

A - Action Surge (Level 2)

B - Shield (Level 1)

C - High Spec (Level N/A)

D - Dragon (Level 1)

E - Transform (Level 2)