'So, this is the place you have chosen.' Izuku nodded as Albion's words echoed through his head, standing stiffly at the entrance of the dojo waiting for someone to greet him. Waiting to meet the person who could give Izuku the training he needed to better handle Divine Dividing and become the hero he always wanted to be.

It had been a day and a half since Izuku had first communicated with the dragon dwelling inside of him. During that time, Izuku had researched every gym, dojo, training program, and personal trainer he could find on the web. He examined everything with the same level of scrutiny that he gave when examining heroes' quirks and their potential. From their hours of operations, the various types of training they provided, equipment, lesson plans, and even who the instructors were. Well, all that as well as making sure that it was within his family's budget.

When Inko had returned home the day Izuku had awakened his 'quirk', the young man had rushed over to her before she could close the door to their apartment to tell her the good news. Naturally, she was a little bit skeptical that he had just now awakened a quirk since such things were very rare. As in she could count on one hand the number of times she knew it had happened from all the research she had done back when Izuku was little and still awaiting his quirk. But after having Albion's gem appear on the back of his left hand and using his Divide on her, Inko was sold! That night, emotions ran high as both Midoriya's broke down in happy tears. Even more so when the Midoriya matriarch sent a quick text message to her husband who then, after only a few minutes of receiving the text, called Izuku to congratulate him. After a long talk with his dad, Izuku put his phone on speaker in order to reaffirm his desire to become a hero and ask for their support.

"Alright, we'll support you as best we can," said Izuku's father over the phone, his voice, though happy, sounding a little tired. As if he were struggling to stay awake.

"But, only as long as you keep your grades up," added Inko. "I know you have a lot of catching up to do and there's not a lot of time before the entrance exam for U.A. However, that's no reason for you to neglect your studies in the name of pushing yourself!"

With that promise easily made, Izuku was given his price range.

Within the time between then and his mother taking him to get his quirk registered, Izuku had crossed off a number of potential training options. Most of the personal trainers were out since each of the sessions would cost the same as the monthly training allowance. The same went for certain gyms run by former heroes, though that had more to do with the fact that they were just using their slowly dying name recognition to score some easy cash. At least, that's what Izuku came to after reading the very negative reviews and comments made about these places. Thankfully, there were a few good ones out there. Some even offered 'Hero-in-Training' courses for people his age that would allow quirk training under their supervision. Oh, yes that was very tempting for Izuku.

In the end, Izuku ended up choosing a dojo without a lot of reviews, good or bad, that was close to the higher end of his budget. To anyone else, this might have seemed like a huge mistake on his part. But Izuku had his reasons. The first was the man who ran the dojo. While he was never a hero, at least not one Izuku or the internet knew of, the man had studied and mastered many martial arts from all over the world. In fact, he was so skilled that some hero agencies would contact him in order to train their sidekicks. He also boasted that he could help people find the fighting style that fit his students the best. Not only that but if you were willing to put in the work, he would help you create your own style! Now that was something that would greatly help Izuku!

Another reason Izuku wanted to go here was because of the rooftop parkour classes that you could sign up for. Albion had explained to him that the more he used Divine Dividing, the more it would drain his stamina. The only reason he hadn't felt it when he used it on Kacchan, or 'that whelp' as Albion liked to call him, was because of the adrenaline rushing through his system. Meaning that if Izuku was going to be in situations where he would need to use Divine Dividing multiple times then it wouldn't matter how strong he kept his body if he passed out. What's more, after doing some research into the subject, parkour seemed like it would be ideal for hero training. Not only would it give him a full-body workout, but it would help increase his bone strength and endurance. And that was just how it would improve his body! How many times had he watched heroes leaping from building to building as they tried their best to get to the scene of a villain attack or other disasters? Or used the surrounding area in a fight? The more Izuku thought about it, the more he began to realize that taking up parkour would help him improve as a hero!

There were a few other things that he found in his research that parkour was supposed to help him with. Some of it he could believe while the rest, well, he just didn't. Like, he could see how leaping from rooftop to rooftop, jumping from one wall to the next in order to climb upward, lunging from railing to railing would help improve his quick thinking, creativity, and even help him with a fear of heights. However, he still wasn't sold on how this would improve self-confidence and reduce anti-social behavior.

So now, here he was, dressed in a plain white shirt and jeans as he looked around at the seemingly empty dojo. The place looked and felt bigger than it did in the photos, with a wide empty place in the middle to train. Looking up, Izuku saw that the room had a second story that only had a catwalk where people could stand and look down as they watched bouts. That or they could also be used in some extreme matches. Also on the catwalk was a pretty girl who-

Izuku's brain needed a moment to reboot as his eyes focused on the sight before him. There, standing on the railing was a very pretty girl dressed in a white gi. Her orange hair was tied to the side in a ponytail while her eyes were hidden behind a blindfold as she continued to walk on the catwalk. Every once in a while, the girl would do a cartwheel making the boy's heart race with fear that she would fall and break her neck. But such things never happened as she just moved with what seemed to him like calculated grace with each move.

Finally, after making two laps around the second floor, the girl leaped toward the ground. Twice she spun around before she landed, punching the ground as she did so as if it were the finishing move in a video game or something. Then, she stood up. As the girl untied the blindfold from her eyes, she shook her hair slightly giving it that brief wavy motion that reminded Izuku of the brilliant orange leaves billowing in the fall wind. And when he saw her eyes, Izuku couldn't help but gulp as his face turned red at seeing those teal eyes beaming with life and pride.

Eyes that soon fell upon him!

"Hey there," said the very pretty girl in the friendliest voice any girl had ever spoken to him in. "Didn't hear you come in. Are you here to sign up at our dojo?"

As the girl gave him a friendly smile, all Izuku could do was stand there as a strangled, almost whimpering noise escaped his throat. A girl was talking to him! Not mocking or laughing at him, but talking to him like a normal teenager! And she was smiling at him so warmly. His brain didn't know how to process this and was on the verge of needing to be rebooted once more. So all he could do was stand there, stiff as a board with his eyes wide.

This, naturally, didn't go unnoticed by the girl as her smile became a bit forced.

"Ah…ok. I'll, um, get my parents and maybe they can…help you." With that, the girl turned and began walking away. As she did, Izuku's eyes continued to take her in. From her broad, powerful shoulders all the way down to her-

'NO! No, no, no, no-no-no! NOOOOOOOOOO! I refuse to go through this again! Refuse!' Albion's sudden, desperate cry snapped Izuku out of his trance as he jumped at least a foot into the air. After landing and clutching at his heart, he looked down at the blue gem that had reappeared in his left hand in confusion.

'Albion, what was that about?' thought Izuku, communicating directly to the dragon merged with his soul. For a moment, Izuku just stood as he listened to the heavy 'breathing' of Albion. What in the world could have caused a dragon like him to panic so much?

'S-Sorry, partner,' Albion said eventually. 'I just had… Well, what I mean to say is…My last partner had certain tastes that sort of… He wasn't as bad as this other human, but all the same…I just thought, for a moment, that you might have similar tastes is all. And the thought of having to go through all that again caused a bit of a panic attack.'

Izuku nodded his head in understanding. There had been times when a sudden bang had caused similar fears within him as they brought back certain memories of the past. Of being on the ground, helpless with a certain ashen-blond standing above him. The feeling of being utterly helpless within that old playground. The feeling of being a Deku.

'I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?' thought Izuku sympathetically.

'No, no, I'm fine,' was the reply from the ancient dragon, his breathing now fully under control. 'Been through enough group therapy to last me a lifetime and beyond.'

Izuku nodded as he looked up. The pretty girl was gone, but he could now hear footsteps approaching. Taking a deep breath, Izuku straightened himself as he mentally prepared himself to meet his sensei. He could do this! He knew he could. Even if there was a pretty girl in the room, he could manage a conversation.

A few minutes later proved Izuku wrong. Standing before him were three people, the pretty girl, and her parents. And it was clear that the girl got her looks from her mother! The woman's hair was the same color of orange, except she kept hers loose and flowing all the way down to her shoulders. What's more was that she was dressed in a black, skin-tight body suit that showed off her curves. Then there was the father, his sensei, who was a tall, bald man with a black beard that was pointed in the front and on both sides. He stood there in a sleeveless gi, arms crossed as he looked down at the boy he could probably crush into powder using only his thumb.

"So, do you wish to train here at this dojo? Did your parents send you here to toughen you up or something?" Izuku flinched at the man's tone and words. His voice was deep by nature while the tone told Izuku that he had little interest in him. And going by what he had just said, caused Izuku to wonder just how many kids had entered through those doors for that exact reason.

With his body shaking slightly, Izuku managed to look that man in the eyes.

"N-No s-sir. I wanted this," the young man managed to say with a minimal amount of stuttering.

Before Izuku could avert his gaze, he saw the man's eyebrow rise slightly. He also noted that the woman's eyes seemed to sparkle a bit with excitement.

Then, when the man spoke again, his tone was a tad warmer. Friendlier.

"I see," said Mr. Kendo, a slight smile almost visible on his face. "Well then, tell me what you hope to accomplish by training here."

Izuku took a deep breath before looking back at the man, his eyes shining with all the will and determination the boy had in his body. As he did this, the man standing before the young Midoriya couldn't help but smile a bit.

"I want to become a hero, more than anything else in the world!" he said almost instantly. However, that rush quickly died as he lowered his head slightly. "I know…I know I'm probably not much to look at right now. That I'm weak, worthless even. But I want to change that. I promise I'll work hard and-"

Izuku stopped as the man placed a meaty hand on his shoulder, nearly knocking him down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pretty girl frowning while her mother's look became concerned.

"Young man, if you did come here by your own choice, then you are most certainly not weak. Nor are you worthless," said Mr. Kendo in a firm tone, the type that stated that this was final. as he lifted his hand off Izuku whose heart seemed ready to burst. A part of him wanted to clutch at it while tears poured from his eyes, yet the man's gaze commanded Izuku to remain focused on him. "Now, before I can even consider taking you in as a student, I would like to know how such thoughts came to be. Is it because your quirk is extremely weak or are you quirkless?"

A lump formed in Izuku's throat as he thought about his past. Thought about that day in the playground when he had tried to protect a fellow kid from being bullied by Kacchan. About how he had gotten the nickname Deku. He thought back to the laughter that always followed whenever he told others about his dream. Then he looked up at the man standing before him, took a deep breath, and began to tell him what he could. Naturally, he told him the same thing he had told his parents about Divine Dividing. And he gave a less than detailed account of what life had been like for him. Never giving out names or going too deep into detail. But despite that, Izuku had a feeling that the man was filling in the blanks all on his own. Perhaps, given the question he had asked, he had dealt with plenty of people who had been in the same position as Izuku. Maybe even some that had been worse off. When Midoriya finished, the man was silent for several seconds as he stood there nodding to himself.

"Izuku Midoriya, now I am certain you are the type of person that this dojo welcomes with open arms," said Mr. Kendo as he reached out to pat the green-haired boy on the shoulder, doing his best not to knock him over. "You are the type of person that, no matter how many times you have been knocked down, have gotten back onto your feet. That there is the truest form of strength. And now, you are recognizing your flaws and seeking to improve."

Izuku suddenly found a spot on the floor that was very interesting, staring at it as his face flushed with embarrassment.

"I guess I should have tried doing this sooner, right?" said Midoriya, more as a statement than a question as he realized his own mistake. Both the man and Albion chuckled at that remark, the dragon's tone echoing in his head so that only he could hear.

"Well, given what your dream is and that you thought that you were quirkless, I'd say not training your body at the very least was foolish," stated Mr. Kendo with a bemused smile. "But at least you recognized that now. And if that determination I saw in your eyes is anything to go by, you will be giving this your all."

Izuku's eyes widened slightly at that before another question tickled in the back of his mind. One he had asked before. Given what Mr. Kendo had said prior, asking if he had been quirkless as well as what he had said after, was there a chance? Would he give a different answer? Or would Izuku be denied once more?

After taking a breath to steel his nerves, Izuku spoke again doing his best to look in the eyes of the man before him. "Ah, can I ask you something? If…If I had come here, still quirkless, do you think I could be a hero?"

Mr. Kendo didn't answer right away. Rather he paused, stoking his beard while looking like he was collecting his thoughts. "Well, I certainly wouldn't discourage you," said Mr. Kendo at last, his words surprising Izuku. "I would rather arm you with all the tools you would need so that you could, at the very least, try. If you succeeded, then the taste of victory would wash away the bitterness of defeat you had dealt with for so long. And if you failed, then I believe you could move on from that knowing that you gave it your all. How does that saying go? 'Better to shoot for the stars and fall in a blaze of glory than to have never tried at all'? Yes, I believe that's it."

Izuku found it harder to keep his feelings inside now. Tears were stinging around his eyes. It might not have been the words he had wanted his mother to tell him back when he was a kid, it wasn't the words he hoped his hero would tell him if they ever met. Yet after years of people telling him to not even bother, hearing someone say that he'd let him try was powerful in its own right.

"Thank you, Mr. Kendo," Izuku managed to say while doing his best not to fall to his knees.

So, as Izuku did his best to get himself under control, he entered the dojo to begin his training. Or, rather, to fill out the paperwork needed first. Then the training.

-x-

"Texas Smash!" Izuku, dressed in his own white gi, charged at his training partner, Itsuka Kendo, ready to try and imitate the fighting style of his hero All Might. With a bored look, Itsuka effortlessly deflected the blow with her wrist before sending a powerful punch right into the green-haired teen's gut. As Izuku felt all the air inside him leave, his orange-haired opponent swiftly knocked him off his feet courtesy of a leg sweep.

Since signing up at the Kendo Dojo several days ago, finding himself lying in pain on his back was becoming a regular occurrence for the teen. Mrs. Kendo, as it turned out, was in charge of the extra lessons including parkour. And while she was starting Izuku on something simple right now, jumping over uphill railings and then back down, it was still incredibly draining to the teen. As for Mr. Kendo, Izuku had told him that he wanted to learn how to fight like All Might. The instructor hadn't put up any argument, teaching his student the way he wished after their stretches and stances with his daughter being his sparring partner.

So far, things weren't going so well. He was doing everything he was told and Mr. Kendo had told him that his form was correct. So why was it that he was having so much trouble?

A hand then appeared in Izuku's field of vision along with that orange hair that made his face turn a shade of red. Though, thankfully, not as red as it had been on his first day here. That day had been by far one of his worst experiences as he devolved into an awkward mess just standing before her, not knowing where to look. Izuku had, at first, decided to focus on her face. This proved to be a mistake as he had become just as flustered as when they had first met, made all the worse as she stood there looking back at him with such a soft and warm expression. As tiny squeaks escaped his mouth, Izuku shifted his eyes downward hoping that would help. No, it was worse! Because now he could see her neck along with all the exposed flesh right underneath it. Quickly, Izuku realized if he kept staring there Itsuka might think he was staring at her breasts. So, to avoid being called a pervert, his gaze shifted down again to her stomach which wasn't any better. Soon enough he was looking at her legs which were moving towards him. The next thing he knew, Izuku was looking up at the ceiling in pain until Itsuka's face came into view ready to help him to his feet.

It took a few more times of him getting knocked onto his back before he managed to not feel as awkward looking at her. Though, talking to her and just being too close to her were difficult at times as his face would turn bright red. as he was now feeling less awkward around her. Groaning, he took the hand and got to his feet.

"Th-Thanks Itsuka," he managed to groan, accepting the offered hand and getting to his feet.

"No problem!" As she spoke, Itsuka's voice was bright and chipper. She then smiled, something that contrasted greatly with the look she had just moments ago. "Ready to try again?"

"Yeah," began Izuku. Then, as he noticed Itsuka beginning to turn, Midoriya quickly blurted out a question. Something he had been meaning to ask for some time. "But, ah, do you have any advice on what I'm doing wrong? I mean, All Might-"

"Has a fighting style that fits him," interrupted Itsuka, interrupting her training partner. There was no way she could have missed the confused expression on Izuku's face, so when she spoke next it was done in what he had begun to think of as her 'Big Sister' voice. The tone she used when she was explaining something, holding up a finger as she did so all with a helpful smile on her face. "Look, All Might's fighting style works well with his body type. Because he's so big and has so much mass, he can put more weight behind his attacks along with his strength. Even the most basic punch can be made several dozen times more effective because of that. He's also fast enough so that his opponents don't have time to deflect or dodge an attack. And his strength, well, you know how insane it is."

Izuku let out a hum as he brought a hand to his chin, muttering to himself as a finger tapped against the side of his face. "So, if I want to fight more like All Might, I need to get bigger, gain more muscle mass, get faster, and become stronger. Maybe I could start-"

"Izuku, can I ask you a question?" interrupted Itsuka again. When Midoriya turned to look at her, he was surprised to see that her smile was gone. Now, she looked worried. "Do you really…hate yourself that much?"

"W-What?!" Izuku shouted, taking a step back as he did so.

"I'm sorry it's just," she began before pausing, looking away in a manner that seemed to show that she was having a hard time putting her thoughts into words. After a moment, it looked like she decided to just go for it. "Listening to all of that makes it sound like you want to completely change who you are instead of trying something else."

Izuku didn't know what to say to that at first. To be honest, he had never really thought about it. Sure he idolized All Might, but who didn't? He was the greatest hero of all time! Who wouldn't want to be just like him? Especially when you were everything the man wasn't. Then, when he spoke, he lowered his head slightly to avoid looking at Itsuka.

"For the longest time, nobody believed in me," he began, lowering his head slightly so as to avoid looking directly at Itsuka. "Not my mom, the kids I used to play with. Even my best friend didn't think much of me. That's why he gave me the nickname Deku. Because it fit me so well. Because I was…useless. But that never stopped me from wanting to be more like All Might. To be the type of hero who could just reassure everyone around him with a smile. To let everyone know that things would be alright because I was there. So I want to be just like him."

"But, if you do that, then it won't be your smile that reassures everyone. It'll still be All Might's," said Itsuka, her words causing Izuku's head to shoot up. Now he could see that she had never taken her eyes off of him, an odd smile on her face that he couldn't place. "Izuku, if what you want is for people to see your smile and feel reassured then you have to become your own hero. Don't limit yourself to thinking that there's only one way to do things. Because, if you do, you'll end up missing so much potential."

"My daughter is correct," came the voice of their instructor. Turning his Izuku, Izuku saw that Mr. Kendo had risen from where he had been sitting as he watched their bouts. Now he had a very serious look on his face. "Midoriya, if you truly wish to become a hero then you must first overcome this handicap: yourself. Your own self-doubts and your views on All Might. Those do you a great disservice. They chain you, binding you to the ground so that you can never soar through the air on your own wings. I know you can be so much more if you just give yourself a chance."

Izuku swallowed hard while grabbing a shaking arm. A part of him felt confused in so many ways. His mind was buzzing. He heard what they were saying but…

"H-How do I do that?" he asked. How do you change the very idea of the pinnacle of what it means to be a hero? How do you change that image you have in your head, guarding it with everything you have?

"You can figure it out yourself," Mr. Kendo said simply, surprising Izuku. "Do you know why? Because you, like everyone else, were born with the same thing that All Might and other great people have had. Two arms, two legs, two eyes, and a brain. No matter how the world sees them, you have everything that every pro hero had when they started out. With those same tools, you too can become great as long as you have the will. How much you're willing to hone them, how much you are willing to learn. All that is up to you. So figure out what works for Izuku Midoriya while carrying on with the spirit of All Might. And once you do, I'll help you down that path you have chosen."

For a long time, Izuku just stood there as he processed what he was being told. To be honest, he had never looked at heroes that way before. He had always seen them as these amazing people like Kacchan; born with the strength, courage, and drive to do whatever they wanted. But now that he thought about it, both he and Kacchan had started off exactly the same. What was different, what separated him from people like Kacchan and All Might, was that they got quirks. They learned how to fight with what they had been given. The same went for other heroes like Kamui Woods, Ryukyu, Endeavor, and so many others.

But what would work best for him? What could he use?

Izuku then blinked, realizing what they were saying about his idolization of All Might. That in wanting to be so much like his hero, he hadn't considered other options. Hadn't done the same level of research that he had used to bring him here to this dojo.

After all, he had all the tools he needed. He had eyes to see so many different styles and a body to train in them. The mind to figure out if their strengths fit him and that their flaws didn't hinder him. He just needed to figure it out on his own.

'I believe you are beginning to understand,' Albion commented in his head.

Izuku nodded before looking over at his instructor.

"Can you show me some other fighting styles?" he asked.

The man grinned before nodding.