There's a lot of interesting developments going on with politics right now…and I sorta hope they're leaning in the recount / revote direction. But that's just wishful thinking.

i've just been sort of...calm

like yeah im angry but...i'm not as freaked out as i thought i'd be?

Maybe its just numbness

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

"C-come now, children! Please, l-let's just calmly introduce ourselves here!" the kids' teacher, Komari Ikoma, pleaded, but her request fell on deaf ears here.

The group went stone faced as the group of kids began to run over and tug on their costumes and yell and screech.

"...what?" Inasa asked.

「this is a death match to some, i guess」 Kumagawa hummed.

"Where are these kids from?" Shoto asked, trying to lightly push a few kids away from him. They had paste on their fingers somehow, and that could ruin the costume.

"Masegaki Public Elementary School, a special school for kids with...very, very developed quirks at such a young age." Gang Orca said, before a kid with a beak started crying.

"HEY EVERYONE! A kid yelled. "MR. BOMB MADE TAKUTO CRY!" Mr. Bomb (Bakugou) was suddenly swarmed by children, who battered him slightly with fists the size of pill bottles.

"That's annoying." Bakugou huffed, unbothered.

"Well...I was half expecting you to start yelling," one kid said, leaning against the wall as if he was some kind of nobility among his class, "Grown-ups just love to yell so loudly and drown everyone else out, just to get their way."

"I just looked at him weird." Bakugou growled.

"Well, I'm not impressed." The kid huffed.

What's with this kid!? Bakugou thought.

Shinsou grunted, as a bunch of kids started tugging on his scarf. "Stop...cutting...my air flow!" He hissed, suddenly activating it to snag a bunch of them off of him.

"WOOOOAH! Ribbon Guy just snatched a bunch of kids! HE'S A VILLAIN!" Another kid yelled.

"YEAH! Look at those bags under his eyes!"

...I wish I wasn't so sensitive about that. Shinsou huffed.

"Hey, what's that?" one kid asked.

"Hm? Oh this? Its first aid supplies-" Shoto began to explain calmly.

"IT'S PEE PEE! HE'S GOT FIVE PEE PEES!" Another kid yelled.

Shoto's face fell. "...oh god."

Another group of kids was pelting Inasa with punch after tiny punch, trying to get his attention. The galeforce hero of Shiketsu, however, was keeping his gaze locked on Endeavor, completely ignoring the kids.

He's here... Inasa said. He's here, and he's got that look to him again...

He stared down at the kids who were punching him. And took a deep breath. If he was gonna be a hero, then he need to really make a good first impression.

"Hey! You big jerk!" one of the kids hitting him yelled, "Where are you looking?"

"Huh? AH! Got distracted again!" Inasa yelled and crumpled to the ground under the small assault. He wasn't in pain, kinda just rolling with the punches as it were.

Kumagawa stared at the children surrounding him. He cleared his throat. 「hello」He said, giving a small wave.

...the children all started crying.

Kumagawa curled up in a ball on the ground. 「okay then」

"...all he did was say 'hi,'" Mic noted from the stands.

"I...yeah, no, I don't know how to explain that one," Star added.

"Soooo, why'm I lumped in with this group?" Camie asked.

"You're a special case, similar to Shinsou. Since we didn't get to see what you're made of in the real deal." Gang Orca explained. "...you probably would've failed."

"Ow." Shinsou frowned.

Camie didn't seem too offended. "Whatevs. I like kids well enough." She said, zipping up her jumpsuit so the kid she was about to be eye level with wouldn't get a face full of boob.

"I'm so, so sorry," the class' teacher apologized as she, Mera, and Orca watched one of her students try to steal one of Bakugou's gauntlets, "My class is made of nothing but troublemakers. Always rebelling like this...it hasn't even been five minutes and they're already causing so many problems for you!"

"Don't worry, miss," Gang Orca said, his tone much softer than it had been before, incredibly reassuring even, "By the end of the day, these students will transform your class."

"O-oh! Thank you for the kind words, Mr. Whale."

"Orca, please," the Pro politely corrected, before he turned his attention back to those in the remedial course.

"ALRIGHT, YOU KRILL! YOU NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THESE KIDS! THAT'S YOUR REMEDIAL ASSIGNMENT!" Gang Orca pointed to the group from U.A. and Shiketsu, singling them out for this, "As for the rest of you, the usual seminar with me and my employees! Understood?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the other students called out.

"So...we gotta be damn nannies?" Bakugou asked, not really sure if this was a joke or not.

"Connecting...with others." Shinsou repeated. Alan said something similar a few weeks ago.

...while Shinsou was hoping for action, this could also be suitable. He took a deep breath. "Alright. I can do that."

"Soooo...this is it?" Mic asked.

"Yep," Star said.

"Just...up here...watching these kids learn and...try to wrangle grade schoolers."

"Yep," Star put extra emphasis on the p that time.

...

...

...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH I can't TAKE THIS! The bus ride over was awkward enough! I am not sitting in silence for the entire course! My Mic spirit is at! It's! Limit! It's gonna break if we don't do something!" Mic snapped.

"Mic, what are you-?" All Might asked.

"Don't 'What are you doing?' me, Mighty Boy! I'm going down there and I'm adding some SOUL to this event! You can't and won't stop me!"

"...Mighty Boy?" Endeavor asked.

"Don't ask because I don't know," All Might answered.

Present Mic hopped over the rows of seats, and rushed down to the bottom.

"...I don't know if I like him being a teacher." Endeavor frowned. "Aizawa, I can respect. He's harsh enough with the students...but I don't know if I like a goofball in a professional environment."

"Mic's a fine teacher." All Might said.

"What does he teach, anyway?" Endeavor asked.

"English," All Might said without a minute's hesitation.

"...fair enough. Lousy subject." Endeavor huffed.

[AN: one of the co authors of this series is an english major you stupid candle fuck, I will fucking end you in the final arc one day. Actually, know what? You're losing that arm EARLY. It's in the lore doc fucker]

The three sat in silence for a while.

"...so, you wanna talk?" All Might asked. "I'm not sure what I can tell you, as I am right now."

"...Crime rate has been up 3% this month, compared to the past years." Endeavor said. "I've resolved more incidents than anyone, now more than ever, but I can hear it. The thing you've built is slowly crumbling down."

"And you want to repair it." Star said.

"Yes..." Endeavor said. "...what is the true meaning of a 'symbol of peace'?"

All Might paused. Star leaned in, ready to hear her master's wisdom. "Honestly..." He began. "I don't know what to tell you. I believed that this country needed a symbol, so I started dashing headlong towards the impossible. I wanted to be a shining light in the darkness. A wake up call for everyone. As I ran, I swore I'd become that sort of man. People back then had these worried looks. All the heroes in the world back then weren't up to the caliber of today, they couldn't stop the crime rate. They were...scared."

Endeavor took in those words, remembering how bad things got before All Might. Some history books called it The Age of Villains and The Age of Vigilantes interchangeably.

"The path I chose to save those people from their fear? That path had me brush off the kindness of others and cut them out of my life..." All Might continued, his voice becoming more somber in tone.

"Nighteye..." Endeavor said.

All Might just nodded before he continued, "The position I've put you in Endeavor...I'm not deaf. I know what people have been saying, all the comparisons to...to me. But you and I are very different people. The symbol I strove to be? That path's not for you. Your's will be different, without question, so you need to take time and figure out just how you ought to do things, the kind of symbol you will be to the people in need of one."

"I agree with All Might," Star said, her voice gentle yet firm. "Being a symbol of peace doesn't mean you have to follow in his footsteps. It means finding your own way to inspire and protect others. And sometimes, that means taking a step back and reevaluating your approach. I'm a big fan of All Might, y'know- and I know his symbol of peace is impossible to recreate. So...I strove to create my own path. My own legacy..."

"And you've done a great job," All Might added, a proud smile on his face.

Endeavor said nothing. "...you inspire hope, just by being around people. And I..." Endeavor stared at the kids below. "My presence alerts them."

"You...do have a reputation for being...intense," Star pointed.

"I'm aware, Star," Endeavor huffed, "...but people believe my only goal is the title. By the time I was twenty, I had already achieved the number 2 ranking in the Hero Charts. It was that grueling climb that made me realize, if I didn't reach the summit, then what was the point? If my ambitions were so flimsy as to only be after titles, I could've worn a smile like you and played the lovable fool throughout my entire career."

"But you didn't," All Might said.

"Exactly... I knew that was an easy path to admiration, but..." Endeavor trailed off, looking at his open palm. A few small embers crackled in his hand as he just started to think.

"ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLRIGHT!" Mic yelled, having stolen the, well, mic from Mera, "It's time to add some of that patented Present Mic Color Commentary to liven things up around here!"

"Hey, you can't just take over my job and...let me catch some...sleep..." Mera started, before blinking in realization, "Job's all yours, Mic. Make sure neither Orca or the grade-schoolers don't kill anyone."

"I heard that, Mera!" Orca yelled, but the threat fell on deaf ears. Mera was out like a light.

"From the looks on their faces, the remedial course is at a total loss!" Mic declared. He turned to Komari. "Any special requests on how they should go about this, teach?"

"Y-yes..." Komari said. "Early elementary schools years are critical and formative...a child's quirk can affect development, some try to provide emotional support via counselling. But in the case of these kids, they aren't willing to open up...and I know that's my responsibility, I know I should be doing that myself, but..."

Shinsou absorbed those words carefully. "Let's not be thoughtless, then." He said, turning to the group.

"Yeah...let's just finish this and get back to the real training." Bakugou frowned.

"Ok, so what's the plan exactly?" Inasa asked, still getting punched by one of the kids.

"Easy. They're gonna walk all over someone who can't lead them. You can't just say 'they'll come around.' One of the pipsqueaks has got to be the ring leader. We just gotta find out who." Bakugou said.

"Then what?"

"...we teach them a lesson."

「what, are we going to string them up and throw rocks at them to show them who's boss?」Kumagawa asked.

Bakugou paused.

「that's something the old you would have said.」

"It...might have crossed my mind as a Plan B," Bakugou admitted.

「plan b? so then what's plan a?」

Bakugou smirked. "All out attack. We see what these kids are made of-"

Shinsou shook his head. "I'm not beating up a bunch of kids."

"Neither will I!" Inasa declared.

Of course, the kids had no qualms about that.

"Look at 'em. Probably thinking up a plan to 'calm us down,'" one of the kids scoffed, "but we know what's really going on. Mom, Dad, the guys on TV. They're all asking if the heroes are doing ok. But we know...we know that we're better than them!"

"W-wait! No, you mustn't!" the kids' teacher pleaded.

"Woah, what kinda upset-?" Mic began, before he was interrupted by the grad schoolers ALL bringing out their Quirks! One kid began to summon up a dust storm, another brought out a swarm of what could only be described as Chain Chomps, and one kid just had a giant cannon emerge from his mouth.

"OH THAT KINDA UPSET! Plot twist! The Grade Schoolers are going all out now! Apparently they...had Quirks like a cannon tongue up their sleeves the whole time!" Mic commented.

"Woooooah! We kinda yanked their chains!" Camie said.

Bakugou smirked. "Good. Let's see what this next gen of so called 'heroes' are gonna be like!"

Please tell me they're not actually going to struggle here, Mic thought to himself. If that thought ever got out, he would quit teaching out of shame.

"Let's show em who's really in charge here!" one of the kids shouted, light blue energy condensing in his hands.

"Yeah!" the rest of his classmates cheered.

"Bring it," Bakugou challenged, getting into a fighting stance.

"Are we actually doing this?" Shinsou asked, readying his capture scarf since it seemed like he was being forced into this.

"Don't think we have much of a choice right now!" Inasa said, winds swirling around his arms.

"Of course," the one "noble" kid in the class scoffed, "Using brute force to prove your superiority. I'm not impressed 'heroes.'"

"Maaaaaybe hit the breaks on that villain speech, kid," Mic advised, but he was, of course, ignored, "But if the Remedials do this, it might not work out the way they hoped!"

"STOOPING TO THEIR LEVEL IS A GROSS INSULT TO THE HONOR OF SHIKETSU!" another voice yelled, causing Mic to nearly jump over the table.

"Gah! What the?! Who're you?!" Mic asked.

"I am Seiji Shishikura of Shiketsu High! I will be joining this live commentary to ensure that it is fair and balanced! U.A. will be shown NO favoritism!" Seiji said.

"...what," Mic deadpanned.

"Seiji, really?" Star deadpanned, "How did he even get down there...?!"

"Seiji?" All Might asked.

"He failed the exam too. Battle of attrition between him and a student with a zombie Quirk. Mentioned a kid with spikey red hair and a pink alien swooping in at the last minute to take them both out."

"Well those sound familiar," All Might couldn't help but chuckle at Mina's and Kirishima's handiwork.

"But, Present Mic, you are indeed correct!" Seiji said, "Should they manage to defeat these students, shame is the only thing they feel. But if they hold back, let the children win, their attitude would only be cemented further. A battle of physical force is unwinnable!"

"B-but we don't have time for a discussion!" Komari gasped, "Y-you need to understand, my students' Quirks are powerful, more so than some Pros! They won't hold back!"

The kid who had summoned a swarm of Chain Chomps sent his little satellites forward, aimed right at Bakugou. The first actually managed to hit Bakugou, tearing away some of his mask. The explosive student blinked a few times, checking the damage, a bit surprised.

"Binging Ball!" the kid, Tamashiro, smirked, "Super fast and super strong!"

"They can't do anything against us!" another kid yelled, "Assault Dust!" With that, he fired off a torrent of thick dust from his hands, engulfing Shoto and Inasa, the latter of which did not take well to the attack, sneezing upon the dust's impact.

The other students shouted their Quirks' names and began their own assaults.

"Tongue Tank!"

"Viral Cosmos!"

"Magnet Missile!"

"King's Ram!"

"Hula-Hoop!"

Present Mic took off his shades and rubbed his eyes a bit, thinking he was seeing things for a minute.

"I know kids can get crazy with their Quirks, but I don't think anyone from my generation was this intense," Mic said, "They're all so...advanced. In terms of Quirks and psychologically."

"I have heard of this. Quirks mix and evolve with each new generation and, one day, this evolution may grow so complex, so powerful that the one who wields it will be unable to control it," Seiji explained, "It is not a widely accepted theory, but it has given rise to certain splinter factions. They call it the Quirk Singularity Doomsday Theory."

"The what?" Mic asked.

"The idea that Quirks will eventually become so powerful and uncontrollable that they will lead to the destruction of society," Seiji explained.

"Sounds like a load of bull!" Mic said. "But these kids don't seem like they're on the path to destruction."

"Perhaps not yet," Seiji agreed, "But the potential is there. And it's not just the power of their Quirks that's concerning. It's the psychological toll it takes on them. These children have been thrust into a world of heroes and villains, where their worth is measured by the strength of their Quirks. It's a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone teenagers..."

Komari frowned. "I'm sorry...This is all my fault-"

Mic held up a hand. "Hey! What do you have to worry about? UA and Shiketsu got this handled."

And that they most certainly did.

The attacks, yes, were harsh...but they were really untrained. "They're coming at us hard and without hesitation." Shinsou noted.

"They've got some serious guts for a bunch of rugrats." Bakugou scoffed, knocking one of the binging balls away.

"They believe they can get away with anything since we're still just in training," Shoto said, dodging one of the golden rings formed by the Hula-Hoop Quirk.

"License training aside...I just wanna be friends with these guys!" Inasa lamented.

"After seeing all of our power, they must be spooked!" one kid cheered.

"I doubt it. Keep going! Show them that they're not special just cause they were born earlier!" the leader of the class ordered.

One of the kids nodded, as she aimed an attack at Kumagawa. "Queen Beam!" She yelled, and the beam flew right towards him.

Kumagawa dodged it, and whistled. «Come now, miss! How unbecoming. I don't want to see a face that cute look so angry! It's a shame when you scrunch it up like that.»

The girl turned beet red, and grinned. "OKAY!" She said, totally defused...until Camie turned off her illusion. The girl's face fell.

"Sorry for that dream boat version of Kumy G. I think you just needed to hear that!" Camie grinned.

「that was the nicest look i've ever had」 Kumagawa sighed.

Shinsou observed the ongoing battle and noticed that one of the kids seemed to be directing the attacks. He saw an opportunity to take control of the situation and approached the young leader. Maybe these kids are being influenced by this brat. He's the only one not showing off...is he...like me?

The lead kid looked up at Shinsou and froze.

"S-so...you figured it out. Who's really in charge of this ordered chaos?" the kid smirked, quickly regaining his composure.

"That sounded better in your head, didn't it?" Shinsou asked, not even trying to come off as intimidating or anything.

The lead kid's smirk faltered, and he looked at Shinsou with surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to regain his confidence.

"I mean, it's obvious that you're the one giving the orders. You're the one controlling the situation," Shinsou said, crossing his arms. "But why? Why are you doing this?"

The kid hesitated for a moment before answering. "We're just trying to prove that we're just as good as the pros, even if we're just kids."

"I understand the desire to prove yourself," Shinsou said, nodding. "But this isn't the way to do it."

"What?" The kid asked.

"You said it before, didn't you? Resulting to brute force isn't that impressive...but you're trying to show off by beating us?" Shinsou said, "Inasa. Do it."

Inasa began to activate his quirk, and pick up kids with the wind. "YOU KIDS ARE GREAT! BUT THERE'S MORE THAN JUST POWER!"

"Ya know, this place could use more color," Camie said.

She blew into her palm, and suddenly the atmosphere turned nice and starry- it made everyone feel like they were outside, or in the artic.

"Woah." All Might said.

"Camie's a curious one...but she's always surprised me." Star smiled.

"Todoroki! Inasa! Line 'em up!" Bakugou yelled.

"You got it!" Inasa nodded, manipulating the wind and having it carry objects created by the other kids' Quirks.

"Right there," Shoto nodded, before unleashing a torrent of freezing ice.

Shoto instantaneously froze the objects, carefully building something for the kids.

"Looks like Shoto's pursuing a career in architecture! How's that make you feel, Endeav-" Mic spun around, only to be met with Endeavor's stone cold expression.

Needless to say, the bit was killed.

"An unbeatable battle...and one they never intended to fight," Seiji realized, "They sidestepped the problem, creating a strategy aimed at strengthening their connection to the children's hearts."

"Already, the lot of you! gather up and you'll all get to try it out!" Bakugou yelled, but only so that all the students could hear him.

"That means you, too," Shinsou said, "You're the 'ringleader' aren't you? Keep looking down at everyone...you won't see your own weaknesses."

The lead kid looked at Shinsou with surprise. "What do you know about my weaknesses?" he asked, defensive.

"I know that you're so obsessed with proving yourself that you're willing to resort to violence and aggression to do it. But that's not what being a hero is about," Shinsou said, his voice firm but calm. "It's...something I wish I got told a while ago."

"Something...you wish...?" the lead kid repeated, processing the words.

"Hey, Inasa. Think you can give him a lift?"

"ABSOLUTELY!" Inasa saluted.

The leader was swept up by the tailwind, and plopped atop the construction the group had made.

"T-this is..." The boy gasped.

Shinsou allowed himself a small smirk as the kid was placed atop the constructed ice slide, with added oddities provided by the other kids' Quirks.

"That advice...he wasn't talking down to me. It came from the heart, from a place of...understanding. I...I'm moved!" the lead kid admitted before he began sliding down the ride the remedial course students had created.

"OH! Idea! We should try and make something else for them! Liiiiike, an explosion-powered roller coaster!" Inasa suggested.

"I don't think that's possible," Shoto said.

"Not with THAT attitude, Icy-Hot! We're DOING that!" Bakugou said.

."You're surprisingly into this." Shoto noted.

"I had a complex like these kids...and look where it got me," Bakugou said, as he watched the kids excitedly testing out the new ride. "I thought I had to be the strongest, the best, no matter what."

Bakugou looked down at his arm. Once flesh, now hard alien plastic. He watched as the kids laughed and screamed, enjoying the ride that the remedial course students had created for them.

"Some guy told me there's more than being top dog...and I hate to say it, but he was right." Bakugou huffed. "I was so obsessed with being the strongest, with proving myself, that I didn't even realize I'd done enough."

These words shocked Shoto.

"...Still doesn't mean I'm gonna even consider stopping." Bakugou said, realizing he'd overshared a bit toooo much.

"They've...they've never listened to anyone like this before," Komari said, amazed.

"And now its your turn," Mic advised, turning to her, "Give them that guidance they need, yeah?"

Komari nodded, eternally grateful for this class of 'flunkees'. How did these capable students fail the exam the first time around?

All Might, Star and Endeavor watched the scene. "What purpose does our strength truly hold?" All Might mused. "Simple. To protect and serve others, to inspire hope. We don't win with words- we win with actions."

Star nodded in agreement with All Might's words. "And not just any actions, but actions that come from the heart," she said. "It's easy to do something for recognition or power, but it takes true strength to act with selflessness."

Endeavor absorbed their words, but his eyes were focused on Shoto- He was showing off his flames to the children. He wouldn't have done that last year.

"...All Might. That student at UA, the green haired one...are you a 'mentor' to him?" Endeavor asked.

"To...Midoriya? Yeah."

"I heard he was the one involved in the raid a few days ago. He was the one who saved the child." Endeavor said. "...did that compassion come from him, or you?"

All Might paused.

"I'd say both."

"Both...hmm," Endeavor mused on that. The talk may not have gone exactly how the flame hero had imagined it but...in the end, he got his answer.

After the slide was done with, the kids had to watch Bakugu carefully demolish it. They wanted to get closer, but a barrier of screws blocked them from seeing more.

Kumagawa watched Bakugou demolish it. In spite of everything, Bakugou still fought like a savage. It was strange.

"Oh! Oh! My Quirk can help with the ice bits!" Tamashiro said, "My Binging Balls can eat 'em up and make 'em disappear!"

"Hm, it sounds like your power would shine in urban rescue situations," Shoto noted.

"Heck yeah it would!"

"They're all...so impressionable. I never thought-" Komari began.

"They always were, Miss," Gang Orca interjected, "And, in a way, that was the real danger. Their behavior forces their elders to look in the mirror and ponder. Of course, there's also the concern of unleashing their Quirks on others without a moment's hesitation. We may be heroes, but we won't always be around to keep an eye on them. Teaching them about their Quirks and the responsibilities those powers come with is your responsibility now.

The teacher nodded. "...these kids gave me a valuable opportunity...and I'm not going to waste it. And please…call me Komari."

Gang Orca smiled. Lesson accomplished.

"...are you single?" Komari suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Gang Orca asked.

"NOTHING!"

After finishing clean up and saying goodbye to the kids, the newly christened 'Squad' walked out of the testing site. "Now that I've thought about it, I'm a big fan of you guys. And our quirks are awesome together!" Inasa grinned.

"Oh yeah?" Shoto asked.

"What, you wanna build an agency off of one team up?" Shinsou said.

"I mean why not!" Inasa cheered.

"I've heard of worse reasons to make a team." Bakugou huffed. "But pass."

"What, you gonna go solo like Mirko?" Camie asked.

"Just because I've grown a bit doesn't mean I'm gonna give up on being Number One. The dream hasn't changed one freakin' bit." Bakugou smirked. "I'll leave all you extras in my dust."

「there's the bakugou i'm familiar with」Kumagawa shook his head.

The group stopped before the UA and Shiketsu group. All Might and Mic were talking with Star and Seiji, with Endeavor off to the side.

"Whatcha talkin' about?" Camie asked. "Life and stuff?"

"It's about you, dunce." Seiji said.

"For realz?" Camie asked.

"While we were already establishing a relationship due to Miss Kurokami's insistence, we're now thinking of broadening it." Star said. "The motives behind what they did to you are unclear, so we're hoping that joining forces helps us to paint a better picture."

"More joint training! And more interactions! And more-"

"We get it." Bakugou huffed.

Wrong thing to say to Seiji.

"Silence, savage! Know your place!" Seiji declared.

"Rich coming from the dude beaten by Sparky." Bakugou smirked.

"Sparky?" Inasa asked.

"Our classmate, Kaminari. Bakugou has odd nicknames for...practically everyone. I'm 'Icy-Hot,' Ochako is 'Round Face...'" Shoto explained.

"Round Face? Really? C'mon, you can get more creative than that!"

Shoto ignored the banter as Endeavor approached. "It's been a while, Shoto." Endeavor said. "You've changed a lot."

Shoto kept his distance.

"...I'm proud of you."

Shoto blinked.

"That means nothing from you." Shoto said.

Endeavor took a deep breath. Shoto had nothing but contempt for him, given that nasty glare he'd been shooting him.

The best thing to do was to move past that. He just wanted to say one thing to him.

"...I'm hoping to become a hero you can be proud of." Endeavor said. "As your father and the new #1, I want to be deserving of those titles."

"Good luck with that." Shoto averted eye contact.

"Look, Shoto... I know I can't change what I did. But maybe I can help make things better for you." He reached out a hand, trying for a reassuring gesture.

Shoto stepped back instantly. "Better? The best thing you can do for me, for any of us, is to keep your distance. Stop trying to make this about yourself." His voice was sharp, unyielding.

Endeavor stiffened, but he was determined not to lose his temper. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just thought... I thought you'd appreciate knowing I'm trying."

"Try leaving me be for right now." Shoto said, walking right past him.

Inasa made a face. That was super awkward.

...He punched himself in the face to get himself moving. He needed to say something.

"Endeavor!" Inasa yelled, catching the hero's attention. Endeavor looked a bit perturbed by the blood gushing from his nose and mouth.

"...yes?"

"I dunno what the hell kind of mistakes you made, but after today- I hope you take a page from OUR book!" Inasa yelled. "Stop talking about it and show it through your actions!"

Endeavor didn't usually like being told what to do, but this kid had a point. "...very well." He said. "...by the way, you're bleeding like crazy."

「he is sorta crazy」

「you get used to it」

Endeavor made a face. "...I look forward to seeing what you all do in the future." He then turned away, and flew off.

Shoto didn't even bother looking back.