My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 2: Ten Months of Training
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
The Entrance Exam was ten months away. On that day, everything Takeo had learned would be put to the test. Every ounce of knowledge, every minute of training, every day of tutelage he received would all be tested on that day to determine whether he would enter the Hero Course or not.
Every day he had off from school, he'd spend three hours training with various weapons. During his school days, he'd practice for an hour since he often had homework and Hero Studies to worry about. He'd make sure to practice with different weapons every day to ensure he was honing his skills with all of them.
As he trained, he remembered his days with his late tutor, Forge.
"A Quirk is only as strong as you make it, Raionhato," Forge told a thirteen year old Takeo. Forge was an older man with graying black hair, a thick beard, red eyes and a strong build. His Quirk, Blacksmith, allowed him to forge weapons out of any kind of material. This had made him a great Pro Hero and highly demanded by other heroes who wanted weapons.
"But my Quirk…" Takeo spoke as he summoned a throwing cross. "I just summon store items away. It's not flashy or anything."
"Neither was mine, but I still became a Pro Hero," Forge pointed out. "Now I want you to remember this every day: a Quirk is only as strong as you make it."
At the age of nine, after Takeo's father, Takeshi Jonetsu…left the picture, Nakano looked for someone else to help Takeo better his Quirk. After only a week of searching, she found Forge, a retired Pro Hero who continued his work by making weapon requests for other Pro Heroes.
"Sorry, I don't take apprentices," Forge told Nakano as he prepared to forge some weapons, who had her nine-year-old son with her.
"Sir, please," she insisted. "My son's Quirk is weapon-based, just like yours. I can teach him some martial arts, but he needs someone with a Quirk similar to his to help hone it. And I wouldn't ask that you do this for free."
"Is that so?" Forge asked. "How much would we be talking about?"
"With my current Agency wage, I'd be able to pay you 50,000 Yen a week (500 USD)." Forge placed his tools down and placed his hand on his workbench.
He was confused about something. If Takeo didn't have his mother's Quirk, then he must've inherited his father's. Why wasn't he teaching Takeo how to use it? Surely, he'd be a much better teacher than Forge.
"Dad used to teach me," Takeo brought up. "But…"
Forge could immediately tell on the young boy's face what was up. His father was no longer in the picture, so he could no longer teach Takeo how to use his Quirk.
"Son," Forge addressed, kneeling down to him. "Do you want to be a Pro Hero?"
"Yes," he answered. "I want to be one just like Mom…and like…Dad."
Forge was persuaded to take Takeo as his apprentice for a weekly pay of 50,000 Yen. At first, Takeo was nervous around the gruff former Pro Hero, but he turned out to be an amazing teacher who quickly grasped the nature of Inventory. It wasn't long before the young Quirk user became comfortable around Forge and quickly absorbed the knowledge his mentor offered him.
Every Saturday and summer day, Takeo would go to Forge's house, which wasn't very far from his own home, and spend at least four hours learning from the former Pro Hero.
"Hrah!" Forge swung his practice sword at Takeo, who blocked it with his own practice sword. The two traded blows until Forge expectedly triumphed over the Inventory Quirk User.
"Dangit!" he cried out, throwing his sword on the ground. "We've been training for nearly two years and I still can't beat you!" Takeo sat down on the ground, depressed of his progress.
Not only was Forge teaching Takeo how to hone his Quirk, but he was also training him in combat so he could become familiar with every weapon he'd store for Inventory. It had been two years and Takeo had come no closer to defeating his mentor when he wanted to believe he was making great progress.
Forge knew how hard Takeo was working to better himself, but perhaps he was putting too much pressure on himself to be better. He sat down next to his apprentice and placed the practice sword on his lap.
"You do realize I'm a former Pro Hero, right?" he asked. "It'll take more than two years of training to beat me."
"But I've been training ever since I was five years old," Takeo brought up. "When my Quirk manifested, he spared no time to teaching me how to use it. But then…shortly before you took me as your apprentice…" The young boy's eyes started to water as he remembered his father, Takeshi Jonetsu, or also known by his Pro Hero name: Paladin.
Takeo's training was interrupted when he felt something soft rub against his ankle. He looked down to see Peter nuzzling his head against his leg, presumably to catch his attention. When Peter noticed that Takeo had seen him, he sat down with his tail wagging and stared up at him with his usual big puppy eyes.
"Oh, Lord," Takeo chuckled. "Why did Mom have to bring such an adorable puppy home?" He placed his weapon back before laying down on the grass and tapping Peter's nose. The black-and-white puppy walked up to him and started licking his face with his tiny tongue, making Takeo smile as he petted the small dog.
"Hey, little buddy." Peter then started rubbing his body against Raionhato's face, making him chuckle. The Quirk user then gently picked up the puppy, rolled onto his back and placed Peter on his chest. The little puppy then crawled to Takeo's chin and started licking again.
"Isn't he adorable?" Nakano asked as she stood at the door. Peter raised his head from Takeo and quickly leapt off to run to Lioness. However, instead of jumping into her arms, Peter started chasing after her lion tail, raising his paw to try and get it.
"Hey, hey!" Nakano scolded. "No." She held up her finger to indicate no to chasing after her tail. She then picked Peter up and petted him. When she saw her son getting up from the grass, she smiled.
"Well, you certainly like our newest family member."
"You had to pick him up, didn't you?" Takeo laughed as he got up from the ground and stood up. "Didn't you always say how much you didn't want a puppy?"
Nakano chuckled in embarrassment. She had never wanted a puppy in her home before not because she hated dogs, but because she didn't want to have to raise one when she had a full schedule with her Pro Hero work. But the moment she picked up Peter, whatever rational thoughts she had were gone and she took him home with her.
"If I ever pass by another puppy, please don't let me pick it up," Nakano told her son. "I'll want to take home every puppy I see…and I think one is enough."
Takeo and Satoshi traded blows in the backyard, Takeo with his practice sword, Satoshi with his batons. As expected, Takeo proved to be the superior warrior against Satoshi, winning every spar they fought.
"It's been three months since we applied," Takeo brought up as they went inside and got a bite to eat while sitting at the table. "How do you feel?"
"I've been feeling well," Satoshi answered. "I've actually been looking into U.A.'s Support Course as well and I'm starting to debate between which course I'd want to go for."
"Why the Support Course?" Takeo asked. "I thought you wanted to be in the Hero Course."
"I did, but I've been thinking."
As Takeo knew, Satoshi's Technopathy was great for building devices and support items, but he could also make pretty strong weapons as well, including electric batons, explosive discs…anything that could be invented, Satoshi could make it provided he had the necessary items needed.
Satoshi believed that his Quirk was better suited for support rather than hero work, but Takeo was confused. He had been honing his combat skills with him for years; from what he had seen, Satoshi's Quirk could be an excellent mix of both combat and support.
"Here's the thing, Takeo," Satoshi brought up. "My Quirk is different from yours. Yours basically allows you to store weapons away and then use them for combat. All you really needed was training on how to use those weapons. For mine, if I don't have the necessary items, I can't make the invention."
"True," Takeo acknowledged. "But are you really considering dropping from potentially joining the Hero Course, after all the training we've done?"
Why would Satoshi want to abandon the chance to join the Hero Course? They spent years training for it. Since Satoshi's parents couldn't find him a combat instructor, Takeo took it upon himself to transfer his combat knowledge from Forge to his best friend. Now, he felt like he had been slapped in the face.
"Takeo, it's not something that happened overnight," Satoshi brought up. "I may not be cut out for the Hero Course. It's what I've been thinking for a while now."
"But after all the training we did, all the progress we made," Takeo brought up. "You asked me to help train you so you could join the Hero Course, didn't you? So…why now?"
"I just told you," Satoshi brought up. "My Quirk is better suited for support. It's not truly combat-oriented like yours." Takeo stood up from his seat and summoned one of his wire gauntlets. It looked like a normal plate metal gauntlet, but underneath was a large spool of wire that ran through the fingers of the gauntlet with around 200 meters worth of wire.
"You made me this gauntlet, remember?" Takeo brought up. "So don't say your Quirk isn't combat-oriented or whatever. If you could make me this weapon, you can make some of your own."
"Takeo, I don't have endless resources," Satoshi brought up. "I can't store weapons and summon them like you can. I'm limited by the resources I have at my disposal. Those wire gauntlets, the concussion gauntlet and the grapple gun…I had to save money for the parts I need to make them for you. Things haven't been easy for my parents, you know that. If they were, they wouldn't have trouble finding me a combat instructor."
Takeo knew that Satoshi's family had been struggling for a while now. His parents owned a support item business, which specialized in electronic-based support items. Unfortunately, due to the highly competitive market and criminals targeting support items, things had been rough for Satoshi's family.
Four years ago, Satoshi's parents' business was robbed and destroyed due to a villain attack. Ever since then, they've been struggling to get by. Without the money needed to rebuild a new business, they had to work from home and do requests. Unfortunately, they were outshined by other major support item companies, leading to financial difficulties.
As such, Satoshi didn't have the means to create large amounts of devices. Thus, his Quirk would ultimately be rendered useless without electronics and technology nearby. In the end, it'd be better suited for the Support Course rather than the Hero Course.
Takeo shook his head and sighed. He knew their situation hadn't been the best, but he believed Satoshi could be in the Hero Course if he wanted to. Unfortunately, Satoshi made a point Takeo couldn't ignore: Satoshi couldn't create machines from thin air, he had to have the necessary parts to make it work. Unless he had resources, his arsenal of weapons would ultimately be limited.
"Satoshi…are you sure about this?" he asked his friend, his tone much calmer. "I mean, maybe the Hero Course could provide you with the necessary resources to make the gadgets you need."
"I already contacted them," Satoshi informed. "The only way I'd get the resources I need is from the Support Course. But…it's not just that."
"What is it?"
"The Support Course sometimes accepts offers from Support Item Companies. These offers can be worth lots of yen. If I could get Support Item Companies to accept my gadgetry, then I could help my parents start building up a new business."
That was Satoshi's goal: help his parents rebuild the business they had lost four years ago. After researching the Support Course, he felt that was the best way to do so, even if it meant going back on what he said a long time ago.
Takeo understood Satoshi's reasons for deciding to go to the Support Course, but he couldn't help but feel like he had been slapped on the face. All the training they did, all the combat skills he passed to Satoshi, everything they did felt like it had all been for nothing. But he couldn't bring himself to disregard what Satoshi said. If he was doing it for his family, then he had to understand.
"I'm sorry, Satoshi," Takeo apologized. "I shouldn't have shouted at you like that."
"I understand why you feel upset," Satoshi replied. "I did want to go to the Hero Course for a long time, but things have just gotten too hard for my parents. I think I can be of more help to everyone, especially my parents in the Support Course. I could help us get back onto our feet."
"If…if that's what you think is best," Takeo responded.
Satoshi could see that his friend was trying to hide his disappointment, but Takeo was never good at hiding his feelings.
After that day, Satoshi stopped coming over for martial training so he could focus more on how to prepare for the Support Course. Takeo tried not to let this bother him because he understood Satoshi's reasoning for abandoning the Hero Course for the Support Course. However, no matter what, he couldn't help but feel betrayed.
He always enjoyed the thought of him and his best friend being in the Hero Course together. With his martial skill, knowledge of weaponry and strength in combat combined with Satoshi's intellect and genius in gadgetry, he was certain they'd make one heck of a team. They had trained so long to enroll in the Hero Course, a future Takeo always looked forward to.
But now it was gone. Satoshi would enroll in the Support Course so his Quirk could be put to better use and potentially strike up contracts with buyers. He felt he had to for the sake of his parents so he could up get them back on their feet.
In the blink of an eye, five months had passed and five remained before the day of the Entrance Exam. Takeo had practiced whenever he could, switching up weapons every day to make sure he was training with all of them. He'd have to be proficient with all of his weapons if he was to succeed in the Hero Course and against students who undoubtedly had much stronger Quirks than him.
One day, on Lioness's day off, she and her son were practicing hand-to-hand combat in the backyard as the presumably six-month-old Peter watched from the porch with his tail wagging. In the end, Lioness won against her son and he was on the ground, beaten by his Pro Hero mother.
"Takeo," she spoke as she helped him up. "You're holding back."
"Well, because I don't want to really hurt you, Mom," Takeo responded. Lioness shook her head.
"Takeo, you may not intend this, but if you do that in the Hero Course, you're disrespecting your fellow classmates. You may thinking holding back shows concern, but they'd probably take it as arrogance, saying that they're not worth your strength."
Takeo summoned Lion Saber and held it in his hands. It was his most precious weapon, Forge's masterpiece that was given to him before he passed. It was a beautiful weapon, but also deadly and one that could kill easily.
"Mom, I could easily kill someone," Takeo stated. "I don't want to be responsible for injuring someone to the point of them not being able to be in the Hero Course anymore."
"That's admirable, but mistaken," Nakano replied. "I told you, every student who gets into the Hero Course knows that they're going to hurt every now and then. Do you know how many times I ended up in the infirmary after a fight?"
"How many?" Nakano chuckled and shrugged.
"Too many to count. The point I'm making is that almost every Quirk in the Hero Course can kill easily. Some of my classmates' Quirks included fire manipulation, razor claws, supersonic shouting, one even had a Gorilla Quirk…all of their Quirks could kill easily. That's why you must be disciplined, not restrained."
Takeo was rather uncomfortable with the idea of not holding back against his classmates. His weapons could kill easily if he wanted to, but as his mother pointed out, so could many other Quirks. Sadly, that did little to ease his fears.
"Stop holding back!" Forge demanded after Takeo, age twelve, lost a spear fighting match.
"I didn't want to hurt you badly, sir," Takeo responded.
"If I didn't want to get hurt, Raionhato, I wouldn't be training you," Forge countered. "If you hold back against other people who spar with you, you won't be showing concern, you'll be spitting in their faces."
"Ugh, gross," Takeo gagged. "What does spitting in their faces have to do with holding back?" Forge groaned and shook his head at Takeo's literal-mindedness.
"What I mean, Takeo, is that holding back against your sparring partners is disrespectful and you'd be robbing them of their chance to grow stronger. You need to consider that." He raised his wooden spear and gestured for another match.
"Takeo," Nakano addressed once more. "Holding back won't be a sign of looking out for them. They'll view it as you not thinking they're worth the effort. You need to correct this if you're to stay in the Hero Course. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mom," Takeo responded. Nakano placed her hand on her son's shoulder.
"You have a very caring heart and I don't want you to lose that, Takeo. But if you truly wish to show your care for others, then give it your all and accept that you'll injure them at times, accidentally or purposely."
As much as Takeo wanted to, he struggled with that thought. He wanted to earn and keep his place in the Hero Course, but he didn't want to potentially cripple others to do so. The weapons Takeo used could easily kill someone, but as Nakano pointed out, so could many other Quirks he'd encounter.
Regardless, he knew he'd have to overcome this mindset eventually. If he failed or if he didn't give his all, he could be the one kicked out and he had come too far in his training to fail now.
At school, Takeo's days went on as usual. He'd meet up with Satoshi half-way and they'd walk to school together, often in time for their first period of class. He'd have the occasional encounter with Kaze Yonoka, often resulting in a deep glare from him. Luckily, they only had one period together, so for the rest of the day, Takeo could often avoid him.
When lunch came around, Takeo and Satoshi were sitting with their friends again when the Sludge Villain Incident was brought up. One of the kids had discovered who the kids in the incident were, students from Aldera Junior High. One of them was indeed Quirkless as stated, the one who ran to save the trapped student before All Might arrived. The other was someone who had an explosion Quirk. Their names had been kept out of the media to protect their privacy, but it was certain that they came from Aldera Junior High and one of them was Quirkless while the other could create explosions.
"What was that Quirkless kid thinking?" one of the friends wondered. "I mean, come on; what kind of loser does something so stupid?"
"Someone who wants to help others," Takeo spoke, putting his drink that he was about to have. "He saw someone in danger and tried to help them while everyone else just stood on the sidelines."
"As brave as his actions were, Takeo, they were rash," Satoshi insisted. "He could've become a hostage himself, potentially killed. There's a reason why situations likes this are left to licensed Pro Heroes."
"Raionhato," one of his friends addressed. "You can't be a hero without a Quirk. It's not possible."
"Why should it matter if someone has a Quirk or not?" Takeo countered. "If someone has the strength and courage to do what heroes need to do, then I say let them become heroes."
"That's Raionhato," one of the other students pointed out. "Always the idealist."
"It's just basic human courtesy to extend a hand to those in need of help," Takeo responded.
In the eyes of the young Takeo Raionhato, it shouldn't matter if one had a Quirk or not; if they had the morality and strength to be a hero, then he'd gladly accept them. Though he himself wasn't Quirkless, he hated the idea of discriminating against them. They didn't choose to be Quirkless, they were simply born that way. He knew that struggle all too well himself, though not in the form of Quirklessness.
After twenty minutes, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and for everyone to go to their next periods.
Before Takeo knew it, nine months had passed and only month remained before the Entrance Exam. During that time, he had grown stronger with his weapons while also training in hand-to-hand combat with his mother.
"Only one more month," Takeo stated as he and his mother had dinner together while the much bigger Peter was eating from his food bowl. "One more month and the Entrance Exam officially begins."
"Now just remember, Takeo," Nakano addressed. "If you land in General Studies like I did, don't get angry. You'll still have a chance to earn a spot in the Hero Course. But remember, spots in the Hero Course are hard to earn and harder to keep. If your teacher believes you're unfit for the Hero Course, they can easily replace you."
"Yes, Mom," Takeo groaned. "You've said it over a thousand times already."
"Watch your tone," Nakano sternly demanded. "And I'm repeating it because of how important it is. Your tendency to hold back against your opponents could cost you. Now, that doesn't mean you can injure them as you please, but don't hold back against them. Be disciplined, not restrained."
Be disciplined, not restrained. She had said that every time she brought up Takeo's tendency to hold back against his opponents. He had to give it his all while also making sure not to go too far in his fighting, not hold back against his fellow classmates. They all understood the risks of getting injured and Takeo accepted that as well, but injuring and potentially ending their chances of becoming heroes were two separate things.
A deep fear lingered in Takeo, fueling his tendency to hold back, one that hadn't been properly addressed.
Three days remained before the Entrance Exam. Takeo only had one major task left: to visit the grave of his mentor, Forge, and pay his respects. He had died shortly after finishing Takeo's greatest weapons, the sword Lion Saber, the shield Lion Mane, and the bow Lion Hunter.
He went to a different cemetery this time, one in a location other than the one where his old friend, Anzu, laid in peace. It was much closer to his house than the other one, so he decided to walk there rather than have Nakano drive him. The only thing he brought with him was the original Lion Saber, which he had sheathed on his belt.
Upon arriving, Takeo looked for the tombstone of his mentor, which was easy to find since he had attended the funeral. Once he found it, he knelt down and unsheathed Lion Saber, gently pressing the tip of its amber-colored blade on the cold stone.
"Hello, Forge," Takeo greeted. "For years, ever since…ever since…my dad…" He sighed heavily.
"You trained me ever since I was nine years old. You initially didn't want to take me as your apprentice, but you did. You taught me so much that has allowed me to push forward in my pursuit of becoming a Pro Hero."
"What!?" Takeo gasped after recently turning fourteen. "You're…you can't…!"
"Sorry, kid," Forge apologized. "I've only got a few weeks left."
Forge had recently been diagnosed with an incurable disease, one that would eventually kill him in several weeks. He had just told Takeo the news…and it was obvious that he was not taking it well.
"But…I need you!" Takeo started to cry. "Please, there has to be someone who can help you!"
"I've already tried," Forge responded. "No one can heal me. I…I don't have time left." Takeo's eyes watered heavily as he knelt down and started to cry.
Ever since he was nine years old, Forge had taught him how to fight and how to improve his Quirk. He hoped to learn so much more from him, but with his incurable disease, it was cruelly ripped away from him.
Takeo felt a hand touch his chin and gently pull his face up to look at Forge.
"I don't regret taking you as my apprentice. You've grown so much ever since we started. I'm proud of the hero you'll one day become. To show it, I'd like to spend my last several weeks making my masterpieces, ones that will serve you well."
Three weeks passed when Forge called Takeo back to give him his three greatest creations: the sword Lion Saber, the shield Lion Mane and the bow Lion Hunter. They were his last gifts to Takeo before his eventual passing from his illness.
"You put your faith in me, sir. I'll never forget what you taught me. I will become a hero you can be proud of! I promise you, here and now! I will get into the Hero Course and I will become a Pro Hero just as you were!"
Author's Notes: This chapter is shorter than the last one, but I didn't want it to feel like it dragged on. Hope you enjoyed! If you have any constructive criticism, please leave a review or PM me! Please keep your reviews free of strong profanity. Keep reading and writing, my fellow writers!