Marina accompanied me as long as she could but was needed at her agency for some paperwork that still had to be finished. Now, I am left to unpack my two carry-ons in my new apartment. My phone is tuned into Present Mic's broadcast to fill the dead air. His voice crackles to life, booming with energy and making the move feel a little less daunting.

"What's up heroes and listeners? It is I, Present Mic, here with the latest and greatest from the world of heroes. I have got some BIG news for ya today! Hold onto your hats, because we have a brand-new member joining the UA faculty!"

I fold a sweater for a shelf in my closet, fingers trembling.I don't have hangers or much of anything quite yet. Of course he knows–he works there, after all–but still, there is a spark of nerves crackling through my chest.

"That's right! Aegis, the Pro Hero from America, just recently touched down in Japan! Known for their crazy healing ability, Aegis is joining the ranks of our staff. Things are getting more and more intense around here, and what better upgrade than bringing in an additional healing quirk onto our staff. Keep an eye on them, folks, because UA is about to get even more legendary! Whoooo!"

My email has been flooding with emails from faculty welcoming me to the school:

Subject: Welcome Aegis

Dear Staff,

I hope this email finds you all well! I am excited to announce that tomorrow, Pro-Hero Aegis will be joining us as part of the faculty. With their impressive healing quirk, Aegis will be a valuable asset to students and staff. After the scare we had during the USJ incident, Aegis's recruitment is a proactive move to ensure we are better equipped to support our students in their training, as well as to handle unforeseen injuries or emergencies.

To ensure Aegis gets a warm and smooth welcome, here's the plan for tomorrow:

Staff Meeting: We will kick things off with a staff meeting before classes start in the main conference room. I expect you all to be there. This will be an opportunity to formally introduce Aegis to everyone and discuss how they fit into our current operations.

Tour of the School: After the meeting, Aegis will be given a tour of the school, getting familiar with our facilities and the layout of the grounds. This will also be a chance for them to meet some of the students and see how we do things here at UA

Settling In: After the tour, Aegis will have some time to settle into the nurse's office and get acclimated. Let's hope they won't have any new patients on their first day (please keep an eye on Midoriya, Mr. Aizawa) . We want to ensure they have everything they need to feel comfortable in their new role, so feel free to drop by and offer a hand if necessary.

Please be on hand to introduce yourself and make Aegis feel like a part of the team. We are thrilled to have them on board!

If you have any questions or need further details, don't hesitate to reach out.

Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, Aegis!

Best regards,

Nezu

Principal

UA High School

Reply: All

RE: Welcome Aegis

From: Yamada Hizashi

Who is doing the tour? I would LOVE to show them around.

Reply: ALL

RE: RE: Welcome Aegis

From: Nezu

Dear All,

Thank you for your enthusiasm, Yamada. I appreciate your eagerness to make Aegis feel welcome.

As for the tour, I plan on accompanying them personally to ensure they get all the necessary information about the school and its facilities. However, I do encourage you to join us. It will be a great opportunity to get to know Aegis and make them feel more at home.

Best regards,

Nezu

Present Mic's electric personality never fails to charm me, and his shout out on the broadcast–and his eager reply-all about giving me a tour–manage to soothe some of my nerves. At least one person is excited to meet me, which feels like a win before I have even started. Ah, wait–two people, if I count All Might. Not that I want to always make everything about my mother, but I wish other people's perceptions of me didn't cut me so deeply. I will be okay. There are good people here, and this is a chance for new beginnings: new coworkers, new routines, new everything.

With my meager belongings unpacked–the rest still being shipped here–I decide to call it an early night. Tomorrow is going to be socially exhausting, and I know I will need every ounce of energy that I can muster. Thankfully, I was smart enough to bring a sleeping bag. Who knows when my bed will finally arrive? With the lights off and the room uncomfortably empty, I settle into the bag, Blue Curacao–my stuffed axolotl–tucked safely in my arms.

Morning comes all too quickly, though it takes the third of the ten alarms I set to finally pry me from sleep's grasp. Sliding into my uniform, I check the time and realize I managed to get up earlier than I expected. The perfect excuse for coffee! I leave my apartment, meandering to work, taking a moment to get an iced latte on the way. I let the cool drink and quiet morning ground me before I can make it there and my day really begins.

When I arrive at campus, All Might is waiting by the entrance, waving me over to him with a face splitting smile. I fall into step alongside him, exchanging polite greetings as we walk. There is something about his presence that catches my attention: a subtle tension in the way he moves, almost imperceptible. My healer's instincts flare up unbidden. I can tell he is hurt, but I debate whether I should say anything.

"So, I heard you caught up with Sonique," I open the conversation, trying to get past the greetings and small talk.

"Yeah, Marina's been wonderful!," All Might responds, with a wide smile. Even his smile seems different than it was back when we worked together.

I glance around–no one is nearby. "All Might," I say, lowering my tone, "she noticed something's off with you, and frankly, I can tell too."

He freezes, his smile cracking. For a moment, I see something beneath it, but it disappears just as quickly as I catch it. He tries to straighten up, brushing it off with a forced laugh, "It's nothing really," he says, his voice light, but there's a definite edge to it. I know to look for it, and that makes it all the more noticeable. "Just a little tired from things lately, nothing that'll stop me."

I study him for a moment before choosing my words carefully. "Whatever it is seems more serious than that. I assume that you're being all secretive because you feel beyond repair, and you're probably right, but I can at least take a little off your shoulders now and then, okay. Just…let me know."

He looks at me, the usual glint in his eye dimmer than usual, but he does not answer. He's weighing the choice I have faced him with in his mind, deciding whether to let his guard down or not.

"We're here," he says, opening the door and closing the conversation. I watch as he steps inside, his posture straight, but his movements carry a gravitas to them. I know I've just scraped the surface.

I push the awkward encounter aside, focusing instead on the room of unfamiliar faces before me. I straighten my posture and take a steadying breath, mentally preparing myself for the marathon before me.

The day kicks off with the dreaded staff meeting, and despite Nezu's warm demeanor and efforts to make me feel at ease, I cannot shake the sensation of being examined beneath a microscope. I note that several members of the staff are not at all inconspicuous as they examine me, analyzing me. Their questions come fast, one after another. I am doing my best to match faces to names and follow the conversation, my brain is working overtime to adjust to the language and foreign environment.

In the whirlwind, I focus on the words over the pressure of the moment, reminding myself I have been in much worse scenarios, that I can handle this.

An itching curiosity gets the better of me: "Who is Midoriya and why is Aizawa supposed to be keeping an eye on him today?"

All Might's booming laugh fills the room for a moment, though it is truncated by a cough. There is a strange nervousness about him that I cannot quite place. Before I can dwell on it, a dark-haired man seated far from me answers flatly, his voice a shadow cutting all the way across the room to me. "He has a tendency to break bones every time he uses his quirk."

Oh. Oh dear. I see.

It's not like I haven't healed broken bones before, but the way he says it makes me think it may be a routine occurrence. I may need to invest in some painkillers and sleeping pills.

"You must be Aizawa," I say, tilting my head slightly, taking in his tired expression and the bags under his eyes, and ruminating on his monotonous delivery.

Present Mic, ever an angel, waves a hand in his direction. "Yep, That's Aizawa! Also known as Eraserhead. He is the stoic one in the room, but don't let that fool you! He's good people."

I offer Aizawa a polite nod, though his expression remains unreadable.

Then it hits me–where are my manners? I have barely introduced myself. There was a somewhat mild introduction by All Might earlier, but it feels insufficient now. I timidly raise a hand, and the room quiets down. Clearing my throat, I offer a slight bow.

"Thank you so much for having me! As you know I am the pro Hero Aegis. My name is Rory Everett, and I, hmm…," I falter realizing how woefully unprepared I am for this kind of self-introduction, "what is a fun fact about me?" I wonder aloud to myself.

I stall by sipping what remains of my iced coffee, the cool liquid gives me an extra second to think. The silence stretches slightly, but not uncomfortably so. Everyone waits patiently for me to finish. I glance over the people in the room, searching for inspiration. "Oh, I guess, I will also be working at Sonique's agency while I'm here. She specializes in search and rescue, so it's a good fit for me."

There is a ripple of nods and murmured acknowledgement, the approval sends a mild flush to my face. Mentioning my collaboration with Sonique seems to take the edge off this interaction so far. It's a reminder as to why I am here. It is a small step, but it feels like it is going in the right direction.

Sonique put in a lot of leg work to convince me to come here. Together, we just launched an athletic quirk-friendly clothing line–something we've been pouring over designs for, and we are prepping the next launch now that I'm here. We always talked about starting a business together before they moved away, and now we're finally making that a reality.

Nezu steers the conversation asking, "Is there anything else you would like to share with the staff? Or perhaps any questions for us?"

A nervous laugh escapes me, and I shift, "So serious," I joke, though I know it's fair. I glance around the room, deciding to address what is likely on everyone's mind. "I suppose I should explain the details of my quirk, since you all are my colleagues now, and I may need your support in the future. It's not as simple as healing."

All Might nods, leaning forward, resting his chin on his fist. His gaze is curious but kind, contrasting Aizawa's stare which becomes sharper, carving into me. I hesitate, looking away from him, focusing on Midnight–Nemuri. I think she introduced herself as Nemuri, I believe. Her glittering smile is reassuring, and I manage to offer one in return, feeling steadied enough to continue. "The core of my quirk is healing," I explain, my voice steady despite the nerves bubbling under the surface, "but it's more complex than that. I can repair tissue damage, mend bones, and even stabilize critical injuries. But–" I pause, surveying the attentive faces around the room, searching for the right words, "-it's sympathetic. It's not healing the way Recovery Girl does, I take on the injury, or rather, just the pain."

I watch the realization travel through the room, pulling a shadow over faces as it does. "The trade-off," I continue, "is that I can't sustain injuries myself for a period after healing someone, depending on the severity of what I have transferred. It's a strange invulnerability, I suppose. Some things I cannot heal like absent limbs. I have my own limits, unfortunately," I laugh a prickling nervous peal.

The brief silence makes the air feel uncomfortable and thick. Nezu nods, "A unique and remarkable ability," he muses, "and one you have honed well, from what I know. Though it must require significant resilience." He taps the table, "Well, anything you have to ask us."

I hum, "Is there anything important I should know starting here?" Possibly the best and worst question I could have asked. The conversation shifts to something more serious. I receive a full unfiltered update about the League of Villains. A crazy name by the way. Who came up with that? It had been one thing to hear of them while in America, entrenched in my own problems, but hearing the finer details, the plans, and the key players…is unsettling to say the least. Reality bites no matter where you are.

I do my best to absorb every name and face in the room as well as the information that has just filtered through to me. The road before me is long.

The topic of the Sports Festival also comes up. Nezu explains its significance to the schools reputation, serving as a critical stage for students to showcase their abilities to prospective agencies. The sheer scale of the event is staggering, but a pang of excitement ripples through me. I'm eager to help support the students in such an important milestone. It reminds me of my internship days.

The Sports Festival will be a test for the students, but I'm realizing it will be one for me as well. It's a chance to prove my own capabilities and establish myself as a reliable figure here. I should make sure I carve out time to train.

Nezu gives me a thorough tour of the campus that leaves my mind reeling. It's cast–more than I ever anticipated–and as we pass from place to place, building to building, each hallway, classroom, and corner seems to carry its own unique purpose and atmosphere. There's so much to take in, and I can't help but feel slightly out of place. My mind tries to catalog everything, but the scale of it all makes me feel like I am in a chase sequence.

Remaining as composed and enigmatic as ever, Nezu occasionally offering snippets of information in a dry and playful manner. "Here we have the pool," he gestures with a flourish, "where you'll find the very best of our aquatic classes, though I don't know if you'll be participating in any of that action." He pauses, looking up at me seemingly meek, but a crooked smile playing out on his face, "Not all heroes need to swim, right?" he adds, teasing.

He shows me the nurses office', which, as expected, seems to carry an air of calm despite its role. We peek in, and Recovery Girl offers me a smile. "This is where you'll find the head nurse, and where you'll probably spend quite a bit of time," Nezu continues, "you'll probably be able to find your way back here on your own."

I'm starting to grasp that he's peppering these little scraps of humor, making the tour itself feel less rigid and more like a gentle introduction.

We move on, passing various classrooms–business, support, general studies, and those geared toward hero training. Nezu emphasizes the importance of different support class, which I am well familiar with. "We have a wide range of courses here, covering general studies to hero-specific training," he explains, with a puff of his chest. "And these rooms here are for those with a focus on the business side of things," he adds with a nod almost a salute of some kind.

"Do you know my clothing line I'm running with Sonique? It's not quite hero gear but it's more aimed at training purposes. An in between, you could say."

He raises an eyebrow. "I actually didn't. A unique endeavor," he mulls it over, "there's certainly a market for training gear that blends functionality with style."

I nod in agreement, "Yeah, it's called Velocity. It's more of a passion project than anything right now." Even saying as much, he seems interested or perhaps appreciative of it.

As the tour continues, I feel like I'm starting to grasp the lay of the land, but there's still a lot to take in. After the exchange regarding my business, we make it to the cafeteria and Yamada joins us. "You can't forget about the cafeteria," he declares, sweeping his arms as though presenting to an entire audience rather than little old me, "a great place to get food of course, but if you're really lucky, you might catch a surprise food fight. A classic!" He winks at me and his brightness settles the nervous energy that's been simmering in my chest.

The tour draws to an end and Yamada departs with a quick wave, heading off to teach a class. I find myself standing in the midst of a sprawling campus, a tad overwhelmed but excited nonetheless. I think I can make this work.

Making my way to the nursing office, I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize I am nearing the end of my whirlwind day. My mind is buzzing, but I am ready for a moment of peace. The door swings open, and there, waiting patiently is Recovery Girl. She greets me with a kind smile and a knowing look, identifying my nervous energy on the spot. "I hope you have been settling in okay."

I ask her about what her typical day looks like, and she tells me to take a seat. As I lower myself into the offered chair, she begins talking me through the regulars–students who come in frequently, the troublemakers, and the kinds of injuries I might expect to see. I listen intently, making mental notes as I do.

At some point, her tone shifts, becoming more serious. She asks about my own limits, and the weight of her words sinks into me. "And with the Sports Festival coming up," she adds, "there will be no shortage of challenges. Between the high-stakes and students pushing themselves to the limits, we are about to get very busy, you and I." Her words are measured, but I feel the subtle weight of expectation behind them.

Look," she says, leaning forward slightly, her eyes steady. "You'll see plenty of students coming through here. Some will need more than just a quick fix. You have a gift, Aegis, but I don't need to tell you that it comes with its own price. If you need help, you need to ask. Don't be too proud to let me know if you're overwhelmed or need backup. These kids can be a handful, and I won't be here 24/7 to hold your hand. But," she adds in a softer tone, "If you feel ready, take on the responsibility as you see fit. Just remember, we're a team."

Her seriousness sinks in, but I appreciate the honesty. I've always known my limits, but hearing it from someone who's seen it all before stings, literally. My eyes grow heavy with weight of it, and despite my best efforts a tear escapes. "Yes, of course," I say, my voice catching. I blink several times, trying to regain control.

Her gaze softens, but she does not interrupt as I struggle to find the words to say, something I have been doing all day. I swallow hard before speaking again. "I would like to take over as much from Midoriya as possible, however."

She watches me closely, and nods after a moment. "What makes you say that?"

The words are floating around in my head, and I try to explain as best I can. "You heal, but every time you heal, it's another time in the future he can't be healed. It's time away from him. I can help him without taking that future healing he might need from him, so I would like to prioritize him."

Her expression softens even further. She does not break the atmosphere in the room immediately, an understanding in her eyes of the shared responsibility we carry. She has seen him struggle, and she knows the delicate balance of healing.

"I understand," she says, her voice warmer than before. "It is admirable. Just remember that your own well-being is important as well. You cannot help others if you cannot take care of yourself, but I think you are on the right path."

I think so too.