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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Prelude to the Academia Epic

A man dreamt of the world’s salvation.

A man chose the survival of his species.

I wished for a single person’s happiness.

Shirou Emiya’s life had been one long, cold hell. Found in the wreckage of Shinjuku, he was adopted by his savior, Kiritsugu Emiya. Shirou became the Mage Killer’s son, and traveled by his side, helping Kiritsugu find a way to accomplish his dream. His dream to save the world.

France, Rome, Greece, London, Denver, Jerusalem, and Iraq. All of these places Shirou and Kiritsugu traveled, looking for the Holy Grail that would save the dying world. They failed in every location until their last one, Fuyuki. There, in a storm of darkness, Shirou found Miyu Sakatsuki. The Child of God that could grant wishes. Kiritsugu adopted her immediately, intending to sacrifice her to save the world.

However, Shirou grew close to the young girl. So when Kiritsugu passed away without fulfilling his dream, Shirou chose a new dream; to protect this young girl as his own sister. He raised her and cared for her, and with her own godlike power, she chose to be his sister. That oath, made under the starlit snow, was one of the most important days of Shirou’s life.

However, that dream came crashing down. When Shirou took Miyu back to her ancestral home, they were discovered by Julian Ainsworth and his own sister, Angelica. Julian had once been Shirou’s friend, but no longer. Now that Julian knew where the Child of God was, he kidnapped Miyu, bringing her away to serve as the cornerstone for his ritual to save  the world. Shirou tried to stop this, and Angelica stopped him with the power of the King of Heroes. 

Shirou almost fell into despair. He tried everything, everything he could to get into the Ainsworth stronghold. Nothing worked, and Shirou had to return home. Again, and again, trying to grasp the warmth of his life with Miyu. 

Then, the path was open. Sakura Matou, Shirou’s junior at the Archery Club, was one of the few normal pieces of Shirou’s life. Yet, she knew of the Ainsworths’ true self. She knew of the Holy Grail War, the ritual that those Ainsworths were going to use Miyu as a sacrifice for. She knew all of this.

She also knew how to save Miyu.

She thought that she had the Archer Card containing Gilgamesh’s power. She planned to give it to Shirou, and allow him to fight and win the Holy Grail War with the overwhelming strength of that card. Sakura may have wanted Shirou to abandon that idea, and simply run away with her, but she knew in her heart the kind of man Shirou Emiya was. 

Shirou Emiya chose to take the path to save his sister, and it cost Sakura her life. Her brother, an unknown Matou scion, attacked the Emiya household. Sakura tried to hold him off, but to no avail. She died, taking a hit meant for Shirou.

Not willing to lose everything, Shirou took hold of Sakura’s last gift: a Class Card that was meant to be empty. A trash card, meant to distract the young magus girl. However, it was bonded to a counter-guardian. Shirou’s own future self. By installing, Shirou gained the powers he needed to save Miyu. 

Assassin, Caster, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, all these Players for the Holy Grail War were cut down by the power of that False Archer card. Even Saber, wielding the might of the King of Knights, was struck down by the might of a Broken Phantasm. Once that final piece fell, Shirou Emiya headed to Mount Enzo. There, resting in an underground cavern, rested the Holy Grail System.

Bypassing Julian Ainsworth with the strength of his “evil” convictions, Shirou Emiya arrived at the Altar of the Holy Grail. He presented the seven Class Cards to the Grail, all to make a simple wish. A wish from an older brother to protect his younger sister.

“I wish upon the Holy Grail. I pray you find a world where you won’t have to suffer any longer. I pray that you meet kind people. I pray you find friends you can laugh with. I pray you find a warm, small share of happiness.”

With these words, the Holy Grail took Miyu into itself, and prepared a journey to a Parallel World. Meanwhile, Shirou Emiya engaged in battle with the true wielder of the Archer Class Card. Angelica Ainsworth, who wielded the power of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. Their battle would be taken into the Reality Marble of Shirou Emiya, Unlimited Blade Works.

And this is where our story branches. For one timeline, the Holy Grail would eventually take Miyu to a world with happiness. A normal world, where she could for a short time, become friends with Illyasviel Von Einzbern. A short time of normalcy, before the world of Magecraft would drag her back in. A small share of happiness.

But that is not this story. This story will go another path.

***

Miyu opened her eyes to see a bright, blue sky. She blinked, wondering where she was. As she sat up, she glanced around to find herself in a grassy field dotted with a variety of flowers. All shades of blues, reds, and yellows dotted the landscape. The ground itself was soft, and if one were to tell her that this was Heaven, she would believe it. 

Standing up, Miyu could tell she stood out, with her black as night dress, given to her by the Ainsworths, contrasting against the summer day vibe of the scenery. Still, she didn’t let it bother her, as she continued to look around, seeking any sign of intelligent life. 

Miyu found it a bit to her left, as there was another young girl here. Dressed in a mint green dress with blonde hair, this stranger was hunched over what seemed to be a series of ponds, watching them intently. Before Miyu could say anything, the stranger perked up, and turned to face her. Her eyes were a pale blue and they greatly unnerved Miyu, causing her to step back.

“Oh, you are awake? That’s curious, that doesn’t always happen here,” the girl smiled at something that amused only her, “Well then, perhaps things will be more interesting.” She fully stood up, and brushed off the grass that had accumulated on her dress. Once satisfied with her appearance, she faced Miyu and gave her a small curtsy, “Hello, Miyu Sakatsuki. I am Manaka Sajyou, and I am the operator of the Holy Grail System.”

“Operator? I thought that’s why the Ainsworths wanted me? I was their Holy Grail, the tool they searched for five years,” Miyu started off cool-headed, but as the confusion set in, she struggled to hold back her anger, “Why would they kidnap me if they had you?”

Manaka cocked her head to the side, “It’s simple. You are the Vessel for the Holy Grail, but without a control system, your will would override any wishes that the Ainsworths would be able to use. As such, the Ainsworths allied themselves with my family, the Sajyous, and with the Makiri, to create the Holy Grail War. The Makiri had the means to bind both Heroic Spirits to the Class Cards and any Vessels to the system, while my family was strong in this land, so we could create the forge needed. I was used as a sacrifice by my father to guide all the Vessels to answer the Ainsworth wish.”

Miyu was obviously aghast, “And how many of these... Vessels,” she spat out the world, hating how dehumanizing it was, “did you lead to sacrifice themselves like you?”

“None.” Manaka’s simple answer stopped Miyu’s tirade in her tracks. “You are the first Vessel to make it this far. Every other Vessel died in the previous battles, and even caused exceptional damage like the last Holy Grail War five years ago. It’s why Darius wanted to reduce the combatants to his dolls and claim victory for himself.” Manaka glanced back down at one of the ponds at her feet, “You have to admit, your brother did well. Ruining the plans of a man who lived thousands of years is quite the impressive feat. And he did it with his own power, well, sort of,” Manaka laughed at another joke that was amusing to herself, it was getting irritating, “Regardless, you should be proud of him. While a fake hero, he does possess genuine heroic instincts. He reminds me of a gallant knight, seeking to save his princess.”

Miyu’s face blushed at Manaka’s expression, before shaking it off and asking, “So, you’re supposed to get me to grant the Ainsworth wish, right? How are you planning on doing that?” Miyu glanced aside, remembering Darius’s words about her true nature as a Child of God, that she was a wish granter of immense power, but that power would decrease as she grew older. “I don’t even know how to use the power everyone thinks I have.”

“Well, you are wrong on two counts,” Manaka stated, swaying side to side, “First, I’m not going to get you to follow what the Ainsworths want out of you. I allowed myself to be a sacrifice for my own goals, and at this point, my objectives and theirs are too different. I much rather have your brother’s wish granted, so I was actually looking for a worldline that would fulfill his requirements.” She turned back to the ponds, causing Miyu to finally step forward and look into them.

They weren’t ponds. They seemed that way physically, but the surface didn’t reflect the two young girls’ faces, but rather, of images of other worlds. Miyu blinked, stunned at the large variety of images and scenery she was seeing. “These... are alternate Worlds?”

“Yup. Since that old coot Zelretch helped found the Holy Grail War here in this worldline, it has partial access to the Second Magic. I can use the mana reservoir your brother earned from the Class Cards to observe and pick out the worldline you’d be happiest in. Pretty neat, right?”

Miyu slowly nodded, “And the second thing?”

“Right, the second thing. You do know how to use the power you were given. It’s native to your family, it’s instinctual. You’ve even already used it.” Manaka looked right into Miyu’s eyes, “I have to say, that shade suits you.”

That night... Miyu recalled that starry night, when she wished to become Shirou’s actual biological sister. The next day, in the mirror, her ruby red eyes had changed to become more of an amber color, the same as her brother. “I still don’t know how I did that.”

“Just focus on that feeling, and imagine the world that you want to live in. Once I find a world that mostly overlaps with that image, I can send you there, and you will live a small, happy life there. No need to worry about anything here.” Manaka smirked, “You are given the opportunity of a lifetime, so don’t waste it.”

Miyu looked at Manaka, the strange girl’s words rubbing the Child of God the wrong way, “What about my brother? What will happen to him?”

Manaka bit her lip, then pulled Miyu over to a different pond. In it, the image was that of a snow covered field, with countless swords scattered about. Miyu gasped as she saw her older brother, Shirou Emiya, race at Angelica, with their swords being blasted at each other. 

“Just like how we aren’t in the same reality as the normal world anymore, so too are Shirou Emiya and Angelica Ainsworth. He’s fighting to buy you time to escape to your new world. Your brother isn’t coming with you.”

***

The waning moon shone over the snow covered field as salvo after salvo of swords were countered immediately by their counterfeits. Shirou Emiya raced towards Angelica Ainsworth, pressing his advantage within the Unlimited Blade Works. Wielding Dyrnwyn, the sword of White-Hilt, Shirou counted every step as a small victory. Buying seconds upon seconds so that Miyu could escape this accursed worldline. 

Blocking two swords that were aimed at his thigh and shoulder respectively, Shirou counter-fired seventeen more swords, right before they could exit the Gate of Babylon. The resulting explosion rocked the ground upon Angelica Ainsworth’s feet, causing her next barrage to go wild. “He’s a step ahead?” Angelica panicked, then summoned a bunker’s worth of shields to protect herself, lining the outside with further portals from the Gate. The resultant volley wasn’t accurate, but still dangerous.

“TOO SLOW!!!” Shirou cast aside Dyrnwyn and grabbed Naegling, one of the two swords wielded by Beowulf. A large slash ripped the golden treasures, sending them off errant directions. Continuing to follow the momentum, Shirou jerked his body with the slash, guiding around and over his shoulder to throw the mighty blade as a Broken Phantasm.

“With those treasures, that Heroic Spirit is no doubt a king. Someone who could thoughtlessly look down on someone like me, practicing a single technique. Someone with a duty to fulfill!!” With the roar of metal, Shirou launched the Broken Naegling into the Ainsworth’s bunker, shattering all of the treasures involved into golden dust. The shockwave caused Angelica Ainsworth to stumble further back, implanted rage from the Heroic Spirit marring her face.

Shirou didn’t pay it any mind. As the two combatants shot another volley of Noble Phantasms at each other, he grabbed a bow with his left and the other sword of Beowulf with his right, Altering it to become an arrow. “At this range, with this arrow, I HAVE HER!!!” Shirou drew back the bow, and the second the explosion cleared, Angelica saw the Hound of the Red Plains being set against her.

“HRUNTING!!!”

The missile shot forward, seeking its prey with murderous rage. Angelica’s eyes widened as she changed the Gates she had opened from an offensive formation to a defensive one, forming a bladed wall that resembled snarled teeth. That wall did little, as once the blade impacted the wall, the Hound diverted along the wall’s side, seeking entry. It slipped past the edge, ready to pierce right into the Ainsworth!

Only to be Displaced thirty meters into the air. Shirou’s eyes went wide as the bladed wall rearranged itself, so that the majority of the Babylonian treasures were fired upon him while a handful of others were fired upon the Broken Phantasm. Hrunting was shattered in the air, and Shirou only managed to barely leap back and counter with Moralltach and Beagalltach. 

“ Spatial Displacement, the magecraft that they used to protect their mansion... of course they can use it as a personal shield! ” Shirou berated himself silently as he prepared to counter Angelica’s next volley of Noble Phantasms. “ That’s fine, I’m sure I can find some Anti-Magecraft Noble Phantasms here. I’ll only have one shot, so it’ll need to be a sure thing. ”

Firing off another volley, Angelica bellowed “DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF THE AINSWORTHS!” Shirou returned fired and countered with twin Celtic swords until they shattered. Angelica snarled out another demand, “SURRENDER NOW, AND LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS!!!” 

In response, Shirou smirked, twirled around another golden projectile shot at him, and called forth a spear to his right hand and shield in his left. Forged in ancient Greece, they served the Spartan King who refused to back down against the face of overwhelming odds against his people. 

“Come and get them.” Shirou charged, his swords flying alongside him. Angelica snarled as she brought a golden ax to bear against his shield. The resulting clash of metal signaled that the fight was far from done...

***

“No, no, no no no!” Miyu cried out, stunned at the words Manaka had just uttered. At the very concept she was trying to imply, “I’m not going to leave my brother behind here!”

“Why not?” Manaka tilted her head to the side. “It is his wish, after all. To save you now, he has stepped all over his ideals of justice. The Law of Equivalent Exchange is central to mages. To save you, he cannot save himself.” Manaka shook her head, “It’s the prerogative of the older sibling to protect the younger.” Manaka then stared right into Miyu’s eyes, pale blue meeting ember brown in their intensity. “Now, you must pick the worldline. If you don’t, this whole effort will be wasted.”

Miyu broke eye contact and took a deep breath. It wasn’t with Manaka she was upset with. It was the situation. She looked at the various ponds again. None of them called out to her. Even as the surface water showed her in some sort of happy situation, even surrounded by friends, Miyu could tell in her own eyes. She missed her big brother. He hadn’t fulfilled his promise to bring her to the beach...

“No, I’m not giving up on him. You want equivalent exchange? I’ll give you equivalent exchange. I’d give up a happy world without my big brother for any world that has him in it.” Miyu stood firm, gazing back at the Holy Grail’s operator. Manaka simply gazed back, an endless abyss hiding behind the facade of a small girl.

“Are you sure you want to take this gamble? There is less than a ten percent chance this deal works out for you. The most likely scenario is that your brother fails to defeat Angelica Ainsworth, and then everything is lost. Your brother will be executed, and you will be sacrificed for a cause you know nothing about.” Manaka’s words were firm, the voice of the judge handing down a dire sentence, “I will not help you beyond the outcome of this fight.”

“That’s fine. I will have no regrets. This is the only path for me.” Miyu stated with certainty, causing Manaka’s smirk to reappear. That was getting annoying. Setting that feeling aside, Miyu took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling Manaka had talked about earlier. The power of her lineage, the Wishcraft granted to the Child of God, surged through her body. “What do I need to do to save my brother?”

“The single path that can get you both out of this is simple.” Manaka stated simply, “Remind your brother you need him. If your connection is strong enough, he’ll find the path to victory. If not, this will all be for naught.”

Miyu nodded, then focused on that thread. That connection she made that night, when she made her wish upon the stars. That thread that had poured the energy needed for Shirou to fight this Holy Grail War. The power that continued to fuel the elder Emiya sibling in his fight against the elder Ainsworth sibling.

Big Brother! Please, please come back to me, big brother. Please, I need you...

***

Axe against shield. Spear against gauntlet. Swords against swords. Each blow was a cacophony of metal and thunder. As Shirou and his foe kicked back to gain space, he began a fast analysis.

Why didn’t she use Displacement to block those strikes just now? Does she have a cooldown before she can use it or... Shirou narrowed his eyes at Angelica’s sneer. Another barrage was fired from the Gates of Babylon, which Shirou countered and took off running around the Ainsworth. No, it’s the ego of the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh is forcing her to use the treasures within the Gate to beat my fakes. The only attacks that she’ll Displace are the ones that are sure to hit, like Hrunting. I need to find a way to force her to use Displacement, then beat that!

Battering aside a few projectiles, and ignoring the wounds two of them caused on his legs, Shirou started to go through the mental list the Counter-Guardian EMIYA had of every weapon within this steel factory. But, the second he did...

Big Brother!

“Miyu!?” Shirou gasped, wondering where her voice came from. Was she safe? She should be within the Grail, and Shirou had deployed his Reality Marble to fight Angelica... could Julian have slipped by him? What happens when someone enters the area where a Reality Marble was deployed? Shirou tried to remember Kiritsugu’s lessons, but the answer wasn’t coming to him. He was too caught up in the hypotheticals of why Miyu had called out to him...

“PLAYTIME’S OVER!!!” Angelica roared, immediately Displacing the ex-Ally of Justice into the air, just as she had done with Hrunting. Then, she reached out to the sides, and used two golden portals to unsheathe giant blades beyond the size of what mortals could use. “COME, IG-ALIMA, SUL-SAGANA!!!” The Cleaving Mountain Sword roared as it slashed at its foe, matched in fury by the Cleaving Ocean Sword.

Damn! I lost focus. There was no time to be distracted by whatever he heard. Shirou needed to defeat Angelica here and now, then find out why his sister was calling out to him. Pushing his circuits beyond his capability, Shirou roared out as he Traced the two Divine Constructs. 

It was sloppy. The work done to imitate the twin swords of Zababa would have infuriated the ancient god. Nevertheless, the hollow swords did their work, and held off the assault of the originals as Shirou ran across their length, making sure to land safely amongst the wreckage of the clash, the flames from the two Sul-Saganas hiding him from view.

Please, come back to me, Big Brother!

“I will, Miyu, I will,” Shirou swore an oath to himself, he will come out of here to see her. He felt Angelica channel her mana into something behind him, and when he turned he saw that his oath might have a slight complication. 

To call that thing a sword would be a disgrace to it. It had a hilt, and a blade, made of three opposing cylinders. But the Sword that Split Star from Creation was far beyond mortal comprehension. Shirou had pulled a miracle tracing two Divine Constructs. He would not be repeating that feat with this thing. 

“Though they may have been cheap imitations, you still managed to project those Divine Constructs and maintain this Reality Marble,” Angelica intoned, her words carrying a begrudged respect, “Your existence is flawed. You may prove to be a hindrance to the Last Legend we have written and put into motion for Humanity. Your irksome abilities, your strange use of magecraft, and your abhorrent self-destructive conviction... THEY WILL BE TORN TO PIECES WITH YOUR WORLD!!!”

Abhorrent self-destructive tendencies, huh? Yeah, Shirou did not factor his own survival into this when he embarked on this war. This crusade, not of justice, but of love and salvation for his little sister. As long as she was safe and happy, he could die. But...

Please, I need you

Miyu did care if he lived. She would be sad if he died. So that meant he could not die here. He had stopped living for his own sake a long time ago. But when he made the promise to be Miyu’s big brother, he had chosen to take a big responsibility. 

“Wow, I’m honored you’d bring something like that out just for me.” Shirou slowly said, as Angelica continued to charge up the ultimate Noble Phantasm. “There’s no sword in this world that can stand equal to it.” A plan came to mind, a reckless plan that only had a small chance to work...

Do it.

“So, it’d be rude of me to keep all of these fakes on stage. Let us grant that Sword the star of the show!” Shirou called out, and did the last thing Angelica Ainsworth expected him to do.

He released Unlimited Blade Works.

***

Angelica’s field of view flashed white, and before she knew it, she was back in the dark cavern, the only light being that of the Holy Grail working to grant that Faker’s wish. He was unable to hold out for any longer against me, huh. No matter, I will use Enuma Elish, destroy the Faker, and...

Angelica realized where they were. They were right back to where the fight started, with Shirou Emiya in between herself and the Holy Grail. She would destroy him if she used her trump card, but the vast energy contained wouldn’t only destroy the faker, it would spread out and destroy the whole cavern. She glared at the Faker, who smirked, then took off running at her, hiding his arms behind his back.

“ MONGREL!!!! ” the Ainsworth daughter snarled, as she went to stash away Ea. But the Sword was angry. It was drawn out by one who was not truly the King of Heroes. It was only by technicality that allowed it to be drawn at all. Now that it had been called forth, it WILL be used. It demanded it. 

Angelica, for the first time since the Child of God had been found, was truly panicking. It surprised her to realize she could still feel this amount of emotion. But when one was holding the ultimate bomb, one’s survival instincts would ensure these emotions were felt, she reckoned. She glared at the rushing villain who had ruined everything, then a plan formed. 

Displacement. She’ll wait until Shirou Emiya was right before her, then she would Displace him behind her and blast him there. The excess energy wouldn’t be caught up in the cavern, it could escape down the tunnel. Mount Ryuudou would have its dragon once more. 

Five meters away, Four meters, three meters, now! The second Shirou stepped within two meters of Angelica, she activated her Displacement field, ready to throw him behind her. But before she did, the Faker threw his left arm... and Angelica froze upon seeing his latest projection.

Rule Breaker. The Noble Phantasm of Medea of Colchis. The Heroic Spirit of the Caster Class Card that was given to the Doll of Atrum Gallasta to be disposed of in the Holy Grail War. He had fallen to Shirou Emiya, but clearly either he or that Heroic Spirit within him had seen that blade. 

Angelica knew exactly what the Destroyer of All Talismans does. So when Rule Breaker made contact with the Displacement field, Angelica wasn’t surprised to feel it shatter and rend itself. She was only mildly surprised when Shirou’s left hand joined with his right, holding another copy of Rule Breaker. Before she could react, Shirou took both hands and stabbed Rule Breaker right below her golden necklace, and severed the Installation of the Archer Class Card.

Shirou Emiya had won the Holy Grail War. After a thousand years, the Ainsworths were left with nothing. Now in her sweater and skirt, Angelica could do nothing but fall to her knees. She idly watched as the Class Card flittered above her, before the Faker, no, the Victor grabbed the Class Card, turned to the Holy Grail, and threw the Class Card into the system, providing it with more power to grant Shirou’s wish.

“How? How could you have won?” Angelica groaned out, “We have worked for a thousand years. Scraping together the plan for the Last Legend, to save the world...” 

Shirou Emiya turned back to her, a gentle grimace on his face, “Because I had to protect my little sister. Don’t you feel the same way towards Julian?”

“I am a Doll,” Angelica responded, and continued when Shirou’s eyes lit up in understanding, “I have lost almost all of my emotions. I only had my purpose to fulfill the Ainsworth’s will.”

Shirou looked down, his expression grim, “I see. That’s why you lost. My singular focus was to protect Miyu. You did what you were told, even as your heart cried out to protect Julian.”

Angelica didn’t respond. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was projecting his own thoughts on the matter. Maybe he was just justifying to himself as to why his victory was moral and just, when it had in fact doomed the world. “What will you do now, Victor of the Holy Grail?”

Shirou sighed and glanced around, “I don’t know. I thought for some reason that Miyu was calling out for help, but no one else is here. Did Julian return to your mansion?” Angelica nodded, and Shirou responded in kind, “Yeah, so there seems to be no threat. Unless she needs me in her new world, I guess I’ll stay-”

Before Shirou could finish that thought, a golden chain shot out of the Holy Grail, wrapping around Shirou Emiya’s wrist. A second later, another one wrapped around Angelica’s. The two former rivals looked at each other, then yelped as they were pulled into the Holy Grail. The Grail then brought all of the light within the cavern into itself, winked, and vanished, taking its passengers off to a new world...

***

It was the dark hours of a Sunday Morning in mid January. A door on a specific apartment opened up, then closed, with keys being inserted to lock it back up. Those keys were being held by a young man, dressed in a light green jacket and matching sweatpants. He wore red shoes and had untamed green hair.

Here’s the sad truth. All men are not created equal. When I was four years old I learned some kids had more powers than others. After all, this is a superhuman society, where 80% of the world had a meta-ability called a quirk.

The young man hurried down the staircase, quickly swiping on his phone to find what he wanted. He skipped over music tracks, self-help audio-books, and settled for Present Mic’s show, a Pro-Hero who also ran a radio show. He was interviewing two Pro-Heroes that the young man wanted to hear more about. Hitting play on the show, the young man put in his earbuds and pocketed his phone. He got to the sidewalk outside his apartment, and started stretching while the musical ads played.

Chaos and confusion engulfed the world at the appearance of these powers, and a new profession emerged: Pro-Heroes. I had always grown up wanting to be one, but I was born without an ability, I was born Quirkless. 

The young man got into starting position, stretched back, and the second Present Mic did his standard intro, “GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORRRRNNNNIIIINNNNGGG LISTENERS!!!!” the young man took off like a speeding bullet. He made sure to focus his movements properly, just like his mentor taught him. He smiled at the various people he ran by, trying to make sure his smile was wide and reassuring. 

But that won’t hold me back. If anything, that pushes me to do better. Even with my luck in life, I got to meet the number 1 hero, All-Might! We had a tough conversation, but after an incident that was kinda my fault, he tracked me down. He told me that I inspired him to act, to save the day, even with his limitations. He even told me...

The young man slowed down for a second, having come to a red light at the crosswalk. Even while he waited for the light to go green, he kept moving, listening idly as Present Mics interviewed the Number 3 hero and his mentor. The light turned to match the young man’s color scheme, and he took off running again, pushing to make sure his lungs were burning.

Nowadays, I’m working hard to train my body to enter U.A. Academy, the premiere school in Heroics. All-Might has me working on Takoba Beach, to make sure I’m doing service alongside my physical training. I like it! It’s a good feeling, knowing that my training isn’t only benefiting me, but the community around me.

As the young man kept running, he looked up to the early dawn sky. He noticed two shooting stars flashing overhead. Smiling, and making the same wish he had for over thirteen years, he lowered his head and pushed even harder.

Dreams can become reality. Oh by the way, my name is Izuku Midoriya, and this is the story of how I became the world’s greatest hero!!

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Beachside Battle

The Second Magic really did live up to its nickname of Kaleidoscope. As Shirou and Miyu floated through the space between worldlines, they were dazzled by the wondrous lights that twirled around them. Every hue visible to the human eye danced in wonder to them. In the future, at any amusement park the Emiya siblings would attend, the roller coasters would fall short of this wondrous display.

As they flew through the cosmos, Shirou picked up on seven lights that flew around them. Blue and silver, gold and red, blue and red, violet and white, indigo and gray, obsidian and purple, and gray and red. These lights spiraled around, eventually shooting forward to a large glowing sphere in front of them. Our new home, the two realized. 

The lights spread out, forming into a seven point magic circle. Shirou and Miyu flew right into it, and immediately found themselves underwater. Panicking, Shirou immediately grabbed Miyu and swam to the surface. The second they broke through the water, they gasped hard. Thankfully, Shirou was already pointed towards the shore, so he pushed his strained muscles to the shore line.

Safely arriving on the beach, Shirou set Miyu down on her back and glanced around, looking for Angelica Ainsworth. She’s nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the Holy Grail had seen fit to separate them? But then why did it bring her along in the first place? Deciding that was a mystery for another time, Shirou first checked to make sure Miyu was still breathing. She was panting, and shivering in the mystic code black dress the Ainsworths had put her in, but overall she was fine for now. Shirou glanced around at the beach, looking for any security threats.

...The biggest threat was that this place was a dump. It seemed likely that many people used this place to deposit illegal trash. All sorts of appliances, furniture, and even cars were littered all over the place. The part of Shirou that was well-known for fixing stuff was raging to take all of this and start repairing what was possible, but he shoved that thought aside for now. Right now, Shirou and Miyu were effectively homeless, with no resources available to be accessed. No secret Kiritsugu accounts, no contacts, nothing but two siblings with strange abilities that would possibly draw-

This is a world where 80% of the population has a meta-ability called a Quirk. These Quirks are a natural function of the human body, and thus can be trained and worn out. There are a variety of types, including Emitter-types, Mutant-Types, and Transformation-Types. The cause of the Quirk is located within the Quirk Factor as formed by the Plus Alpha Elements-

Shirou smacked his forehead to stop the strange infodump from continuing. Where did that... the Holy Grail . When it sent Miyu and himself to this new world, it must have granted them knowledge to be able to fit in. That was probably within the limits of the Holy Grail, right? He’d have to talk to Miyu about this, and make sure their cover story was the same between them and, more importantly, plausible. 

At this point, Miyu started to get up from the supine position Shirou had set her in when they got to the beach. Shirou immediately Traced a copy of the white coat he had had when he first Installed the Nameless Archer Class Card, and wrapped it around her, “Hey, Miyu, how do you feel?”

Miyu nuzzled into him, muttering something. Shirou rubbed her arms and back, trying to warm her up and dry her, “I’m sorry, Miyu, I didn’t understand what you just said, can you repeat it?” Miyu popped her head up to glare at Shirou, surprising the older brother. She then started swinging at him, though the white coat made it hard for her to actually land any hits that hurt.

“Dummy! Dummy, dummy, dummy, dummy!” Miyu spoke up, making her thoughts exceptionally clear, “What kind of big brother just sends his little sister off to another world without making sure she has a place to stay!” She stopped, then laid her head against his chest, “What, did you think saying something cool like ‘I’m an older brother, so I have to protect my younger sister’ makes it okay! Dummy!”

“Heh, you’re right Miyu, that was selfish of me, not thinking of my own survival for your sake,” Shirou remarked, a sly smirk on his lips at his sister’s childish outburst. The smirk faded, though, as he asked his next question, “I had thought that you would want nothing to do with me, seeing as you saw why Kiritsugu and I-”

“Kiritsugu. It was just Kiritsugu who wanted to use my power, right?” Miyu looked back up at Shirou’s face, ember eyes meeting ember eyes. “You never even tried to find a way. You raised me, fed me, taught me, and made sure that we could live a happy life. You even brought me to my old home, to tell me what Kiritsugu wanted to do, right?”

Shirou could only softly nod, stunned by her conviction. She nodded imperiously, “I thought so. Then I forgive you. You just need to promise there’ll be no more secrets between us, okay? If you do that, I can forget everything that happened in the past.” She raised her pinky finger, a gesture the older brother had forgotten he had taught her a long time ago. 

Shirou smiled, then raised his own pinky finger, and hooked it with hers, “Okay, no more secrets. Though, I don’t think we should be so hasty to forget everything from the past.” Miyu tilted her head in confusion, and Shirou gestured to the ocean. Miyu turned, and it suddenly struck her where she was. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and her arms went slack, dropping the white coat Shirou had carefully put on her.

“Welcome to the beach, Miyu.” At those words, Miyu gasped, then took off running into the water, the adrenaline of seeing an actual beach overriding any form of tiredness inflicted by the travel between worlds. She immediately splashed at the water, marveled at the sand, and began identifying the types of shells she saw on the beach.

Shirou smiled at the earnest joy, for the first time, feeling proud of something he had done. He looked around where she was playing, and thankfully there seemed to be none of the scrap that littered the rest of the beach. Which seemed a bit strange. Why would this area be...

Shirou, keeping Miyu in the corner of his eye, walked over to a nearby appliance. A washer, it appeared to once have been. Putting a hand on it, he used Structural Analysis on it. Yeah, someone had moved it recently away from the shoreline, but stopped because it was the end of the day. Someone was working to clean up this beach.

He looked at the trash heaps again, and could tell now how it was organized and being moved away from the shoreline, no doubt to some trucks that would cart the trash away. That was good, someone was taking care of this beach. After he and Miyu got settled, Shirou swore to look into this effort and provide any help he could. Miyu deserved to have a beach she could come back and explore whenever she had the time to. 

A pain shot through Shirou’s arm, and he winced. Raising his appendage to take a look, he could feel his Magic Circuits running raw within him. He had fought for far, far too long for his body’s sake. Prefetching EMIYA’s circuits had been a necessary cost, but Shirou needed to rest before he got into any serious fighting. 

So, for now, he took a seat, propping himself against the washer. He could see both Miyu playing and the entrance to the beach. He tightened his fist, ensuring that he wasn’t going to fall asleep soon. He’d rest for a bit, then he and Miyu would go find his new home.

***

Izuku Midoriya finished his last set of pushups, having done them in the Kashiiku park. His arms always burned the hardest at this stage, after doing a variety of other exercises in between different 5km runs. This was to simulate showing up to the scene, solving it, and running off to the next one. At least that’s what All-Might said. Izuku couldn’t shake the feeling that the number 1 hero may have been simply adding to the hell that was the Aim to Pass plan.

Shaking his head at his body’s weak response to the training, he sat down, and pulled out the lunch that his mom had dropped off for him before she went to her latest photography gig at Deika City. He appreciated her being willing to work with his new drive and scheduling to work towards U.A., even if he knew she worried over how he was going to enter without a Quirk.

I need to ask All-Might if I can tell her about One for All... no, better not worry him about me spilling his secrets. Putting that thought aside, he held the flatbread sandwich in his left hand, taking bites as he scribbled notes from the Present Mic radio show into his latest notebook. All-Might had told him to keep up with the notebooks, as they were a good source of critical thinking and memorization practice. Hearing from his idol that his notebooks were useful... Izuku had to hold back his tears at the memory. I got to work on the crying too...

Marking the heading the logo that Hawks, the Number 3 hero uses for himself, Izuku began to speak aloud as he summarized the interview, “Hawks grew up at Kyushu Island, in a rough home environment. However, he was always a fan of Endeavor, and when he reached the age of 12 he got placed in a great foster home. He attended Kotetsu Omoi Hero Academy, and did a lot of work studies with the immigrated Pro-Hero, Saber Shine.”

Taking a second to sketch out the Pro-Hero in question, he returned to his summary, “His Quirk is Mighty Wings, two red feathered wings that not only come out of his back, but he can also control the individual feathers for specific tasks, such as carrying civilians out of the way or as an attack. Flight is of course an option for Hawks, making him one of the fastest heroes in the business. It’s no surprise that with this useful Quirk, he has risen to the Number 3 hero rank on the last Hero Billboard Rankings.” Scribbling a few more notes and questions Izuku had about Hawks down, he then turned to the next page.

Jotting down Saber Shine’s name, and sketching out a blond Englishman dressed in a black spandex suit with a silver cape and waist cape, adorned with a sun sigil made with cavalry saber sigils. Izuku made a small note that the sun sigil was gold, as was some of the trimming on the cape and suit. Rolling his neck, Izuku began writing about Saber Shine.

“Saber Shine, the Solar Knight hero. Real name, Gawain Pendragon. Originally from the United Kingdom, where he was the Number 2 hero for a couple of years. After a tragedy that involved his superior, Lance Lioness, the Number 1 hero, he moved himself and his family here to Japan, for a fresh start.” Izuku stopped, putting his pen near his mouth. He didn’t really elaborate on why Lance Lioness’ death impacted him or why he chose Japan. I wonder if those rumors... never mind.  He dismissed the situation as not his business. If Saber Shine didn’t want to talk about why he came to Japan, it’s not like Izuku was going to get those answers. He continued to write down in his journal, finishing his sandwich as he did.

“His Quirk is Solar Empowerment. His body can synthesize solar energy into physical energy, working strongest from 9am to 12pm, with his Quirk slowly receding back from noon to 3pm. During this time of empowerment, he has super speed, strength, and agility, and clear buildings in a single bound. Rumor has it that he can even emit solar flares from parts of his body, but he denies this.” 

He’s probably lying though. I’ve seen some of the videos, and whatever light shows up during his fights is not natural. It’s probably a very situational ability, though, something for Saber Shine to keep in his back pocket rather than advertise and give away.

As Izuku continued, his phone alarm went off, informing him that he needed to start heading towards the beach. His eyes widened, but he was quick to pack everything up. Trash was disposed of, notebook and pens were packed away, and a water bottle was grabbed as Izuku guzzled it down. He had three, one with regular ice water and the other two that were frozen. They’d thaw and melt as he worked at Takoba beach, allowing himself a nice steady stream of water without over drinking or wasting too much time. 

Refreshed, Izuku packed the water bottle back into the bag, shrugged it on, and took off on a light jog. Overall, while the Aim to Dream plan was a hell unto itself upon his body, his mind and spirit were in heaven. He was actually working towards his dreams of being a hero. All-Might was helping him do so. Izuku was doing service for his community, and could feel his body improving. He even saw two shooting stars this morning! For the first time in... forever, really, Izuku felt like his life was going right.

What could go wrong?
***

The second Shirou Emiya saw the green haired teenager walking up, he was immediately on guard. Yeah, this kid could be harmless, but after Julian had betrayed him, Shirou wasn’t going to take any chances. The older brother walked over to the little sister, calling out “Hey, Miyu, it’s time to go.” His younger sister turned him, but then noticed the newcomer. Spooked, she took off to hide behind her older brother, who put an arm by her to ward off the newcomer. Seeing as she had only really known Kiritsugu, the Ainsworths, and himself, Shirou wasn’t surprised by her reaction. 

The teen, however, did notice and froze, looking kinda spooked. Judging by the green tracksuit and backpack, it seemed likely to Shirou that this kid was the one of the cleaners of the beach. Maybe he had arrived ahead of his crew? Will definitely need to leave soon. His thoughts were interrupted by Green finally speaking up.

“Um, sorry, am I bothering you? I was just coming to clean, but I can come back if you need the space?” was the message that Shirou got, though the newcomer stuttered a lot more than was expected. 

“No, we’re fine. We’re new to the area, so we thought we should stop by the beach for a bit. We’ll go now,” Shirou said, then started walking with Miyu towards the steps leading to the main road. The green cleaning machine nodded, then started on his stretches. Before Shirou could help himself, he asked, “So, when does your crew normally get here?”

“Crew?” The stranger looked owlishly at Shirou, then shook his head, “No, it’s just me. I’ve been coming here for the last few months to workout and clean. My mentor said it’s great for the body and spirit to do hard labor service like this.”

Shirou and Miyu were stunned for a second by what he had said. “...You’ve been cleaning this beach, for months now? Because of your mentor? Who are you?” Shirou had to ask, because the only person insane enough to do this kind of task with no reward was...

“Oh, I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m training to become a hero!” The nervous fright in Midoriya’s eyes vanished, replaced by a look. A look most would consider innocent. Wide eyes, with a fierce look ready to take on the world. 

A world that would grind him to dust. A world that would stretch him far beyond what was possible. A world that did not know feeling, nor know care. A world that would break everything he ever cared about, so that his hands would never hold anything.

Shirou blinked in horror, his mind not processing the information that the Grail was trying to give him. It was something about Professional Heroes, but that wasn’t important to him now. He recognized these eyes. He had to stop this kid from trying to walk into that hell...

“You want to be a hero?” Miyu spoke up, surprising both Shirou and Midoriya, who turned to look at her, “That’s cool. My brother is one.”

Midoriya whipped his head so fast to face Shirou that the redhead thought his own neck cracked in sympathy. The green hero wannabe was also holding a notebook that Shirou was sure was in his backpack two seconds ago. “Oh my gosh, you’re a Pro-Hero? Are you a sidekick and an independent? Are you looking to move into the area? What’s your Quirk? What’s your Hero Name?” 

It was only through Shirou’s training that he managed to find the spaces in the muttering storm that blasted him, “Uh, I apologize, my sister is wrong. I’m not a hero. I wanted to be one, but...” Shirou stopped, not knowing how to approach the topic of I chose to save my sister by dooming a world full of millions of people. That was a suitcase full of cans of worms that Shirou felt it was better to toss the whole thing than unpack. 

Thankfully, mercifully, Midoriya picked up on Shirou’s uncomfortableness, “Oh, I’m sorry, I guess that’s a sensitive topic, huh? I’m really sorry, uh?” Midoriya went for a name, but then realized that he didn’t get one. 

“...Emiya. Shirou Emiya. And this is my sister Miyu,” Shirou weighed the pros and cons, and decided that sharing his name with this kid wasn’t a risk. He was too honest, his nervousness and skittishness making him unlikely to be a threat. Izuku Midoriya was a good kid, far different than what Julian pretended to be, or really was. “It’s okay, you couldn’t have known.”

Midoriya sighed in relief, then handed his notebook over to Shirou, surprising the redhead. Taking it, he noticed it was full of autographs. All sorts of strange names littered the page. Kamui Woods, Death Arms, Ingenium, Snatch, Mount Lady, Burnin, Centipeder. Shirou recalled what the Grail had been trying to tell him earlier...

In this superhuman society, a new profession arose, Heroes. Commissioned by the local and national governments and funded through their efforts and extraneous sponsorships and patrons, Pro-Heroes are involved in all forms of emergencies, from reacting to a crime scene or disaster to investigating criminals or missing person cases. To this society, the pages of a comic might as well be fact rather than fiction.

Shirou was floored. It’s... a viable career here? To be a hero? On the one hand, the idea of being compensated for being a hero kinda sickened him. A true hero doesn’t care about compensation, they care about helping those around them. On the other hand...

Shirou turned to look at his sister, who was beaming at him. No doubt having the same information play through her head as did his just now. I can save people... and take care of Miyu. We were brought to a world where she could find happiness being normal, and I could by saving people. Shirou felt a pit grow in his stomach. I ruined our old world, and I’m being rewarded for it?

Shirou forced himself out of his thoughts. He can ponder his guilt later. Turning back to Midoriya, Shirou asked, “Um, this is a nice spread of autographs, but...?” 

“Oh! I’m sorry, I would like your autograph.” Midoriya said it so simply that it took a second for Shirou to comprehend it. Midoriya answered before Shirou could ask why, “I know you aren’t a Pro-Hero, but your sister clearly thinks of you as her hero. I think that means you fit in on that page.”

Shirou looked back down at that page, then back to his sister. Miyu was nodding her head and smiling. A glance at Midoriya showed an earnest smile as well. Shirou went back to the autograph page. These were people who had dedicated themselves to justice. To saving as many people as they could. For someone like Shirou to put his name among theirs... It didn’t feel right.

Before Shirou could find a way to politely turn down Midoriya’s request, their peaceful day was shattered. “HEY! HEYHEYHEYHEYHEY!!!” A loud voice called out from the top of the stairs connecting the beach to the road, and immediately Shirou turned to face this newcomer, putting the notebook into Midoriya’s chest. Midoriya quickly put it back into his backpack and put it on, and Miyu moved to remain behind Shirou, worried again.

The owner of the voice jumped the flight of steps, but he wasn’t looking at the group of three, instead focused on the trash heaps around them. He had long blond hair that went slightly past his ears, with paler skin that was should have been normal, and his eyes seemed to lack pupils, “WHO the FUCK’s been messing with this beach?”

Shirou and Midoriya tensed, taking a step back, when more newcomers jumped down as well. The first one was wearing a vest over a white wife beater and jeans. He had green hair that was slicked back into spikes. Next to him was a guy wrapped in red bandages all the way up, leaving only his pale hair and orange eyes peeking out. He was equipped with military style tactical gear, such as a vest, pads, and a sword strapped to his back, which would normally mean Shirou would have identified him as the biggest threat.

That would have been a mistake. The last newcomer seemed to be a simple schoolgirl. A green letterman jacket covering a typical schoolgirl uniform would indicate that. Even if she had a short haircut, an eyepatch, and a cigarette dangling from her mouth, that would just mean she’d be a teenage rebel, someone that Shirou would normally have no trouble dealing with. 

But her eyes... her smile... they contributed to the dangerous presence Shirou felt from her. Damn it, if only he hadn’t gotten too caught up with Midoriya, he would have picked up on this gang’s approach. No, that isn’t fair to Midoriya. Shirou may have also missed them because he was still tired from the Holy Grail War he had just fought. He had rested long enough for his body to start feeling the aches and injuries from the conflict. It would be wise to get out of here without any conflict.

Spiky Green immediately responded to the pale blond, “Relax, Jester, who cares? This place is still a dump, whoever’s been working on it’s barely done anything.” Shirou heard Midoriya suck his teeth in, and immediately winced.

“Yes this place is good for- oh?” The red mummy paused, having heard Midoriya, turned to face the group of three. Spiky, Eyepatch, and Pale, or Jester it seemed, did the same. Shirou stepped forward, and Eyepatch smirked.

“Oh, are you guys the ones that have been cleaning this beach? That’s cute.” She said, spinning around a keyring on her fingers, “I’m going to have to ask you guys to leave, though. My friends and I want to get some Quirk practice in, and this is a perfect place to do that.” 

Midoriya seemed caught between anger and fear. Anger, because all of the work he had been doing was about to be undone. Fear, because it was clear that this gang wouldn’t hesitate to make him and the two siblings their target for Quirk practice. Shirou put a hand on his shoulder, causing the hero wannabe to look at him. Shaking his head, Shirou turned to the gang, “No worries, we were just about to leave. You can have fun, we’ll worry about the cleanup tomorrow.” Shirou made sure to look at Midoriya during the last part, trying to communicate that he’ll help clean up the beach. Midoriya seemed to understand, as he took a deep breath.

“Thanks, that’s kind of you,” Eyepatch said, as the gang turned to go wreck the beach. Shirou sighed, then started to guide Miyu and Midoriya up the stairs. Before they got too far, Eyepatch called out again, “Hey, do you need a job, dude?”

Shirou halted, then turned to Eyepatch, raising an eyebrow, “Excuse me?” Eyepatch smirked, took a drag on her cigarette, then snapped her fingers at him.

“It’s clear you’re good in a fight, you got the posture and your clothes show that you can walk off some serious wounds,” Shirou felt chills as she pointed out his battle-torn clothes, “The fact you are still in those rags prove that you need money, otherwise you and the girl would have changed already. So, how about it?” she waved a hand towards her friends, “I recruit people for a small organization. Nothing too fancy, just some small errands and favors. It pays well, and no questions asked. You interested?” 

Shirou stared at her, sizing her up. They were homeless, resourceless, and friendless here. Even if Midoriya could help, it would be in some small way, like clothes and a meal at most. In all honesty, he should take the deal, and work for a bit until he could find more legitimate work. But those eyes...

“No thanks. My sister and I are fine.” We can figure something out , he didn’t add, but the sentiment was there. Miyu made an affirmative sound behind him, and he felt better about the choice he made. Eyepatch, meanwhile, rolled her head to the side and sighed. 

“Fine, have it your way,” with those words, Shirou turned to walk up the steps with Midoriya and Miyu. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eyepatch take a drag again, then flick her arm forward. Instincts screaming, Shirou Traced the black falchion Kanshou and slashed at the projectile she launched. His blade connected, and Shirou saw it wasn’t a projectile, but a bee. A bee that was a magical familiar. Just like his father’s job with the Borzak family.

Slashing through the bee produced a loud ringing, as if he had cut through a solid steel beam rather than a simple insect. Everyone was focused on the exchange. Midoriya’s and Miyu’s eyes were widening, while Spiky’s and Mummy’s eyes were narrowing. Eyepatch and Jester, meanwhile, were widening in excitement. Like a predator who found their prey.

Shirou immediately fired up his Magic Circuits and Traced Bakuya and loaded up his Sword Barrel immediately, “Miyu, Midoriya, RUN!” Shirou snarled out, then launched himself at the gang.

***

“GET THEM BOYS!!!” Kuin Hachisuka called out, excited for a real test of their abilities. Soga Kugisaki, also known as Spike, immediately went right, expanding his Quirk from between his fingers, while Jester Karture went left, activating his claws that he had in this form. Hoyo Makihara, the Mummy, held back, sending out tendrils to create his puppets. Those puppets took off like a bullet to shield Soga and Jester from the onslaught of fired swords, while they jumped around and attacked the battered redhead.

Kuin whistled as she saw counter play. The redhead blocked Soga’s punch with his black sword, then swept his legs from out underneath him. Soga went down, while the redhead immediately slammed his shoulder into Jester, knocking the wind out of the pale dude. The redhead went to slash down and finish Jester off, but Kuin had already sent more bees, laced up with Trigger, after him. The redhead immediately pivoted to cutting those down, then had to block as one of Mummy’s puppets smashed into him. Two English broadswords appeared in thin air, and shot through the bandages Mummy used to control the puppet. As such, the puppet fell apart, just as Spike and Jester jumped at the redhead, continuing their attacks and parries.

Kuin breathed out a big sigh as she took a drag on her cigarette. It helped calm her body and made her bees more malleable. She examined the redheaded swordsman as he managed quite well against Spike and Jester. The two worked well together, no doubt, but they had really only picked minor fights with random thugs. The redhead was a bit more proficient than them.

“Still, he’s tired, and it's showing,” She muttered to herself. The sword swipes done by their target were sloppy, not in the lazy way of the untrained, but in the tired way someone who had been fighting for hours was. He was still fending them off, but he wasn’t managing to land any killing blows either. Anything that came close she handled with her bees. Frustratingly, he seemed to sense when they would appear and destroy them. Combine that with the fact that his swords were Projections not Productions, and was it possible he was with...?

Kuin shook her head free of that thought. No way. He would have called for backup if he was. Even if he was a runaway, she doubts it was from those assholes. Cipher would have never let such an interesting asset get far away. It was luck that delivered him to her, since she knew exactly who’d pay a good price for his interesting Quirk.

“Jester!” she called out, causing Jester to switch out with Spike and look back at her, “Go get the Broccoli Head and the girl? We want to take this one alive.” Smirking, Jester went to slip by the redhead and get their hostages, only to yelp as a huge slab of just ROCK came right to his face.

“BACK... OFF!!!” The redhead called, swinging the clearly too heavy for anyone but All-Might slab of rock forward. Mummy immediately moved another puppet to cover Jester, but he didn’t need to. Jester immediately activated his Quirk: Six Chambered Heart.

Jester’s Quirk lived up to its name. Like a revolver, Jester could store the hearts of up to six other people, which he can cycle between and take their form. This grants him their stats and abilities, but his own knowledge, memories, and personality is kept between forms. This made him a useful test subject, but not overpowered.

Switching to the chamber with his child form, Jester’s body shrunk, allowing him to dodge under the slab and kick off to run after the other two. The redhead went to fire off more swords at him, but Spike cut him off, nearly landing a mean left hook right at the face. The punch ended up hitting the flat of a blade, and the redhead snarled as he was forced to focus on Spike and Mummy, who had stepped up to fight alongside his own puppets.

Kuin smirked. Either the redhead would run out of energy, or Jester would get the kids and force them back, getting her a full surrender. Then the good doctor would have a nice Quirk and body to experiment with, and her little gang would get paid quite well. What could possibly go wrong?

***

Izuku had grabbed Miyu’s hand and took off running the second Emiya had called for it, stopping only when he realized Miyu had no shoes. Apologizing quickly, Izuku picked up the teen girl in a bridal carry and booked it. Miyu seemed stunned, but apparently decided to trust him, keeping an eye out behind them for the battle with her older brother. He didn’t stop until he got back to Kashiiku Park, by which point his lungs were on fire. At least he got some training in.

Izuku put Miyu down and put his hands on his knees, slightly regretting that he kept his backpack on him. There wasn’t time to take it off and get away from Takoba, at least it didn’t feel like that. He went ahead and pulled it off, then took out his phone, wondering where the heroes had been, shouldn’t someone have seen the fight?

According to the news, no. There were apparently seven different incidents in Mustafar in the last few hours, between traffic problems, improper Quirk usages, and robberies. Mustafar may have had a high hero count, but no one wanted to rest on a Sunday it seemed. Sighing, Izuku turned to Miyu, “Are you alright?”

Miyu nodded, “I am, but what about my brother? Who's going to stop them?” Izuku’s heart broke upon hearing her distressed voice. He had also noticed that Shirou Emiya had seemed to have just escaped a fight, just like that eyepatch girl did. From how Miyu sounded, though, Emiya’s fight was a bit more deadly than Izuku’s own scuffles with Kachan. 

I smile to show the pressure of heroes and to trick the fear inside of me. The words of Izuku’s mentor flowed into his head, and he decided to act on them. Smiling the biggest smile he could, Izuku spoke as clearly as he could manage, “Don’t worry, Miyu! You told me yourself, your brother is a hero! He’ll pull through, because that’s what heroes do!” He then turned to his phone, and dialed the most important number he had ever received. As it rang, Izuku looked back towards Miyu, still smiling, desperately hoping it was reassuring her, “Besides, I know the greatest hero alive! All-Might!” He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone he knew All-Might, but Izuku thought the Number 1 hero would give him a pass in this situation. It wasn’t like he was bragging to his non-existent friends, after all.

“All... Might?” Miyu said, her eyes narrowed in confusion. She then winced, putting her hands to her temples. Before Izuku could ask what was wrong, his call was picked up.

“Young Midoriya? Why are you calling, is everything alright?” While not as booming as in his hero form, his shrunken form still had a deep voice that was soothing to hear. Izuku swallowed, then prepared to speak.

“All-Might! I found some people at Takoba Beach and we got to talking then we were attacked by a gang so I ran to Kashiiku Park with the sister and we need” Izuku was cut off as a knife embedded itself into his phone, a small tip poking out of the cracked screen. Izuku dropped the now useless phone, staring at a kid who looked eerily like the pale blond from the beach. The kid smirked, and somehow Izuku knew that this was the same person, Jester. 

“Found you!” he sang out, pulling out two more knives in each hand, and began stalking forward, “Now come on, dears, let’s not keep your poor friend waiting!” 

Izuku’s mind immediately flipped to a page in one of his past journals about a Pro-Hero couple from a few years ago, who had perished fighting against a dangerous villain. Their tactics didn’t save the day then, but it might now. He shot down into his backpack, as Jester ran at him with knives. Izuku grabbed one of his water bottles that was still half frozen. Pulling it out, he blocked Jester’s knife swipe with it, cutting the lid right off. Perfect, Izuku didn’t have to unscrew the bottle.

The apprentice of All-Might flung his arm out, sending the ice chunk within the bottle right at Jester before the second knife could strike. The ice connected with Jester’s nose, causing the gang member to instinctively cover his face. Izuku immediately grabbed Miyu’s hand, and took off into the woods of Kashiiku Park, looking for a spot to hide. He wasn’t about to take a knife wielding maniac back to his apartment, and he had already called for All-Might and told him where they were. They just had to hold out enough time for All-Might to get here. 

They could do it, right?

***

“That took too much time,” Gawain Pendragon, known to the public as the Pro-Hero Saber Shine, grumbled as they stepped out of Present Mic’s studio. The interview itself had gone for the scheduled time, but since Present Mic didn’t have anything else scheduled and both he and Hawks were far, far too social, they ended up staying for longer to chat about various random things. Gawain had gone along with it out of politeness, but they were burning daylight. Literally, in his case. 

“Oh relax, you wanted to get more people to know who you are and what you stand for, there’s no better place for it than Mic’s. He’s a great interviewer who knows how to hype up the topic to the listener while satisfying them on the questions he’s asking,” Hawks responded with his arms behind his head, shooting a wink towards some giggling women nearby. “Even being here for five years like you have, people still wonder why England’s Number 2 chose to come here.”

Gawain sighed, acknowledging the point. Moving to Japan was hard, but was necessary after everything that had gone down with... Lance Lioness' death. Even now, thinking about that event was hard, he had to put her hero name to add some distance. It was a good thing that shortly after moving to Japan, he ended up taking Hawks under him in a work study program. Focusing on showing Hawks the ins and outs of being a hero had helped Gawain rediscover his love of being a hero. It had also helped the young man, now 22 years old, reach the Number 3 spot on the Hero Billboard Chart. Gawain hadn’t reached his old rank from his England days, the Number 2 position being filled by Endeavor, but that was fine with Saber Shine. He had his fill of the top spot glory. It was bitter now. 

Gawain was shaken from his thoughts by a specific beeping from the Hero Network. Glancing at Hawks, who shrugged his shoulders, Gawain flicked on his smartwatch’s holographic display to see All-Might’s profile picture, causing both Pros’ eyes to widen.

“ ATTENTION ANY AND ALL PRO-HEROES IN THE MUSTAFAR REGION!!! THERE IS AN ATTACK GOING ON AT TAKOBA BEACH AND KASHIIKU PARK!! I’M HEADED TO KASHIIKU PARK, BUT ANY WHO CAN HELP NEED TO HEAD TO TAKOBA IMMEDIATELY!!! ” The booming, commanding voice of the Number 1 hero, not just of Japan but of the world, brokered no argument. Saber Shine and Hawks nodded to each other, then took off, hoping to make it to the beach in time to help.

***

“Why. Won’t. He. Stop!?” Kuin was starting to get furious. At first it was cute how much of a fight the redhead was putting up. Then it was surprising. Then it was annoying. Now she just wanted him dead, screw the payment. Doc could extract a Quirk from a corpse, right? She thought she remembered him doing that. 

It wasn’t just swords with this asshole either. At one point, he made a long, red spear and short, yellow spear. The red spear completely destroyed Mummy’s puppets, and when Spike tried to block a strike from the yellow one, it broke right through his left hand’s spikes, and suddenly Spike couldn’t regenerate them. 

Kuin had grinded her teeth at that particular trick. Those must have been Mystic Codes. What kinda bullshit Quirk could just project Mystic Codes like that? One could make a Mystic Code with a Quirk, but this was something else. Thankfully, they managed to coordinate their attacks and caused the two spears to be destroyed, and he had yet to pull them out again, going back to basic swords and those two weird black and white ones. Still, this fight should have been done minutes ago, or at the very least Jester should have been back with the other two. What the fuck was this day? 

At that moment, a ringtone went off, causing Kuin to blink and go to her phone. Yup, it was the Hero Network. She had gotten login credentials from some unscrupulous means, but they had always proved to be a boon, so she wasn’t about to lose any sleep over it. Not that she ever did in the first place. She hit the message, and immediately regretted her life.

“ ATTENTION ANY AND ALL PRO-HEROES IN THE MUSTAFAR REGION!!! THERE IS AN ATTACK GOING ON AT TAKOBA BEACH AND KASHIIKU PARK!! I’M HEADED TO KASHIIKU PARK, BUT ANY WHO CAN HELP NEED TO HEAD TO TAKOBA IMMEDIATELY!!! ” said All-Might, the Number 1 Hero of the entire world. Kuin blinked once. Twice. Then she locked her phone, put it to her forehead and gave a silent scream. The redhead was distracted by Spike and Mummy, so none of them noticed her moment of weakness. She should be grateful for that. She was not.

HOW THE FUCK DOES ALL-MIGHT KNOW WE’RE FIGHTING HERE? WHY THE FUCK DOES HE CARE!?!?!?! 

Taking a deep breath, she evaluated the situation and quickly realized it. The broccoli head. The one in the stupid green tracksuit and the red shoes. Somehow he made contact with All-Might and got the Number 1 Hero to send every available hero to their location right now. Sure, there were a lot of random incidents today, not even planned by the Doc and his boss, but plenty of heroes would drop everything to go get a publicity moment with the Number 1. 

Yup, this was a bust. She was out. Jester would be able to get back on his own, he was crafty like that. Spike and Mummy were expendable. They were being vetted for actual positions, but haven't earned their spots yet. Tough shit. She immediately shot off a text to Kurogiri to pick her up immediately, then sent three bees to go sting their targets.

The redhead got the one headed for him, because of course he did. Spike and Mummy, however, were not expecting the sting to hit. Spike immediately swatted at her bee, glaring at her, “What the hell, Kuin? You’re supposed to be aiming for him, not me?”

“Nah, I’m bouncing. Have fun with the Trigger!” She sang out, hiding her desperation. She immediately jumped behind some trash, where Kurogiri’s portal was waiting. Fuck all of them, let the heroes sort them out.

***

“That bitch!!! ” Spiky Green called out, yelling after his boss apparently just leaving the fight. Shirou had to agree. Her bees had been very annoying, as his instincts always screamed to take them out. Considering the Borzak case that Kiritsugu had done, that seemed to be most prudent.

Regardless, this fight was completely stupid. He had fought seven combat capable mages who wielded the power of Heroic Spirits. Why was he having trouble with a bunch of two-bit gang members?

Because you just came off fighting seven combat capable mages who wielded the power of Heroic Spirits, then shot your sister and yourself into another world, idiot , his inner voice snarked back at him. 

Shirou sighed, then tried to tighten his grip on Kanshou and Bakuya. Tried, because at this point his whole body was shaking hard. He had a nearless infinite energy source thanks to his connection to Miyu, but the body could only take so much. He needed to end this fight now. 

“So, want to call this whole fight off?” Shirou attempted to parley, “You can go find her and take your revenge, and I’ll go find my sister, deal?” Spike and Mummy just chuckled at him, and Shirou saw the veins in Spike’s arms starting to turn black, along with his and Mummy’s sclera. Oh no.

“LIKE FUCKING HELL!!! WE’LL BEAT YOUR ASS THEN GO KICK HER’S!!!” Spike roared, and as he did he grew in size, with a lot more spikes growing all over his body. Those spikes were giving Shirou a nasty bout of deja vu, though he had no idea why.

Mummy meanwhile, had his eyes start growing and he sent out a wide variety of bandages everywhere. Shirou cut the ones approaching him and jumped back, only to realize Mummy’s actual goal. He had assimilated all of the trash and bound it all to himself, forming a wrapped up robot shell. In essence, Shirou was facing down both Godzilla and the Iron Giant. 

“Oh damn-” Shirou got out before having to block a strike from the Iron Giant. Mummy lifted his hand before Spike followed up with his own spiked punch. Shirou dodged this one, then Traced a bunch of swords to fire off. He was too burned out to try for any Noble Phantasms. If he did Trace anything beyond Kanshou and Bakuya, he’d just pass out, and that’d be it. He needed a sure hit attack, one like the Gae Bolg that the Lancer had used, but one that’d go off even if he passed out...

“Hope this works,” Shirou muttered, dodging another strike before throwing Kanshou and Bakuya. He Traced another copy, ensuring that they would return and strike Spike from behind. Shirou needed this to work, so that even if he passes out, he could get back to his sister soon. “ I am the bone of my! ”

Immediately, all of his Magic Circuits flared intensely, causing him to lock up in pain. Mummy took the moment to slam a punch into him, flinging him into the brick wall by the road. Shirou coughed up blood, then slid down, his vision going blurry.

Damn it. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was too weak. Even with Miyu’s infinite energy, Shirou’s circuits were burned out, his muscles shredded, and his head was too hurt. As he saw Mummy and Spike rushing at him, murder in their eyes, his only thought was to his sister, and the hero wannabe he had entrusted her to, Midoriya, protect her.

Then, just before he passed out, a red feather flitted in front of Shirou’s face. Before he could question it, it vibrated out words, “Don’t worry, we got you!” Whelp, it’s true. People near death have delusions. Shirou wasn’t a fan of that at all. 

Two sonic booms quickly corrected Shirou’s record, however. One impacted Spike, shaving off every spike off with sharpened feathers. It was a man dressed in a yellow aviator get up with goggles and red feathered wings. Shirou blinked.

The other impact hit Mummy with a bright flash before incinerating the bandages, the trash making up his robot body falling to the ground right there. The two hit the water, with the newcomer flipping them in the air so that he broke the water first, allowing it to harmlessly put out the fire that was on Mummy. That newcomer was a blond man dressed in a black spandex suit with a silver cape and waist cape, adorned with a golden sun sigil made with cavalry saber sigils. Shirou blinked again.

“Hawks, they have taken Trigger!” The sun man said, and his partner, supposedly Hawks nodded, then pulled out what appeared to be an Epi-Pen and jammed it into Spike’s thigh. The gang member hollowed, then seemed to deflate back to the size he should have been and passed out. The sun man did the same thing, and Mummy joined his companion in the land of Morpheus. 

Shirou blinked once more, then forced himself to sit up. The realization that the fight was over gave him a shot of adrenaline. He needed to go save Miyu from Jester, right now. The two Pro-Heroes, for what else could they be, were busy handcuffing the two gang members, he could slip out right about...

“Hey, no sneaking off now,” the sun man said, and Shirou gave him a glare. The blond Pro-Hero just gave an understanding smile, pissing Shirou off more, “I’m Saber Shine, this is Hawks. We need to talk to you and find out what happened. What’s your name?”

“Shirou Emiya. What happened was these guys and their friends attacked me, my sister, and another guy we met here. I told my sister and that guy to run off, but their friend is chasing after them. I need to go save them.” Shirou turned, but winced hard as he tried to walk up the steps. Saber Shine had already made his way over, while Hawks hooked up the two gang members to some nearby trash. 

“Hey, don’t worry, All-Might himself called in this incident, he went to Kashiiku Park to save your sister and this other guy, okay?” Saber Shine put his hand on Shirou’s shoulder. He looked so earnest, Shirou wanted to believe him. But he had no proof of that, and that wasn’t good enough for the ex-Ally of Justice.

“Sorry, I need to go make sure-” Shirou jerked his head away, but then his vision went black, and he passed out. His body had forced the shutdown, and he wouldn’t be waking up for hours.

***

“Kid, kid!” Gawain panicked as the kid went limp and collapsed on the staircase. Immediately making sure that the kid could and was breathing, he checked the other vitals. The kid's body was super hot, and Gawain had an idea based on the pattern in the kid’s arms, “Quirk Exhaustion, he must have really pushed himself fighting these thugs.”

“No way, look at some of the damage to his clothes,” Hawks pointed at, and Gawain instantly realized what the Number 3 hero was saying. It was older damage, stuff that had been burned and cooled off, only to be reaggravated in this recent fight, “He’s been fighting for awhile, probably hasn’t slept between his last fight and this one.”

“He’s a trooper, alright,” Gawain commented, then sighed. He picked up this Shirou Emiya and handed him off to the waiting arms of Hawks, “You know someone?”

“Yeah, I know a Quirk Specialist, she’s even nearby. Best one I’ve ever known, and she won’t be busy,” Hawks informed Gawain, and the Solar Knight hero nodded his head. He got the translation. This was someone that was being rehabilitated by the Hero Public Safety Commission. A former villain that was earning their parole. If Hawks was willing to trust her, that means she’s the best of the best. 

“Send me the address, I’ll go find the sister, and backup All-Might if he needs it,” Gawain glanced at the two gang members, now classified as Instant Villains. “What do we do about them?”

“Takahiro is on his way, no more than two minutes. You know how the anti-venom for Trigger works, they’ll be out for hours.” Hawks responded smoothly, then took off. Gawain nodded himself, then turned to the direction of Kashiiku Park, and leapt to go find this missing girl.

***

Izuku and Miyu had found a small hiding spot behind some fallen trees in Kashiiku Park, doing their best to hide their breathing. Izuku had taken off his jacket and passed it to Miyu, who used it to muffle herself while she caught her breath. Izuku kept his breathing to a minimum, listening intently to their hunter.

“Come out, come out wherever you are!” Jester sang, and Izuku could easily imagine him frolicking to and fro with those knives of his. “Come, don’t be shy, step into the light! We’re going to have so much,” the psycho was cut off by a phone ringing. Since Izuku’s currently had a knife through it and was left behind, it was clearly Jester’s. 

“Hullo? Huh?” Jester responded, “What do you mean, ‘All-Might is on his way to you? Why the fuck would he care about this stupid park? You need to lay off your special honey, bitch.” Jester hung up his phone and went back to his childish callouts, even slipping in a “MARCOOOOOO!!!!!” in there. 

Izuku’s breath caught in his throat. All-Might had got his message! Granted, these guys somehow knew that All-Might was coming too, but that’s okay. All-Might could save the day. The problem was Jester was getting closer and closer, he would probably find them in the next few minutes. Glancing at Miyu, Izuku knew that she couldn’t keep up running, and his arms were burning too much to keep carrying her. Even though she was lighter than the majority of the trash he had cleaned up, running zig-zags all over the park had caught up to him. 

Izuku racked his brain for a plan, and stumbled across a stupid idea. So stupid Kachan wouldn’t even call him names, he’d be so dumbfounded that “Deku” tried it. But it was the best idea he had, and there was a shot it would work.

Back when Izuku was a kid, he tried everything to manifest a Quirk. One of the ideas he had was that since his father’s Quirk was located in his throat, and his mom’s involved distance, his Quirk was a special form of ventriloquy. He practiced and practiced, hoping for something to confirm that he wasn’t Quirkless, that it was just a late blooming one. Nothing ever did, but he did get good at it, and was able to throw his voice to mimic parents and teachers to throw off Kachan and the other bullies.

Silently clearing his voice, he did the voice that he had heard nearly every week during this journey, and threw his voice in his best All-Might’s impression, “Hahahaha! Today is a wonderful day! I think I’ll go walking through this park and see if there are any ne'er-do-wells in this park ruining the public’s day!”

“OH SHIT IT IS ALL-MIGHT!” Jester freaked out and took off, his voice getting farther and farther away. One minute passed, two minutes passed, still nothing. Izuku looked at Miyu and smiled, giving the thumbs up. He stood up, stretched, and reached a hand for her.

“Let’s go, Miyu. Let’s go find your brother.” Izuku said, and for a moment everything seemed right. That ended as someone kicked his knees from behind, causing Izuku to stagger. That person grabbed his throat and picked him up by it, slamming him into a nearby tree. Miyu screamed as she scampered away instinctively, but Izuku was more focused on getting the now adult form of Jester off of his throat.

“Nice try with that little trick, was that your Quirk?” Jester snarled his teeth. He squeezed tighter, causing Izuku to gasp and thrash around, “Oh don’t be like that. You’re just going to take a little nap, then you and the girl will wake up with your friend. Isn’t that nice?”

A play ball smacked Jester in the face. He frowned then turned to the thrower. “Put him down, now!” Miyu called out, but the fourteen year old in a black dress wasn’t quite the threatening sight her words needed.

“Nah, how about this?” Jester pulled a knife out, and Miyu and Izuku went still, “You sit down seiza style, and I don’t disembowel him. Capiche?” Izuku tried to motion for her to run instead, but when she looked at him, Izuku could tell she wasn’t going to do it. She closed her eyes, then kneeled. 

“That’s better. Honestly, girl, with your brother’s Quirk of Projection, I’d thought you’d be much tougher. Guess not.” Jester shrugged, then turned back to Izuku maliciously, “Now where were we?”

“ Putting innocent civilians down? ” A booming voice called out, causing Izuku and Miyu to immediately take relief. Jester, apparently, was too stupid.

“Dude, it didn’t work when I couldn’t see you, do you really think it would work-” A simple neck chop dropped the psycho, with the other hand grabbing the knife before he hurt anyone. Izuku slid down the tree, catching his breath. Then he looked up at the greatest hero the world had ever seen, dressed in his new modern costume.

“Thanks All-Might.”

“ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You had me scared there for a second, Young Midoriya! But I’m glad to see you are fine now!! ” All-Might turned to Miyu, who had raised her head with tears in her eyes. “ Ah, is this the young sister of Shirou Emiya? ”

Miyu immediately got up and bowed profusely, “Yes, I am! Please, he’s in danger! You need to go to the beach and save him!” All-Might, instead of taking off like she had hoped, instead laughed again and gave her a two finger salute.

“ Fear Not, Miss Emiya! Your older brother is safe! I have it in good word that he’s being taken care of right now! ” Before All-Might could continue, a crash landed nearby, and Saber Shrine walked right out of it. Izuku tried really hard to not lose his crap over the Pro-Hero, and All-Might made a mental note not to tease him about it later. Midoriya was doing a good job holding it in. “ In fact, how about you ask your brother’s savior in person? ”

Miyu jerked her head towards Saber Shine, clear panic visible in her face, so Saber Shine immediately cut to the chase, “Young Emiya is being taken to emergency care right now. He’s alive and is going to be okay. Hawks,” he paused as Izuku contained a squeal, “Is rushing him there now. I promise he’s going to be okay.”

The dam broke, and Miyu fell to the ground, bursting into tears, “I was so scared! He had already gotten hurt for me, I don’t want to lose him again.” The sheer emotion calmed the three men down, as they realized the stakes that were at play. Saber Shine himself reached down, asked if he could pat her back. She affirmed, and he did so, letting her cry it out. 

Once she was down, Miyu looked back up at Saber Shine, her face completely red. He decided to answer her question, “I can take you to him now, would you like to go by car or by flight. Car will be more comfortable, but by flight will be faster.”

“Flight.” Miyu sniffled out, and Saber Shine nodded. He unbuckled his cape, and she climbed onto his back. Securing the cape around her, Saber Shine grimaced. 

“I’m going to need to call someone to get her clothes. She can’t remain in just a wet dress and a jacket.”

“Oh the jacket is mine!” Izuku spoke up, causing Saber Shine and All-Might to give Izuku strange looks. Izuku took a second, then realized how that sounded, “Wait, no she can keep it! I just mean she was only in that black dress.”

That caused Saber Shine to narrow his eyes, though thankfully not at Izuku, “I’m starting to see a story I don’t like. We’ll need Emiya awake to confirm some details.” He looked back at Izuku, his face the perfect visage of a Pro-Hero in action, “Do you know anything about these two beyond meeting them here at the beach?”

“No, I met them today. We were talking about pro-heroes, then the gang showed up. We tried to leave, but they attacked us. Emiya told us to run away, so we did.” Izuku spoke out, trying to keep his voice steady. 

Saber Shine nodded, then looked to All-Might, who flashed a thumbs up “ No worries, I already called my police contact. He’ll be here to arrest this wrongdoer, then we’ll take Young Midoriya here to seek treatment. ” 

Saber Shine nodded, “Just be careful All-Might. The gang members at Takoba had used Trigger. We managed to catch them by surprise, but still.”

“They used Trigger?” Izuku blurted out, causing the Pro-Heroes to turn back to him. Blushing, he continued, “I mean, the four of them didn’t start using Trigger when they attacked us. Shirou must have fought them hard for them to resort to that.”

“Four?” Saber Shine was immediately on guard. “We only came across two on the beach, and there’s the one here. Where’s the fourth?” At this, Miyu pulled herself up to be more on his shoulder to speak up.

“This guy got a call from someone saying that All-Might was coming. Maybe they bailed?” All-Might and Saber Shine looked at each other in horror. The Hero Network was compromised. They needed to run an audit now.

“This story is getting more and more concerning.” Saber Shine murmured. Sighing, he focused on Izuku. “For your part, you did well. Good job. You were a hero today.” With those words, Saber Shine took off, Miyu strapped to his back, headed towards her brother. 

Izuku sucked his breath in. Someone called him a hero. A Pro-Hero called him a hero. Saber Shine called Izuku Midoriya a hero! This was the best day ever! After the day that All-Might had chosen him, of course. All-Might clearly picked up on his good mood, laughing as he released his hero form and returned to his skinnier form. 

“It felt good getting called a hero by a stranger, didn’t it?” patting Izuku’s shoulder, All-Might continued, “Don’t let it go to your head, but cherish that thought, okay? This is what heroes are meant to do. You did well, getting Miss Emiya away from the situation and calling me, then holding out until I arrived.”

Izuku nodded, then looked at him with concern, “Are they going to be okay? The Emiyas, I mean.” All-Might nodded.

“I think they will be. They’re tough. They may have been through a lot, and will have some healing to do. But as long as they stick by each other, they’ll be okay. I’m kind of jealous, actually.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow at him, and All-Might chuckled, “I’m an only child, like you. Never had a brother or sister. I was just thinking how nice it would have been, or maybe it would have been bad. Who knows what could have been.” He walked over to the still completely out Jester and handcuffed him. “Once Officer Tsukauchi gets here, you’ll give your statement to him, then we’ll go get you checked out.”

Izuku nodded, then started, realizing something, “All-Might, your form!” All-Might looked back at him confused, then realized the situation, and started laughing. Izuku frowned, to which All-Might got himself under control.

“Oh, don’t worry. Tsukauchi knows about this. He actually also knows about everything else,” meaning One for All, “so if you need someone to talk to, he’s a good option if I’m not available.” All-Might sat down on a tree trunk, then continued, “Once this responsibility is yours, you will have to find friends that you can build that trust with. But, I would wait for a while, make sure you really know them.”

Izuku nodded, pondering the situation. He went to write that down, then remembered his notebook was in his backpack, and that his phone was currently embedded with a knife aways away. “Hey, All-Might? Can I go get my stuff? I kinda lost it in the scuffle.”

“Of course, young man. Just come right back. Here,” All-Might handed Izuku his personal phone, while he held up his work phone, “You can still contact me, the PIN code is 0706.” Izuku’s eyes were glued to the phone. All-Might had a feeling it was because it was his phone, so he coughed to get his successor’s attention, “Hurry now, and be quick. Tsukauchi will get here any minute, and then we’ll go have fun.”

“Fun? I thought I was getting checked out for,” Izuku rubbed his throat, remembering how Jester had grabbed him, “this?”

“Well of course we are, but do you really think we’d go to a regular Emergency Room?” All-Might smirked, causing Izuku to stare back warily at his mentor, “Nah, you’ve done well today, so I think we should remind you where the finish line is.” Izuku’s eyes widened, and All-Might nodded his head.

“That’s right, we’re going to U.A. Academy! Let’s give you a tour.”

***

The sounds of a shinai smacking a dummy came to an end when “Ring Your Bell” started ringing out from a blue smartphone. The wielder of the shinai stopped her swinging, then walked over to the phone, answering it.

“Hello? Hey, Dad, what do you need? Wait, what? Yeah, sure, I have some old stuff I could bring, but what is going on? Fine, okay, I’ll head there. By the way, Cousin Mordred and I want to go to the symphony, when can we go? Just making sure, okay. Love you too, bye.”

Weird... But that was him alright . The innocent question about the symphony was a trap in disguise. Mordred hated symphonies or any form of classical music. She’d rather go scream her throat hoarse at a rock concert. By answering “in 40 years,” her dad proved it was really him. But why did he need some of her old clothes to be brought to some sketchy site? Whatever.

She jumped into the shower, quickly cleaning herself off. Drying herself off, she put on her black tights, white blouse, and blue skirt that she loved so much. She then tied her bow to her collar, and braided her blonde hair into a crown around her air. Twisting the cowlick that stuck out of her head around her index finger, she smiled as she pulled her finger out, watching her cowlick bounce. Just like how Mom did it. 

She went back to her closet, then picked out some old jeans that she didn’t quite fit anymore. Looking through her t-shirts, she settled on a penguin shirt she adored, but was too tight to do anything in. She packed everything into her bag, along with some toiletries. Taking a second, she decided to throw in a hair brush and a copy of her favorite book. She had one that was meant to be well worn, it would be well served here.

Checking her phone again, she blinked at the address she was forwarded from her dad. She sent another secret confirmation text, got the correct answer, and shook her head. This was so, so weird. She grabbed her white jacket, and put it on while slipping on her shoes. Grabbing her blue scarf, she wrapped up, checked that she had her bag and shinai bag, then headed out.

The January air was crisp, but bright. The streets of Mustafar were somewhat busy, but not insanely so. According to the chatter, it was a busy day for hero sightings. She heard her dad’s name mentioned a couple of times. Hmmmm..

Eventually, she left the regular streets she knew, and came across the more busy parts of downtown. Slipping down some backstreets, she arrived at the location she was sent. She frowned at it, 

It was a dingy, weirdly tucked into a corner place, with no sign above it. It was meant to be a place of business for sure, but no advertising made it very sketchy. In addition, there was a man in a suit standing outside of it, with sunglasses and an earpiece. A real Man in Black type. Was he a cosplayer? There was no way this was a real government agent, right?

Whatever. Shaking her head, she walked up the steps, but the Man in Black cut her off, “Miss, I’m going to need to see some identification and reason for coming here.” He flashed a HPSC badge.

Oh my gosh he was a real government agent. Lovely, “Look, I’m just here to drop some stuff and probably just leave. Can I do that?”

“Sorry, miss, protocol is protocol. We have had a lot of traffic come in today, so we need to be sure to vet everyone. Now, please, your ID?”

“Fine,” she reached into her bag, pulled it out, and handed it to him. He looked it over, blinked, and double checked, then looked back at her.

“Yeah, I’m Arturia Pendragon, I am the daughter of Saber Shine, who asked me to bring some stuff in. So will you please let me in?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Road to Recovery

“I’m approaching now, standby with clearance,” Hawks commanded over the line, as he flipped around to descend gently on the ground, still holding Shirou Emiya. The strange redhead had remained past out, the only sounds coming from the young man being pained grunts and labored breathing. Hawks knew they had to act fast. 

Hawks landed as quickly as he could without hurting Emiya, then nodded to the guard as he walked through the proffered door. The black suited man nodded back as Hawks walked into the lobby and headed to go to the exam rooms, the Quirk Specialist he was looking for waiting by the doors.

Touko Aozaki. The former villainess known as Scarred Red. A terror that devastated Misaki Town decades ago. Though, one would be forgiven for not realizing the doctor was the same person. Scarred Red was well known for her short, burgundy hair and a fashionable green dress. Doctor Aozaki also had short hair, but it was dyed blue, and the doctor was dressed in a violet blouse, white slacks, and stylish glasses. She had a cigarette in her mouth, which she immediately put out once Hawks walked through the door, shrugging on a lab coat.

“Exam Room 4, down the hall,” she ordered, following after Hawks as he carried the unconscious teen down. They entered the exam room, and Hawks immediately put Shirou down on the bed. Doctor Aozaki gave a lookover, then asked, “So, what exactly happened?”

“We don’t know the full story, but Saber Shine and I found him fighting off two Instant Villains,” she raised an eyebrow at the Pro-Hero, so he continued, “We took care of them, they’re fine. Shirou Emiya here was burning up, to the point of passing out.”

“Yeah, I can feel that,” Doctor Aozaki deadpanned, since she was checking his vitals as Hawks was talking, “What is his Quirk? He shouldn’t be burning up from just one fight, even if they were Instant Villains.”

Hawks shrugged, “Didn’t get a good look at it, but I’m guessing some form of Projections. I saw him making a bunch of swords, but the beach was scorched, so maybe he can...” he trailed off when Doctor Aozaki narrowed her eyes at something, “Something wrong?”

“...Yeah, I need to work on him ASAP. His Quirk Factor is running rampant. This is going to be delicate,” she gave him a stern look, “I’ll need you to wait outside. Don’t let anyone in.” With that, she turned back to her cabinets and started pulling out chemicals and medical instruments. Hawks took the message.

“Alright, I’ll go ahead and head out,” Hawks stepped out, closed the door, then pulled out his phone. On it, he saw a message from Saber Shine, confirming that he contacted All-Might and they were about to move in on the last gang member. Hawks shot a thumbs up back, then called his sidekick, Takahiro, “Talk to me Taka, how are our guests?”

“Secured and awaiting the police escort,” Takahiro responded, “Man, whoever threw down here was not messing around. This place is absolutely destroyed.” 

“Yeah, no kidding. Let me know when the police take them away, and standby in case All-Might and Saber Shine need back up.” Hawks hung up, then sat down in the lobby, pinching the bridge of his nose. The case of the Emiyas was getting weirder and weirder.

Hawks stayed there, only moving to respond to Takahiro’s message about the police picking up the gang members. Still no message from Saber Shine or All-Might... 

Before Hawks could decide to send Takahiro to go find them, a thud arrived outside. Hawks peeled out the front door, signaling to the HPSC guard that Saber Shine and his passenger were with him. “Took your time, and no message giving me a heads up?”

“Hero Network’s compromised in this case,” Saber Shine grunted, as the two Pro-Heroes walked into the lobby, “Somehow they knew All-Might put out a distress call over their little scuffle.” Once inside the lobby, Saber Shine pulled off his cape, Miyu hopped off his back, and Saber Shine gave her the cape for comfort. Saber Shine, fatherly instincts satisfied, turned back to Hawks, “I’m sure All-Might will call for it...”

“No worries, I’ll put in a word for an audit as well,” Hawks nodded, face serious. “Is the other kid alright?” Saber Shine nodded.

“Yeah, All-Might is taking care of him,” Saber Shine pursed his lips together, “I think the two know each other, but I don’t know how.”

Hawks shrugged, “Maybe All-Might’s eyeing the kid for a sidekick position. He hasn’t had one since Sir Nighteye, and he’s getting on in years.”

“Maybe,” Saber Shine hummed, then turned to glance back at Miyu, who was staring back at them, “How’s her brother?”

“Doctor Aozaki is with him now. Said the operation was delicate, so no disturbing her until she’s done,” Hawks turned to face Miyu, “But no worries, you and your brother will be safe now, okay?”

Miyu stared back at him, “You’re weird.”

Saber Shine couldn’t help his chuckle at Hawks’ astonished face, “If I had a nickel for everytime that happened...” he reminisced. Hawks glared at his mentor, then sighed. Gawain was clearly thinking about the time Arturia said the same thing to Hawks years ago. That’s embarrassing. 

Sighing, Hawks stood up, then turned to the older hero, “Do you want to stay here, or go on patrol? I can watch the kids if you want to go clock some more hours in,” Saber Shine just shook his head.

“Nah, between the interview today and this, my head isn’t going to be in the game. Besides, Arturia is on her way with clothes for Miss Miyu.” Hawks nodded, then started to head out. Saber Shine stopped him, “By the way, there was a fourth gang member. Teen girl, short hair covering an eyepatch, wearing a letterman jacket and school uniform. Miyu gave me the description, and the other kid confirmed the girl’s existence.”

Hawks nodded, “Got it, All-Might knows?” Saber Shine nodded, “Alright, then I’ll coordinate a search with him. She’s probably laying low, so we’ll keep our search private, see if we can catch her later.” Hawks nodded to Miyu, then to Saber Shine, “Keep me posted, alright?” With that, Hawks left and took off, still pondering the strange situation of the Emiyas.

***

Kuin Hachisuka landed wrong, coming out of the portal twisting her ankle. Cursing, she turned to glare at the sentient black mist who tended the bar at the hideout. She stood up to her full height, the full 162cm (5’4”) height, then glared at Kurogiri, “You did that on purpose.”

Kurogiri gave the impression of raising his eyebrow as he polished a glass, “It’s not my fault you were clumsy coming through my portals.” Kuin deadpanned at the response, then sighed, climbing into a seat at the bar.

“Whatever, get me a strawberry margarita,” she ordered, putting a hand to her forehead, “And if you got any food, I’d take some.”

“No margaritas, you’re a minor,” Kurogiri didn’t even shift from his position, still polishing that glass, “And my cook is busy today. It is Sunday, you know how he is.”

Kuin stared at him, “...I’m 30.”

“Your host isn’t,” Kurogiri was relentless about protecting kids... which was insanely hypocritical in this business. Kuin had no idea what his malfunction was or why he was so adamant on protecting kids. Kurogiri finally finished that glass, put it away, then turned to Kuin, “I got lemonade and soda, including strawberry flavors.”

Kuin just rested her head against the bartop, “Strawberry lemonade, you asshole,” she gave the most melodramatic teen sigh, “What is this, pick-on-Kuin day?”

“If anything you deserve it,” a newcomer’s voice said, causing Kuin to groan and turn her glare to him. Arashi Tsukumihara. Dressed in a gray suit with a black button up shirt that wasn’t fully down, with gray hair that reached down past his shoulders. His Quirk was some form of weather manipulation, Kuin didn’t know the details. What she did was this guy was a bigger asshole than Kurogiri was today. Arashi continued to mock her, “You had to be bailed out of a small scuffle on the beach. That has to be embarrassing.”

“I didn’t bail out of that fight! We were well on track on wearing that freak down!” Kuin snarled, stopping only because Kurogiri gave her the strawberry lemonade. She took a sip, then pulled out her phone, “I bailed because of this!”

She played the message that All-Might had broadcasted, causing Kurogiri and Arashi to raise their eyebrows. Kurogiri was the first to speak, “Interesting. You mentioned that a fight had gone wrong in your message to me, but for it to be All-Might himself...”

“Yeah, right? He, for some reason, cared about those kids we fought with, even knowing that they had split up. Wait,” Kuin realized that something had slipped her mind, “Hold on, I need to call Jester, tell him to get out of there.” She punched in the number, and it picked up in a short manner, “Hey, fight’s a bust. All-Might’s on his way to you right now, you’ll need to..”

“ What do you mean, ‘All-Might is on his way to you? Why the fuck would he care about this stupid park? You need to lay off your special honey, bitch! ” Jester immediately hung up the phone, causing Kuin to glare at hers, then shove the device into her pocket.

“Welp, he can go screw himself. Have fun for a few days in jail.” It wouldn’t be a big deal. Jester was stupid at times, but he was still crafty. He’d play dumb long enough to fake a heart attack, then when the cops take him down to the morgue, they had people who could inform Kurogiri to pick him up. It would cost Jester a heart or two, but that would teach him. Hopefully.

Arashi sighed, used to the antics of their pale friend, “Alright, we’ll ignore him for now. Queen Bee, let’s hear about these guys you came across. I want to know why All-Might decided to go out of his way to save the day.”

“Well, there were three of them. A redhead with tattered clothes and random patches of tanned skin and white spot of hair, a green kid about the same age, and a younger girl dressed in the shittiest black dress. I offered a job to Red, since he clearly had fighting experience. He declined, so I decided to give him some Trigger, just to see if we could egg him into a fight and get some practice. If we got caught, we could claim ‘self-defense.’” she mocked, then took a drink of her lemonade.

“Instead, the bastard slices through my familiar with a projected sword. He tells the other two to take off running, so we got our fight anyway,” she shook his head, “The kid had a Projection Quirk, threw out tons, and tons of swords. He’s been trained for some pretty expert operations, I’m pretty sure, and with some form of magecraft as well.”

Arashi leaned against the bar, narrowing his eyes, “Really? What makes you think that?” Kurogiri brought him his own drink, a whiskey. Kuin glared at it before continuing.

“He knew where my bees were coming. Either he has the best combat instincts I have ever seen, or he could pick up the mana traces. Besides, his Quirk was some form of Projection, but he made a pair of Mystic Codes at one point.”

Arashi stopped before taking a sip, looking at Kuin. She elaborated, “At one point, he Projected a long red spear and a short yellow one. The red one was going right through Mummy’s puppets like they weren’t anything, even sharper than his regular swords. And when Spike tried to block the yellow one, it went right through his spikes, and he couldn’t regenerate them anymore. Not until we managed to get the bastard to drop the spear and we destroyed it.”

“That reminds me of the Gae Buidhe...” Kurogiri intoned, causing both Arashi and Kuin to question him. “It’s the Yellow Rose of Mortality. Wielded by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, First Spear of the Knights of the Fianna of Celtic Lore,” the bartender answered, “Its curse was that one could not heal from the wounds it would inflict.”

Kuin stared at Kurogiri incredulously, “...That would mean this guy Projected a Noble Phantasm! What kind of bullshit Quirk can do that?” Kurogiri and Arashi glanced at each other, which did not help Kuin’s mood, “Oh, you gotta be kidding me!”

Kurogiri sighed, “Granted, it’s likely it’s just a Mystic Code in the form of the Irish legend. It’s unlikely to be a genuine Noble Phantasm, unless he has some connection to the Fraga. Though their Quirk is more related to Fragarach than Diarmuid’s weapons,” Kurogiri lectured, “However, you need to keep an open mind. The Quirks given to Humanity have brought to pass an Age that was thought to be long past. Do not underestimate anyone’s abilities until you have managed to ascertain your path to victory, nor allow yourself to be baited by an enemy’s bluff of strength when it is made on illusions,” Kuin scoffed in response to the lecture.

“Look, I’m just here as a part-timer. I’m not looking into getting into wild fights of that caliber.”

Arashi glared, “Then maybe we should just take care of you now, if you’re going to get cold feet.” Kuin turned her glare to the weather manipulator.

“You can try. I might not want to jump into that kind of fight, but I sure as hell can take you down.” The room suddenly got very humid as Arashi stood up to intimidate Kuin, whose response was to stand up on her own and stare him down. Arashi started to put the pressure on, static electricity causing the hairs on Kuin to stand on end. But she wouldn’t budge. She’d use her bees and...

A hand rested on the back of her neck. Resting all but the pinky on it. Kuin froze, and Arashi did the same, as a similar hand was on his neck too. These hands belonged to a young man dressed in a long black shirt and matching sweatpants, a detached gray hand covering his mouth. The shaggy blue hair covered the itchy scratch marks on his neck. The humidity immediately vanished. 

“Now, now, let’s not fight. We got a big game ahead of us. If you need to let off some steam, settle it in Smash,” Tomura Shigiraki, the supposed leader of this group, smirked, his eyes fierce with the need to kill. Arashi growled, and shoved Tomura away.

“Fine. How the hell did you sneak up on us?” Arashi asked while straightening his suit. Tomura chuckled as he sat down at a table near the bar, snapping his fingers while putting on gloves with missing index fingers. 

“I was practicing my Stealth Build. You and I have that big mission coming up, so it helps to be prepared,” a portal appeared above the table, and Kurogiri placed a Hard Live Wire drink at the table. “Thank you, Kurogiri,” he cracked it open and took a swig, sighed, then looked to Kuin, “You said that you thought he was trained. Any idea who he’d be affiliated with? The Safety Commission, Cipher, the Yakuza, or maybe that damn fox?”

Kuin glared at Tomura’s can of alcohol. She was going to find another bar and get plastered after this. She took another sip, then responded, “No idea. He never called in back up, and he seemed too skittish, looking to end the fight as fast as he could, even though he was clearly too tired to put up an actual threat,” she rolled a thought around in her head for a second, “Actually, maybe he just went rogue? That’d explain the magecraft training he had, while he was clearly tired and wanting to leave so badly. Then the second we attacked, he focused on taking out us, the witnesses.”

Arashi nodded, “That’s possible. He could also be independent, just like how Jester was. Trained by a Spellcaster due to a unique Quirk that intrigued someone, but was made aware of how secretive he needed to be.”

Tomura nodded thoughtfully at that, then took a swig, “Either way, we need to learn what we can about him. Whatever his background is, and what power he wields. If he really does have some Legendary items, I want to know how,” he glanced at Arashi, “Can you get Slice on the job?”

Arashi nodded, “Consider it done. Kiruka should be able to find out something about this guy in a week or so,” Kiruka Hasaki was Arashi’s right hand woman and lover. With her long red hair and killer curves, even Kuin was jealous of her beauty, and she could body-jack whoever she wanted. But underneath all that hair was a killer mind, both metaphorically and literally. Kiruka would be extremely thorough to please Arashi.  

Tomura smirked, then looked back to Kuin, “Setting that aside, Bee, you said there were three kids. What about the other two? The girl with the dress and the green boy?”

Kuin finished her lemonade, then continued, “I doubt the girl will be as interesting as the two boys. She clung to Red the whole time, so I’m guessing she’s his sister. I got her name because Red screamed for her to run, it’s Miyu. Slice could start there for the hunt of Red’s name. It’s the green boy that’s more interesting.”

She held up her phone in demonstration, “All-Might said that he was headed to Kashiiku, and for other heroes to head for us at Takoba. He knew about the situation, yet went to that park instead. I’m willing to bet the green boy went there and called for All-Might, and whoever he is, the Number 1 Hero was willing to drop everything and come save him. That will be useful information.”

Arashi glanced at Tomura, who raised an eyebrow. Tomura took a sip while Arashi turned back to Kuin, “Yes it will. Did you get what his Quirk was?” Kuin shook her head. 

“No, but I did get his name. Red screamed it too,” Kuin smirked.

 “The guy’s name is Midoriya.”

***

Izuku Midoriya sneezed, thankful that everyone was focused on the heroic form of All-Might. Apparently, the story had gotten out that All-Might had rushed over to Kashiiku Park, and since everything All-Might did was practically newsworthy, reporters had shown up just before the cops did. Thankfully, All-Might had heard them coming, so had assumed his hero form just as the reporters showed up and started asking questions.

Izuku stood to the side, having gathered his stuff, so he acted like he was part of the crowd, writing down his thoughts on the day. That way, no attention would be brought to him, which was a good idea in his mind. A random reporter, however, had other ideas, “All-Might, why did you feel it was necessary to respond to this emergency?”

“HAHAHA!!! An excellent question! It was due to Officer Tsukauchi here,” the Number 1 Hero patted the officer in question, who had the most strained pleasant face imaginable, “He had received a call from Young Midoriya there, and his instincts informed him to contact me.”

Everyone turned to face Midoriya, which caused the hero wannabe to question if such a public facing job was right for him, “Uh, hello?” The pack of journalists immediately started to ask questions over the top of each other. Thankfully, All-Might stepped back in. 

“ Now, now, everyone. Young Midoriya just happened to be the one who put in the call regarding the situation. He did well to get himself and the young woman away from the situation, then call the authorities, ” All-Might turned to see the regular officers arresting and putting Jester into one of the other cars, then turned to Tsukauchi, “ Now, I believe Officer Tsukauchi and I have business with Young Midoriya. We need to get his full story recorded now. ”

Before long, Izuku was sitting in the backseat of Officer Tsukauchi’s car, with All-Might taking the passenger seat, calling out farewells to the press. As Tsukauchi drove off, All-Might deflated back to his regular form. Taking a big sigh, All-Might turned around to look at Izuku, “So, how was the attention?”

“Terrifying! I thought you were going to leave me out to dry!” Izuku exclaimed, then took a deep breath, “The press is scary.” Both All-Might and Tsukauchi chuckled.

“Yes, yes they are,” Tsukauchi responded, “I don’t like interacting with them either, but you’re training to be a Pro, right? You’ll need to learn how to interact with them. All-Might was simply giving you a small taste of that.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Izuku sighed, looking out the window, “Anyways, I know that we have to keep the story that I called you, Officer Tsukauchi, because it would be bad if people knew that I, a random teenager, had All-Might’s number. But, Miyu heard me call All-Might. What are we going to do about that?”

“As far as everyone is concerned, that’s the story for this instance. We’ll get into contact with Miss Emiya soon and see if she still remembers due to the stress of the situation. If she does, we’ll see if she can keep it a secret,” All-Might stated, “Even if she does tell the truth a few years from now, you’ll be coming into your own as my successor, so it won’t matter as much if people know we are connected.”

“Also,” Tsukauchi piped up, “I’ll get you my number. In emergencies like this, go ahead and call right All-Might immediately. But if you aren’t in immediate danger, you should have a line to me to handle things a bit more officially,” he glanced in the rear view mirror at Izuku, giving a small nod, “I know it’ll be a few years, but I’ll be glad to work with you. All-Might has had pretty good intuition as far as I’ve seen, so I’m rooting for you, kid.”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Izuku murmured, looking down at his red shoes. Today was so weird. It started out as normal as it had been the last few months, only for it to get really bad, and now everyone was praising him while Shirou Emiya had been the one doing all the fighting...

I need to get stronger. I can’t let heroes like All-Might and Emiya keep saving me when this stuff happens. Izuku was shaken out of his thoughts when he realized he had a massive problem, “Uh, All-Might? Can I borrow a phone again? I just realized that those reporters probably just posted their stories and my mom has a news alert for our area...”

“Oh, yes, that’d be a problem,” All-Might pulled his work phone this time, then handed it to Izuku, “Here’s the plan, tell her the same story we told the reporters, but that you mentioned training for U.A. I’ll pipe up about giving you a tour, and have her pick you up there. Will that work?”

Izuku nodded. He hated lying even a little bit to his mother, but... how to even broach the topic of everything? He hoped one day that he could tell her, but for now, he’ll try to keep her happy and safe. Izuku dialed the number. She picked up immediately, so Izuku said, “Hey, Mom, it’s Izuku...”

“ Izuku!! I was so scared!! I got the news report and your phone is going straight to voicemail and I got so worried! Where are you? Whose phone is this? Do I need to contact the police? ” Inko Midoriya’s panicked voice ran at about 88 miles per hour, causing Izuku to wince. Yeah, he should have called her sooner.

“Already here, ma’am. This is Detective Tsukaichi and All-Might,” Tsukaichi cut in, a wry smile on his face, “Your son is fine. We just need to take a report and he’s good to go. All-Might had the idea of taking your son to his Alma Mater, U.A. Academy. Does that work for you?”

“ Oh! OH!? ALL-MIGHT’S THERE!!! ” Inko’s reaction was both expected and priceless. Realizing that her son was in the same car as the Pro-Hero that said son had a shrine at home would do that to a mother. “ I mean, um, yes, U.A. works just fine. He’s been training very, very hard to go there even though... Never mind. I’m finishing up here in Deika, then I can head over, though it’ll be a few hours. ”

“ Not to worry, Mrs. Midoriya! After the report, I will need to take off, but my assistant, Toshinori Yagi, will meet us there. He can watch over your son until you arrive. ” All-Might boomed in his hero form. He had managed a trick where he could still talk as the form everyone knew of while maintaining his shrunken form, without it costing precious minutes of his hero time. 

“ Oh, that will be fine. Though, Izuku, I still have a question. Where exactly is your phone? ” Inko’s words cut deep into Izuku, and he grimaced in response. He gritted his teeth, not excited about the lie he was about to tell.

“Well, in the commotion, I kinda, sorta, dropped it?” There, not a true lie, just one of omission. Izuku did drop his phone, just after Jester embedded a knife into it. Thankfully, his mom took the hesitation as a teenager not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his idol over dropping his phone.

“ Oh, Izuku. You got to be more careful with your things, ” she chided lightly, “ We’ll see about the insurance, see if we can get it replaced sooner than later. ” Izuku’s eyes widened over that statement, realizing that, while he had pulled out the knife, one could still tell it was stabbed.

“ No need to worry, Mrs. Midoriya! U.A. has some fantastic Support Technicians on staff. I’m sure Mr. Maijima of the Support Course would love to have a crack at fixing it! ” All-Might did what he did best and saved the day.

“ Oh, only if it isn’t too much trouble. Though I’m sure my son will never want to get rid of that phone after Power Loader fixes it. ” Inko laughed, leaving the three men in the car to give a silent breath of relief. “ Alright, I’ll leave you all to it then. I’ll be there before 5pm, is that alright? ”

“Perfectly alright, Mom, I’ll see you then,” Izuku bid his mother farewell, hung up the call, then handed it back, “That went better than I thought.”

All-Might laughed, “Yes, that did go well. Your mother sounds like a strong woman. Then again, of course she must be, raising such a good young man as yourself.” Izuku blushed as he waved off the compliment. 

“I don’t know about me... but yeah, my mom is really cool,” Izuku sighed, then stared out the window. He stared at the buildings for a minute, thinking about the secret of One for All, but before he could bring it up, All-Might spoke up.

“Hey, Young Midoriya, since we’re getting you checked out by Recovery Girl anyway, would you like her to see if you are ready for One for All?” Izuku’s train of thought immediately derailed. Getting a Quirk, today!?

“Wait, really? You aren’t pulling my leg?” Izuku blurted out, causing All-Might to laugh and shake his head. Izuku put his fingertips together and to his forehead, thinking about this. Was he really ready to get such an awesome power? The power he had been working hard for the better part of a year? The power that would finally allow him to start becoming a hero?

Relax, Jester, who cares? This place is still a dump, whoever’s been working on it’s barely done anything

Izuku stilled as the words of that spiky green gang member came to mind. That guy was right. He wasn’t ready yet. Izuku sat up, then looked to All-Might, “I’m sorry, but I have to decline.”

All-Might turned around in his seat, narrowing his eyes, “Are you sure? I promise I’m not pulling your leg. You have done well these few months.”

“Thank you, All-Might, but I don’t think it’s enough. You tasked me to clean that beach to serve the community, and it isn’t done yet. It probably needs more work now that those gang members fought Emiya there,” Izuku balled his fists on his legs.

“Young Midoriya, I only tasked you with cleaning the beach to train your body and your heart. I never expected you to clean the whole thing, just to get done what you could before the Entrance Exam,” All-Might confessed, “You have done well in your training, so I think it’ll be okay to give it to you now.”

“I understand, but... I need that beach done,” Izuku expressed, “You were the first person to tell me that I could be a hero. Saber Shine said I was a hero today, but all I did was take Miyu and run,” Izuku cut off All-Might before he could object, “I know that’s what I was supposed to do, but...” Izuku took a deep breath before he got too emotional.

“Everyone for my entire life has told me my efforts were for nothing. I want to do this. I want to be able to save Takoba Beach, so that people like Miyu and Shirou can have a day at the beach without worrying about gangs or trash dumps causing them problems. I don’t need people to know it was me,” Izuku stated, “I just need to know I can do it with my own strength, before I take on your power.”

“Hehehehe, hahahaha, HAHAHAHAHA!!! ” All-Might swelled back into his hero form instinctively, before the seat belt locked, choking him for a second. All-Might spat out the blood as Izuku and Tsukauchi freaked out, before All-Might waved them off, “I’m fine, I just got caught up in the mood. I’ll admit, I don’t fully get your reasons, but I like your attitude. In that case, I’ll leave you with four simple words.”

All-Might looked Izuku dead in the eyes, and Izuku realized that even though this was All-Might’s skinny form, there was still a deep power hiding behind the shadow of his eyes. A power that proved that he was the Number 1 Hero. A power that Izuku will one day be gifted.

“Go beyond, Plus Ultra!”

***

Arturia Pendragon walked into the strange medical clinic, shaking her head at the HPSC agent outside, “What a weirdo... Oh!” She came to a stop as she saw her father, Gawain, on his phone, sitting a couple seats away from a younger teenage girl. Long, ravenette hair cascaded around emerald eyes that were staring at everything around her. She was wrapped up in the Saber Shine cape, which gave Arturia a clue about what was going on, “So, I’m guessing you need the clothes, then?”

The girl slowly nodded her head, just as Gawain put away his phone and stood up to stretch, “Yeah, she is. Miyu Emiya, this is Arturia, my daughter. Arturia, this is Miyu.” Arturia quickly bowed in greeting, and Miyu did the same.

Arturia then approached, and pulled out the set of clothes, “Here you are. There’s a single stall restroom right there,” she pointed at the aforementioned room, “so you can get changed in private. Do you need anything else?” Miyu shook her head, then grabbed the clothes, and darted into the restroom. Arturia sighed, then turned to her father, “So... who is Miyu, exactly?”

Gawain sighed, then shook his head, “That’s the question of the day. She was with her brother, Shirou Emiya, at the Takoba beach. They ended up talking to another kid they met, but then attacked by some gang members. She and the other kid escaped while her brother fought off the gang. By the time Hawks and I got there, the gang members had resorted to Trigger in order to take him down.” 

Arturia whistled, “Wow, good on him for holding out,” she glanced around the room, “Seeing that we’re at a medical clinic, I’m guessing Shirou still got hurt?”

Gawain sighed, “That’s part of it. Emiya’s suffering from Quirk Exhaustion,” Arturia winced as Gawain continued, “Between that and the damage on his clothes, Hawks and I don’t think this was his first fight today.”

“Gotcha, hence this place,” Arturia nodded along, “One of Hawks’ contacts?”

“Yes, Doctor Aozaki here is a Quirk Specialist. She’s treating him now, hopefully we can get news...” Gawain cut himself off as the restroom door opened, and Miyu stepped out, dressed in the clothes Arturia brought, “Hey kid, how do they feel?” Gawain asked gently.

“Fine,” Miyu softly responded. Arturia’s heart broke. The clothes didn’t quite fit right, as she and Arturia weren’t the same build, but Miyu was more concerned with other things, “Is my brother okay yet?”

“No word on that yet,” Gawain replied, “We need to be patient. I’m sure that Doctor Aozaki is doing a good job...” As if the universe itself was giving Miyu a break, the blue haired doctor strolled into the lobby. She stopped, then looked over the group.

“Where’s Hawks?”

“Gone back to do some more hero work, I’m handling this case for now,” Gawain, or rather, Saber Shine responded, “What is his situation?”

Doctor Aozaki sighed, then went to pull out a cigarette. She stopped when Saber Shine gave her the Fatherly Stare of Disapproval. She sighed, then put them away, “He’s stable now. His Quirk Factor was out of control, we’re lucky his Quirk didn't start misfiring.” Miyu gasped, but Doctor Aozaki leveled a deadpan stare at her, “Relax, I just said he’s fine. He’ll be asleep for a long while though, and he’ll need to remain here for treatment.”

“How long are we talking about for the healing process?” Saber Shine folded his arms, “Hawks and I need more information, and Miss Miyu doesn’t want to talk until she sees her brother again.” Miyu shook her head, backing up the words Saber Shine was saying.

Doctor Aozaki grimaced, “Probably a week or two. The damage is pretty intense, I’ll need to talk to him first before he reports to you and Hawks so I can adjust the treatment.”

Arturia saw Miyu bow her head, emotions warring across the younger woman’s case. She stepped closer, and Miyu just threw herself into a hug. Arturia returned it, then looked at Doctor Aozaki, “Is it possible that she can see her brother now?”

The doctor cocked her head to the side, “As long as she doesn’t interfere with the medical equipment, she can. Before that,” Doctor Aozaki looked at Miyu, “Can I give you a quick checkup? Since you are his sister I can identify the similarities between both of your Quirk Factors, which will aid in his treatment.” 

Miyu’s eyes went wide, looking at Saber Shine and Arturia in panic. Before they could say anything, Doctor Aozaki added, “If you want, they can join you. It’s just a check on your vitals and a small blood draw so I can examine your Quirk Factor. That’s all.”

Miyu stared hard back at the dispassionate doctor. She then turned to Arturia, who shrugged, “I’m more than willing to join you, but you don’t have to.”

Miyu took a deep breath, “No, Shirou is hurt. If I can help, I will,” Doctor Aozaki nodded, then the group headed to the third exam room, next to the one Shirou was in. Miyu hopped on the bed, Doctor Aozaki prepared her tools, and the Pendragons sat down on some extra chairs.

Overall, the exam was very typical. Doctor Aozaki checked Miyu’s vitals, reflexes, and senses. Miyu looked uncomfortable, but between the two Pendragons subtly encouraging her and the tests being fairly basic, she got through them just fine.

Doctor Aozaki finished up, then grabbed a bin of candy from the cabinet, “All done. Since I’m supposed to be working on my bedside manner... here. Pick two.”

Miyu peered into the container, then picked two at random. Doctor Aozaki offered the bin to the Pendragons, to which Gawain passed but Arturia grabbed a few for later. Doctor Aozaki turned back to Miyu, “Would you like to see your brother now?”

Miyu immediately got off the bed, then the whole group went over to Exam Room 4. Shirou Emiya was sleeping there, laying down on his back in the hospital bed. He was in a typical hospital gown, with an IV hooked up along with other equipment. Miyu bolted over, and eagerly but gently took his hand. Arturia grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pulled it over to the younger sister, so that she had a place to sit down. 

The room was calm for a second, before Doctor Aozaki informed everyone to contact her if something happened. She then walked out, followed by Saber Shine. Arturia hesitated, then put her hand on Miyu’s shoulder, which caused the younger girl to look up, “Don’t worry. If your big brother is anything like my two brothers, he’ll be alright,” Arturia reassured her. Miyu nodded back, then turned to focus on her brother. Arturia looked back at the brother.

He’s kinda...

Nipping that thought in the bud, Arturia walked back out, where Saber Shine and Doctor Aozaki were discussing the situation, “There’s no need to worry, the two siblings can stay here for now, until Mr. Emiya wakes up, that is,” Doctor Aozaki stated, “The Safety Commission pays me a basic salary and covers all the bigger expenses, so everything should be fine.”

“I see, that’s good,” Gawain responded, then turned to Arturia, “My time is almost up, so I’m going to rush and go get the car. Can you pack up your things and be ready to leave when I get back?”

“Actually, can I stay here a little longer?” Arturia requested, “Miyu could probably use some company to get her mind off of things.” Gawain tilted his head to the side, considering it for a second, then glanced at Doctor Aozaki.

“She’s fine to be here up till 9pm, that’s when I close visiting hours. Miyu will be allowed to stay for her brother, but you have a home to go back to,” Aozaki’s response was quick and firm, and both the Pendragons nodded in acknowledgement.

“I’m more worried about you, Arturia. Tonight’s a school night,” he held up a hand as Arturia went to protest, “And I know that you are doing well in class. I just don’t want you to trip up before the Entrance Exam.”

“I’ll be fine, Dad, you know that. Can’t I stay until like... 8pm?” Arturia implored, “Miyu could really use the company, and I can still come back home and finish my studies before bed. Then for the rest of the week, I can do small visits to check in on Miyu.”

“Please let her,” Doctor Aozaki stated, having moved onto doing some paperwork but still listening to the conversation, “I don’t get along with kids and could use someone distracting her while her brother recovers,” Gawain deadpanned, then sighed. He turned back to Arturia.

“This isn’t just so you have an excuse to stare at the handsome young man that’s conveniently your age, right?” Gawain asked. Arturia denied it immediately. She definitely wasn’t thinking that. She wasn’t. Gawain chuckled, “Alright, you can do that. I’ll go get the car and bring it back. We’ll leave at 8pm, alright? Do you need anything?”

“Roger that,” Arturia nodded, then stopped to consider something, “Could you pick up a meal for Miyu? She probably hasn’t eaten since this whole thing started.”

Gawain nodded, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. That’s funny, though, because you usually only bring up food if you’re,” he was cut off by Arturia’s stomach growling, as she blushed and looked to the side. Gawain chuckled, then headed to the door, “Ah, yes, I can do both. Consider it a reward for the good work you are doing today,” he grabbed the door handle, then turned to Arturia, “Though you’ll miss out on my potato salad tonight. Oh well, anything else?” Arturia shook her head, “Okay then, I’m off,” with that, Gawain took off like a speeding bullet. 

Good, because your potato salad is gross... Arturia shook her head. Her dad meant well, he just did not have a talent for cooking, at all. He did well in lots of areas, but the kitchen was not one of them. Putting that aside, Arturia walked over to the lobby, grabbed her bag from where Miyu had put it down when she had gotten dressed, then headed over to Exam Room 4. 

Miyu heard Arturia walk in, and she turned with a confused look on her face, “Aren’t you going home?” the younger teen asked. Arturia shook her head, then pulled out her book and hairbrush.

“Nah, you need me more. I figured you could use some company to keep your mind off things,” Arturia responded, then held up her brush, “Would you like me to brush your hair?”

Miyu stared at Arturia, owlishly blinking for a solid minute, “Sure,” she finally responded, and Arturia smiled, then handed her the book, then started to prepare to take care of the younger girl’s hair. Miyu stared at the book, confused, “ The Once and Future King ?”

“Yeah, that book is one of my favorites. My mom would fix my hair while I read this out loud to her,” Arturia told Miyu, getting started on the brushing, “This copy was translated to Japanese, so I could practice learning with it,”

“Huh,” Miyu responded, flipping through the pages, “Do you want me to read it to you?”

“If you want,” Arturia continued her work on the hair, being careful to be as gentle as she could, “I don’t know if you have read it or not, but it’s a good story.”

Miyu looked down at it, “I... haven’t read much out loud in a while,” she confessed, “Not since my mom taught me.” Arturia stopped, then looked at her.

“Where is...” Arturia started, then stopped herself, “Ah, never mind. I’m sorry,” Arturia went back to the hair, mentally kicking herself. Miyu wouldn’t be so secretive about the situation if their parents were available. Either they were absent or...

“Is your name a reference to him?” Miyu asked suddenly, distracting Arturia. The blonde looked down at the page Miyu was pointing to, where there was an illustration of the King of Camelot. Arthur Pendragon, dressed in the typical depiction: the steel chainmail, the red cloak, the crown weighing heavy, the sword Excalibur at his side.

“Yeah, it is, actually. You know how a lot of people have taken to naming their kids after old legends since Quirks first came around?” Arturia asked. Miyu winced suddenly, then nodded. Arturia continued, choosing to leave the tic alone, “Well, Mom and Dad had names already inspired by the Arthurian mythology, so they decided early in their marriage to name their kids after them. My two older brothers, who are twins, are named after Lancelot and Kay, since that’s what my Dad thought they looked like,” Arturia laughed, “My parents then decided to go ahead and name their next kid after Arthur himself, but then they had me, so they changed my name to Arturia.”

“Huh, cool,” Miyu responded, then went back to the book. She flipped through it a bit longer, then towards Shirou, “I wonder what he’s dreaming about.”

Arturia stopped to consider something, then decided it wouldn’t hurt to say, “Well, have you heard of cases where coma patients could hear what was said around them?” Miyu nodded, so Arturia continued, “Well, I’m sure Shirou can hear you now, so make sure you tell him how safe you are, okay?” Arturia finished with the hair, keeping it to the original style while managing the hair tangles and knots that had appeared.

Miyu ran her fingers through her hair, then moved closer to Shirou, “Hey Big Brother,” she started, then stopped herself. She took a deep breath, then continued, “I’m okay now. Mister Midoriya got me to safety, then Saber Shine brought me to where you were, and Miss Pendragon, his daughter, has been keeping me company.”

Miyu stopped again, then looked at Shirou, struggling for the words to say. Arturia saw the war of emotions playing across Miyu’s face. Before Arturia could say anything, Miyu closed her eyes, “You wanted me to be safe. You wanted me to have that share of happiness. But I wanted you with me, and I didn’t care if I had that happiness instead. I didn’t realize that would mean you would get hurt here.”

Miyu balled her fists in Shirou’s blankets, “Why did they have to care about my stupid power? Why couldn’t they have just left us alone?” she burst out, causing Arturia to step back and widen her eyes. Arturia really didn’t like how this story was turning out. Before she could think of a way to ask, Miyu shook her head, flicking tears to the side, and continued, “Why do you have to fight so hard to protect me? I’m your sister, I can fight too!”

Arturia swallowed back a memory of her saying the same words to Lance and Kay, over five years ago. Now wasn’t the time to worry about her own baggage. The blonde teenager put her hand on Miyu’s shoulder. The younger girl looked up at Arturia, eyes puffy with the unshed tears. Drawing her into a hug, Miyu just wept on her shoulder. Arturia didn’t say anything, she just decided to be the shoulder Miyu needed right now.

Eventually, the tears ran out, and Arturia immediately got a disposable cup of ice water from a nearby dispenser. Miyu took it and started sipping on it. “Sorry about that,” the young girl said, “I shouldn’t have-”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t let yourself bottle these emotions up,” Arturia said, kneeling to make eye contact with her, “I know our experiences are different, but that hurt you’re feeling? I know it too. When you let it bottle up...” Arturia stopped for a second, repressing a bad time in her life, “Those emotions will get out, like a pipe bomb, exploding by the pressure of everything.”

Miyu just looked despondent, “I just feel so weak. I was told that my power could do so much, but it feels like all I ever did was cause problems for Shirou,” Arturia smiled sadly.

“Yeah, I’ve been there too,” she responded, then looked down to take a deep breath, “But my brothers and dad never let me down, and I found the path that I needed to go on to find my strength. You will too, I know.”

Miyu looked at her, “Mister Midoriya was training to become a hero, are you doing that too?” she asked, almost accusingly. The statement caught Arturia off-guard.

“I mean, yes, that’s what I want to do. I’m training right now to take the entrance exams at U.A. I know it’s cliche, with my Dad being Saber Shine and Lance training to be a Pro-Hero, but it's in our blood. It's what I want to do too.”

Miyu nodded at that, then turned to Shirou, “He wanted to be a hero, but he gave that up to save me,” Arturia wondered what she meant by that, but didn’t interrupt Miyu, “Part of me wants to encourage him to try again here, but... what if I don’t want him to get hurt like this again?”

Arturia sighed, “Yeah, when I was younger, I didn’t want my dad to go fight the bad guys since I knew he could get hurt,” she stopped herself before she could tell Miyu she knew the statistics on Pro-Hero injuries and fatalities. This wasn’t the time to freak her out.

Miyu was still staring at her older brother when she asked, “Then how do you do it? How do you let your dad go?” Arturia sighed, then stood up to stretch out her legs.

“Well, for me, I know what my dad is capable of. He was the Number 2 hero in England, after all,” Arturia smiled, as confidently as she could muster, “And I know that one day, I’ll be fighting alongside him. Being a hero, bringing smiles and happiness to everyone, standing up for your ideals... I want to do it too.”

Miyu looked back at Arturia, and the blonde continued, “Your brother saved you, right? And he had to do it by himself?” Miyu nodded to both, clearly wondering where this was going, “Well, the good news is that if he becomes a proper hero, he won’t be alone. He’ll have help, from other Pro Heroes, from the Support Techs making his gear, and from the medical professionals that’ll patch him up like Doctor Aozaki. If he wants to, he can be a hero.”

Miyu bit her lip, looking down, “I hope so. I just wish I knew how I could help.” Arturia put her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder.

“For now, just be the best little sister you can be. You have your whole life to figure out what to do.” Miyu took that into consideration, then went back to her brother. Arturia stood by the side, watching over the two siblings.

These two... their story felt too similar to what Arturia knew in her own life. The beats weren’t the same, but the panic, the fear, the desperation... Arturia knew those feelings too well. She lived a privileged life, she knew that. Her dad had a good job as a Pro Hero, and she was able to attend Somei High in preparation to switch to U.A. Academy. Yet, as she learned more and more about the Emiyas... Arturia felt like she was in a play she already knew the lines for, even though she had never seen the script.

Her musings were broken when her dad came back. Her eyes lit up when she saw what the meal was, “Miyu! Dad brought Dairy Queen!” she bolted for her dad, Miyu trailing behind. Gawain gave a light chuckle, then started passing out bags in the lobby.

“Here’s yours, Arturia. Miyu, I didn’t know what you wanted, would you like a chicken sandwich or a hamburger?” Miyu picked the chicken sandwich, Gawain passed it to her, then turned to Doctor Aozaki, who was still by the front desk, “I did get you some food, if you want it. If you don’t, no worries, I’m sure these teenagers will finish everything off.”

Arturia could tell Doctor Aozaki was about to say no, only to stop, then say, “I can take some fries.” Gawain passed her the fries, then cut the last burger in half, just in case.

Everyone ate till they were full, then Gawain brought out his laptop to fill out his report. Arturia continued to watch over Miyu, who decided to go ahead and start reading The Once and Future King out loud to her brother. Doctor Aozaki continued to work.

Finally, 8pm rolled around. Arturia bid Miyu farewell, letting her keep the book so that Miyu could keep reading it to Shirou overnight. Then the two Pendragons headed out into the cold January night. 

Arturia was the first one to speak after getting into the car, “Hey, Dad, can I come visit after school tomorrow? And for the rest of the time Shirou is in his coma,” Gawain raised an eyebrow as he started the car and started to head home. Arturia continued, “I just think that Miyu shouldn’t be left alone as much as possible, and I could help with that.”

“You’ll keep your grades up?” Gawain asked, and Arturia bopped her head down and back up again, “You’ll keep up your training?” Again, Arturia’s head nodded, “Then, alright, you can. Just no catching feelings for Sleeping Handsome there, alright?”

Arturia stuck her tongue out at Gawain, who did it back at one of the lights. They goofed around the rest of the way home. Arturia took the time to be grateful for her family. What was left of it anyways.

***

All-Might had to fight to contain his amusement over Young Midoriya’s excitement. Once they had pulled into the actual school, Izuku had already started rambling about the various facilities and programs that U.A. offered to their students. He was even running through some of the more well-known teachers here that he knew, like Present Mic and Midnight. All-Might let out a small chuckle. His successor was such a fanboy.

Detective Tsukauchi managed to redirect Young Midoriya’s focus to giving the report of the Emiya situation. Once that was done, Tsukauchi left to go do the paperwork, while Izuku returned his focus to U.A. The ramblings resumed all the way to Recovery Girl’s office, where Young Midoriya started to fanboy over her as well, only for him to scream after she used her Quirk on him. He had given permission, but apparently he had forgotten that it involved Recovery Girl kissing his forehead.

After that, Recovery Girl went over his vital signs and gave him a small check up, while All-Might handed Young Midoriya’s phone to one of the droids, who took it off for Power Loader to fix. Shortly thereafter, Izuku was finished, and Recovery Girl informed All-Might that while Young Midoriya could inherit One for All now, it didn’t mean he should. She was worried about possible side effects, but All-Might waved them off. He had inherited One for All just fine from his mentor, what could go wrong with Izuku Midoriya?
Regardless, they left Recovery Girl’s office, and toured through the teacher’s lounge, the administration room, and conference room. All-Might was glad that Principal Nedzu was taking the day off elsewhere, and that he had managed to hide his cubicle in the administration room. He wanted to keep the surprise that All-Might was working here a little longer, so that Young Midoriya didn’t think All-Might had pulled any strings for him. With Izuku’s speech in the car, All-Might was motivated into making sure that Izuku had every opportunity he needed without having him feel like he was being gifted everything.

After the administration floor was done, they did the next few floors of classrooms. Each floor was dedicated to each year of schooling, split into the four major courses that U.A. offered: Heroics, Support, Medical, and Management. Heroics and Medical are exactly what the names implied, with Support being focused on the items that the Pro-Hero Industry needs and Management handling the marketing, financial, and legal side of things. 

U.A. and other such Hero Academies served as a form of Vocational School, where the last year of High School would be done as the first year here and the latter two years serving as first years of college, with graduation granting an associate’s degree in the field studied. Hero course graduates could then become Sidekicks at an agency while they got a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a variety of universities to further their career and skill sets, or start as an indie if they feel they have the chops to do so. Midnight was an example of the former, having worked under His Purple Highness until she got her art degree, while Hawks had gone straight from graduation to the top rankings on his own.

All of this, All-Might already knew. He had done plenty to help U.A. through his contributions as an Alumni, as the Number 1 Hero, and as a future staff member starting this new school year. Yet, he just smiled along and listened to Young Midoriya continue to ramble about everything. Izuku would need to learn how to control his rambling for hero work, but not today. Today was about reminding Izuku why he was working so hard. 

Izuku had only really stopped his rambles when they had stopped by the Support Studio to pick up Izuku’s phone. Power Loader was more than ready to fix up the device, as All-Might had stealthily informed him that the rush job was coming. Since Power Loader was just maintaining some machines and letting some students finish up their final projects, he was more than willing to do All-Might a favor. Power Loader was both surprised and pleased to learn that Izuku knew stuff about him too, and had signed both Izuku’s notebook and the inside of the phone case for him. They also took a selfie, which Izuku sent to his mom showing he and his phone were fine.

The last destination was the cafeteria, which was kind of a sad area to end on. Since it was Sunday, the kitchen itself was closed, while Lunch Rush was apparently working with local charities and churches to feed the less fortunate. This tidbit was unknown to All-Might, and he was glad to have been paying attention to Young Midoriya. All-Might should ask Lunch Rush if there was anything he could do to help, since the two would be working together here. 

With the tour done and the hour drawing nigh, All-Might and Izuku walked back to the parking lot by the front gate, “I would show you the other grounds, but since that’s where the exams take place, I don’t want you to get accused of favoritism if anyone found out about today,” All-Might told his protege. 

Young Midoriya nodded, “Yeah, no worries. Seeing this much, actually setting foot on campus... It made this goal so much more real. I’m really glad that you have given me this opportunity, All-Might.” 

All-Might shook his head, “I may have chosen you, but you have worked hard for this. Since that day with the sludge villain, you have shown your determination beyond all else. You’ve worked hard, and your heart is pure. That’s all I could ever ask, and yet you do so much more.”

Izuku’s face was blushing up a storm, not able to handle the compliments. All-Might continued, “I am proud to be your mentor. You are going to be an amazing hero. I can’t wait to see how you continue to grow. You, Izuku Midoriya, are-” Before he could finish, Izuku’s phone rang. The young man looked down at it, and realized who was calling him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, All-Might, it’s my dad. Do you mind if I take this?” Izuku asked. All-Might blinked then nodded.

“Oh, of course. It’s nearly 1am in California, he must have something important to talk about,” All-Might watched as Izuku thanked him, then stepped a bit away to answer the call. The Number 1 hero sighed.

Hisashi Midoriya, also called Jack by his friends, worked in the offices of Star and Stripe’s legal team in America. It paid very well but demanded a lot from Hisashi, so as Izuku put it, “We really don’t talk about the serious stuff. We just talk about heroes all the time and leave it at that.” 

Apparently, a good chunk of Izuku’s merchandise collection came from Hisashi, sent in care packages that came every three to four months. Izuku would respond with a generic letter that told none of the real story of his life, but had sincere questions and theories about the American Pro-Heroes that Hisashi would meet. Hisashi would then seek out answers, then respond in a follow up letter, ranging between the next week to the next care package. They also occasionally called, but the time zones made that very hard to follow through on.

The relationship between father and son was strange, to say the least. Almost as if there was more to it, but if there was, All-Might was in no position to learn what it was. Izuku hid his own problems away, and All-Might had a hard time asking Izuku anything that was immediately causing him problems here and now. Let alone asking Young Midoriya about a long distance relationship with a parent that probably should be in Izuku’s life more.

Izuku didn’t hold a grudge though. All-Might wouldn’t have blamed him if he did, but Izuku seemed honest when he told All-Might that he didn’t. Whatever this dynamic was, it worked for the two Midoriya men. In a strange way, All-Might could see why. Perhaps these two men, struggling with their own lives far apart from each other, simply used the topic of Pro-Heroes as an escape. 

All-Might stopped his musings when Izuku got off the phone and came back, “Sorry, my mom had told my dad earlier about everything, so he was waiting to see how I was after the Power Loader fixed my phone.”

All-Might nodded, “I see, how did the talk go?” Izuku shrugged.

“I told him I was fine, and that I got to come here with you for a bit and do a tour of U.A. Dad thought it was the coolest thing, and told me to pass along a greeting, and to try and get your signature,” Izuku laughed while scratching the back of his head, “I told Dad that you already gave it and left, but that I was with you, Mister Yagi, and he said to tell you to tell All-Might hello from Cathleen Bates, and to answer her calls some time.” All-Might snorted at that, and Izuku laughed.

Young Midoriya continued, “He then asked about Power Loader, since Mom told him who fixed my phone. We ended up comparing Power Loader and Cyborg from the Titans in terms of what they’ve made in Support Items,” Izuku shrugged, “I thought that Power Loader had a bigger impact due to the amount of students he taught, but my dad thinks Cyborg did more because a lot of people use his patents and stuff.” Izuku shook his head, “We care way too much about this stuff.”

All-Might just smiled, “Nonsense, it’s good to share a hobby with your father like that,” before All-Might could figure out how to continue, Inko Midoriya’s car pulled into the parking lot. Izuku pulled his backpack back on, All-Might straightened his tie, and Inko pulled up and rolled down the window.

“Hey, Izuku, come on in,” Young Midoriya followed his mother’s instructions, putting the backpack in the back seat, then hopping into the passenger seat. Inko turned her attention to All-Might, “I hope he wasn’t a bother, Mister Yagi, right?”

All-Might nodded, “Yes, I’m Toshinori Yagi, I’m All-Might’s secretary. Your son was not a bother at all. He did what Officer Tsukauchi and All-Might needed him to do, then by that point I had arrived, so I just showed up around the school,” he nodded towards the teenager, who blushed and looked away, “Your son knows his stuff. He’s studied well and if he keeps following that plan of his, I’m sure he’ll succeed at the entrance exam.”

“You think so?” Inko asked, then looked back at her son, “Don’t get me wrong, I want Izuku to succeed, but considering everything, I don’t know about...” Izuku’s gaze shot down to his feet, and All-Might interjected.

“I wouldn’t count him out of the running just yet, Mrs. Midoriya. Your son has a lot of heart, a lot of will, and has been hard at work training his body. He may just surprise everyone at the exam,” All-Might spoke with the calm authority he could muster in this form without switching to his more noticeable one, “Even if he doesn’t pass here, a good score on both the academic and the practical could help him enroll for the Support or Management courses, and he can work hard to transfer over.”

Inko brushed some hair out of her face, “I guess... Well, thank you for your time. Please thank All-Might for protecting my son. We’ll be going now.” Izuku also thanked the disguised Number 1 hero, and they took off. 

All-Might sighed, then checked his messages. Hawks wanted to coordinate a stealth search for the fourth gang member Miyu and Izuku had seen. He should probably get working on that. Even with his limited hours in his Heroic Form, duty never sleeps, and All-Might will always rise to meet the occasion.

***

Shirou Emiya was still asleep the next day. His body was laying still upon his hospital bed. His mind was racing faster than that of a speeding bullet. Images flashed around in his mind, generated both internally and externally, of what purpose none did know...

“I ask of you. Are you my Master?” She asks in a voice that lights up the darkness... I’m sure I’ll remember this scene vividly even when I’ve gone to hell. 

He tossed again, and the dream shifted once more

“The best thing for disturbances of the spirit is to learn. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love and lose your moneys to a monster, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn.”

What was Shirou trying to learn? What lessons did his mind intend with these images?

“Emiya Shirou. Understand. You are a maker, not a fighter. Do not forget. What you must imagine is always that you yourself are the strongest. You do not need outside enemies. For you, the one you have to fight is none other than your own image.”

The image fades, and a new one replaces it.

“If I were to be made a knight, [...] I should pray to God to let me encounter all the evil in the world in my own person, so that if I conquered there would be none left, and, if I were defeated, I would be the one to suffer for it."

"That would be extremely presumptuous of you" said Merlyn, "and you would be conquered, and you would suffer for it."

"I shouldn't mind."

"Wouldn't you? Wait 'till it happens and see.” 

This scene caused another to come immediately to replace it.

“That’s right. It is only hypocrisy for you to fight for someone else and not yourself. You only wish for peace, and not victory. Such a thing does not exist anywhere in this world.”

“Farewell. Drown in your ideals and die.”

Shirou rejected that dream, and a new one took its place.

He was one of those people who would be neither a follower nor a leader, but only an aspiring heart, impatient in the failing body which imprisoned it.

Was this it? Was the ideal he wanted to follow truly lost to him?

“‘Make his wish come true’, huh? I certainly did become a superhero, just like in my ideal. But all I obtained in the end were regrets. All that was left was death... A superhero has to keep existing as long as conflict exists.”

Were these images relevant to him, or to another? Some of them felt familiar, others felt as if they were being told to him. But by who?

As for you, Man, you will be a naked tool all your life, though a user of tools. You will look like an embryo till they bury you, but all the others will be embryos before your might. Eternally undeveloped, you will always remain potential in Our image, able to see some of Our sorrows and to feel some of Our joys. We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful. Run along then, and do your best...

Was Shirou Emiya forever destined to be a tool? Was there no way for him to both be the Ally of Justice he yearned to be and the brother Miyu deserved?

“I do not even need to think about it... One would normally die. One cannot survive after attaching a spirit body to the human body. But the boy and I are an exception. Rin should treat him appropriately once she wakes up... So this is it. Farewell, Tohsaka...”

***

Shirou Emiya shot forward in his bed, panting and raising a hand to his forehead. The images that had been plaguing him were fading away, but he could feel that they had an impact on his soul. The main question he had was... Who was Tohsaka?

Shirou’s musings were broken when Miyu slammed into him. He let out a slight gasp, but then looked back down at her and gave her a hug back. Shirou was careful to move his arm so as to not pull out the IV that he was hooked up to. Since he was in treatment, and Miyu was here safe, it seemed likely that they were finally okay.

Shirou looked up, and he locked eyes with a shocked teenage woman who seemed to be about his age. She had blonde hair done up in the form of a crown, with a stray ahoge sticking straight out, and dressed in a long sleeved blue sailor fuku school uniform that also had a red ribbon tied in front. Her emerald eyes pierced right through him, that gaze etching itself into Shirou’s mind. “How are you awake?”

Shirou coughed, “I’m sorry?” he coughed again, his throat feeling very dry. The young woman realized this, and obtained a styrofoam cup of water. Shirou took it and took some small sips, “Thank you. What do you mean, how am I awake?”

Miyu was the one who answered, finally pulling herself away, “Doctor Aozaki said that because of the damage from your Quirk Factor, you would be asleep for a week. Miss Arturia was visiting me to keep me company while you recovered, but you woke up early.”

Shirou blinked at the explanation. Doctor... Aozaki? Surely she can’t mean... and I don’t have a Quirk Factor, we’re not native to this world... He set that information to the side, then asked, “So, how long have I been asleep?”

“Only over a day. It’s early evening on Monday,” the blonde responded, “Oh, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Arturia Pendragon. My dad is Saber Shine, one of the heroes you met yesterday, if you remember.”

Shirou nodded, “I do. I remember being worried about you,” he turned to Miyu, who smiled to show she was okay, “and Midoriya, but I passed out before I could come to make sure you were both okay,” Shirou smiled, then let the expression pass, “Miyu, where is Midoriya?”

Miyu started her story, “All-Might came and saved us,” Shirou hid the flash of information about the Number 1 hero that the Grail gave him, “Then Saber Shine showed up to take me to where you were brought to. Arturia brought me these clothes, then she kept me company last night and today while we were waiting for you to recover and wake up,” as she finished, she leaned into him, “I’m glad you woke up sooner.”

Shirou nodded, “I am too,” he then turned to Arturia Pendragon, “I’m sure you learned my name already, but I’m Shirou Emiya, Miyu’s older brother. Thank you for watching out for my sister.” Arturia responded with a smile that would melt most hearts.

“It was no problem at all. She’s a very smart girl, I enjoyed my time spent with her,” she brushed her skirt, then grabbed her bag from the seat she had been sitting at, “Well, I was told that if something happened, to go talk to Doctor Aozaki and let my dad and Hawks know. I’ll see you guys after Doctor Aozaki lets me back in.” With that, she strolled out of the room.

Shirou turned to his sister, “You haven’t said anything, right?” Miyu shook her head.

“Nope, figured that it was smart to keep shut until we could get our story straight,” Miyu said. She then sighed, “I was so worried about you.”

Shirou patted her back, “I’m sorry for worrying you, Miyu,” before he could continue, a beautiful middle aged woman walked in. Dressed in a violet blouse, white slacks, and lab coat on top, the woman lit a cigarette, then turned to Shirou and Miyu.

“Let’s save the sappy stuff for later. We only got 30 minutes to coordinate a backstory for you people,” she spoke in a harsh tone, her piercing gaze heightened by the glasses she wore, “I’m Doctor Aozaki.”

Shirou stared at her. Yeah, she was the splitting image of the puppeteer mage he and Kiritsugu had met once in Shinjuku. What were the odds... “Shirou Emiya, though I’m sure you knew that. What do you mean by backstory? I thought you were a doctor?”

“Cut the bullshit. Between your shoes not fitting right, your sister recognizing Fuyuki, and the fact I found a Spirit Origin embedded in you, I can put the pieces together. You fought in a Holy Grail War in another world, and used the Grail to access the Second Magic to bring the two of you to this worldline, right?”

Shirou immediately went on guard, and began Tracing a Bakuya immediately. Before he could, Doctor Aozaki flicked her cigarette in a strange pattern, and a Bounded Field went up, sapping Shirou and Miyu of energy. Doctor Aozaki stared at him, “Relax, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m bound by a Geas to do everything in my power beyond certain things to take care of my patients, and I intend to give you the same treatment. That being said, we are going to need to cooperate with each other, so we don’t get the Neo-Mage’s Association angry at us.”

Shirou relaxed, and Doctor Aozaki dispelled the Bounded Field. Miyu glared at the doctor, who ignored her. Shirou had another concern, “What do you mean my shoes don’t fit?”

Doctor Aozaki went to take a drag on her cigarette, but Shirou hit her with the Big Brother Stare of Disapproval, causing her to groan and put it out. She glared back at him, “Your shoes were sized for someone without a Quirk. A Quirk Liner is missing a bone in their pinky toe due to the streamlined body.”

She took a seat, and then continued her lecture, “Before you say that you don’t have a Quirk, ask yourself this: do you think that coming here with pathogens from your old world and getting exposed to the pathogens of this world would be a good idea?” 

“Oh.” Shirou and Miyu realized. That would have been very bad.

“Exactly. Thankfully, Zelretch already had a system in place for anyone that plays with his Magic Tricks,” Doctor Aozaki stated, “It’s called Translation. Basically, when you use the Second Magic to transfer to another worldline, and it isn’t by Rayshifting, your body is reconstructed to fit the criteria of the Human Order that fits the destination. This process tends to have side effects when you come to this worldline, typically in the form of giving the new travelers a Quirk.”

Shirou slowly nodded, “So, we’re not the first... travelers you’ve met?” Doctor Aozaki shook her head.

“No, I’ve met and dealt with a fair amount of you people over the years,” Doctor Aozaki shrugged, “The Quirks are never a massive boon, typically just taking whatever your Magic Circuits specialize in and converting that into a more physical ability,” she narrowed her eyes, “Now, I want to know why you thought it was a good idea to embed your Servant’s Spirit Origin into your body.”

Shirou blinked, “Servant?” He waited for the flash of information he had been receiving for this world, but like with the Neo-Mage’s Association Aozaki had mentioned, there was nothing. The Grail must only be granting knowledge that was relevant to the general populace, not hidden secrets like whatever this form of the Mage’s Association was. 

Doctor Aozaki narrowed her eyes, “You don’t need to play dumb. I know about the Holy Grail War. Who was your Servant? Why did you embed their Spirit Origin into yourself? I’m surprised it worked as well as it did.”

Shirou pursed his lips, “We... didn’t have Servants. We fought with Class Cards and Installed them. I managed to get a Card with a version of myself in it, and used my newly prefetched knowledge to win.”

Doctor Aozaki’s eyes went wide, “You... INSTALLED a Heroic Spirit? What in the...” she immediately face palmed, “That’s actually insane. Okay, we are going to get on the same page right now. You tell me everything, and I will find some alibi for you. We wasted five minutes on this, so make it fast, capiche?”

Shirou and Miyu looked at each other, then back at Aozaki, “Capiche.” They then relayed everything that had happened, hoping that the doctor could find a way to spin this story into a plausible backstory. The countdown was ticking, and the Pro-Heroes would be here at any minute. They had to have their story ready by then. 

Their safety required it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: A New Home

Izuku Midoriya sat in class, biting his thumb, and was trying to focus on the teacher’s lecture. Unfortunately, his mind was trying to shoot off into too many directions. The teacher’s lecture, being a basic overview of Quirk Laws that they had gone over this semester, failed to engage Izuku since almost none of it had applied to him for years.

Then again... He was going to be getting One for All soon. The Quirk that had been passed down for generations until it reached All-Might. The sacred torch that it represented would be Izuku’s, which was both awe-inspiring and heavy. The young successor would need to ensure that the power wouldn’t go to his head, less he disgraced the Number 1 Hero.

Which is why I should be paying attention! Izuku mentally scolded himself. He gripped his pencil, trying to force himself to focus on the words from his teacher. Nope, they were blurring together, the sounds the teacher made sounding more like sound effects than actual words. It was just like those old American cartoons All-Might liked. There were even strange popping sounds coming from behind him. Izuku would probably need to do a hard workout and then do some make-up studying later. 

Sighing, he looked down at his school notebook, then discretely switched it out for his Hero Analysis for the Future, Volume 17. It was getting full, though, so by the time he started U.A., he’ll probably need to start on Volume 18. That was if he did get into the Hero Course...

Shunting those negative thoughts, he turned his focus back to the notebook. Flipping to the back, past the pages dedicated to Hawks and Saber Shine, there rested the two drawings he had done last night. He had immediately done them after getting back from U.A., determined not to forget any details. 

On the left, a detailed drawing of Shirou Emiya stood, holding those black and white swords he had. While the drawing was just done in pencil, Izuku had made sure to shade in the patches of darker skin that Shirou had, as well as the lighter spot in his hair. The pose was dynamic, Shirou rushing in after those gang members, Shirou’s face set in his steel-like determination. He had leapt into the fray the second the danger was unavoidable, saving both his sister and Izuku himself. 

Man, I wish I was like that. Izuku turned his gaze to the other page, where a sketch of Shirou’s sister, Miyu, was placed on. It was the image he saw when Miyu had stood up to Jester, standing as firm as she could, her eyes just like her brother’s. Whatever these siblings had seen before, Izuku knew they were forged stronger for it. 

Though... where did she get that ball she threw at Jester? Izuku decided to quickly sketch the ball right next to her feet, even though it had vanished from the scene after Miyu and Saber Shine had left. Izuku had only barely remembered it after he had gotten his stuff back to All-Might, and neither of them found it. Maybe it was a part of her Quirk? Her brother’s was a form of Projection, which typically involved making objects that would eventually fade away, so probably. 

After making sure the shading was right on the ball, and that the two sketches looked right, Izuku added some notes about what he observed about their Quirks. Mostly on Shirou, but if Miyu did have the same or a similar Quirk, maybe they shared some applications. While Izuku did this, he ignored that popping sound, and tried not to worry about the Emiya siblings.

Izuku had asked All-Might first thing at lunch if there was any update on the Emiya case. The Number 1 Hero had taken that opportunity to point out a lesson for Izuku: Pro-Heroes don’t always get to learn how people end up in the cases they were involved in. It was important that when the time came that the Pro-Heroes involved could detach themselves from the situation. That was life, you didn’t always get to be around for the ending, good or ill. 

Izuku ignored some more popping in the background as he pondered the situation. He knew All-Might meant well, and spoke from experience. He still wished he could have made sure they were okay. All he had to go on was that Shirou had been brought to emergency care, Miyu had been taken to see him, and that of gang members, one had still gotten away, though All-Might and Hawks apparently were doing a search. 

His thoughts were derailed the second the popping got replaced with a low growl. Izuku gulped, then turned to look a few seats away. There, Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku’s former childhood friend and future U.A. prospect, sat in his seat, glowering right at the green haired boy. Izuku’s eyes went wide, and he turned back to his notebook.

Katsuki Bakugo, or Kacchan, was a formidable seventeen year old. With spiky blond hair, blood red eyes, and a powerful Explosion Quirk, it wasn’t hard for Kacchan to leave an impression big enough to satisfy his own ego. Though, the expression he was currently wearing wasn’t the sullen and bored one that Kacchan had taken to since the Sludge Villain Incident. This was the full feral sneer that indicated that Bakugo had found his next target.

But, what had Izuku done? The two boys had made an effort to leave each other alone. Izuku made sure to take the more inconvenient routes, which worked fine since he had training to do. Katsuki didn’t chase after him, and had subtly guided other students away from focusing on Izuku. This balance was one of the few things Izuku had going for himself, so why was Katsuki so ready to gun after him?

Izuku stopped for a second, the realization hitting him harder than a pat on the back from All-Might. The Emiya situation. All-Might had cast a spotlight on him during that interview, and Bakugo was self-absorbed, not stupid. He must have seen that small bit with Izuku in it, and was now angry that Izuku had “dared to take the spotlight.”

All-Might, why? Izuku sighed, then steeled himself. No need to panic, Kacchan’s anger problems aside. All-Might dealt with hate all the time, one didn’t become the best hero across the whole world without angering others. Whether it was Villains looking to take him down or Pro-Heroes envious of his position, All-Might was always ahead and smiling. Constantly reassuring the world that no matter what, he was here, and no amount of heat could keep him away. 

Izuku would do the same. He didn’t need to do a lot anyways, much less contact All-Might. All he had to do was slip out of school when the bell rang without Kacchan figuring out where he was headed. Once he was out of Kacchan’s sight, the angry teen would go work out his anger and that would be that. Should be simple, right?

Yeah... no. The second class got out, two of Bakugo’s henchmen managed to pin Izuku and “guide” him around the school to a small alley. Here in the shadows, out of the view of the cameras, Bakugo grabbed Izuku’s collar and pushed him against the wall. Izuku grimaced, but kept it together, just waiting for Bakugo to get over this.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Deku?” Bakugo snarled, using that damn nickname. The bully tightened his fist around the collar of Izuku’s uniform, causing the shirt to rub uncomfortably against his neck, “You really think anyone wants your worthless ass to be the hero!”

Izuku responded in a panic, “I wasn’t trying to be a hero! I was just in the wrong place at the right time!” This apparently was the wrong thing to say, as the two goons chuckled at that while Kacchan snarled. Izuku could smell the nitroglycerin-like substance that Kacchan’s Quirk used as it stained his uniform.

“Well next time, you should just fuck off and let the real heroes save the day! All you did was get in All-Might’s way, didn’t you!” Bakugo growled, holding up his other hand to start sparking, “So stop trying to be such a damn hero Deku!”

Izuku suddenly zoned in on the hand Bakugo was holding up. He’d been hurt by that hand a multitude of times. Burned, smacked, punched, all sorts of things. Yet, it didn’t feel dangerous anymore. Izuku had had so much suffering at Bakugo’s hands, and yet...

Jester... Jester was a real villain. In the short time that Izuku had to deal with him yesterday, he had dominated the time until All-Might had arrived. Izuku had to run all over Kashiiku Park just to keep Miyu away. Even then, Jester had eventually found Izuku, and was more than willing to disembowel him. Jester was a bloodthirsty maniac.

Katsuki Bakugo was just a bully. A kid who inherited an amazing Quirk, and let that power go to his head. Izuku found that just a day after facing a real villain... Kacchan wasn’t scaring him right now. Maybe it was just the high from everything that happened yesterday, maybe it was just the stress from training talking, or maybe it was...

For your part, you did well. Good job. You were a hero today.

Saber Shine’s words flashed through Izuku’s head, and he grabbed Kacchan’s wrist, applying pressure in the right spots to get the bully to let go. Bakugo looked at him shocked, and the other guys even stepped back. Izuku, meanwhile, used one of the skills he had practiced for ages, copying the face of the Number 1 Hero in the mirror, and used it to reflect Emiya’s determination.

“Kacchan,” Izuku slowly spoke, making sure to keep his voice steady. Even as he used Emiya’s face of determination as a reference, Izuku’s was weaker, as his eyes were still watering, and his face flushed. Nevertheless, he continued, “The only person I got in the way of was a Villain who wanted to hurt me and the girl I was charged with protecting. I did the best I could, given who I am. I’m sure you would have done better in that situation.”

Izuku’s eyes narrowed, “But I was the one who was there. I helped Saber Shine and All-Might save her. They told me I could still be a hero. So, I’m going to keep working hard, and I am going to apply to U.A.” Bakugo stepped back, and Izuku looked at everyone there.

“Like it or not, you can’t stop me!! ” With those words thrown down like a gauntlet, Izuku grabbed his backpack from one of the henchmen and stormed away, barely overhearing what Kacchan said behind his back.

“Heh, whatever. Let the runt try, he’s just going to fail the exam. Let him drown in his dreams and...” Bakugo, strangely cut himself off, but Izuku didn’t hear whatever he or the others said. It didn’t matter anyways.

You’re wrong, Kacchan, Izuku thought to himself as he exited the school gates, headed for his house so he could change into his workout gear and start training some more. I won’t fail. I’ll work hard, and make my dreams a reality. That was the promise he had made to himself when All-Might had offered One for All to him, and Izuku Midoriya would be damned if anything stood in his way.

***

Saber Shine finished marking down his last note, then looked up to Hawks, who was trying to maintain a poker face. Saber Shine ignored him, as he looked down at the two Emiya siblings, who were sitting on the hospital bed in Exam Room 4. Arturia sat in the visitor seats, eyes wide from the story the Emiya siblings spun. Doctor Aozaki stood at the entrance, using a lollipop as a substitute for her typical cigarette.

Saber Shine relaxed his arms, “Alright, thank you for answering our questions. Do you have anything else you need to say or add?” The two Emiyas shook their heads, and Saber Shine nodded, “Alright, then I think Hawks and I will go ahead and go write our reports. Arturia, you can hang out for a minute, but when I get back we’ll be headed off, alright?”

Arturia acknowledged her instructions, so Saber Shine and Hawks left the room. Once they were outside the building, and thus out of hearing range, Hawks turned immediately to Saber Shine, “You know they were lying, right?” Saber Shine sighed in response as they headed down to where he was parked.

According to the Emiyas, they were the children of divorced parents, Kirtsugu Emiya and Hiyoko Sakatsuki. Kiritsugu’s work took him abroad, and he brought his son along, while Miyu stayed home with Hiyoko. However, the Sakatsukis lived in Fuyuki, where Mount Enzo had erupted almost six years ago. A lot of citizens were saved there, but many were not. Hiyoko was one of the ones that weren’t. Kiritsugu took Miyu back in, and they relocated to Alimango Island.

Things went fine for a few years before Kiritsugu died, leaving Shirou to raise Miyu on his own. At some point, a group known as the Ainsworths had kidnapped Miyu for her Projection Quirk, and Shirou had gone after them to save Miyu. He managed to get to Miyu, when someone who was with the Ainsworths, Manaka Sajyou, used her Teleporting Quirk to send them here. 

“They weren’t telling the whole truth, I can tell that much,” Saber Shine responded. Gawain had been in the Pro-Hero business for over 20 years, and was a parent of three teenagers. He could tell when kids, especially ones as honest as Shirou and Miyu, were lying. Saber Shine continued, “That being said, I do think the general gist was accurate.”

Hawks scowled, “Gawain, the second they said Kiritsugu and Hiyoko, I ran a background search. Look,” he showed the elder Pro-Hero the tablet, where only one document showed up, “Kiritsugu has a birth certificate for November 11th, 2065, and that’s it. Hiyoko has nothing. Neither of them have a marriage certificate, driver’s license, or even a Quirk Registry Entry. They’re ghosts.”

Saber Shine examined the birth certificate, “...Kiritsugu was born on Alimango Island, so that part of the story looks to be true.” Hawks put his arms down and stared at him incredulously. Saber Shine didn’t blame him, per se.

Alimango Island was often used as a cover for smugglers and pirates, and the local government was so corrupt it was near impossible to find or trust any records that came out of there. Even if Kiritsugu Emiya was born there, and then moved his children there after the Mount Enzo Disaster, it would be hard to verify, especially since it was likely that Shirou and Miyu weren’t registered to begin with. 

Saber Shine rolled his neck and leaned against his car. Since it was past 3pm, it was back to regular status for him. The only reason he was in uniform still was because he had been handling some virtual meetings with advertisers who wanted to sponsor him. Thankfully, they were gracious enough to reschedule, knowing that a Hero's duty can call at any time. Gawain continued his train of thought, “I think that the general gist is true. These siblings had parents who died, Shirou took care of her, then Miyu was kidnapped and Shirou went Vigilante to save her. They then somehow ended up here. That’s all that really matters, right?”

“No, it isn’t,” Hawks responded, “We need to know what this new group, the Ainsworths, are. Are they traffickers? Are they extortionists? They kidnapped Miyu for a reason, and Shirou Emiya isn’t giving us any information on them.”

“Shirou gave us what he knows. Anything else he’s hiding, well, we aren’t going to get out of him. He’s an honest kid, I can tell,” Gawain stated, and Hawks had to nod in agreement, “So the fact he isn’t giving us everything means he doesn’t feel he can trust us with that information. I’ve been that kid, and so have you.” Hawks grimaced as Gawain followed up with, “I remember how long it took for you to tell me about your home life. Your real home life.”

Hawks sighed deeply, “Yeah, I know what you mean. But our old home lives didn’t involve some sort of criminal organization,” Gawain held in a scoff, “That we needed to investigate. Whatever this story Shirou Emiya just told us... It isn’t what we need to know to get to the bottom of this.”

Gawain sighed, “They aren’t going to tell us the truth until they feel comfortable and safe. They’re fresh off Miyu’s kidnapping, only to have that gang pick a fight. They’re going to need to go through some healing before they’ll be willing to talk to anyone about what really happened. So you and I can just keep an ear out for these Ainsworths, and let them come to us when they feel ready.”

Hawks sighed, looking to the side. He stared at nothing for a minute, then sighed again, “Yeah, you’re right,” Gawain nodded, then got into his car, pulling up his laptop so he could finish his report. Hawks then said, “Let’s leave it to the professionals. I’ve already contacted the Safety Commission’s social services. They’ll be by tomorrow to take the Emiyas into the foster system.”

Gawain stopped for a second, then nodded, pulling the report up, “Yeah, you’re right,” he started filling in the details that were still missing, “Hopefully they can find those kids a good home.”

Hawks nodded, “I’m sure they’ll find Miyu a good home,” he started to step away, but Saber Shine frowned at the wording, stopping the Number 3 Hero with his name.

“Hawks, what do you mean, ‘find Miyu a good home?’” Gawain asked, fearing the answer already. Hawks just shrugged, not nearly as concerned about it.

“I mean... typically with seventeen year olds, they put them in a group home. That’s what happened to me. I’m sure they’ll do the same for Shirou. They’ll work with him and get him set up.”

“...So why wouldn’t they keep Miyu with him?” Gawain knew why, he didn’t really know why he was asking. Maybe, it was to force himself to confront what Hawks was suggesting.

Hawks stared at him, “Because they tend to separate boys and girls in the foster system?” Hawks shrugged nonchalantly, “Shirou will go to a group home, while Miyu will either get a foster family or also go to a group home. Everyone will get the care that they need.”

“...Keigo, you are talking about splitting up a family,” Gawain fought hard to not growl, his anger seeping in slowly, “A family that has fought very hard to stay together.”

Hawks took a step back, “Gawain, it’s just going to be four years at the most. Shirou might be able to get to a point to take her back in a few years. Even if that doesn’t happen, once Miyu gets out, she could easily just go find her brother and live with him. I’m not saying they’ll be forced to cut off communication, they’ll be able to call, text, email, all that stuff. She’ll just live somewhere else from him. Probably somewhere nicer. Isn’t that better than having her live with a seventeen year old with nowhere to go?” Hawks spread out his wings, clearly ready to take off, “Not every family gets to stick together. Not every family should.” 

With that, he took off, Saber Shine watching the red winged hero take off like a jet. He gritted his teeth, trying to temper his anger. Hawks was being an asshole due to his past, but his logic was sound. Gawain’s reaction was more emotionally based, as this situation was too close to the one five years ago, with Arturia and...

He took a deep breath, and focused on finishing his report. His mouse went to submit it, but then he stopped, sighed, then saved and closed the report. Gawain wanted to look over it one more time, when he was in the right state of mind. He got out of the car and went inside to get his daughter. Every step caused his mind to war over this situation.

This wasn’t right , but what could he do?

***

Angelica Toyotomi, formerly of the Ainsworth clan in another world, picked up the receiver on the office phone on the third ring. The second she did, a Spiritron Hack was displaced, authenticating the caller as Touko Aozaki, calling about magecraft business. Angelica paused for a second, then held the receiver to her ear, “For those who look to the past,” she intoned, initiating the Spiritron Handshake.

“ We look to the future, ” Aozaki responded dryly, completing the authentication. Now that the line was encrypted, both across cyber-based and magecraft methods, Aozaki continued, “ I’m trying to reach the Second Owner of Musutafu, regarding a situation of two Travelers from another worldline. ”

Angelica’s eyes widened, glancing at the Second Owner, who was engrossed in other things, ignoring the call completely. Angelica returned to the call, “The Second Owner is otherwise occupied, but I serve as the Head Enforcer here. I can handle the situation.”

Aozaki sighed, but continued, “ Two kids managed to use a Holy Grail in another worldline to jump to this one for safety. I will forward your office encrypted documents with the truth that they have told me as well as the lie they have just fed to the Hero Public Safety Commission. I was told that the Second Owner wanted to be kept informed about these situations, so that the background stories could be ensured? ”

Angelica acknowledged the request, “We will do so. As a matter of curiosity, what are the names of the two kids?” She managed to keep her voice calm, even though she had been waiting for this confirmation for years now.

“ Shirou and Miyu Emiya. ” Aozaki’s words confirmed Angelica’s suspicions. Angelica thanked her and hung up, turning to the Second Owner, who was looking at Angelica with an amused grin.

“You knew what that call was about, didn’t you?” Angelica asked, being sure not to sound accusatory. The Second Owner had done a lot for her, and Angelica didn’t want to come off as ungrateful.

“I took a guess, as we all do. It looks like it paid off. You did say you wanted to be the first to know when they arrived, and now you got the confirmation before I did,” the Second Owner chuckled, pouring a drink before sipping it, “I take it that you haven’t changed your mind?”

“Of course not, Shirou Emiya deserves what’s coming to him.” Angelica responded curtly. She had been waiting for four years now, and her resolve had not changed, even upon learning of the time displacement between the Emiya siblings' arrival to this world and her own, “If you allow, I will go and...”

“I do not. You must attend to the task that Touko Aozaki gave you,” the Second Owner decreed, “Your time with Shirou Emiya will come, but for now, you must secure their backgrounds. I will personally handle the cost, for my interests. It is imperative that it is done quickly,” the Second Owner’s red eyes burned deeply, almost glowing, “We must not allow All for One to learn of Miyu Sakatsuki’s existence.”

***

Arturia Pendragon and her father arrived at their home later that evening, Gawain holding the ingredients he needed for his potato salad. Since they had Dairy Queen yesterday, Gawain had just given Lance and Kay some money to eat out as well, and today became Potato Salad Day. Bummer, Arturia had been thrilled to escape it. 

She walked over to the round dinner table they had in the dining room, while Gawain headed to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Arturia flopped into her seat, acknowledging her brothers, who were sitting at the table doing their homework. “Hello, dear brothers of mine,” she spoke in a pompous voice, to which Lance and Kay just gave her a look.

Lance was the first to respond, “Hey, Artie. You seem to be in a good mood,” Lance, full name Lancelot Pendragon, was about to begin his third year at U.A’s Hero Course. He had long, purple hair that he dyed himself, much to the chagrin of his father, but as U.A. allowed such expressions of individuality where appropriate, Gawain chose not to push the issue. Lance closed the lid to his laptop, raising an eyebrow, “How did your ‘shift’ with Miss Miyu go?”

Arturia smiled smugly, “I must be a miracle worker. Shirou Emiya woke up today.” Lance and Kay blinked, then looked at Gawain, who nodded absent-mindedly as he worked.

Kay looked back at Arturia, “Artie, don’t tell me you kissed him to wake him up? True Love’s Kiss isn’t real.” Kay was also about to be in his third year, but he was in the Business Course, not the Hero Course. He was better with his numbers than his Quirk. 

Arturia made a face at him, “I did not! That would have been extremely creepy and weird, especially with his sister right there. No, I was just chatting with Miyu, since she had been reading The Once and Future King since we left last night, then Shirou shot forward awake. Clearly, he was interested in reading the book,” she joked.

Kay snarked back, “Or maybe he was sick of hearing about it, and wanted you two to stop talking about it.” Lance was quick enough to grab Arturia’s collar before she jumped at Kay, leading to one of their many, many brawls.

Lance then turned to Gawain, “What happened with him being out for over a week? This seems sooner than what was expected,” the Pendragon father nodded, as he finalized the last bits of the meal.

“Indeed, but Doctor Aozaki has no idea why Shirou woke up so fast. He seems to be in good shape, and his wounds should be gone in a day or so. Overall, it’s a miracle healing, and I’m glad for Miyu’s sake it was so,” Gawain stated as he finished up. Arturia nodded as everyone put away their homework and devices, and gathered their dinner utensils and set them up. 

“Yes, I’m glad as well. You could feel Miyu release that last bit of tension once her brother was awake,” the Pendragon daughter gestured once everyone had sat down and started serving themselves what they could tolerate. Enough food to not offend the father, but not so much to offend their own tongues. “After hearing their story, I can understand why. It was insane.”

“Oh?” Kay asked, “What exactly is this story, can you tell us?” Arturia went to tell the tale, but then stopped herself. She looked to Gawain, silently wondering if she could tell it. Gawain nodded, staring intently at his own food. Arturia chose to ignore this detail, beginning to retell the Emiya story with her own embellishment and theories.

Lance and Kay sat back in their seats after Arturia finished, thinking about everything. They had gotten through most of their food, and Arturia was rushing to finish her plate. Food was food, even when it was gross like this potato salad. Gawain still stared at his food, barely picking on his own. Kay noticed this, and was quick to respond, “Wow, that is one tall tale, huh, Dad?”

Gawain murmured an assent, not moving. Lance raised an eyebrow. “Yes, the story is quite something. I thought we had it rough with...” Lance widened his eyes, realizing the situation immediately, his head snapped to his father, “Dad, what’s going to happen to these two?”

Gawain’s eyes flicked upwards, looking at his three children. He sighed, then set his spoon down and steepled his fingers, “...Hawks has contacted the Safety Commission’s social services. They’ll probably be there tomorrow or the day after, once Shirou is medically cleared. They’ll be working on finding them new homes.”

Arturia and her two brothers slowly felt dread creep up with every word. “They’ll... find a home together, right?” she asked slowly, already figuring out the answer. Gawain didn’t respond, which was as good a response as any he could have given. “Oh, bullshit!” Arturia cried out, with Lance and Kay nodding.

“Language, Arturia,” Gawain said, relaxing his fingers and leaning back, taking a swing from his drink, “I don’t like it either, but cursing won’t help the situation. To be honest, I don’t know what we can do either.”

“So what, we just let this go?” Arturia gestured, “You and Hawks show up to the scene, beat off some gang members, take Shirou to get emergency care, and the bill is that he isn’t going to see his sister again?”

Gawain sighed, saying the same things that were almost true five years ago, “It won’t be permanent. It’s possible that visitation will still be on the table,” Gawain stopped himself, shuddering as he realized what he was saying. He took a deep breath, then continued, “We don’t even know if they’ll be separated for sure. It’s possible that a foster family will want both siblings, and we’re worrying over nothing.”

Kay scoffed, “Unlikely. Even getting a family for a fourteen year old will be hard, but for a seventeen year old? They’ll just put him in a group home and call it a day. Just like they did with Hawks,” he stopped as he considered something, “Hawks probably doesn’t realize the damage this will cause, since he was an only child at the time.”

“That doesn’t make it right!” Arturia retorted, “How would you have felt if you got kept away from the rest of the family?” Kay bit back a retort that he would be glad to be rid of his little sister pestering him, but this wasn’t the time for a joke like that. It was too close to this situation to be funny.

Lance had stopped to consider something, then turned to Gawain, “Is there nothing we can do? Anyone we could contact about taking them in?” Gawain shrugged.

“Trust me, I’ve thought about it. The best I think we could do is contact Julian and see if he could use his connections to get into the foster system and get them a home,” Julian Kaiser, the Pendragon family’s uncle by marriage, had a variety of business he was successful in. It was in part due to Julian’s success in his latest Hero Support company, P.U.C.K. Industries that encouraged the Pendragon family’s move to Japan in the first place. A good guy, all things considered, besides his hedonism and his choice of wife; Gawain’s sister-in-law. “The issue with that is that even if Julian can guarantee a new home for these two, it could take months.”

Lance narrowed his eyes, “What about the Robin Ward Laws?” Gawain rolled his head to look at Lance, a questioning look in his gaze, “We covered them in class a few months back. You, Hawks, or All-Might qualify for that in this case, right?”

The Robin Ward Laws were implemented shortly after Pro-Heroes became a mainstream, legalized profession. The issue a lot of Pro-Heroes ran into was coming across an orphan who they felt could be saved if they just adopted them. The orphans would agree, due to trauma-bonding with the Pro-Hero in question. However, as being a Pro-Hero was a dangerous profession, many of these orphans would end up back in the same spot, or in danger themselves as they became targets for Villains.

Thus, a new system was developed: a Pro-Hero could adopt an orphan and their siblings as long as the orphan agreed to enter an apprenticeship and serve at least two years as a Pro-Hero. This was to ensure that the orphans knew what kind of life they were getting into, while making sure the Pro-Heroes thought about what actions they were taking. Even then, the orphans would need regularly scheduled check-in appointments with a licensed therapist to ensure everything was on the up and up.

Gawain sighed, “Hawks is far too young to try to deal with teenagers, even if he is the Number 3 hero. Even if he wasn’t, he’s the one pushing for the Safety Commission’s solution, so he’s out. All-Might has spoken out against the Robin Ward Laws, saying that he felt they were too restrictive to the people involved and that people should willingly choose to be a hero, not feel that they need to be conscripted to get a home. I don’t know if he’d be willing to break his own commitment over keeping this family together.”

“Well then, we can take them,” Arturia stated, with all eyes looking at her incredulously, “I mean, we have the room in this place, and your hero career is doing well, so we can make it work, right?”

Gawain gave her a deadpan stare, “Right. And I’m supposed to be okay with moving in a boy your age to live here, with us?” he shook his head, “Trust me, I considered it, but my priorities are you guys, and I don’t know if Shirou Emiya is safe to be around.”

Lance took a second to think about things, “I mean... from Arturia’s telling, the only thing he really cares about is making sure his sister is safe, right? I can relate to that, and so can Kay,” his brother nodded at the sentiment. While Lance was better for more direct fighting, Kay had more than once managed to either drive someone off with words or smooth things over. The two brothers were very protective over their little sister. 

Kay leaned forward in his seat, “While there are definitely some drawbacks to inviting Arturia’s crush to live here,” Arturia snapped her glare to Kay, who ignored her, “There are some distinct advantages as well, at least from a business perspective. As long as this Shirou Emiya can live up to the hype, you’ll be known for training both Hawks and whoever Emiya becomes and ends up ranking, promoting your own brand alongside him. As well as the tax breaks and the publicity...”

“I’m not... Kay, we’re not advertising that we adopted the Emiyas even if we do,” Gawain stared at his more business minded son, “There was someone after them, we’re not lighting up their names in lights that they’re here if we do take them in.”

“I mean, if you did go through with the Ward Laws, Shirou would end up going to U.A. with us, right?” Lance piped up, and Gawain pinched his nose as he saw where this was going, “If he did make it in, he’d most likely have to do the Sports Festival, right?”

“Nah, I’m sure they’d give an exception and let him skip out on that if it was needed,” Kay remarked, “They did with one of the support students who ended up in a patent infringement case last year. They could waive Shirou off. It’d tank his popularity, but it could be done.”

Arturia picked at this minute to speak up, “Let’s not forget the other advantage Shirou would offer your agency, Dad: nighttime patrol coverage. You can only do Pro-Hero work during the day, and we can’t let Lance work alone. Having Shirou would allow for a rotation of the night shift, alternating between the three of us so that we could pick up more work.”

Lancelot Pendragon’s Quirk took after their mother’s, except it was more generalized. It was called Tactile Weapon Master, where the second Lance grabbed anything and focused, his body would instantly identify the best combat options with the object he was holding. He became a silent but effective brute, and that was the main drawback. Everything became a hammer, and everything else became a nail. As such, he could only effectively do hero work with someone who was trained on how to command him. P.U.C.K. was working on an AI model that could work so he could have some more autonomy, but current testing had revealed that the AI would instead trigger a violent rejection, which was less effective. 

Arturia’s suggestion had a lot of merit, which gave Gawain pause. As it stood, there weren't a lot of applicants for sidekicks at the Saber Shine Agency. It essentially was just his secretary, the advertising agent, and his two sons during Work Studies. Even if it was more than a year out, when they would get their Provisional Hero Licenses in the second year, having two sidekicks that would have training to handle Lance would be a boon. 

Gawain sighed, “I’ll think about it. Right now, I see that everyone is done, so go attend to your chores and homework.” Lance and Kay acknowledged the instructions, then took care of their dishes and started to head off. 

Arturia stayed behind, looking directly at her father, before speaking emphatically, “If we wait any longer, Hawks will have them shipped off. Let’s get things started and...”

“Arturia,” Gawain spoke softly but with a firm hand, “I said I will think about it. If you continue to push, I will not be amicable to your position. This is a delicate situation, and if we lose control of our emotions it could...”

“If we don’t act fast we could lose them! They could lose each other! I thought we didn’t want that to happen!” Arturia’s words were far more harsh than Gawain’s. Harsher than she meant them to be, “I thought we wanted to prevent something like...”

“ Arturia Pendragon ,” Gawain looked back at his daughter, his face containing the gaze of a judge that was about to sentence the guilty party, “This isn’t a democracy. I value your input, as well as your brothers, but I will make the final decision. If you do not respect that, there will be consequences.” 

Their staring contest continued for a solid few minutes, before Arturia broke it off and stormed off to her room, careful not to use her Quirk and break something. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she felt the situation called for it. She needed to know that these two would be safe. She needed to know that they would find a home together. 

She needed to know that it wasn’t this easy to split up a family.

***

It was later that night, where Shirou Emiya found himself scrolling the internet on a... tablet. A small, flat screen the size of a book, that contained access to more knowledge that was humanly possible. Kiritsugu hadn’t raised a luddite, Shirou was well versed in technology... from 2004. Not 2116. Which was why he was on this device, studying the world he and Miyu had found themselves in.

The official story of this world was that a Luminescent Child was born to a couple in Qing Qing City, China. Shortly thereafter, an outbreak of abilities appeared in a wide variety of individuals. Adults, children, babies, across all ages, strange abilities that began to be known as Quirks appeared. They could be identified back to a Quirk Factor, a genetic manifestation of the Plus Alpha Elements contained within those who had Quirks.

The leading theory was that a viral outbreak had somehow triggered the next step in human evolution, which was seemingly confirmed over the next generations as they were born with more tougher, streamlined bodies, correcting many issues that the former standard Homo Sapien body had. Over the course of a few years, the ordinary had been replaced with the extraordinary.

...Of course, anyone with knowledge of the world of magecraft would know that the Mage’s Association would be the first to suppress this kind of knowledge and manifestation. Which they did, according to Touko Aozaki. The second they could, Enforcers from the Association seized the Luminescent Child and initiated a Sealing Designation. No one knows what happened to the Child past that point. 

However, Quirk Liners still appeared. The Mage’s Association would move fast to imprison them, only for more to appear. The new age of social media made it impossible to hide the supernatural events that occurred around these people. The Mage’s Association fell into a panic, fearing that mystery would soon vanish. 

The Wandering Sea fully vanished without a trace, and the Atlas Institute went into full overdrive, working to prevent the “End” of the world that their First Director saw. Meanwhile, a civil war erupted at the Clock Tower, the Aristocratic Faction looking to crush all of the Quirk Liners that they could find to preserve the mystery, while the Democratic Faction looked to adapt to the new world order. 

It was with this adaptability that led to their victory. The second generation Quirk Liners and beyond began to exhibit stronger Magic Resistance, making the Aristocratic Faction’s efforts more and more worthless. The Democratic Mages, meanwhile, allied themselves with the various governments across the world, as well as the Quirk Liners that the Aristocratic Mages were hunting. The tides turned, and soon the oppressors were the ones being oppressed. 

The Democratic Faction, managing to bring the Neutral Faction to their side, formed a new organization, the Neo-Mage Association. While searching for the Root and preserving mystery remained as important missions, they also made sure to manage the supernatural so that any peculiar events were blamed on Quirks. Any mages that crossed the lines established were taken care of. Especially those that allied themselves with the newly coined Old Mage’s Association, who still wanted to uproot and destroy the world of Quirk Liners.

This was part of the reason Shirou and Miyu had to hide their backstory. Even trying to claim that a Quirk had brought them from another world would have disastrous consequences, as it could lead investigators into figuring out how such a Quirk would exist. Or, paint a target on their back that the Old Mage’s Association would gladly hunt.

Which was why Aozaki helped forge the cover story that the Emiyas would be using. It was a complete rush job, but Aozaki would be contacting the Second Owner here who had some contacts that would solidify the backstory and manage any missing details. All the payment Aozaki would need from Shirou was a couple of Noble Phantasms to examine. 

Shirou had thought that to be odd, since the Touko Aozaki he had learned of during his travels with Kiritsugu had been a master puppet crafter. He was sure that some sort of experiment on his own body would have been the price tag, and he was willing to do anything besides vivisection or the like. However, when asked, Aozaki just said that she wasn’t allowed to do anything beyond healing her patients and maintaining private information between herself and the client. Something to do with a Geas Contract she had signed ages ago. She couldn’t even make a new puppet, which Shirou found interesting. What had caused her to forsake her craft?

Regardless, her Noble Phantasms would have to wait. He could still Project them just fine, but doing so was an exceptionally bad idea. Shirou had realized during his fight with Angelica that everytime he fought, his body was being invaded by the Heroic Spirit EMIYA, but hadn’t realized to what extent that was true. Every Noble Phantasm that was contained within Shirou’s Unlimited Blade Works was still being imported from EMIYA. His Reality Marble was still manufacturing all of the legendary blades, taking its own time so that the Counter-Guardian wouldn’t overwrite his own existence. Shirou could absolutely cheat and just Project the Noble Phantasms from EMIYA’s Reality Marble, but that would lead into complications.

One Noble Phantasm from EMIYA would leave him drained, even with the mana that Miyu was supporting him with through their connection. It was akin to doing a personal record on a deadlift, you could have all the energy in the world after, but your arms are still going to hurt afterwards. Shirou would need to wait and recover before doing another Noble Phantasm, roughly two days or so. 

Doing a second Noble Phantasm within that time would overly stress him. If he did so, Shirou would need to stop Projecting for the entire day to avoid feedback, and the more he did Project the worse it would get. Any physical activity would also do more harm than good in this state. 

Aozaki only warned him about what would happen if he did three to ensure he kept to these rules. He would pass out again, and possibly damage his Magic Circuits and Quirk Factor so badly it could cause irreversible damage. There was no guarantee that he would miraculously wake up again as fast as he did the last time. 

That being said, there were some upsides to the situation. Kanshou and Bakuya were exempt from the Noble Phantasm rule, as Shirou had used them so much during his war to save Miyu that they were fully settled into his own Reality Marble. As Shirou continues to work on and Trace the other Noble Phantasms within EMIYA’s Unlimited Blade Works, those blades will also begin to settle, making them easier and easier to Project without drawbacks. Once Aozaki had gotten over her amazement that Shirou had a Reality Marble, she called him a right bastard for having such a simple path to expanding his meta-abilities. 

In addition, Quirks weren’t just ultra-specialized Magic Circuits, they were also physical abilities that could be trained the way one trained their muscles. Shirou’s Quirk, that was to be labeled as Arsenal Projection, streamlined the Projection process to be something his body did naturally, allowing any of the weapons stored in Shirou’s Unlimited Blade Works to flow more naturally and without using his own Magic Circuits, allowing those Circuits to be focused on his own Reinforcement Magecraft. 

Overall, it seemed as though he was tailor made for this world of Professional Heroes, as opposed to his sister Miyu. Her own Quirk Factor was likely something to do with Projection. She was also able to Project objects, mostly the balls that she played with her mother before the 4th Ainsworth Holy Grail War. However, those Projections followed the normal rules of Gradation Air, fading the second Miyu’s mind stopped focusing on them, rather the semi-permanent productions that Shirou can make. She also used her Magic Circuits to Project these balls, not her Quirk Factor. Doctor Aozaki could tell that her Quirk Factor should do something similar to what Shirou could do, but the two mages had no idea what ‘storage’ Miyu was using in place of her own Unlimited Blade Works. 

Shirou heard a door click from the outside, and immediately put his tablet to the side. There would be time to think about this situation later. Doctor Aozaki had finally retired to bed, so it was time to move. While he was grateful for Doctor Aozaki’s work, and would repay her, it was best to disappear for a while.

When Saber Shine had returned to take Arturia home, the older Pro-Hero had waited behind for a minute to inform the Emiya siblings that the social services would be there in the morning to take care of them. Shirou had figured out in short order what Saber Shine had meant. He was seventeen years old, basically old enough to be left on his own, but not with his fourteen year old sister. They were going to be separated, which they were not about to allow.

Softly moving off the bed, Shirou had managed to Trace a new copy of his original outfit, leaving the tattered original behind. Thankfully, while the clothes wouldn’t remain in Unlimited Blade Works, the Reality Marble could reproduce them. As long as they didn’t tear, they’d be fine, and Shirou had reinforced them to ensure that didn’t happen.

Shirou moved softly over to the futon where Miyu had gone to sleep earlier. Gently waking her up, Shirou kept a finger to his lips to remind Miyu of the plan. Thankfully, Miyu had always been a quick riser, and had gone to sleep in some regular clothes, not the extra sleepwear that Arturia Pendragon had left behind. In fact, all of the clothes that Miyu had borrowed was folded nearby, with Miyu being dressed in the Reinforced Traced copies. 

Once Miyu was ready to go, the two siblings moved softly, checking out the door. The coast seemed clear, so Shirou opened it softly, then started to head for the outside door. A loud creak caused Shirou and Miyu to whip around, seeing Doctor Aozaki holding a cup with some hot beverage in it. 

“Nice try, but you aren’t going anywhere,” Aozaki took a sip, “This is your one warning. Go back to bed.”

“Doctor Aozaki, you know our story,” Miyu pleaded, “They aren’t going to let me stay with my big brother, not under these conditions!”

“You’re probably right, and I can understand where you are coming from,” Aozaki’s reply was cool and dispassionate, “That being said, my Geas is to ensure that all of my patients from the Hero Public Safety Commission are given their full care. Letting two teenagers out into the dead of night during the winter would be going against that.”

Shirou guided Miyu behind, readying up Rule Breaker to be Traced. It had been one day after all, and Rule Breaker would work very well for this situation, “So, you won’t turn a blind eye to this?”

Aozaki scoffed, “I literally can’t, you should know how the Geas works. Now go to bed. I’m sure the situation will work itself out.”

Shirou stared her down, “My experience tells me otherwise,” he immediately went to Trace Rule Breaker, intent on using it to immediately destroy the Bounded Fields. Then it was time to use Kanshou and Bakuya to flee into the night. He’d hit Aozaki enough to not hurt her, but knock her out.

Only, Aozaki didn’t react the way he thought. Instead of activating her Bounded Field she had, she simply reached up, closed her eyes, then pulled off her glasses. The second she opened them, just as Rule Breaker was in his hands, Shirou felt his body seize up. He tried to flush mana through his system to throw off the Mystic Eyes she was using, but to no avail. How was she doing this?

Doctor Aozaki simply walked up, and plucked Rule Breaker from his hand, “Thank you kindly for making this for me, though you should have waited. Your body hasn’t quite healed yet, especially since you haven’t rested enough. So for now, sleep .”

Shirou and Miyu both collapsed to the floor, like puppets on a string, passing out immediately. Touko Aozaki glanced at the Noble Phantasm in her hands, then looked down at the two siblings. “It’s strange to see a sibling bond as strong and as positive as yours. It makes you wonder if...” she shook her head, casting those memories away, “For now, rest. I’m sure that someone will adopt the two of you together, if only to have access to your trove. Perhaps it will be the Second Owner, or someone within the Safety Commission. Either way, coming to this world was a mistake.”

***

Gawain stared at the Moon, holding a cup of hot chocolate while he stood at his porch. It was ironic, the Sun was what gave him his power, yet it was the Moon that brought his thoughts clarity. He could play dumb, acting as if it was a strange quirk of his, but he knew the truth. He knew what had inspired this trait he had.

It was under the moonlight when he first met his wife, just out of the Hero Academy he attended. He had gotten out of emergency care for his first serious day on the job. Nothing serious, but he had taken some hits harder than he needed to. As he was headed home, he came across a young woman fighting off some thugs. He had meant to go help, even though he wasn’t powered up, but she had taken care of things quickly. The speed and efficiency that she did so was breathtaking, and Gawain knew he was a sucker from that moment forward.

Altria Pendragon, or as her Pro-Hero name was, Lance Lioness. Her Quirk was Atmo Spear, where she could twist the air around her into lances that she could use in a variety of ways. Her costume was a blue leotard with white leggings, and small bits of armor on her arms and legs, a fur lined red cape draped around her shoulders. The second she had finished, she had seen him, nodded, then took off, leaving him to call in the thugs. 

Later on, they had met up during another situation, and had worked well together. Altria then invited Gawain to join her agency, the Round Table. The more they worked together, the stronger their feelings became. They often went on dates at night, both because that’s when Gawain was available, as well as Altria’s fascination with the Moon. They had even gotten married under the moonlight, as cheesy as that was. 

Gawain shook his head. Getting lost in nostalgic memories wouldn’t help now. He still needed to address the situation with the Emiyas. His report was due in the morning, and with it, his decision on whether he’d take them in or not. Gawain felt as if he was being torn in two. 

Taking in these two likely would just be an awkward three years as Shirou went through U.A. or whatever Hero Academy he went through. The worst case scenario was that it would be dangerous for his family, whether by an attack from these Ainsworths, or from within, the attack coming from Shirou. Gawain didn’t think the kid would attack unprovoked, but the kid was also hiding a lot. Gawain could relate, but Hawks wasn’t completely wrong in approaching this situation.

That being said, Gawain knew why his kids were so anxious to ensure that these kids stuck together. After Altria had... passed away, Gawain had fallen into a stupor. He was able to provide and do the bare essentials, but Gawain wasn’t proud of the despair or the depression he had fallen into with her passing. Thankfully, Lance and Kay were able to help, as Arturia was also a mess, but it wasn’t hard to notice that things weren’t quite right at the Pendragon household.

Especially when you were family. Morgan Pendragon, Altria’s sister and Julian Kaiser’s wife, and one of the founders at P.U.C.K., had always had a strange interest in Arturia. Gawain and Altria had merely assumed it to be a regular Aunt and Niece sort of relationship, but that had gone out the window with Altria’s passing. 

Declaring that with her sister’s death, the Pendragon household was not fit to raise this young girl, Morgan had sued for custody rights, claiming to be able to give Arturia the right form of upbringing. This had snapped Gawain out of his stupor, but the legal fighting were rough, and it was only after months of litigation, Arturia being separated from both families for a time, and Morgan’s own family pushing back against this that had snapped Morgan out of whatever grief-fuelled scheme she had in mind. 

As an olive branch, Julian had purchased the Japanese style manor that the Pendragons now lived in. Since Julian and Morgan had already moved to Japan for P.U.C.K., Julian saw it as a good compromise. It brought the Pendragons closer to their cousins, while giving them a fresh start. Gawain and his kids had decided to take it, and had been rebuilding that relationship with Julian, Oberon, and Mordred. Less so with Morgan, who’s own pride didn’t allow her to give an apology. Still, she was cordial, and was no longer a threat to Arturia.

But that separation... It left Arturia with a sensitivity to family drama and separation. Gawain had supposed that she had felt safe enough these last few years, but the Emiya case had clearly shown that to be false. Which now left Gawain in a rough spot. Did he take in the Emiyas, with all the risks that entailed? Or leave them to the Safety Commission, allowing both families to hurt in the aftermath. Gawain sighed, then took another swig of the sugary beverage.

Gawain then turned his head as footsteps creaked across the wood flooring. Arturia came around the corner, clearly trying to sneak out here. Dressed in her full body pajamas and her hair in a ponytail, Arturia was holding her blue acoustic guitar. Gawain had known that she would occasionally sneak out here and practice when she couldn’t sleep, and had allowed it to let her have some small feeling of rebellion, but he was surprised that she would do it tonight.

Arturia had frozen the second she saw him there, sipping his drink. Gawain kept one eyebrow raised as he slowly drank his beverage, only stopping when she tried to sneak away, “Hold on, you’re already busted,” she sagged, gently resting the guitar in her hands on the ground. She then lifted her best puppy dog eyes at him. Damnit, she was too good at that. Gawain sighed, “Go put that away, you can play later. You can come have some hot chocolate with me.”

Arturia zipped away to put the guitar away, while Gawain chuckled. He went into the kitchen, making another batch for himself and his daughter. She came back quickly, waiting impatiently as he finished. Once it was done, he handed her a mug, and they stood there, sipping for a minute.

Arturia clearly enjoyed the drink, but Gawain could see the emotions that were waging war across her face. Deciding to speak up, Gawain stated, “You know they were lying, right?”

Arturia stopped for a second, then nodded, “Yeah, they were hiding details and making up stuff to fill out the gaps,” she took a sip, “But I think Miyu and Shirou have a reason to do so. A pretty good reason.”

Gawain grunted, “I can understand that, but that doesen’t change the fact that taking them in is dangerous,” Arturia snapped her head to her father, “They’re two teenagers, Shirou with one of the most dangerous Quirks I’ve seen. He claims that his sister was kidnapped by some criminal group and he fought them off to save her, which may mean they will seek retribution against him, and therefore us,” Gawain took another sip, “Not to mention he’s your age, Arturia, and I’m not exactly wanting to encourage any funny business here.”

Arturia scoffed, “Well first of all, I’m not stupid. I’m waiting till after the Academy for any ‘funny business,’” she made a face at her dad, who made it back to her, “Even if he did try anything, my own strength can easily kick his ass, right?”

She had a point. Her Quirk was a mutant cross between his own Solar Empowerment and Altria’s Atmo Spear. Atmo Burst not only allowed her to use the air as the fuel for her own enhancement, unlike Solar Empowerment which required the Sun during specific hours, but also allowed her to generate a small wind shield around herself. If one didn’t know Gawain and Altria better, they would accuse them of Quirk Breeding to create a potent Quirk worthy to challenge All-Might one day. 

Arturia continued her argument, “And besides, even if these Ainsworths do come after them, he’s already beat them before, right? And that’s without us helping. If we worked together, they wouldn’t stand a chance. But if we let them go... who knows what will happen to whatever poor family that adopts Miyu without knowing she’s a target.”

Gawain gave her a strange look, “...Are you arguing to be bait for these Ainsworths?”

Arturia shook her head, “No, I’m saying that if we know an attack is coming, we should have the target be in a castle, not in a random village.” Gawain wasn’t sure her logic was sound, but he had already figured that she was throwing everything at the wall for this.

“Arturia, you have to be honest with yourself. You don’t want to see them separated because it reminds you too much of what happened with Morgan, doesn’t it,” Gawain took a sip as Arturia stopped, then frowned. Her father continued, “It is a good thing to care, but we can’t act on emotion here. If we do take these kids in, it’s going to be a rough journey.”

Arturia stared into her nearly empty cup, “I know... I shouldn’t be this emotional about this, I get it. But,” she looked into Gawain’s eyes, “Don’t you think that if Mom was here, she would have taken them in?”

It was Gawain’s turn to stop, then consider it. Yeah, Arturia was right. Altria would have taken in these two kids already. While she had never used the Robin Ward Laws to adopt anyone in life, Gawain also knew his wife well enough to know that in this case, “Yeah, she absolutely would have,” Gawain turned away, then sighed, “Are you sure you want them as roommates?”

Arturia frantically nodded, “Yeah, Miyu was really fun and smart to talk with, and how she describes Shirou makes it sound like he can fit in here. He can give Lance and I another training partner, and I can have a little sister in this male-dominated home.” Gawain snorted at his daughter’s line, and she chuckled in response.

Gawain sighed, then took Arturia’s empty cup and washed it out alongside his own, “If you sure, then alright. Lance and Kay seemed to be for it as well. If they don’t have arguments against it in the morning, we’ll do it. We’ll take in the Emiyas.”

***

Miyu jolted awake when Doctor Aozaki placed her hand to the younger teen’s forehead, removing the enchantment. As she shot up and looked around, she didn’t quite hear what Doctor Aozaki said, “Wait, what did you say?”

Doctor Aozaki just sighed, “You have a visitor.” She turned to where Shirou was, dispelling the enchantment on him. Shirou went to Trace a sword, only for Aozaki to point a lit cigarette at him, “Don’t. Trust me, you are going to want to be on your best behavior for now.” She strolled away, clearly going to let whoever it was in.

Miyu moved over to Shirou, who sat up on the bed. The two siblings checked the clock, saw that it was about mid-morning, then sighed. Miyu looked up to Shirou, “Do you think this is it?” she asked, voice strangely calm.

“We’ll see. Even if it is, we’ll figure things out,” Shirou said resolutely, jaw set in determination, “We’ll figure out a way to meet back up, I promise.”

“Yeah, this won’t go the way the Safety Commission thinks it will,” Saber Shine stated as he walked in, holding his laptop. The two siblings blinked, surprised at the apparent visitor.

Miyu was the first to speak up, “Saber Shine? I thought you needed to be doing hero work by now.” The aforementioned Pro-Hero nodded his head to her.

“Typically, yes. However, I’m choosing to take the day off today for some paperwork that needs to occur,” Saber Shine looked over the two siblings, took a deep breath, then began to talk, “I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m sure that you have figured out with Hawks having called the Safety Commission’s Social Services...”

“They’ll want to separate us into different group homes,” Shirou replied, barely able to keep himself from snarling, “What’s the point of this discussion?”

Saber Shine raised an eyebrow, then took a deep breath, “I know how angry you must feel,” he raised a hand before the siblings could respond, “My own kids were almost separated, when Arturia was much younger than you were, Miyu.” Those words pacified the Emiyas, as they realized that Saber Shine might be here as an ally.

Miyu spoke up, “So, how did you keep together then? What can we do?” Saber Shine responded by opening his laptop around, then showing some paperwork.

“How we stayed together isn’t relevant to you two. You may learn that story later, but for now, listen to this: Under the Robin Ward Laws, I, as one of the Pro-Heroes, can adopt any group of kids that were involved in a traumatic hero experience. The downsides are that one of you two will need to train to become a Pro-Hero and serve for about two years.”

The Emiyas’ eyes widened as Saber Shine finished up his message, “I’m offering you a choice. You can either be adopted by some strangers, separated but being able to do whatever you want, or you can be adopted by me, and one of you will become a Pro-Hero. I wish that I could give you more options but...” Saber Shine cut himself off as Shirou’s head fell, and the redheaded teenager started chuckling. The Pro-Hero hadn’t seen this reaction coming. 

Miyu knew why though. She remembered some of the stories Shirou had told of his travels with Kiritsugu. The most important story being when Shirou’s original family had fallen to a major disaster in Shinjuku. There, when he was ready to die, Shirou had been saved by Kiritsugu. Later on, in the hospital, Shirou had been given a choice. “ I’ll ask you directly. Which would you prefer? To go to an orphanage, or to be adopted by this man you’ve never seen before? ”

This situation was a repeat, a remix of that day for Shirou. The disaster that had torn his family apart. The Hero that had saved him, and was offering his home. The instruments were different, as Saber Shine wasn’t Kiritsugu, and Shirou had Miyu alongside him now, but the melody seemed to be the same.

Shirou looked at her, and Miyu nodded her head. She was worried about this world, a world of Pro-Heroes who fought against both disasters and Villains. The guilt that Shirou must have felt for them arriving here, in a world where he was perfect to fulfill the dream he had already abandoned, was immense. Yet, Miyu had already decided to support him. She knew that that dream was still somewhere within his heart, and this time, she wouldn’t be a burden. She would help him become a hero.

Shirou turned back to face Saber Shine, “Are you sure you want to take in two teens with a lot of baggage?” Saber Shine snorted, then cocked his head to the side.

“Are you sure you want to come live with a Pro-Hero and his three kids who have baggage of their own?” Saber Shine, no, Gawian shrugged, “If you want, we’ll find a way to make this work.”

Miyu and Shirou nodded, “Then, we’ll be in your care.” They bowed, then started working on the paperwork. As they finished and left Aozaki’s medical practice, Miyu gave a sigh of relief. She knew then, everything would be okay.

***

“Wait, WHAT?” Hawks yelped into the phone. He had arrived in the afternoon alongside one of the Safety Commission’s social workers. Instead of letting them in to see the Emiyas, Doctor Aozaki simply told him to call Saber Shine. So he had, and Gawain had responded with something that was clearly insane, “Can you repeat that?”

“I took the Emiyas in. Arturia was very distraught at the idea of separating the two, and my sons happened to back up her arguments,” Gawain responded, and Hawks could just see the smugness on the older Pro-Hero’s face, “Right now I’m getting them some essentials. Thankfully, Shirou shares a size with Lance and Kay, so they have some leftover clothes they can lend. They still need their own phones, toiletries, and other essentials.”

Hawks put a hand to his forehead, bewildered that this had happened, “Are you really willing to take in these two teenagers? Their situation is really complicated, we should...”

“And they want to be left together, as a family. My family wants to accommodate that,” Hawks wilted as Saber Shine’s commanding voice came through, “We can and will figure things out from this point on. Besides, since we’ve accommodated them, I’m sure whatever information Shirou still has on the Ainsworths he still has, he’ll soon be willing to share with me. We know what we’re getting into.” 

Hawks sighed, “Alright, then I’ll support you where I can. Just be honest with me, are you sure you can handle this?”

Gawain gave the affirmation, “Yeah, we’ll be able to do it,” he paused for a second, then added, “By the way, everyone here knows that you tried to put the Emiyas into the foster system,” Hawks sucked in his cheeks at that, and Gawain followed up with “I’m sure they’ll get over it, but I would wait a bit before visiting, and maybe bring a nice treat.”

“Hardy har har,” Hawks grumbled as Gawain chuckled, and they ended the call. Hawks gave a glare to Aozaki, who just took a drag on her cigarette, amused. Hawks walked out of the building, bid the social worker a good day, then took off in flight, calling up the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission, “Hawks here, we have a situation with the Emiyas.”

“We know, Saber Shine took them in under the RWL,” the Madam President responded, “We allowed the adoption to go through.” Hawks nearly hit a billboard at that statement.

“Wait, why? I thought the plan was to bring Shirou Emiya into one of our training facilities? Why would we allow him to go to the care of a foreign Pro-Hero?”
“You already have a connection with Saber Shine, thus allowing you to be able to monitor Shirou Emiya in addition to Saber Shine’s activities,” the response was as dry as it ever was with Madam President, “From all the intelligence we’ve gathered, it seems clear that separating the Emiya siblings was to be a bad idea. We were putting the stick before the carrot.”

Hawks caught on, “So instead, Shirou and Miyu are allowed to live with Saber Shine, and I can ensure that Shirou maintains the course to become a Pro-Hero.”

“Exactly. While I would prefer him to become one of our agents, ultimately any professional path will work. We just need to ensure that he doesn’t go Vigilante, or worse, ally himself with any of the Villain organizations that are popping up.” 

Hawks nodded, even though she couldn’t see, “Alright then. It’ll be awhile before I can see the Pendragons, but I’ll work to rebuild that relationship, and keep an eye on the Emiyas.”

“Good. I’m sure he’ll be a very useful weapon for us.”

***

Shirou’s eyes were wide, as was Miyu’s, as Gawain drove into the driveway of their new home. That driveway being the only difference between the Pendragon residence, and the Emiya residence from the Other Side. As they entered the house, the uncanny feeling only intensified.

“Here we are,” Gawain stated, carrying some of the bags. Shirou carried some more, and Miyu had the last one. “Welcome to the Pendragon home!” he turned to the teenagers, frowning at their expressions, “What’s wrong?”

Miyu spoke up first, “This... looks like our old home.” Gawain’s eyes widened, as he glanced at Shirou to confirm it. Shirou nodded, and before Gawain could react, Miyu added, “But, it’s warmer here. I can already tell.”

Before Gawain could respond, Arturia came around the corner, calling out, “Oh, you guys are here already. How do you like it?” She was dressed in a sky blue dress. Gawain had already informed the Emiya siblings that he had excused his kids from school that day, so that they could get the house ready for the new guests. 

Shirou responded to her, “It’s a nice place, it just reminded Miyu and I of our old place,” he caught himself looking into her nice, green eyes, “But as Miyu said, warmer. It’ll be nice to live in a place like this that’s actually full of people instead of just the two of us.”

Arturia raised an eyebrow, smiling as she said, “Oh, this is just like your old place, huh? Must be fate, then. Come on, I’ll show you two to your rooms. Shirou will be next to Lance and Kay, while Miyu will be in the room next to mine,” the Emiyas nodded as they headed down the hall, following Arturia, with Gawain bringing up the rear, “After we get you guys set up, we’ll probably need to decide what’s for dinner.”

Shirou responded to that statement, “Oh, Miyu and I can cook. We’d love to do that.” It had been a long while since he had cooked with his sister, not since the Ainsworths had kidnapped her. It would be good to do so. Miyu’s excited nod confirmed that for Shirou.

Arturia glanced back, “Wait, you can cook?” Gawain sighed as Shirou and Miyu confirmed their talent, “Well, we got to see how good you are.”

“Arturia, we didn’t bring them in to cook for us,” Gawain stated, but Miyu turned to him and got the Pro-Hero with her puppy-dog gaze.

“Mister Pendragon, please? Big Brother and I are really good at cooking, and we like doing it.” Her cuteness attack was super effective, causing Gawain to shake his head and chuckle.

“Hey, you can just call me Gawain. And... okay, if you two like cooking, you can do it.” Miyu turned back to Shirou with a smile, one which he returned. 

They were finally home.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Rocksteady Preparations

Touko Aozaki was filling out a report about her treatment of Shinya Kamihara, also known as the Pro Hero Edgeshot, when she felt a chime play across one of the bounded fields set up around her medical center. Glancing at her calendar, she noted it was time for her appointment for the Emiyas. Shaking her head in disbelief that this was happening, she saved the report and closed it, then moved over to her counter where she had a fresh pot of coffee to pour into her favorite mug. She took a sip, savored it, then headed out of her private office to greet her guests.

While she was most well known for her... well, technically it was the destruction and devastation she caused as Scarred Red, but most people came to her for her Quirk Specialization and medical skillset. Lesser known, however, was that she was very well licensed in multiple fields of psychology and psychiatry. She had lived for multiple decades after all, and the knowledge that she had studied had benefited her puppetry magecraft quite well. Now that she didn’t have that anymore, she kept her skills in those fields sharp by also serving as a therapist.

Which was why she was on the list of options for the Emiyas for their weekly check-ins, which were required under the Robin Ward Laws that they were adopted under. Touko had a suspicion as to why Shirou and Miyu were willing to use her as their therapist, but she didn’t care one way or the other. She would do her job, as she has since she landed here.

Touko arrived in her lobby just as the young group entered. Shirou and Miyu were expected, dressed more appropriately for the January weather than the last time she saw them. Arturia was a slight surprise, but not completely unexpected. The young Pendragon seemed to have bonded quite well with the Emiyas in their limited time together, and thus was most likely here in a misguided attempt to guard the siblings.

Touko decided to greet the group, “Welcome back. I’ll admit, I’m surprised to see that you would choose me to serve as your councilor for your check ins.” 

Arturia gave her a Look, as the group took off their coats, scarves and hats, “Yeah, seeing as you tried to separate them before. I told them that this was a bad idea, but they were adamant that you needed to be the one.”

Touko raised an eyebrow, “I was trying to make sure two teenagers didn’t go out into the dead of night in the middle of winter, if you don’t mind. I was neither for or against their separation.” She took a sip of her coffee, “Besides, everything worked out, right?” Arturia grunted, but otherwise didn’t voice her disagreement. 

“Doctor Aozaki is right. She only did what her job was. Nothing more, nothing less,” Shirou stated, having finished putting his stuff away. He stood before the doctor, nodding his head, “I don’t think we’ll have problems now, right?”

Touko nodded, “Of course not. Everything from that has been resolved. Are you going first, then, Mr. Emiya?” Shirou nodded, while Miyu and Arturia sat down on the chairs in the lobby room. Doctor Aozaki gestured towards her private office, and Shirou followed after her. Once they both entered and Shirou closed the door, a soundproof bounded field activated, and Doctor Aozaki sat down in her office chair, “I’m impressed. I almost believed that, Mr. Emiya.”

Shirou didn’t take a seat while he responded, “I want to believe we’ll have no problems, but first I need to know: Where’s Rule Breaker?” He seemed ready for a fight, and Touko didn’t want to deal with that. So she simply pulled open one of the drawers in her desk, and showed the Noble Phantasm to its Faker. 

Shirou stared at it, instinctively using Structural Analysis on it and being clearly confused at the new history that the Noble Phantasm had, “...You’re using it as a letter opener?” Doctor Aozaki smirked at the response. 

“It works great as one, so why not?” she put the dagger back away, and closed it. The drawer served as a static point in time. If anyone else tried to open that drawer, they’d be losing a hand, “I also use it to open my cigarettes that Hawks drop off for me. Of course, I am studying it as well, but it’s more of a novelty than anything else.”

Shirou sat down, staring at Touko, “I thought you would use it to free yourself from your Geas Contract?” Touko snorted in response, pulling out her folder for Shirou’s case file. 

“Mr. Emiya, you do know what my field was, don’t you?” Touko gestured to her body, “I think you could see what problems would arise should I try to use Rule Breaker on my Geas Contract.”

Shirou blinked, “Oh, I see.” Touko nodded. Since she didn’t have access to the original document, the only way that she could use Rule Breaker to sever her Geas Contract would be on herself. Which would sever the rest of the magecraft she had on her body. Touko was in a puppet copy of her original body. Her last one, with her original body long gone and no more puppets left for her to inhabit. Once this body died, that was it. All she would accomplish is a swift end, something she wasn’t ready for.

“Mr. Emiya, I have forged my chains myself. The actions that I have taken have led me here, to this clinic. I have committed many atrocities and tragedies, all in the sake of reaching my goals, and it was all for naught. I have never nor will ever reach my goals, and I have made peace with that. I have since decided that I will spend the rest of this simple life using my skills as I can for my patients, until I finally end up in oblivion.” This was the path she chose.

Touko and Shirou stared for a minute at each other, measuring the other’s conviction. Shirou broke eye contact first, glancing to the side, “So, we’re both Villains in a world of Heroes, huh?” Shirou bitterly chuckled, “Doesn’t seem fair now that I can actually follow my dreams when you can’t.”

“I became a villain in pursuit of my selfish dream above all else. It’s only natural that it would have been stripped from me. Your dream was to help others, and you had cast it aside to save your sister,” Touko remarked, “It seems fair to me that you would get another shot at being a hero. Granted, I think coming here was a mistake, if your goal was to keep Miyu and yourself safe.”

“From the Neo-Mage’s Association, right?” Shirou responded, “Even if they have a slightly better grasp on ethics, they’re still Mages, right?” Shirou narrowed his eyes, “Did you tell them about us?”

“I had to, it was part of my treatment for you two for them to help cover the fiction we sold as your backstory,” Touko shrugged, “I wouldn’t worry too much about them. I wasn’t referring to the Neo-Mage’s when I said that coming to this world is a mistake.”

Shirou straightened up in his chair, taking Touko seriously. That was good, “Granted, those Democratic fools could cause you problems, but if you can play their game you’ll be fine. The Old Mages are much more dangerous, and aren’t as eager to play nice. A lot of them have chosen to back different Villain organizations, providing support in a variety of ways to cause chaos and lash back against the Neo-Mages. Some of that knowledge has filtered down to various Villain groups, so be careful. If magecraft is involved, those fights are going to be trickier than from your old world.”

Shirou leaned forward in his seat, “Of course magecraft would make a fight trickier, but you seem to be implying something...” Shirou cut himself off, leaning back as something occurred to him, “The night we tried to escape, your Mystic Eyes were far stronger than I anticipated. I’ve since thought that it was because this was in effect your workshop, but now that I’m back here, I don’t think that was the case. The bounded fields are weaker than I thought they’d be.”

“This is my workshop, and it does have an effect, but the bounded fields are weaker because I don’t need them to be as strong as you may think. They’re there to protect me against Magus attacks,” Touko elaborated, then held up an All-Might action figure and a Gandalf one. Shirou raised an eyebrow, but Touko ignored him.

“Quirk Liners, like All-Might here, have an insanely strong magic resistance. If I were to use Gandr or any direct magecraft on him, it would take nearly an exponential more mana and effort to get a more solid effect on him,” Touko elaborated, with little lights appearing then bouncing off the All-Might figure.

Touko then gestured with the Gandalf figure, “However, if a Quirk Liner fully unlocks their magic circuits, that magic resistance goes away. It’s like jailbreaking your phone or video game console. It can now do more, but it's consequently more vulnerable.” The lights appeared again to hit Gandalf, who collapsed into pieces. 

“You’re trading a shield for a pocket knife,” Shirou stated, nodding his head in understanding. He then blinked, and shot a wide-eyed look at Touko, “Wait, can that be reversed? Miyu has her circuits unlocked, which means she’s vulnerable to Magus attacks.”

“Doesn’t work that way. I could rip out her circuits, sure, and then she doesn’t have the protection or the ability to fight back,” Touko put her action figures away, “The best course of action is to train her magic circuits and help her to be as aware as possible, and to flee at the first sign of trouble.”

Shirou exhaled, then nodded, “Yeah, I can do that. I’ve been training her for a while, so I’ll make sure to cover anti-magus techniques soon.” Touko nodded. According to the story that Shirou and Miyu had told her, Miyu had gotten Shirou to start training her in magecraft shortly after Miyu had used her Child of God potential to become Shirou’s biological sister. Touko suspected that Miyu was able to awaken within the Holy Grail due to this magecraft training. That simple action would end diverting their charted fate.

A mage teaching their sibling magecraft... outside of the Edelfelts, the idea was absurd. Touko knew that first hand.

“Be sure to do so. If you want lessons on some of the other practical magecrafts like Spiritron Hacking, I’m more than willing to teach you,” Touko smirked, “For an extra Noble Phantasm Projection, of course.”

Shirou gave her an unamused look, “Law of Equivalent Exchange, huh? Anytime I need a favor from you, you get a Noble Phantasm?”

Touko gestured to her medical practice, “Of course. This relationship is purely transactional Mr. Emiya. Mr. Pendragon is covering the fees that the Safety Commission won’t, so any other services need to be paid for by you.” Harsh words, but true, “Since I’m interested in how you are able to make your Noble Phantasm copies, it works out. I don’t even care what you give me. Since I can’t progress my own magecraft field, this is the most interesting thing I can do while bored here. ”

Shirou nodded in understanding, “I see, alright then, I’ll keep that in mind.” Touko nodded, then picked up her pen.

“Now, we’ve wasted enough time discussing the mysteries of the universe. I know you’ve chosen me since I actually know the situation and can cover for you.” Shirou glanced to the side sheepishly, “It’s fine, like I said, I know what this is and why we’re doing it. But I still need to get some notes to turn in,” Touko shook her head, “If you ever figure out how to turn the red tape of bureaucracy into a Noble Phantasm, let me know so I can figure out how to break it.”

Shirou snorted, and Touko chuckled, “Now, tell me about your life with the Pendragons, and how you feel about it.”

Shirou sat back with a sigh, “...Other than the weird deja vu that Miyu and I feel when at their place, it's been good. They have the same floor plan we had, but it's been slightly modified,” Shirou elaborated at Touko’s raised eyebrow, “Yeah, it’s weird, but... nice. The house is warm, which our home from the old world never was.”

Touko nodded, taking down the notes she needed to, changing the reference to the parallel world to be one of Alimango Island. She then asked, “What’s your typical schedule? Are the Pendragons feeding you and making sure you get an education?”

Shirou nodded, “So, in the mornings Miyu and I cook breakfast while everyone gets ready for school or work. Once that’s done, we go with Gawain to his headquarters. He has some extra computers there and got us into an online remedial course, just so we can show where we’re supposed to be academically.”

Touko gave a wry smile, “And how is the online course?” What she really was asking was “How is the modern internet?” Shirou and Miyu were from a desolate version of 2004. The new modern internet would surely be a curious thing to them.

Shirou shrugged, “It’s... a lot. But very useful. Miyu and I tend to finish our coursework quickly, outside of technical skills and world history, so we’ve been focusing a lot of our time getting up to speed on those. We still finish far earlier than what Gawain expects of us.”

“So what do you do when you have spare time?” Touko asked, “Play video games? Binge shows on streaming? Work out at his personal gym?”

Shirou shook his head, “Nah, Miyu and I got permission to go have lunch at the beach. I then go clean it after we’re done while she plays in it.”

Touko blinked, “...You don’t mean Takoba do you?” She stopped writing down to get the full picture of what she was working with. Shirou and Miyu were attacked there, why in the hell was Saber Shine allowing them to go back?

“Yeah, Takoba. Disregarding those thugs,” Shirou nearly spat out those words, “We do have some good memories there, and we want to build more. Besides, I promised someone that I’d help clean it up, after the mess I caused.”

Touko reached into the crevices of her memory to think of who Shirou could possibly be talking about, “Midoriya, right? The kid who helped protect Miyu?” Shirou nodded, so Touko asked, “Have you seen him since?” Shirou shook his head at that question.

“Unfortunately, no, but I do know he’s working on it. I’ve seen some signs of that,” Shirou responded, “I wish I could see him and thank him, but it seems our schedules are too far apart. Once Arturia finishes up at school, we all head back home to do homework and training, getting ready for the U.A. Entrance Exam.”

Touko smirked at the usage of Arturia’s first name, but refrained from commenting on the matter, more focused on something more directly related to her field, “So, you’ve started training again? I believe it’s a little early for that.”
Shirou exhaled, then replied, “We’re not doing anything too strenuous. Mostly just exercises and form practice, with maybe one spar every other day. My body’s nearly fully healed, and my Quirk has been doing well with my basic Projections.” To demonstrate, he made a shinai, and passed it to Touko, who examined it.

“I see. It does look like your Quirk is in great condition now. Let me take a quick test and I believe you’ll be ready to do serious Projections,” Touko glanced at the young man with a serious look, “Have you identified where you’d be doing such Projections?” In other words, had Shirou found a workshop?

Shirou nodded, “There are some benefits to the Pendragon’s sharing a floor plan with ours. They have a similar shed that I used to practice in, but they only use it to store some junk. I talked to Gawain about using the space to practice my special moves, and he said that as long as I don’t lock it or burn it down I’m fine to practice in there.”

Touko nodded, “Not necessarily ideal, but I’m sure with the proper precautions,” like a warning bounded field, “it will do. If I do sign you off for them, only do practice twice a week. Give your body time to recover.” 

Shirou nodded, “Understood, I’ll be careful.” 

***

Miyu struggled to focus on the book she had. The Origin of Vigilantism: Social Contexts and the Construction of Justice , a textbook written by Doctor Miller and Doctor Mazzucchelli, explored the chaos of the new Age of Quirks and how Vigilantes first appeared to fight back against the Tyrants that abused their powers.

It was an interesting read, and she had been enjoying it... before. But sitting back here, in Doctor Aozaki’s office, waiting for Shirou to finish his appointment, it wasn’t taking her mind off of things like she wanted. 

Sighing, she tucked the bookmark back into place. Miyu leaned back into her seat, trying to organize her thoughts.

Arturia turned in her seat to check on her. She had been playing on her phone, a game called Capsule Servants: Magia Order . She had gotten into a disagreement with someone at her school over the game, and was thus playing it to prove them wrong.

“Is everything okay? Are you nervous about meeting with Doctor Aozaki? You don’t have to meet with her, you know.” The questions flew out of the blonde heroine-to-be, gentle yet quick. It was a different style than how Shirou would do it, who preferred to let Miyu come to him with problems. However, Arturia’s affection was nice in its own way.

Miyu shook her head, “No... I mean, I am nervous, but Shirou and I talked about it. I think we can trust her.” She took a heavy breath, then shrugged, staring down at her knees, “I don’t know, I just don’t know what to do.”

Arturia cocked her head to the side, “Like, right now or in general? Because you’re just fourteen, you don’t need to be worried about your life just yet.”

“I do, though,” Miyu quietly retorted. It had slipped out, but now the words wouldn’t stop, “I mean... I wasn’t supposed to have a life. The... people who took me, they made sure I knew I was supposed to be sacrificed.” 

She clenched the book close to her chest, “Shirou freed me from that, and I am grateful. But... We’re now in a place where he can be a hero. Something he has always wanted.”

Miyu turned back to Arturia, “Which is good! I’m glad he can follow his dreams, that he didn’t end up sacrificing them to save me...”

Miyu’s voice cracked, and tears blurred her vision, “But where does that leave me? What am I supposed to do now?”

Arturia put her phone down on the seat, got up, and pulled Miyu into a hug. The younger girl nestled into her older sister figure. Arturia’s warmth soaked into Miyu like sunlight. She hadn’t been held a lot as a child, so she was learning how to take the hugs and cuddles she could. They soothed her in unexpected ways.

After a long moment, Arturia gently responded, “I know it seems scary now, but you are a talented, smart young woman.” She wiped a tear away from Miyu’s face as she continued,  “You’ll figure out what you want to do in no time.”

“And once you do,” Arturia gave Miyu a big smile, “Shirou, Dad, Lance and I will all help you reach that goal.” 

Miyu smiled at that, then lowered her eyebrows in thought.

“What about Kay?”

Arturia made an exaggerated thinking face, “Hmmmm... Kay’s a knucklehead, but I’m sure he’ll have some ideas to help.” 

The two girls giggled together, the heavy mood fading away like the morning mist. 

Arturia sat back down, and opened her phone to a notepad app, “How about this, you tell me what excites you, what interests you, and I’ll write it down. We can figure something out from there.”

Miyu nodded, “Well, I like learning. Reading is fun. So is cooking, and shopping.” Arturia gave a good chuckle at that. Due to the Emiyas’ previous living situation, Miyu hadn’t really ever been shopping. 

Once she had heard this, Arturia had whisked her out immediately to indulge. Gawain was aghast at this, seeing as he had helped pay for Shirou’s and Miyu’s first batch of clothes. But he didn’t get the appeal of shopping for new clothes. Not in the way that Miyu and Arturia did, anyways. 

Miyu stopped to really think while Arturia kept writing stuff down. She looked down at her hands, trying to divine some meaning from the universe. What did appeal to her in this new life? What stuck out to her from her old life?

“...Sparring,” Miyu spoke out loud, the word slipping out of her mouth unbidden. 

Arturia turned to her with confusion on her face. The confusion was warranted; Miyu had never sparred before in her life. She had never even held a sword. 

And yet, “Watching you and Shirou spar, and having seen him fight before to save me...” Miyu trailed off, struggling to put the words together, “Fighting is an ugly thing, but how the two of you do it, it’s beautiful, somehow.” 

She held her book tight to her chest, “That strength to fight against the injustices in the world, I can’t think of any other word than beautiful.”

Miyu glanced at the TV in the corner, where a news op-ed was playing. The camera was focused on a random stranger, dressed in bike pads and an All-Might hoodie. 

He was racing up the side of a building, dodging strikes from a giant, four-armed villain. The stranger pushed himself against the wall, catching a young woman’s feet in his hands. He pushed up, and the young woman took off flying in the other direction. 

The editorial was lambasting the stranger for his reckless behavior and unlicensed heroics during a crisis, but Miyu saw something else. The strength to act when no one could help.

Something sparked within her, even if she didn’t know it yet.

Arturia raised an eyebrow, “I... guess? I never thought of sparring as being beautiful. It’s a way to get strength to fight against dangerous foes.”

The blonde knight-wannabe shrugged, “It’s fun, but it’s just a tool for growth.”

Miyu gave a sly smirk, “Is that why you keep losing to Shirou?” 

Arturia gave her a stink eye while Miyu covered her mouth from laughing. After Shirou had fully recovered, Arturia had failed to score a solo win against the redhead. If she teamed up with Lance, then she had a shot, but never solo. It was a well-known sore spot for Arturia, and a tease that everyone eventually played into.

“Et tu, Miyu?” Arturia quipped, then started sniffing imperiously, “I might have to delay our shopping trip after this. Apparently I need to train harder to defeat your brother.”

“That’s fine,” Miyu replied, eyes twinkling in sudden mischief, “Though, Shirou and I won’t be able to get the ingredients we need for dinner tonight.”

She laid down her trump card, “I guess that means Mister Pendragon will need to make his potato salad tonight.”
Arturia gagged, then groaned, “Alright, you win.” She gave Miyu another stink eye, “You really are Shirou’s sister. Neither of you fight fair.”

Miyu giggled while she turned back to her book. Arturia likewise returned to her game, and the room became tranquil once more.

Though, Miyu continued to think about fighting and the strength needed to defend others. She needed to get Doctor Aozaki to figure out what her Quirk really was. She needed to know what strength she had, and what paths she could take because of it. 

***

Ochako Uraraka was a young woman who was seventeen years old and lived in Yabin City in the Mie Prefecture. She had a curvy figure with auburn hair and eyes, with blush spots on her cheeks contrasting with her fair skin. Her carefree, heartfilled personality was a source of smiles to anyone who knew her.

Since the school day had just finished, Ochako was giggling alongside Ayane Sakura, her friend for the last few years. Ayane Sakura, who had a slim body type and wore her hair in a black bob cut, was telling the story about her latest adventure over in Naruhata, “Ochako, you have no idea how wild Pop☆Step’s show was. The crazy jumps and flips she was doing were intense. My sister was fangirling the entire time over the routine.”

“Oh, I’m glad she had fun,” Ochako replied, “How about you? Did you have any fun in Naruhata?” They got to their lockers, and started shuffling items around while Ayane hummed before responding.

“I mean, Pop☆Step isn’t my thing, but my sister had the biggest smile watching her, so that’s all that matters, right?” Ayane smiled and Ochako returned it. Giving people the ability to smile... that was important to Ochako.

“Besides,” Ayane excitedly slammed her locker shut, “Since I took my sister out for babysitting, my parents reimbursed me with a little extra. Everyone’s going to the Deep Dope concert today, do you want to go?”

Ochako faltered, before closing the door to her locker softly. She would love to go, but between the fare to get there, the tickets, and getting food... “Sorry, Ayane, I can’t go,” Ochako pulled up a convenient excuse, “You know how close the U.A. Entrance Exam is, right? It’s almost a month away. I really need to focus and be prepared for that.”

Ayane blinked, “Oh, right, you’re still going for that,” her friend rocked on her heels for a second, then started walking with Ochako out the door, “Well, I’m sure you’re going to do well.”

“Thanks,” Ochako responded with a smile, “Have fun at the concert!” The two girls parted ways, and Ochako walked home on her own. The countryside environment was chilly this time of year, but still had a charm she liked. 

The narrow sidewalks were covered in little cracks and chalk drawings of every color. The power lines were old but sturdy, tilting in odd directions as they lined the landscape. She knew plenty of the houses as she passed, having seen her parents work on them in a variety of capacities. They were all cozy, just like her own home. The neighborhood was the closest thing to a village from a fairy tale that she knew, and it was beautiful. 

Ochako would miss it if, no, when she got into U.A.

When she arrived home, it was dead quiet. As usual these days, with both of her parents at work with their construction company. Ochako went up to her room, sat down at the small table she called a desk, and got started on her homework. 

Ochako struggled through the assignments for a couple of hours before glancing at the clock. It was time for her training, the entrance exam was too soon to ignore. Every second counted, and if she wanted to have a chance to be at U.A., she needed to be at her A-game. 

Ochako set her homework aside for the moment. She got up and headed to the kitchen to make dinner. Her parents were still not here, so she cooked up some basic chicken and rice. Nice and light on the stomach, just the way she liked it. 

Putting the three meals into the fridge so they could get warmed up later, Ochako took some quick bites of plain rice to fill up her stomach. She then got dressed into a pink tracksuit and left a note saying that she went for a run. Ochako plugged headphones into her flip phone, then tied her shoes as tightly as she safely could. She zipped up her jacket, put on her beanie, then stepped out. She took a deep breath, enjoying the night air. Ochako waved to the stars, then took off jogging, passing the old tilted power lines and dodging the chalk drawings. She made sure to keep a solid pace as she headed for her destination.

The Worii Scrapyard was a massive dump. It used to be a reputable business, but the owners had ended up walking away to fulfill their gardening dreams. They never sold the place, which made it easy for the people around the area to illegally dump their trash.

Which is why it was the perfect place for Ochako to train. Her Quirk, Zero Gravity, released the gravitational pull on any object she touched, making it weightless. It could cause some severe nausea, which was not fun to deal with, but Ochako was working hard to manage it.

She walked over the first piece of scrap, an old fridge, and made it weightless. Then she pushed it slightly towards a pile she was working on. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the resources to remove the trash, but she could at least consolidate it, maybe she could come back after she made it big as a Pro-Hero. 

Ochako placed the fridge into place, then left it weightless while she got the next piece of trash. Again and again, she moved tires, fridges, couches, bed frames, and other pieces of junk over to the pile. Ignoring the building pressure, ignoring the smell, ignoring the gravel shifting beneath her shoes, Ochako worked to bring more and more items over to the garbage. 

As Ochako worked, the gravity that she was removing from the objects built up on her senses. Her Quirk wasn’t a freebie, the gravity that she removed got applied to her body like it was a physical force. It wasn’t,  Ochako’s Quirk Assessor at school had double checked that to be sure. However, she still experienced the weight of everything she touched. A few objects at a time barely meant anything, but soon enough...

Ochako touched a solid wood desk, and that became the straw that broke the camel’s back. The rush of motion sickness was overwhelming, and she crashed to the ground hard, her left hand barely catching her while her right covered her mouth. 

Ochako fought to get her fingers together, releasing her Quirk. The loud crash of the garbage falling behind covered up Ochako emptying out her stomach. The motion sickness nausea was the price that Ochako suffered for the ability to reject the laws of physics. 

But when she thought about her parents struggling with the finances... When she thought about the jobs they missed out on, being passed over for the bigger, cheaper companies... When she thought about the dreams that her parents gave up for her... It was a trade she was willing to make. 

Once the rice she had eaten for this very situation had gone, Ochako wiped the bile taste away, then stood up to look at the pile. The garbage heap was a solid size, and she had improved. Ochako narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t enough. She had no instruments to rely upon, no measurements to compare her progress. But the future gravity heroine knew, deep down: this wasn’t good enough. She needed to expand her Quirk’s limit. 

Ochako shrugged her shoulders, the loud pop from cracking her neck echoing in the late night. She then slammed her palm down on the top of the solid wood desk she had just tried to take. It was time to start the next pile. Again and again, she’d work on expanding her limit. 

The U.A. entrance exam was a month away. She needed to be sure she was strong enough to get in. Strong enough to provide the best life for her parents. Strong enough to make sure they would be smiling.

***

Arturia Pendragon gritted her teeth, pushing back Shirou’s left shinai. Immediately, she had to counter from the right, making sure to keep a solid balance of offense and defense as she parried and pushed off of Shirou’s onslaught. They were sparring, as they often did before dinner, and Arturia was sure she would win this time. She was going to.

Arturia was in black shorts, a blue jacket, and a basecap that helped to manage her ponytail, wielding a single, longer shinai. Shirou was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and blue sweatpants, wielding two short shinai swords. Miyu was sitting to the side, next to Lance, as they watched the training bout intently. Kay was working on some assignments in his room.

Arturia put all of that aside, her focus intent on beating Shirou. She darted out of range, then dashed back in, looking to strike Shirou in the abdomen. Shirou simply pivoted, parrying the strike with one hand, then went for her wrists with the other. She winced, the strike connecting, but then jabbed the shinai at Shirou’s head, to which he dodged, then went for a similar strike. Arturia blasted away from Shirou, gaining space, then charged back in, clearly intent on piercing a defense that seemed to be ready for her every move.

Arturia went for an upwards slash, which Shirou countered immediately. He then countered her again, as she went for an overhead strike. Shirou quickly moved back, then cast aside his two short swords, Traced her shinai, then went in on the offensive, matching her aggression with his own. 

Arturia and Shirou traded blows furiously, struggling to find a single opening in each other’s guard. Shirou may have gotten a lot of real world experience, fighting to save Miyu from those Ainsworth creeps. However, Arturia’s instincts were exceptional, and her form and technique were nearly flawless. It almost made up the difference.

Arturia’s latest push caused her to overextend, just missing Shirou as he moved out the way of the strike. He then moved his foot behind Arturia’s, tripping her immediately. She yelped, and as she fought to recover, he disarmed her by sliding his shinai by her wrists. 

Casting both practice swords away, Shirou Traced his bow and another shinai, one without the tsuba. He aimed it like an arrow and pointed it at the now fallen Arturia. 

Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Arturia growled in frustration, slamming her fist down. Shirou dismissed his Projections and offered a hand, which she begrudgingly took. As she headed over to where her shinai was, she asked in an exasperated tone, “So, how many matches up is Shirou at?”

Lance chuckled, “Around 30 or so for the last few weeks. Sorry, sis, you haven’t really beaten him since Shirou recovered,” Lance shrugged, “Not that I blame you. Shirou’s a menace, and you are very used to winning against everyone... except me.” Arturia rolled her eyes. She could beat her mad dog of a brother... sometimes. 

But even Lance had trouble with the tricks that Shirou could pull out. Lance had beaten Shirou plenty of times, even after the redhead’s recovery. However, Arturia and Lance believed that it was because Shirou wanted to do something and stopped himself. Something too dangerous for a simple practice spar.

Shirou rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment while Arturia gave a glare to her brother, “Just for that, I think Shirou and I should take you down together, right Shirou?” She glanced at the redhead hoping for backup, but he shook his head. Miyu had also gotten up, which clued Arturia into why Shirou was rejecting the extra spar.

“It’s time for us to start making dinner, so it’ll be done when Gawain gets home with Mr. Takami,” Shirou stated, with Miyu nodding along as she headed out of the dojo. Right, it was that time... and Arturia did want Shirou to make a good impression on Hawks. Mostly so she could hold it over her father’s protege. Shirou’s next words shook Arturia out of her vindictive scheming, “Want me to help clean this place up? Miyu can go ahead and get started.”

“No... Losers clean the dojo, that’s the rule,” Arturia exhaled, waving her hand, “It’ll give me some alone time to come up with some tricks to beat you.” Honorable battle didn’t work on Shirou, so it was time for the underhanded, “Though, I might recommend a shower. We’ve been sparring for a few hours.”

Shirou just chuckled, “Alright, if you are sure. I’ll go do that then,” he left, and Arturia got to work, putting everything up and wiping everything down. While it took a few minutes to ensure everything was cleaned correctly, Arturia was fast and thorough. Once she was done, she headed into the main manor, towards her room. Shirou always took quick showers, so she was sure he was done by now. 

Arturia picked out what she wanted to wear, a nice brown dress that was very comfortable to wear and some matching leggings so that she’d have some pockets. Gathering that with her shower supplies, since there wasn’t enough room in the bathroom to store everyone’s shampoos and soaps, Arturia headed down to the bathroom.

When she got there, she saw that the light was still on. Arturia raised an eyebrow. Was something wrong with Shirou? She knocked on the door, but before she could say anything the door was thrown open.

“Sorry, is there a...” Shirou gave a startled reply that cut itself off, but Arturia wasn’t focused on that. Shirou had only gotten half dressed, and was missing his shirt. Thus, Arturia could see all the muscles that still had a wet sheen from the humidity in the air. She could see the differing patches of fair and tanned skin. She could see how well he developed his body in recovery the last few weeks. Shirou rehabilitated his body through his hard work and discipline.

Arturia definitely approved of the results. 

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity, before Shirou closed the door swiftly. Arturia turned around and leaned against the wall, taking a minute to compose herself. Her heart was pounding, and she had no idea why. She had seen shirtless boys before, but.. She was not going to give her dad any reason to be concerned about Shirou staying there... She wasn’t.

Shirou reopened the door, this time wearing his trademark white shirt with the long blue sleeves. His face was red while he coughed. Shirou then said, “Um, sorry about that. I thought it may have been Miyu or one of your brothers...”

“Yeah, let’s just forget about this,” Arturia lied, “I just finished cleaning the dojo, so I thought I could take a shower before Hawks got here as well.” Shirou nodded, then packed up his stuff and took it to his room, moving quickly so he could put it away and go help Miyu with the dinner.

Arturia watched him go, then took a deep breath and headed for her shower. Once she was clean, both in body and in mind, she got out, dried herself off, then got dressed and ready. She was fiddling with her traditional braid when she heard the front door open, and she rushed to put the final touches on before heading out to the dining area. 

Since the Pendragons had a round table, because of the obvious joke, there wasn’t really a head. However, Gawain sat in the seat closest to the kitchen. To his left, Hawks, Kay, and Lance sat, with three more places to Gawain’s right. Shirou and Miyu were bringing out the food they cooked, which was a small buffet of fried chicken, smashed potatoes, corn, and steamed vegetables. Arturia’s mouth started watering immediately as she slid into her seat next to her father. Miyu would sit next to her, and Shirou would be between his sister and Lance. 

“Well, color me impressed. You Emiyas sure know how to cook,” Hawks chimed in, causing Arturia to snap out of her trance and glare at the family splitter wannabe.

“Yeah, imagine if you got your way,” Arturia retorted, raising an eyebrow, “You would have missed out on this wonderful meal. We all would have.” Gawain sighed, rubbing his forehead, while Hawks chuckled nervously.

“I was just doing what I thought was right. But even I can see I was wrong to do so,” Hawks stated in the PR voice he used whenever he got into a bit of trouble. Arturia squinted back at him, so the Pro Hero continued, “I am sorry. To help make up for my mistake, I brought muffins for after the meal.”

Arturia sighed, but let up on her anger, “Have the Emiyas forgiven you?” They had signed off on letting Hawks come back to the Pendragon family dinners, but Arturia knew they were still on edge around him. Before Hawks came up with an answer, Shirou and Miyu took their seats, having finished bringing everything out.

“What’s done is done,” Shirou grunted, “What matters now is how things go moving forward.” The redhead teenager and the feathered adult stared at each other, then nodded, satisfied with whatever the result of their contest. Arturia grew up surrounded by her father and brothers, but boys were still weird. She glanced at Miyu, who shrugged her shoulders incredulously. Seems like Arturia wasn’t the only one who thought that.

The two girls stifled their chuckles as Gawain spoke up, “Alright, let’s settle down.” The various side conversations settled down, and Gawain continued, “Hawks, thank you for attending. Shirou and Miyu, good work on the meal. Let’s give thanks in a manner you see fit, then dig in.” 

Everyone nodded, then followed Gawain’s instructions. Arturia and the other Pendragons said Grace under their breaths, while the Emiyas and Hawks said the customary “Itadakimasu.” Once everyone finished, everyone dug into the meal. 

Arturia struggled between devouring and savoring the fried chicken. The skin was the right amount of crispy, while the flesh was juicy and full of flavor. The Emiyas had also thought ahead to have different dipping sauces to enjoy with it. Arturia was a self-admitted glutton, and often raced to finish her food, yet Shirou’s and Miyu’s cooking was too good not to savor as much as she could.

Once the initial rush for the chicken was over, everyone started to work on the sides and took their time. Hawks was the last one to leave the chicken alone, shaking his head, “Holy crap, I need to stop or I won’t be able to fly tomorrow. That’s some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had, where on earth did you two learn to cook like that?”

Shirou and Miyu shifted in their seats, slightly embarrassed by the compliment. Shirou then responded, “Back when I was travelling with my dad, we ended up in the southern United States for... business reasons. I learned from some of the locals. Since Gawain mentioned you liked chicken the most, Miyu and I figured this would be a good recipe for tonight.”

Hawks raised an eyebrow, “Really? So this is pretty authentic, then.” He finished his last piece, then licked his fingers off, “I appreciate the gesture, this is fantastic. I truly do owe you an apology.”

Shirou shrugged, “Not quite sure about how authentic it is, but I, or rather, we appreciate the compliment. As for an apology...” Shirou looked at Miyu, then back to Hawks, “Don’t try it again and we’ll consider it water under the bridge.”

Arturia rolled her eyes. The Emiyas were too forgiving, both with Doctor Aozaki and Hawks. She was fond of Hawks, for sure, but he definitely needed to make up for his mistake. Oh well, she’d just keep an eye on things where she could.

Hawks nodded at Shirou’s words, “Sure thing. Though, I do think I have something that could make it up,” he took a swing from his tea that Miyu had brewed, then glanced at Gawain, “You weren’t planning anything regarding recommendations, were you?”

Arturia shot up, shocked. Lance and Kay also leaned in interest. When Lance first applied for U.A., Gawain didn’t have enough influence to get a recommendation spot for him, so Lance applied through the normal entrance exam. Kay did the same thing, but it wasn’t as big of a deal since he was going through the Business Course. So, needless to say, the Pendragon kids were curious. Lance asked, “Well, Dad, were you?”

Gawain shook his head, “No, I actually think the normal entrance exam is more challenging than the recommendation exam. Arturia, and now Shirou, both have done well in training for it, so I’m sure they won’t need any recommendations.”

Hawks raised an eyebrow, “Really? You’re that impressed with them? Well then, now I kinda feel like an idiot. I may not have attended U.A., but being the Number 3 Pro-Hero has some perks,” Hawks glanced over to Shirou and Arturia, “Still, if you want to get in on recommendation, I got the paperwork all sorted. Just give the word.”

Shirou glanced at Arturia, but she ignored him, busy coming up with a diplomatic answer. It was a huge deal that Hawks was willing to move forward with this, and she was willing to hold it over her brothers’ heads later, but unfortunately, “I’m sorry, Hawks, but I’m not interested in taking the recommendation exam. I would like to get into U.A. on my own terms,” Arturia stated diplomatically. It was a kind gesture, but there was a detail that made it not worth taking.
Upon those words, Shirou nodded along. Lance and Kay scoffed, but went back to their meals. Hawks raised an eyebrow, but nodded in respect, “Alright, no worries. I can appreciate that hard working spirit... Wait, this isn’t about Endea-”

“Nope.” Gawain immediately stopped that conversation, “You two are talking again and behaving. We are not starting that argument up again and losing that progress.” Arturia leaned back at her father’s stern glare. Yeah, she was willing to fight Hawks over his shitty taste in heroes, but she knew there was a time and a place. Gawain held his stare for a second, before relaxing, “I know what your problem is, and I do think the normal exam is the best fit for you. But it's likely that the two of you will end up in the Hero Course together. Try to be at least somewhat cordial.”

Miyu had a strange look of confusion, as did Shirou, over the exchange. She turned to Arturia, simply asking, “What was that about?” Arturia opened her mouth to explain, then looked at her dad, who clearly wanted her to follow the Thumper rule. She just grimaced as she looked at Miyu.

“I’ll tell you later,” with that, Arturia went back to her meal, and the conversation turned to other topics. Lance and Hawks talked a lot about who they thought were the students to look out for next year. Kay chimed in with his own insights, while Shirou and Arturia asked further questions to gain insights on the next group of hero potentials. Gawain and Miyu were simply grateful for the family bonding to go on peacefully.

Once the meal was finished, and the muffins eaten as a treat afterwards, Hawks had to depart. Gawain, Arturia, and Shirou walked him out, while the twins did the dishes and Miyu got ready for reading and bed. Hawks shrugged on his jacket before the group stepped outside into the fresh night sky. 

Hawks turned back to Gawain, “Thank you for having me over again. It’s always a delight to be over.” Then he then turned to Shirou and Arturia, “Since the recommendations were a bust, is there anything I can do to make things up?” Arturia shrugged, then glanced at Shirou, who shook his head.

Arturia decided to respond, “Eh, like Dad said, we’ll be fine in the normal exam. Maybe after we ace it, you can treat us to a buffet.” Hawks chuckled goodnaturedly, while Gawain rolled his eyes affectionately. 

“Sure, but you two got to make it to the top five, alright?” Hawks extended his hand for the deal. Arturia took it and shook on it, shooting a Look at Shirou. The redhead just shook his head while chuckling, then nodded. Arturia turned back to Hawks, who had taken his hand back to give the group a salute, “Farewell for now!”

With a large flap of his Mighty Wings, he was off. The group watched him for a minute until he vanished from view. Once he was vanished from sight, Gawain turned to Shirou, “Young man, I know we tell you this often, but good job on the dinner. That chicken was scrumptious.”

“Thank you, sir,” Shirou responded politely, bowing his head. Gawain patted him on the shoulder, then turned to Arturia.

“Artie, please try not to start fights with Hawks,” Arturia opened her mouth to retort, but her father continued, “He has recognized what he did was a mistake, and he has his own reasons for liking Endeavor. I have never begrudge him that. You shouldn’t either.”

Arturia wanted to argue, but exhaled, releasing her emotions instead. She clasped her arms behind her back as she responded, “Okay, Dad. I’ll try to let Hawks’ have his crappy taste in heroes without picking a fight.” Gawain rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

“What am I going to do with you,” Gawain gave a sigh, chuckling at the end, then headed inside, “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” Arturia and Shirou glanced at each other, before following shortly before. 

At the corner before Arturia would turn right to her room and Shirou would turn left, Miyu was waiting with a brush. Arturia smiled. She didn’t do it much these days, but Arturia remembered asking her parents or brothers to brush her hair. It was sweet that Shirou and Miyu had a similar relationship. 

Arturia went to bid the siblings a good night before retiring to bed, but Miyu called out, asking for Arturia’s full attention, “Artie, can I ask about what happened with Hawks?”

Arturia put her hand on her hip and sheepishly glanced away, “Uh... it’s just a small grudge that I’ve been holding on to. It isn’t a big deal.” She started to fidget with her cowlick, hoping they’d end the conversation.

Shirou looked at Arturia with a simple look, “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. But if you do, I’m sure we can chat while I brush Miyu’s hair.” Miyu nodded vigorously, while Arturia took a deep breath. They were far too caring. Well, that made them lovable too.

“Okay, let’s sit down and we can talk.” They moved into the living room. The girls sat across from each other at the table, while Shirou stood behind Miyu, brushing her hair. Arturia pulled up a picture on her phone, then showed it to the two siblings. “Do you two know who Endeavor is?” 

Arturia caught the wince that two siblings shared, something they did on occasion. Arturia had no idea why. After a second, their faces relaxed, and Shirou frowned, “Yeah, the Number 2 Pro-Hero of Japan. He has the highest villain apprehension rate.”

Arturia nodded, idly tracing her finger on the table. “Well, after... everything that happened in England, we decided to move here. That decision was controversial on both sides. England had just lost their Number 1 Pro-Hero, and Dad was Number 2, so things were going to be rough. A lot of people accused us of abandoning our home.”

Miyu frowned at that, “People were angry that your family left... instead of staying to help?” Shirou stilled his brushing, a concerned look flickering across his face. A brief moment of silence passed, before Arturia just shrugged.

“Yeah, they were, and I don’t blame them. Mom was far too good at her job. Now that she was gone, England saw huge spikes in criminal activity. It took awhile before that all calmed down. Union Jack, the new Number 1, had his work cut out for him.”

Arturia returned to spinning her cowlick around her finger, “The thing was, England was too tied to Mom’s memory. It was easier to leave and.... just focus on learning a new environment. One of the few good things that Aunt Morgan ever did was pushing us to move out here. By the time we adjusted, it was easier to process and grieve.” Arturia took a measured breath.

Shirou nodded, “Sometimes a change of scenery can do some good. I know Miyu’s been doing a lot better here than back at our old home.” Miyu tilted her head to beam up at her brother. Shirou returned the smile, and Arturia couldn’t help but smirk along.

Shirou resumed his care of Miyu's hair. “I wouldn’t worry about your old life. You’re here, now, and moving forward. That takes a kind of strength not many have.” 

Arturia blushed at the compliment, “I mean, you’ve shown that kind of strength too. Guess we’re pretty similar there” Arturia frowned again, “But the problems didn’t end at our old home. Some of the Pro-Heroes here were more welcoming, like All-Might, Ryukyu, and Ingenium. Others were more... disgruntled.” 

The Emiya siblings winced. Arturia continued, “They never said anything, they were too polite, but they viewed our move as an upstage, an invasion of their turf, so to speak. They weren’t happy about it.” The Emiya’s eyes lit up in understanding. 

“Endeavor was one of these heroes,” Shirou murmured. Arturia nodded absently. Shirou bit his lip while he continued to brush Miyu’s hair. He took a second to collect his thoughts, “I’m guessing he wasn’t happy that another Number 2 Pro-Hero was coming into town. Gawain possibly could bump him down in the ranks.”

Arturia chuckled. “Oh, no, he was so thrilled . Especially since Dad absolutely could have beaten him down to the 3rd Rank.” 

She sobered, “Unlike the other pros, who were content just to talk behind our backs, he openly accused us of abandoning England. Endeavor trash-talked Dad for months , before eventually getting told off by All-Might. Even then, I don’t think he would have stopped if Dad had actually tried to beat Endeavor at the rankings.”

Miyu frowned, which Arturia thought was absolutely adorable. Shirou, on the other hand, gave a disappointed sigh, “Can’t believe some heroes would rather focus on their rankings than saving people.” 

Arturia nodded in agreement, “Yeah. Granted, the rankings do help, as they give Pro-Heroes the ability to take on sponsorships and other opportunities to provide for their families. But Dad stopped caring about the rankings long before we moved here. Endeavor was in no danger. If he’d just talk to Dad he would have realized that.”

Miyu spoke up, “But... what does that have to do with the recommendations?” Arturia jerked her head up to her. She had forgotten what had started the conversation. Miyu continued her question, “Hawks wanted to give you and Shirou the chance to get into the recommendation exam. Why did you turn it down? Is Endeavor in charge of that?”

Arturia visibly shivered, “Oh, no, thank heavens Endeavor isn’t involved with U.A. No... the reason I don’t want to get in with recommendations is...” 

Arturia pursed her lips. “Because of Shoto Todoroki, his son.”

***

The Autumn Hero Gala was a charity event set the night after the Hero Billboard Charts announced the new rankings and interviewed the current Top 10 Pro-Heroes. Proceedings went to various Pro-Hero causes like infrastructure and medical care, and it was a chance to network with a variety of Pro-Heroes and the business executives that managed either hero agencies or support companies. 

That networking aspect is probably why Arturia was here, having been dragged to the event. It sure as hell wasn’t because her dad’s ranking was anywhere near the double digits, let alone the top 10. She had every faith that her father could get to the Top 10 easily... If Gawain wanted to. He just didn’t. That was fine with Arturia. She would earn that position when she became a Pro-Hero. 

Arutria fidgeted with her white dress, marked with black outlines to give the image of lilies. No one important wanted to talk to a teenager who hadn’t even entered a hero school yet. Even if, or maybe because, she was the daughter of England’s former Number 1 and Number 2 Pro-Heroes. 

She wasn’t one for nepotism, she wanted to get to the top ranks with her own skills, but that came with the unfortunate side effect she was bored with no one to talk to. 

Well, not no one . Ingenium, real name Tensei Iida, was around with his little brother Tenya, talking to Lance and Kay about random stuff. Normally she would try to squeeze into that conversation, but it was just business stuff that she didn’t want to think about. What she would give to have Cousin Mordred to talk to about tag team moves they could do. Too bad her family was busy at I-Island. 

Arturia stopped her mental grumbling when she noticed a young man sitting against a wall, holding a glass of lemonade in his right hand. His hair was perfectly split down the middle, with white on the right side and red on the left. That left side had a nasty burn, which Arturia wasn’t bothered by. 

She had seen her fair share of burns and injuries from the times she tagged along with her dad at work. Must have some kind of story behind it, seeing as there were plenty of Quirks that could heal that kind of damage. People were often sentimental about their injuries. Yoroi Musha had some scars that held some stories he often told in interviews.

Deciding that boredom was worse than the anxiety of meeting someone new, Arturia walked forward, quickly easing through the crowd. Plenty of people eyed her in her white lily dress, but thankfully none of them stopped her. Soon enough, she arrived in front of the young man, then curtseyed politely.

“Hello, I am Arturia Pendragon, it’s very nice to meet you.” 

The young man just gave her a dispassionate look back, his eyes lacking any focus or intent. It seemed like he barely cared about... anything, really. 

“Shoto,” the young man responded, in a tone that matched his ice cold drink. Now that Arturia was closer, she noticed that mist was coming off the cup, as if it was made of dry ice. Was that due to his Quirk?

Putting that thought to the side, she focused on Shoto. He seemed familiar, but from where? Arturia wasn’t as well versed in Japan’s who’s who as she would like to be. She decided to try again, “These galas can be so boring, right? Did your parents bring you here as well?”

Shoto continued to stare dispassionately at her, as if she was wasting his time, “Yeah, my father did.” The tone was detached, as if he was stating the weather. 

Arturia continued to push forward. Maybe he was just awkward? Lance wasn’t always up for these functions, Shoto could be the same way. “Heh, same. My dad thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about hero society.” She paused for a moment trying to figure out how to continue the conversation. “What does your dad do?” she asked politely.

“...Pro-Hero. Specializes in Villain takedowns and investigations. He’s very... efficient.” Shoto’s tone hadn’t changed at all. Arturia took a second to consider the other teenager. A Pro-Hero that’s very efficient at Villain takedowns? It couldn’t be, right? She shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

“Oh that’s cool, my dad’s also a Pro-Hero,” Arturia decided to make a play at a connection. They both had fathers in the hero business, how different could they be? “My father is Saber Shine, the former Number 2 of England. Maybe our dads have worked together?”

“Unlikely,” Shoto finally expressed an emotion. Unfortunately, it was sarcasm. “He isn’t a fan of Saber Shine, thinks he’s here to steal his glory. My dear old father has talked more about your father than All-Might in the last year.” Shoto’s drink froze instantly in a flash, becoming a solid block of ice. Shoto looked at the drink, then took a deep breath. He threw it into a nearby garbage can. 

“This conversation is a waste of time.”

With those final words, Shoto strolled away, leaving Arturia behind stunned. There was no doubt in her mind. Shoto was Endeavor’s son. It was clear from how close they resembled each other. It was also clear that Shoto and Arturia were the same age, so they would likely be going to U.A. Academy together.

Well, if he wanted to act like his father, Arturia will show him how her mother would have handled things. She wasn’t going to take the high road like her father. If they wanted a fight... She’d bring it.

***

Arturia was startled out of her memories when Shirou asked, “Has the apple not fallen far from the tree?” He was putting the final touches on Miyu’s hair, checking over his work. Arturia gave a big shrug, cracking her neck as she tried to put her response into words.

“I can’t claim to really know him, I’ve only encountered him at a social event exclusive to Pro-Heroes and their families,” Arturia sighed, “But... yeah, he’s like Endeavor that someone put into a deep freeze. I don’t know if he holds the same opinions as his dad, but his attitude was the same.”

Shirou exhaled as he slid into the seat next to Miyu. His sister leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her in thought. It was adorable, but Arturia focused on Shirou. He finally responded with, “That’s going to be troublesome to deal with. Are you sure he’s going to be at U.A. with us?”

Arturia flicked her index finger to emphasize her next point. “Yup, I am. I talked to Ingenium about Shoto after I met him. Ingenium was sure that he could get his younger brother and Shoto to be friends for U.A. Alas, that didn’t work out.” Arturia gave a half hearted chuckle, “I know Tenya from school, he’s a good guy. He’s just way too strict. The guy needs to relax.” 

She shook her head, and got back on task. “Anyways, I have it on good authority that Shoto’s going to be taking the Recommendation Exam.” Arturia shrugged, “So I won’t be. I don’t want to get in with cheap privilege. Especially since he is.”

Shirou frowned, giving a glance to Miyu. After a second, Shirou finally stated, “I’m not sure starting a rivalry will help us save people. What Endeavor and his son are doing isn’t heroic at all, but they shouldn’t be taking our attention from the big picture.”

Arturia groaned, “It’s stupid, I know... but I won’t let this actually affect our professional careers. This is me proving to the Todorokis how real heroes should act.” Arturia played with her cowlick again, before she blurted out her next point. “Haven’t you had a rival before? You’re too good at sparring not to have.

Shirou flinched, and Arturia was worried she hit a sore spot. “Yeah, you could say that.” Shirou muttered, each word laced with a complicated emotion. “His name was... Ichigi. Julian Ichigi. He also wanted to be an Ally of Justice.”

Arturia frowned, “Now that’s an old term. I haven’t heard anyone say that outside of old books.” 

Shirou gave a grim smile, “Yeah, he was old fashioned like that. So was I, come to think of it.” He gave a low chuckle, clearly remembering some fond memories. “Maybe that’s how we ended up being friends. He was a cold dude, but surprisingly passionate about a variety of things. We disagreed on a lot of things. We’d get into the stupidest debates on ethics. Both of us wanted to do what was right, however, and what was just.”

Arturia caught on immediately, her eyes flicking to Miyu. Miyu nodded, tucking herself in, “When the Ainsworths kidnapped Miyu... he didn’t want you to go after them, did he?” Arturia internally cringed at Miyu’s heartbroken expression. She wanted to get up and comfort the younger girl, but Shirou held out his arm, and Miyu clamped onto it immediately. 

After a minute, Shirou slowly nodded, “...Yeah, you could say that. I thought I knew him. But I didn’t really know his character behind his frosty attitude. Not the way I thought I did.”

He leveled his gaze to Arturia, “I don’t know this Todoroki. He might be like Julian, or like Endeavor.” The redhead shrugged, and Arturia could see past the shields Shirou always had. There was a weariness there, something that belonged on Pro-Heroes like her dad, not a teenager her age.

“But... for a time I was like that. After Miyu was... taken,” Miyu squeezed his arm harder, causing Shirou to take a breath, “I was exceptionally cold. I didn’t warm up to anyone until after Miyu was rescued. I brushed off someone who did want to help me, just because I felt like she was in the way. I... regret how I acted then.”

Their eyes met, and Arturia took a deep breath. She knew she would absolutely hate the next words out of Shirou’s mouth, but... “Arturia, try to give Shoto a chance. There might be a hero waiting to emerge from that ice.”

Her father had tried to say the same thing plenty of times, in plenty of ways. How Shirou said it carried a different weight though. It wasn’t parental guidance that carried his tone. It was empathy and regret. For both Shoto’s side, and hers. Arturia wasn’t sure if she was willing to brush off what Shoto did, but she was willing to wait and see. 

“Okay, Shirou. We’ll see how Shoto behaves himself at U.A.”

***

Fumikage Tokoyami was a seventeen year old young man, with the very striking feature of a raven’s head being the first thing you see of him. His red eyes pierced into your soul, and as he walked through the hallways of his school, his fierce stroll kept students away from him.

It was lunchtime, and he wanted to head up to the roof to eat in solitude. As he got to his locker and pulled out his bento box, he heard and discarded the words and insults thrown around him.

Freak. Creep. Villain. Hope you’re expelled. Flock off Feather Face. Demon. They were whispered, said loud enough for Fumikage to hear them but quiet enough to have plausible deniability. Fumikage had done this dance enough times to just ignore it for now. 

However, someone disagreed with that plan, “ We shouldn’t take their barbs! Let’s render them into our dolls! ” Those words were uttered in Fumikage’s head by his Quirk, Dark Shadow. She was a vengeful being who often fed on the darker impulses that Fumikage had. As was typical, she was acting up because of the words around him. 

Fumikage struggled to take a meditative breath, fighting her impulses. He began focusing on recalling the lyrics of the songs he was practicing the night before. That helped to calm Dark Shadow down. Once she was settled, he gently closed the door to his locker, then started heading down the hall to head up to the roof.

Only for Fumikage to sigh as he saw what was happening outside of the view of the cameras. Around the corner of the stairs up to the roof were two bullies, Nobuhiko Okamoto and Toshiki Masuda, who were picking on Daiki Yamashita, a fellow classmate of theirs. 

On the surface, Okamoto and Masuda were the typical popular kids. They got along with all of the right teachers and students, had very good grades and marks, and the perfect quirks to ensure that they could become Pro-Heroes if they wanted. Nobuhiko Okamoto had Cobalt Flare, a blue fire emitter-type Quirk. Toshiki Masuda had Volt Step, where all of his quick movements generate electricity to use. 

Underneath that glimmering, they were anything but heroic. Okamoto and Masuda knew how to exploit the blind spots in society to get what they wanted. They dealt in rumors, secrets, and blackmail to force students to hand valuables over, to make them fall in line, or get the victims out of the way. Right now, it looked like they wanted to squeeze money out of Yamashita. Had they already blown through their allowance, or was it just a cheap high for these two brats who thought they were kings?

Before he knew it, Fumikage was storming over, Dark Shadow eagerly cheering him on. The shadows cast by the staircase overhead fed into her strength, and Fumikage had to grit his teeth to prevent her from lashing out. They shouldn’t be hasty... not yet. 

“I believe that Yamashita would like to leave now, Okamoto. Would you kindly release him from your grip?” Fumikage asked with an icy calm. He restrained Dark Shadow from emerging from his body. She was eager to enact justice, but mercy would better serve here. 

Okamoto, who had pinned Yamashita up against the wall by his collar and was ruffling through the poor student’s pockets, turned to glare at Fumikage. Masuda, who was idly bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, gave one of his patented smirks. 

“Oh, relax, Tokoyami,” Masuda drawled, “It’s just a bit of rough housing. Go on up to your perch. You don’t want to be caged down here with us, right?”

Fumikage leveled his glare to Masuda. Dark Shadow was bristling, ready to go, but Fumikage knew the risks that would come from a fight now. He forced his tone to remain level and consistent, “If you were just rough housing, why not wait to do it after school? Scared that Yamashita would beat you?”

Fumikage was very familiar with Daiki Yamashita’s Quirk, Metal Pedal. The cycling motion he made with his legs could build speed faster and faster, especially when he was on his bike. Yamashita could easily outrun these two after school. Fumikage couldn’t afford a fight here. He didn’t need to succumb to one now. He just needed to bait the bullies’ pride long enough to give Yamashita that opportunity. 

Nobuhiko Okamoto dropped Yamashita to the ground and turned on his heels, getting right into Fumikage’s face. The brat was so close Fumikage could smell the overpriced shampoo Okamoto used for his auburn hair. Their glares locked before Okamoto spoke, spitting every word out like sunflower seed shells. 

“What are you squawking about? Can’t you see Yamashita and I are just catching up?” Okamoto sneered, “Careful, buzzard. Wouldn’t want you to end up like Icarus...”

His hand lit up with blue flames, the heat already palpable. Behind him, Masuda had stopped bouncing, static energy from Volt Step crackling in the air. 

“Falling back to Hell where you belong.” 

Fumikage kept his glare leveled at Okamoto, but allowed Dark Shadow to slowly coil around his shoulders like a living omen. The shadows under the staircase began to deepen, thickening with every breath he took. Fumikage knew he should reign it in...

But that thought was quickly becoming lost to the darkness. 

“Last chance, Okamoto,” Fumikage growled, talons gleaming, “Walk. Away.”

The moment hung for an eternity. No one knew who would make the first move. 

Nobuhiko Okamoto was ready with a fist full of fire. 

Toshiki Masuda had the voltage to knock out a horse. 

Fumikage Tokoyami was ready to unleash Dark Shadow, showing them the Hell they were asking for. 

Then the tension shattered.

Their teacher, Miss Akeno Watanabe, zoomed in behind Tokoyami. She seemed oblivious to the standoff, as she took a moment to scan the area. She locked onto Daiki Yamashita, then politely asked, “Oh, Mister Yamashita, I’ve been looking for you. My desk treadmill broke again, would you be a dear and fix it?” Miss Watanabe gave an apologetic smile, crinkling her big cheeks and setting off a twitch of her button nose and the golden fur that went from her face down her arms. 

“Oh, uh, sure thing, Miss Watanabe,” Yamashita bolted to his feet, and immediately took off for the classroom, almost activating his Quirk. Miss Watanabe carefully watched him go, then turned back to the rest of the group.

“Oh, what were you all up to?” Miss Watanabe asked, voice sweet as honey. Her tone was the same as every teacher asked when they thought a student had broken the rules, but the teacher lacked proof.

Okamoto hid his hands behind his back.

“Oh, nothing, Miss Watanabe. Yamashita, Toshiki, and I were just hanging out, when Tokoyami came here and started scaring us.” 

Masuda failed to hide a snicker as Fumikage frowned. 

Miss Watanabe turned to Tokoyami, tilting her head, “Oh, dear, what happened to cause you to do that?”

Fumikage managed to wrangle his voice in order to calmly state, “I was headed up to the roof when I saw...”

“We were just roughhousing, Miss Watanabe,” Okamoto cut in, “Tokoyami just took it the wrong way. We were just messing around and he decided to be the fun police.”

Miss Watanabe sighed, “If that’s what happened, then I’ll have a small talk with Mister Tokoyami here. How about you two go get lunch? The afternoon classes are important too, you don’t want to do them on an empty stomach.”

The two bullies left immediately, their smirks not as subtle as they pretended to be. Fumikage took a deep breath, then turned to the teacher. Her face was one of gentle understanding. Her voice lacked the scolding tone he was expecting, “They were picking on Yamashita again, weren’t they?” 

Fumikage paused, comprehending the situation at hand, “You knew.”

Miss Watanabe glanced to the side, her whiskers twitching, “Yamashita had told me in confidence, yes. It’s why my desk treadmill seems to always need repair. It’s a way for him to get away from those two boys. Young Yamashita can work quietly on fixing it, and burn off any stress he still has. His father and I came up with this arrangement in private, so I hope you can keep it to yourself.”

“Why aren’t Okamoto and Masuda expelled then? It’s not just Yamashita that they’re harassing!” Fumikage’s voice was thick with fury. Dark Shadow was getting agitated again, and he had already let his control slip too much today. He didn’t want to cause another incident again. After that display, he was struggling to find reasons to care.

Miss Watanabe said nothing. She took his wrist as gently as a sparrow, and guided him away from the shadow of the staircase. Now they were in the bright hallways that were bursting with students going to and fro. 

Fumikage took a deep breath in, and held it for four seconds. 

Then he released it for four seconds. 

In for four. Out for four. 

He did this a few more times, and managed to get his breathing back under control. 

Dark Shadow retreated, her presence melting into a gentle silhouette. Instead of the storm, Dark Shadow now exuded the calming peace. Like that of shade under a burning sun. 

Miss Watanabe finally responded, a sad tone ringing through her voice, “Mister Okamoto and Miss Masuda are very influential figures on the school board. They have the power to protect their children from the consequences that the rest of us would share,” Her ears flattened against her head, shame evident in her voice. 

“The children are nothing more than heroes-to-be. Regardless of who would object.” Fumikage released a sigh as he saw the exhaustion behind Miss Watanabe’s kind smile. She had put up with this for far too long.

“I know it isn’t fair. Life often isn’t.”

Fumikage shook his head, “I apologize, I’m not in the mood for life sayings right now,” Fumikage picked up his bento box, forgotten in the haze of everything. Thankfully, while it was shaken around, nothing was lost.

Fumikage turned back to Miss Watanabe, his voice flat and emotionless, “Is there anything else?”

Miss Watanabe softly shook her head, “No, dear. Just be careful around them. In a few months, you’ll be attending U.A. Academy, right? Just focus on your school work for now. You’ll be a hero soon.”

Fumikage didn’t bother to respond.

He headed up to the roof. The cold air, native to the last week of February, felt refreshing to Fumikage’s skin. The plumage of his feathers trapped heat a little too well with their black coloring, so this kind of weather was more conducive to being active. 

He sat against the door to the roof, allowing Dark Shadow to stretch out into the shade. He opened up his bento box, staring at the untidy food. With slow, mechanical movements, he began eating, occasionally passing bites of the meal to her with his chopsticks. 

How Dark Shadow ate, and what she did with the food, was a question neither of them wanted answering. 

The meal was silent, as it often was. Fumikage and Dark Shadow often preferred to eat their meals in peace. It was better to be alone in tranquil silence than in the loud cafeteria. 

Then, against her usual nature, Dark Shadow suddenly spoke up, “ We should have taken them down immediately. ” 

Fumikage turned to look at her, his silent gaze enough to ask the question he had. 

“ No one would miss them, except their awful parents, ” the tone she added that comment in was flippant. Innocent of the cruelty it possessed. 

“No, no one would miss them,” Fumikage agreed with a sigh, “No one would.” 

Everyone else is too busy being as awful as they are. Scrambling over classmates, selling out friends to get higher on the social rung. It was awful. For a society based on heroes, it was pathetic.

“ Exactly, so we put them in their place, and then we will get left alone! We can finish training for the entrance exam in peace!! ” Dark Shadow was very eager on this topic, her heart laid bare. Fumikage couldn’t blame her.

Fumikage, however, rejected the notion. “If we did that, there wouldn’t be an entrance exam. We would be locked up faster than All-Might could say ‘I am here!!!” 

He sighed, looking up at the wispy clouds, “It would accomplish nothing but ruin four people’s lives.” 

His hand reached for the choker around his neck, “No, that isn’t the way.” His thumb started playing with the red wrappings. 

“It’s like what Dark Crystal says, ‘I’ll prove myself better than the monster I fear I am.’” In his mind’s eye, he saw the Moonlit Heroine, the Pro-Hero he had the most respect for. 

Dark Shadow settled back down, nuzzling into him while remaining in the shade.

Fumikage closed his eyes in resolution.

“That’s what we’re going to do.” 

***

Izuku Midoriya was working on Takoba Beach. It was the weekend, with two weeks before the entrance exam, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to finish on time. People continued to illegally dump here, and the fight between Emiya and those thugs had caused some serious damage. Debris and patches of glass were scattered all over, a dangerous result from the fight. Walking around without shoes, a favored pastime of beach goers, was too dangerous to do here. 

Still, Izuku knew he wasn’t alone in this. A few days after the attack, Izuku started noticing that stuff left near the shoreline one day was stacked with garbage ready to be taken away. Izuku had asked All-Might if the garbage company the Pro-Hero had hired was going beyond their duty of carting away the garbage. But the garbage company had more than enough other jobs to do elsewhere. They weren’t wasting time helping Izuku with the trash here.

Izuku bit his lip. It may be the Emiyas. Shirou had promised to help, and someone was mysteriously helping him. It seemed easy enough to put together, but Izuku didn’t know that for sure, and the questions ate away at him. Izuku knew he needed their subject alone. But the questions of their fate still ate him up inside. It wasn’t healthy, and he knew that. 

If, no, when he became a hero, Izuku wouldn’t have time to worry over every single person he saved. He needed to be able to let them go when he had finished his job. Izuku hadn’t considered how hard this aspect of being a Pro-Hero would be. 

Yet, life continued on. Izuku was back to the grind. School during the days, with beach cleaning during the week. Alternating the kinds of trash he carried so that all of his muscles got stronger during this time. He was able to carry more and more, which was good. That way, All-Might’s power wouldn’t blast his limbs off when he got it. 

Hopefully... 

Maybe...

As Izuku was pushing a refrigerator up the hill, he felt the muscles through his shoulders, back, and arms push the large metal box. He felt his thighs, shins, and feet strain to climb the hill that the sand was on. He felt the breeze cool down his burning muscles, and the sweat dripping down his body. 

He felt his foot slip, and his forehead slammed into the corner of the refrigerator.

Izuku yelped as he fell to the ground, applying pressure to his head to alleviate the pain. Of all the days to forget his ice pack... While he did have a high pain tolerance, he knew that he needed to expand that limit. He wasn’t about to start banging his head against sheet metal or anything. But a Pro-Hero needed to be able to take the pain and keep moving forward. 

Izuku was disturbed from his thoughts by feet pounding the sand nearby, and he turned his head to where the sound was coming. A young woman, about his age, was running towards him, black spiky hair in a ponytail bouncing in the air. She wore a red tunic-style dress with a frilly collar and a large belt across the front. It was swaying with her run, unlike the black leggings that clung to her legs. 

Izuku blinked, suddenly struck with the fact a really pretty woman was approaching him. What did she want with him? He soon got his answer as she arrived and knelt down, handing him an ice pack. 

“I saw you bang your head against that, are you alright?” The young woman asked, panting out the words. Izuku nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He took the ice pack offered and applied it to his head.

“Thank you,” Izuku bowed his head in gratitude. She responded with a similar nod. Izuku kept the ice pack there for a minute, until the pain eased away. He then turned back to her, “Um, why did you have an ice pack on you?” Izuku’s eyes widened, “Wait, I didn’t mean to be rude! I was just surprised, since it seemed really random and convenient that you would arrive at this time with an ice pack, butthenwhoknowshowoftenthesekindsofoccurancescanhap...”

“Whoa, whoa, breath,” The young woman put her hands forward, “Are you in distress? Are you suffering from a concussion” Izuku stopped himself, then shook his head.

“No, I’m alright. Sorry, I just ramble a lot.” A habit he really needed to break. Even All-Might said it was creepy, and he was probably right. Letting his train of thought leave his mind like that isn’t very heroic. Izuku sighed, “I was just curious, that’s all.”

The young woman nodded, “If you’re sure... As for the ice pack, well...” She held out her hand, and Izuku heard a small, crackling noise. An ice pack emerged from her hand, as if by magic, “Most instant ice packs are just ammonium nitrate and water mixed together.”

Izuku’s eyes went wide, “Your Quirk allows you to generate objects?” Izuku pulled out his notebook and immediately scribbled that down, “That’s awesome! Can you produce living matter, or just the basic chemical compounds?”
“Oh, um, the latter,” the young woman tilted her head, “As long as I know what I need to make for the object in question, I can use my Quirk to ‘print’ it using the lipids in my body.” 

“That’s so cool!” Izuku scribbled down more notes, then stopped as he realized he didn’t really have a name for her, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Izuku Midoriya.” Izuku stood up and bowed in introduction. The young woman also stood up to return the gesture.

“I’m Momo Yaoyorozu. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya.” Yaoyorozu glanced down at the notebook, “ Hero Analysis for the Future, Volume 17 ? Do you want to be a Pro-Hero?”

Izuku sheepishly hid away the notebook, but nodded, “Yeah, I do. That's why I’m here, training to enter U.A.” Momo’s eyes lit up.

“Ah, so you are preparing for the normal entrance exam, then?” Momo asked, somewhat rhetorically, “Interesting. I just came back from the recommendation exam myself.

Izuku gasped, “Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! With your Quirk, it must have been a breeze!” Yaoyorozu chuckled, darting her eyes to the side, while Izuku rambled on, “Being able to make any tool for the job would put you at a huge advantage.”

Yaoyorozu nodded, “Yes, well, it was very helpful in the recommendation exam. I should be grateful for the Quirk I’ve gotten. It gained me the advantage over most of the other competitors.” She then cocked her head to the side, “But how does this help you with the normal entrance exam?”

“Oh, it’s just muscle training,” Izuku shrugged, “I use the different types of trash to exercise different muscle groups. It isn’t glamorous, but working out here takes care of both the environment and my body, so it works out.”

Yaoyorozu nodded thoughtfully, “Yes, that is an excellent usage of your time and energy.” She turned to look out over the beach, which was looking much better than it had before. It still had a long way to go, though. “I’m assuming that you are doing this to develop your own Quirk?” She turned back to Izuku, “I’m curious, what can you do?”

Suddenly, Izuku wished that the Trigger gang would attack again. Crap... All-Might and Izuku hadn’t talked about a cover story for One for All yet! Izuku stammered for a second, trying to come up with a solid cover story. If Izuku got into U.A., Yaoyorozu would likely be his classmate.

“Oh, well, uh, um, you know, it has to do with physical enhancements, but, uh,” Izuku’s hands were waving to the side, gripping the ice pack too tightly. His eyes darted around, trying not to meet hers. He knew dodging eye contact made him look suspicious. But what else could he do?

Izuku tried to get his mouth to stop rambling , but then his eyes locked onto something. Somewhat recessed into a pile of trash was an All-Might branded Ignition, a typical energy drink. The commercial flashed through his head, with All-Might saying at the end, “ SURGE past your troubles with IGNITION, flavored with JUSTICE!!!”

Surge... All-Might said that One for All’s power would surge through him and blast his limbs off if Izuku inherited it before his body was ready... 

Yeah, that could work...

Izuku cleared his throat, then tried again, “Um, but, my, ugh, Quirk, it’s called Surge.” Izuku threw his hands like he was presenting a title card, accidentally launching the ice pack. Momo blinked back. Izuku gave a light chuckle, then sheepishly went to pick it up, continuing, “Um, like the name says, it’s a surge of energy that boosts my actions, but if I were to use it right now, I’d hurt myself.” Izuku contorted his arms in opposite directions as a visual aid, “My limbs could just go kaboom, then I wouldn’t be able to save anyone, right?”

Yaoyorozu slowly nodded, “Yes, I could see how that would be a concern if you became a hero.”  

Izuku relaxed his posture and shrugged, “So that’s why I’m here. So that when the time comes... I can use this power to become a hero.” He put the ice pack back to his forehead. The pain was almost gone, but the cool feeling was nice. 

Momo Yaoyorozu nodded, turning to face the ocean. The sun was low, casting shades of red against the blue sky and sea. The breeze was firm, but gentle, carrying with it a salty mist past them, tousling their hair. Yaoyorozu’s gaze narrowed. She sighed.

“So, even with that kind of drawback, you would still risk becoming a hero?” Yaoyorozu asked, turning her stare back towards Izuku. She clenched the hem of her skirt, hesitating before asking “Even knowing there are others like me? Rivals who have better control over their Quirks? Who could do the job better, faster, and safer?”

Izuku blinked. The questions flew out of her mouth faster than All-Might’s punches. They were just as brutal. Where did that come from? They were just talking about Quirks... and the recommendation exam. 

Izuku cocked his head to the side, considering the young woman in front of him. Izuku then asked, in the most gentle tone he could muster, “Miss Yaoyorozu? How did you do on the recommendation exam?”

She let out a low, frustrated sigh, “Second place.” Yaoyorozu sounded like she failed the exam, not snagged one of the four coveted recommendation slots. Her answer completely shattered what Izuku had been thinking. She turned back, looking out at the ocean.

Izuku tilted his head, “Okay... That’s good, isn’t it? You are basically guaranteed a spot this year.” He fidgeted with the ice pack. It had served its purpose by now. His head felt fine, in large part thanks to Yaoyorozu.

The ice pack was a showcase of how skilled Yaoyorozu was with her Quirk. She must have been training for years to learn how to produce the different formulas and materials needed for different kinds of productions. She said that the ice pack was just ammonium nitrate and water, but she didn’t mention how she had made the plastic case. It wasn’t a simple plastic case, it had texture, and a nice fabric spot. That spot probably served to help prevent frostbite. Yaoyorozu had thought of everything.  

She was amazing with this... like Kacchan was with his Quirk. Yaoyorozu was kind, much kinder than Kacchan. But Izuku could see the similarities in how well she had mastered her Quirk. The control, focus, grit that Kacchan had in his explosions, Yaoyorozu had for her creations. If Kacchan had gotten second place on the entrance exam... Izuku wouldn’t want to be around for a few weeks. With Yaoyorozu... she may be turning that energy inwards. 

Izuku knew how that felt all too well.

Yaoyorozu finally responded, “Yes, I managed to earn a spot. A spot that I wouldn’t have gotten if I wasn’t the first to go.” Yaoyorozu turned to face Izuku, “I had been training for years. I got perfect marks in all of my classes. I have a strict dietary and exercising program that I stick to. I have memorized over a thousand different materials, compounds, and blueprints, all so I could go and be a hero.”

Yaoyorozu let out a frustrated chuckle, “And my performance at the exam? It was perfect, perfect. Down to the minute detail. I did everything right, I had the right tools, the right answers, I knew how to handle everything like it was the back of my hand. I was glad that I was first so I could show everyone there how it was done.”

Yaoyorozu was panting hard, teeth clenched, “But then... Toyotomi stepped up. Everything I thought I did well, she did better.” Her voice grew louder and louder, frustration laced in every word, “She didn’t waste time making tools or supplies for the different challenges, she already had them. Her timing was impeccable. Her actions were flawless. She had the perfect attitude. If I had to go after her...”

Yaoyorozu swallowed, taking a deep breath to control herself. Izuku held off, waiting for the young woman to finish her piece. Yaoyorozu released her breath, “I would have fallen apart. I would have second guessed everything and completely blew it. Can I even consider joining U.A.? I fell apart over an exam . How would I live with myself if I froze in the field, when people actually need someone to save them?” Yaoyorozu shook her head in exasperation, “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”

“Stop that.” Izuku snapped, then clapped his hand over his mouth in horror. Yaoyorozu turned back to face him, startled. Izuku pulled his hand away from his mouth, trembling. But he wasn’t going to back down from this, “Miss Yaoyorozu, you were applying to learn at U.A. You aren’t a Pro-Hero yet, so why do you act like you should be perfect already?”

“But the point of U.A. is to become a Pro-Hero,” Yaoyorozu argued back, “How am I supposed to be an excellent student if I don’t? Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

Izuku gritted his teeth, “So what? If you can’t do something perfect on the first try, you just give up?” Izuku shook his head, “No, you keep trying! You push yourself to grow, and overcome your past self. That’s why U.A.'s motto, why All-Might’s motto, is Plus Ultra .”

“ Go Beyond, Plus Ultra. ” Yaoyorozu instinctively quoted back. She exhaled, turning back out to the ocean. Izuku took a deep breath, tasting the salt on the breeze. They stood there for a moment, silently watching the waves. 

“I know what it’s like to compare yourself to someone better,” Izuku finally spoke again. Yaoyorozu tilted her head, considering his words. He continued, “I have a childhood friend. Well, former. He stopped being my friend a long time ago. He always told me that I can’t be a hero.”

Yaoyorozu turned back to face him, sympathies threatening to spill out of her lips, but Izuku pressed on, “He’s amazing, really. He has a really powerful Quirk, and he’s mastered it. He’s on top of his studies, and he’s incredibly clever. He can win at anything he puts his mind to.” Izuku shrugged, “Right now, I can’t beat him.”
Izuku clenched his fist, “But that can change. It will change.” Izuku raised his gaze to meet Yaoyorozu, mustering every ounce of courage he has, “Kacchan isn’t going to hold me down forever. I’m going to surpass him. I have made a duty, a commitment to myself to push myself forward. If I stumble, if I fall... I’m going to get back up. I’m going to keep pushing forward.” Izuku nodded to Yaoyorozu, “You need to do the same.”

Yaoyorozu broke eye contact, shifting side to side in the sand, “And if I freeze again? Fail those around me?” Izuku just smiled, and held up the ice pack.

“The only thing you froze was this, when you saw that I hit my head.” Izuku handed it back to her, “I think you’ll be fine.” She took the ice pack, fidgeting with it. The quiet moment persisted for a moment, before Izuku’s phone went off.

“ THIRTY MINUTES LEFT, THIRTY MINUTES LEFT!!! ” All-Might’s booming voice erupted, causing Izuku to blush and quickly pull out his phone to shut it off. Yaoyorozu gave a small chuckle.

“You’re a big All-Might fan, aren’t you?”

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, you, you could say that.” Izuku turned back to the garbage pile, then back to the young woman that was with him, “I... hope this chat helped. I need to hurry and finish this. The sun is going to set soon, and I won’t be able to work on this after that.”

Yaoyorozu frowned, and pointed to some street lamps by the road, “What about the street lamps? Would they be bright enough? Or do you need to leave for home by then?”

Izuku shrugged, “I wouldn’t know. Since this beach has been trashed for so long, the city shut off the power to those. They’ve never turned on in the time since I’ve been here.”

Yaoyorozu hummed, “Curious.” She nodded to Izuku, then took some steps away. Izuku watched her for a second, confused at the abrupt end to their conversation. 

He then took a deep breath, then released it, rolling his neck. It was time to get back to work. Izuku got back to the refrigerator he was pushing up. He got a good grasp on it, and started pushing it back up the hill.

Only to hear a strange crackling sound. Izuku let go of the fridge and turned to see what it was. Yaoyorozu hadn’t moved that far, but she had undone the belt around her tunic dress and was holding it out pretty far. If she wasn’t careful, she would risk being immodest. “Uh, Miss Yaoyorozu? What are you doing?” Izuku stuttered out, trying to be respectful while still getting an answer as to what she was doing.

Yaoyorozu didn’t respond, as a metal pole dropped out of her dress into the sand. She started walking backwards, as more and more of that pole came out. Izuku realized she was making something... but what?

The answer arrived when the top of the pole fell out, which contained a large LED light, with solar panels on the top side. Yaoyorozu turned to the side, and two small cylinders fell to the ground with a thunk. She let go of her dress, smoothing it into place, then refastened her belt. 

Yaoyorozu then grabbed the first cylinder, pulled on an edge, which caused it to extend into a set of feet. The other cylinder extended into a shade for the lamp, interlaced with polyester and metal. She assembled everything together, then turned a knob that was on the pole. The lamp lit up the beach.

“This is a portable lamp that my family likes to use when camping,” Yaoyorozu explained, “The shade does a great job at making sure the light pollution is kept to a minimum. It’s also solar powered, making it quite efficient.” She turned to Izuku, “I’ve topped off the charge for now, but make sure you bring it when you start on the beach. That way you can work on the beach for much longer. Just make sure not to over do it.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Izuku was stunned. She had already helped him with the ice pack. This seemed a bit much, “You didn’t have to-”

“Of course I did.” Yaoyorozu smiled, “That’s what classmates do, yes?” She turned to leave, “Keep the lamp, it should store easily. I’ll see you at U.A.” Then she left. 

Izuku watched her leave, then glanced back at the lamp, “Well, if I’m going to talk the talk...” He got back under the fridge, grasping each corner, “Then I got to walk the walk. Time to go Plus Ultra.” Thus, Izuku was back on the grind, pushing himself farther and harder. As the sun set, the light of the lamp allowed Izuku to keep pressing forward. Pushing himself and his body harder than he had been able to since the day with Miyu and Shirou. 

It was two weeks until the entrance exam. Every minute was going to count.

***

It was the night before the entrance exam, and Shirou Emiya stood in the shed of the Pendragon house. It was both familiar and foreign. The same layout, the same smells, the same weight as his old shed-turned-workshop. The only difference was the types of things being stored. Shirou had stored things to try to fix and reinforce, while the Pendragons did have some keepsakes, along with tools and support gear for specific occasions. As such, Shirou had to be careful with what magecraft he practiced.

That suited him just fine. Shirou had already planned for what he was going to do tonight. He rolled up his left sleeve with his right hand, then rolled up the right sleeve with his left hand. Keeping his hand on his biceps, Shirou narrowed his eyes in focus. He drew breath in, and slammed the mental hammer within his mind, “ Trace On... ” he took a breath, a single beat, before declaring to the world, “ I am the Bone of My Sword. ”

It was interesting in how his Quirk interacted with his Reality Marble. The Quirk, Arsenal Projection, served as a near-flawless bridge between Shirou’s inner world and physical reality. As such, the swords he had mastered, such as the various nameless swords, lighter mystic codes, and of course, his well-used Kanshou and Bakuya, didn’t need the full attention of his magic circuits for Projection.

“ Judging the concept of creation. ” A sword of fire, meant to be only wielded by the well-born. A sword used by Rhydderch Hael, who would willingly offer it to anyone, but would always be rejected after the would-be recipient learned of its properties.

The same couldn’t be said about his other Noble Phantasms. Doctor Aozaki had said as much before. Shirou was limited in how many Noble Phantasms he could project at a time. To expand that limit, he needed to train and properly learn these Noble Phantasms. Relying on EMIYA’s Reality Marble wouldn’t help him on his new path. 

“ Hypothesizing the basic structure. ” It was a longsword made in the Welsh style, with a two handed grip wrapped in leather. Fit for a king, well used by a warrior. Rhydderch Hael was fond of this sword, and for good reason. 

A wireframe appeared in Shirou’s hands, shaped like the sword and glowing teal. The same shade of teal that Shirou’s own circuits did. They were burning now, as was the cost to practice magecraft. Shirou continued to work, preparing the next step. He ignored the heat that was beginning to build up, causing his breathing to become more labored. 

“ Duplicating the composition material. ” The blade was the purest steel, reflective of the heart needed to wield it. The crown-like crossguard and rounded pommel were of a golden alloy, strong enough for battle and ornate enough for the throne room. The hilt, from which the sword derived its name, was wrapped in white leather. It always remained pure and stain free.

The first set of details came into place. The silver blade filled in, followed by gold for the crossguard. Then came the sword’s defining trait, the white leather that the hilt was wrapped in, came into place. 

“ Imitating the skill of its making. ” The blade was forged long ago by Gofannon, a blacksmith and magus who served the great king Rhyddderch Hael. He forged the blade over the course of many weeks, laboring intensely to ensure the blade would be of a most prized quality. 

Shirou wondered how Gofannon would have felt if he saw Shirou’s Tracing abilities. Would he be awe-struck with how relatively fast Shirou could reproduce the blade? Or would he curse and despise the Faker? Shirou would understand that hatred. He felt it too. 

“ Sympathizing with the experience of its growth. ” Rhydderch Hael received this sword from Gofannon on the fifth anniversary of his ascension to the throne. He wielded it in peace and in war, with a fair and just hand. When he eventually passed on, the sword joined with other artifacts, and became known as revered among the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain.

This sword was well known for its ability to generate fire when wielded by one pure of heart. Shirou had witnessed this himself, when he brought it to bear against Angelica. But he had been acting as a villain in that case, choosing to save his sister all over the world. Why hadn’t the sword set him ablaze? Did it lack the heart needed to judge him?

“ Reproducing the accumulated years. ” Each year, each month, each day, every second this blade existed during its tenure on Earth, was reproduced. Every nick, every polish, everything was remade and placed into the projection at hand.

The sword was almost finished. Shirou held his concentration, even as sweat beaded across his forehead and down his arms. Even as his arms started to burn from the heat of his magic circuits, Shirou remained focused. It was almost complete, it was time to finish the blade.

“ Excelling every manufacturing process. ” Unlimited Blade Works honed in on every detail, every aspect covered. Concept. Structure. Material. Crafting. Experience. History. All were brought together, and the blade was brought forth.

Shirou grasped the sword, now complete. A fire blazed forth, racing from the crossguard to the tip, illuminating the shed. Shirou pulled it close to examine it, then performed some practice swings left and right. He ended it by stabbing it into the ground, then let go. The blaze instantly vanished. Everything was complete. Shirou took in the sight of the sword, the Noble Phantasm, that he had made.

Dyrnwyn, the sword of White-Hilt, was completed.

At least, this copy was. Unfortunately, just like one couldn’t cram for a test the night before and remember everything, Shirou wasn’t done with Dyrnwyn. It would take many more projections and copies of the white hilted sword before Shirou could trace it as well as he could with Kanshou and Bakuya. 

That was fine, Shirou was willing to study these blades until they became as familiar as his limbs. The process, as meditative as it was, helped to ground him in this strange new world he had found himself in. The process helped him to zone in and not worry about the various intricacies of the world of heroes. It wasn’t archery, but it was close enough. He was ready. 

At this point, it would normally be time to dispel the Noble Phantasm and head to bed. However, this one would be remaining. Shirou was careful in which Noble Phantasms he was willing to trade with Doctor Aozaki. The flaming sword Dyrwyn was perfect for this case. 

Shirou grabbed the scabbard he had prepared beforehand, then knelt down in front of the sword. Carefully, he drew the sword from out of the ground, which immediately set the sword ablaze once more. He quickly but smoothly sheathed it within the scabbard, which was reinforced to shield from the flames. The second Shirou let go of the White Hilt, the flames receded, and the blade was cool to the touch. 

With that, Shirou glanced around the makeshift workshop, checking to see if anything was out of alignment. He was only able to set up two bounded fields, a privacy one and a detection one. But they served their purpose, and their anchors were intact, unaffected by the magecraft done tonight. Satisfied with the state of things, Shirou turned to the door, and walked out into the cool night.

The air was cool and crisp, a soft breeze drifting gently through the air. The soft chirping of the wildlife echoed about, calling attention to the late hour. The moon was full, her glow gently casting light upon the yard. It was a beautiful night, one that was like a few similar to Shirou’s memories.

The strumming of a guitar caught Shirou off-guard, startling him out of his train of thought. He looked toward the porch, and instantly saw the source of the music. It was Arturia, playing on her acoustic guitar. The melody conveyed a mysterious, ambient tone, one that somehow spoke to Shirou. Then, she started to sing.

“ I can remember that day, that I witnessed in my dreams... From the shadows, my voice was lost. ” Arturia’s voice was crystalline, pure and simple. “ Absorbing every wish, so they'll never fade away. For tomorrow, I'll move on, no matter the cost! ”  

Her eyes were closed, her blonde hair let loose around her face. “ All of the pieces that scattered around, catching and holding them tight! ” She wasn’t pushing the song out; it flowed from deep within her heart. “ Cradling your heart as it sways to my song... Leaping out into the endless night! ”

Shirou stopped breathing, his limbs dangled by his side, as he listened to Arturia pour out her soul, “ If there was someone right by my side... It won't grant me the peace I wished for within my mind! ” The song was more than perfect. It was completely human. “ Look deep within yourself to find out what you must do, and don't close your eyes to the truth! ”

Arturia tapered off, staring up at the moon. The guitar resting in her lap. The blue pajama set, covered in a lion print, that she wore. Her hair let loose, framing her face. Her piercing green eyes, staring out into the sky. 

“Beautiful,” Shirou stated. That word broke the spell, as Arturia was startled until she saw him. Shirou panickedly added, “Uh, the song. The song was beautiful. Where did you learn it?”

“Oh, this? It’s just a song I found a while back,” Arturia shrugged. “I needed something to learn guitar with, and this was what stuck with me.” She turned back towards Shirou, “Anyways, come on, hang out with me. It’s a beautiful night, it would be a waste to spend it alone.” She patted the space to her right, placing the guitar to her left.

Shirou chuckled as he walked up and took that seat. “Not sure your dad would approve of that saying,” he joked as he sat down, resting Dyrnwyn between himself and the young woman, making sure to keep an appropriate distance from her. Shirou looked up into the night sky, focusing on the moon. “You nervous?”

“Excited, more, really. It feels like Christmas and Finals all at once.” Arturia replied, also looking up at the moon. “Like, I’m ready for this to be over and to get into U.A. But this is the moment that my hard work has been training me for. I get to really cut loose and show the world what I’m made of. That’s why I needed to come out here and relax.” Arturia looked down at her guitar, “My playing helps me with that.”

“That’s good, hobbies like that are helpful,” Shirou replied, “I used to do archery. The eight steps were really helpful to me, helping me to clear my mind and focus on what I need to do.” Shirou shrugged, “Unfortunately, you guys don’t have an archery set up here, but that’s alright. I can do the same thing when I’m cooking with Miyu.”

“Ah, is that the secret ingredient to your cooking? Your stress level?” Arturia smirked, and both teens fell into a fit of giggles for a minute. Two people enjoying the moment of comradery with each other. 

As the laughter faded, Arturia’s eyes landed on the sword placed between her and Shirou, “Oh, did you make this?” She grabbed the blade by the scabbard. 

Shirou blinked, trying to be cautious, “Uh, yeah, that’s what I was working on, but, wait don’t- ” Arturia drew the sword faster than Shirou could stop her. As intended, the sword erupted into flames. Arturia screamed before throwing the sword to the ground. 

The blade was already cool before it landed. Arturia stared at the sword, then reached down for the hilt. The second she grasped it, the sword lit ablaze. Then she let go, and the sword extinguished itself. She repeated the test two more times, then picked up the sword. Staring at the blaze for a minute, she turned to Shirou, eyes widened, “Shirou... your sword catches on fire.” Arturia whispered, voice in complete shock.

Shirou froze, trying to figure out a solution. He just accidentally revealed magecraft to someone who lived in the mundane world. Even if the Neo-Mage’s Association was more ethical than the one from his old world, they wouldn’t be pleased by this should they find out. But at the same time... 

He didn’t want to lie to Arturia again. It felt wrong to do so the first time, back at Aozaki’s clinic. They had barely known each other then, now that he had spent the last several weeks here, lying was off the table. The Pendragons had done nothing but work to have a wonderful home for Shirou and Miyu to be a part of. They deserved better than more lies. 

So, he had to tread a very careful line. He wanted, needed, to tell Arturia enough to satisfy her questions. But he couldn’t reveal too much of the world of magecraft. Easier said than done.

Shirou locked eyes with Arturia, “Can you keep a secret?” Arturia slowly, methodically nodded. Shirou sighed. Here goes... everything, really. Shirou gestured to the sword, “That... is Dyrnwyn. The Sword of White-Hilt.”

“Wielded by Rhydderich Hael, and first among the Thirteen Treasures!” Arturia caught on immediately, getting extremely excited. She grasped the sword with both hands, and took three steps back to swing it around, “I’ve read about this sword! It came from old Welsh legends, like my namesake, King Arthur!” She gave it a spin, flipping behind her back before bringing back to a two handed grip, “Where did you even find this? I thought you had to see a sword to copy it!”

Shirou stopped, realizing what he would have to say here. It wasn’t going to be a lie, not fully... but it would still hurt. Arturia noticed his hesitation, calling his name. When he didn’t answer, she planted the sword tip first into the ground. Then she sat back down, right next to Shirou. She carefully leaned in, gently making eye contact. “What’s wrong, Shirou? What happened?”

Shirou took a deep breath, “When Miyu was kidnapped by the Ainsworths... I had no allies. I had no one I could rely on. No family, no friends, no heroes... No one could help me find Miyu and bring her home safely. Until, one day, my junior from the archery club stopped by. Her name was Sakura Matou.”

“Sakura Matou,” Arturia repeated back, rolling the name around. Shirou nodded his head. Arturia tilted her head, “How did she help you, if she was just a junior?”

“Sakura... had a gift. She was able to let me see the future version of myself,” Shirou hated the misdirection, but it wasn’t technically wrong to phrase it like this, “That other version of me had managed to make these copies, so when I saw them, I got them too. Though, I have to practice and learn how to make them, or I’ll end up hurting myself.”

“Whoa,” Arturia blinked, stunned, “She was able to let you see your future self? That is insane Quirk, it would be so cool to see what I would be like in the future.” She put a finger to her lips in thought, “What would you even call a Quirk like that, letting others see their future selves? Future sight?”

“Imaginary Around,” Shirou uttered, before blinking. What the hell, that wasn’t remotely Sakura’s Quirk. Since, well, Sakura didn’t have a Quirk. Where did that name come from? It didn’t feel like the Holy Grail feeding him knowledge, which meant... It must have come from EMIYA. But why?

“Imaginary Around? Interesting name.” Arturia nodded, “But I like it. I want to meet her someday, is she still at Alimango Island?” 

“No, she’s not,” Shirou shook his head, “She... died. Her brother was involved with the Ainsworths, so when she helped me...”
Arturia’s eyes widened in horror, “Her own brother killed her?” She growled, “What kind of degenerate monster was he?”

“He was a freak, that’s for sure,” Shirou grimaced, remembering the mass writhing of tendrils that the Matou brother had made just before Shirou had slain him. “He ripped out Sakura’s heart, right in front of me. I couldn’t save her. I failed to the moment I rejected her.”

Arturia leaned back, tilting her head, “She... liked you, didn’t she?” Shirou nodded. Arturia blinked, waiting for a moment, “Did you... like her back?”

Shirou clenched his fist, still feeling the cold scarf in his hands. The scarf that was tainted with her blood. “...Maybe... I could have. Once.” Shirou sighed, “But, she knew what the Ainsworths wanted to do with Miyu. She wanted me to run away with her, for us to live a normal, happy life together, instead of trying to fight the Ainsworths.” 

Arturia fidgeted with her hands, “I see. I don’t suppose I could blame her. Especially if her brother was willing to kill her for helping you.” Arturia looked back up at Shirou, “You rejected her to save Miyu, right?”

“I did, and she still helped me,” Shirou bit back a bitter sigh, “She tried to protect me from her brother, and as she lay dying, that’s when I got the vision of my future self. I was able to use the skills of my future self to fight my way to where the Ainsworths were holding Miyu, and, well, you know the story from there.”

“Yeah,” Arturia breathed out, looking,  back to the moon. They waited like that for a long time, letting the crisp breeze blow past. Arturia turned back to Shirou, “I wish I could have met her. The fact that she was willing to sacrifice herself to give you a chance to save Miyu... that is pretty heroic.”
“Heroic,” Shirou echoed, the word tasting ash on his tongue, “It was because Kiritsugu and I wanted to be heroes that this whole mess got started.” Shirou put his hands over his face and leaned on his knees. He shook his head in frustration, “What in the world am I doing here?”

Arturia’s eyes were full of concern, “Shirou? What’s wrong?” She got off the porch and knelt in front of the redhead. She softly placed a hand on his forearm, right above his elbow, “Talk to me, please. Get it off your chest.”

Shirou parted his hands so he could make eye contact, “I did... awful things to save Miyu. I...” Shirou took a deep breath, “I killed Sakura’s brother. I killed others in the Ainsworths, just to get them out of the way. I even...” Damned my old world to die. Ran away when it needed help. Brought Miyu here instead.

Before Shirou could say those words, Arturia’s other hand joined with Shirou’s other elbow, and she knocked her head gently into his, “In.” she commanded, then took a deep breath and held it for four seconds. Shirou forced himself to copy the action. “Out.” she commanded, exhaling. Shirou did the same. 

They repeated the exercise for a few minutes, sounding like the bellows to a forge. Soon enough, Shirou had calmed down, and Arturia leaned away, giving him some space. Shirou swallowed, then glanced away, “Um, so you know that...”

“Yeah, you had to take some lives to save Miyu,” Arturia responded. She didn’t sound thrilled about it, but Shirou noticed the lack of condemnation. Arturia continued, “Sakura’s brother was one of them? I hate to admit it, but I’m kinda glad.”

“He was,” Shirou responded, “He was the first one I killed. Then I tracked down some other Ainsworth members to find out where Miyu was. I killed them too.”

Arturia nodded, pondering carefully. She then asked,  “Did you at least... try to talk them down?” It seemed like Arturia knew what the answer would be, with what else she knew about the Ainsworths at this point. Even so, Shirou shook his head.

“There wouldn’t have been a point. They were ready for a fight the second I arrived.” Shirou wasn’t expecting Arturia’s response to be a thoughtful nod at that statement.

“Well, if they wanted a fight the second you arrived, at least you weren’t going around killing them in cold blood,” Arturia turned her gaze to Dyrnwyn, staring at it for a long minute. She then turned back to Shirou, “This stays between us. I won’t tell Dad or my brothers. You and I are the only ones who will know.”

Shirou gaped at her, “You... don’t see the problem? I killed people, just to save my sister. That’s not very heroic.”

Arturia frowned, “You saved your sister, that’s heroic. You, unfortunately, had to take some lives in the process. That sucks, and I don’t condone it. But I’m not going to condemn you either. Plenty of Pro-Heroes have had to go that distance in the line of duty before. I’m not going to hold you to a higher standard than that.”

“Arturia, I killed five people to save one person,” Shirou retorted, choosing to ignore the other consequences of saving Miyu. “That isn’t how a hero should operate. I killed more than I saved.”

“Being a hero isn’t a numbers game,” Arturia scolded, “Being a hero means doing the right thing, and saving who you can. Saving your sister was the right thing to do. Don’t you dare regret it.” 

“I don’t regret it,” Shirou stood up, and Arturia rose to meet him face to face. Shirou continued, “I never will. If I’m put into that situation again, I will kill whoever I need to protect her. How can you call that heroic?”

“You don’t think my dad wouldn’t raise hell if I was in danger?” Arturia tilted her head, “Or Lance? Hell, I’m sure if something happened to me, you would come running, right? It’s okay for heroes to have loved ones they want to protect.” Shirou blinked in surprise, bewildered at the storm of words. Arturia continued, “There are times where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I’ve seen that first hand.” 

Arturia grabbed her left bicep with her hand, clenching tightly. Shirou recognized the gesture. She often did that when she was thinking about her mother, Lance Lioness. Shirou remembered that she had died in the line of duty.

Arturia continued forward, “But there are other times, when saving one life is more important than everything else. I know you, Shirou. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I know the kind of man you are. You are kind, you are patient. You don’t rub it into my face when you beat me in a spar, you help me up. You help with dinner and chores every night, without being asked. You’ve been secretly helping that Midoriya kid with the beach, because of an off-handed promise you made him.” Arturia leveled her gaze at Shirou. “You can try again.”

Shirou looked to the side, chewing on her words. He gave a big sigh, then sat back down on the porch, before flopping down onto his back. He covered his eyes with his right hand. “Then what do I do? How do I become a hero, when I know I will save one person and doom ten to die?” 

How can he be a hero, when Shirou knew he was such a damn hypocrite?

Arturia tilted her head down, “Well... you trust that someone has your back, and that they can save the ten.” Arturia turned around, and walked over to grab Dyrnwyn. It had remained in the ground where it was left. The sword erupted into flames once more, bathing the yard in warm light. Shirou propped himself up on his elbows, confused about what was happening. Arturia planted Dyrnwyn back down, this time right in front of Shirou. She held onto the hilt, so the flames still burned. 

“Let’s make a promise, Shirou,” Arturia declared, “We’re going to the entrance exam tomorrow. We are going to ace it, and get the best scores we possibly can.” Every word uttered held no room for disagreement. It was both a judgement and a catharsis, “We are going to U.A., and we’re going to become heroes together. And no matter what impossible situations, no matter what tragedies we will see, we will save those that we can.”

The pale moon behind her. 

The stern face slightly turned down. 

The pure green eyes peering into his soul.

The golden glow of the fire from the sword. 

Her hair swayed with the warm air rising from the flames.

This instant lasted for an eternity. And long after this, Shirou would recall this moment. No matter the depths of hell that would bruise and batter the two teenagers in the coming year. No matter the trials and anguish that would arrive.

Shirou would always remember this moment, and the words that Arturia Pendragon would utter next.

“So, I ask you, Shirou Emiya. Are you ready to become a hero again?”