In case you did not read the summary, there are manga spoilers in this story and things that are released in the manga are basically the basis for this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.

All Might stared morosely at the sight of his despondent pupil, the boy sat on his own couch and near unresponsive. He had been giving the boy a ride back home from his workout after the boy had worked himself to exhaustion.

His apartment had been crushed in a fight with a rampant villain with a enlarging mutant quirk, crushed when his mother had been inside.

That had been two hours ago and he hadn't really gotten much out of the child. He remembered that aching loss of losing one's parent, he'd lost them both. The man took a heavy breath, running a hand over his gaunt features as he prepared himself.

"Young Midoriya. Is there anyone who would want to know what has happened to you?" The man asked softly, earning a slightly detached look from the green-eyed youth. He looked as though he wanted to say something before his head fell back down.

"No. Not anymore." Toshinori nearly winced before nodding. The man dipped into the hall, reemerging a few moments later with a thick blanket and a pillow.

"I'm sorry that it's not much but it's all I have at the moment." The man said as the youngest Midoriya accepted them slowly.

"Thank you... All Might." The man did his best to give his young disciple a strong smile but knew it wasn't what the boy needed. Izuku gave back a small smile of his own, hollow just like the one Toshinori had just given him.

"Get some rest, Young Midoriya." The boy nodded an unfocused nod. "If you'd like, we can take tomorrow off."

"No." He was momentarily taken aback by the firmness of the boy's voice, watching as he clenched the thick comforter and blazing emerald met iced sapphire. "Now more than ever... I have to become the greatest hero."

All Might felt a plethora of emotions rock through him at the boy's resolve, astonished at the sheer determination in his voice. For a quirkless boy to be so determined and fixated on become a pro hero let alone the greatest one...

"Of course, Young Midoriya."

Toshinori watched as his pupil dragged the heavy detached truck-bed through the sand, leaving great rivets in the sand. The man was worried for his charge, he'd seen this exact picture countless times through many Pro Heroes.

Heroes who throw themselves into their work so hard that they can't get out of the hole they dig for themselves. Just as he had done when he'd lost his Master, fixated on his vengeance. And then, Gran Torino had pulled him from his fixation and thrown him to America; setting his head on straight.

Midoriya needed him in the same way he had needed Gran Torino, but how can he pull the boy from the depths as his teacher had? He watched as the boy leaned on his knees, having flipped the bed onto a large tarp.

He held back a grimace at his own thoughts of pulling the boy away from his training, something that would surely cripple the boy in the long run. With his own case, he had known who he was searching for and was determined to get his vengeance.

But for Izuku? The villain had been apprehended and thrown into a cell before they had even gotten to the crime, the only goal the boy has is to become the number one hero. To succeed him. Perhaps leaving him on the course he has already set would be best...

The boy grabbed a spare wheel and he spotted the rippling of terse muscle, the previously reedy boy having packed a considerable amount of muscle since their start. The man sighed, rubbing his forehead as he thought.

Yes, he must allow Izuku to continue his goal of become a hero. He will simply make sure the boy does not push himself over the edge. All Might gained a shallow smile as the boy fell to a knee, perhaps a break is in order.

Half an hour later the two were sat in a Korean barbeque place, the man sitting across from his freshly showered pupil.

"You've made remarkable progress. At this rate, you'll have the beach cleared well before it's time for the entrance exam." Toshinori commented, the boy glancing up with a small smile.

"That'd be great." The man gave a broad smile at his pupils words, glad that the boy had not undergone a drastic transformation. But, he could see the slight changes. They were not truly defined but, the boy did not seem as quaky as he had in the past, more sure of himself.

All Might chose not to dwell on such thoughts as their food arrived, the both of them placing several small bites of meat on the grill.

"So, Young Midoriya. Do you know anyone your age going into U.A?" He remembered knowing three comrades going into U.A. He'd fallen out of contact with them...

"Yeah." The boy said with a small wince of the eyes, something All Might latched onto.

"Ah, not the friendliest sort?" Izuku frowned at the words, flipping several pieces.

"It's not that. Kacchan's great he's just changed..." The boy trailed off. "He's super strong."

"Ah, that reminds me. Do you have any kind of martial arts experience?" The boy winced once more. All Might repressed a sigh, he seemed quite skilled at pressing on sensitive nerves when trying to avoid the big ones.

"Fighting Kacchan..." It dinged in All Might's head.

"Ah. This Kacchan. He's a bully then?" Izuku frowned once more as he looked down.

"I guess." Izuku muttered. "But it's not really him, I can tell. It's just... Everyone keeps putting all these expectations on his shoulders because he has a super strong quirk and it changed him. He's a really big fan of yours too." Izuku gave the man a small smile as Toshinori hummed.

"A very strong quirk, hm?" Izuku nodded, eyes suddenly alight.

"He secretes a really potent nitroglycerin compound of his sweat from his hands and ignites it and it creates varying strengths of explosions. Sometimes, I wonder if he can do it from his feet since the sweat glands on top of our feet are quite wide but, the bottom of the foot doesn't really have them so I guess maybe he could but wouldn't it just blow back up at him and make him-"

"Young Midoriya." The boy stopped at the interruption. "I think you gave me an accurate enough description." The boy ducked his head slightly but didn't become over-burdened by embarrassment like he used to. "That does indeed sound like quite the strong quirk."

"Yeah. I've heard him complain about how it hurts his... forearms." The boy suddenly grew saddened as he slumped forward.

"What's the matter?" All Might asked somewhat nervously, afraid the boy had fallen into a depressed slump.

"All my Hero Analysis books were at home." The boy was saddened as he chewed his pork, All Might blinking.

"Hero Analysis? I've never heard of such a series."

"It's not. It's just a bunch of notebooks I had on all the quirks and interesting facts about quirks, and heroes, and villains, and anyone that I was interested in." He murmured, drawing a furrowed brow from his mentor.

"A bunch?" The boy nodded slowly. "How many of these books had you done?" The boy paused in contemplation.

"I had just started number twenty-eight after that Sludge incident." The man became still.

"You have... Twenty-seven notebooks on heroes and their weaknesses as well as villains and their weaknesses?" The boy blinked.

"Well, their quirks and traits and stuff too. I'm just kinda bummed, I guess. I put a lotta time in those. Mom even..." The boy fell silent as his face fell and his shell clamped shut, the boy beginning to prod and slowly chew his food as his mood changed.

All Might withheld a frown as he chewed his own meat, saddened for the boy. The rest of the meal was had in moderate silence as they slowly made their way through their food.

All Might listened to his truck sputter to a stop, knowing it was going through more pressure than it had in the past four years of him owning it.

"All Might." He turned to the boy sat in the passenger seat beside him, noticing the mood that clung to him as he fisted his pants while bowing his head. "I'm sorry for burdening you like this, I am truly grateful for everything you've done for me."

"No apology is needed, Young Midoriya. I know the pain of losing a parent, no one should have to suffer through that alone." He heard a sniffle from the boy before he saw the tears begin to drop, laying his hand on the youth's shoulder and giving him a consolatory squeeze.

Izuku's sobs were heart-wrenching.

Toshinori pulled to the side of the beach, noticing the rising sun marking it barely six in the morning but Izuku was not in the car with him. When he'd woken up, the youth had already been gone and he himself had woken up at five a.m.

He watched as the youth walked around a tall mound of trash, carrying two bags of the stuff over his shoulders and hauling them into a large dumpster he had rented for the boy. The man turned off the engine and sat there, simply watching.

He sat there for at least half an hour, simply watching the boy who had been here for around two hours. He noted the discarded head lamp, something the boy must have either bought or found.

All Might felt pride swell in him at the determination of the young man, clearly serious in his resolve to become the number one hero. It had been 4 months since the boy had lost his mother and come to live with the man and he consistently found himself impressed.

Every morning, the boy had risen before he and made it out here on his own terms, he never questioned the young Midoriya and the boy never sought to explain it to him. Toshinori would be the first to admit the boy had clearly never healed after the loss of his mother, never wholly.

It was cruel-sounding but, it had changed the boy for the better. He seemed to have shed his skin and become the young man Toshinori knew he could; his successor. The boy now held his gaze, never running from it and seemed to be more confident in his opinions.

Again, he seems to have changed for the better.

He watched as the boy pulled a fridge through the sand via a thick rope, yet again showing Toshinori the improvements the boy was making physically.

Leave it to the next generation

The words of his master reverberated in his head as he watched Izuku continue to improve upon himself as he worked himself to the point of exhaustion. Yes, he truly could see this boy surpassing him.

He turned the key of his truck and sighed, sliding his hands over the wheel. He can get more work done today, how could he slack off when his disciple is working so hard?

Meanwhile, Izuku was panting to himself as he did his best to push a flattened sedan through the sand, slowing as he pushed it. He let go of the crushed metal with a huff and made to the front of the car, scooping out the cold sand that had mounded up in front of the car body.

He stood and staggered hard as exhaustion swept through him. The boy righted himself ever so barely as he hunched forward, breathing harshly as he watched his sweat drip into the sand. He felt a crack in his resolve as he thought about how tired and sore he was, the pain in the ripped callouses of his hands.

The green-eyed boy snapped up ramrod straight with a face of fury at his own weakness for questioning himself as his fists clenched tight. He turned, marching to the back of the car and beginning to push it once more.

His muscles screamed in protest and the cold metal burned against his palms but he continued to push regardless, ignoring those emotions and thinking only of his mother. Her smile and her words as she doted on him.

The boy let out a long groan as he pushed the car over the edge, it joining two other car frames alongside a fridge and two washing machines. He dug his hands into his sides as he panted harshly, the thick sleeveless hoodie not doing much against the biting cold.

"You look tired." The boy twisted at the voice, panting openly as he stared at a figure sat on top of the tallest peak of what remained of the trash piles. It was a woman bundled in several layers except for her head where two tall white ears poked out alongside wide red eyes.

"Miruko!" He exclaimed in awe, the word coming out as a huff as she bit into a pastry.

"That's some damn good recognition." She commented, nose twitching before leaping down. He actually had to stare down at the woman a few inches shorter than even he. "So, what's a kid like you doing cleaning a junkyard? Community service credits?"

"Heh, nothing like that." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's actually to help get me in better shape and clean up the beach."

"No kidding." She murmured, giving a glance about.

"So um, what's the Number Five hero doing here?" He questioned, ignoring the small voice that said that the number one hero comes here nearly every day. She shrugged, getting another bite of her pastry.

"I got forced to take one of my days off by my assistant." She said over the food, glancing about at the great piles of junk.

"Heroes take days off?"

"That's what I said!" She exploded. "But then she got all uppity. Tch, the nerve of some people."

"Well, that doesn't really explain why you're here of all places." She shrugged.

"I was walking, saw a car getting pulled by a kid in a junkyard. Got curious." She turned her attention to him fully as she stared up at him. "Well, you seem in decent shape." She said by poking his bicep, resulting in a hiss from the boy as he gingerly pulled it back. "Aw, is the kid sore?"

"Very." He said in pain, ignoring the condescending lilt to her voice.

"Aw, there there." The mumbled as though talking to a baby, getting a dry glare from the boy as she made baby faces. "Do you need Miss Miruko to kiss it better?" He blushed at her patronizing as she smirked. "So, do you go to U.A?"

"I will be." She made a humming noise.

"So, you a close-quarters fighter?" Izuku blinked at the question.

"I guess?" She rose a brow at his tone.

"You guess?" The woman finished off the pastry before wiping her fingers on his hoodie, drawing a dry glare from the boy. "What? You're already filthy."

"That doesn't make me a napkin!" He snapped at her as she laughed at his plight. Her red eyes gained a challenging tint to them as she met his gaze easily.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, junior high kid?" He twitched at the challenge but was more than aware that there was absolutely no universe where he could take on the number five hero in Japan. "Why the hesitation?"

"I'm not stupid." He retorted as she shrugged.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you and you're not gonna take it?" She questioned as he frowned.

"Not really, I'm sore and-" Izuku cut himself off by his arm darting forward for the woman. She easily back-stepped from it with a laugh, not even taking her hands out of her hoodie pouch

"That was just sad. I kinda respect it." She admitted, practically dancing around him as he charged forward. She kept hopping around as though she were floating, laughing loudly as he failed time and time again. "It was a good try but at this point it's useless."

She side-stepped another charge as though she were dodging bulls as she grinned.

"I won't... EVER GIVE UP!"

Her grin froze as she caught shining green eyes, blazing like liquid emeralds with an intensity that froze her. His sheer will and determination froze her to the spot as he held her gaze. He burst forward and her feet felt rooted to the ground, her grin becoming that of petrification.

She saw his fingers edge closer and she snapped out of her reverie as he got less than a foot away. She snapped a quick kick that caught him in the chest, sending him head over heels back and she winced.

"Sorry kid, that hypno-quirk of yours really caught me off-guard." She said, rubbing her neck as she walked forward to give him a hand up. Her respect for him rose as she stood on his own, rubbing at his chest as he stared at her in confusion.

"I don't have a hypnotizing quirk." She blinked, suddenly awed by the fact he could freeze her with sheer intensity and felt a shiver go down her spine.

"What kinda quirk do you have? I sure as hell didn't see it." He frowned but held her gaze.

"I don't have one, I'm quirkless."

A pregnant silence followed his words as the two stared at each other for several long moments, her gaze searching his as though looking for any sign of lying.

"I almost got hit by a quirkless twelve year old!" She whispered loudly as she pulled on her bangs, ignoring his twitching eye. "My career's over."

"I'm fifteen..."

"How are you going to tell me with a straight face that you're going to U.A when you're quirkless?" She rounded on him with a near indignant expression. His face contorted and his fist clenched, straightening to lower his gaze to the number five hero.

"As if I'll let something so simple stop me!"

His declaration hit her like a wave as she stared at him in blatant shock, his green eyes blazing as they met her own red ones. She broke into a soft laugh before shaking her head.

"I'll make you a deal, kid." Her gaze rose to meet his easily. "If you win the Sports Festival, I'll sponsor ya." He blinked at her slowly.

"What does that mean?" Her eye twitched.

"It means that you'll be the first kid I've ever sponsored and that you'll get to work for me for like a week." Izuku let out a noise of comprehension.

"I see. Well, then." He gave her a blinding smile. "I'll see you after the Sports Festival!" She laughed strongly at his words, face falling into a natural smile that had the boy blushing.

"Yeah, see ya around kid." She tussled his hair before leaping away, the boy's fatigue forgotten as new sensations washed over him. He promptly gave a shout of excitement. "I HEARD THAT!"

He blushed bright as the sun.

Remember why you clench your fist

Izuku clenched his fist, the feeling of One for All coursing through his veins as the words of his mentor bolstered his resolve. He gave a deep exhale, entering the grounds of U.A and grinning a bright grin as he made for the wide doors.

"Wassup!" The loud voice bounced through the massive room as the throng of students looked up at the Pro Hero; Present Mic. "Sheesh, tough crowd. Alright y'all, follow me!"

The man bound through the side doors and the hive of students followed, leading down a path and up to a massive gate.

"Alright, Party People! We're gonna do a practical exam and then we're gonna do a written exam! For the practical, you've just gotta beat up as many villains as you can before the time runs out. Sound good enough?"

Silence once more met the man and Izuku gave an amused smile.

"Alright!" The man pushed past the ignorance from the crowd. The doors swung wide open to reveal a small city as Izuku gaped. "GO!" The students stared at him, stunned. "What, you think there's a countdown in real life? GET GOING!"

That got them moving as the students burst forward, some using their quirks to propel them forward. Izuku watched one boy crack the ground with the force he leapt off with, it reminded him of Miruko...

Could he use One for All with his feet? He saw a tall two-pointer and surged for it, leaping up and cocking back his arm as a trickle of self-doubt went through him.

Remember why you swing your fist

He threw his fist forward with a shout, bashing through the machine and watching in awe as it exploded in a shower of scrap and circuits. He hissed at the pain, looking down to see his knuckles an angry, bright, agitated red.

He clenched his fist, biting down the feelings of euphoria as he saw a gaggle of one-pointers not far away. He saw a boy with six limbs racing for the same gaggle.

Remember why...

Izuku's legs coiled and he burst forward, blasting through the soles of his shoes as well as cracking the ground he'd leapt off from. He smashed through one bot before punching two in the stomach and kicking another in the neck.

He gaped at his own limbs and his power, feeling that same sting becoming more pronounced. He clenched his fist regardless, the euphoric high from his own success at using a quirk washing over him. He burst forward, taking down another two-pointer before being hit in the side by what seemed to be a truck.

He gasped, looking up and spotting a large three-pointer.

"I gotcha!" A girl ran by, spitting literal acid and melting the bot. He gaped as she gave him a wink, sliding away on a trail of acid. He became aware of the feeling of asphalt beneath his feet at the fact his shoes had exploded.

He gave a sigh, he was just getting started. He couldn't get distracted! He burst forward and the green-haired boy destroyed two one-pointers with one punch before running yet again, kicking a two-pointer and giving a yelp of pain at the feeling of kicking an edge.

The boy pushed on regardless, charging forward with a slight stagger and punching yet another one-pointer as he noticed a gash had opened just above his toes. He felt that same feeling of One for All tingling even brighter, making his fist gain a bright pigment as he swung at a three-pointer.

He gave a cry of pain, noticing the bot literally explode into parts as he looked down at his three purple fingers and wincing at the pain in his wrist.

"ONE MINUTE REMAINING KIDDOS!" Izuku's good fist clenched as he caught the eye of another three pointer. He began jogging towards it only to pause at a cry of pain. He turned just in time to see a girl get held beneath a thick piece of concrete, her limbs pinned as she stared up in fear.

Izuku's eyes trailed up as he gulped, feeling the ground quake as the massive behemoth took a single step. It was easily taller than anything else in this city and was a massive creature of green plates and red eyes.

He saw it's arm begin to drag forward and he didn't hesitate.

The green-eyed boy burst forward, hooking his fingers underneath it and flinging the concrete slab away. He winced as his broken fingers screamed in pain. The boy looked down and saw her struggling to stand.

The creaking of metal made him turn, his eyes going wide at the sight of one massive hand reaching down to crush them like a bug. Unbidden, an image of All Might punching away a villain three stories tall as well as an image of Miruko performing a powerful roundhouse kick came to the forefront of his mind.

He felt One for All tingle through him stronger than ever, feeling as though it were in his very bones as his body twisted. He jumped, pant leg sheering away into tatters as he spun, foot swinging with him.

Izuku's eyes widened at the green and red glowing lines tracing his leg as it swung through the air and as though in slow-motion, it slammed into the massive hand. The first thing he became aware of was the satisfying crunch under his foot as the metal dented and warped.

He watched as the entire hand crumpled and cracks shot all the way up the arm, bisecting it at the elbow and falling off like it were sliced. The next thing he became aware of was blinding pain as he collapsed to the ground.

He yelped at the pain in his leg and bit his lip in pain, seeing the robot bringing around it's other arm. His eyes widened and did his best to shove himself to a stand, screaming in pain as he did so.

He came to a limp stance as he stared down the incoming fist, cocking back his good arm with a glare of focus and solid determination. His sleeve shredded as his limb cocked, ready to fight this behemoth no matter what, no matter the pain, no matter the cost.

Izuku let loose a battle cry, arm becoming encompassed in red and green lines as power swelled in him.

"And we're done!"

The bot creaked to a stop, hand outstretched mere meters away from the two as Izuku stood over the collapsed girl. He blinked, slowly falling out of his battle-crazed stupor as the power in his arm began to go away.

He slumped, the energy fading as the adrenaline ebbed away. He turned with a limp, looking down at the gaping girl.

"Are you okay?" His voice was pained and raspy as she stared at him in awe. She gave a slow nod as he returned it. "That's good." With those words, he began to pass out and felt himself become weightless.

The boy passed out.

"Young Midoriya."

Izuku stared up at his mentor in apprehension, aware of the sling his arm was in as well as the still biting pain in his leg and ankle. He was expecting a lecture from All Might for having used his quirk so recklessly.

"I have never... BEEN SO PROUD!" The man had changed forms mid-speech, nearly hitting the ceiling of his own apartment. "Your stand against the Zero-Pointer in the defense of that young girl was that of great heroism!"

Izuku preened under the praise as he grinned a bright grin.

"It got my blood pumping simply watching you!" The man pumped a fist as he beamed at his disciple. "I also bore witness to the way you dispatched the several smaller robots, you took to One for All like a fish to water!"

"Well..." Izuku stared at his covered limbs.

"That is simply because your body cannot handle it just yet! Your application, usage, and versatility of One for All was breathtaking! Using your feet like that, where did you get such inspiration!?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head with his good hand as he smiled a small smile.

"From Miruko." All Might nodded strongly.

"Of course! Truly a master of kicking!" Izuku grinned at the dorkiness of his teacher. "I had never thought to apply one's feet, having always relied on my arms!" He threw out a punch that made wind blow in the room, Izuku getting a secondhand thrill from the sheer energy behind the blow.

"But to use your legs... That is a great way of making One for All your own quirk." The deflated man was more serious but smiling regardless. "I am indeed, very proud of you Young Midoriya. I have no doubt that you will surpass me one day."

Izuku's eyes sparkled at the man's words, rubbing at the tears that sprouted in his eyes from the sheer joy of hearing those words.

"Now, I also bring news. First, I am going to begin teaching at U.A starting this year." Izuku's eyes widened at the words, surprised and gleeful.

"But what about your time limit?"

"I will power through it!" The man said with a clenched fist. "Second, I bring you the news that you passed." Izuku seemed to float on cloud nine at the words as All Might grinned. "With the seventeen points you gained from decimating robots as well as the sixty for your stand in saving and defending that girl, you pass with an outstanding grade!"

"Thank you very much!" Izuku exclaimed, bowing the best he could in bed as All Might laughed a bone dry chuckle.

"No, thank you, Young Midoriya. Thank you, for restoring my faith in the next generation." The two shared a long glance as they both smiled. "Now, let's analyze your fights!"

The man withdrew a handful of c/d's from his pocket and pulled them each out, laying them on the table as they began chattering about this or that while looking over the disks.

It was the start of a strong career and a stronger hero.

"That's a big door."

Compared to the relatively short Izuku, it was a very tall door to his classroom, meant to accommodate for a range of mutant quirks as well as any other extremities. It suddenly slid open and the boy turned to see a tall teen with glasses.

"You are the one from the entrance exam, the one that fought the Zero-pointer." Izuku blinked at the taller teen.

"Yes?" The teen hummed.

"I am incensed with myself that I had not seen the hidden objective as you had, very well done." The small Midoriya tilted his head oddly at the taller boy.

"Hidden objective?" The taller teen nodded firmly at Izuku's inquiry.

"Of course, to put oneself on the line and defend the injured girl, very smart indeed."

"Oh, I didn't do it for that. It was just the right thing to do and I wasn't just going to let her get hurt." The tall teen stared at Izuku for a long moment at his declaration before making a noise of affirmation, readjusting his glasses.

"I see, then you truly are quite heroic." His hand extended. "I am Iida Tenya, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Midoriya Izuku." The boy replied with a smile, taking the hand gruffly.

"The callouses on your hands align with the feats I saw you perform in the exam, you truly are quite the person and your quirk is quite remarkable as well." Izuku smiled a small smile at the praise, looking down at his hands that had grown battered with callouses.

"I guess. I'm just trying to do the best that I can." Izuku turned, the two of them entering the fairly sparse classroom as it only had a few occupants.

"Deku!" The boy instinctively winced at the voice before meeting the red-eyed glare of his childhood friend.

"Hey, Kacchan." The blonde snapped his legs off the desk and marched forward, coming up to glare at the boy a mere foot away.

"The hell is a reject like you doing here?" Bakugo rasped, eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"This type of behavior is unacceptable!" Tenya made his presence known with an arm chop. "You cannot harass a fellow classmate so callously, especially one that is so heroic!"

"Heroic? DEKU?" Katsuki asked, a vicious grin on his face as he laughed a rough laugh. "Deku's about as heroic as a rat!" The blonde loomed over the green-haired boy with a sneer. "Not even an extra, just some useless trash."

"That's not true, Kacchan." Izuku met the boy's eye as he clenched his fist to push away any dormant fear or meekness.

"EH?" The blonde's expression grew sharp as he glared down the boy before him. "As if you get to decide that!" His arm shot forward only to be intercepted by Izuku's the Midoriya's hand clamping on the other boy's wrist. Bakugo was momentarily taken aback by the firmness in Izuku's eyes as he defied him.

"We're equals now, Kacchan." The blonde's expression grew positively murderous as he leveled a potent glare on Izuku.

"As if!" The blonde's free hand came around, crackling with small explosives as Izuku's forearm darted up and took the small explosives harshly. The small smoke cleared to reveal both boy's the same other than a slight ruffle and frown on Izuku's face.

"Enough! Fighting with our quirks is far above against the rules!" Tenya declared but neither boy broke each other's stare.

"He's right." A soft voice said from their side. "We do not need to fight before even-"

The girl was cut off by Bakugo's free hand gripping Izuku's arm and tossing him over his shoulder. The sound of Izuku hitting the ground was hard as Bakugo lurched forward with a palm popping. Izuku spun on his back, a foot sailing with a faint thrum and impacting with Bakugo's shoulder.

The blonde flew into the wall viciously as Izuku leapt to his feet, taking a vague boxer's stance as he stared down his old childhood friend. Bakugo snarled before leaping forward with a yell, not noticing other students moving to intervene.

Izuku burst forward with just as much passion, each cocking back limbs to fight with as they glared at one another. Before either could react, hands clamped around their throats as one of the students gave a scream of surprise.

Both boys were slammed into the wall so hard it cracked as they gripped at the hand clamped on their throats.

"If you two want to have pissing matches, the door's right there." Their eyes met the aggravated cold gaze of the man holding them by the throat. "No?" Both stayed quiet despite Bakugo's palpable hatred and Izuku's own clear displeasure.

With a twist, the man had thrown Bakugo into a far window seat before throwing Izuku in the opposite direction, both boys groaning in pain at their awkward landings as Izuku gingerly got off the desk.

"All of you, sit down." The students hurried to comply as the man stared at the room. "This is U.A, not some back alley where meatheads throw their quirks around to see who comes out on top. I couldn't care less about how you feel, I'll expel any of you if I feel like it. Clear?"

Mumbled assent came from the room.

"Am. I." The man's eyes flashed red and the class became stifling as he leveled them all with a glare, everyone stilling under the oppressive force. "Clear?"

"Yes, Sensei!" The class responded.

"Throw these on." The man pulled a uniform out of a big box beside him. "And meet me outside in twenty."

"At your previous schools you all had fitness exams where you couldn't use your quirks. This will be akin to that but with you allowed to use your quirks." The man looked down at his chart with a scoff. "Of course it's the brat. Bakugo." The blonde stepped forward. "What was the farthest you could throw in school?"

"Sixty-two meters." The blonde said with a callous shrug. The man tossed him a ball.

"Throw this, with your quirk." Bakugo grinned a vicious grin as he cocked back his arm, beginning to march forward before winding up.

"DIE!" His word was nearly drowned out by an explosion akin to an artillery cannon as the ball soared out of sight as the class watched in blatant surprise. Several thick moments passed as Bakugo turned back to his teacher with a firm grin.

"Seven-hundred and eighty-two meters." The man showed them the reader that said that number. The class murmured at the sight of such a big number. "Now, let's get started. Keep in mind, whoever does the worst in the class fails instantly."

With those words, the class started as their teacher watched on. With the cameras placed at each exercise, the man did not need to do any actual participation for this activity.

Izuku gave a quick pant before taking off his shoes, standing before the standing long-jump. He gave three quick breaths before jogging forward and then sprinting and pushing off, cracking the earth lightly as he soared over the sand pit.

The boy gave a breath of relief, moving onto the next one and pushing the power into the ball of his palm, squeezing the grip tester. He pushed a bit more power into his digits before stopping with a hiss as his fingers began cramping, rubbing the red pads of his fingers.

The boy stepped up to the pull-up bar and started doing the exercise, going up and down steadily as he tried to keep his breathing level. The boy had barely gone over double digits before falling with a groan as he nursed his sore elbow joint.

He fell into place and began cranking out push-ups before reaching forty and then doing the same with sit-ups, brushing himself off as he stepped up to the line for the fifty meter dash. Izuku wriggled his toes along the firm earth and found solace in the feeling.

It came to his turn eventually and with three quick bursts of his quirk in long leaps that could be called strides to the untrained eye the boy crossed in four point ten seconds. He gave quick shaky pants as he walked to the repeated side-steps.

Five minutes later the boy was stood before his teacher alongside several other students as Izuku dug small grooves with his toes.

"Where'd your shoes go?" A blonde boy asked as Izuku gave a small smile and scratched the side of his head.

"I took 'em off, it feels better this way." The blonde shrugged as Izuku continued to push his toes back and forth.

"Alright, I have all the scores, it's time for the Ball throw." The man looked down at his board. "Kirishima." A spiky-haired boy stepped up, getting tossed a ball. The redhead cocked back before letting the ball loose, it still being visible in the baseball field.

"Uraraka." The girl accepted the ball, cupping it as though not going to throw it. Then, it just started floating up. "Enough, you get the infinite score." It fell back down as she handed it back to their teacher. "Midoriya."

Izuku accepted the ball as he took a deep breath, he'd been going easy all day with his quirk and not pushing himself. Perhaps now it was time to push himself? To go beyond? He'd seen baseball, he'd thrown one before.

He took a deep breath as he stepped back several paces. He jogged forward before both his pant leg and sleeve sheered off in synchronization, his eyes staring ahead of him as he charged.

His foot slammed into the ground with quaking strength as students balanced themselves before he launched the ball, literally making air part as the ball flew while rings of white air parted around it. Izuku bit his lip at the pain in his middle and index finger as well as his ankle but ignored them, turning to his teacher who read the counter.

"Good job pushing yourself, the motto for this school is Plus Ultra for a reason. But," The man's gaze turned cold. "I'll not have you debilitating yourself for something so simple again."

"Yes, Sensei!" Izuku barked as the man let up on his glare, flashing the screen to Izuku and the class.

"One-thousand and forty-five meters." The class gasped and Izuku grinned a small grin as he righted himself, taking his foot out of the small hole he'd created.

"What kinda shit is that, DEKU?" Izuku turned to his childhood friend, the boy crackling with barely restrained fury. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT QUIRK?" Izuku clenched his hurt fist and his smile became truer, meeting the gaze of his oldest friend easily.

"It's mine."

Bakugo barely restrained himself from flying forward, his hand giving audible pops as those nearby gave him a wide breadth. Izuku shakily walked back, recognizing the fact he had a sprained ankle as he stepped up beside Iida.

"Once again, you continue to impress me Midoriya-san." Tenya complimented, giving the boy a smile that Izuku returned weakly.

"You're pretty impressive too, Iida-kun. With those engines you can easily cover really large distances! You would easily be one of the greatest rescue heroes in Japan since you could use your quirk to not only reach people sooner but to get them to a hospital quicker and you can use your legs for offense too since I'm sure a kick with your legs would easily break-"

"Midoriya." Their teacher's voice was rough as he turned to the rapidly-talking youth. "Quiet." The boy ducked his head in embarrassment and gave a nod. It was another little while before the last person threw the ball, the girl who'd gotten in on recommendations having literally made a cannon to fire the ball away.

The class waited with bated breath as their teacher wrote in his clipboard for several tense moments, everyone seeming too scared to even breath too loud.

"Nineteen of you are going to be with me for the foreseeable future." The man lowered his clipboard, staring at the class. "Many of you have potential and some of you have even greater potential. Regardless, this is the hero industry and not everyone can be a hero. That being said, the one leaving today is...

"Tōru Hagakure."

The girl who was a floating uniform gave a sad cry, slumping forward as her sadness was made audible. The class listened as she sobbed and sniffled, trying to compose herself desperately. She then dipped even lower.

"Thank you... for this opportunity Sensei." The man gave a firm nod.

"Good luck, in your future endeavors Miss Tōru." The uniform bobbed once more before turning, the students parting for her like leaves do for wind. "Take this lesson to heart, each of you."

The class returned their attention to the man, turning away from the leaving uniform.

"You are to be Pro Heroes, this is a rare chance. Many dream to be a famous Pro Hero and to be like their idol but, if everyone had that chance then there would be nothing special about being a hero. Look to your left."

Midoriya looked to the tall Iida.

"And look to your right." Midoriya looked to the pink-skinned girl beside him. "Chances are, those people will not graduate with you." Izuku stiffened as he looked at his teacher. "Last year's graduating class for the entirety of U.A was fourteen students."

The entire class grew still.

"Last year's hero course students that graduated were eight in number across two heroics classes." The man leveled them with his stare. "This is a cutthroat business and one that has a very steep climb to the top. Make sure you know what you're getting into."

A thick silence fell over the class like a fog as they took in the man's words, remembering the heartbroken pitch to Tōru's voice as she sobbed.

"I'll be your teacher for the foreseeable future, you may call me Aizawa-sensei. I look forward to teaching you all." The man gave a shallow bow that the class reciprocated easily.

"Please take good care of us!"

They all stood straight as Aizawa nodded at them, checking his clipboard once more.

"That is it for this morning, go clean yourselves and prepare for your classes."

"As I said, Young Midoriya. Since I shall be teaching Heroic Studies, there will be a large amount of combat throughout this class for the future. Hence, this!" All Might slapped his bony hand against the tall box beside him, the two stood on the freshly cleared beach.

"A box?" Izuku asked as All Might shook his head.

"I had a friend of mine loan me a version of a project he's been working on, a new type of combat software." The pro hero pulled on a small rope, making the tall wood box fall open as Izuku gaped at the contents. "I know, the hair isn't quite the same."

It was a mechanized robot version of All Might, complete metallic grey except for the smile which was an upside down bone white smile.

"That's really terrifying, All Might." All Might nodded.

"It is. Now, you're going to fight him!" Izuku turned his head to All Might just in time for the robot to spur to life, eyes flashing red as the only indication of it changing. "Now, it has three settings; one-thousand, one-hundred, and one. Of course, it's on one-thousand which is the easiest!"

All Might had barely finished before the robot had cleared the distance between it and Izuku and brought it's arm around in a wide swing, something that sent Izuku tumbling hard.

"Ah, and his name is All Mech! Quite snazzy if you ask me." Izuku shot to his feet, sleeveless hoodie revealing the angry red mark on his arm. "This will be the greatest way for you to train your fighting capabilities!"

Izuku's eyes widened as All Mech once more burst forward, easily faster than Izuku and sending a straight hook. Izuku barely side-stepped it in time only for the fist to open and backhand him.

"Ah, this brings back the good ole days." All Might reminisced, watching the mech practically thrash his disciple. "Do keep in mind, Young Midoriya, this is his lowest setting!"

"Thanks for the reminder!" The boy cried, All Might chuckling lightly as the boy punched the mech to no result.

"There's that teenage snappishness. Ah, children are difficult." He watched the mech toss the boy as though he were a rag-doll, the boy tumbling in the foamy edges of the waves. "I helped develop these robots, Young Midoriya, I can promise you that they can take whatever you are willing to give!"

All Might rubbed his chin, smiling ruefully at the memory of testing the highest setting of this robot. A yelp made his neck turn and his eyes widened wider than he had ever had them.

His disciple was floating.

Floating.

Just like his master had.

"I am here!" The code made the mech cease in it's movements as All Might ran forward, coming closer to the boy who was flailing wildly in the air while doing his best to balance a few feet above the air. "Young Midoriya! You.. You... YOU'RE FLOATING!"

"Y-yeah! HOW DO I GET DOWN?" As soon as he shrieked out his fear, Izuku went limp and All Might caught the small boy easily, letting him down gently.

"Well... This is new."

Izuku stood, the feeling of grass beneath him as he stared at the woman before him. She looked a bit like one of his classmates outside of the attire and everything. Izuku stared around them, they seemed to be on a hill with a single sakura tree.

"Where are we? Who are you?" He tensed as he looked at her, not sure what was happening.

"We are in my mindscape, I am Shimura Nana. I was the Seventh holder of One for All." Izuku gaped as he stared at her.

"You were All Might's teacher?" She hummed a soft hum.

"Such a dumb name." She muttered before nodding. "Yes, I was Toshi's teacher. And you seem to have activated my quirk." Izuku furrowed his brow.

"I thought you said that One for All was your quirk." Nana shrugged, a comfortable looking chair forming behind the both of them as she sat down.

"I had a quirk before One for All, it was called Float. It's a simple name since it gives me the ability to float." Izuku blinked. "Sit, I'm not standing forever." He hurried to comply. "Well, I suppose there's more to this inheritance thing than I thought."

"Am I going to start floating away?" He asked fearfully as the woman blinked at him. She laughed hard for a few moments as he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"No, no you're not. Float's pretty simple to use, here let's do a crash course." She stood and he slowly did the same. "Now, Float's just like jumping except you don't jump." She laughed again at his face. "Think about jumping but don't let your feet leave the ground."

Izuku did that but his toes hopped a little before the boy landed. He frowned, trying it again and nothing happened; like his feet were stuck. He gave it another jerk and then another. Still nothing.

"You have to expect yourself to float." She commented, now floating a foot off the ground. He gave a frown and pictured himself floating as he jerked. Izuku yelped as he rocketed up at least two meters. "Nice!"

She rose to his level as he flailed.

"It does take a bit of getting used to." She admitted. "Now, if you want to move down just think about slowly floating down while pushing down your heel." She did as such and he frowned in concentration, slowly going down. "You're getting the hang of it.

"If you want to go a certain direction, just imagine going forward and you'll move in whatever direction your toes are pointing. Kinda like throwing a ball." To prove her point, she moved in a lazy circle around him as he gave a deep breath.

With a scream, he shot forward faster than most cars and smacked head-first into the tree; shaking a half dozen petals free. Nana laughed that same laugh as she made her way over, hauling him up by the collar.

"Isn't this neat. I could only image the things Toshi could have down with this."

"Not exactly the word I would use." The two turned to a simple looking man with violet pupils and white chin-length hair. He wore what seemed to be tatters as they were a battered tunic and pants made of potato sack cloth. "This has not happened before."

"Ah, that's the First holder of One for All." She provided for the boy beside her. "Yes, it's pretty strange."

"I wonder if he'll be able to use the others' quirks." He seemed to be a very sad individual as he stared at the boy. "Well, I believe you've stayed long enough."

"Wait!"

Izuku woke with a gasp, shooting up as All Might crouched over him.

"Young Midoriya, are you okay?" The man was clearly panicked as he stared at the young boy. Midoriya looked down at his hands.

"I met your master." Green eyes met blue as All Might stilled. "I met Shimura Nana." A thick silence fell between the two as Izuku furrowed his brow and stared at his hands in consternation. "I met the First User as well, I can use Shimura-san's quirk."

"Show me." All Might's voice was uncharacteristically grave as Izuku got to his feet, taking a deep breath. Before the man's eyes, Izuku started slowly rising. "Impossible..." He whispered, staring at his pupil who gave a small smile.

"All Might..." The boy trailed off, staring at his clenched fist as he fell back to the ground. "One for All, it's not just a powerful quirk." The boy raised his head to meet his teacher's eye. "It's several quirks."

All Might stared at his student in a long silence, thinking on the information he had just learned.

"Well." He said with a gentle smile, going to All Mech. "An additional quirk warrants more training!" All Mech whirred to life as Izuku's eyes widened, the boy floating up unstably. "Young Midoriya, I am certain of it now more than ever...

"You are meant to surpass me."

"I just can't get away from you."

Izuku looked away from the smoothie menu in the small restaurant he'd stopped at on his way home, eyes widening at the unmistakable red eyes staring back. Though now, she donned a hood that hid her ears.

"Mir-" Her hand snapped out and covered his mouth before he could finish.

"I'd rather not have to deal with fans right now." He nodded slowly, blush on his face as she retracted her hand. "So, did the quirkless boy get into U.A?" Her smile was teasing as she stood beside him, bundled thickly in layers in the crisp February weather.

"No." She turned to him in surprise. "I'm not quirkless anymore." She rose a brow in intrigue and he saw a faint twitch under her hood.

"And how does that happen?" He smiled.

"I've got a really good teacher." She snorted.

"Yeah, first we can teach quirks and next it rains carrots." He shrugged as she rolled her eyes. "Fine, keep your mysteries. Better give a good show."

"Of course, I can't go back on my promise can I?" She rolled her eyes. "So, taking another day off?"

"Why is it so easy to talk to you?" The pro hero asked abruptly, drawing a blink from Izuku. "Is that your new quirk?"

"Not exactly." She hummed in displeasure, mouth quirking ever so slightly. "So, here for the carrot smoothie?"

"Watch it kid." She warned as he laughed, scratching a hand through his hair sheepishly.

"Sorry, I just figured since that was what was in that pastry and it's a limited time thing." She rolled her eyes.

"Just because I'm a rabbit?" Her tone had a dangerous lilt as he gave her a peaceful gesture, the woman stepping up to the register as it became their turn. "Carrot smoothie without the bananas." Izuku snorted, the boy faking a cough to try and cover it.

He gave a light yelp as she stomped her heel into his toes, the boy falling into her as she smirked at his pain. He groaned while using her as a crutch.

"And for your boyfriend?" The cashier asked, two antlers atop her head. The two stared at her a moment before Izuku's face flared with a blush and Miruko gave her own light one. She elbowed him harshly as the boy stumbled back with a harsh cough.

"I'm not with him." Miruko said firmly, keeping her hands in her hoodie as the cashier stammered.

"Apologies, Miss. The name for the smoothie?" The woman rolled her eyes at the stammer in the cashier's voice.

"Rumi." The woman nodded and Rumi stepped away.

"Hi, can I get a carrot smoothie as well?" The woman nodded as Izuku found himself watching Rumi, the woman wandering around the smoothie shop. He became transfixed with the sight of the woman that was easily one of the strongest in the world but you couldn't even tell she was her under the clothes.

He sighed slightly with a smile, she was fun to be around.

"Name?" He snapped out of his thoughts as he turned back to the cashier.

"Izuku." The antlered woman nodded as Izuku stepped away, sidling up beside the woman staring at a strange painting of abstract art. "I don't get it."

"Me neither." Rumi admitted easily.

"How can she think we're a couple?"

"How is this even art?"

They both blinked at one another before Izuku turned away with a sheepish laugh while scratching his head. "I guess we're thinking about different things. I don't really understand the art either to be honest."

"She probably reads too many of those cheesy romance novels." Rumi muttered, shrugging as she stared at the painting. "So, you did get into U.A?"

"Yeah, it's great so far." He nearly blanched at the memory of the pressure-filled exam from that morning but ignored it. "I saw the recording of your fight against Sewer Surfer, that was intense."

"Oh? Have I got a little admirer?" Izuku blushed but held his ground.

"No, no, nothing like that. I just watch every fight I can." She hummed, clearly not believing him as she sent him a patronizing look.

"Of course you do, whatever helps you sleep at night." She ruffled his hair as he gave her a flat look, the woman chortling as she withdrew the hand. "That fight was nothing, it only gave me a warm up."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He parroted, the woman giving him a wry glare. She elbowed him in the side, taking note of the fact he's still just wearing that same sleeveless hoodie. He hissed in pain as she smirked.

"Still making yourself sore I see." Izuku nodded wordlessly as she poked his bicep, drawing a dry glare from the boy as he jerked away. She smirked broader and poked him in three more places.

She hadn't been expecting the retaliatory poke right on the wound she'd gained from her fight with Sludge Surfer. She hissed in abrupt pain, clenching the forearm that had poked her as her leg curled at the pain in her thigh.

"Sorry, I didn't think it was that bad." His tone was truly apologetic as he stepped forward, the woman leaning against him from the pain.

"I'm fine!" She hissed, pushing him away as she gingerly stood on her own feet. He watched her warily, the woman closing her eyes as she gave measured breaths while trying to balance herself and her breathing.

"For Rumi and Izuku?" A voice called, Izuku turning to a sandy-haired man holding the drinks. He spared her a brief glance, noting how she shook her head at him.

"Ah, here." He bit the bullet and stepped forward, withdrawing his wallet and paying for the two drinks. "Thank, you." He took the drinks and walked back to the smoldering red eyes of one of his favorite heroes. "Here ya go."

"I didn't ask you to pay for my drink." She grit out, taking the smoothie as though it pained her as he smiled a casual smile.

"You didn't have to." Izuku took a loud slurp, noticing she was still glaring at him. "Sorry?" She continued to be angry for another few moments, nose wrinkling for a brief moment before she sipped some of her own drink. "I've never met someone who got mad for getting a free drink."

"And I've never met a kid with a death wish." He sheepishly laughed at her death threat, raising his hands in surrender. She scowled for another few moments before heaving a heavy sigh. "It'd be a lot easier to stay mad at you if you had a more punchable face."

"Thanks?" He replied with a head tilt as she rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, it's like looking at a harmless puppy." She grumbled, taking another sip. Unlike him, she was not using the straw given.

"Kinda insulting." He murmured. She shrugged at his words without a care.

"Get a more punchable face and I won't say it." Izuku scratched his cheek with a sheepish chuckle.

"But then, wouldn't people punch me more often?" She rose a brow at him, poking the dark bruise on his jaw as he winced.

"Seems like you're already getting punched, I guess you're punchable enough for some people." He gave a small smile, not wanting to tell her he'd been thrashed by the most dangerous machine in Japan. He felt a shudder go down his spine at the thought of her fighting that thing.

"Are you taking a few days off?" The boy asked, holding the door open for her even as she leveled him with a glare.

"Tch, as if I'd let something this small keep me out of commission. I'm just hitting up Recovery Girl in the morning and getting back to it." She ran a hand under her hoodie, smoothing down an ear as she sighed. "I saw the beach this morning, it actually looked like a beach."

"Heh, yeah." He gave a small, proud smile at the thought of his accomplishment. "It's really pretty now." He glanced up at the dusky sky, orange hue grazing through it as store lights began to fill the street.

"Shouldn't you be home by now? Worrying your parents sick and all that." The woman caught the abrupt change of expression on his face and felt an odd twist in her stomach.

"My dad has been missing since I was five and my mom... a villain took her away a few months ago." The woman bit the inside of her cheek harshly as her grip on her cup tightened ever so slightly.

"Sorry." She murmured, red eyes looking anywhere but the boy in front of her. He gave a minute sad smile as he shook his head.

"It's okay, you couldn't have known." She felt herself sag in a mixture of relief and disbelief that he was so understanding and forgiving. "I don't know why you would take out the bananas, this is great." Rumi shot him a glance, noting the abrupt change of topics.

"It's too sweet. It doesn't go with the smoothie." The woman said simply, taking another sip. He stared at her for a few moments, staring at her. "What?"

"You've got a little..." He tapped the top of his lip and she reached up, wiping. "Nope." She scowled, wiping again. "Still there." The amusement on his face was angering as she once again rubbed at her lip, practically wiping her whole lower face.

He finally broke, laughing loudly as he shook in amusement. She blushed slightly when she realized she'd been had, face screwing up in anger as he laughed.

"Cheeky brat." She grumbled, turning and walking as his laughs followed her. She had barely made it ten paces before he'd caught up to her, wiping at his eyes as his laughs died down.

"How does that whole intern thing work?" His smile had faded and was now more pensive than anything.

"How would I know?" Rumi returned, giving him a shrewd look as they walked. "I don't ever mess with brats, I don't really see it happening either."

"You can't go back on your word." Izuku said confidently as she quirked a brow at him.

"Who says I can't?" She gained a cruel smirk. "I could just not send the invitation even if you do win, something I doubt would happen anyway." He just gave her that same smile.

"Maybe you're right, there's a lot of powerful people in my class." She gave him a surprised glance at his open admission. "But, that doesn't mean I'm just going to give up. I'm going to give it all I have until there's nothing left to give."

A small silence followed his declaration as she processed his words. She took a quick glance, noticing no one around as she sighed. She shook off her hood with a sigh of relief, her ears twitching to life.

"Well, I don't care how much you give. If you don't win, it's pointless anyway." She spoke surely, sipping her smoothie as the boy contemplated her words.

"I guess you have a point, winning is really important..." She nodded. "But, I think the hero who gives it their all is just as impressive as the hero who always wins." She frowned.

"A hero who loses is no true hero." He gave a helpless shrug.

"I guess. But, didn't you end up-" Her hand smacked on his mouth audibly as his eyes widened while she leveled him with a stone glare.

"I didn't need or ask for help, they just wanted to hog my glory." She retracted the hand as he nodded slowly. Her nose scrunched up as he snorted, trying to keep in his amusement. "Shut up kid."

He laughed again, amusement at her own embarrassment which made her scowl, something she would refuse was a pout under close observation. She elbowed him harshly in the rib, the boy falling into her as he wheezed.

"Heh, don't dish what you can't take." She said with a satisfied smirk as the boy rested his head on her shoulder, taking in deep breaths as he tried to get his breathing under control.

"You're a grumpy person." He muttered bitterly, the positions swapped as he pouted and she laughed while he stood on his own. He bumped her with his shoulder out of spite as she rose a brow. She then shoved her shoulder into his and the boy stumbled.

He scowled before doing it again, making her go slightly off-balance. This only resulted in her shoving him with her shoulder so hard he went into the nearby wall. She pointed and laughed as he peeled himself off the wall, groaning as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Alright, you win." He grumbled as she gave a more sure laugh.

"Damn right I did." They stopped in front of a rather extravagant apartment complex, the type that had flats and not apartments. "See ya kid, try and stop stalking me." He stammered as she laughed, ruffling his hair as she walked to the doors.

"Good night!" He called, the woman giving a wave over her shoulder before disappearing into the door. He blinked, looking at a road sign before groaning out loud as he realized he'd just walked in the wrong direction for ten minutes.

"Dang it."