My Hero Academia: EMTs

Program Change, Learn Your Place

"You haven't finished remedial for the last episode," I say, slapping my desk, making him jump a little. "Do you... You're lucky I'm a person of my word, child, or I would just delay your expulsion for a more convenient moment. I could be justified in that behavior after your actions. You keep acting like you think you're still on your own."

"I know I'm not, I just have to protect-"

"Protect what? Protect who? Your sister? She's barely involved in all the crap you've been doing!" He closes his eyes after I say that, then looks down, not wanting to finish his statement.

But I'm not letting him off the hook. "Protect what? Finish the statement."

"I have to protect the school."

It's my turn to look away. "I had a feeling that was the story. A part of me hates myself for yelling at you when, apparently, all you want is what's best for everyone. Running straight into trouble on multiple occasions, spying, lying about your abilities- and you say it's all to protect, is that right?"

"I guess it's hard to believe, huh?" He hangs his head.

I straighten up and look at him. "In context? No, not really. It's believable. You stole and committed property destruction to save your sister on the surface, and beneath the surface, you kept secrets, fought brainwashing, and you were always, no doubt, on the move to undermine rather than confront various enemies in the Miles group before you escaped. If you didn't have a cunning mind adapted for unconventional solutions, you wouldn't be alive today, would you?"

"Yeah, I guess that's how it is," he says. "Just a freaking byproduct of how I was raised I guess.

"I don't accept that. Given the chance, I think anyone can rise above. I'm trying to give you that chance, but I need you to please STOP. Stop- stop... stop trying to help, yes, that's what I mean. You can't. I need you to understand that. You're weak, untrained, and nowhere near as smart as you think you are. Let us protect you and your sister and stop trying to do everything yourself."

"I can't just stand by and-"

"You're doing anything but!" I say. "You negotiated your way into the school, give briefings on street gangs every week, you're on call for the trial of Mr. Miles, and you're taking on a challenging curriculum—that's plenty. It's praiseworthy, really, and it needs to be enough for now."

"I can't... I can't just watch. I can't. When people try to hurt the people I care about... I can't just watch." He's fighting tears, and I'm kicking myself.

But I have to push on, even if it's painful for both of us. "Then, well, then don't just watch. I need you to stop focusing on being a barrier to evil alone, but that doesn't mean you are to do nothing. In combat, I need you to seek help or focus on getting people to safety. You're training to be an EMT, Henry. What do you think that job entails? You're not a fighter, you're a healer. Who will people count on to do your ACTUAL job if you get torn to shreds fighting?"

"But what if... what if everyone else isn't strong enough? I'm fast, I'm unpredictable. I bring something to the table-"

"Actually, no, you don't. At least not in the ways you seem to think you do. You would be amazing at getting help or finding exists, or getting into tight spots, but your power is crap for fighting directly. You keep barely making a debatable difference in every fight you get into. And that's after two years of some kind of field experience."

"Experience trouncing the heroes you want me to rely on..." he points out.

"So that's where this is coming from. You're a wolf pup that got it in his head that he's guarding the pack. You had a tyrant instead of a true alpha. And what's worse, you're not used to people being gentle with you as befits your age, so you don't know how to interpret it."