Perseverance

Persevere Part 5

Shouta walked in silence away from the P.E. grounds while digesting the results of the test. After delivering the news to the students, he received the reactions he had expected from his little white lie. Some of the kids were more outraged than others, but if they couldn't handle a little bit of deception then they weren't meant for the world of heroes anyway. The realm of professional heroics was a harsh and unforgiving environment for all of its occupants. Heroes constantly put their lives on the line for the betterment of society, but there was so much more present behind the lines than what simply meets the eye. Shouta had been on countless missions. He had participated in desperate rescues, sensitive operations, and risky raids. These students had a long and arduous road ahead of them if they wanted to become professional heroes, and it was his job to lead them there. Some of these kids would need a lot more work than others, and some of them simply confused him, case in point being Izuku Midoriya.

It didn't make sense for someone to wield that level of power without a quirk, it was unheard of, unprecedented. Regardless of whatever the source of his power was, Izuku was just that, powerful. It just wasn't something Shouta could deny, but that didn't mean it made any sense. He was still lost in thought about his troublesome student when he walked straight into All Might as the pro hero practically appeared out of thin air in front of him.

"I'd like to speak with you about one of your students." He declared in an unnecessarily boisterous tone.

"Which one?" Shouta responds boredly, ceasing his leisurely pace to turn towards All Might.

"Young Midoriya." He answered, furrowing his golden brow contemplatively, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"What about him?" He responds, quirking a lazy eyebrow at his fellow hero.

"I'm sure you've learned by now that young Midoriya is quirkless. And despite this, he can still compete with the other students and even some heroes. I met him almost a year before the exam when he defeated a villain I was pursuing. I learned after that how he acquired his power. Do you remember the old hero Silver Fang?"

Shouta narrowed his eyebrows and nodded solemnly, his face taking on a more serious expression.

"Bang took the young man in when he was four, and trained him since then until now. He has nearly mastered his and his brother's style, given more time he will perfect them." All Might explained.

Shouta's expression morphed into one of exasperation. "That explains nothing. Martial arts are just that, martial arts. How is he as strong as he is?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

All Might tilted his head in confusion, obviously Shouta wasn't getting it. "I wasn't finished explaining. Bang is quirkless as well. I never mentioned it because it never really came up, especially after he retired." He elaborated, causing the erasure hero to furrow his brow further and shift his gaze to the side.

"So quirkless people can just get that strong?"

"Apparently so. I don't know the reasoning behind it but it's best that we just accept it and move on. It's up to you to figure out ways to train young Midoriya since he doesn't have a quirk to develop. And Aizawa?" All Might asked, resting an unwanted large hand on the shaggy man's shoulder.

"Keep a close eye on him. I trust Bang and his judgement, but we don't need another hero hunter on our hands. We can't let something like Garou happen again, anti-human martial arts are just too dangerous." All Might said, creating a moment of tension before Shouta turned away and resumed walking, looking over his shoulder at All Might once he was a few paces away.

"Don't worry, All Might. I will." He ominously said, turning his back to the symbol of peace once again and continuing his trek back to the main building, leaving All Might on his own in the peaceful silence of the scenery.