~~~
While Endeavour's still hiding out inside his office, no doubt flicking through the Meta Liberation Army book that Hawks gave him, Kira, Bakugou, Midoriya and Todoroki are led down an adjoining corridor to where they can get changed into their hero gear. Burnin' still hasn't stopped talking since she met them, boasting about the number one agency, taunting the UA students by saying how lucky they are to even be here.
Maybe she has a point.
After all, for all four of them to be working under Endeavour must be no easy feat for the pro hero himself. Will he even be willing to teach them anything, or will he simply cast Kira aside to focus on his son? She should start by pulling her own weight and shaping up. What happened before was a disaster. An embarrassment.
"Here you are!" Burnin' gestures to four close knit doors, lined up down the hall beside each other.
"This is it?" Bakugou frowns at the doors, his head turning as he judges the discreet designs.
Burnin' directs her own frown towards Bakugou. "What did you expect? You're only here for the week, so you should consider yourselves grateful that I haven't thrown you out on the street already."
"Thank you!" Midoriya blurts, bowing his head several times.
Burnin' scoffs at Midoriya's actions, as he steps towards the door closest to him. "Get into your gear," she orders. "Endeavour will be ready soon, so you should be too!"
Midoriya nods eagerly, before vanishing inside his chosen room. Kira hesitates, before approaching the room beside his. Her hand pauses on the handle as Bakugou chooses the room beside hers and Todoroki enters the room on the far side. Inside, it's of moderate size. Quaint. Clean. This room is larger than her own at the dormitories, but Kira expected it to be quite large, considering this whole building belongs to the number one hero.
She places her bag and case on the bed and allows herself a few seconds to judge the interior a little further, noticing a bathroom attached as well. The bed itself is large, placed towards the left of the room. A tall lamp, a table and a dresser also decorate this room, but those aren't the objects that snag her attention. On the far side of the room, opposite the door, a window covers the entire wall. Kira approaches it gingerly, the view of the city below causing some unnecessary dizziness. She looks up and down the window, placing her fingertips on the glass, noticing how thick it is as she stares out at the glowing sun.
Kira turns her head to the left, knowing full well that Bakugou is in the room beside her, getting himself changed into his hero outfit. She shakes her head, erasing these thoughts from her mind and briskly covers the window with the dark blinds, plunging her into darkness. She switches on the lamp beside the bed and approaches her hero case, unclipping it. She merely stares down at her suit, folded neatly inside, with her gauntlets placed correctly into the moulds in the case. Her boots are tucked to the side - it's still a surprise to her that it all manages to fit inside. But, the cases are quite hefty. Metal and wide.
She reaches down to her top, feeling the unique material designed to suppress her heat. Hatsume really is a genius. Kira takes her hero suit and starts to change, feeling how easy her suit fits her body.
It doesn't take her long to get ready, as she ties her hair back off her face and grabs her boots and gauntlets, making sure she's fit for hero work one last time before leaving her room. Bakugou is already outside, alongside Todoroki and Burnin'. Seems they're just waiting for Midoriya.
Burnin' looks at Kira as she leaves and she can't but feel like she's being judged. Perhaps that's just the aura that the sidekick gives off. Kira can already tell that's she bold and unforgiving, but she also expects her to be. She can't have gotten this far working for Endeavour by acting soft and naïve.
"Quite a scar you got there," Burnin' comments and Kira doesn't dare show a hint of humiliation, if that is indeed her intention. "How'd you get it?"
"A villain," Kira tells her truthfully. No point in hiding its origins. "It happened during Kamino."
"Kamino, huh?" The sidekick approaches Kira briskly. "You were there?"
Kira gestures to her classmates and Midoriya as he finally leaves his room, adjusting his mask as he does. "We all were."
"Oh!" She barks, staring at each of them. "You're all just a bunch of troublemakers! Well, then I guess you might just fit in pretty well here after all." She leers at Kira, as if expecting her to retort to what she assumes as an insult, when it's nothing but the truth. "Come on, let's head on back. There's gonna be a lot of work for you guys."
Kira and the others follow behind Burnin' back to the main work room, narrowly avoiding other sidekicks as they plow their way down the halls holding armfuls of random equipment. It's all already quite overwhelming, but hopefully Kira will be able to get used to it before it's all over.
"So, thing is," Burnin' adds, glancing back at the four of them, as they walk back. "Shoto's the only one Endeavour wanted to train on his own, but don't worry! Us sidekicks will take good care of you other three."
"I'm here because I was told I could watch the number one hero work up close!" Bakugou retaliates, very obviously upset with the news.
Kira isn't thrilled either. This isn't what she thought would happen.
"You'll still see him!" Midoriya tries to call his childhood rival down, rushing to catch up with his quickened pace. "Please calm down, Kacchan!"
"This isn't how I expected things to play out," Todoroki admits, looking down at the ground. "I'll try talking to him."
Just as they arrive back in the main work room, Endeavour's office doors open with a thunderous, overpowering rumble. Even his office is intimidating... Endeavour approaches the waiting students, marching up to them and staring at each of them inquisitively, like he's trying to figure them all out.
Has he deciphered why Hawks gave him that book already? She's surprised to see him out of his office so soon. Maybe she just doesn't give him enough credit.
"Shoto, Deku, Bakugou, Starlight," Endeavour begins. "I'll look after you four myself. You are all now under my tutelage. Deku, Bakugou, Starlight - before we begin, tell me about yourselves. What are you currently capable of? What weaknesses do you need to improve upon?"
Midoriya steals the chance to speak first, stepping towards Endeavour and revealing his gauntlets to him. "I want to perform at my fullest," he tells the pro hero. "But, to do that, I'll need to gain better control over my power."
"How interesting," Endeavour says slowly. "Your Quirk is so strong that it hurts you. Is that right?"
"Yes." Midoriya nods. "I've learnt to control it enough that I don't usually injure myself. However..." He hesitates and Kira leans past Bakugou to spot her classmate. He looks uncertain. "Recently, there's this other thing... It's kinda like... So, it's my power but it's manifesting in a way I've never experienced before."
"Show me," Endeavour orders.
Midoriya aims his hand out and a very small tendril of his new power trickles out from his gloves. Kira peers down at both his new gear and his new ability and then up to Endeavour, curious to hear his opinion.
"If I concentrate, I can release the small amount I can handle," Midoriya adds, as the tendril evaporates into nothingness. "This is the most I can manage for right now. If I'm not careful, then untamed energy explodes out of me."
"What do you mean by performing to your fullest?" Endeavour wonders. "Explain your power."
"It seems flexible like a whip and could be super versatile," Midoriya replies, looking at his gloves. "I want to turn this risky thing into a useful weapon. I guess the truth is, I'm trying to see if I can figure out how to control it at will the same way I learnt to do with Air Force." He looks up sharply at the mention of his power. "Oh, right! Air Force is a whole other thing. That's a long-distance attack that uses wind pressure, but I'm still working on that too, because for it to be most effective, it needs more output than my body is prepared for..."
As Midoriya continues to explain his Quirk to Endeavour, Kira can see Bakugou practically seething with rage in the corner of her eye. He hates to be made waiting, she knows that already. But, she also knows that he's not a massive fan of Midoriya's long winded explanations, even if he's doing it for a purpose this time. Kira has a lot she needs to say to Endeavour as well, so he's probably going to be even more annoyed when she starts.
"I see," Endeavour says, once Midoriya has finally stopped his self-analysis. "At heart, you're saying you want to be able to constantly adjust power levels when you're fighting?"
"Yes." Midoriya nods.
"You've had trouble with your Quirk," Endeavour adds unexpectantly. "Trust me when I tell you you're not alone." He then turns to Bakugou. "You - your turn."
Bakugou sighs heavily, verging on an irritated scoff. "I'm only here to figure out what I can't do," he says boldly. "That's the real question. "I've been able to do everything I've ever wanted thanks to my Explosion power. I may only have one Quirk, but I can still become the best there is. Over the last year, I've learnt a few things," Bakugou admits and Kira pulls her gaze away from Endeavour to stare at Bakugou's thoughtful eyes. "Like having raw power doesn't make you truly strong. I showed up to figure out what will make me even better. To surpass you."
Kira blinks at Bakugou's conclusion, before looking down at her own arms, her skin hidden behind her heat-resistant gauntlets.
"Next," Endeavour says, choosing not to respond to Bakugou's challenge, but that doesn't mean it hasn't piqued his interest. Kira looks up at Endeavour, as he faces her. "Don't hold back," he tells her. I noticed earlier that you lack speed."
So, he did notice her when she decided not to use her Quirk...
"That-" Kira hesitates. "That's not it..." She then sighs heavily, wondering how she can phrase her troubles, how she can address her abilities well enough to for the number one hero to understand.
She glances at Todoroki quickly before facing Endeavour. She needs to reveal her determination to Endeavour, much like Bakugou did, so he can understand her true intentions. She needs to be bold like Burnin'.
"I agree with what Hawks said back at the Billboard Chart," she decides to say, frowning up at Endeavour. "But, I don't really care that you're not at the top when it comes to the popularity poll. You get what it means to be a hero in terms of getting the job done. I understand though that you want to change to be perceived in a greater light, and I don't know if that has anything to do with Todoroki or the fact that there's no longer a Symbol to keep everything under control. What matters to me is being able to get the job done. To take down the villain, save who needs saving and finish it." She looks down at her arms. "But, I can't do that when my Quirk goes awry. When it has a mind of its own. I've been taking advanced training with Mr Aizawa and another student with the ability to brainwash others. They've both been helping me to force my Atomic Power out, so it can be fully understanded. I already have some working theories as to why my Quirk acts out this way, but my emotional development is still improving as I grow."
"So, you're saying that your Quirk relies on both emotional and physical development," Endeavour replies, his flames licking his face. "And you're looking for advice on improving your physical state."
Kira nods. "In some circumstances, our Quirks can be similar. I too have a habit of overheating when pushing my Quirk to the brink and I need assistance in learning how to stop that from happening. Part of my Quirk has the ability to reach far past my control and expectations, called my Atomic Power. However, it can't just lash out whenever it needs to. Not anymore. So, in order to get the job done, I need your help, Endeavour, to harness my Quirk and control it, just like you do with yours."
He stares down at her, his eyes sharp. "You talk about your Quirk as if it's a separate part of you," Endeavour says. "But, it's not. I've seen this Atomic Power of yours before, back during the Sports Festival. I was a different person then, so I didn't concern myself with your limitations. However, as you've decided to work under me, for my guidance in particular, I'll see what I can do to help you reach your potential. Was there anything else?"
Kira looks to Bakugou, as if asking for his advice, but Endeavour needs all the details. Now, Todoroki is also going to know about her hidden ability. "Like Midoriya, I also have a second Quirk."
"You do?" Endeavour quirks his brow.
"Yes." She nods, almost guiltily. "It's a healing type. I think it blossomed to counter the extremes that my Light Quirk has quickly adapted to. But like my light, I still don't have an exact way of controlling this second ability." Kira decides to keep her father's name out of this conversation. She's like Midoriya in some way. She isn't sure where his new Quirk has come from, but she doubts it came from a parent. "My second Quirk only has the ability to heal my body extremely slowly. But there have been bizarre cases where it has been able to heal my body in a matter of seconds. I need to understand the reasoning behind this matter and be able to use my second ability whenever I need it."
"A second Quirk..." Endeavour says thoughtfully. "Both your Quirks work hand in hand, I assume."
Kira nods. "When my Light Quirk overpowers my body, then my Healing Quirk counters its effects."
"I see. This may be more difficult than I realised," he admits. "Quirks are usually built brick by brick, but in rarer circumstances, there have been Quirks that have relied on other methods. Leave it with me as we patrol today and I'll decide the most effective way to teach you control." He stares at her. "There's something else, isn't there?"
"Something equally important," she says slowly, ashamed of how much she still has to master. "It's about my traversal..." She starts. "Like you saw today, I still can't really use my Quirk to its greatest potential. My Quirk feeds off of natural light and I can even make my power work under moonlight, but the way I move around causes more damage and harm to others than I previously realised," she admits. "When I move, light shoots out from my body, but that means it fires behind me, causing damage in my wake. Is there any other way I can move around without doing so?"
"When I move around, I leave traces of ice around," Todoroki interjects.
"That's true, but your ice doesn't have the potential to hurt others when you travel with it."
"I see," Endeavour says, crossing his arms over his chest. "You say your Quirk feeds off light?" Kira nods at his question. "In that case, use it." She frowns as he explains. "Natural light is always around, even when out of sight - it constantly exists in the air around us. It's possible that you can use that to simply run without having to exert your Quirk."
"Run?" Kira repeats. "How am I supposed to keep up by being on the ground?"
"I never said you'd be on the ground," Endeavour replies.
"What do you mean?"
"I think what Endeavour is trying to say is that Light exists anywhere and everywhere so you don't have to actually see it to be able to use it," Midoriya explains. "It'll be like you're running on nothing!"
"Huh?"
"When we go out on our first test run," Endeavour takes back the conversation. "I'll explain it to you again and we can see if you're truly willing to live up to the change you desperately want."
Kira opens her mouth to voice her concerns, when another thought hits her. There was a time when she was able to turn semi-invisible, back during the Training Camp. Bakugou was being taken by the League of Villains and Kira tried to save him.
She looks at her hand in front of her as she flies towards Bakugou and the villains. If she uses her Quirk too early, they'll spot her. However, her hand seems to be shimmering in front of her, as if she's created a mirage of herself like she did during her training with Tokoyami.
Is she... invisible?
Kira decides to keep quiet about this supposed ability - it's only ever happened the one time, so it must be some kind of fluke. A freak ability.
There's also the alarming matter concerning her infrared vision...
"Very well," Endeavour says, once Kira keeps quiet. "Then, let's not waste time."
The pro hero goes to leave, when Todoroki stops him. "And what about me?" He questions his father.
Endeavour turns slightly. "You're just here to learn Flashfire, aren't you?"
"I poured all the training you beat into me as a kid toward strengthening my right side," Todoroki starts. "I focused on perfecting my ice. Now that I look back on it, I see that my hatred of you was holding me back in some ways." Todoroki looks to the others, his dedication burning into Kira. "After entering UA and spending time with my classmates, competing and fighting, my eyes were opened." He looks back at his father. "Endeavour - I now realise. I'm gonna do exactly what you wanted me to do. But, I want you to know this. The pro I've always admired is the person I watched on TV while sitting beside mother. I came here wanting to learn. So, that I'm someone worthy of being called a hero. This is my choice, not yours. The only reason I came to this place is to use you. I came because it's beneficial for me, number one. Don't pretend to be a caring parent in front of my friends."
Kira feels like she shouldn't be here, like this conversation between father and son should be a private matter, but it's clear that Todoroki isn't ashamed of his relationship, nor is he trying to shy away from it. Kira, Bakugou and Midoriya keep quiet as Endeavour turns his back to the students, to his son.
"Right, very well," he says finally, though his tone has changed. "From now on, you'll learn by joining me in the field."
Endeavour leads the way, heading back towards the lift, back the way they came.
"Wait a minute," Kira speaks up, a hint of desperation in he voice, as she nudges past her classmates to reach Endeavour. "We're going out on patrol already? But- what about-" She stammers, too paranoid to form coherent sentences.
"I'm taking into account your inexperience," Endeavour responds, as they arrive at the lift. "Your Quirk... For now, just use it as you have been," he tells her. "I need to see how your abilities work out in the field, so don't be concerned about any destruction you may leave in your wake."
"But-" Kira falters. "Won't it reflect badly on your image?" She asks, looking down at her pitiful self.
"My image?" Endeavour peers down at her. "You think you have such an impact?"
Kira hesitates at his reply, as the lift beckons them all inside. Midoriya urges her to move into the lift along with him, as it starts its descent. For a moment, she'd forgotten who she's addressing, where she is, what agency she's chosen to work at. Her Quirk isn't going to affect him at all, is it?
The lift doors open at the ground floor and Endeavour wastes no time in leaving the building and beginning his patrol.
"Rescue, evacuation, combat," Endeavour starts, storming down the streets with such intensity that Kira has to skip slightly to catch up. "Most of our jobs fall into those three categories. Normally, heroes focus on either rescue or fighting as specializations in their agencies. But, my policy is to tackle all three. I know every corner of my jurisdiction and stop the smallest disturbances. If there's an incident or accident, I rush to the scene faster than anyone. In order to keep casualties down, I hold bystanders at bay using my flames. Those are the basics. Parallel processing and swift response. Make that the norm. Remember what your goal is," he adds. "At UA, it's hard work. And here, it's experience. Bank as much of the latter as you can here. The things you each need to work on can be conquered in this way. This winter, I want you to show me that you can capture a villain faster than me just once!"
Before Kira can ask anything troubling her, Endeavour shoots off, his flames ablaze around his entire body. The heat alone is enough to make her recoil. However, she doesn't even have time to think and instinct kicks in, her Quirk activating in an instant, her light glowing under her skin, travelling all the way up to her shoulders. With a burst of power, Kira flies after the number one hero, her classmates on either side of her. Bakugou's in front of her, his explosions carrying him forwards, Todoroki is on the ground, using his ice to slide and traverse the terrain, while Midoriya leaps from streetlight to streetlight, his Quirk crackling around his body in green detailing.
Kira steals a glance behind her, noticing the asphalt crumbling under the strain of her burning hot capabilities. What did Endeavour mean earlier?
"I see," Endeavour says, crossing his arms over his chest. "You say your Quirk feeds off light?" Kira nods at his question. "In that case, use it." She frowns as he explains. "Natural light is always around, even when out of sight. Whether you're trapped underground or in the deepest oceans, natural light still exists in the air around us. It's possible that you can use that to simply run without having to exert your Quirk."
"Run?" Kira repeats. "How am I supposed to keep up by being on the ground?"
"I never said you'd be on the ground," Endeavour replies.
Kira looks forward again, realising that Endeavour is gaining speed, leaving the determined students behind. She feels the warm winter sun on her face, its rays tickling her skin, but she doesn't understand how to harness its strength, how to traverse without damaging everything.
Kira lands on solid ground with a grunt, panting slightly at the sudden exertion. Endeavour has already dealt with the criminal, a random nobody who tried to escape on a motorcycle. Her classmates are all also alert, their adrenaline coursing through their bodies at the intense usage of their Quirks.
"You were far too slow, kids," Endeavour comments, handing the criminal to his sidekicks before facing the students.
"It takes me longer to get warmed up when it's cold out," Bakugou argues.
Endeavour steps over and glances behind Kira at the trail she left behind. She copies his movements, turning around and winces at the scorch marks left on the asphalt. Where she exerted her Quirk more, she's even cracked the ground. The pro hero only hums at the mess she's made.
"Let me just point something out," Endeavour says, turning his back to the students and holding his hand up. He appears to be gesturing to something. "A busy street's nearby."
"I see!" Midoriya exclaims. "By emitting flames to intimidate the suspect, he kept him from fleeing towards the highway."
Endeavour doesn't bother to praise Midoriya for that distinction and dashes off again, leaving behind a whirlwind of hot air. He's higher this time, soaring above some of the smaller buildings. Kira regretfully activates her Quirk, launching herself vertically into the air, before landing on one of the building tops. She repeats this move, ascending until she's on the same path as Endeavour, her Quirk carrying her across the rooftops. Are they up this high because of her? There are no civilians up here, no one to get in the way.
"You're not going to work with your sidekicks!?" Midoriya wonders, having to raise his voice to be heard over the Quirks being used.
"Hawks and I fought together in order to take down that Nomu in Kyushu," Endeavour responds. "But, that was an exception. Top heroes need to be able to handle everything by themselves. Bakugou," he continues. "You said you wanted to know what more there was to learn, correct? It's true that your movements are fast. You're pretty good. For a rookie, anyway. But, what should be plainly obvious is that you can't beat me at your current level."
"In the winter, I need prep time-"
Endeavour cuts off Bakugou's reply, zipping back down to the streets below. "Are you going to make that same excuse when you fail someone!?" Endeavour crashes down onto the road, slamming his fist down on a small truck, stopping it instantly. "This isn't a classroom," he adds, as Kira lands on the road beside her classmates. "If you don't make it in time, you don't get a bad grade. People don't come home."
Kira analyses the scene - seems it was an out of control vehicle, or someone not paying attention to the road. Endeavour saved a young woman from being struck by the vehicle, as she falls onto her behind, staring up at Endeavour in shock. Kira snaps herself free from her shock as both her and Midoriya rush forward, deactivating their Quirks.
She tears open the door of the truck, while Midoriya kneels down in front of the woman. The driver appears unharmed, but she should help him out and away from the now broken vehicle. Kira makes sure her Quirk has cooled down enough before offering her hand and assists the driver down from his tall truck. The young woman who was nearly hit snaps when she sees him, instantly calling him a series of uncomfortable names for his recklessness.
They wait for official services to arrive before leaving the scene. Endeavour insists that it's time to stop for a break anyway, so they wait on top of a nearby building, tall and overlooking the city below. The wind plays with Kira's hair, so she scoops it out of her face, keeping her hand there. Kira approaches the edge of the building, placing her left foot on the rim of the building, soaking in the struggling sun.
"Your Quirk is very similar to Light Bringer's," Endeavour states and Kira turns her head to him. "Her way of traversing the city was like yours currently is, right?"
"Yes." Kira nods, with a slight frown at Endeavour's observation. "She was more brazen and ignorant when it came to how her Quirk damaged the environment," she admits. "So, she focused on improving her strength instead. She couldn't progress on the Hero Billboard Chart because of how much damage her Quirk created when she was out there saving people," Kira adds, though that fact probably has no value.
"You wish to be different," Endeavour says.
Kira looks out at the vast city again. "I wish to be better."
There's a slight pause, before the number one hero speaks again. "Look up, Kiriya. Tell me what you see."
"Other than the blinding sun?"
"That's just it," he says. "You say your Quirk feeds off light, correct? Not just the sun specifically?"
"If you're suggesting whether my Quirk uses technological light, then no. My Quirk has always been drawn to natural light. Whether it's from the sun, the stars or the moon." Kira looks down below at the beeping cars, her stomach flipping over. "However, my Quirk is weaker during the evening."
"Even so, there's always a constant source for you."
"I guess so."
"So, the next step for you is to focus on that," Endeavour explains. "The source of your Quirk's strength is constant. It's everywhere. The sun reaches the ground at your feet or at the end of your outstretched fingertips."
Kira looks up at the sun, feeling it's cool heat on her skin. But, the heat isn't what she's searching for. She tentatively reaches out, as if she might be able to touch the light when she notices how her skin glows under the sun's winter rays. How her body longs for it.
"You don't need to use your hands to traverse," Endeavour adds. "You can simply walk on air."
Kira lowers her hand uncertainly. "On air?"
You can start by creating those shields you're so handy with," he says. "Then practice walking around on those."
"I haven't made airborne shields before," Kira replies, spinning to Endeavour with her arms out at her sides, a little panicked by the task. With her fear of heights, she's not sure she can simply walk on air. "I've only made cocoons, which are used to keep people inside, or large walls."
"Then this will be a great first step," he says before moving to Midoriya, Bakugou and Todoroki.
Kira looks out over the city once again and then up to the blinding sun. This is going to be an unbearably difficult week.
~~~