Running on Empty

Always remember pt3: smarter than you think,

Hitoshi tensed at the question. He wasn't sure how but it was clear the pros were connected to UA and that test had been the final straw.

"I want to be a hero." Both pros perked up at the statement and Hitoshi took that as a sign to continue. "It's always been my dream since I was a kid ...but everyone's always said that it's not possible, because of my quirk. Everyone said that I should give up, that I'm- I'm destined to be a villain but ...it was my dream. I couldn't give it up. Even after everything, I still thought that- that I could do it."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, the two heroes remained quiet.

"I guess some part of me thought that if I could become a hero, I could prove everyone wrong and- and maybe they'd see that I'm not bad... Even though that's a really selfish reason to want to be a hero which isn't very heroic at all, so I was kinda proving their point but—"

"No," Aizawa cut him off. "Kid, there are tons of reasons people become heroes. Spite is a very strong motivator, it's as good as any. In fact, it's a far nobler reason that some people have. 'Zashi pretty much just wanted to scream at people for a living so you're already doing better than him."

Hitoshi turned to look at Present Mic who was pouting at his husband, "There were other factors too."

Aizawa just shook his head fondly before turning back to Hitoshi. "You did the UA entrance exam."

It wasn't a question but Hitoshi nodded anyway, "What better way to prove them wrong than get into the top hero school? I think I did pretty well on the written test ...but I didn't stand a chance on the practical, my quirk doesn't work on robots. I just stood there ...uselessly, I couldn't even fight them, it's not like I could punch them and cause any damage whatsoever."

He was bitter, and it showed in the jerkiness of his hand movements and the crease in his brow. It was barely 24 hours ago, still a fresh wound. "It made me feel like everyone was right about me."

"They're not. The exam is stupid, it never changes. Hizashi and I have been bringing it up for years but the Hero Commission designed it and they're not going to give up the little control they have over the school."

"Plus as far as they're concerned, a good quirk is a flashy quirk. The exam's been biased since we took it over a decade ago."

"You guys went to UA?" Hitoshi figured he probably shouldn't have been surprised, a lot of pros come from there. It just hadn't actually occurred to him, and he'd never done that much research. He was a fan of Eraserhead but he'd mostly looked into his fighting style, he hadn't thought to go back as far as his school days.

"Sure did," Yamada answered as Aizawa left the room quickly. "Although Sho didn't start out in the hero course for the exact same reason, the stupid exam meant his quirk was no use."

"But he's still a hero." Hitoshi responded, confused.

"Yeah," Aizawa returned, pressing something into his hands before sitting back down. "But I had to take a slightly different route."

Hitoshi looked at the frame in his hands, it was the newspaper article he'd seen in the pros' bedroom earlier. He read the title:

'General Studies student astounds everyone by winning Sports Festival!'

Hitoshi's eyes widened in surprise and he skimmed the article.

'...matches over in a heartbeat......hero course students left defenceless......just who is this kid?'

"They let me transfer after that, couldn't exactly deny me after I beat all their hero students."

"He stole the victory right out from under our feet. And my heart of course — getting publicly humiliated by him was the start of a wonderful friendship."

"You stalked me for weeks, I had no choice in the matter."

"But aren't ya glad I did!"

Aizawa just rolled his eyes.

Hitoshi set the article aside, "I didn't know you could transfer."

Both heroes turned to look at him again.

"I just- I never thought about it."

"HEy!" Mic yelled and Hitoshi was surprised his ears didn't burst, even with Aizawa cutting his quirk off halfway. "The gen ed exams aren't 'til next week!"

Yamada was looking at him expectantly. "Little Listener you could still do it!"

A brief surge of excitement swelled in Hitoshi's chest, but then he remembered that feeling.

Helplessness.

"I'm too weak to be a hero."

"Huh? Why would you think that?"

He glanced at Aizawa, "You've seen my scars, all those times— I—."

"Your scars don't make you weak Hitoshi," Aizawa's voice was stern, leaving no room for argument as he cut him off. "It's the opposite. They're a reminder of all you've come through, all you've survived. They're a physical proof of just how strong you are."

He paused for a moment to let his words sink in.

"And don't worry about not being able to prove yourself in the sports festival. If this is what you want, I'll train you personally."