The Next Generation

C29: Lessons Learned

Optimus learned a lot during his time with the Nighteye Agency.

Sir Nighteye was an exceptional combatant, thanks to his ability to see the future. Optimus had never been beaten at a fair match of hand to hand combat since he arrived on Earth, but Nighteye had come closer than anyone else. Togata wasn't powerful, but his quirk gave him an edge that threw Optimus off more than once. They taught Optimus the most important lesson yet.

Quirks had weaknesses.

Previously, Optimus assumed that this was only the case for some quirks, while other weaknesses were just the result of bad training. He was wrong. Every quirk came with a direct weakness, easily exploitable, but not always obvious. Mirio couldn't count on both hands how many issues he had, but the most notable one was that he couldn't breathe while using his quirk, since the air passed right through him. Nighteye had too much pride to explain his own weaknesses, but did say that he could only see the future of one person per day.

Throughout the week, Optimus got lots of combat training from all three members of the agency, as well as a myriad of criminals they found. The more quirk experience, the better. Optimus found that the more people he fought, the more similarities he drew to the research he had done on quirks.

Hesitantly, Optimus admitted to Togata that he also struggled to breathe sometimes, and the cheerful third year had suggested that instead of learning to breathe better, Optimus should practice not breathing. This way, he could stay conscious for a longer period of time if he ever encountered problems again.

Additionally, Togata was joyful and optimistic. Optimus was still feeling a little under the weather about his talk with Megatron, but spending time at the Nighteye Agency had brightened Optimus's mood.

At the end of the week, Optimus was immensely grateful for all that they had done. He took a cab back to Mr. Aizawa's apartment late at night, only to discover that the hero was out on a night time mission. Optimus went to recharge shortly after that. Internship week was over.

For the next month or two, Optimus got back into the schedule of school. He and his classmates trained hard and studied hard, doing everything they could to get better. Optimus was determined to help his classmates grow even more.

He and Momo had a heart to heart. After the Sports Festival, she was feeling unsure of herself. She had come up with an excellent plan to disable Optimus, but he'd still beat her. Her plans were the things she excelled in most, so if she couldn't win with them, what was she good at? Optimus explained that sometimes you just can't know every factor. Sometimes, the knowledge you have isn't enough. That's just the way it is.

He reminded her of their fight with Shigaraki and Kurogiri. Optimus had led them, directed them, and demanded their trust, only to end up giving them the perfect opportunity to escape. Optimus told her he knew someone with a portal quirk before, but the quirks weren't the same, so his assumption was false and led in their enemies getting away. That was terrible.

But it wasn't the end, and it didn't make Optimus any worse of a leader. A mistake is a one time occurance, it does not lower the intelligence you already had. In fact, mistakes are the stepping stones to enhanced knowledge.

Momo wasn't the only one he helped. Optimus went through his struggling classmates and offered advice. There was little he couldn't say he'd not experienced before, Optimus had lived a long life. They appreciated him on a personal level. Iida had even cried into Optimus's shoulder after they had a talk about his brother and his encounter with Stain.

After a long while, it was time for final exams. Momo had gathered a group of his classmates to study with at her manor, and she invited him, remembering that he said he'd done poorly in the written portion of the entrance exam, but Optimus politely declined. He was more of a solitary studier.