Armored Hero

[Quillion9000]

Japan: Aichi Prefecture Hospital, September 2152
Amaya ran her hand through her short black hair as she now stood before the result of the last nine months of her life, simultaneously pleased and displeased with the result. They were her children, twins. The boy was Akio while the girl was Momo.

A doctor had told her, but she didn't want to believe it. The boy, born roughly one hour prior to Momo, would develop the second pinky toe joint. Unlike his twin younger sister, he was seemingly destined to be quirkless.

"To think, life would hand me such a cruel joke as this."

Amaya would put the boy up for adoption in a heartbeat, only if her husband weren't so taken with both children. She'd just have to stomach having a quirkless son, treat him well enough to keep her husband happy. Her eyes shifted to Momo.

"If you develop Creation like me, it will help in stomaching your brother's short comings."

Yaoyorozu Manor: November 2156
Akio Yaoyorozu understood a great deal about his life at such a young age, knew it to be far more than most children should. This coming from what he's managed to observe of his twin and read in books. They both had a fair complexion, head full of black hair, and onyx eyes.

"Despite our shared appearance, I'm the one of us who understands our family." Akio thought.

He didn't hold it against her, just as he didn't hold the favoritism of their mother against her. Momo was technically his younger sister, he her older brother. The two of them twins. He'd just noted their upbringings would be difficult and for different reasons.

Based on what he heard, Father was a businessman while Mother was a hero. Though in Mother's case, she held no agency and let people employ her for protection. This saw Father being around more as she could be gone for days or even weeks at a time.

The former was not afraid to show emotion while the latter didn't emote much at all. Even with Father around more, it wasn't enough to the point the twins could go without maids and butlers who usually took care of their needs on the daily.

Gardens
"Do you understand what I want you to do, Momo?"

The four year old nodded, though she was unable to meet the expectant gaze of Amaya. "Yes, Mother. Having studied the book you gave on the m-molecular structure of v-various objects, produce a m-matryoshka doll to show I can properly u-utilize my quirk."

"Good." Amaya stepped back, crossing her arms. "You've failed with other objects prior, but I expect you to do better with those."

From where he stood off to the side, Akio narrowed his eyes as Momo was pressured. Even if Mother looked his way, he knew she wouldn't heed a look from him. The world was full of superhuman abilities, quirks. Despite it being worldwide, 20% of the population lacked one.

Given he'd developed his extra pinky joint, unlike his sister, Akio was within that 20%. It meant he was seen as lesser in his mother's eyes. This was something Amaya had been open with expressing until she began to pick up on him being more cognizant than she thought.

Weather they had a quirk or not, Mother was harsh on them both. Upon turning four, each were bought high level books. Given Momo manifested Creation, she was required to memorize the molecular structures of objects while Akio was required to study in general.

Of course, anything he managed to accomplish wasn't acknowledged by Amaya as her attention was solely on Momo. She could use Creation, multicolored lights appeared under her hand whenever she tried to conjure something. Actually making anything was just too much for her.

"What're you waiting for, Momo?" Amaya questioned firmly. "A matryoshka doll should be easy for you."

Momo swallowed before looking at Akio with uncertainty. Akio gave her a small smile and a nod of reassurance. She smiled back and took a deep breath before laying a hand against her left forearm. The multicolored lights appeared and Momo began to move her hand away.

The younger of the twins looked ecstatic as the top of a matryoshka doll appeared, followed by the wide, detailed body. Then, the lights died down as she held a four inch tall, red doll in her left hand.

"Mother!" Momo squealed. "Look, look! I did it!"

"Congratulations, but this is just the beginning." Amaya voiced, managing to sound proud yet dismissive.

At the sight of Momo's joy, Akio smiled himself. Something like that was worth protecting, though he had already recognized it was something he couldn't do as he stood now. If anything, Momo was the one destined to protect people like him.

"To protect the joy others may find…can't exactly do that without a quirk." Akio recognized.

In such a short time on this planet, just from what he's seen with his parents to what he's managed to read, Akio had come to recognize all men were not created equally. Some people just have more power than others.

Perhaps it had something to do with his upbringing, as he imagined other kids their age were more like Momo in how they interacted with the world. Maybe while he didn't have a quirk, there was something to be said about how his parents' genes influenced him.

"In whatever way I may be different from others, some part of me just refuses to accept my inability to protect anyone." Akio thought. "I may not know now what I can do, but surely I can find the answers where I recently have been looking."

"I did it!" Momo thought, overjoyed. "I can use Mother's quirk!"

Momo almost wanted to put the doll down, run up to Akio, and give him a hug. He couldn't use Creation, which seemed to upset Mother for whatever reason. He also had the double joint, which indicated one's lack of a quirk.

"That can't be the case." Momo thought. "Akio's always looking out for me, protecting me like a hero. Someone like that must have a quirk."

As she thought this, Momo pulled the matryoshka doll apart and stared at it in childish wonder before fitting it back together. She was so deep in thought she almost missed Mother telling her to stop daydreaming and give the doll to Akio. Momo thought that was a great idea.

The first object she successfully created with Creation could be given to her older twin. Even though Akio preferred to read, he wasn't above playing with toys. He did always smile whenever she'd ask him to play with her.

Momo rushed over to Akio, presenting her creation to him. "Akio, I'd like you have this."

Her words snapped Akio out of his thoughts, seeing him take the item. "Do you want me to simply hold it for you or may I actually keep this?" He smiled. "I do find it to be something special, to the point one wouldn't suspect this being your first attempt."

Momo smiled brightly. "It's yours to keep."

"Thank you, Momo." Akio voiced genuinely, intending to put it on his shelf the second he returned to his room.

Yaoyorozu Manor: September 2158
Momo was still coming to grips with her quirk; however, Amaya felt she had surpassed whatever low expectations were set for her. Given she had no expectations for Akio, the fact he achieved anything was something. Her children also developed admiration and respect for pro heroes.

Her daughter was undecided on what pro hero she liked and lacked a prominent one to take inspiration from. Akio liked All Might, Sir Nighteye, and Ingenium. When it came to their development, Momo could now produce a matryoshka doll in a little under five seconds.

Still too long for Amaya's liking, she could make one in less than a second, but it was an improvement. To help her daughter understand her quirk, Amaya had brought her books detailing the basics of biochemistry and chemistry.

Most children her age wouldn't be able to understand such topics, but Momo was smart for her age. Though if her daughter were smart, Akio was a genius by comparison and incredibly mature for a six year old. While he studied many topics, one in particular had his interest.

Hero support items, with every topic which fed into it. While Akio may have no quirk to speak of, perhaps he could redeem himself in the area of support items. Failing that, a mind like his could do well in the world of business with his father.

She was brought out of her musings by a knock at the door of her study. "Come in."

The door opened and Akio stepped through before stopping at her desk. "Mother."

"How may I help you, Akio?" Amaya inquired. "Are you in need of more books?"

"I may need more soon, but that's not what I've come to you for." Akio held her gaze. "I've come to request you allow me to attend martial arts classes."

"What brought this on?" Amaya questioned. "Do you tire of what exercise you manage to get here?"

Akio was still young, meaning what he got up to physically was of little note to Amaya. She did hear he was sticking to a schedule of running and basic exercises. As those did not seemingly impede his more noteworthy work, she let it go.

"I still intend to do what I have been here at the manor." Akio informed. "I simply need to take things a step further if I hope to pursue my current goal."

"Martial arts would be beneficial in your pursuit of knowledge?" Amaya inquired.

"For what I intend to create, I would say it is a must." Akio returned. "As we are talking about this now, I shall also mention I will soon need adequate space to begin work on various ideas I have concerning support items."

"Giving you the space needed to begin practical work is a simple matter." Amaya voiced. "What I would like to know in relation to your initial request is if you have asked your sister about this? Is she interested in martial arts?"

"I have asked, though she's currently more invested in her books." Akio nodded. "Still, she has said she'll think about it."

"Have you looked into what martial arts you want to take, or are you expecting me to?" Amaya asked.

Akio didn't even blink. "I intend to start with karate before investing into taekwondo upon the acquisition of my green belt. Then, I shall attend muay thai and jujutsu classes upon the acquisition of my purple belt."

"Aiming high, I see." Amaya hummed. "Aren't you afraid of disappointing yourself?"

"I'm a Yaoyorozu." Akio returned. "We don't aim low."

Amaya felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards. Even if Akio fell short with his lack of a quirk, he had the sort of attitude she liked. It was something Momo hadn't fully grasped yet.

"That's good." Amaya nodded. "I'll look into dojos tomorrow."

"There's no need." Akio returned. "There's a karate dojo five miles northeast of Toyohashi Municipal Hospital."

Amaya gave him a look of surprise. "You've already done your research?"

The raven-haired boy nodded. "The Toyohashi Karate Academy, opened 151 years ago and is renowned for its quality teaching. Lessons are from 6pm to 9pm. It's open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."

"Very well." She nodded. "I'll get your father to take you tomorrow."

"You won't be taking me?" Akio inquired.

Amaya gave him a pointed look. "I'll be going back to work tomorrow morning. I won't have the time to take you, but your father told me he'll be taking a few days off."

"I see." Akio nodded. "I hope your return to work goes well, Mother."

"Thank you." Amaya waved him off. "If that's all, you're dismissed."

Without another word, Akio took his leave.

Car: Couple Days Later…
"Father."

"Yes, son?"

"You are aware of Mother's views on quirkless, yes? Why are the quirkless discriminated against?"

"We are, Akio." Hayato Yaoyorozu sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "I don't understand it myself, but discrimination seems to be a fixed thing in society. There's always somebody to knock down. Prior to quirks, it was one's gender, religion, or race.

These days, it's the quirkless and heteromorphs. In our case, I imagine it has something to do with how those with quirks often feel superior to those without them, seeing the quirkless as lesser beings who can't do the impossible."

"Given Mother's views, why would you marry her?" Akio questioned, getting his father to look at him. "I understand it is your marriage to Mother which brought Momo and I into this world. I just can't grasp how you two got together."

This was just another time Hayato found himself stunned with how mature his son was. Not for the first time, he wondered if Akio had more of his mother in him as opposed to Momo who seemed to take more after him.

"In life, one does not choose who they fall in love with." Hayato voiced. "You can certainly come to love more than one person, though never let that see you betray the one you've promised yourself to."

"So, you love Mother even knowing her views on quirkless like us?" Akio questioned.

"If your mother ever let those views see her mistreat your or I, I wouldn't stand for it." Hayato admitted. "As it stands, I know she loves us and would never do that. In fact, I've seen the ways in which I and you have slowly changed her view of the quirkless."

Akio couldn't deny Mother did love him, just in her own way. In many ways, it was the same with Momo. Akio couldn't deny, despite how she could look at him, he did love his mother as well.

"I hope to one day see Mother and society treat quirkless and heteromorphs better." Akio voiced.

"As do I, Akio." Hayato nodded. "As do I."

Toyohashi Karate Academy
The father/son pair looked up to the building before them.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Hayato asked.

"Let's go." Akio nodded. "After all, I wouldn't want to make a bad first impression by turning up late."

They walked inside and up to the receptionist, a young woman with hair seemingly made of electricity. "Oh, newcomers! May I have-" She faltered upon noticing who she was speaking to. "Oh, I never expected to see Hayato Yaoyorozu here. Are you here to take up classes?"

"No, I believe I'm too old for the class which will be held this evening." Hayato chuckled. "My son, on the other hand."

"Well, hello there cutie." The receptionist glanced down at him and smiled. "May I have your name?"

"Akio Yaoyorozu, ma'am." Akio answered.

"My, how polite." The receptionist giggled as she put his name down. "I assume you're here for the beginner classes?"

"I am." Akio answered. "Where are they?"

She pointed off to the right. "Down that hall, go through the second door on your left. Do you have your own karate-gi, or will you need us to supply you with one?"

Akio wiggled the small bag he was holding.

The receptionist nodded. "Changing rooms are down the same hall, with the under eighteen male changing room through the first door on your right."

"Thank you." Hayato patted his son's back. "Let's go, Akio."

Together, they walked over to the aforementioned door. Inside, they could hear commotion and talking behind it. Hayato pushed and held it open, allowing Akio to walk in first. They walked into a room full of boys being helped into karate-gi by their fathers. Some of the men forgot what they were doing as they saw Hayato walk in.

"What the-"

"Why wouldn't he just-"

"Yaoyorozu, why would he be here?"

Hayato sighed, rolling his eyes. "No need to act all surprised people. My son wanted to learn karate, so I'm taking him to learn karate."

One of the men looked taken aback. "Forgive me, sir. It's just-"

"You expected me to hire a private martial arts tutor, like most businessmen or women?" Hayato chuckled. "While that is one option, my boy wished to learn from a dojo like anyone else. Far be it for me to deny him."

Meanwhile, Akio found himself crowded by several boys, all of them were older than him by four or five years, as he tried to change.

"Heh, look at the rich boy. What, does he think he can just barge in like he owns the place?" One boy with watery eyebrows sneered.

"Probably thinks he's already better than us." Another jeered.

A boy with dragonfly wings stepped up, wings buzzing in what Akio assumed was supposed to be an intimidating gesture. "Don't get comfortable, rich boy. Seeing as you're the son of the Yaoyorozu family, you don't have the quirk for it."

"I don't need a quirk to be here." Akio brushed past him before looking back at the boys. "I also have no preconceived notions of my limits. If you three wish to injury me beyond the confines of what it allowed, I will not hesitate to seek help."

That left the three boys glaring, though Akio hardly cared. Once he could defend himself, he'd be less likely to seek help. Should they try anything prior, well he had nothing to prove. With them out of the way, Akio changed into his karate-gi.

"Were you okay there?" Hayato asked, free from talking with the other men.

"I've spoken my piece." Akio replied, finishing up with his gi. "If they weren't listening or choose to ignore what I've said, that is on them."

With Akio having finished changing, he and Hayato entered a room with two instructors, a man and a woman, talking amongst each other. Thirteen kids stood in-front of them with different colored belts tied around their waists and parents sat in stands.

"Good luck, Akio." Hayato started walking up some stairs to get where the other parents were. "Don't let those kids embarrass you."

Akio noticed a spot available at the end of the second row of children. He wondered if he should fill the spot without being told or wait for the instructors.

"Hey, new kid." Just before he decided, the woman called out to him. "Go stand at the end of the second row, and we'll be with you in about seven minutes."

Akio nodded and walked over, standing next to a girl with orange hair.

She looked at him, smiled, and nodded. "Hi, I'm Itsuka Kendo. What's your name?"

"Akio Yaoyorozu, nice to meet you." Akio answered.

"It's nice to meet you to." Itsuka returned.

"So, what made you take up karate?" Akio inquired.

Itsuka grinned. "I want to become the greatest female karate master in all of Japan!"

This was the point where people usually laughed at her.

Much to her surprise, Akio didn't laugh. "That's a commendable goal."

The organette smiled, happy he wasn't doubting her. "You think I can do it?"

"I'm a firm believer that anyone can do anything they put their mind to." Akio replied.

She contemplated hugging him, but hugging somebody she barely knew seemed like an odd thing to do. Also, nothing killed a potential friendship like unwanted and unexpected physical contact.

"What's your reason for taking up karate?" Itsuka asked.

"This is but one step towards my own goal, though it is one I'm not yet certain is within reach." Akio gave a small smile. "Once I see it as possible, I would be willing to tell you more."

Itsuka wondered what goal was large enough you couldn't see yourself achieving it. Rather than get into that, she merely nodded and hummed as she opted for a different question.

"Have any brothers or sisters?" Itsuka asked.

"One sister, my younger twin." Akio nodded. "I think you'd like her. What about you, do you have any siblings?"

"I've got a younger brother, but he's only two years old." Itsuka responded, her voice full of cheer. "He's the cutest thing in the world."

Before either of could say any more, one of the karate instructors whistled to get the attention of all the kids in the room. Akio refrained from saying whatever he'd been about to and faced ahead, waiting for one of the two instructors to speak.

"We'll talk later, yeah Yaoyorozu?" Itsuka whispered.

Akio nodded as the male instructor stepped forward.

"Alright, before we proceed with the most basic defensive and offensive karate routines, we're going to start with a little warmup. Is everyone ready? We expect to her 'yes, sensei'."

"Yes, sensei." The kids chorused.

"What was that?" The female instructor called out. "Neither of us could hear you. Put some 'oomph' into it and let us hear you."

"YES, SENSEI!" They repeated, louder.

"Better." The male instructor nodded. "Now, since you're all beginners, we'll start light; however, your warmups will become more extensive as time goes on. You'll be stretching your muscles, rolling your joints, squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. Push-ups first, copy us."

They both got down into angled planking position. As one would expect, being instructors, their form was perfect. The female instructor then got up and went around to each child, giving them instruction on their form.

"Don't tuck in your head, or you'll headbutt the floor before completing a proper push-up."

"Bring your arms in by a couple of inches."

Then, she came over to Itsuka and Akio. "Good form, both of you." She moved on. "Alright everyone, down."

Akio lowered himself until there was barely any clearance between his chin and the floor. Since there was an order for them to do half a push-up, he assumed there was going to be another order for them to rise.

He was proven right when the instructor shifted. "Kid with the dragonfly wings, did I tell you to get back up? Get back down."

"Sorry, sensei."

Akio felt his arms begin to tremble as he held his position, threatening to bring his chin into contact with the floor. With a slight glance sideways, he saw Itsuka's arms were shaking lightly.

"Alright, up."

He exhaled and rose to the starting position.

"Down."

He lowered himself to the floor once more.

"Up."

And raised himself. The rest of the pre-lesson exercises passed quickly. Akio found his arms, especially his biceps and abdominals, were aching. His legs also felt like lead, thanks to the instructors making them do squats in the same manner they'd done push-ups.

"Are you alright, Akio?" Itsuka inquired.

"I'll push through." Akio replied.

"Oh, it looks like Akio might be making a friend." Hayato noted.

Akio wasn't an unsociable boy, he just never really seemed to have the time for friends like his sister.

"Say Yaoyorozu, is that your boy? The one was the black hair?"

Hayato turned to see who'd spoken to him. It was a fair-skinned man with long hair tied back into a ponytail, which fell down to the middle of his back and was equally as orange as the girl who stood next to his son. He even had a similar build to his own and teal eyes.

"Yeah, he's the oldest of my twins." Hayato smiled. "Would I be correct in assuming the girl with orange hair is your daughter?"

"Yup, that's my girl, Itsuka Kendo." The orange-haired man nodded, grinning. "She's aiming to…Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Itsuki Kendo."

Hayato arched an eyebrow.

"I know, I know." Itsuki chuckled, his face going red with embarrassment, "You named your kid after yourself, but only changed one letter? My wife left the name picking to me for our first, and I had a hard time coming up with one."

Hayato waved him off, smiling, "It's fine. I let my wife name the children. If left to myself, I'd have given them nonsensical names. Anyways Kendo, I'm Hayato Yaoyorozu. What brings you here?"

"My daughter wants to take up karate, so she can one day become the greatest female karate master in Japan!" Itsuki cheered.

"Aiming high? Well I say good for her." Hayato replied, looking down at the children as they moved through routines of punching and blocking with the instructors.

Itsuki leaned forward. "You think she can do it?"

"Of course." Hayato nodded sagely. "Anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it."

Itsuki suddenly looked like he was about to cry. "Hayato, that was such a cool thing to say!"

"Uh-huh?"

"But in all seriousness, you seem like a solid dude." Itsuki smiled. "Wanna go out for drinks this weekend?"

"The Rising Sun?"

Itsuki gasped, "You must've read my mind. Sunday; 8pm?"

"Sounds good." Hayato stated.

After Class…
"So, I guess this is it."

Hayato snorted as the other man sniffed, wiping away mock tears. "Don't be so dramatic, Itsuki. You're making it sound like this is where we part ways, never to meet again. We'll be seeing each other again in the Friday class, and we've planned to having drinks Sunday."

"But-"

Itsuka cut off her father by kicking him in the shin, causing him to yelp and hop around as he clutched the 'injured' limb. "Don't mind him. Dramatic is his default setting."

"Nonsense!" He mock thundered.

Itsuka gave Akio a look, one that said, 'I rest my case'.

The raven-haired boy shook his head. "It's been nice meeting you, Itsuka. I look forward to training with you."

"Likewise, Akio." She replied, holding out a fist.

Akio extended his arm, ignoring the aches and pains of his tired body, and bumped his fist against hers.

"Friends?" Itsuka asked.

"Friends." Akio replied in the affirmative, nodding as the corners of his lips twitched upwards.

Then, without warning, Itsuka's first grew in size until it was bigger than his head. She grinned and nudged his fist a little.

Akio caught onto the unspoken question, though shook his head in response. "No quirk."

Rather than her eyes widening, or some other notable expression that might be negative, Itsuka merely nodded. "Cool."

She then turned off her quirk and walked away with her father. He must've said something that annoyed her because she yelled at him and gave chase as he ran away, laughing.

Akio looked up at Hayato, who was grinning at him. "Father?"

"I'm just glad you've made a friend." Hayato voiced.

 

[Quillion9000]

Yaoyorozu Manor: October 2162
A jab to the kidneys was intercepted by a knee, and the following arm sweep to the neck was blocked. Akio moved to sweep Itsuka's legs out from under her, but she jumped at the last second. He then had to duck underneath the aerial roundhouse kick.

As she landed, the organette rolled back to avoid the incoming dropkick. Itsuka then sprang to her feet and caught a punch to the chest with her open palm. Off to the left, a timer went off. They disengaged from each other and straightened up, bowing to one another.

Itsuka then walked over to the timer and silenced it before turning to Akio. "That was a good spar." She smiled. "I still can't believe we have our blue belts."

"Hard to believe we started karate four years ago." Akio agreed.

"Yeah, time flies." Itsuka giggled. "Anyways, I call first dibs on using the shower."

Akio gave Itsuka a fist bump in response before she walked over to the door and picked up a towel. Once Itsuka was gone, Akio followed suit and navigated along the hallways to reach his sister's room where he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Momo called out.

Akio opened the door and found his twin kneeling on the floor, surrounded by a variety of objects. She pulled a yellow umbrella out of her shoulder and added it to the pile.

"Momo, are you hungry?" Akio inquired, eyeing the objects his twin had created.

"I'll get something to eat in a bit." She got to her feet, turning around to face him. "How was your spar with Itsuka?"

"It went well." Akio answered simply.

"Speaking of sparring, lately I've been thinking about what you asked of me concerning karate." Momo stated.

Akio raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, um, I want to go to U.A. High and become a hero." Momo blushed lightly, looking away. "While I have a good grip on Creation, I think it would be beneficial to acquire another skill. Plus, I'm slightly envious of the things you can do."

"How long have you been thinking this?" Akio inquired.

"For ten months, about when you both attained your green belts." Momo admitted. "I just couldn't find the right time to tell you. I also thought maybe you'd have changed your mind on me learning given all the hard work you've put into learning something uniquely your own."

"Momo, my thoughts haven't changed." Akio assured. "Learning to fight, in any capacity, will only help you become a better hero."

His twin beamed before appearing thoughtful. "Do you think Mother and Father will allow it?"

"I don't think Father will have a problem with it." Akio furrowed his brows, speaking carefully "Mother may take issue if you attending karate causes disruption to your quirk training."

"Then, I'll ensure my time is balanced between quirk practice, my studies, and martial arts." Momo voiced, her eyes sparkling. "Akio, what day will we start? Will Itsuka be coming with us? What are the instructors like? How many people will-"

"Momo, we haven't even spoken to Mother and Father yet." Akio cut in.

Momo blushed and coughed, composing herself. "Sorry." She blushed even harder when her stomach rumbled, indicating she was hungry. "I think I should hold off working any further on Creation until I've eaten."

"Thought as much." Akio said, smiling softly. "After I've showered, would you like me to make some chankonabe?"

Chankonabe was a heavy dish, at least by Japanese standards. It was made from a variety of ingredients, such as: chicken broth, mirin, tofu, and vegetables. Its high calorie and fat intake allowed his sister to recoup the fat used when exercising Creation.

Momo nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

Dining Room: Later…
"So, Momo, whenever you use your quirk, you have to eat that to refuel?" Itsuka asked.

She was sipping from her black coffee while staring at the bowl of food Akio had made for his sister. He'd made enough for Momo to feed two people. Even though she's already consumed half, Momo didn't look like she was about to slow down with the rest.

"That's correct." Momo had paused briefly to wipe her mouth with a neatly folded napkin. "Employing Creation uses my fat reserves, so I must eat a considerable amount. Savory food actually works better; however, they'd give me diabetes and high blood pressure in the long run. As such, Father and Akio proposed cooking healthier things like this."

Itsuka nodded, glancing at Akio who ate his lesser portion of the same meal. "When did you learn how to cook, Akio?"

"After my eighth birthday, though it's admittedly nothing special." Akio voiced. "I only go far enough to make the food taste good before stopping since I'm not out to one day turn cooking into my career."

"I recall you've told me about your work on support items." Itsuka voiced. "Is that what you plan to do in the future?"

Even four years in, Akio still hadn't told her what his goal was. Given how Momo looked their way, Itsuka could hedge a guess he hadn't really told anyone what he's working towards.

"If the showcase to Father, Mother, and Momo goes well, my goal will no longer be a stretch." Akio voiced. "In other words, based on tonight's results, you'll learn tomorrow what my goal has been for a good while now."

Itsuka and Momo both looked at Akio, who merely finished off his meal.

"Excuse me Master Akio, would you like another serving?" A voice behind him asked.

Akio turned to answer the butler who'd spoken to him. He was an American man in his late forties with fair skin, a clean-shaven face, and short, brown hair. He also wore a black suit over a white shirt, black trousers, and polished shoes.

"No, thank you, Johnson." Akio replied. "I believe at this stage you can preserve what is left."

The butler nodded, then looked at the others. "Mistress Momo, Miss Kendo, is there anything I may get either of you?"

Momo swallowed down the next bite of her food, wiped her mouth, and then shook her head. "No, thank you for asking."

"No, I'm good." Itsuka voiced.

Underneath Yaoyorozu Manor
When Akio expressed wanting a space to work on support items, he was given as much consideration as his twin was for her quirk. That is to say, he was actually given a fairly decent sized space with everything he'd need.

It even came with an allocated allowance, just not one big enough for what he truly wanted to make. At least, not exactly in the way he wanted. He knew expressing the need for more money without result simply wasn't going to cut it with Mother.

Even Father, for how loving he could be, wasn't one to just fling money their way without reason. Perhaps if Akio expressed his goal and displayed his work, he'd get that money from him. Amaya would find out and wouldn't be happy. As such, this led Akio down a different path.

One he's followed these past four years with hopes of getting on the path he wanted at the end of it. He built up a collection of various, known support items he could show off as proof of what he could do while working on his main project on the side.

Coupled with this main project put on the side, he also had private schooling, karate, his friendship with Itsuka, and spending time with family. As such, it's taken all of these four years to turn out this project. Now, he was ready to show it off.

Momo looked around her older twin's work space. "Wow, there's even more things around than the last time I was in here."

She recognized quite a few items, as they were made based off what various heroes used as their support items. Though there were other projects here she didn't recognize.

"If Akio were not ready for us to be here, he should not have called us into his space." Amaya voiced, displeased by the apparent lack of her son's presence.

"I'm sure Akio wouldn't have called us if he wasn't ready." Hayato smiled. "Just give him a moment since it seems to me whatever he wants to showcase is quite…"

The patriarch of the Yaoyorozu family suddenly stopped talking as something banged on a set of sealed metal doors at the other end of the space. Whatever it was left a visible dent. Another bang followed, leaving a second dent in the door.

Amaya pushed Momo to her father, him catching and holding her as she stepped forward protectively. "Did a villain somehow get into my son's workspace?"

There was a third bang, another dent left in its wake. Amaya rolled up her sleeve and pulled an eight inch tanto out of her bicep. As she waited for whatever this was to get through, Hayato was silently holding onto his daughter as she shook slightly.

A last bang followed, the metal doors shot into the room. Now, all three could see some sort of bulky, metal figure enter. Whatever this was, it was seemingly made of scrap metal. It was a crude yet functional metal shell comprised of iron, copper, magnesium, and leather.

What seemingly powered the thing was a power core within the center of the chest. Rather than proceed any further, the metal figure had stopped feet away from them. The figure then rose its face mask to reveal it had been Akio within the metal shell.

"Sorry for putting everyone on edge." Akio voiced. "I just felt it was necessary to first display even something as small as this from my creation."

Amaya dropped the tanto to her side. She then sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose for being paranoid. It wasn't like an intruder could actually get within the building, not with the number of bodyguards she had patrolling the manor grounds.

Hayato approached his son. "What is this, Akio?"

"This is my Mark I armor, comprised of scrap metal and leather I had left from every other project you see here." Akio replied. "I ended up with just enough to coble this together."

Momo excitedly approached. "What does it do!?"

"This armor grants enhanced strength, speed, and stamina." Akio replied.

"Well done Akio, though something like this is just the beginning." Amaya voiced, managing to sound proud and dismissive as she joined them. "I assume you've already tested this suit thoroughly."

"You will find the videos sent to your computer upon returning to your study, Mother." Akio informed. "Though if I may, I would like to request an increase to my allowance to facilitate improvements along with a larger space to work in."

"Money and resources shall be allocated." Amaya assured.

"Thank you, Mother." Akio stated. "While you and Father are here now, I'd like to share my goal for the future. My goal with this project, as well as every step I've taken for years now."

"Go on." Amaya stated.

"My long term goal is one which I believe fits with what it means to be a Yaoyorozu while simultaneously being personal to me." Akio voiced. "With this project of mine, I shall become a quirkless hero who succeeds All Might as the next Symbol of Peace."

History was a bit difficult to grasp the further back you looked into quirks. From what Akio gleamed, prior to the way the world worked now, there were quirkless individuals who tried to be heroes. Even in recent times, there were reports of quirkless vigilantes.

To achieve what he wanted, Akio had to take the legal route. From that angle, provided he continued to put in the work, he would in theory be able to achieve his goals. In truth, becoming the next Symbol of Peace wasn't where his goals ended.

As Amaya silently stared at her son, Hayato spoke up. "Does this have anything to do with that conversation we had prior to your first karate class?"

"It is in relation to that topic, though such thoughts started prior to that and have had time to be ruminated on." Akio voiced. "It won't be easy, but if a quirkless hero can one day succeed All Might, they can pick up where he leaves off. He has done immeasurable good for the world.

Despite what people think, he could not solve every problem. A majority of the population looks down on the quirkless as inferior while Heteromorphs are discriminated against for features out of their control. If I manage to become the next Symbol of Peace, I can work on these issues."

"This is what brother has been holding in all these years…" Momo thought, saddened.

She had no idea Akio had been weighed down like this.

"Perhaps I should have seen how Akio was amounting to something like this." Hayato thought.

Even for their family, Akio was one mature kid. Looking back on all the talks they've had, like that one prior to his first karate class, the conviction within his son made Hayato believe he could end up doing it.

"I must contemplate over your goal before saying anything on the matter, Akio." Amaya voiced.

"I thought you might, Mother." Akio voiced. "Do take your time, though recognize a denial of my goal will be met with more conversation as I will not drop a goal I've worked years towards making a reality."

Amaya's Study: November 2162
Amaya would be lying if she said she expected any of what her son shared with her. Even looking back on what interested Akio, she couldn't see a through line to the decision he made. What she came to recognize is that was on her, her preconceived notions of what he could be.

She was too wrapped up in his lack of a quirk. With his intentions made clear, and that project of his, she could genuinely see the potential path to his goals. While still difficult for her to comprehend, they were Yaoyorozus. The Yaoyorozu family aimed for no less than excellence.

If Akio were attempting to do that now, she could not stand in his way. Even with this suit of his, he was quirkless. As such, she looked into an opportunity for him to aim for excellence. The Hero Commission had confirmed the numerous rumors made by journalists.

All Might's sidekick, Sir Nighteye, had split from their partnership to form his own agency in Tokyo. Despite the prestige that came with being All Might's recent sidekick, the fact his agency was new could be of use. Amaya smiled to herself as she took out her phone.

Nighteye Agency: Tokyo, January 2163
"Akio, do you understand why you're here?"

Akio looked away from the five-story building to Amaya, who was giving him an expectant look. "Yes, Mother. This is a hero apprenticeship. It shall allow me to develop my skills and is an opportunity to showcase my resolve."

"This is an opportunity not many children get." His mother nodded. "Do not waste it."

"Yes, Mother." Akio returned.

"Good." Amaya voiced. "Your father will pick you up at 7pm."

Akio nodded as he undid his seatbelt and got out the car. Waiting for him outside the agency was a tall, thin man with the head of a brown centipede. He was dressed in all black and had a scarf that looked like a centipede wrapped around his neck.

"I'm Akio Yaoyorozu." Akio walked up and bowed to the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man with the centipede head bowed back. "The pleasure is all mine, Yaoyorozu. Please, just call me Centipeder. Now, let's get you inside."

Akio followed the sidekick into the five-story building and upstairs to a door, which Centipeder knocked on.

"Come in." A monotonous voice came from the other side.

Centipeder opened the door, revealing Sir Nighteye who was sat behind a desk. He was taller than average man with a lean build and sharp facial features. His green hair was shiny, smoothed down, and mostly parted to the left with a couple of yellow streaks.

Behind the triangular lenses of his glasses were strikingly bright-yellow eyes. His whole attire made him look like the average Japanese man. He'd be rather normal if one looked past the lankiness and the dozens of All Might posters around the room.

The glare on his face spoke volumes of his authority and power. Clearly, this wasn't a man who would tolerate somebody stepping out of line. Centipeder gestured for Akio to enter, so he did just that by starting to walk into the room.

Nighteye looked up at him as he entered. "You're Akio Yaoyorozu, yes?"

"Yes, I…" Akio began, only to stop short as he tripped over his own two feet.

The corners of Nighteye's lips twitched upwards at that until he had a slight smile on his face.

"He's done his research, though it does not diminish the fact someone like him was willing to make himself look the fool." Nighteye hadn't been certain when the request to take on a quirkless apprentice came to him, but this was a good first impression. "Are you alright, Yaoyorozu?"

"I'm fine, sir." Akio rose to his feet, an assuring smile on his face. "Though, with the way my entrance happened, I'd say I'm actually al-left."

"Kid's already made a good first impression, passed the test, this is just more of a formality at this point." Centipeder thought.

"I have yet to stamp the form for your apprenticeship." Sir Nighteye retrieved a stamp. "What you're going to do about it is try to take this stamp from me within three minutes. If you can't do that, I won't be taking you on, and you'll be going back home."

"Understood, Sir Nighteye." Akio replied.

Mirai didn't know what to think of the boy when The Hero Commission told him he had to give the kid a fair shot to be his apprentice. He was from a prestigious family, though quirkless like his father while his mother and sister had potent quirk themselves.

Even learning of his project that would supposedly let someone quirkless be a hero hadn't solidified an opinion. Now, he's met the boy. The way his eyes darted around the room to look at his All Might merchandise. How he carried himself with confidence few kids ever had.

Not to mention the ways those eyes of his scanned his form to look for potential weaknesses. Any other ten year old would've charged him right away. The kid was smart yet unafraid to look the fool. Yes, Mirai already came around to liking this kid as an apprentice prospect.

Still, he wanted to see what Akio could do. Knowing he was skilled enough to handle anything Akio threw at him, Mirai didn't bother adopting a fighting stance as the young man approached. He slapped away the flying kick aimed at his eyes. Akio landed and lunged at the stamp.

Mirai activated Foresight, turning his eye color from yellow to purple. Everything within the iris turned to a pattern that looked like the internals of a clock. He watched from a third-person perspective as Akio tried everything to get the stamp, even trading blows and taking a punch.

Despite that, the three minutes would expire. Even though this was to be the case, Mirai had already decided to take him on anyways. The following strip showed who he assumed to be Akio, wearing a sleek silver and white metal suit.

He was with some pink haired and skinned girl with horns, the two of them entering a building together. Another film strip replaced that one, showing Akio fighting alongside Eraserhead. They were facing villains armed with swords, knives, and quirks.

Nearby, they were watched by a young, blue-haired man with a hand grasping his face and hulking monster stood next to him. The next film strip showed Akio in a stadium filled to the brim with thousands of spectators, his suit the colors of the U.A. gym uniform.

He was fighting a spiky haired boy with the quirk to create explosions from his hands. Mirai had seen enough, now knowing for certain the decision he had reached was the right one. Still, he'd see this test to its conclusion. He kept the boy within eyesight and allowed the time to run down.

"Alright, time is up." Nighteye announced, watching the flicker of disappointment enter the young man's eyes.

"Guess I'm going home." Akio voiced.

"On the contrary." Mirai walked over to his desk and retrieved the boy's paperwork. "I've seen your future and would be a fool to let you go. Though to cement it, I require you to answer one question in place of your failure to get the stamp. Why do we smile?"

"We smile to warm the hearts of others and ourselves." Akio answered genuinely. "A world without smiles is a bleak world devoid of humor."

"Good answer." Mirai nodded, finally stamping the paperwork. "Now, this next question shall determine what you learn from me." Sir slouched forward intently. "What kind of hero do you want to be?"

"I will start by saying I wish to take nothing away from All Might." Akio voiced. "He has done a great deal of good and stood as the Symbol of Peace for decades. The world we live in is something I think people could have only dreamed of prior to him.

He is an inspiration, but I do think people seem to forget he is just one man. Today, quirkless are seen as lesser by most and heteromorphs are discriminated against for their looks. Additionally, there are cases of quirks which are perceived as negative.

Not to mention cases of people whose quirk give them certain needs which aren't accounted for or outright ignored. I wish to be the next Symbol of Peace, to succeed All Might and pick up where he has left off. Essentially, a multipurpose hero."

"I see." Nighteye voiced. "What exactly would be your definition of multipurpose?"

"I want to be someone who protects the smiles All Might has brought about by his existence and create new smiles by my own existence." Akio voiced. "Ideally, I'd be able to do rescue, combat, and deductive reasoning. If you can teach me that, I'll put in the work."

"Very well." Sir adjusted his glasses. "These next tests shall tell me what I now need to teach you as my apprentice. That said, your attempt to get the stamp has highlighted where you lie in terms of combat. It is something we'll need to work on. For now, come with me."

"Yes sir!" Akio responded as he followed Nighteye out of his office

"Centipeder, you'll come with as well." The Pro added as they walked by him.

"Of course, Sir." Centipeder voiced.

After the group left the room, Nighteye spoke to Akio. "With combat determined, we'll move onto your second assessment."

"Got it, Sir." Akio responded

After about 20 minutes of preparation, 5 ballistic dummies were laid on the ground in front of him.

"Getting people out of danger is the first part of rescue, and it is something I will already be implementing into your lessons from the ground up." Nighteye informed. "This test covers the other half, being how to treat anyone who is wounded. Most of the time you'll have seconds, perhaps a minute at most, to do it before you have to get back into the fray."

Akio understood the logic. "Got it, Sir."

There were a lot of things Akio felt he had to learn prior to this apprenticeship, and while he wasn't blind to this aspect of hero work, it had taken a backseat to those other topics. The only things he really understood of this was the basics of CPR and tending to broken bones.

"Then, get started." The Pro ordered. "The first dummy has gone into cardiac arrest, and you have no tools. Do what you can in the next minute to help them."

Akio placed one hand on the center of the dummy's chest and the other on top, interlocking the two together with his fingers. He kept his arms straight, using his body to push his hands down and pressing the chest in half a second. He continued to press at that speed for the next minute.

"Time's up." Nighteye then pointed to the next dummy. "The second dummy got hit in the head by falling debris. You only have twenty seconds to treat it with a water bottle and rag."

Akio wet the rag a bit, cleaning off the fake blood on the dummy's head for the first ten seconds. He then wrung out some of the fake blood and wet the rag again, placing it on the dummy's head before time was up.

Sir then pointed to the next dummy. "The third dummy sustained major burn injuries from a fire, and you only have what's on you to treat them for the next thirty seconds."

Akio quickly took note of tight fabric around the faux burned areas. He proceeded to remove the fabric from those areas alone and slowly poured the remaining water from the bottle in hand over the perceived, burned areas.

Nighteye directed Akio to the next dummy. "The fourth dummy suffered multiple cuts from glass to the face, including the eyes. You have fifteen seconds to tend some of the cuts."

Akio used the first five seconds to remove the glass on the eyes carefully, following with the next five second spent tying the fabric he removed from the prior dummy around the eyes. With the last five seconds, he removed as much glass from the rest of the dummy as was possible.

Sir went to the last one. "The final dummy suffered a broken bone in the leg, and you only have a small roll of tape to work with. Figure something out in forty five seconds."

Akio took the tape and looked at the broken leg. Nothing was sticking out, so he just needed a way to keep it from moving. He ended up utilizing the tape to bind the leg to the ground best as he could, figuring that in a real situation medical professionals could peal the tape away.

Nighteye inspected each of the dummies, telling Akio what he did right and wrong as he went. "With the first dummy, performing CPR was the correct choice; however, you pressed down hard enough to the point you broke off ribs in.

Don't push with all your strength, just hard enough to compress the chest by two to three inches. Cleaning the blood off of the head of the second dummy was smart. You could see how big the wound was, but just leaving a wet, partially bloody rag on the injury was not a good idea.

With the third dummy, you did the best you could with the time available which then gives medical professionals an easier time and ensures they can tend to other people quicker. Involving the fourth dummy, drying up the face was stupid.

You would have permanently damaged the victim if you did that to them. As for the last dummy, restraining the leg as you did is passable. The third dummy is treated perfectly while the fifth is something that works under the time constraints you were given.

Best Akio could figure: He was okay on one, passible on another, great on one more, and terrible on the remaining two. That seemed below average at best when it came to tending injuries. Based on how Nighteye addressed him, he was in the right place to learn better.

"Just as you need practice on pulling people out of action, we shall see you learn how to tend to people as well." Sir said. "Now that I know what you need to work on in rescue, we'll move to the final assessment."

"Understood, Sir." Akio replied.

The three of them cleaned up the area and left for another room. Nighteye instructed Akio to wait outside while he and Centipeder prepared the final assessment. After 30 minutes of waiting, they came out.

"You can enter the room now." Sir voiced.

Akio did as he was told and walked in the room. It looked like a normal office with a desk chair, bookshelves, potted plants, a rug, and a few posters hung on the wall. Pretty normal office stuff, except for a single camera on the ceiling in the far corner of the room.

"What is this assessment?" Akio asked.

Centipeder exited the room while Sir held up a dark brown key in his hand. "Once I leave, I'm going to lock the door behind me. You are then to use whatever deductive skills you may have to find the spare key in this room and use it exit. You have a time limit of one hour.

Before you try to unlock the door in any other way, the camera in this room is connected to a security system I can view on my phone, and I will be using it to monitor you. This test is important as not every enemy has a quirk that makes them physically powerful.

There are quirks that see a person's intellect exceed that of a normal person, or villains that successfully escape a crime scene only to fail at covering their tracks. While you could run into said foe again by coincidence, that is rare. The best pros tie up as many lose ends as they can.

Those pros who can conduct investigations almost always find an object of interest. I can't create a fake crime scene that can be solved in an hour, so doing a scavenger hunt for a spare key shall suffice." Sir walked to the door. "Oh, one last thing. Don't break anything or make a mess."

He then closed and locked the door.

Akio began by taking a cursory glance around the room. "Sir told me not to break anything or leave behind a mess, which tends to cut out quite a few places where one would put a key in this instance. With those rules in place, where would Sir put a key?"

It also stood to reason he was supposed to treat this as a crime scene, meaning no one would purposefully hide something as a clue to their whereabouts. He did suppose that could be part of the perceived villain's motive, though it seemed unlikely when put up against Nighteye.

Eventually, Akio's gaze lingered on the dark brown floor. There at the corner, directly under the ceiling camera, was an ever so slight bulge. He walked over and crouched down to see it was an exact replica of the key Nighteye had used to lock the door. Akio used it to unlock the door.

He then walked out to see Sir and Centipeder waiting for him, with the former speaking up. "Your deductive skills appear to leave nothing to be desired, though we'll still be working to cultivate them further."

"Understood, sir." Akio stated.

"With this third assessment behind us, I can now put together how to teach you properly." Nighteye voiced. "For the rest of today, I'll leave you in Juzo's capable hands. He shall show you around the agency and get you something to eat."

"Come with me, Yaoyorozu." Centipeder voiced. "Given everything you've just done, we'll get you food first prior to touring the agency."

"I would appreciate that." Akio voiced, following the sidekick.