A Day Later (February 21, 2125)
My two suitcases laid open on my bed.
The first held necessities: Seeds for growing both legal and illegal herbs, various kinds of chemical equipment kits, two laptops humming with black-market encryption, and three drives loaded with everything I had learned so far about this world.
All the quirks, all the cases, all my research. As well as everything that was personal to me, to help me survive just a bit longer in this world.
Every known man-made fighting style, optimized exercise plans for the body of a regular human, personal chemical solutions I learned to synthesize from plants, and my blueprints for a weapon that I had been designing for over three years.
Something I would eventually showcase at U.A. as a hero.
I also had seven nondescript outfits, and a box of voice-altering masks—identical to the ones I used for Insight in Japan.
Just In case I ever felt like solving a murder.
Which was always.
The second suitcase was filled with things that mattered to my soul.
A dog-eared sketchbook, bursting with plans and memories drawn by my sisters for what we had done so far together, and would do, in the future.
Then a stasis freezer jar preserving Hana's first water snowflake, frozen in an eternal state.
There was also Yuna's mixtape scrawled with [BEWARE: Siren Screamo (Track 4 Will Make You Puke!!).]
The rest of the suitcase was filled with my generic clothes, shoes, and accessories.
The rest of my life—my new life—fit into a single leather satchel.
Forged documents for my new identity in Japan.
Fake birth and medical certificates for a boy who didn't exist.
Fake school records for a prodigy who had never heard of the Takeda name.
And a card/cash money to pay for rent and food until I graduated.
My parents might have been shipping me off, but they weren't assessing my ability to make money. It was my ability to thrive in a world of heroes and villains as a frontline fighter.
So they didn't leave me penniless.
Which was good, I didn't want to work a part-time job while trying to save a country.
Ziiiiip~
I zipped the suitcases shut and made my way downstairs.
Mom stood in the foyer, her perfume a clinical blend of jasmine and antiseptic. She didn't reach out.
"The jet leaves in forty minutes," she said, adjusting her lab coat sleeve. "We expect to hear good news soon."
Behind her, the twins clung to Carson's sleeves.
Hana's fingers twisted the hem of her dress into damp knots, while Yuna's lower lip wobbled dangerously.
It seems they found out they couldn't come with me to Japan. And that I wouldn't be coming back to the house until at least three years later.
"Where's Father?" I asked Mother, though I already knew. It was basic etiquette to ask though.
Mother's face didn't twitch. "Reviewing an agency's data charts. He sends his… regards."
A clear lie.
But one I didn't see the point in exposing.
Yuna exploded first.
"This is stupid!" She lunged, fists balled in my shirt, her voice unintentionally imbued with half-formed hypnotic charm.
"You can't—you can't just leave! Who's gonna help us when Hana's power freezes the TV? Or tell me not to sing at the stupid garden parties?!"
Hana hovered behind her, a trembling orb of saltwater suspended above her palm.
Morphing into different shapes every half second.
'Our secret code created by using her quirk'
"S-T-A-Y" she wrote as I ruffled her head.
Then I crouched, prying Yuna's fingers loose. "You'll be fine. You've got Carson."
"Carson's old," she sniffed. "He doesn't even know how to griddy to cheer me up!"
The butler coughed into his glove. "I've been meaning to practice, young miss."
Hana's water orb stretched, forming shaky letters: "P-R-O-M-I-S-E?"
"Promise what?"
She pointed at my chest, then hers. "Come back safe."
I flicked her forehead playfully.
The water splashed to the floor.
"Stop worrying about me, and focus on yourselves. I'll send you both a robot arm from the exam."
Yuna perked up. "Robot arm?"
"Yuh-huh. If you're lucky, maybe it will shoot lasers."
And I watched with joy as their eyes slowly opened in excitement.
Mom cleared her throat. "Enough Hakuro. The car."
"Yeah, I'm coming."
As I stood up, Mr. Carson stepped forward, offering a velvet box.
Inside laid a silver pendant shaped like a Bonsai tree—the Takeda family crest. "For… emergencies," he murmured.
I pocketed it without looking.
"I'll make you both proud, Mother. Despite any preconceived notions you have of my capabilities."
And I noticed Mother's eyelid twitch faintly. "Noted."
I sat in the back of the car as Carson loaded my suitcases in the trunk.
I gave a final wave of goodbye to my family as we drove away.
The twins' cried as they chased me down the driveway.
But I didn't look back.
It would only encourage them.
***
My mind churned as the jet pierced the clouds and I fiddled with the new government I.D. my parents handed me.
'Amago.'
'Hakuro Amago.'
My new name in Japan.
It was like a cruel form of fate.
With the identical name from my old life, I was visiting my previous dream country in this life.
My reflection in the aisle window looked unamused.
I shifted through my other documents.
'Fifteen. Orphaned just recently by villains. Quirk: Pattern Recognition.'
A power that explained top test scores and IQ tests without inviting scrutiny.
The quirk name I copied from a dear detective. And suggested my parents to use.
***
"Ah-Ah-Ah Choo!~" Shinra sneezed, dropping some case files on the ground.
An intern behind him swirled around in his chair, "Woah~ That was a big one captain! That means someones gossiping about you!"
Shinra began reorganizing his desk, "Knowing my luck, Insight was caught using my badge and I got reported to the FBI."
***
I faked a quirk because I'd rather not attend U.A. known as being quirkless.
Why?
Because humans are sharks.
Show them a drop of vulnerability, and instinct overrides reason.
At U.A., power isn't just currency—it's oxygen. And I refused to suffocate in their pity or scorn.
So it seemed easier to just 'fit in', as part of the quirk users.
And how would they prove that I was lying? Come to America?
***
The jet touched down at midnight almost a day later.
I booked a cab to my new place of residence.
By 1 AM, I stood on a suburban street lined with short trees and simple clean grass hedges.
I looked up, staring at the two-story Western-style house.
I looked at my neighbors, and their house seemed fairly… familiar.
'I'll meet the neighbors eventually.' I told myself.
A [For Rent] sign hung crookedly on the brick wall surrounding my new house, its edges chewed by bugs.
'Home sweet home.' I hummed in my mind as I walked towards the front door.
The keys Mom provided fit snugly inside the lock.
It was dark and abandoned.
White dusty sheets covered furniture, with dirt and trash littering the floor.
It seems the house had been left unkept for a couple of months, and the previous owners didn't bother cleaning before vacating.
I entered the master bedroom, and after lifting the sheets, I found multiple used condoms.
'...Charming.'
'It's really late into the night, and I need to fix my sleep schedule to be in top condition for the entrance exam after all.'
'So for now, I'll rest. I'll clean tomorrow.'
The silence consumed me, as I slept on the living room floor, wrapped in a spare jacket.
***
[The next day, afternoon. February 22nd]
I sat in the kitchen I had finally finished cleaning, sipping a cup of orange juice while I nibbled on some scrambled eggs.
I had bought some groceries while buying a set of basic tableware, and cleaning supplies for the house.
When I got back, I cleaned the rooms I needed the most.
Bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
My laptop was open, as I studied my notes for the upcoming Entrance exam.
I had spent an hour digging up previous exams that U.A. published from the past.
U.A.'s written exam was child's play—the typical test filled with multiple-choice questions that barely changed through the years.
Which made sense, they were training heroes. Not scientists.
I finished eating in ten minutes while I typed out the most likely questions to appear in the exam.
I got up to wash my plates, before I heard a ding from my laptop.
A smile grew on my face as I hit the [Accept Call] button.
Yuna's face appeared on my laptop screen. Behind her, Hana floated upside-down in a water bubble, scribbling on the ceiling.
"You didn't text!" Yuna yelled.
I chuckled, "Sorry sorry, I was busy touring Japan. How are you two?"
"We're dying!" Yuna admitted, her eyes wide open. "Hana flooded the east wing again! And Dad keeps giving us talks about how to 'harness your potential' and blah blah blah! I'm bored—"
Pop~
Hana's bubble popped, and she fell to the floor with a thud.
But unbothered, she got up, only rubbing the back of her head slightly.
She was holding up a crayon diagram: NII-SAN vs. ROBOTS (WIN!!!)
Yuna took the paper. "We had more ideas for you! We added lasers! And a secret spike cannon that—"
"Young Miss's!" I heard Carson off screen. "Your mother is asking why you are late for study time!'
"..."
My sisters looked at each other in fear.
"Bye Haku Nii-san!"/ "Wish us luck Haku nii-san."
Then the screen suddenly went black.
'I trust they didn't get in too much trouble.' I mumbled in my head.
'But, speaking of robots…'
I swiped the tab on my laptop, switching to my other notes.
U.A. ENTRANCE EXAM: ROBOT MODELS
1-Pointer: Scout-class. Aluminum alloy, 2m tall. Weakness: Exposed wiring at the cervical joint.
2-Pointer: Bruiser-class. Titanium reinforcement. Weakness: Overheats from continuous strenuous combat.
3-Pointer: Siege-class. 4m tall, plasma cannons. Weakness: None found so far.
These were the details I gathered together after combining what I remember from seeing in the anime, and what I could find online through my own research.
I didn't list the 0-pointer for…obvious reasons.
I had no reasonable method (or need) to defeat one.
Now.
My goal for the entrance exam was simple.
Pass.
Ideally, I would be placed in Class 1-B. Not 1-A with all their incidents.
But I was confident in dealing with either situation.
It was like asking someone to solve 1 math problem or 100. I can do both, it's just that one option is easier.
Now there were two methods to score points.
Villain points, which you got from defeating robots. And Rescue points, from performing heroic acts.
The school obviously wouldn't inform students about Rescue points, because they wanted to judge and score our genuine behavior.
Which I planned on taking advantage of.
The exam would have a ten minute timer.
And in the anime, the highest score was from Bakugo, which I think was around 70-80 points, purely from destroying robots.
If I wanted to be safe, I should aim for at least 40 points total to get into U.A.
'Getting those points within that time frame though…'
I swiped tabs again, and zoomed in on a Siege-class robot photo.
It would be ideal if I could find a method to defeat these things.
It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I had to jump into a fight with the 3-pointers unprepared.
I clicked play on a video that someone had posted from U.A.'s last year's exam onto Youtube.
The Siege-class robot fired off a laser blast.
The student, with what seemed like a shield made of pure energy around his wrists, spun midair, and swatted the blast away.
Steam radiated from the robot's left thruster in short bursts, and a flash of blue immediately caught my eye—a coolant leak pattern.
'Got you.'
'A way to neuter them and sabotage their fuel supply.'
To fire the beam, the robot lowered its head to open a compartment, where the laser was located.
After firing the blast, the exposed wiring which was connected to the fuel was visible for a split second.
'The only problem is that it's in a rather difficult location to access, and the window of opportunity to strike is incredibly brief.'
'But once a weakness is known, it can be exploited.'
I continued jotting down notes for a couple of hours, and the more I looked at the situation, the more I yearned for technological talent.
Something on par with my analytical skills.
If I could be like Mei Hatsume, or Melissa Shield, I could become this world's Iron Man.
But that dream died long ago.
I possessed no aptitude for inventions.
I understood the purpose of each component of a machine, and I could detail them down to their molecular structure.
But bringing all the pieces together, and trying to make a larger contraption was... for me, an impossible task.
I remembered a childhood memory in my lab in the east wing of my home, reduced to nothing but ash when I was eleven.
I was bedridden for a couple of months and had to see multiple quirk doctors.
Thankfully everything ended well.
But just that incident should prove my skill in inventing.
However the only invention I have pride in is my personal weapon.
It took three years of relentless effort and unwavering determination to design a personal weapon for myself.
Three years.
But as they say, comparison is the killer of joy.
I didn't need to invent; I needed to use what was already in front of me.
There were already answers within reach. No need for complex gadgets or contraptions.
Just my mind and the willpower to push through.
The strategy would be simple: make what I have work.
I took pride in my ability to succeed without relying on a quirk
And I would become the first quirkless individual to pass this exam.
The first to pass, and the first to graduate.
'I'm coming your way. U.A.'
***
[Third Person POV]
Two Weeks Earlier
The air in U.A.'s principal office hummed with quiet energy, sunlight reflecting off the mahogany desk where the principal sat, paws folded over a crisp handwritten letter.
The room smelled of fresh tea and old ink.
All Might, gaunt and weary, sipped gingerly from a teacup that looked comically large in his bony hands, while Nezu drank from a similar designed cup, but one designed to match his smaller size.
"Well, well, well," Nezu trilled, setting down a letter embossed with a tree emblem. "How wonderfully pleasant and unexpectedly intriguing."
All Might leaned forward, his gaunt face pinched with curiosity. "What is it, Nezu?"
The principal's paw tapped a playful tune on the desk. "Did you know my predecessor once tried to recruit a middle schooler? A very peculiar case since it was one of the few failures he deemed in his career."
"Roshi-sama? Recruit a student? But the laws against underaged recruitment—"
"—didn't exist back then," Nezu interrupted, eyes gleaming. "But he most likely would have still broken that law in my opinion."
Nezu twirled in his seat, before stopping to gaze out the window.
"The incident was thirty-eight years ago. The boy had a quirk called Oni—a transformation-type that enhanced his strength and granted him various other abilities. Roshi-sensei saw vast… potential in him."
All Might's brow furrowed. "Oni? That quirk sounds somewhat familiar. What was his name?"
"Hiroshi Takeda."
All Might nearly choked on his tea. "The Hiroshi Takeda? Co-founder of Hero's Reserve?"
"The very same." Nezu's tail swished. "He declined Roshi sensei's offer. And once he graduated, he left Japan to live in America. But it seems that in a twist of fate, he is returning. Albeit, in a different manner."
Nezu slid the letter across the desk.
All Might scanned the contents, his skeletal fingers holding the paper. "His son… Hakuro Takeda. Quirk: Pattern? A mental quirk, then. And a rare one at that."
All Might kept reading, "Enhanced cognition, rapid problem-solving, predictive analysis—like a supercomputer that dissects chaos. It's… not unlike your own quirk Nezu."
Nezu's eyes began gleaming, "Exceedingly so! Physical quirks dominate the charts, but mental ones? They're subtle, isolating. Imagine seeing the world as equations yet struggling to explain your own mind."
His voice softened, almost wistful. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to mentor someone who… understands."
All Might grinned for his friend, his signature smile brightening the room. "Teaching Hakuro could be fun for you! Imagine the puzzles you'd solve together if you occasionally met up!"
He chuckled warmly. "It'd be a nice change of pace, don't you think? Someone to keep up with that brilliant mind of yours?!"
Nezu crossed his paws, eyes glinting with calculated curiosity. "Oh, I've already considered it—extensively. And in exchange for sponsoring the school, his father requests we… oversee the boy's tenure in Japan. Discreetly, of course."
All Might raised a brow, "Surely you're not suggesting special treatment I hope?"
Nezu chuckled, "Nothing close to that All Might. But mental quirks demand unique guidance. Isolation breeds doubt, and doubt…" He tapped the file meaningfully. "…can fester into recklessness. Hakuro needs challenges that sharpen his mind."
All Might nodded slowly, "And his father's… request?"
Nezu waved a paw, "A sponsorship in exchange for discretion. To hide the boy's true identity and birthplace."
"I see…"
A beat of silence passed.
All Might's thoughts drifted to a small, green-haired student—who darted across the training field in his mind.
'Young Midoriya… You've faced challenges, but this? A mind that dissects battles before they begin? It will be a worthwhile trial to experience. But that's it, isn't it?'
All Might's chest tightened with pride.
'You've always turned obstacles into fuel. If Hakuro's quirk is a scalpel, yours is a hammer—blunt, relentless. Different tools, same purpose. Prove your strength Midoriya. Prove yourself right.'
Nezu broke the silence, "You're thinking of him, aren't you? About young Midoriya."
All Might startled, "How—?"
Nezu smiled slyly, "You've got that look. Like a man watching his son growing up, equal parts worry and awe."
He hopped down from his chair, padding to the window. "Competition sharpens even the dullest blades, All Might. And UA's forge is about to get hotter."
All Might stood as well, "Then we'd best stoke the hottest flames."
As Nezu scribbled his approval on Hakuro's application, All Might's thoughts lingered on the future—where one boy's relentless heart would soon collide with another's—
Chapter 4 - Calculative Mind
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Hello again!
I hope this chapter was good.
Definitely not as impactful as the other chapters so far, but a sort of middle ground before shifting the environment completely.
Any critiques about the Chapter are appreciated. I wanna be better obviously.
But some compliments about the story wouldn't hurt... (It motivates me to keep writing this for free lol.)