The adrenaline was gone.
What came after was the noise—reporters shouting, people crying, flashing lights and sirens converging like a collapsing circus.
I wasn't ready for that part.
We'd barely touched the ground before we were swarmed by pro heroes.
Death Arms marched right up to me, his face clenched in a frown that could bench press steel.
"You!" he barked, jabbing a finger at my chest. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could've died, kid! Worse, you could've gotten someone else killed!"
"Kamui Woods" followed close behind, voice smoother but no less stern. "You interfered in a hero operation without license or clearance. If All Might hadn't shown up when he did—"
"I know," I muttered, raising my hands slightly. "You're right. I didn't mean to—"
"You didn't mean to?!" Death Arms looked like he wanted to dropkick me through a wall. "You think this is a game? Heroes train for years before they step into something like that!"
I stayed quiet. Let it wash over me.
I wasn't even mad. They were right. Technically.
Kamui sighed. "Next time, leave it to the pros. You're lucky All Might vouched for you, or you'd be in cuffs."
With that, they turned and walked off, the crowd parting around them. Midoriya—still damp and blinking in shock—stood beside me the whole time, quiet.
Then, as things settled, I walked away. I needed air. Space.
But a few blocks down, I heard soft sneakers slapping the pavement behind me.
"Wait!"
I turned.
It was Midoriya.
His backpack swung awkwardly behind him as he ran up to me, still winded.
He stopped just short, bent slightly forward, panting.
"Hey," he said between breaths, "I just… I wanted to say thank you."
I blinked. "For what?"
"For saving Kacchan."
I scratched the back of my neck, glancing away. "That guy? Pretty sure he would've punched both of us if he wasn't half-dead."
"I know," Izuku said, grinning despite the bruise on his cheek. "But still. You saved him."
I hesitated, then shrugged. "No problem."
Izuku stared at me for a second, then tilted his head. "What's your name?"
I opened my mouth—paused.
My mind blanked.
My name?
What was my name?
I saw it in pieces. Shattered glass. Fragments. Something about who I was… felt slippery. Detached.
"…Jura," I said at last. "Jura Lee. Just call me Jura."
Midoriya smiled again. "That's a cool name."
Before I could respond, he asked, "So, uh… what's your quirk?"
I froze.
And then—pop.
A small notebook blinked into existence in front of Izuku. Literally materialized midair, like some digital graphic effect from an anime. It floated for a second before slapping into his hands.
What the hell? I thought, stiffening.
Midoriya didn't seem surprised. He just opened it with reverence, flipping pages like a priest reading scripture.
I stared at him. "Did… did that just appear out of nowhere?"
"What?" he asked, not looking up. "Oh! You mean the book? Nah, I keep it in my bag usually. Maybe it slipped out."
He didn't notice. But I did.
Something wasn't adding up.
We kept walking in silence. My nerves frayed, mind racing—but before I could dwell too deep, I heard footsteps behind us.
Louder. Angrier.
We both turned.
Bakugo.
Storming toward us, wild-eyed, fists clenched, his uniform half-dried and rumpled like it had lost a fight with a swamp.
"You think I needed your help?!" he snarled, stopping just short of Izuku and me. "I had it figured out, dammit!"
He stomped once, fists flaring faint sparks.
We didn't respond.
Then—without warning—he pulled a crumpled pack of gum from his pocket and hurled it at the pavement in front of us.
The gum bounced once. Twice. Settled in a little puddle.
"I don't owe you anything," he growled. "Stay out of my way."
And with that, he turned and sprinted off, shoulders stiff, teeth clenched.
Izuku sighed. "He always does that."
I said nothing.
I just stared at the gum.
The concrete cracked.
A gust of wind slammed down around us, rustling my jacket, nearly knocking Izuku's notebook from his hands.
Then came the laugh.
"Ho ho ho ho ho!"
We both jerked back as a mountain of muscle landed in front of us with theatrical perfection—shoulders broad, arms crossed, that iconic smile blazing under golden bangs.
All Might.
Here. Towering. Real.
"Good work, boys!" he boomed, hands on his hips. "Your bravery today was no small thing!"
Izuku immediately shrank into himself, mouth agape, trembling like a kitten in a thunderstorm. His fingers clutched his notebook so tightly it might've fused to his palm.
All Might's eyes landed on him first—gentle, for all their power.
"Young man," he said, voice deep but warm, "you were the one who made the difference back there."
Izuku blinked rapidly. "Wh… what?"
All Might stepped forward. "Despite being Quirkless, you moved. You didn't hesitate. You didn't calculate odds. You acted. You did what all the great heroes do—what I've done, what every true hero does."
He crouched slightly, gaze level.
"You moved before you could think, to save someone else's life."
Izuku's lips trembled.
"I—" he choked, voice cracking, "I just… I had to try…!"
His knees gave slightly, tears running down his cheeks.
"I wanted to save him… even if I couldn't do anything… even if I…"
All Might grinned wider.
"You can become a hero."
Izuku crumpled completely, sobbing openly. His body shook as years of rejection cracked under that one sentence.
All Might gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Then he turned to me.
"And you…" His smile didn't fade, but there was a different kind of weight behind it now. "I saw what you did, too. You moved to protect both of them. You risked yourself without knowing the danger. No backup. No training."
I shrugged a little. "Felt like the right thing to do."
He nodded, as if that answer pleased him. "You've got the instincts. The desire to sacrifice. The heart of a hero."
Then he straightened up.
"I would be honored," he said, voice rising again with that showman's charisma, "to train both of you personally."
Izuku gasped. I blinked.
Both?
Before I could react, I noticed the edges of his form… trembling.
His smile faltered. His knees wobbled. And then—
POOF.
Smoke burst outward like someone detonated a powder keg of dignity.
And there he stood: hunched, skeletal, hair limp, his clothes hanging off his frail frame like a borrowed robe.
Izuku screamed.
I widened my eyes—purely for show.
Ah, I thought. So this is the part where the illusion breaks.
"Wha—?!" Izuku stammered, panicking. "Did you go over your limit?! Are you—are you okay?!"
All Might raised a hand, chuckling weakly. "Fear not…! This is… how I usually look…"
I kept my expression tight, eyebrows lifted.
"Woah," I said, deadpan. "That's… something else."
Inside, though?
I was already thinking.
All Might wiped his face with a sleeve, still steaming from the transformation.
"I'll explain more later," he said, his voice now raspier but no less sincere. "But for now—if I'm going to train you both, I'll need a way to reach you."
He reached into his costume—now baggy like a tent around his emaciated frame—and pulled out a small notepad and a pen.
"Your contact info," he said, handing it to Midoriya first.
Izuku nodded quickly, scribbling down his number like his life depended on it.
All Might turned to me.
"And you, young Jura?"
I paused.
That pressure again. But this time, it wasn't from a gate or fight or hidden strength. This was something much simpler.
I had nothing.
No phone.
No ID.
No address.
"…I don't have a phone," I said finally.
Izuku looked at me, surprised.
All Might blinked. "Ah. That's alright. I can help with—do you have a place to stay, then? A dorm, perhaps?"
I hesitated again. The air around us felt strangely quiet, as if the world was leaning in to listen.
"…Not really," I said.
All Might tilted his head. "Not really?"
I exhaled slowly, hands in my pockets.
"I've been… sleeping on rooftops."
Izuku stared, his eyes wide.
All Might's face softened—not with pity, but something heavier. Something understanding.
"I see," he said at last, slowly. "Then that won't do."
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's quiet up there. No one bothers me. I get by."
"Getting by isn't enough," All Might said, his voice growing firmer, serious. "If you're going to train with me—truly train—then you'll need rest. Nutrition. Stability."
I stayed silent, but my jaw tightened.
For a second, I thought he might look disappointed.
But instead, he smiled
"Um—" Izuku raised his hand like he was answering a teacher. "He… he can stay with me."
Both All Might and I turned toward him.
Izuku fidgeted, his cheeks red, but he kept talking. "My mom wouldn't mind. She'd probably be happy, honestly. I, uh… I don't really bring friends home often, and she's always saying how I need to socialize more."
He chuckled nervously, then looked up at me with those big, honest eyes.
"And, I mean… you saved Kacchan. And me. So, it's the least I can do."
I blinked.
The offer hit harder than I expected.
All Might raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised—but not displeased. "Well now. That's quite generous of you, young Midoriya."
Izuku's face turned scarlet, but he nodded. "I just… I don't want him sleeping on rooftops."
I stared at him.
For all the chaos today—sludge monsters, gates unlocking in my skull, and a golden-haired god offering personal training—this might've been the most unexpected moment.
Kindness. Without hesitation. No strings.
"…Thanks," I said quietly. "I'd appreciate that."
Izuku grinned like I'd just told him he'd passed the U.A. entrance exam.
All Might smiled, then gave me a nod. "It's settled, then. I'll reach out tomorrow about training. But for tonight, get rest. Both of you."
He turned and walked off, his limping frame vanishing into an alley before poof—a cloud of steam marked his full departure.
I stood at the threshold of a modest apartment, backpack-less, phone-less, and still faintly steaming from the afterglow of a gate I didn't understand.
Izuku unlocked the door. "Mom! I'm home!"
"Coming!" called a voice from inside—warm, full of care.
Then she appeared.
Short. Soft-looking. Big green eyes filled with worry the moment she saw her son—still a little dusty, his cheeks scratched.
"Oh my god, Izuku! You been out for a long time!What happened to your face?!" she rushed in, cupping his chin and checking every square inch of him like she had X-ray vision.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! There was a villain incident, but—"
"A what?!" she spun on me with such sudden maternal force I nearly flinched.
"And you are—?"
Izuku raised both hands defensively. "This is Jura! He… he saved Kacchan! And me. He's the reason we're okay."
Her eyes softened immediately. She looked up at me—really looked—and all her fear melted into gratitude.
"You saved my baby?"
I nodded, awkward. "Just… right place, right time."
She blinked back tears and pulled me into a hug I didn't expect.
"You're staying for dinner," she said. "And the night. And—well, as long as you need."
I didn't know how to respond to that. It had been… a long time since someone touched me without suspicion.
Dinner was quiet, cozy.
Izuku talked fast, hands flailing with excitement as he recapped the entire sludge monster incident—accurate to the frame, of course. Inko listened like she was hearing a bedtime story from a six-year-old who'd just discovered dragons.
Then came the questions.
"So, Jura, what school do you go to?"
Right. Time to lie like a local.
"I, uh… was homeschooled. Kind of a traveling thing. My family moved a lot."
"Do you have parents nearby?"
I shook my head. "Not anymore."
"Oh, sweetie…"
Izuku looked down at his plate.
I gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I'm used to figuring things out on my own."
She nodded, but her eyes were glassy. "Well, not anymore, you're not. As long as you're here, you're part of this household."
"Thank you," I said, quietly. And I meant it.
———
The wind was crisp, salt-heavy, coming off the ocean.
We stood before a vast stretch of junk—appliances, car parts, broken furniture, garbage as far as the eye could see.
All Might, now in full powered-up form, stood atop a rusted refrigerator like a conqueror.
"Welcome, my young apprentices!" he boomed. "Today marks the beginning of your path to becoming real heroes!"
Izuku beamed.
I just squinted.
"…This is a dump," I muttered.
All Might grinned. "Precisely. And by the time we're done, it'll be spotless!"
Izuku nodded eagerly. "He probably means we'll be doing physical training. He cleaned all this up when he was younger too, remember?"
"Exactly!" All Might said. "And it will do wonders for your core strength, stamina, reflexes, and discipline!"
He handed Izuku a detailed printout. Then he turned to me and frowned slightly.
"I'm not sure what your quirk is exactly, Jura… but you moved at a level beyond any untrained body I've ever seen. Whatever you used—"
I stayed quiet.
"—it's powerful. And dangerous."
He stepped closer, quieter now.
"That kind of strength… comes at a cost. So we'll build your foundation from the ground up. No shortcuts."
"Yes sir," I said.