At twelve years old, Takeru looked nothing like a normal kid. Standing six-foot-two with a build like a bull, Takeru simply did not gain fat even when he gorged himself on ice cream and yakiniku. Thank god, he thought. He could exert himself for weeks before needing any rest and could hold his breath for days without strain. He had the powers of a discount Superman, he thought, but in this world that already made him one of the most powerful beings on the planet. No wonder the scientists looked at him with a combination of awe and fear. He didn't blame them. If he went on a rampage he could level cities before anyone could stop him. From what Takeru had seen so far, only All Might could.
Today, though, he wasn't training or studying.He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, adjusting the controller in his hands while trying — and failing — to beat Hawks in a fighting game.
"Come on, big guy!" Keigo laughed, wings rustling as he leaned forward. "You can bench-press a mountain, but you can't mash buttons fast enough to beat me?"
Takeru scowled without real heat. "Strength isn't relevant to digital input speed."
Hawks snorted. "There you go again. Just say you suck."
"I'm learning."
"You've been learning for a year."
"That's how learning works," Takeru growled.
Hawks groaned dramatically. "Kid, you're exhausting sometimes."
Everyone else at the Commission treated him like a dangerous asset or a fragile component in a long-term project. Hawks was different. Keigo treated him like a little brother: ruffling his hair, dragging him outside the facility, buying him snacks he didn't need, and making him watch ridiculous movies. He was loud, reckless, and annoyingly perceptive. And for some reason, Hawks took it personally that Takeru had spent most of his early childhood alone.
Maybe Keigo saw himself in him — another orphan raised by the Commission and turned into a weapon.
The game declared Hawks the winner again. He threw his arms up. "Victory! Again! Ten-nil streak!"
"Yes, the top ten hero bragging about besting a child. Even your fan club would be disappointed," Takeru said, rolling his eyes.
"No one believes you're a child, Takeru-kun," Hawks replied, punching his arm and then immediately wincing after punching Takeru's invulnerable shoulder.
"You're not humble."
"Nope." Hawks winked. "Never pretended to be."
Takeru shut off the console. "Are we still going to the theme park?"
"Yep. Grab your coat."
Hawks always took him places: cinemas, arcades, parks, rooftops with good views — anything normal children got to enjoy. Takeru didn't understand why Hawks bothered, but he appreciated it.
They left through the secured side door. Outside, Hawks stretched his wings.
"All right, race you," Hawks said.
"I am faster than you, and I don't want to shatter building windows going supersonic," Takeru reminded him.
"And he calls me arrogant," Hawks scoffed. "Quirk regulations say minors with flight quirks need a licensed pro hero to authorize usage. Lucky for you, that's me."
Takeru and Hawks soared through the sky, talking through their earpieces as they looked down on the city.
They flew above the buildings, sunlight glinting off Hawks's feathers. People below didn't know the tall kid flying beside the Number 3 Hero could level several city blocs without trying. They just saw another student, another lucky kid getting a chance to fly with a celebrity.
"Hey, Takeru," Hawks shouted over the wind, "if you ever become a hero, you should pick a cool hero name. Something intimidating. Like Black Steel Titan. Or Shadow Muscle Guy. Actually no, that's terrible."
"My actual name already means black steel."
"Yeah, but we need something flashy! How about 'Invincible'?" Hawks insisted. "The fans will eat it up."
Takeru thought about it. "It's not bad, Keigo-san. I like it."
"Of course I'm a genius with great taste," Hawks said matter-of-factly.
Takeru just shook his head with a smile.
They landed behind the park and entered through a staff gate. Hawks waved at a few workers who instantly lit up at seeing him. Takeru trailed behind, watching the rollercoasters and vendor stalls with quiet curiosity. He never asked Sayo for things like this, never asked to go outside. He didn't want to give her leverage over him.
Hawks, however, dragged him onto rides, bought him food, and teased him when he didn't scream on rollercoasters.
"You're a monster," Hawks accused jokingly after one steep drop. "Most people freak out. You look like you're playing sudoku."
"The thrill comes from fear. Even if I fell off and hit the ground, I wouldn't get a scratch," Takeru replied.
"Of course. I forgot that you are a monster."
They stayed until late afternoon. As they flew back, Takeru felt grateful to have Keigo in his life. Probably the only person he trusted in this life. Keigo was a true hero.
Shun visited the next day, carrying a wrapped box.
"Another gift? You're too generous, Shun-san," Takeru said, raising a brow.
"A small one," Shun replied with his usual polite smile. "Noise-cancelling headphones. You said the training wing gets loud sometimes."
Takeru accepted them silently. Gifts weren't necessary, and he knew Shun didn't give them without reason. Shun wasn't sentimental. There was always an angle with him, Takeru thought.
Shun sat across from him at the table, setting up a card game. "Your training results are circulating. Sayo-sama is impressed. It's time we start discussing what kind of hero you want to be."
Takeru didn't reply. He shuffled the cards, dealt them out, and studied his hand.
Shun's eyes flicked to him over his cards. "You're on track to become the strongest hero in the country."
"That depends on All Might."
Shun's lips curled. "All Might is exceptional, yes. But power shifts to the next generation. Once you're in your twenties, I suspect he won't be the strongest anymore. But there is something I want you to learn from him."He tapped a hologram of All Might smiling with that trademark grin. The contrast between the Symbol of Peace and the stone-faced twelve-year-old sitting opposite him was almost comical.
"Takeru-kun, you're aware All Might is enormously strong, yes?"
Takeru blinked once. "He's the strongest hero in the world."
"Correct," Shun said, "but that's not what makes him the Symbol of Peace."
Takeru raised an eyebrow. "His strength does most of the work."
"No," Shun said firmly. "His image does most of the work."
He enlarged the hologram. All Might, beaming, waving, laughing.
"Takeru-kun, if All Might walked around with your expression—" Shun mimicked Takeru's calm blank stare "—the public would run."
Takeru didn't argue.
"You're huge," Shun continued calmly. "You've grown faster than the public will be ready for. Your quirk is powerful. You have an intimidating presence even without trying."
"I can't help it," Takeru said with a sigh.
"And that's fine," Shun replied. "But it becomes a problem once you go into the public eye. Big, serious, unreadable heroes create anxiety."
"You want me to act like All Might?"
"No," Shun chuckled. "Nobody can. But you can understand why it works."
He tapped again, switching to a photo of Hawks with a cheeky grin.
"Hawks is exploding in popularity," Shun said. "People love him because he's fun, approachable. He reassures them just by existing."
Takeru nodded slowly. "I can try."
"That's all we need," Shun said. "Relax your shoulders. Don't look like you're analyzing everyone. And maybe smile once in a while."
Takeru gave him a flat look.
Shun laughed. "See? That right there could put you in the top ten."
Takeru allowed a small smile. Shun was trying to plant ideas in his head — and it worked. It felt good to hear about his potential.
"Hero society is complicated," Shun continued. "But you already have what it takes. Discipline. Drive. Focus."
In the corner of his mind, something instinctual — something not entirely human — pushed him toward ambition. Toward the top. But Aoi Kobayashi, the soldier he once was, tempered those impulses.
For now, he played along.
He trained. He learned. He accepted praise and gifts.His only genuine connection remained Keigo.
Shun watched him closely and said:
"Madam President has given permission. You will go on your first mission at the end of this month."
Takeru nodded slowly.
He had expected this.And he was ready.