Ch.43

By the end of the week, we learned that all of our class passed and got our provisional licenses. We had to take pictures with our current hero costume and then they would send us the licenses in another week. During that time we waited for the licenses, classes continued as normal but were much more demanding of us both physically and mentally. We also had to decide which hero we'd study under during the two months, we needed to pick who before the licenses came to us. Everyone who had multiple choices decided to pick someone different this time.

Once our licenses came and we all picked our heroes to study under, mine was my Uncle as I promised him. We all said our goodbyes, Rumi this time picked Endeavor after learning that I chose him for the first time and spoke highly of him. It turns out I was the only one who chose All Might or my Uncle made sure it was that way. Arriving outside my Uncle's house, I didn't bother knocking as I've been here too many times to count and he is family.

"Uncle Toshinori, I'm here!" I say as I unlock the door to enter his house and place my things down before walking into the kitchen and grabbing something to eat.

"Ah Young Akihiko! I was gonna grab you from your house, but this works too," my Uncle says coming out of his room in his normal clothes and seeing me eating some cereal.

"I figured, so I made sure to come early," I say with an indifferent shrug and he just laughs.

"I remember a time when you idolized me, now I feel you find me embarrassing!" my Uncle says with a chuckle and roughing my hair which annoys me. I may be considered very tall, but my Uncle is freakishly tall at 7'3" (221cm).

"So what are we doing today?" I ask with a slightly annoyed voice at him messing with me.

"Today is my off day, I want to see how far you've come since joining U.A.," my Uncle says pouring himself a bowl of cereal. I just nod my head.

Once we finish eating and he changes into his current hero uniform, he tells me to change into mine too. We both walk to the hero HQ in our home city to spar there, on the way many people point and stare at my Uncle. Several come up and ask for autographs as we walk, which begins to annoy me after a while. We finally arrive at the hero HQ in half an hour, which would normally have taken ten minutes. Though apparently, my Uncle doesn't say no to his fans.

"I can tell you right now all that attention would annoy me, so add that to another reason I'd not become a 'normal' hero," I say to my Uncle as we walk over to the training area after entering the hero HQ.

"You say that now, but many heroes come to love the attention and adoration of their fans," my Uncle says with a chuckle and pats my back.

"So you're an attention whore?" I say with a smirk at him, making him stare at me wide eyed and too stunned to respond right away.

"...Anyway, I've also invited Gran Torino here to watch the spar as he once helped train you and so I figured he might have some insight for both of us," my Uncle says to me after clearing his throat at my statement.

Walking inside the private sparing area that my Uncle probably reserved for today I see Gran Torino is already inside looking at some paperwork from his briefcase. He places it down when seeing us and nods his head in greeting.

"Akihiko and Toshinori, glad you both finally made it. I've been waiting for ten minutes," Gran Torino says with a smirk seeing my Uncle's embarrassed face, while I just shrug.

"All Might here can't say no to a fan who wants an autograph," I say while walking over to the other side of the room to wait for the sparing to begin.

"Don't I know that," Gran Torino says with a chuckle making my Uncle sigh in defeat at us.

"What are those papers? Our latest tests and results in the class this year?" I say as my Uncle is stretching before we begin.

"Yes, I'm finishing up some grades. As I'm sure you are aware you are at the top of the class with Keigo right behind you, seems you two have a rivalry going," Gran Torino says since he's noticed the tense atmosphere between Keigo and me.

"He just doesn't know how to mind his own business," I say with an indifferent shrug, while my Uncle looks between Gran Torino and me curiously.

"Well, we can discuss this rivalry you are talking about later. Akihiko make sure to not hold back, as I won't be," my Uncle says after listening to Gran Torino and me. I just shrug and want to see how strong I've become in my 'normal' form first.

My Uncle then gets into his fighting stance while motioning for me to come at him. Gran Torino is watching us quietly. I then kick off the ground launching myself at my Uncle, taking a stand boxing stance, and launching punches at him as fast as I can. Seems I currently outmatch my Uncle's power as he is slowly being overwhelmed by me. This surprises him as my punches land on him and are pushing him back. He can not go on the offensive as I'm too quick and strong for him to escape me. I small smile forms on my lips as I've finally able to easily defeat my Uncle in my 'normal' form. Deciding to finish the spar I slip past my Uncle and kick him with all my strength in his side that isn't injured. This sends him flying across the room but he is able to stop himself just in time before crashing into the wall.

"You've gotten so much stronger Akihiko! You should really consider being a normal hero and take my place as the symbol of peace," my Uncle says rubbing his side that is sure to bruise after that kick. Gran Torino just smiles at us seeing how much I've changed since he first trained me.

"No," I say with a neutral expression, making Gran Torino laugh as my Uncle looks defeated at my immediate answer.

"I still have these two months to change your mind!" my Uncle says with a determined look, while I just shrug.

"How about you both face me, maybe then you can make me become serious," I say with a smirk making Gran Torino share a look with my Uncle. They both nodded agreeing with me.

They both then take their fighting stance across from me, while I take a standard boxing stance. After staring at one another for a few tense seconds, Gran Torino launches himself around the room while my Uncle charges me. I dodge all my Uncle's strikes against me but I can tell he isn't holding back as each missed strike makes the room shake. Then Gran Torino finally launches himself at me and I was able to move out of the way just in time, but this gave my Uncle an opening to land a strike against me. His fist landed on my stomach making me take a few steps back as Gran Torino lands a few quick blows against me during my slit-second stun. Seems they are very well coordinated fighting together and are slowly overwhelming me in my 'normal' form.

I bring out my wings and feel my strength surge as if my real form is with my wings. Then just like when I faced Rumi and Cathy, it's like Gran Torino and my Uncle slowed down. I then punch my Uncle in the gut with enough strength to make him double over. I then move over to intercept Gran Torino and kick him hard enough to send him crashing into the wall. Once I strike both I withdraw my wings and time picks up again. They both fall to the ground unable to continue to fight, as my Uncle doubles over in pain and Gran Torino crashes into the wall slowly pulling himself up.

'Whenever I use my wings they bring natural comfort and make a huge surge in my strength. Without my wings, I feel incomplete and I know that I haven't finished growing in power, like an instinct telling me soon I will be complete,' I think to myself as both Gran Torino and my Uncle finally regain themselves, while looking at me with surprise.

"Akihiko, what did you just do?" Gran Torino asks me as my Uncle nods agreeing with his question. I explain to both of them the feeling I get when I use my wings and how when I'm fighting, time or my speed drastically increases to make it seem like time slows down.

"The more I learn about your quirk the more I feel you may just have the best quirk," Gran Torino says with a pained chuckle as he rubs his side that I struck.

"Sorahiko, can I talk with you for a second," my Uncle says to Gran Torino with a serious face and using his real name. They both then leave the room to discuss whatever, while I bring out my wings and try to understand why I feel the way I do whenever they are out. I just usually ignored it or considered it normal, but after it happened twice with some of the strongest people I know, there should be more than I know probably.

Having my wings out I focus on the instinct telling me there is not much time left before I fully reach my true potential. Seems to me that every year since first awakening my quirk I've grown stronger and should unlock my full potential by the end of next year. That means right after I graduate from U.A. I should unlock my true strength. Then after contemplating this both my Uncle and Gran Torino reenter the room.

"Akihiko, I have to tell you something. Something that only a handful of people know about, once I tell you this you can not tell anyone else," my Uncle says with a serious face, and even Gran Torino looks very serious too. I just nod my head waiting for him to continue.

"I was born quirkless and weak. I then met a woman who would become my Master and role model, she gave me her quirk, the one I have today. It's called One For All, there have been several people in the past who've had this quirk and each time it gets passed down it becomes more powerful. Ever since my injury from All For One, I can feel myself slowly getting weaker each year. I will need to find a successor for my quirk sooner or later. I'm fine for now and have a decent amount of time I feel before I really need to find a successor, but would you want to become the one I pass it down to?" my Uncle says to me dropping all this crazy information on me, stunning me as I'm trying to process what he told me.

"Here look, like you I have a 'real' form, as the one you've always known me it is just me using the quirk my Master gave me," my Uncle says before in a puff of smoke he turns into an extremely skinny version of himself. I just stare at this in disbelief for a few minutes trying to process this information.

"Why me? What would be expected of me?" I say after processing this for a bit.

"You have an already crazy good quirk and this might just make it even better, plus I believe deep down you have the right heart for this. I'd want you to take my place as the symbol of peace," my Uncle says before turning back into the form that I've always known with another puff of smoke.

"Then no, I will not take your place. I don't want the attention or this quirk, give it to someone who will be your real successor. I need to become the hero I believe the world really needs," I say after thinking about it for another few minutes and with deep conviction about what I want to become.

"I see...well until I find someone else I find worthy if you change your mind let me know," my Uncle says with a heavy sigh, seemingly disappointed in my choice. Though I just shrug off his disappointment as this information had only solidified my choice in becoming an underground hero.

"The world needs a symbol of peace, but it also needs someone who is willing to do the 'dirty' work. I will be the one who does what needs to be done," I say to them and they both just give me mixed emotions and complex looks.