Everything was a blur. Red lights painted the neighbourhood. Police sirens rang through the streets. And the Pro Heroes arrived in a frenzy of colours and shapes, attracting a small crowd of civilians with their presence. The one that garnered the most attention was a Heroine who resembled a chameleon, and a blond Hero who could elongate his limbs. The two collaborated their efforts to help Scarlett and the rest down the construction site.

As soon as they touched the ground, the Villain was apprehended and taken to the nearest police station, while a couple of police officers swarmed Scarlett and the mouse-like Hero. Their words were disjointed as they questioned the two, prompting them to give their initial statements about the events that had occurred.

At least, that’s what Scarlett believed was happening. Why else would they want to talk to her?

She stared hard at the officers, doing her best to ignore the persistent throb behind her tired eyes and pay attention to them. But it was a lot more challenging than she thought. Although she was able to steady herself somewhat beforehand, there was little she could do about the lethargy from using her Quirk. Sometimes a snack would help, but that was only a temporary boost in energy. A nap would be better. Yes, a nap would be great right now…

Scarlett blinked, pushing the thought away. No way was she going to pass out in front of all these people. Not after the fuss that happened the last time she did. No. She was better than that. She could withstand their questioning. 

Scarlett suppressed the urge to yawn for the fifth time, noting the harsh gaze and tone of voice from the policemen in front of her. She didn’t need to understand the language to know they were unhappy with her embroilment tonight. But the small Hero by her side kept his promise, acting as a translator and ensuring they understood it was his idea to bring her along, all while apologising profusely for it. He even made an effort to hide the full extent of Scarlett’s abilities, telling the officers that she could regenerate to some degree, and that she was not in immediate harm’s way when she came to help.

Scarlett was unsure how that would help her case, but it seemed to quiet their disapproval for the time being. A passive Quirk, like healing, seemed to be a lot more acceptable in their eyes. But it made her wonder what would happen if they had found her crystal grappling hook.

Her fingers gravitated to her coat pocket. The condensed crystallised bone softly clinked under her touch, muffled by the sleeping mask she had bought earlier. Before the authorities had arrived, the mouse-like Hero instructed Scarlett to compress the crystals as much as she could to be able to hide them away. And while she could keep the crystallised bones inside her pocket, the blood chain and its length were going to be a problem.

But Scarlett did what she was told, using the rest of her stamina to shrink them all. Pushing and enforcing her will on her blood, it grew smaller until she could wrap it around herself, hiding it under her coat as a makeshift belt for her joggers. It was the best she could think of in such a short amount of time. And as long as the police found no reason to search her, she should be in the clear. 

Scarlett realigned her focus back onto the officers. If the worse case scenario played out, maybe she could lie about being into fashion? 

She forced her hands away from her pockets. The idea of trying to convince the police that her blood belt was a fashion statement sounded like it would use too much energy to pull off. It’d be better if I could completely avoid it.

But her chance to plan a strategy was interrupted by the arrival of a red Heroine with horns, and a bat-winged Hero. As they were brought up to speed, they reacted just like the mouse-like Hero had said. Those who were displeased, such as the red Heroine, simply told her off—pointing out that despite her Quirk’s abilities, she should have left everything to the professionals. Others, like the long-limbed man, chalked it up to the immaturity that came with her age.

Scarlett ignored their comments, simply too exhausted to defend herself against them. It would have been arduous to do so, especially with a language barrier between them as well. 

But much to her surprise, some Heroes, such as the chameleon-like lady and the large bat-winged Hero, were impressed by her quick thinking and the potential use of her Quirk. They bombarded her with the idea of becoming their sidekick when she was older. But their words and overenthusiasm failed to pass through the hazy fog that obscured her tired mind.

Noticing how she recoiled into herself at their increased liveliness, the small Hero by her side guided Scarlett away from the hustle and bustle around them. He helped Scarlett settle down on a stack of wooden pallets, before leaving to return with a bottle of water and a warm blanket. He handed the bottle to Scarlett, which she gratefully accepted, while he wrapped himself up with the blanket as his coat was taken away to be used as evidence.

Using the moment of respite to take a sip, Scarlett’s eyes wandered to the Pro Heroes, who began to clear and reassemble the collapsed scaffolding.

A crimson-red energy surrounded some of the steel pipes as the red Heroine moved her hands, commanding the metal beams to slot themselves back into place. But it seemed she could only control a few at a time, leading to the other Heroes, such as the chameleon-like lady, the bat-winged Hero and the long-limbed man, to manually reconstruct the fallen scaffolds. Climbing, flying, stretching, they all worked in tandem, using their Quirks to ensure the old red brick building was not damaged during the ordeal. It was almost like a performance.

But Scarlett looked away, glancing down at her hands. While the bite mark had stopped bleeding, her palms were still red and raw from swinging the crystal grappling hook and pulling the Scarecrow-like figure up. She replayed the scenario again and again, encouraging the tightness in her chest to continue to grip her. While she had only used her Quirk a handful of times, her stamina had almost been completely drained.

She clenched the bottle in her hands a little harder. The time she had used her Quirk to recover her injuries from the incident with the bald man was different. Those wounds were extensive enough to require every ounce of her energy to heal. But today, there was no excuse. Using her Quirk as much as she did today should not have exhausted her this much. Scarlett’s gaze hardened as she stared at her hands. Her fraying bandages continued to peek through the cuffs of her coat. Was this the extent of her capabilities now?

The thought gnawed at her, forcing Scarlett to turn away, unable to face the Pro Heroes who flaunted their expertise over their Quirks in front of her. Maybe the fatigue was making her more grouchy than usual. That had to be it. Or why else would she want to make up for the difference in skills between them and herself?

“How are you feeling now?” asked the mouse-like Hero, breaking Scarlett away from her thoughts. 

“A little better. But I’ll be fine once I sleep.”

“That’s good. We should be finished here shortly, so you can head home soon.” His eyes scanned the flashing police cars. “Do you need a ride back? I’m sure I can ask one of the policemen to offer to take you home.”

“Ah, no, that’s alright,” she said, already imagining the horror on her sisters’ faces if she arrived in a police car, instead of bringing back the snacks like she had promised. Scarlett stiffened. Oh no, the snacks! I left them at the convenience store! She silently groaned, rising from her makeshift seat. “Actually, I need to run a small errand, so if we’re done here, can I leave?”

A look of hesitation flashed on his face before quickly disappearing behind a smile. Scarlett rubbed her heavy eyelids. She must have imagined it. “Sure thing,” he said. “Let’s see if the officers are okay with that.”

The small Hero helped Scarlett leave the construction site. He made sure the officers were satisfied with her departure, ensuring there was no reason to keep her around. Once that was resolved, she left with little issue, other than a final comment to not make a habit of interfering with Hero work. Scarlett forced a smile to convey her agreement as she made her way to the entrance, while the stout individual was not far behind her.

“If you don’t mind,” he called out, “could I tag along for a little bit? There’s something I wanted to ask you.” 

Scarlett’s mouth curled with apprehension. “Um, alright, then.”

Brushing past the small crowd, they both slowly made their way back to the convenience store. But Scarlett’s eyes never left her last-minute companion. She surveyed him as they walked, trying to ascertain what he was thinking. But his face remained neutral.

A simple thought tugged at her tired mind. Could this be about the deal they made? I mean, there’s no other reason for him to want to talk to me, is there?

“Sorry to bother you when you have things to do,” he said after they gained some distance, “but I couldn’t help but wonder what were you going to do now.”

Scarlett furrowed her brows slightly. “I just need to collect my stuff from the convenience store. Is that a problem?”

“What? No, no, not at all.” He waved his hands apologetically. “I meant to say what are you thinking about in the long-term, like what are your plans for the future?”

“Why?”

“I was just thinking about what Chameleon Girl and Nocturne were saying when they asked you to become one of their sidekicks—I mean, you’re still so young, but have you considered becoming a Pro Hero?”

Scarlett paused. Her stiff expressions became useful for once as she did her best not to frown. “Not really,” she lied.

It didn’t feel good. It never did. But she knew how weird it would be if she blurted out the truth after going out of her way to help someone. And she didn’t have the energy to deal with more questions. She would rather drop the conversation altogether.

The Hero raised a brow. “Well, maybe you should consider it. I know the deadline for applying to Hero Courses in Japan is approaching soon. Unless you’re not planning to stay in Japan for that long?”

His inquiry caused Scarlett to tense. It was a simple question. But Scarlett had no answer. She had no idea how long she and her sisters were going to stay in this country. “Uh, I don’t—wait, what makes you think I won’t be here for long?”

“Oh, I didn’t want to assume, but considering your accent and unfamiliarity with Japanese, I thought you might be a tourist,” he said. “But please correct me if I’m wrong.”

“Um, actually—” Scarlett yawned, before taking a left as they continued walking back, “—my family and I only moved here recently.”

“Oh, really?”

“Uh, yeah, it hasn’t been that long though.” There was no need to bore him with the details. The less the authorities knew about her and her family, the better.

“Well, if you’re staying here for the foreseeable future, maybe you should think about applying.”

“The thing is…” Scarlett hesitated, her sleepiness now slowing down her ability to conjure up an excuse. “I think…I need to see more of Japan to make a decision like that.” Can we please talk about something else?

The Hero offered a warm smile. “Well, if you need to look at some schools, can I interest you in applying to U.A. High School?”

“U.A.?” As the letters left her lips, the golden emblem on the tablet screen flashed in her mind.

The stout figure softly chuckled. “Ah, yes, you see, I actually work for U.A.—in fact I’m the principal.”

Scarlett almost tripped over her own feet, before stopping in her tracks. “You’re the principal?”

He let out a soft laugh. “That reaction never gets old.” He turned to face her, placing a paw over his heart. “Yes, I am Principal Nezu, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss…”

“Um, Scarlett.” Her name escaped her lips before she had a chance to think about the implications.

“Well, Miss Scarlett, it would be great to have someone like you at our school. We even take international students as well, so there is plenty of available help for you and for others who are learning Japanese.” 

A frown settled on Scarlett’s face. She stared at the so-called principal, trying to make out what his true agenda was. But his face remained unreadable. “You…want someone like me? Even though you saw me break the law?”

Principal Nezu offered a soft, but reassuring smile. “Well, that’s only if people find out. I’m sure I can pull a few strings to make sure it isn’t known to the public. It’s not much of an issue as I have plenty of experience in dealing with students who are over-enthusiastic about being Heroes.” His gaze flickered to a distant billboard of a large muscular man in a blue and red Hero suit, with two tufts of blond hair sticking up from his head.

But Scarlett’s gaze did not follow. She continued to tentatively stare at him, hoping to find some form of reasoning hidden behind his expression. But her efforts were empty. “I don’t get it.” Her voice was quiet. “I’m not even one of your students, so why are you doing this?”

Principal Nezu shared a tender look, before it melted into a gentle smile. “Well, you made a reckless mistake with good intentions, and I don’t believe something like that should ruin your future, no matter what career you decide to choose.

“You see, I’ve seen many students want to do the right thing, but end up fumbling when they try to do so. But I’ve always believed that you learn the most when you make mistakes. So, if I can help a little by reducing the repercussions, then I can call myself a teacher and say it with pride.” He let out a half-chuckle. “Or maybe my old age is getting to me and I ramble too much these days.”

Scarlett’s apprehension began to fade, but she couldn’t shake it off entirely. It was still too good to be true. She shuffled her weight between her feet, looking down at her hands as her fingers grazed the bite mark. “I…need to think about it some more and talk to my family first.” Another lie. And it tasted much more bitter than the last one.

“Of course, you shouldn’t rush a decision like this,” said Principal Nezu. “But I should let you know that U.A. applications close soon, so you should apply while you still can.”

Scarlett forced a nod, before resuming their walk back to the convenience store. Their footsteps grew distant as the red clock tower loomed behind them; a warning that both would be unable to turn back after tonight.