Chapter 16
A few days later.
Zuko realized that Shoji had problems he didn't want to talk about. Shoji realized the same about Zuko. The two began a rigorous training regimen. A run in the morning, then a few hours of work at the teahouse, lunch in between, and in the afternoon, they went to the gym until their muscles demanded a rest.
The girls didn't always go with them. Their training schedule was different. Zuko and Shoji joined a group of teenagers and young men who spoke little but trained hard.
They took every third day off from the gym. Their muscles needed time to develop and rest.
Every day, the teahouse was filled with people. Most of them were people who happened to be there by chance. Some started coming every day, but there were always a few pro heroes among them.
Zuko was being watched, and he knew it. Sidekicks from various agencies were watching him.
He managed to recognize Bubble Girl, who worked for Sir Nighteye, and Burnin from Endeavor. He was sure there were other sidekicks from various agencies here as well. Anime didn't focus much on these characters, so he didn't know much about them.
Six days had passed since his visit to UA. On that sixth day, just before closing time, Vlad King arrived. The never-smiling pro hero sat down and placed his order. He sat quietly and read the newspaper, sipping tea and eating cake. He stayed there until closing time.
Zuko walked between the tables, cleaning each one with a cloth. Shoji was washing dishes in the kitchen, Kyoka was sweeping the floor, and Ochaco was taking out the trash.
He was left with the table where the UA teacher was sitting. Zuko sat across from him without asking permission.
"I'm listening."
Vlad King looked at him questioningly.
"You came to tell me something, Sensei. Have I been assigned to your class?"
"Nezu hasn't made that decision yet, but he has given permission for your training to begin."
"What about the rest?"
"What about them?"
"I'm not alone here. There are three more future UA students here, starting soon. They too should have the opportunity to develop their skills."
Vlad King nodded in satisfaction.
"Your grandfather said you might say something similar. May I ask why?"
"Because this isn't just a school. This is a school for training future pro heroes. One day, they'll have to fight and use their skills to save people. The sooner they start, the less chance they'll make mistakes in the future."
Vlad King set down his cup of tea and looked at Zuko approvingly.
"So you're making sure they're ready."
"The villain won't ask them if they're ready to fight. It'll be the same with other threats. They'll either be prepared or they won't. If they're not, someone will die, and it will be their fault."
Vlad King frowned.
"By 'they,' you mean yourself, right? It wasn't your fault."
"With all due respect, sensei, I have no intention of discussing this. Please inform me of Nezu's decision or leave me alone."
The Pro Hero didn't like the boy's tone. However, he didn't intend to antagonize the boy. There would be time to help him with his trauma.
"Nezu has agreed to let all four of you begin training, provided Shoji, Ochaco, and Kyoka are willing."
Zuko turned in his chair and said loudly.
"Hey! Team! Gather!"
Kyoka had already overheard the conversation, so she joined in first. A moment later, Ochaco and Shoji joined in. Vlad King explained who he was and presented Nezu's proposal.
Ochaco replied with satisfaction.
"Can we start training with our quirks before classes officially begin? That's great!"
Shoji nodded and said only two words.
"I'm in."
Kyoka shrugged.
"Well, I won't stay here alone. I'm coming with you."
Vlad King leaned forward slightly. He looked at Zuko carefully.
"Listen to me carefully, boy. No unnecessary danger. You will train in a controlled environment and will always be accompanied by one of the teachers. When the teacher calls a break, you rest. When he says enough, you stop. You are to train for the benefits, not to train until you pass out. Do we understand each other?"
Zuko looked him straight in the eye. For a moment, he said nothing. He was stubborn, and anger was rising within him, but reason prevailed.
"Yes, sensei."
.
.
.
The next day was a day off, so the four of them left the teahouse and started walking towards UA.
"What do you think we'll do? Work out like we do at the gym?"
Ochaco wondered aloud. Shoji adjusted his bag and said,
"They probably already know our strengths and weaknesses. They'll probably start by properly examining our quirks and tell us how we can best utilize them."
Kyoka nodded.
"Yes. And then they'll show us how to put that knowledge into practice. What do you think, Zuko?"
Kyoka started calling him by his first name. He had no problem with that because he'd been from Europe in his previous life. He couldn't remember the exact country. He remembered his father doing mountain-related work.
He remembered the Pyrenees on the Spanish and French sides. He'd spent a week in the Principality of Andorra. In Scotland, he'd met a boy his own age who showed him around the Caledonian Highlands. In Slovakia, they met a couple. A boy from Slovakia and his girlfriend from Hungary. They showed him the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains.
He remembered the five of them hiking in the Apennines, admiring Roman remains. He then touched the remains of some temple. It was amazing and sad at the same time.
He always wanted to see the mountains in Norway and Sweden. However, he didn't make it.
His trip to the Alps was his last.
What happened then? There was a train accident. He remembered being injured. That it was cold. He remembered flashing lights and the beautiful sky reflected on the lake.
"Zuko?"
He blinked a few times. He looked at Kyoka. A worried girl put her hand on his shoulder and shook it gently.
"Are you okay?"
"What? Ah... yes, I'm listening."
Shoji whispered.
"You didn't answer us for a moment, Zuko. You just stood there, motionless for a moment."
Zuko realized he couldn't remember when he'd stopped walking.
"It's okay. I'm fine."
He said it as if he were trying to convince himself. He failed to convince either himself or the others.
Kyoka regained her composure and let go of his arm, but she didn't look away. Ochaco didn't know what to do in this situation and remained silent. Shoji nodded, which meant:
"Bro. You good?"
Zuko responded with two nods, which could be translated as:
"I'm good. Keep walking."
He looked away and continued walking. Shoji did the same.
Kyoka and Ochaco looked at each other uncertainly. They joined the boys after a moment. They walked in silence until they reached the UA entrance gate.
.
.
.
Upon entering the school grounds, they were greeted by two teachers. They were Cementoss and Snipe.
The latter touched his hat and nodded slightly.
"I'm Snipe. You three are comin' with me,"
Shoji said.
"There are four of us."
"I'm Cementoss. Today, Tsuchikawa-san and I will train together. Snipe will take care of you."
Snipe led the three to the spacious training hall. Cementoss, however, led Zuko to an empty concrete square. Zuko looked around slowly, knowing this would happen. But to be sure, he asked,
"Cementoss sensei. You brought me here because we're going to fight, right?"
The teacher nodded, taking a few steps away from the boy.
"Yes, Tsuchikawa-san. I'd like to spar with you to see what level you're at. From what I understand, you're capable of defeating any member of the Wild Wild Pussycats in a one-on-one fight. Is that true?"
Zuko took off his shoes and socks, throwing them far away. His feet touched the concrete floor.
"Yes. And you brought me to a square made of concrete. You think that will give you an advantage."
The teacher nodded again.
"I've conducted some research to understand your fighting style. Your quirk allows you to control the elements. In doing so, I've limited your access to water and earth."
"You're wrong, sensei."
Zuko dug his foot into the concrete floor, leaving a footprint.
"Concrete contains sand, gravel, limestone, and other minerals. I can use them in combat."
"Well. I should have expected that, considering you were able to control metal. What else can you control besides what you've shown?"
"I don't know where the limits of my abilities lie. Do we have any rules during a duel?"
"Remember, this is just a sparring session. If you want to interrupt, just say so."
"Hmm. When do we start?"
"Whenever you're re..."
Cementoss didn't finish his sentence. Zuko raised his foot, ripping a block of concrete from the ground and kicking it straight at him.
A wall shot out right in front of the pro hero, blocking the incoming block. Suddenly, the wall shook, and Zuko's fist pierced its center. The boy withdrew his hand and fired a fireball through it before Cementoss could close the breach.
Cementoss managed to avoid the attack and wall Zuko up. Suddenly, a red-and-yellow flame erupted from the center of the obstacle. The Pro Hero looked up, and that was a mistake. He expected the boy to launch himself upwards using fire.
The wall split in two, revealing the charging Zuko.
Cementoss understood the boy's plan. He thought he had a better chance against him in close combat. He leaped back, creating as many walls as he could.
Zuko crushed more walls and columns, but Cementoss created new ones even faster than the boy could destroy them.
Zuko dug deep into the ground and moved towards his opponent. However, the latter sensed this through his quirk and launched the boy to the surface, trapping him in a concrete igloo with no escape.
Suddenly, the walls cracked into small pieces, and Zuko used the wind to shoot them in all directions. This move couldn't defeat Cementoss, but it forced him onto the defensive.
Zuko decided to secure his advantage with steel. Metal balls spilled from his pocket and headed towards the pro hero. They pierced through the concrete without much trouble.
Cementoss decided to disappear from Zuko's sight and built a series of walls. However, Zuko, using earthbending, had a perfect sense of his location.
Imagine the UA teacher's surprise when metal balls flew from above, right at him.
He barely had time to build another wall. This time, the wall was exceptionally thick. When the metal balls slammed into the obstacle, Cementoss immediately sent them and the concrete deep into the ground, stripping Zuko of his weapon.
"Clever. Your control over metal is impressive, Tsuchikawa-san. How did you know where I was?"
Zuko decided to cease his attack, sensing his opponent's lack of movement.
"I can sense you through the vibrations of the ground. It's not just about movement. I can sense your heartbeat as long as you're touching the ground, sensei."
Cementoss froze for a split second.
"Your heart rate has increased, sensei."
"Fascinating. Your quirk is incredibly versatile."
"Sensei. Can we stop the fight?"
"Is something wrong, Tsuchikawa-san? Are you injured?"
"No, sensei. I want you to teach me something else."
The walls slid into the concrete floor. Cementoss approached the boy.
"Why don't you want to fight?"
"With all due respect, sensei, if I weren't limiting myself, I would have already defeated you."
Cementoss was interested in Zuko's words. The boy wasn't boasting about his strength.
"Can you explain to me how you would defeat me if you weren't limiting yourself?"
Zuko pointed at the ground.
"There are metal sewer pipes below us. And of course, there's water there, too. I could seal you in metal walls, and before you could break free, I'd flood the interior with water. Alternatively, I could simply lock you in a metal prison so you couldn't touch the concrete. There was always the possibility of using fire."
"Then why didn't you?"
"A pro hero can't cause damage, and if I wanted to quickly use the water below us, I'd damage the city's sewage system. Fire could seriously injure you, and this was just supposed to be a sparring session. The truth is, I was planning to push you to the edge of the arena and simply use the ground to separate you from the concrete."
Zuko made a gesture with his whole hand, and metal balls shot from the ground, racing towards his hand.
Cementoss looked at the boy with a mixture of admiration and seriousness.
"I understand. You didn't mean to hurt me or damage the city's infrastructure. That's a very responsible approach for someone your age."
"Thank you, sensei."
Cementoss took a step closer.
'Tsuchikawa-san. You said you wanted me to teach you something else. Tell me what you need.'
"I want to learn how to use my quirk to provide direct aid and save people before they get hurt. I want to be able to control an approaching tsunami that will destroy a coastal city. I want to be able to take control of a collapsing building so it doesn't endanger people. I want to take control of an avalanche that destroys everything in its path."
For a moment, the square was completely silent. Cementoss thought hard.
"You want to learn how to control the elements on a catastrophic scale… before anyone gets hurt."
I think you can use your quirk to build a building, then simulate its collapse, and I'll try to stabilize it before it collapses."
"That's very serious and adult thinking, Tsuchikawa-san. Most of your peers want to fight villains above all else. Especially the boys. And you're asking for training where the goal isn't victory, but preventing tragedy."
Cementoss spoke slowly. He began to look at Zuko not as a highly talented student, but as a true hero who wants to do good.
"Very well, Tsuchikawa-san. I'll ask Nezu for permission for this form of training, but I'm sure it won't be a problem. I think we'll use the arena where the exams were held."
Zuko bowed in respect.
"I understand. Thank you, sensei."
End of Chapter 16