The beginning of Danny's first class at Kaizen was about as lackluster as his entrance.
When he first arrived at Class C-A, the room itself held about thirty desks, of which about twenty-two were filled. A wide assortment of various different people stretched across the room, all sporting different kinds of looks and body parts.
In his time at Mustafu, Danny had thought he had gotten used to the overall look of people when it came to those with Quirks that changed their appearance, but apparently he still had some learning to do.
It was still pretty amazing to him to see so many people with powers just hanging out in a standard classroom like this. It was something he could have never imagined seeing before, yet it was in front of him.
For Danny, it was a comic setting brought to life. And he was more than a bit stunned and excited at such a sight.
For everyone else though, it was just a normal day. Which brought a lot of glances towards him.
"Hello there." The feather covered man at the front said with a friendly smile. He looked to be about mid-40's, with brown curled hair and a beak-like nose. He had a lanky frame that was added to by a long brown coat that arced at the back alongside his actual spine. He very much looked like what a brown bird would have looked like if it was mashed together with a human.
He regarded Danny warmly. "I take it you're our new student? If not that, then a VERY confused student looking for the correct class?"
The Ghost boy snapped back from his awed state. "Yeah! I mean… yes. Sorry." He bowed. "My name is Danny Fenton. I was pointed here for my first class of the day?"
"And you were not deceived." The man said as he looked back to the paper he held in his hand. "I do have you in as a new transfer, Fenton." He nodded. "And I'm very glad to have you. More students in the class means I'm not as disliked as some people would say." His eyes twinkled in humor before he motioned to a half row of empty sks seats. "My name is Kotsuzui. Mr. Kotsuzui if you'd prefer. Please."
Danny, wanting to keep as far away from the front of the class as one could get to avoid getting picked (he learned the hard way with Lancer), selected a seat more towards the middle and back towards a couple of other people.
The last thing he needed was to be labeled a loner as well.
"It says here that you're a transfer to the area as a whole," The teacher said as he looked over the sheet again. He looked up curiously. "A transfer from where, if you don't mind my asking."
For a moment, Danny almost blurted out "Amity Park", but stopped himself. It still felt so odd to know that his hometown simply didn't exist in this world.
"I'm from the US," The halfa said instead. "Up near Illinois."
At that, there was an excited murmur that seemed to rush across the room.
"The United States?"
"Don't get many of those."
"What's he doing in Japan?"
"Do you think he's trying for the elite schools?"
"I wonder if he's related to one of the American Pros."
Even Mr. Kotsuzui's eyebrows raised slightly.
"The United States?" He asked in wonder. "Wow. You could have fooled me. You're Japanese is pretty spot on. No accent traceable."
"Oh. Thanks" Danny said with a bit of a smile. It was true that Bypass had helped him big when she gave him the ability to speak Japanese almost immediately, but the practice that came with knowing what to say when and getting rid of his slight faltering by the infamier dialect on his tongue was all him. He spent weeks honing the way he spoke so he could better communicate with both Seicho and Tsukauchi in regards to what he meant at the moment.
And it was good to hear that it wasn't all a waste on his part.
"If I may ask, why the transfer to Japan?" Kotsuzui asked. "The US has many hero schools on par with Japan's best. Why the change?"
Hero schools. Danny felt his heart clench. "It's… not really about that." Danny said uneasily. "It's just… things weren't working out there, so I came here instead. It's as simple as that."
The Ghost boy hoped that would be enough to satisfy the curiosity of the class. And luckily, by the looks of it, it had done just that.
For this part, Kotsuzui seemed to accept it as well. "Sometimes a change of pace and tone is all that is needed to excel, as my father used to say." The teacher said sympathetically before turning back to the class as a whole. "Well, welcome to the class, Fenton. And I hope Japan leaves as good as of an impression as you're hoping it will."
So far, Danny thought as he looked around at the superpowered students around him. It really is. At least in one way.
"Now then," Almost instantly, Kotsuzui switched to an air of professionalism. "Back to our studies. Last time, we talked about the implications of certain arts across periods of Japan. For today, we'll focus…"
As he talked, Danny took his notebook out from his bag and began to jot notes in English. With him being a little farther behind then everyone else, he knew that notes were probably the safest way to go in this class, especially if he wanted to keep his mind focused and detailed about what information he was getting from which areas.
Thinking back to what Seicho had said, he would have one or two after-school classes to deal with to play catch up (which drew another mental groan). But Danny was stubborn. And he would do whatever it took to push past what held him back and reach what he wanted.
That was the kind of person he was.
As all of this was going through his head, Danny suddenly became aware of the fact that the guy beside him was leaning over and looking at his notes.
Before Danny could even muster a "Hey", the guy let out a small whistle.
"I will never understand America, man," The black spikey haired youth said with an impish smile. "Just looking at the way English is written gives me one heck of a headache."
He didn't say it in a demeaning or rude way. In fact, both his smile and his tone already told Danny that this guy was someone who took a humorous and laid-back nature to a lot of things. In other words, the class troublemaker.
Danny smirked. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it's not easy for me either. I think my English grade last year at my old school was hovering somewhere over the proud 'C-minus' tier."
"So even you have trouble with it!" The boy exclaimed, snapping his fingers like he had made a revelation. "Even the person born and raised in America has trouble with it." His smile never left of his face, but it seemed to drop more in exasperation. "Then why even bother teaching it?" He motioned to his own paper. "Japanese is so much easier. A lot less loops to jump through and easier to sketch. They should just teach Japanese worldwide."
"To be fair," Danny said with a chuckle. "Right now, Japanese looks a LOT fancier to write out then any kind of English word."
"Really?" The boy looked to his page for a moment before laughing. "Well, it could have fooled me. But I guess since I was born with it, it'd make sense I'd say that."
The Ghost boy smiled. "I will admit, English does have a lot to learn. But, for how complicated it is for people learning it, it means so much bragging rights when you get it down."
The boy's eyes lit up, like Danny had just hit a point that made him excited.
"Heck, just getting anything down from the US or any country besides Japan gives you all the bragging rights around here," He said with his never-ending smile. "That's why I'm a bit of a culturist myself."
"For the bragging rights?"
"Well, that's not the only reason," He gave him the thumbs up. "But it would be nice to have, wouldn't you say?"
Danny mulled for a moment before shrugging. "I mean, I wouldn't say no to bragging rights over someone." And at that moment, a light went off in Danny's mind. "How about this? Since you want to pick up some English for bragging rights and I'm still struggling with reading Japanese, how about we help each other in that department?"
The student raised an eyebrow. "You mean I help you with your reading and you'll help with my English."
Danny nodded and two regarded each other for a moment before the boy cackled.
And in almost the same moment, he reached out his hand, extending his arms forward and giving Danny a first glance at the prominent rotund bulges that sized his elbows. It would have been weird to Danny, though he had seen much stranger over the past month or so. "Fenton, right?"
The halfa wasted no time and shook it firmly back. "Danny Fenton. And you?"
The black haired student's smile seemed to get even wider at the prompting, giving Danny the distinct sense that he might have made a friend with one very energetic and forward person.
"Sero." The boy all but exclaimed. "Sero Hanta." He closed one eye in a mischievous way, lifting his elbow so Danny could get a proper view of the Quirk based add-ons. "You can just remember me as the future Tape Hero."
"Cow Lady."
"Cow Lady? Really? No."
"Electoplant."
"No. Cool name though."
"You're kidding! Christopher Skyline?"
"No."
Sero screamed out at that point. "You can't be serious! All that time in America and you never ONCE saw the top dogs in action? More than that, you don't even really know them?!"
Danny shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Sero. I already explained that no one from where I'm from had an eye for the hero stuff, so we never really talked about it."
It was both the truth and a lie on Danny's part, but he figured it would be easier for Sero to handle then the full truth as they made their way off of the school grounds and down the evening lit road, marking the end to their school day.
They had become fast friends over the past couple of weeks, mostly over them sharing a lot of common interests and the fact that Sero approached him far more often then Danny would have imagined. Here he was worried about approaching forward to make friends here.
While Danny had invested himself in learning more about Japanese culture, Sero likewise wanted to know everything American. So they began their long discussions on the different ways their countries differed from each other and eventually evolved into particular likes and dislikes, mainly the point of causing trouble.
Danny wasn't the WORST troublemaker at school back in his own reality, but he had dipped his toe in the practical joke department more than once using his powers. And Sero enjoyed the hell out of those stories.
Like Danny had suspected, he was a troublemaker through and through, taping his friends at odd times and using the infinite draw of tape to his numerous advantage in a lot of situations.
That wasn't to say he couldn't get serious. Danny had seen his test scores and even he was impressed at how they were. But Sero did often like the pull of trouble when he could get it. And Danny could respect wanting to follow that pull.
But that pull wasn't present in his friend now. Especially in light of what the halfa was telling him.
"Yeah, but what city in the world is THAT afraid of heroes?!" Sero asked, uncalmable at this point. "To the point where you haven't even seen a pro in action? No offense or anything, Fenton, but your hometown sounds like a HORRIBLE place."
He said it all in humor and Danny laughed. "It's not so bad. Even if we didn't do hero news, it didn't mean we didn't respect the hero trade. My family did their fair share of heroics." He felt his heart dip slightly, but the Ghost boy powered through. "They weren't the best, but they tried."
"Hey, any kind of person who gets involved with hero work is the best in my books!" Sero said, back to his usual smile. "My parents also always wanted to get involved with the hero side of things, but they could never figure out a way to properly control their Quirks enough to make it happen." The tape man flexed his arms. "But I'm hoping to change that! And use my tape to become one of Japan's top heroes!"
Danny smiled. In a lot of ways, Sero reminded him of himself when he first got his powers. And he was glad to have that kind of presence back. "'Tapeman comes to the rescue!'. I can really see the headlines plastered across Mustafu."
"I can't tell if you're joking or not," Sero replied. "But I'm glad to hear you've got such a glimpse of the future." As the ghost boy laughed, Sero quickly picked up the conversation. "Your parents, by the way. What kind of Quirks did they have?"
Danny felt himself instinctually lock up. He hadn't talked to Sero about his parents yet and hesitated for a bit on what to say next.
"They… didn't have Quirks," Danny replied, opting to keep some sincerity with his friend. "They were a Quirkless couple."
"Quirkless?" Sero asked in some surprise. "And they still tried to do hero work?"
Danny nodded. "Whenever they could. And they saved people on more than one occasion. Honestly…" The halfa hesitated, the emotional pain burning in the center of his throat. But eventually, the words he held in absolute truth came out: "They were the bravest people I've ever known."
Sero was silent for a moment, giving Danny a bit of worry. Then his classmate smiled. "They sure sound like it, dude! Quirkless and still fighting crime? That's pretty cool."
The Ghost boy nodded, smile ever growing as he took in the fact that, even with the knowledge that they didn't have powers, someone in this world of heroes considered his parents just that. It was enough to give him an astounding amount of joy. Something he thought he wouldn't experience again anytime soon.
Those thoughts ended and were replaced with immediate nervousness as Sero posed his next question: "So if both your parents were Quirkless, what's your deal? You said you had some kind of ghost Quirk, right? How did you get that?"
Danny hesitated. He wasn't used to picking his words so carefully so often. When Sero first asked him about his Quirk, he gave only a brief explanation of a Ghost ability and moved on. To expand on it more gave Danny a bit of anxiety, especially if his abilities didn't come back.
Quickly recalling what he had learned when it came to Quirk biology, he found his response. "Well, I get it from my grandpa, mostly. He has a possession Quirk that paired with my grandmothers. It may have skipped over my mom and went straight to me."
It was an excuse that Danny hoped Sero wouldn't pry too much into, as he didn't have much to go on after that. Luckily, his friend seemed distracted by one thing in particular.
"A possession Quirk?!" Sero fumed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Man, your family sounds like they won the lottery when it comes to powerful Quirks."
"You'd think so, huh?" Danny replied with a chuckle and some relief.
"If your Quirk is as awesome as you say it is, why haven't you shown it off yet, Fenton?" Sero asked. "I know I'd like to see it in action!"
At this, Danny placed his hand on his neck in embarrassment. "Well, I would, but… it's not really active at the moment."
"Active?" Sero asked as they sidestepped an advancing couple and turned the corner towards the residence of Seicho. "What do you mean?"
"Well…" Danny internally sighed. He didn't want to lie about this subject. It wouldn't do anything but cause trouble down the line. "To put it bluntly, something bad happened and…" He looked at his hand. "I haven't been able to access it since."
Sero turned his head. "Like you haven't been able to use it AT ALL since then?" The Ghost boy nodded confirmation. "Huh. That's strange. I've never heard of any pros going through that."
While the halfa was thankful that Sero didn't pry any further into the mentioned bad moment, he couldn't help but sourly smile. "Thanks, Sero. 'I've never heard of any pros going through that' fills me with so much self-confidence."
"Hey, don't take it that way! I'm not!" Sero's grin seemed to widen. "I'm fact, it means that if the pros haven't dealt with it, it may be an easier fix then you think! We just need to find the right way to do it!"
"... You suddenly got really into this," Danny responded. "So I take it you have a plan then?"
"Yup!" The tape hero gave him a thumbs up. "A plan that'll help both of us in the long run! Especially if you've been out of practice for your Quirk!"
The Ghost boy raised an eyebrow. Based on that response, he knew where the black haired boy was taking this.
"You mean… training?"
"Not just any training, Fenton!" Sero assured. "But the training regiment designed with UA in mind! They released a self-prep page a few months back for everyone who wanted to try their luck at the Entrance Exams. You know, to help those people train and prepare for whatever's thrown at them. Including Quirk prep and strengthening." The tape man smiled. "If you're having trouble with your Quirk, this regiment is the way to go."
Danny hesitated once more. His powers were inaccessible right now. And he really worried about what exactly would happen if he pushed himself into trying to force an unlock. That could be potentially city-ending. And he wasn't going to start over after he had JUST memorized the route to and from school from Seicho's house.
At the same time, he felt doing nothing was not something he wanted to do. And, more than anything, he wanted to see once and for all if his powers could return at all. New world might mean new rules. Danny just hoped that one of those new rules wasn't the absence of his abilities.
"If you think it'll help, Sero, I'm really not going to say no."
"Sweet!" Sero exclaimed. "I've been needing a training partner! Hopefully, this'll speed things up enough so I can be at my best when the Entrance Exams hit! Thank you, Fenton!"
As Sero enthused beside him, Danny found himself mulling over what had been revealed to him about his friend from another world.
UA? Danny wondered within his mind. One of the most prestigious hero schools in Japan?
He had heard about it enough on the news and on the English newspapers he could find to know all about the famous school within their area. And he was a bit surprised that Sero was aiming so high.
His friend seemed like the type that was more comfortable taking the lighter jobs then aspiring to a top hero position. Yet Sero's eyes seemed determined when he mentioned the school and his aspirations, as if there was no other place he could see himself being a part of.
And, though it was a drive that he no longer found in himself, he respected Sero's decision in that, despite the thoughts prominent within his scarred mind.
Only pain will follow him.
He's naive. He didn't see what you've seen. He'll lose it all, just like you.
Hero school. Why bother when the path only leads to horror.
Drive him away while you can. Spare Sero the grief.
Danny shook his head and clenched his fist. "No. I'm not going to take this away from him."
Despite his doubts, Sero was the first person in this world to befriend him. And he wasn't about to tear down what Sero was working for, no matter how he felt.
The spiky-haired boy wanted to help him. And he wasn't going to sabotage that.
"For the record, this doesn't feel like training! More like a one-sided beat down!"
"One-sided? You're dodging, aren't you?"
Because I'll get slapped by tape otherwise, Danny thought to himself as he quickly launched himself on the balls of his own two feet as a long ball of tape slapped against the cement he once stood. He would have said it aloud, but he also didn't want to take the risk of biting his toungue off mid-dodge.
The two friends were now front and center in a Quirk training court just outside the main middle school campus, each bobbing and weaving as Sero slugged line after line of tape towards Danny, who did his best to dodge every oncoming bolt coming his way. They were both decked out in simple exercise shirts and shorts, which were now peppered with sweat and dirt marks.
This was part of the Sero-proclaimed UA Regiment that they had both been participating in for the past six weeks. This was a break away from the already exhausting sprints and push-ups and a focus on the part of the regiment Sero focused on with Danny: Quirk training.
The tape boy's hope was that through the training and sparring, it would jumpstart and reactivate the halfa's unseen Quirk when he felt in danger or peril. It was a good idea. Great, even, for Seicho. The guardian had encouraged the attempts to try and get some control on the elusive Quirk of Danny's (though the halfa suspected he was just glad that Danny got out of the house more). But it was exhausting in the harshest way in practice. And, so far, it was giving no results. Not a peep from his power.
Danny had always considered himself a pretty athletic guy. He was always able to keep pace in the mile runs during PE and the rope climb. But, against someone like Sero, who seemed to have focused his life on being able to jump around like a jackrabbit, Danny's lungs were basically non-existent.
On the plus side, he had become VERY skilled at dodging.
The youngest Fenton child dodged yet another slap of tape as his mind raced for a plan, sidestepping the rolling track of white as it raced past his ear.
Danny cracked a smile. "You're getting too easy to predict, Sero! You might want to change your tactics up!"
"This coming from the guy who's stuck to the same sidestep-turn-run dodge strategy he's been using for the past three days?" Sero called out with a guffawing laugh. "You should speak for yourself!"
"Hey, if you haven't found a way to solidly knock me out of it, I would say we're a long way from getting my Quirk back and getting you into UA."
He expected Sero to lash out at that with another retort, like he always had before. Instead, the boy smiled impishly, which didn't exactly put Danny at ease.
"You're right. So how about we CHANGE THAT?!"
All at once, Sero leaped, grabbed both ends of two torn off tape lines and ripped both of his arms up.
Danny, realizing too late what had happened. He turned just in time to see the stationary tape lines he had thought were uselessly severed after Sero had missed with them, suddenly tightened and tore at the ground, taking small chunks of the cement with them as they both swung towards Danny.
With a yelp, the Ghost boy ducked in time to avoid the small boulders. A small part of him was wondering if his powers would activate to protect him from harm, but that was minor compared to the want to not be slammed in the face by a pair of rocks.
As Danny rolled, the rocks flew over him and swiped each other as the tape crossed, shattering them and raining small pebbles around him.
The school itself had a teacher that could repair and dislodge craters and items with his Quirk, which is why Danny wasn't worried about the destruction they had caused.
Alternatively, what he was worried about was the tape man, who showed no signs of wavering as, took advantage of Danny's prone state and launched another line of tape straight towards him.
Before Danny could react, the tape slapped against his hand at the same moment it hit the ground, fixing him in place.
His hand shot towards the tape to pull it off, but he was stopped by another line that slapped his free hand to the ground.
"I'd call that game," Sero said as he huffed-and-puffed his way over. "Especially seeing how I broke your dodge."
"Yeah," Danny agreed as he strained against the tape. "You just had to literally tear pieces of the ground out before you could. No big deal."
"Hey, a hero uses every trick at his disposal." Sero said tauntingly. "Are you going to blame me for playing smart?"
"I'd call it playing dirty more than anything else." Danny grumbled. But there was humor in his eyes and expression as he said so. This wasn't his first time getting caught in Sero's tape after all. And he doubted it would be the last. "Feel free to get me out at anytime, by the way."
Sero snickered, but he removed the tape on both hands and allowed Danny room to sit up. Though Sero let out a couple more chuckles after that, his expression changed into one of thought after a moment.
"Still nothing?" The tape user asked as the Ghost boy stood.
Danny pursed his lips. He flexed his arms and wrists, attempting to find any pulse of energy hidden within him. After a moment, he stopped. "Nothing. Same as always."
"Man," Sero placed his hands on his hips. "I really figured this would be the time. I worked my butt off with that rock throw technique."
"I'm sorry," Danny said, looking at his bruised arms. "I wish it was that easy. But apparently it's not."
"No kidding," The spiky haired boy looked across the broken cement ground and to the sweat drenched clothes they both wore. "You down for a break, Fenton?"
"I was always down," The halfa complained. "It was just you who wanted to keep going."
Sero laughed once more before moving to the bag he had brought with him and pulling out two fizzy sodas.
He tossed one to Danny (who almost got smacked across the cheek by it, he was so unprepared and tired) before taking a seat beside his friend.
For a few moments, silence reigned as they each enjoyed their individual drinks.
"Seriously, though," Sero began. "Even though we haven't got a grip on your Quirk yet, I do want to say thank you for helping me out in my training. I think I've already gotten much more strategic, thanks to your ridiculous dodging."
Years fighting ghosts will do that to a person, Danny thought. He laughed aloud. "What can I say? I'm just that skilled, I guess. And honestly, Sero, helping you out is the least I can do. Especially after you helped me through a lot of Japanese literature."
In light of all the classes Danny was taking to play catch-up for his education, he was afraid he would be left behind and pretty much left in the dust. And, at first, it was as stressful as he would have imagined.
But, with Sero's help in the field, he was able to pick up more strides then he was on his own. Of course, he didn't help much, seeing as how his grades were almost on par with Danny's old English grade. But what he did offer was enough to give the Ghost boy a push in some aspects of reading.
"It's no problem!" Sero replied easily. "You've been teaching me enough English to get a lot of attention my way, so I'm more than happy to return the favor."
Danny raised an eyebrow. All he had really taught Sero so far were certain phrases like "What's up, guys?" and "Break it down!", which really wasn't much. But Sero being Sero, he wore and expressed those phrases like a badge of honor. To his credit, it was giving him quite a bit of attention from his classmates, so Danny couldn't argue with results.
"Yeah, I see you're making good use of that," The Ghost boy said. "You drop it every free chance you get."
"Hey, not a lot of opportunity's to speak English here," Sero crossed his arms. "I have to take what I can get."
Danny shook his head in amusement before a friendly silence took hold again. There was no awkwardness present between them or even a struggle for words. It presented itself as two friends just being in the presence of one another. An opportunity Danny hadn't thought he would have again.
So it was a bit of a mental tug-of-war when an idea for the next topic of conversation entered Danny's mind. He promised himself before that he wouldn't touch on it, seeing as how Sero was his friend and he didn't want to say anything that could destroy that. He really didn't have anyone else to talk to at this school.
But, at the same time, his subconscious and his guilt wouldn't quiet. And he knew he had to ask Sero eventually, if just to ease his own curiosity.
"Why UA, Sero?"
Sero looked to his friend, confusion in his expression. "What do you mean?"
Danny sighed. No turning back now. "I mean, why are you so determined to go to UA and become a Pro Hero? I mean, your Quirk is like a multi-use Power. You could do whatever you want with it. Construction, cityscape surveying, just reaching high places where other people can't reach. And the Pro Hero life is really… dangerous in a way." So much danger. "Why are you so determined to become a pro?"
The halfa was worried that he would have pushed it too far with such a question. But Sero, for his part, didn't hesitate or question why Danny was asking. In fact, his smile seemed to get even wider as he crossed both arms over his neck in thought.
"Well, that's easy." He began. "Because if I can become one, I will." Danny raised an eyebrow and began to question him further, but Sero was already ahead of him. "It's like you said, Fenton. My Quirk has a lot of uses to it. In fact, I won't deny that I could probably become one of the fastest construction services in Japan if I decide to go down that route. But, since I was lucky enough to be given this kind of Quirk, I figure why not use it to its maximum potential?"
He looked to his now empty can. "One of the things All Might said a long time ago was that your Quirk was what you made it. It always had room to grow and become something great. And if mine had the potential to become any one of those awesome things, then why not go for the top spot, I say? And use my powers to their best use?"
Danny found himself nodding to Sero's reasoning. He agreed. He agreed because that's what he used to believe back before everything and everyone was taken away from him. Sero had the same ideals that he had when he was given his ghost powers.
They had a variety of uses and he could have gone any which way with them. But he chose to use them to help others. To protect his town from sinister forces. To become a hero.
And look where those ideals got you. Look at what they cost you.
Danny winced. Sero didn't know the pain that came with such a position. What it may inflict on you in the end. And a part of him knew he had to make sure he knew.
"I get you," Danny assured. "Really, I do. But there's also a give and take to hero work, you know? Sometimes people die. People close to you." Guilt clouded around his heart, but he continued. "I'm not saying it's something that people shouldn't be doing, but…" He sighed. "A lot of people don't understand what comes with a job like that. And if you lose someone when you have a responsibility to protect them, it can break someone. I've seen it before." He crossed his arms. "Maybe I'm in the minority here, but that's kind of why…" Failure. "... I don't think it'll be as free roaming and fun as somebody might think. I just want to make sure you know that, Sero."
"I never took it as a free roaming job."
Danny looked back at his friend in surprise. "What?"
Sero shrugged. "I'll be the first to admit that being a pro does sound pretty badass. And it's always good to be popular. But I didn't decide to try and be a pro because that's all I wanted. The way All Might fights on TV and the old clips, it's pretty clear that the hero business is not going to be a walk in the park."
Sero smiled at his friend. "I know it's going to be dangerous. And I will have to protect people. But that's what it's all about, right? Putting yourself on the line so others can be okay. Just like All Might. I'll always try my best when it comes to hero work. And if the worst happens while I'm on the job, I won't let it break me. My family supports me through thick and thin after all. And they sure as hell wouldn't let me off the hook if I gave up on what I wanted to be when something bad happens. Especially when the hero title is involved. And that's what it's all about for me in the end. I've got the heavy support behind me, so I'm going to work towards my wants and goals no matter what. That's what makes a hero after all, right?"
Danny Fenton said nothing, mostly due to the fact that his mind was still taking in Sero's words. When he first heard mention of how popular UA attendance was in Japan, he had thought that a majority of the students clamoring there only had a vague idea about what went into hero work. That they thought it would all be glamour, like he did when he first started.
But after talking with Sero, Danny had begun to second-guess. Sero knew full well what hero work was about, yet he still drove forward anyway. He took the support he had and he focused his goal with that drive.
In more than one way, Sero reminded him more and more of how he was before.
If one person supports you, you can take on the world.
Danny's thoughts lingered on the saying that he had prominently focused in his mind during his discussion with Seicho. At first glance, Danny was afraid this society seemed self-centered in a way. But, if there was as much support present in this society as Danny had seen, maybe there was something to it.
There was a brief pulse within his body, one that didn't feel like guilt.
After a beat of silence, the Ghost boy let out a sigh. "Well, I can't argue with all of that, Sero."
Sero chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on a speech like that."
"No, you're fine." Danny said with a smile. "In fact, I'm glad to hear your side of things. It kind of makes things a little more clear, in a way."
"... I can't tell if that's a compliment or not, Fenton."
"No, it's a compliment," Danny stood and stretched. "And you better enjoy it while you can. It won't be happening again after this next round of training."
"See, those are fighting words if I've ever heard them." Sero said with a mock malicious smile as he stood and stretched. "I take it you're up to resume then?"
"More than ever," Danny said, stepping back up to the training ground center. "I think I got the hang of your strategies now."
"We'll see about that," Sero placed himself on the other side of the training ground, an impish smile more apparent than ever. "Especially after I show you one of my newer moves."
"Well," The halfa stretched one last time before bending his knees in a sprint position. "Let's see it then."
That's was all Sero needed to hear. With a sneer, the tape master threw both arms back and forward in one explosive moment, bringing a double cascade of tape flowing forward in what could be described as one whole fist of tape. Definitely thicker than anything Danny had seen before.
The Ghost boy lowered his form and reassured himself for a side sprint, but his mind was still focused on the lingering words of Sero, so apparent in his mending mind.
My family supports me through thick and thin after all. And they sure as hell wouldn't let me off the hook if I gave up on what I wanted to be when something bad happens.
I've got the heavy support behind me, so I'm going to work towards my wants and goals no matter what.
His own thoughts turned to his family and friends, people who supported his hero goal no matter what went on. Jazz, Sam, Tucker. They all wanted him to be one of the best heroes in Amity Park. They would have still wanted that now.
Right?
A failure
But should I give up?
All at once, Danny's strategy changed in the moment. As the tape soared towards him, he felt his feet shift forward and him stand fully from his crouching position. His gaze focused on the oncoming projectile. And his left hand balled.
An unbelievable amount of adrenaline surged forward from his chest. And, right before the tape made impact, beyond his own logic and reasoning, his instincts won out. And he punched forward.
FWAM
The tape slammed and shattered against a source of energy that wasn't present before, writhing and burning under the assault of a glowing green burn that encompassed the entirety of Danny's fist.
The length of line burned away as the energy Danny released countered and dispelled any integrity that Sero's attack once held. And, in the blink of an eye, it was over, the green wavering energy soaring past the tape and out into the horizon.
Danny, encompassed by his muscle memory, suddenly faltered as his sights finally settled on his glowing fist.
He recognized the energy in an instant. The familiar tingle, the flow of power. All of it was nostalgia on his mind. And he, of all people, could never forget it.
"Ghost energy." He muttered as the energy flowed across the length of his palm. "My powers…"
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, dissipating across Danny's fingers and vanishing completely, like it was never there to begin with.
"Whoa!" Sero called out from the other end of the training area. "What was that?!"
The halfa took in the feeling of static that lingered on his palm, shock still plastered across his expression. After a beat of silence, he looked to his equally shocked friend.
"That, Sero," He murmured, looking back at his hand. "Was my Ghost Power."