Chapter 8
For two days, the media had been swarming the gates of the Wild Wild Pussycats' property. Everyone wanted to interview the boy with the unique quirk.
Of course, they couldn't enter the property without consequences. The Wild Wild Pussycats organized summer camps for UA students, which meant they also had Nezu's protection... and that rat could afford the most expensive lawyers.
So the media couldn't enter the premises... but they could record everything they saw...
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In a small, makeshift workshop, Zuko was assembling a wondrous machine that would allow him to fly. He vaguely remembered the construction of Aang's glider staff... but Zuko wanted to modify the design a bit.
Somehow, he managed to convince his mother to buy the necessary materials. Of course, he didn't tell her exactly what he was doing... He said his goal was to build a kite on which he could practice airbending. He wasn't lying, after all.
The basis of his design was aluminum. The aluminum frame was intended to provide adequate strength without adding excessive weight to the structure. The covering was made of durable faux leather.
And now it's time for a makeover... instead of flying like Aang... Zuko decided to mount a board on top, like a snowboard. He wouldn't need specialized boots, as he could attach and detach himself with the metalbending technique.
He grinned like a mad scientist. He didn't need any tools. He simply bent the metal to his will.
The best part is, no one else would be able to use this tool.
Metalbending for folding and unfolding. Airbending for flight, and firebending for gaining speed.
He had to hurry... he rather doubted his mother would allow him to attempt any flight... and sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Besides, nothing bad would happen to him...
He felt beneath his feet that no one was around... it was the perfect moment...
He walked toward the training ground. The weather was clear. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the wind blowing from whichever direction.
He positioned himself so that the wind was blowing directly at him. Slowly... step by step, he began to walk... the walk turned into a jog... the jog turned into a run.
He leaped into the air, simultaneously standing on his new glider.
The aluminum arms stretched... Zuko wanted to glide along the small river. He used airbending to propel himself forward...
And just then, the glider's skin tore into small pieces.
"OH FUCK!!!!!!"
Zuko plummeted. He fell straight into the water from about 4 meters. He stood up. The water was almost waist-deep. He emerged onto dry ground. He warmed himself and dried his clothes in an instant. He looked at the remains of his experiment.
The glider was useless. Apparently, he wasn't that good an engineer... He wasn't an engineer at all. He hated math and almost everything related to it.
The worst part was that he didn't know where he'd gone wrong. Maybe the material was too weak? The entire structure was too heavy?
He sat down right on the edge. His mother wouldn't let him use his WIld Wild Pussycats contacts, so he'd have to wait until he joined UA and placed an order for support equipment.
Everyone had their limits... but he was the AVATAR, after all. He had to be better... the best.
By this point, he had already mastered the four elements. He was able to easily deflect Endeavor's attack. If he remembered correctly, a war between villains and pro heroes was coming.
He's a great fighter. Common sense told him that Iroh was right. That there could always be someone better... that pride comes before a fall.
On the other hand, he was confident. Perhaps too confident. He wouldn't know until he was in a real fight.
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A black car pulled up to the gate of the Wild Wild Pussycats estate. Paparazzi tried to see who was inside, but they couldn't.
Toshinori Yagi had come here with one purpose: to see if young Zuko could be his successor.
The gate opened, and the car moved forward. All Might called Pixie-Bob yesterday and asked to speak with him.
He was sincere. He told her he wanted to talk about Zuko's future. He hadn't told her about his quirk yet, but if he deemed Zuko worthy... he would tell not only him, but her as well.
After all, she was a pro hero... she would understand.
The car stopped in the driveway. All Might got out of the vehicle and straightened up. He had about five hours left in this form today, and he wanted to impress young Zuko.
Pixie-Bob was already waiting for him, and she wasn't alone. The entire team welcomed the No. 1 Pro Hero to Japan.
All Might smiled as always and bowed solemnly in a gesture of respect.
"Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, Tiger, Ragdoll. Thank you for accepting my request so quickly."
Pixie-Bob and the others bowed as well.
"We are pleased to have you, All Might. Come inside. Zuko is in the training grounds, so we can talk without him."
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The five of them entered the living room, where Iroh had prepared tea. All Might bowed to the old man.
"Good morning, sir."
Iroh smiled and bowed gently.
"Ah, welcome, esteemed All Might. Please sit down. The tea is ready. It's my own blend, grown in our garden."
The group sat at the table, and Iroh handed out cups of tea.
Pixie-Bob met All Might's questioning gaze.
"All Might. Please meet Iroh. This is Zuko's grandfather. He's his head trainer."
All Might, surprised, asked.
"Trainer? Forgive me, Mr. Iroh, but I don't recall any pro hero who looks like you."
Iroh laughed.
"Because I'm not. My... son was one of you. His name was Firebender. I'm simply too old for that."
All Might had heard of this Pro Hero. Same name as Zuko. He came from nowhere and passed the Pro Hero exam as an adult. He was good. Very good... and then suddenly died. He could have accessed this information, but he never needed it.
"I understand. I never served with him, but I heard he was a great man. He saved many lives."
Iroh nodded slowly, his eyes closed. He tried to push the memories aside.
"Yes... well... so what did you want to talk about?"
"I would like to learn more about your grandson, Mr. Iroh."
Iroh combed his beard slowly with his free hand.
"Oho? And why the sudden interest in my grandson?"
All Might took a sip of his tea. It was excellent. He set down his cup and looked directly into Iroh's eyes, assessing him. There was something about the older man that inspired respect. Not only was he strong, but his eyes radiated wisdom and concern for his grandson. These were admirable traits.
"The truth is, I'm getting old... and Japan will need another symbol of peace. I saw Zuko fight... I was given access to recordings from inside the building... did you train him?"
"Oh, I didn't do it alone. Everyone here contributed to Zuko's success, but it was all largely his own hard work over the years."
All Might nodded.
"Besides that, he seems like a very kind young man, full of empathy and eager to help others. At the same time, he has a very powerful quirk... I could help him train..."
Iroh sighed, looking into his cup of tea.
"Zuko is... a truly exceptional young man. His quirk allows him to control the elements. He'll be going to the doctor soon to have his quirk updated... he calls it 'Elemental Control.'"
All Might raised an eyebrow in interest.
"I understand he gets his control over fire from his father, and his control over earth from his mother..."
Iroh nodded.
"Yes. Besides that, he also has control over water and air. There was once a man in our family who could control the four elements like Zuko. That was about four generations ago."
"Really? He must have been a powerful pro hero. What was his name?"
"His name was Roku. He was... supposedly a powerful pro hero... but I don't have much information about him... those were... different times, and much information from that time has been lost."
All Might understood... much information was lost during the early Quirk era... and the wars it sparked... by the AFO.
"I understand... and can you tell me what kind of person Zuko is?"
Iroh replied without hesitation.
"Strong. He follows the path he has chosen. He is a capable warrior. He is aware of his power and what it means to others. He told me during our conversation that it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. Zuko wants to become a pro hero out of a sense of duty. He is young and still quite impulsive, but he is learning to control himself. He will be a truly great pro hero."
"That's great! Then with my help..."
Iroh interrupted All Might.
"I don't think Zuko needs your help, All Might."
All Might blinked in surprise, but continued to smile broadly.
"He doesn't need my help? But... with my support, he could become even stronger."
Iroh shook his head, his eyes filled with calm wisdom. He looked directly at All Might.
"All Might, I respect you as a symbol of peace. But Zuko already carries a burden greater than you think. His power will only grow. For now, he doesn't need more power, but control over it and himself. I fear your presence may fuel his arrogance. I don't want to speak ill of my grandson, but do you know why he fought Endeavor?"
All Might didn't answer... he simply shook his head. Iroh continued.
"Zuko fought Endeavor because Zuko felt superior to him. He admitted this to me with shame. He knows he was wrong. He needs to continue working on himself to overcome such negative traits... your presence might prevent him from overcoming them."
"But... can Pixie-Bob say anything more about this?"
All Might looked hopefully at the pro hero, Zuko's mother. She nodded.
"We've decided that Iroh will have this conversation with you. He knows Zuko's limitations best... he explained to us that at this stage of your training, you will be more of a hindrance than a help to Zuko. Please don't take this personally, All Might... but Zuko is my son... and I want the best for him."
All Might felt the weight of Pixie-Bob's words. As a mother, her protective instincts were understandable. He smiled softly, nodding respectfully.
"I'm not taking this personally, Pixie-Bob. I don't want to limit your contact or anything like that... but since I'm here, maybe you could at least let me talk to Zuko? I want to get to know him... see how he thinks. I want to ask him why he wants to be a pro hero. I know Mr. Iroh already answered that question, but I'd like to hear it from Zuko. Can I meet him?"
End of Chapter 8
Well... now I'll hear what you have to say. Let me know in the comments whether All Might should talk to Zuko or not.