The Symbol of Peace

Ever since I was little I’ve dreamed of being a hero. After quirks started to appear all around the world, governments collapsed, (what we now call villains) ran rampant, and discussions were settled with fights. The strongest ruled supreme, but it didn’t last long. When everything seemed lost, normal people with quirks started defending the innocent. Comic book heroes came to life and a new profession was born, they were known as pro heroes. With time they helped establish governments and helped with quirk regulations. With regulations in place, crime and violence rates went down. The reconstruction of the new society was beginning; one that was more diverse and accepting than before. That happened dozens of years before I was born and even now, crime rates have stayed at their usual high. Sure, things are safer, but some things are missing. The people need someone to believe in. Someone to inspire hope and make them believe there's a better future ahead. 

I will become a hero and give others hope. I will protect and inspire people to do better. I will make a better world.

Eda’s POV

          “Awe, shoot. Did I kill her? I wasn’t expecting that reaction….. Although she did go through a lot today…” - I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. 

EDALYN CLAWTHORNE:

QUIRK: ALL-FOR-ONE

“DEFEATS VILLAINS WITH A POWERFUL QUIRK PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS”

“AFFILIATION: PRO HERO”

 “AGE: UNKNOWN”  ;  “BIRTHDAY: 12/23”

“HEIGHT: 202 CM”  ;  “BLOOD TYPE: B+”

“LIKES: RICE BUNS, COFFEE, SCOLDING HER SIDEKICKS”

I saw the kid stir and groan.

          “Hahaha, she's alive!” - I accidentally bellowed a bit too loud.

I made the kid stir a bit more. I chuckled again. This kid gave me chills. Her determination and persistence knows no bounds. She stepped in twice where most newbies would still hesitate, that can’t be taught. She began to groan.

          “Mooom. I just had the craziest dreEE-” - She called out to her mother. Instead, she rubbed her eyes and was met with my charming looks. 

I flashed her a quick smile.

          “Not your mom kid. Ha Ha, ya passed out for a quick minute, were you really cleared by the medics?” - I asked her, but I didn’t receive a response. She just kept staring at me with a bewildered look as she stood up.

          “Aw come on kid, I know I’m good looking, but you’re going to have to focus just a bit more if you want this to work.”

          “Wh-” - she paused. “Work? What do I want to work?” - Her voice cracked.

          “Geez kid, did you hit your head? I caught ya before you hit the ground and I made sure to set you down slowly.” - I snorted when she looked at me confused.

          “I don’t… WAIT.” - Her eyes widened as if she put the pieces together. I smiled.

          FINally.

          “I was saved by you again!?” - Her stance widened and tensed up as she looked up at me.

          “...I-” - Now it was my turn to give her the bewildered look. 

          “Oh my, did you hit your head?”

          “Uum, I don’t think so. The last thing I remember was walking down this path.” - she looked behind her and looked back up at me, there was embarrassment and something else I couldn’t tell. She just looked sad and defeated. 

          “Hey, but you do remember what you did today? Twice?” -I asked.

          “Yeah,” - She dragged the word out and fell quiet looking down at the cement. Did she think I’d scold her? It was probably fitting, but things are different now. I held my arms tightly against my body and bowed slightly.

          “Look… What you did was dangerous, but I was wrong to judge you without knowing you. I had no right to tell you that you had no future as a hero. I was wrong,” I paused.

          I was a coward. How could I just blatantly kick this kid’s dream in the trash? Pathetic. Where has my heart gone? When did I stop believing in the future?

          “You inspired me today; in both of the scenarios today, you stepped in before the heroes knew what to do. You risked your life to save others. Your determination to become a hero, and save others isn’t something that can be taught. I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you as you did in yourself.”

I looked up expecting her to cry, but she wasn’t crying. She looked at me with the widest eyes. The corners of her mouth began to twitch.

          “PFFFt- HAHA- HAhah” 

I was utterly baffled when she started to laugh. She might have hit her head. She stopped laughing clutching her stomach.

          “Sure, hehe. I’m hero material- ppft” - she chuckled looking around. “Listen, whoever put you up to this: One. That’s a pretty good impression of The Horned Owl. Two. Stop messing with me. I already know I’m not hero material. Is Amos around here somewhere? Is this his doing? HA. Ha. H-”

          “KID” - My voice came out a bit harsher than I meant to and her smile faded.

          Did I make her think that?

I bowed once more.

          “Kid. Today you proved yourself. This is me apologizing and asking for forgiveness. Please. I believe in you.” - My voice cracked. 

          Did I break the kid's dream? I didn’t mean to. Please Forgive Me.

          “W-” - She mustered up sounds, but not complete words. Her face twitched in disbelief. I saw the gears in her brain as she put pieces together.

She fell to her knees and began to tear up. I straightened myself a bit and took a knee. Her nose began to sniffle and her eyes were red, a couple of tears began to fall. I looked at her eyes, there wasn’t just sadness, or joy. There was anger. Fear. And yet the Determination was still there.

          “You Said.” - Her head was hung now with her fists on the pavement. I was surprised as she spoke through gritted teeth. “You said I was weak. That I would get in the way! Were you toying with me? Are my dreams a joke to you? How dare you insult me like that.” - She didn’t dare lookup. She might have been angry, but I was still a hero to her. 

          How could I do this to her?

          “I know what I said. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you before today. I didn’t mean it, I was just scared you would get hurt! I have to protect everyone and that was my way of protecting you.” - I raised my voice but caught myself. 

          “Here give me your hand. Please.” 

She wiped her tears and sniffled again. She finally looked up, and hesitantly looked at my hand. I gave her a sympathetic look and as she reached for my hand. She was giving me a stern look, but that was the least I deserved. Finally, after grasping her arm firmly I pulled her in for a hug. I held her forehead against my shoulder and felt her tense up.  

          “I’m sorry, I didn’t believe in the future. Please. Don’t stop walking your path. You are the future of this world and I’m a moron for not realizing that. Please forgive me for my blindness.” - I held her firmly as she began to bawl into my shoulder. I was surprised when she returned my hug and relaxed.

          I’m such a farce. I’m meant to inspire others not discourage. When did I stop believing in the future? 

I let her tire herself out before speaking again.

          “Listen, this might sound strange, but can we go somewhere a bit more private? I don’t want the press near when I tell you this next part.” - I quickly look around the abandoned path. 

          “Uh..” - She wiped her face again and cleared her airways. “Yeah, the forest near the north-western residential district doesn’t receive any visitors anymore.”

          “Perfect!” - I bellow. As I pick up her legs, she squeaks and clutches my waist. She hides her head in the crook of my shoulder.

          Did I pick her up properly? Is she scared of heights or does she think I’ll drop her? Haha, that won’t work.

As we soar through the sky, she finally decides to look up from my shoulder and open her eyes. I can see the fear vanish from her eyes as she looks in awe at the city before her. I admit this city is a lot less active and crowded than Tokyo, and I like it here. The city had a special personality.

I see a clearing in the forest near the entrance and make sure to land extra carefully. 

          Can’t scare the kid anymore. Heheh

I look around and see the trees look duller towards the entrance of the forest. I look to my left and see the trees getting denser as you go further down the trail, but there was trash everywhere. Kitchen appliances, half-finished machinery, car parts. It looked like a junkyard.

          “What a Beautiful Place.” - I say glancing towards her. 

Her face could beg to differ. “I heard it was much more vibrant a decade ago. Corrupt companies used to dump their trash here because there weren’t many regulations. When they were caught and punished, they stopped… but that didn’t stop locals from dumping their trash.” 

          “Oh, Well I bet it looked beautiful.” - I felt odd with the conversation we were having, and thankfully, she butted in.

          “Look, why are we here. My mom will want me home by 6. What did you want to say that you couldn’t just say before?” - She crossed her arms and gave me a look.

          “HA.HA. You see, kid… I chose you!” - I shouted.

          “W- I’m not a pokemon..” - She raised her arms and ran in a little circle.

I deadpanned.

          “No kid.” - I sign rubbing my temples. “What kind of hero do you aspire to be?” - I asked; she didn’t miss a beat.

          “I want to become a hero that gives hope to others. I want to protect and inspire people to do better. Crime hasn’t gone down because people don’t truly believe things can get better. I want to become a symbol of peace and hope. I want to prove that things can become better as long as we work towards a brighter tomorrow.” - She spoke with so much passion it made me jumpy on the inside. 

          “That is exactly why I chose you.” - I smiled and kneel to her level. “I want you to become my successor. I want to pass all of my power and its responsibility to you! I believe you can become this symbol of peace.” - I raised the palm of my hands and wrists to her as she looked at me completely puzzled. 

          “what.?”- She responded flatly. “You can’t transfer quirks. That’s impossible.” - She said, giving me a nervous chuckle. 

          “There’s no way that is possible otherwise things like arranged quirk marriages, special quirk prisons, and even villains wouldn’t exist. No one wants to lose their quirk hehe.” - She once again finished nervously chuckling. She was going to start to freak out again. I quickly snap my fingers in her face.

          “Hey! I was getting there. My power is one named ONE. FOR. ALL. It has been passed down for 7 generations. Now, I hope you will be the eighth holder.” - I kneel again, getting closer to her eye level. 

          “Kid, you’ve lit a fire inside me I thought was burned out. Please let me guide you in your hero training.” 

          “One-For-All.” - She paused. “But. Reporters and theorists have always tried to guess your power. Superspeed, Invulnerability, and Superstrength are all on the table. But you never confirmed or denied these.”

          “I- Are you serious?” - She stuttered. 

          This was so much for her. She’s gone through so much today, but I can’t let her get away. I know she’ll lead us to a brighter future. I want to believe in someone again. Please.

          “I'm serious. My power is one that has been passed down from the beginning of quirks. It has been cultivated by its past users to defeat greater forces of evil. Now I wish to pass it on to you. You too can be a hero. You can become one of the greatest and change the world.” - I raised my hand out to her. “Let me guide you to the tomorrow you want.”

Once again I saw the gears in her brain work. I internally chuckle.

          We might need to work on the quick thinki-

          “YES, I WANT TO BE A HERO!” - I was startled out of my thoughts and slightly flinched. She collected herself. “I want to be a hero and save others.” - A stern look settled on her face. 

          “That’s my girl!” - I praised her.

          “So.. how does this work...? Is it like voodoo magic? Or is it like a werewolf bite type thing? OO! Is it like-” - As she was babbling she tripped over a broken microwave and fell. 

          “Dang kid,” - I laughed. “You have to stop falling so much if you want my power. There’s no way you can take it now.” I laughed and a snort escaped my throat.

          “WhAT?! But I thought you said you wanted me to succeed you?!” - She Pouted.

          “I do! I do,” - I cleared my voice, I didn’t want to sound too desperate. 

It’s not like there aren’t plenty of other heroes I can trust to succeed me, but she has great determination and passion that can’t be taught. Her optimism will be both a boon and a curse, but she wants this and believes she can. I believe in her. 

          “Whaat. Then why can’t I have it?”

I chuckled again. 

          “One-For-All isn’t something that can be taken right now. Look at yourself. HAHA. You look like a twig.” - I laughed until my core hurt and I bent over laughing. Wiping a tear from my face I saw her blushing. 

          “Hey hey hey. We all start somewhere. You want to apply to U.A right?” 

          “How did you..?” - Her voice held wonder.

          “I saw your school application. Hehe” 

          “Well... yeah I do.” - Her voice piped up. “All of the greatest heroes have learned from U.A. including you!”

          “Yeaaah, don’t remind me” - I scowl at the memories. The rough times we had and how it took a toll on our relationship.

She ignored my reaction and began to mumble about the history of the school.

          “Okay, Okay. I don’t need a history lesson. Right now let’s focus on those little arms and the muscle you need to build. U.A.’s entrance exam is nothing a novice can accomplish. 

          “Ooo, I have an insight source.” - She smirked, making me giggle. 

          “No, you don’t. I won’t make this any easier for you. You want to pass with your skills and efforts, otherwise, you won’t learn. Besides, I took the exam years ago HAH.” - I laughed at her comment.

          “How old are you?” - She asked.

          “Not important! Now, let’s see what we’re working with.” - I walked towards her and squeezed her bicep. 

She giggled; she worked out a bit, that much was clear, but at this pace, it wouldn’t be enough. I picked up a thick branch and held it towards her.

          “Hit me!” - I said.

She changed into a wide stance and kicked. Unfortunately, she missed and ended up hitting me on my side. 

          “Not me, me. The branch!” - I scolded her. 

She blushed and we did it again. She managed to crack the opposite side of the impact, but it didn’t break all the way. 

          “Hmmm… Okay. We’ve got 10 months to whip you into shape. Diet needs to change, Workout regime will be controlled by me, and you still have to make time for your studies.” - I looked up from the branch and saw her eyes were the size of golf balls. I chuckled again.

          “Or... Maybeee… you aren’t worthy of my quirk and teachings…” - I turned around and smirked.

           “NO! Wait! I’ll do it! I want to save others.” - The determination of her voice made me proud. 

          “Alright then! We start Monday! I’m still a pro hero so even when I’m not present you have to follow the plan I set up for you.” - I said sternly. She yelped and nodded.

          “Do you have a phone?” - She nodded. “Alright, hand it over.” 

She hesitantly handed it to me and I quickly typed in my contact info. Then handed it back.

          “Woah” - She looked in awe as I stifled a laugh.

          “I don’t want you calling me every day, but I do want updates and you can always ask questions. DON'T. Sell my number off kid.” - I squinted my eyes and she eagerly nodded. 

          “And when it’s just you and me, you can call me by my name.” - I saw her eyes light up again. I smiled and felt my eyes roll involuntarily. 

She looked back down and squeaked. 

          “Oh, would you look at the time? HAha. Can you take me home? Like now.” - She smiled up at me as I rolled my eyes and picked her up. 

As I took off and we reached her neighborhood I had a thought.

          Is this what I’ve been looking for? A student? Or am in desperate need of friends…

I chuckled at my thoughts and took off not daring to look back.

Luz’s POV

I looked up as I saw Eda leave. 

          Huh. Flight.

          “WAIT, WILL I BE ABLE TO FLY?!”