An: When I decided to redo this story I didn't realize exactly how much of it I was going to change. Let's start that I gave her family more characterization and personality while keeping them relatively the same, but also giving them a more central part of the story plot. I've also abandoned that ATLA/LOK theme that I had running before and came up with something more unique and exciting.

I want to tell you all the changes but that would ruin the story! D:

With that being said my character has a quirk that can still be considered overpowered and made to be without weakness and limitations - that is not the case here. I have done my best to give my character believable weaknesses and limitations because I know, that no one likes an overpowered sue, right?

I've written my fair share in the past.

I didn't make too many changes, in the beginning, it's mainly at the end where they start to show up. I liked how the first chapter was written and didn't want to change it too much. Also, I'm aware that Shinso applied to General Studies and didn't actually take the exam...but I like a little drama.

Sue me.

Warning: This story will have gay relationships - no, not gay as in "fucking", which the majority of this site seems to think gay/lesbian relationships are...but gay, as in two people of the same sex who love each other, and are not going to fuck because they are underage and that's a big no-no. So if you don't agree with homosexual relationships, or only like homosexual relationships when they are fucking - this story is not for you.

I'm also not Spanish. Everything Spanish related to Da-Xia was learned from the internet.

It is not unknown that the sad truth of the world is that not everyone is born equal. Even as young as four-years-old, children realize what people are really like, and how they treated those who were...different from others.

It all began in the town of Qing Qing, China. The news of newborn baby that radiated a mysterious luminescent light had spread fast. Shortly thereafter, similar phenomena popped up all over the world. The trigger to these strange, newfound powers was never determined. But as the time progressed, what was once the extraordinary, became the ordinary.

And dreams...became reality.

Of the planet's massive population, around eighty-percent have developed unique abilities, or "individualities" - called "Quirks". We've entered a new age - a society of superhumans. And in this world of whirling chaos, a certain profession that people used to aspire to be only in their dreams...has stepped into the light of day.

The great phenomenon was attended by an accompanying increase in crime levels. And while nations dawdled in making any sort of radical change to the law, men and women of courage took inspiration from comics and done the mantle of heroism. They began policing this brave new world, and defending innocents from evil. Suddenly, through the swell of public opinion, heroism gained rights as an official occupation. And due to their various acts of meritorious service, they obtained income from the state, and renown from the people.

But with the rise of heroics came the rise of crime and organizations dedicated to creating chaos, and staining the world red in their own sense of twisted justice.

Delgado Da-Xia never knew that becoming a hero would be the undoing of her family and that by chasing her dreams she would be releasing skeletons from the closet that were better left locked away. After all, there are no secrets that time does not reveal.

"Da-Xia it is time to wake up. I'm running late on time today, so do not make me repeat myself, young lady."

Black stilettos tapped against the cluttered carpeted floor in a fast, impatient rhythm, belonging to a tall, and slender woman with milky white skin, and sharp brown eyes that were glaring down at a large lump resting beneath a mixture of blankets and dirty laundry. The woman clicked her tongue and chewed on her ruby painted lips as her fingers brushed away strands of onyx hair so that her fingers could rest against her temple.

A quick glance was spared at the expensive watch on her wrist that ticked by faster with every passing second, reminding her of the little time she had to glance at her watch and to the lump once more as a sigh of frustration breezed past her lips.

"Yeung-Delgado Esperanza Lei-Ling Da-Xia! Do not make me repeat myself again or so help me...if I am late to my meeting because of this then you're going to be punished like you've never been punished before."

Her voice was sharp and even, showing just how very serious she was.

Beneath the blankets of the clumsy fort rest a head full of messy, chestnut brown hair. The owner of the bed-head groaned as a sudden intrusion of light filled the room and bled into their eyes. They grumbled under their breath and pulled the blankets high over their head to block out the light, but it was little use as the blankets were ripped from their body, regardless. The person grumbled as they rolled over to view the one responsible for ruining their sleep; sharp, brown eyes belonging to a middle-aged Chinese woman glared down at the lumps light blue eyes, sending the smallest bead of sweat down their neck.

"Morning?" Da-Xia hoarsely choked out.

The brown eyes belonging to Da-Xia's mother hardened. Her manicured hands balled into fists as she leaned down to leer at the sleepy teenager with drool rolling down her chin.

"It might as very well be mid-day with how long I have been standing here." She said in reply. "Do you plan to spend the rest of your life lazing around in bed, Da-Xia? It must be nice to have such a luxury. Just remember how hard your mother is working as you waste your day doing...whatever it is you do.

Da-Xia groaned and forced herself to roll out of bed and on to her cluttered floor. She looked up at her mother with bleary eyes through a thick veil of hair of messy, tangled hair, opposed to her mother's neat hair that was pulled in an elegant bun; there wasn't a single hair out of place on her head.

Da-Xia yawned and scratched at the mole on the fat of her cheek near the left side of her lips.

"Come on Ma', cut me some slack, okay? I spent the whole day yesterday training like you told me to do. I'm exhausted."

Da-Xia's mother frowned. "It seems to me that I've let you slack a little too much." She frowned down at her daughter's round form. "Your father hasn't been sneaking you food again, has he? The diet I created for you should ensure that you're getting the proper nutrition you need...but, you're still..."

"Fat?" Da-Xia frowned. "Yeah, I've noticed. "You don't have to go out of your way every day to point it out, mother."

Da-Xia glared at her mother and pulled herself up on the floor. She stretched out her body and sighed as her bones popped and cracked, relieving some of the tension of her late night training.

"Why do you care if I sleep in any way?" Da-Xia asked. "It's not like you're actually going to be here. God forbid you set aside work and spend some time with your family."

The last part had been whispered, but judging by how her mom's eye had narrowed, she heard anyway.

Her mother must not have been in the mood for arguing as she let her comment slide by. Instead, she sighed and looked down at her watch with a frown.

"For someone who was so persistent about becoming one of those heroes - you think you would remember that you have your exam today."

The words were bitter on her mother's tongue.

"You seem to have taken after your father's memory. I would have never made such a mistake. Now that you're awake you need to shower and get dressed. I've had your father prepare a lean breakfast for you that will give you the energy to do sufficient on your testing."

Da-Xia frowned. Her mother didn't know the first thing about food, but it wasn't like she knew anything either. It was pretty much a running gag at this point that none of the women in her family knew how to cook, while all the men seemed to be gifted in the culinary arts.

Da-Xia held on to hope that her papá's godly cooking would make up for the bland meal he was being forced to make under her mother's strict ruling.

Da-Xia gave a tired yawn in reply. "Alright, alright. The sooner you leave the sooner I can get ready." Da-Xia said, already searching her room for something to wear.

She picked a shirt off the ground and brought it to her nose for the sniff test. She recoiled backward immediately and threw the shirt down.

Nope. That wouldn't do.

"I figured this would happen. I've left you a clean outfit in the bathroom. I expect you to have your laundry done by the time I get home tonight, understand?"

If you ever come home.

"...Yes, mother. Can I?..."

There was a stiff moment of silence. Da-Xia felt incredibly awkward standing in a shirt that was too big even for her, and a pair of baggy shorts and mismatched socks with her hair looking like something out of a horror film. She flinched away from her mother's scrutinizing eyes that were surely judging her very thoroughly. It went on for longer than Da-Xia would have cared for before her mother finally cleared her throat and stiffly approached her.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, but it lacked warmth. It was strange how foreign the gesture felt.

"I expect you to do your best today. It might be hard...but, just try your best. Just keep in mind that Yuuei has incredibly high expectations and a certain image of what a hero should be...I say this so that you're not discouraged if you don't make it through. However you are half of my child, so I'm sure you'll do adequate enough. At best, you could make it into General Studies. What I'm trying to say is..."

You're not good enough.

"Do...don't let me down."

Da-Xia scoffed. "Wishful thinking." The girl spat out bitterly and moved away from her mother. "I'll do my best not to humiliate you, mother. You could at least give me some credit before dismissing me as a hopeless case, too. Is it that hard to have a little faith in me for once? I swear you're just as bad as the rest of the world! You're not exactly perfect yourself, either."

Da-Xia didn't give her mother a chance to answer as she stormed past her and into the bathroom with the door slamming shut behind her. It was a minute later before she heard the shuffling of her mother's footsteps outside the door. There was a pause, followed by a heavy sigh and inaudible grumbling as her mother reminded her of the laundry and left her to herself.

The Chinese-Spanish American girl heaved a sigh and glared at the reflection staring back at her with tired eyes. A mocha-skinned girl with long chestnut brown hair spilling past her shoulders and almond shaped blue eyes at a slant stared back at her. She frowned, and gently ran her fingers over the freckles that covered her face and the vast majority of her body, and then over the single mole above the left side of her natural, plump, pink lips.

Her cheeks puffed out and pinched her ears that were slightly larger than average; she inherited this from her father.

Da-Xia stood on the very tip of her toes to get a better look at herself. She wasn't very tall, only measuring at five-feet - barely. What she lacked in height she made up in structure; Short, pear-shaped, and very, very chunky. She would have liked to blame her papá for her being overweight but it wasn't like he forced the food down her throat.

Her weight didn't even bother her. Her mother's comments did. And if it weren't her mother's comment it was the rest of society, and it was more-so the way they acted than anything. The only thing people seemed to care about anymore was how flashy a hero was - All Might, for example; the guy sticks out in all the best ways possible, and is an absolute crowd pleaser; he's loved by everyone on the side of justice and hated by those on the opposite spectrum.

He stands out. Everyone knows his name.

And then there are people like Da-Xia. The ordinary people. Other than her quirk there isn't really anything that stands out about her unless she is using her quirk, and even then it's pretty underwhelming when you see the person behind it. It's one of the things that Da-Xia disliked the most about the world of heroes, and the thing she wanted to change the most.

She was tired of the world of heroes focusing on aesthetics.

Da-Xia shook her head and stripped herself. She took a quick shower opposed to her normal longer ones since she didn't want to be late to the exam, knowing her mother would kill her considering how much she begged and pleaded to be allowed to take Yuuei's entrance exam.

Her mother disliked heroes. Why? No one knew. Maybe it was because she was quirkless? Both of her parents are, which is a wonder how she or her siblings came out with quirks.

Done with her shower she looked over the outfit her mother arranged. She was surprised that she didn't hate it. A dark brown jacket placed over a pale pink hoodie and pair of light colored jeans tucked into a pair of brown boots. Da-Xia pulled the outfit on and headed back to her room to grab her brown pair of glasses that took up half her face, and a beige beanie to throw over top her messy hair. She also wrapped a white wool scarf around her shoulders for good measure and packed a spare change of clothes.

A delicious aroma floated up the stairs pulling Da-Xia from her room and to the downstairs kitchen, where her father stood in a frilly pink apron obnoxiously humming along to the radio and gyrating his hips.

Such a ridiculous man.

She loved that about him.

"Papá! " Da-Xia called over the loud music. "What are you making? It smells too good to be whatever crap Ma' told you to make."

Da-Xia watched her father bump hips with the radio to switch it off. He spun around to her with a Cheshire grin on his face that made his blue eyes glow with enthusiasm. His light brown hair was neatly gelled back and his scruffy beard had been trimmed a little. His skin was a bit darker than Da-Xia's, but their eyes were the same. She was practically the spitting image of her father, even sharing the same mole - though his was under his right eye.

Her father chuckled and scratched at his stubble. "You'd be right about that. I threw that crap in the back of the fridge where nobody ever looks. Don't tell your Madre, okay? She'll scold me for it for the next month or two." Her father winked making her giggle. "Instead of that boring no-good diet stuff your Made insists you eat - I've instead prepared a glorious banquet of Migas con Huevo! And before you ask - yes I included chorizo, and even fried up some peppers. Dig in, Mija."

Da-Xia grinned so largely her father worried it would split her face. Migas con Huevo (crumbs with eggs) isn't a complex dish to make, but it's one of Da-Xia's favorites, so he ends up making it more than he usually would, well tries to anyway.

Meixui found the dish to be disgusting and had pretty much banned it in the house.

Sometimes he wished his wife would lighten up just a little.

He smiled watching his daughter pile his cooking on to a dish while rambling on and on about how good it smelt, making his heart swell with pride. Cooking was something that Casimiro prided himself in ever since he was young. He loved seeing the way his food made people happy, and it took him back to his childhood where his mother would make them a big meal when they had the extra money to spend.

Casimiro always spoiled his children when they were young with his cooking, though he went a little overboard with Da-Xia since she was the youngest and a complete daddies girl. Meixui often blamed him for Da-Xia's weight, but he didn't see it as a big of an issue as his wife did - she's healthy; doctors have said it too.

Even if they hadn't said so, he would never be able to see her as anything but beautiful. The perfect little angel. When he looked at her his chest swelled with pride and love, that someone as amazing as her could be related to someone like him. It was a feeling he got whenever he looked at any of his children.

He had always wanted a big family. Meixui had given that and despite her odd little quirks, he loved her and was glad to have her in his life.

Da-Xia groaned seeing her dad had spaced out again. "Papá! Are you in there? Have you heard anything I said?"

Casimiro chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry Mija. What were you saying?"

Da-Xia sighed and forked some food into her mouth. "I asked if Arsenio and Lisandro already left," Da-Xia asked referring to her older twin brothers.

"Ah, yeah, they did. I needed them to go in a little bit earlier today. The Busy Bean is understaffed at the minute, and Tiers of Joy has a lot of orders that still need to be filled out. I can't step in since I've been busy with the catering business I've recently started, so things are a little hectic at the moment. They said they'll see you at home later tonight, and that they'll have a surprise waiting for you."

Her father was pretty successful in the food industry, but his naming skills, unfortunately, sucked.

Da-Xia pouted having wanted to see her brothers before she had to leave. Arsenio and Lisandro were naturals at putting her nerves at ease. "Okay then. What about Cesario or Mingzhu? Anything from them?" Dia-Xia asked in a hopeful tone, despite knowing that the chances were slim to none.

Those two were as big of workaholics as her their mother.

But that was to be expected of a Pro Hero and a member of the Police Force.

Casimiro tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I haven't heard anything from Mingzhu yet. I think she's become engrossed in another case. As for Cesario, he called to wish you luck and remind you to not push yourself, unless you want to be lectured, again."

"No thank you," Da-Xia grumbled. "Cesario always gets off topic with his lectures and they end up taking hours. And besides, I'm not going to kill over. I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

"Huh?" Da-Xia glanced up at her father's face and laughed. He looked like a man-child with his pouty lips and furrowed brows. Such a worrier he is. "Yeah, Papá, I promise. I'll be fine so don't worry, okay?"

"I'm always going to worry about you brats." He huffed. "And it will be the death of me one day, too." Casimiro cried dramatically and leaned against the counter in a mock faint.

"You're so weird!" Da-Xia grinned and dumped her dishes in the sink. "Wish me luck, okay?" She said wrapping her father in a tight hug.

Casimiro pulled his daughter against his chest and bent to give her a kiss on the head. "Knock em' dead, kiddo. Your old man is rooting for you, and so are your brothers and sister. Your mom is too...but you know how stubborn she is."

He chuckled thinking of his prideful wife.

"Good luck baby girl."

Da-Xia pulled a face. "Thought I said not to call me that anymore. It's weird." Da-Xia pulled away from her dad and adjusted her clothing.

"Alright! I'm off then!"

She couldn't help but throw her arms around her father just one more time, pressing a sloppy kiss on his stubbly cheek.

"Thanks for believing in me, Papá. I'll do my best to make you proud. Love you!"

With those words, Da-Xia bolted out of the house leaving the grown man smiling and filled with pride.

Casimiro smiled at the empty room and chuckled.

"You already have, Mija."

"You looked pissed."

Da-Xia sighed.

"Yeah, real nice observation, eggplant." Da-Xia glared playfully at the purple-haired boy who walked beside of her. "And you look dead to the world as always, Shinso Hitoshi." Da-Xia playfully poked the purple-haired boy in his side, chuckling when he whacked her hand away.

Shinso Hitoshi could be classified as Da-Xia's best friend. Their meeting hadn't been anything too special, they merely went to the same school together. They met when Shinso had transferred to the school. Everyone crowded him like some kind of wild animal and bombarded him with the dumbest questions that still make her brain hurt to this day.

It was when they started to get personal that Da-Xia stepped in. She had been in that position before and knew how stressful it could be when starting a new school. It was the first time that she had ever stood up to her classmates, finding her courage to shoo them away, and even introduce herself to the new boy.

He didn't trust her at first, but his reason for doing so was justified.

It wasn't easy befriending Shinso, but she had done it, and she held no regrets towards doing so. In a way he counters her personality; Shinso is stoic, and very straightforward with the things he says and does, and can strike up a conversation with anyone and hide what he truly feels.

But one they can agree on is their view of heroes and the world surrounding them. Shinso is the perfect example of this. Shinso wants to become a Pro-Hero, and Da-Xia believes that he's just the kind of person the hero world needs, but so many times he has been shot down for having a quirk that can be used for evil; it was completely stupid.

Can all quirks not be used for evil? It didn't make sense to her. How can you judge someone before you even get to know them? That kind of comments have had a negative effect of Shinso, and Da-Xia worries at times how it will affect his future but knows that Shinso is fully capable of making the right decisions.

At times she feels guilty when using her quirk without much thought for mundane things where it isn't needed. She probably wouldn't have felt so bad if she didn't know of Shinso's resentment towards people with quirks he considered "heroic".

He had made it known many times that Da-Xia was blessed with heroic quirk, and sometimes...she could see the animosity in his eyes, but she never held it against him.

Da-Xia was motivated to create a world where people like Shinso had a chance to shine.

Shinso snorted. "Don't change the subject, Dizzie." His purple eyes glanced at her knowingly. "Who went and pissed you off this time? If I had to take a guess I'd say it was your mother, again, wasn't it?"

His face scrunched. The words felt bitter on his tongue. He'd never officially met her mother, only heard stories about her through Da-Xia, but that was enough for him to know he didn't like her.

Da-Xia blushed at the stupid, but the somewhat adorable nickname. The nickname 'Dizzie' had been given to her when Shinso mistook her name for 'Dizia' and called her that for a whole month before she worked up the nerve to correct him, and by that time the nickname had stuck.

It's why she gave him the creative name 'Eggplant'.

"Am I really that easy to read?" Da-Xia sighed. "Her attitude...really annoys me. It's like nothing I ever do is good enough in her eyes! She expects perfect and can't recognize that I am a human being with flaws, and it really bothers me. My mother is my own worst critic and it really, really sucks."

Shinso rolled his eyes at her.

"I don't know how you can stomach dealing with it."

He looked down at his fun-sized friend to see her face twisted in thought. He could practically see the gears winding around in her head, and the metaphorical fog clouding her eyes, it was always interesting to watch her when she got lost in thought. The faces she made were amusing, and sometimes could be adorable, while other times they were just plain weird.

"She's my mother," Da-Xia stated the obvious. "It's not so bad once you get used to it, I guess. I've learned over the years how to block out her criticism and bluntness, but she still somehow manages to get under my skin. But, we are similar in some ways, at the very least."

Shinso's face twisted. "Explain." He said, flatly.

"We're both stubborn and hot-headed as hell when pushed too far, and would probably burn the world down in the path of reaching our dreams." Da-Xia grinned up at Shinso who wasn't amused in the slightest. "Aw, Eggplant! What's that face for?"

She reached up and tried - tried - to pinch his cheeks, but she fell extremely short and was left pouting as he flicked her on the forehead.

"You're too damn tall." She grumbled.

"You're too damn short." He countered.

"I'm still growing!" Da-Xia argued. "Not everyone can be hit with puberty like a truck!"

Her face turned scarlet as she folded her arms over her chest. She was...sensitive about her height. She always thought she was awkwardly proportioned compared to the others girls her age. Being fat was one thing, but being short and top heavy - the very bane of her existence!

Things like this never bothered her in the past, but she was getting older now, and boys and girls were starting to notice...and hormones were incredibly annoying.

Da-Xia's lips pursed as she and Shinso had finally reached their destination: Yuuei Academy, the Department of Heroes. It is here that the Nation's hopefuls strive to acquire the necessary qualifications to become pros. Of all such schools throughout the nation, it ranks the most popular - and the most difficult.

Each year, less than one in three hundred examinees make it in; Japan's largest, and famous school where anyone wanting to become a Pro-Hero comes to learn from the best.

Many great heroes have come from Yuuei.

The man who turned down the Nation Valor Prize: All Might.

The man with the highest tally of resolved cases in history. The combustion-type hero: Endeavor.

The recipient of the Best Genest Award for Eight Consecutive years: Best Jeanist.

The man who commands the elements with a simple flick of his wrist: Metamorpho.

If a person wants to be remembered as a truly "great" hero, then enrollment at Yuuei is essential. And now, that it's finally February 26th, the time has come.

Today is that day that Yeung-Delgado Esperanza Lei-Ling Da-Xia, will take part in Yuuei's practical skill exam.

Today she'll either walk away a winner or a failure.

Only one was a real option for her.

She was going to give it her all and ace this exam.

Da-Xia and Shinsho had made their way inside and found a place to sit in the midsection of the spacious auditorium. Da-Xia had her hands in her lap fidgeting nervously and looking around at all the people surrounding them. It was crazy how many people there were, and how some of them looked like characters she had dreamed of when she was a child. It only made her more self-conscious of her plain appearance and brought the question to her mind of how the heck she was supposed to stand out to get Yuuei's approval.

"It's hard to believe we're finally here."

Da-Xia snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at Shinso. He had one of his fist tucked under his chin and his other hand was lounging lazily on the back of his neck. His face showed no signs of nervousness, but she had known him long enough to know that he was feeling tense by the way he covered his neck.

"Yeah. It's crazy how fast time went." Da-Xia spoke quietly. "It almost doesn't feel real."

Shinso noticed her sudden shift in demeanor and frowned. "Are you nervous or overthinking again?" He asked though he had an idea of the answer already.

"Both." Da-Xia laughed lightly. "I just have a lot riding on this, so I guess I'm more nervous. This is a big deal...if I fail this test then my dream of becoming a hero is as good as dead. My mom is only giving me one chance to prove myself, and show her that this isn't a complete waste of her time." She sighed. "She's never been fond of heroics, ya know. She was really pissed off when I told her that I wanted to become a hero, but I was eventually able to manage to persuade her somehow. Though, the only way she'll allow me to continue to peruse my dream is through Yuuei."

No exceptions.

Da-Xia sighed and traced the wooden indentations of the desk. Her mother was very firm about it all. It's either Yuuei or nothing. None of the other schools were good enough in her most humble opinion.

She was the same way with Cesario and Mingzhu, too, even though Ming had no desire to become a hero she still didn't approve of the idea of her working with them.

Shinso made a sound in the back of his throat and removed the hand on the back of his neck to rest on the desk.

Da-Xia could feel her mood turning even sourer by the minute until she was suddenly flicked against the forehead by Shinso who was sporting a small grin.

"You're really starting to bum me out, Dizzie. Why are you worried so much? You'll do fine. Your quirk is exactly what they're looking for. You'll fit right into their pockets you little thief."

She frowned and pushed Shinso's hand away. Da-Xia sighed and rested her elbows on the desk, squeezing her chubby face between her hands completely uncaring about the fish face she was making.

"My quirk doesn't matter if I don't have the skill to back it up, eggplant."

Shinso didn't reply as the lights on stage suddenly burst to life, and a man with ridiculous styled hair wearing leather walked on stage with a big smile on his face and boundless energy.

Da-Xia's face fell. "Why him?...It's so early..." Her face fell forward onto the desk as Present Mic bellowed into the microphone, nearly causing her eardrums to burst.

"WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!"

Da-Xia groaned and rubbed her ears.

What the hell did someone like Mingzhu see in someone like him? They're complete opposites. Technically, they weren't dating yet, but they might as well have been. It also made her wonder how the hell Cesario could stomach living with the guy. The two were such opposites with Cesario being a calm guy, with a laid-back personality, and then Present Mic being an endless source of energy. It had to get exhausting, didn't it? Then again she really didn't know much about Present Mic other than the fact he was loud, had some kind of voice quirk, and was one of her brother's roommates (She was clueless as to who the other was since Cesario didn't share many details of his private life.) - that's all.

And she'd feel weird snooping online to find out things about him like some crazy obsessed fan. In the end, it really didn't matter if she understood or not, as long as Cesario was happy...and remained sane.

Da-Xia pressed against her cheek as she barely listened to Present Mic drone on and on, overhyping everything and trying - and failing - to get some kind of reaction out of the crowd.

"I've got shivers down my spine, too, listeners! All right, examinees...I'm gonna give you the low-down on how this'll go down! Are you ready!?"

Silence.

"YEAH!"

"This guy is annoying," Shinso said with a frown. Da-Xia nodded.

"It's to be expected of the voice-type hero. His radio show isn't too bad though since he plays some pretty good music. He works more underground so it's rare you hear about him in the news." Da-Xia hummed and tapped her fingers on the desk. "But still...he's a Pro-Hero, and got that title for one reason or another."

"You sound like a fan." Shinso snorted.

Da-Xia huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Not even close. My favorite hero is nothing like this guy." And she was glad for that.

"Now pay close attention, listeners! We'll be testing your mettle by running a ten-minute practice run at our replica city-district! You can take whatever you like! Everybody gather at the designated area after the presentation, ya dig?"

Da-Xia's eyes crinkled. Shinso tensed.

"We'll be sprinkling a large number of "villains" over the battlefield, and they'll appear in three different varieties, with point values scaled according to difficulty! Using each of your individual quirks, dispatch as many villains as you can. Your goal, listen, is to rack up a high score! And don't think about directly attacking any other competitors or any of that nasty anti-hero stuff, because that's against the rules, capisce!?"

"That's hardly fair to those without physical quirks." Da-Xia frowned.

She glanced over at Shinso who was barely paying attention to what Mic was saying, having become lost in his thoughts. She was so busy looking at Shinso that she completely missed the conversation going on in the background.

"Okay, okay! Thanks for the segue, much appreciated, examine 7111! The fourth type of villain you'll encounter is worth zero points! Let's call them "arena traps". Have any of you ever played Super Mario Brothers before!? You remember those things that'd go thwomp on you!? There's a thing like that is each area! Their gimmick is that they rampage when crowded."

'So it's like a stage hazard, then? I get it. We just need to avoid them at all costs. I guess it is kinda like a video game then.'

"Well, that's enough for me! I'll leave you all with a presentation of the school precepts of this academy of mine. As a Captain Hero by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte once said 'A true hero never stops overcoming the misfortunes in life'! Now let's move to the main event! Plus Ultra!"

This was it. Now or never. Her only chance at becoming a hero...

"And may you all gladly suffer the trials to come!"

Da-Xia turned to wish Shinso good luck, only to find that he had already disappeared in the wavering crowd. She couldn't deny the feeling of pity that coursed throughout her body.

...Could Shinso really do this? She wanted to believe so...

But the world is such an unfair reality to those who are the most deserving.

Da-Xia had changed from her regular clothes into a pair fit for training. She wore a large orange shirt with All Might's logo on it, and a pair of black trackies and simple running shoes. Da-Xia stretched out her body with an achy groan. She was still incredibly sore from all the training she had been doing but refused to let it hinder her on today of all days.

She and Shinso had been separated, not that she minded too much. She felt bad for him, she really did, but she had to think about herself too, didn't she? Besides, Shinso was smart and she was more than sure that he could figure out a way around the limitations the exams hindered him with.

Da-Xia walked around with a nervous gaze. Every once in a while she would accidentally bump into someone and offer a quick apology. Everyone...looked so in place, while she felt so out of place.

Again she wondered if this was all worth it or no, but swallowed down those thoughts when her eyes landed on a boy with spiky blond hair, and crimson eyes. He was dressed in a black tank top that...really fit him, extremely well.

You would never hear it from Da-Xia that she thought he looked extremely attractive, and that she had definitely not been drooling over his muscles like a lovesick schoolgirl.

Fuck hormones.

Denying it would have pointless anyway since he caught her staring, but he was anything but flattered. The face he pulled was one of the ugliest things that Da-Xia's ever seen and completely ghosted over his attractive features beneath it.

"What the fuck are you staring at, lard ass?!" The boy snarled with hands on his knees as he stretched his legs out. "Take a fucking picture to make it last longer." As he said this, the muscles in his arms flexed and his hands now resting sides crackled with miniature explosions.

Da-Xia fumbled over her words and turned her back to him looking like a freshly picked tomato. She was confused as to why she was feeling both offended and attracted to the explosive stranger.

'You're a teenager. It's normal.' She told herself.

"AAAAND START!"

"Huh?" Da-Xia looked around for the source of the voice.

"What the matter!? There's no such thing as a countdown to a real battle! Run! Ruuun! Consider the baton tossed!"

And just like that, all hell broke loose.

A grunt escaped her lips as she was knocked to the ground - roughly. Da-Xia looked up to see the blond-haired boy looking back at her with a challenging smirk on his face. If it would have been any of time she would have been pissed off, but the feeling that surged throughout her body had her grinning her ass off.

Still, being hot didn't excuse being a dick.

Da-Xia jumped to her feet and quickly ran to catch up with everybody else. As she was walking through the crowd of robot smashing teenagers she caught sight of a girl zipping around the crowd with some kind of electric quirk. Da-Xia hummed to herself and approached the girl, who was wiping sweat from her brow and panting heavily.

"Wow!" Da-Xia whistled. "That was super cool! What kind of quirk is that? Lightning?"

The girl barely glanced at Da-Xia and rolled her shoulders. "It's called Electro Body. I can turn my body into lightning and move at really high speeds, but I can also discharge electricity which is just enough to short these hunks of junks out." The girl smirked, obviously proud of her power. "Is that all? Some of are actually taking this exam seriously."

Da-Xia forced out a laugh and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, no problem! How about a high five and I'll see ya off!"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

She scoffed and raised her hand. Da-Xia grinned and slapped her hand against the girls, grinning as the feeling of electricity danced along her arms and down her arms as her body started to glow.

The girl's eyes widened as electricity danced around Da-Xia. "W-What the hell did you do?!" The girl yelled noticing that her quirk didn't feel as strong as before.

Da-Xia looked down at her body and then back up at the girl. "Oh, this? It's nothing really. I'm just going to borrow some of your quirk for a bit, okay? I'll give it back once I find something better. So, later!"

Da-Xia surrounded herself in lightning and fashed away in a burst of golden light, leaving the girl and most onlookers speechless. The electricity running through her body felt itchy and was a little uncomfortable, and she kept shocking herself when discharging the electricity through her fingertips, but it would do for now.

Quirks were revealed left and right as people fought to get their share of points. Da-Xia strained her vision for one of the robotics and soon found it as a one-pointer came dashing towards her.

"Target lock-on! Murder!"

'A one-pointer, huh? Their fast, but very brittle; easy points.'

Da-Xia clenched her fist and closed her eyes tightly.

'Everything is riding on how well I do today. I cannot, and will not fail. This is my dream – Yuuei is my one shot at becoming a real pro hero...I can do this.'

Da-Xia's eyes snapped open and burned with determination.

Showtime.

Katsuki had quickly forgotten about the girl once the thrill of battle had taken over him. He wasted no time blowing the machines to smithereens and reaping in the glory. His pride swelled with every gasp of amazement or compliment tossed his way. Those weaklings knew nothing of his true power! He was only just getting fucking started.

His crimson eyes lurked around for his next target, but instead, he found something else.

The sight of her took his breath away.

The fat girl that he saw from earlier was absolutely dominating the space around her.

Sparks of electricity crackled around her as she zipped around the fae city shooting electricity from her fingertips, causing robots to short out left and right. At once point she had launched herself in the air and delivered and electricity charged fist into the face of one of the machines, laughing as it short-circuited and felt to the ground in a pile of scrap.

The giant machines fell around her in heaps of metal, as she danced around the battlefield with electricity sparking at her waiting command.

She had left him paralyzed.

Lardo had managed to take his fucking breath away, and it made his heart race against his will. Every movement she made had him transfixed on her and refusing to look away in fear of missing a single moment of whatever the hell was happening. Even though she was panting and clearly exhausted there was a grin on her face, and the crinkling of electricity dancing behind her eyes.

She was in her element, and she was high of the thrill of battle.

What the fuck kind of quirk did she have?

Katsuki was so focused on her that he hadn't even bothered to notice the mecha creeping up on him until the last moment. It finally became clear to him when a blue of static zipped past him and body slammed into the machine, throwing it into the building next to him and breaking him free of his trance.

His eyes fell on the large girl smirking at him.

Da-Xia frowned. "Uhm, you might want to start paying attention to your surroundings if you don't want to be crushed." She said to Katsuki who was practically smoldering.

Da-Xia shrugged and ran off with sparks surrounding her, and small bursts of discharge exploding from her fingertips in every which way.

Katsuki froze. He was at a loss for words for a minute until his palms crackled with embers, and he was sneering like a rabid dog.

"Come here and say that to my fucking face, Chubs!"

He grinned seeing her turn back to him.

It faltered when she suddenly sped towards him and got right in his face. Her head was tilted to the side, and she had a thoughtful - thoughtful! - look on her face.

"Chubs? That's new. Much better than Lardo, I guess." She said. "I actually think it's kind of cute! It's a lot tamer than some of the other things people have called me in the past. I think I like it! Heh, see you later, Bomber Boy! Maybe in Yuuei - if you're good enough."

Da-Xia tossed him a wink and went on her way to gather more points before time ran out. She left Katsuki standing there with smoke pouring from his hands, and a scowl threatening to tear his face apart.

That was fucking new. He wasn't used to people brushing him off so easily; cry, whimp out, those were the normal reactions people fave him.

He wasn't supposed to be the one being fucking taunted.

Katsuki turned his back to the robot approaching him and slammed an explosion into its face.

Fuck her.

Katsuki focused his frustrations on the "enemies" surrounding him, but in the back of his mind was the memory of a fat-faced girl that he couldn't get to go away, no matter how hard he fucking tried.

Da-Xia has long since returned the electricity back to its rightful owner - whoever she or he was, she couldn't remember anymore, as the electricity has left her exhausted, and light-headed, not to mention she felt as if certain parts of her body had become paralyzed.

Even so, she pushed on. She had gained a nice fire quirk along the way that had been extremely helpful in quickly dealing with the robots, unfortunately, the side effects were stronger than she imagined.

Da-Xia grunted and cracked her stiffening neck. She then jumped into the air with a small gust jet of fire propelling her upwards, that was followed by a small twirl that caught her leg on fire. Da-Xia slammed the flaming limb into the machines face, smashing through its glaring red eye and sending it toppling backward as its interior caught on fire.

The robot let out a metallic screech as it clambered to the ground, into nothing more than a pile of broken scrap metal.

Da-Xia landed back on the ground with a flip. She was heavily panting.

Her body felt hot - too hot, burning hot, and her vision was growing blurry with every passing moment. She should have known better to overexert herself. The quirks that she "borrowed" always came with double the weakness. She was at risk of barbequing herself alive, and not only that, but her skin was beginning to blister and burn. Not to mention the fatigue of her late-night training was quickly catching up with her.

She cursed internally. She knew that the smart thing to do would be to slow down and think things through - she knew this; there was just too much riding on this exam for her to do so, meaning she'd have to suck it up and deal with the consequences later.

She's always thought that fire based quirks are extremely powerful and dangerous, and has been told by different people that it's the hardest of the elements to master - so why did she think she could do it? The boy she had borrowed it from made it look so easy.

"The thing with fire is, the stronger it becomes, the more dangerous and harder to control it becomes."

That what he had told her as she was questioning him about his quirk, and she hadn't bothered listening to eager to get back to the thrill of the fight.

Da-Xia shook away her thoughts and shakily rose to her feet. She took a minute to catch her breath and jumped back into the fray, weaving in and out of the machines only to find herself cornered. Smoldering balls of fire were tossed into their faces quickly shorting them out.

So far she had managed to gather a score of forty-eight points.

She knew that if she didn't slow down soon enough that she would be put out of commission...but she couldn't give up just yet!

Suddenly the ground began to shake, and the sounds of screaming pulled Da-Xia's attention to a large, menacing robot that stood higher than a building. At once, people began to flee, nearly toppling over others to get out of the way.

Da-Xia figured that this must be the arena trap, the bot that's worth no points at all. Meaning, it wouldn't be worth fighting. She like everyone else knew that running would be the best option, and so she did; but then Da-Xia heard it, yelling, more specifically, pleas for help.

"Huh?"

Da-Xia whipped around and was surprised to see a group of people cornered by the gigantic robot. They had nowhere to run, nowhere to escape, and one of them looked to be injured pretty badly. She frowned looking around her. Everyone was running, no one bothering to go back and rescue the fallen.

Were...were they really all going to just leave them there, and let that thing attack them?

She let loose a frown and rushed towards the group of frightened people. Others watched as she skidded to a stop in front of the group of people.

Da-Xia ordered them all to stand back and spared no hesitation in sending a funnel of flames towards the giant mecha. The flames engulfed the giant, stopping it in its tracks. She was beginning to see spots and reality was fading in and out. Da-Xia toppled backward but was caught by someone before she could fall down. Through her hazy vision, she made out a pair of crimson eyes and jagged teeth.

Others began to join in and combine their quirks to finish off the giant machine. A boy with an earth-based quirk pulled the finishing moved by plunging his fist into the ground, that caused pillars of jagged rock to emerge from the ground, and skewer the arena trap while also locking it in place.

The area trap screamed and began to malfunction, as the earthen pillars tore through its mechanical body and ripped it apart from the inside.

The boy ordered everyone to move as the arena trap began to crumble into pieces, leading him to quickly form a barrier around everyone in the area.

Da-Xia could see the world fading away and could practically hear her body begging to stop.

So she did.

She felt the sensation of fire leaving her body as she collapsed to her knees gasping for air, and sweating profusely; her heartbeat slowed down, and black spots danced along her vision. A haze of smoke was beginning to pour from the pores of her body, and form a light barrier of fog around her.

Everything was becoming blurry, and she could hardly keep her eyes open, and couldn't bring herself to stand.

Yeah. Definitely overdid it.

"Hey! What's happening to you?!" The boy who had caught her yelled. "Your body is really hot!"

Da-Xia laughed. If only he had said that no because she was probably overheating and burning alive.

Da-Xia grunted and collapsed onto the ground. She really overdid it today, but it was worth it...as long as she passed.

But how did Shinso do? Was he okay?

She also made a note to herself to never borrow a fire quirk again, unless absolutely necessary.

These were her final thoughts as fell into unconsciousness.

The room was silent as they watched the girl collapse to the ground with people crowding around her as Recovery Girl pushed her way through the crowd to aid the injured and reckless girl.

A sigh was heard from somewhere in the room, belonging to a man with mocha-tinted skin, and short, wavy sandy blond hair that shadowed dark brown eyes. The man frowned at the screen and brushed a hand through his bangs, as his other hand tapped repeatedly on the arm of the chair he was sat on.

His sister was so reckless.

But...

Cesario smirked at the impressed faces his colleagues were wearing and wasn't surprised in the slightest to seeing the high mark beings held in the air and the praise being traded(Present Mic was among the loudest), though there were murmurs of concern, and words of criticism(Aizawa, mostly), but it hardly registered in Cesario's mind as he gave his own score with a fond smile on his face.

She was going to be a great addition to Yuuei, and he was looking forward to her progress and growth.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to scold her like there was no tomorrow when she recovered, thought Cesario with a smirk.

"Cesario, what exactly is your sibling's quirk?" Someone had asked him. He didn't bother looking away from the screen to see who it was.

"Ah, that? It's a quirk called Specialty Theft: She can steal the physical and mental skills, as well as talents and specialties of another person through touch. For the most part, she's just borrowing the power of another for a short period of time."

Cesario watched his sister being carried away on a stretcher with a frown.

"Though, if she works more I don't doubt that she could completely rob another person of their skill or talent and make it her own. Don't be fooled though, she has limits just like anyone else. If she were to acquire too many quirks or one that disagreed with her body, like we just saw, then it can lead to some pretty disastrous consequences. Not to mention any quirk she borrows come with double the weakness. I believe at the minute her limit she can use is two, but it's pretty strenuous on her body, so she keeps to just one, but my sister is incredibly reckless and makes incredibly stupid decisions.

Cesario crossed one leg over the other and flashed a playful smile towards a disheveled, black-haired man who had the look of dread in his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll have your hands full with her, Shota." He grinned. "Be easy on her, yeah? You are her favorite hero, ya know."

Shota snorted at him. "Flattery won't get her anywhere with me. I won't teach those with no potential, Cesario, even if she is your family. There's nothing crueler than letting someone chase their half-baked dreams."

Cesario threw his head back with a laugh. He ran his hand through his sandy blond hair and looked towards the ceiling with a smirk on his face.

"Don't be so quick to judge a book by its cover. I think you'll come to find that Da-Xia is no one-trick pony and that she's full of all kinds of surprises."

"I think I'll be the judge of that."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Sho. We all know that you're a big softy deep down."

Hizashi's eyes rolled back and forth between the two with confusion written on his face.

"Oi! What's with all the flirting, huh?! I'm beginning to think that's there something more going on here!" Hizashi pointed accusingly at the two.

Both Shota and Cesario glared a the man making him nervously slink down into his seat.

EndNote:

Da-Xia is no longer the avatar of the hero world, but instead, she's a thief. So hopefully the title makes a little bit more sense now. I thought it would be kind of ironic for someone with a quirk based on stealing using their stolen powers for good.

A jailbird is basically a criminal. Obviously, Da-Xia is not a criminal, but her quirk does involve stealing from others those she prefers the term "borrowing", so I thought it was fitting and went with the theme I have going on in my head.