Fifteen years. That was how long UAU's streak was so far in being the #1 hero institution in Japan. It had been regaled as the best place to receive your hero education, with a highly competitive application process to ensure only the elite had the privilege of getting enrolled. Learning there was the dream for so many people. Walking through its halls was living that dream.

For the first week or so. Once the excitement died down, being in the university had been pretty... meh. Though Elijah supposed that once you're inside the walls, you go through the same motions as if you were in any other institute. Even the crisis simulations became standard fare eventually.

The freshman was "living the dream" as it were, having finished classes for the day so he was going to his dorm to relax before he had to study. It was ordinary. Usual.

If it weren't for the behemoth he bumped into.

Elijah was on the ground before he even knew what hit him, the suddenness of the encounter preventing him from preparing himself for the collision. The electricity was unexpected too; his body tensing at the static that overtook him. He would've thought someone infiltrated the building had he not heard the voice high above him.

They were apologizing. Which meant this was an accident.

He looked up at the stranger from his spot on the floor, his face passive save for the occasional twitch of his brow as he gave the correct answer in this situation. "No."

PALLAS!

The freshman prepared himself for the lie, or for the person to try to evade the question. But instead they confirmed his suspicions immediately.

He blinked. "Then how do you know my name? Did you write this letter?" The student could very well just be a messenger. Elijah never met him after all.

Oh no, someone knows, how scary.

Except several people knew. The staff knew; as his Quirk was in the registry which they have access to. His father knew, as he received his records when he adopted him. Then there were your usual government figures and medical facilities.

But none of them would pull something like this, which possibly meant someone found out despite his best efforts at hiding it. Hmm.

With the paper still in his hand, Elijah opened the door and peeked out, swivelling his head to see if anyone could've placed the letter.

CHIRP ♪♪

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It was easy being Quirkless.

Well, that was a lie. Being Quirkless was a complicated affair, especially in heroism. You have to push yourself harder just to keep up with your peers. You have to be more alert because you wouldn't survive getting incinerated, frozen, crushed. Doubt will always be thrown your way. Many will think you're not capable of succeeding in life as a hero.

But there's also less questions. No one would ask how your Quirk worked. No one would try to figure out its limitations, applications, how to improve it. As soon as you say that you don't have some unnatural ability unique to you, they never dig further when it comes to it. That was the best outcome for Elijah.

The less attempts people made to convince him his Quirk was anything but useless, the better.

He furrowed his brow as he waited, trying to predict Gabe's reason. A second big reveal perhaps? Maybe he's making a documentary? He hadn't known him for long but the seriousness felt uncharacteristic.

Then the admittance made him blink. "First? Surprising, you seem the helpful type." Who else would fix and even improve a prosthetic for free but the altruistic? Elijah had nothing to offer in return. Nothing he was aware of at least.

Other than the autograph Gabe apparently wanted. Confusion evident on his face, he took the blueprint from him. "Sure I guess." Pen in his left hand, he scrawled his signature, surprisingly elaborate for his demeanour. E. Hawthorne. He offered the sheet back. "If that's all, I'll take my leave."

CHIRP ♪♪

Elijah squinted at the man, suspicious. No one should be that happy over fulfilling a request as simple as his. It wasn't like he would've made a breakthrough or anything; all the hero student needed was an arm that could survive a constant beating from his many exercises.

Maybe Gabe was just nuts. Can't cross that off the list. "We'll see," was all he could offer to his declaration.

And there it was, his new prosthetic revealed... if it could even be considered new. If Elijah suspected Gabe had a time Quirk he would've assumed he used it to return his arm to its original state. He turned his head to him, the cameras surely catching his perplexed expression. "You did make additions to this right?" It'd be weird if he didn't. They just met so it wasn't like Gabe had any reason not to.

"But sure." Elijah stepped forward to pick up the arm and put it on, locking it to his shoulder. He lifted it on its own, twisting it this way and that, finding familiarity in the motion. "Huh. Looks good so far." Moving it some more, he tried to search for how to use the tools it supposedly had. He made a fist to examine his knuckles-

Only to douse his face in foam.

Silence. Then, very slowly, he turned to Gabe again and just stared at him, not unlike an unamused wet cat.

CHIRP ♪♪