Well, unsurprisingly, Dante got a whopping 100/100 score…
…
…
Principle Nezu sat in his way too big chair, sipping his cup of tea as he peered curiously at the two pro hero's infront of him. His expression was as joyous as ever, but the sharp glint in his eyes showed that he was already processing every little detail before the duo even spoke.
"So," Nezu began, setting hit little cup down. "what's this about an interesting candidate?"
Aizawa nodded and placed a folder on Nezu's desk. "His name is Dante Graves. He's 14 years old. He has not had any formal education past elementary school, but we have administered both an IQ test and a written exam to make up for it.
Nezu opened the folder and skimmed through the documents, his expression shifting more and more each page flip.
"His IQ score is 198?" Nezu mused, his ears twitching with interest. "That puts him in the genius category! Quite rare, especially for a kid with no formal education."
"He finished the written exam in half the allotted time," Aizawa added. "He got full marks."
All Might laughed proudly. "And his physical capabilities are remarkable! His speed, endurance and strength are all on par with our most talented students! And his adaptability in combat is astonishing."
Nezu turned the page and raised an eyebrow. "Ah… and his background. That man is his father?"
The room went quiet for a moment.
Nezu tapped a clawed finger against the paper. "That certainly changes a lot. Very powerful quirk but does he show any signs of villainous tendencies?"
Aizawa shook his head. "Not necessarily. He's very independent, he has his own moral code and definitely isn't afraid to break rules, but he's not malicious from what I've seen. He's street smart and pragmatic, but I wouldn't really call him a trouble maker without reason."
"He has willpower." All Might said. "Seemingly a strong one too, he was looking for a way to get into U.A. despite having no educational backgrounds for months!"
Nezu leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "A very intelligent, combat capable teen with an unconventional background and a powerful quirk… It's rare to see someone like him walk the path of a hero. His quirk is definitely not suited for heroing."
Aizawa crossed his arms. "He's not walking that path yet. But he seems to be interested, best to strike while we have the chance."
Nezu nodded. "But we don't know if he'll stay on this path. What if he strays?"
"Then I will take full responsibility," Aizawa said firmly. "If he goes down the wrong path, I will do anything I can to stop him."
Nezu smiled. "That's what I like to hear."
He closed the folder and folded his hands together. "Very well. Dante Graves is officially accepted into U.A. under a special recommendation. Let's see what kind of hero he will become, or if he even becomes one."
…
…
Izuku wiped the sweat from his brow, panting as he kept hauling more and more piled trash toward the pile. It had been months since he had started training under All Might, the progress was already starting to show. His whole body had gotten better as a whole, stronger, faster, more agile. But he still had a long way to go.
Just as he was about to take a short break, he heard the familiar booming voice of his mentor.
"YOUNG MIDORIYA!"
Izuku jumped, nearly dropping the broken fridge he had been carrying. He turned to see all might approaching.
"A-All Might!" Izuku greeted, wiping his hands on his pants. "Did you come to check up on me?"
"That I did!" All Might said with a proud nod. "But I also have some exciting news for you!"
Izuku blinked, confused. "News?"
All Might crossed his arms, his grin widening. "It seems another friend of yours will be attending U.A."
Izuku's eyes widened. "Wait… what are you saying—?"
"That's right!" All Might chuckled. "Dante Graves has been accepted into U.A.!"
Izuku's mind raced. "Dante… at U.A.? But he said he couldn't even apply because of his lack of formal education. How did he—?"
"He got a special recommendation," All Might explained. "He took some tests, impressed the faculty and proved himself more than worthy of a spot. Principal Nezu himself approved it."
Izuku was speechless. He hadn't even seen Dante since that dinner they had together, but he never expected him to actually go all out. After all, Dante wasn't exactly the hero type.
"I-I don't believe it…" Izuku mumbled, his thoughts were spiraling.
…
…
*Ding*
The chime of a bell rang as Dante stepped into a very familiar convenience store. The scent of old wood and fresh food greeted him along with the sight of the old man stacking shelves. He was about to greet him when he noticed something odd—Kazuya, of all people, was standing behind the counter, stocking the shelf.
Dante blinked. "What the hell—?! What are you doing here?"
Kazuya turned, grinning. "Working, obviously. Gotta make money somehow."
Dante scoffed. "You? A cashier? What about underground fighting?"
The old man snorted. "More like a stock boy. He's useless at the till and keeps scaring away customers, unlike you Dante! You can come work here again any time!"
"Hey hey! I'm trying…" Kazuya shot back, crossing his arms. "Besides, I thought you would've told me. Imagine my surprise when I walked in to get something and the old man offered me a job since little ol' Dante quit years back!"
Dante just shook his head, smirking at the thought of Kazuya scaring away customers. But he wasn't here for that. He leaned against the counter, glancing at Kazuya.
"I got a special recommendation into U.A."
The old man, who had been stocking shelves, paused. Kazuya, meanwhile, nearly dropped the box he was holding.
"…What?!" Kazuya asked, blinking rapidly. "U.A.? As in, the top hero school? The one I failed to get into?!"
Dante nodded with a smile. "Yup. Pulled some strings, took some tests, and now I'm in."
Kazuya let out a low whistle. "Damn, kid. Never thought you'd actually go through with the whole hero thing."
The old man, however, was just staring at Dante with a weird expression. Then, slowly, he shook his head and chuckled.
"Ha! The kid who used to sneak food from my store is becoming a hero?"
Dante smirked. "Guess so."
The old man set his hands on the counter, eyeing Dante carefully. "And you? Do you really want this?"
Dante's smirk faded slightly. He thought back to Izuku and the whole incident with his father, he thought to his first life, all the trauma that led him to where he is now. He never saw himself as a hero, he never really needed to. But now…
"…Yeah," he said. "I think I do."
The s old man exhaled, nodding to himself before chuckling. "Well, kid. Good luck."
Dante thanked both of them and slowly made his way out of the store.
Kazuya quickly shouted out, "Hey, hey! Come to the gym tomorrow, you gotta tell everyone there about this! It's big news you know."
Dante shot him a thumbs up before leaving the store.
"That kid… crazy!" Kazuya said with a loud laugh, to which the old man just shook his head.
…
…
Dante stepped into his small apartment, shutting the door behind him with a small click.
The walls were very plain, a dull off white colour that had long since faded before Dante had even owned the place.
The floor was a mix of worn out wooden planks and a few scattered rugs, barely covering the signs of age.
A small couch sat against the wall, old but very comfy, with a few blankets lazily thrown over the back.
His very small kitchen was just a couple feet away, with barely any counter space to hold a microwave, a sink and a single burner.
In the corner of the living room, his bed was a simple mattress just on the floor. It was covered in a plain black sheet. Next to it sat a huge stack of notebooks and loose papers. His thoughts, his plans and everything he had written down over the years. The only decoration in the whole apartment was a single framed photo, turned face down on the bedside table.
Dante then moved to his bathroom, flicking on the light. The mirror above the sink was cracked in the corner, but his reflection stared back at him clearly. His face had definitely hardened over the years, his jaw was sharper, his eyes were more vibrant. He looked way older than he should.
Then, behind him, a shape formed.
At first, it was just a blur, a shifting shadow against the dim bathroom light. But then it took form. A smaller figure. A child.
Him.
The younger version of himself stood just behind his shoulder, barely visible in the reflection. Wide, haunted, almost devilish eyes. A face filled with something between fury and sorrow.
"Don't do this," the figure murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
Dante's fingers twitched, his grip tightened on the sink.
The reflection didn't move, it didn't even blink.
"Why? Why would you join the people that killed my mother? What happened to rejecting the 'system'? But hey, I get it. It wasn't your mother after all."
The figure's eyes only widened, his blood red eyes looked to be staring straight into Dante's soul.
"But you're in my body. If you're going to steal my body, at least give me this one thing. I don't care what you do after, just kill—"
Dante's breath suddenly hitched and his muscles tensed.
Then, he quickly turned around.
Nothing.
The bathroom was empty.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face before looking back at the mirror. His reflection was normal again.
A moment passed.
Then, without another word, Dante reached up and wiped the fog from the mirror, staring himself down.