The Symbol of Hope

Evaluation

[~][~]

Chiyoda, Tokyo, Several Hours after All Might's battle with All for One…

In a private room in a restaurant, a man in a suit is eating sushi. His black hair is messy, and his beard is shaved. He was drinking another shot of alcohol when someone took a seat in front of him. She wore a suit like him, but it is red. Her hair is tied into a ponytail and her sunglasses blocked her eyes from the world.

"Thank you for meeting on such short notice."

"So why did you want to meet me?" Uchida Rikiya asked.

"I've found five people that should be considered for evaluation," Narita Isamu said. She pressed five manila folders in front of her. Rikiya took the folders and opened one of them. The first one made him frown and it deepened when he opened the rest. He set the files down with a slap.

"Are you kidding with me," Rikiya asked. "These are children!"

"Yes, I know that, but I believe that they are people we need."

"We're looking for people who are already field experienced," Rikiya argued. "Not children who will be traumatized when they—"

"They're already are if you haven't watched the news," Isamu said. "These students are part of Class 1-A of U.A. High School. The same class that is part of the USJ incident, and when the League of Villains attacked them in the Wild, Wild Pussy Cats training camp. Not to mention that three of them happened to fight against the Hero Killer Stain. These kids have fought big-time villains, some of which happened to be scheduled for execution, and survived. If you asked me, they are already traumatized Rikiya!"

She held her gaze with her associate.

"Alright," Rikiya sighed in resignation. "Show me."

Isamu nodded and removed her sunglasses. Upon a closer look, her eyes looked to be made of glass. The room darkened as she turned her gaze to the bare wall. Her eyes lit up and projected images onto the wall.

Narita Isamu. Quirk: TeleVision. Her eyes can project a light similar to a movie projector. She uses it to display anything that she has seen before.

"Momo Yayarozu," She began as the images displayed a fairly tall teenage girl with black hair tied into a spiky ponytail with a large strand hanging on the right side of her face. Her onyx eyes point lightly inwards, almost to resemble a cat. "Hero alias Everything Hero: Creati. Quirk: Creation. Born into a famous hero family, thus gaining a powerful Quirk. Gained entry to U.A. High through recommendations. As I said, part of Class 1-A, therefore she took part in the USJ and forest camp incidents. She's also skilled at several weapons, she primarily uses a bo staff. Her intelligence is ranked S-Class. If you read my psyche evaluation of her, you can see that she is a natural leader. She is level-headed and calm in dangerous situations, which is further tempered by the aforementioned incidents."

"The girls a walking arsenal," Rikiya commented as he read her psych eval. He had to admit that aside from her intelligence, her Quirk will be useful in the field.

"Moving on," She continued. The image changed to a muscular young man of average eight with an impressive physique. He has red eyes that point slightly inwards with a small scar just above his right eye. His red hair is short and spiked away from his head at all angles. In his file, Rikiya found a picture of him with black hair and under shoulder-length with shorter bangs between the eyes. "Eijiro Kirishima, age 16. Hero Alias Sturdy Hero: Red Riot. Quirk: Hardening. He got the scar on his eye when he rubbed a hand there and his quirk manifested. He hated his quirk, but it appears that he has gotten over it. He is also in Class 1-A, therefore he participated in the incidents. His psyche eval shows that he has a fondness for the concept of manliness."

"He has a problem with playing dirty," Rikiya surmised. That could be a problem in the field. While the kid has a good heart, he'll likely get himself killed because of it.

"You surmised it correctly," Isamu said. "However, that can prove to be a strength in the field. Moving on…"

The projection changed to a relatively tall and muscular young man with a wide frame. He has short dark blue hair, flattened neatly down and parted on the left of his head, a small patch completely shaved near the base of his head, and rather square eyes that match the shape of his jaw. He wears glasses with rectangular lenses. One scene showed that his calves that are incredibly thick, and shaped like automobile engines, with three silver exhaust pipes protruding from each one.

"Tenya Iida," Isamu continued. "Hero name Ingenium. Quirk: Engine. His family has been in heroics for generations. He is very by the book when it comes to the rules. After his brother, Tensei Iida was attacked by the Hero Killer, he is forced to retire. It seems that Iida has taken up the moniker to honor his brother."

"I can respect that," Rikiya said. His eyes read his psyche eval. "It says here that he joined the Manual Agency just to seek revenge on Stain. Also, instead of taking an injured hero to safety, he prioritized his revenge. Two more U.A. students wound up fighting the Hero Killer as well."

"You know teenagers tend to do something stupid," Isamu argued. "Besides, the incident has long since passed. Stain has been sent to Tartarus and he's not getting out."

"That's what I am worried about," Rikiya said. "What would happen if Stain breaks out? You read the file on the Rikers?"

"I have," Isamu said, her eyes darkening at the mention of that name. "I also know that Stain will only align with people who share the same ideology as him. If a breakout happens and the next Rikers are formed, they're going to regret having him in their gang."

Rikiya nodded, but still had his doubts. Taking his silence as consent, she continued. The images showed a reasonably tall, rather muscular young man who is well-built. He has quite long hair, though it doesn't pass his neck, and is parted twice as to not obscure his vision. His hair is evenly split between two colors: white on his right-side and crimson red on his left. As if mirroring this, his left eye appears to be turquoise while is right is brownish dark gray. Rikiya noted the large burn scar on the left side of his face, which reaches from his hairline to his cheek."

"Shoto Todoroki," Isamu said. "He prefers to go by his first name as a hero name. Quirk: Half-Hot Half-Cold"

"I know him," Rikiya said, his eye narrowing. He didn't need to look at the file before him to know. "He's the youngest son of Endeavor, the No. 2 hero…"

"From what I heard he'll be the number one hero soon…" Isamu murmured.

"Weren't there reports of abuse?" Rikiya asked as he read his psych eval. According to this, Shoto has an immense hatred for his father. For a while, he refused to use his left side, which allows him to use the same powers like his father. It wasn't until the U.A. sports festival that he gave up that mindset.

"While it hasn't been reported, his mother has been sent to the psychiatric ward. However, she has begun showing signs of recovery. As for Todoroki, despite the brutality of his training, he is regarded as one of the strongest students in his class. He made it to the top three of the Sports Festival."

"Not quite," Rikiya said. "Because of his neglect, he has no mastery over his left side. One mistake and he can start a wildfire."

"I'm positive that he is working on that," Isamu said. "He's in U.A. after all."

The projector's image changed to the last person. He is somewhat short, round face framed by a short mess of fluffy dark-green hair which sticks up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes are large and somewhat circular, their irises the same color as his hair. If Rikiya didn't know better, he would've looked innocent if it weren't for the battles he was watching.

"Izuku Midoriya," Isamu said. "You might remember him from an incident several months ago."

"The sludge villain?" Rikiya asked as he leaned in for a closer look. "He's the same guy?"

"Yes," Isamu nodded. "Despite being a civilian, he rushed onto the scene to save a friend of his. He's known to be a fanboy, which is why I believe that he can be an asset in a crisis."

"Oh?"

"Turns out, he has been taking notes on various heroes," Isamu said as she shifted the images to him taking notes. "These notes point out the strengths and weaknesses they have. With this information, he can shift the battle to his favor. With an analytical mind like his, I'm sure you will want him."

If he can stop muttering that is…Isamu thought.

"I have no arguments with that," Rikiya admitted. "His physical fitness is developing, and his studies are well. The only argument I have is his Quirk, it seems to enhance his strength but at the cost of his limbs."

"Well he did just develop his Quirk several months ago," Isamu said.

"That's the thing," Rikiya said as he turned to the section of Midoriya's Quirk. On file, it is called Super-Power. "He was registered as Quirkless from pre-school. Now, ten years later, he suddenly develops a Quirk out of the blue. You and I both know that Quirks don't work like that."

"I may have a theory for that," Isamu said. The projection changed to All Might in his fight with the villain All for One. Instead of the buff man that everyone saw him as he stood as a sickly and thin man. He was pointing to the camera.

"After his fight, his last words are now it's your turn. I happened to be there at the time, but I saw that one of them had a different reaction than the crowd."

Isamu tapped the file of Izuku Midoriya.

"I believe that the message was intended for him," Isamu said. "I think that he's All Might's successor."

"The next symbol of peace?" Rikiya asked.

"Exactly," Isamu said. "If Dark Winter becomes a reality again, the people need another symbol. One that can give them hope."

"That's also risky," Rikiya said. "All Might was the only reason that most of the villains stayed in line. If he's gone, they will get cocky."

He put the files down with a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Isamu deactivated her Quirk and replaced her sunglasses.

"Let me get this straight. You're requesting that we recruit a valedictorian, a hotshot, a moral compass, a recluse, and an anomaly that is barely out of high school. Not that I deny that there is some potential of them joining, but why not wait until they are older and more mature?"

"Because of All Might's retirement," Isamu said much to his surprise. "You didn't hear? All Might's retiring. It's like the symbol of peace is finally stepping down."

"He's retiring?" Rikiya asked. "Why?"

"Likely because of his injuries in the Kamino incident," Isamu said. "As you said, the crime rate is going to skyrocket with him gone. The villains will get cocky and underground organizations will surface. Soon, it will be so chaotic that even the heroes will have a hard time."

Her face became serious.

"What are the chances of Dark Winter becoming reality…again?"

Rikiya's gaze hardened at those words. Especially Again.

"And that is big enough excuse to recruit five kids?" He asked. "Why did you pick these five, to begin with?"

"This hasn't been released into the public," Isamu said. "But these five went off to rescue Katsuiki Bakugou. I have his file, but…anyway, Yayarozu created a tracking device on one of the villains and gave it to the heroes. What they didn't know was that she made a second receiver. It was with this receiver that these five used to launch their covert operation in which they are successful. Despite knowing that the school won't take it well, they went against the rules and rescued their friend."

Isamu leaned back.

"The way I see it, I think you'd prefer someone who doesn't blindly follow orders."

"This is different," Rikiya argued. "You read the files if there is another Aaron Keener, or worse a rogue network…"

"These kids won't become the next Aaron Keener," Isamu said as she tapped the files. "Didn't you remember that they are training to be heroes. They will be the people who will fight the next one."

Rikiya held her gaze for a moment before making his decision.

U.A.

Izuku Midoriya walked down the halls of the main building with four of my classmates. Yesterday they received permission from their parents or guardians to attend school as a boarding school. After getting chewed out by Mr. Aizawa for their involvement in the Kamino incident, they are suddenly called to the principal's office.

"Ican'tbelieveIgotcalledtotheprincipalsoffice," Midoriya muttered. "Arewegoingtogetexpelled?"

"It must be serious if the principal has called us," Iida said.

"This has been the first time that I have been called to the principal's office," Yayarozu said. "You don't think it's about the Kamino incident?"

"Are they serious?" Kirishima asked. "We already got chewed out by Mr. Aizawa and now they want to expel us? How is that fair?"

"Calm down," Todoroki said stoically. "If they wanted to expel us, they would have asked Mr. Aizawa to tell us instead."

"So why would we be called to the principal's office," Kirishima asked.

"I guess we're about to find out," Midoriya said as they neared the door to his office. Midoriya, with a trembling hand, opened the door. He held it open for the others and they stepped inside. Principal Nezu, a short man who appears to be a possible combination of several different animals, sat at his desk. Standing at the front is a man in a black suit and trench coat.

"Good evening students," Principal Nezu as he gestured to the man. "This is Uchida Rikiya. He's from the government."

"The government?" Midoriya asked as Rikiya approached them and extended his hand.

"Yes, and we have much to talk about."

[~][~]

I hope you guys enjoyed this teaser. Let me know if I should continue. I enjoy writing fics for the Division. I got the idea when I thought that a similar situation could happen in the MHA universe, this time with Quirks. I mean with the whole assault on the Paranormal Liberation Front going on, there is bound to be chaos.

Thank you all for reading!

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