To Be a Hero | Boku no Hero Academia x OC

No Pain, No Gain

Shortly after meeting Gang Orca, Shiro was led by one of his many assistants to a changing room where she will be putting on her hero costume to start her training. The agency was even bigger than she first had anticipated because she didn't realize there were so many levels, including ones that went underground towards the ocean where the entire place was lined with impenetrable glass. Every sidekick that she'd passed by held themselves tall and proud because of who they worked for, and she couldn't be more thankful to have been accepted as an intern for such an esteemed hero.

"You're the only student in the past few years that Gang Orca had sent out an offer to. He must have seen some serious guts at the sports festival," the assistant said as she directed Shiro into an empty room. "He's usually too busy with missions to participate in the U.A. draft."

"I want to get stronger, so I'm honored to be working besides Gang Orca," Shiro replied straightforwardly.

The assistant nodded at her conviction gave a word of advice. "He's really tough, but if you can push through his challenges, then you won't regret it."

"Thank you."

"Good luck, Aisaka-san," the assistant said and left. You'll seriously need it.

Once the door closed, Shiro composed herself once again and started to unpack her hero suit case. Since the USJ attack, her costume along with some others were sent to the support department to be repaired or touched up. Her sleeves had been torn so she expected the team to re-sew the fibers, but when she pulled out the costume she realized there was more things done to it than a simple sewing job.

Instead of the original fiber that made up the mesh sleeves, it was constructed with a more durable alloy-like material and she was surprised to feel how light it still was. In addition to the fiber switch, her old utility belt was replaced with a sleeker model that fit snugly on her hips. Finally, a new visor was prepared for her in replacement of the one that broke. The only thing that remained unchanged were the binding ribbons for her hair. Shiro picked up the new costume manual and note that was stashed inside and read it with bewilderment.

"Dear Aisaka Shiragiku-san,

When making repairs to your costume, our company decided to make some changes to the materials. The design is similar to the original, but you'll find the new additions and repairs to be more durable. I mean, it's definitely cooler because I personally added a few of my babies into the upgrade!"

Something tells me this was Hatsume Mei's handiwork...

After changing into her costume, Shiro checked the comfort level of the suit and then touched the side of her visor to fix the position only to find in surprise that her field of vision zoomed into the ground. She blinked and touched the side again, and this time it zoomed back out.

This must be one of Hatsume's 'babies'... A visor that can focus on the target better, she mused at the gadgets for a while longer before realizing she had spent too much time playing around with her new costume. Exiting the room, she quickly went to find the gym that Gang Orca had instructed her to meet.

"Rule number one!" Gang Orca barked with narrowed eyes as soon as she entered the gym, startling her. "To be a sidekick, you have to be prompt and at the hero's side at all times. You are the hero's most trusted comrade, so you cannot be late to the scene. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Shiro replied with a wave of shame. "I-I'm sorry, it will not happen again!"

The hero grunted in acknowledgement. "Then listen up. Heroes must practice and train every day. That's because there are always villains stronger than the previous one you've taken down. Heroes must always be on high alert and be mindful of their surroundings for the safety of others and themselves. In addition to direct hero work, many also take up side jobs or go on specialized missions. To be a great hero, one must be able to handle all of these things together," there was an almost sinister smirk rising on Gang Orca's face as his eyes bore into Shiro's soul.