I was so young when I moved from Brooklyn that I could hardly remember anything about my life before Japan; still, there is one core memory from that time. The first All Might movie about his origins had just been released in theaters, and my father took me to see it. I was just three years old, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. There's a moment when All Might appears, wearing his crimson, Silver-Age costume. He looks into the camera -- no, at me -- and says, "True strength is standing up again, even after being knocked down!".
This memory lingers in the back of my mind, revisiting me once I smell the sweet smell of this hamburger place in Mustafu, Japan. After Dad and I saw the All Might movie, we went to this burger place whose name I can't remember, but I will never forget the smell and the flavor. This restaurant in Mustafu was the only place that allowed me to relive that day.
It's called Future-Past; it has a sort of retrofuturism look. Flying cars, automatons, and all that, but in the style of the 1950s. The owner has a pretty handy Quirk; it allows him to peer into a person's mind, finding the perfect recipe based on the preferences of that customer. I assume deep in my mind lies the recipe for the burgers that I had all those years ago.
Yaoyorozu and I went to Future-Past after the whole USJ incident. She sat across from me, pondering the menu while I already had my order in mind. I always got a simple double cheeseburger with bacon and steak sauce. Always. Yaoyorozu was so overwhelmed, she ended up just copying my order.
As soon as our orders arrived, I didn't waste any time digging in. All it took was one bite, and I was reliving watching the All Might movie with my father and going to my favorite burger place in Brooklyn.
"How is it?" I asked Yaoyorozu.
"It's interesting. It's sort of like steak but with toppings."
That checked out. Like I said, the chef's Quirk makes each burger taste unique depending on the customer.
Yaoyorozu looked around at the others in the room and then at me. "Oh, is this finger food?"
She's just now figuring that out!?
"Mostly, but there's no right or wrong way. So you were serious about never having a burger before?"
"I'm very strict about my diet; however, considering we almost died today, I think a little cheat day is deserved."
"Yeah, it's a good thing All Might showed up when he did. Those guys were crazy strong."
"Yet, you and Midoriya still stood up against them... All I could do was watch."
Yaoyorozu's eyes followed her fork as it grazed the border of her plate. It'd only been a couple of days, but I noticed that her confidence was ever-slowly waning. Or perhaps that confidence was never really there. Maybe it was a facade; there was also the possibility that her being someone who got in due to recommendations led me to stereotype her. Regardless, I wouldn't let whatever amount of confidence she had slip away.
"That's not true. You were quick on your feet when it was just the four of us, and you constructed that blanket. I mean, everything didn't go as planned, but it still worked out in the end, right? If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to make it out so easily."
Yaoyorozu grew an ever-so minuscule grin. "I appreciated that, Morales. Still, I need to improve if I want to keep up with you guys."
"I feel the same way about you. No offense, but your Quirk lacks the raw firepower of something like what I, Bakugo, Midoriya, or Todoroki have. Still, you make up for it with your critical thinking skills and creativity. You know, with my webs, I could've made a blanket too, since they don't conduct electricity. But I was only thinking about how I was gonna punch and kick the next guy. You pointed out a weakness within myself that I didn't notice. Because of that, I want to learn from you as well."
"A Weakness?" she asked.
"How different I am when I have time to prepare versus when I have to improvise. Back when we did heroes versus villains, I had this entire plan; I remember you commended me for it afterward."
"It was a great plan," she added.
"Thank you, I think so too. I was able to think tactically because I had prep time. When those villains attacked us, I was basically panicking and could only think about what to do within the next second or two. I didn't have a plan. If I want to be the best, I have to be like you, Yaoyorozu."
Yaoyorozu looked surprised; I guess she wasn't used to being praised since she came from wealth and was virtually the perfect student. I imagine all her accolades thus far were seen as the bare minimum.
"I think acting on impulse is good sometimes, too, though," she added. "Like when you shielded us with your body. Talking with you now, I've come to a realization. There are times when we should let our impulses guide us and times when we have to sit back and look at the big picture. Being a top hero must mean being able to switch between the two at just the right time."
I nodded. "I think you're right. I bet guys like All Might may look like they're just punching without thinking, but I bet a lot is going on in his head at any given moment."
"Precisely." Yaoyorozu took another bite of her burger using the fork and knife. Though she claimed it was only 'interesting,' I could tell that she loved it. The chef's Quirk ensured that she would, after all.
Yaoyorozu and I had somehow talked about heroing, our Quirks, and school for so long that the restaurant kicked us out right before closing. Through our insightful talks, I realized yet another important factor in being a top hero. You need support from those around you just as much as you need to be physically powerful. Back at the USJ, All Might couldn't have done it alone, but he had his students and fellow teachers there to help him. Like us, these guys were probably students at U.A. once upon a time and grew up together, learning from each other.
If I wanted to be the best, I needed to become close with everyone, not just Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu. I figured I might even be able to learn something from that little creep, Mineta.
As we finally left the restaurant, it was already dark outside. She and I pretty much talked about everything we could think of, and there was a brief moment of quietness as we walked side by side beneath the stars.
"Hey," Yaoyorozu's eyes were glued to my arms as we walked. "What are your webs made of?"
"I'm not really sure about the molecular properties, but I know they're similar to a real spider's webs and are stronger than steel."
Yaoyorozu rubbed her chin. "How do you... make them? Sorry, I'm just curious since our Quirks are somewhat similar. For me, my diet is what determines how well I can use my Quirk. I basically transfer energy to the cells on my skin, and then I can create anything I have a basic molecular knowledge of."
"Hmm," I paused for a moment. "Well, I have silk glands in my arm that are constantly producing liquid silk. When I shoot a web, the fats in my body solidify the silk and create webs. I haven't really thought about how my diet affects them... I guess I have noticed that on days when I'm dehydrated, I produce less of it. I guess our abilities are pretty similar, except I can only shoot the webs from the spinnerets on my wrists. See."
I rolled up my sleeve and flashed my arm. A lot of people found the holes on my wrists disgusting, so I rarely showed anyone. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous showing it to Yaoyorozu, but when she grabbed my hand to take a closer look and her eyes lit up, I realized I had nothing to worry about.
"Interesting..." she muttered. She ran her fingers along my forearms, feeling for any abnormalities. "And you said there are glands in your arms? I guess it does feel a bit different anatomically to a normal arm..."
Is that even true!?
Had she not seemed so excited about it, this might've become a new insecurity of mine. People were staring at us as they walked by; it hit me right then that we may or may not have looked like a couple the way she carelessly caressed my arm with her fingertips.
"You said they're stronger than steel, right?" she asked me. "So, they're strong enough to carry around two people at once?"
"As many as I can hold on my back, yeah. Why?"
Yaoyorozu let go of my arm, then looked away from me. It was hard to tell, but I think she was turning red in the face. I suppose she finally realized how things must've looked. "Oh, it's nothing. That would be strange, anyway."
"You aren't the first person to ask me for a joyride... or joyswing? It's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Yaoyorozu stammered. "Well, it's just that I've never flown before outside of an airplane. I was just curious what it's like to fly freely above the city."
I opened an arm, motioning for her to latch on. "Well, come on. I won't drop you, I promise."
Yaoyorozu stepped closer and wrapped both arms around my neck.
"Hold on tight!" I told her, just before jumping multiple storeys in the air, flinging a web at a nearby building. She took my advice to heart, pressing herself against me a little too much for comfort.
Too tight! I thought, but I'd be a liar if I said that part of me didn't enjoy being squeezed by her.
As time went on, her grip loosened, and she started to take in the city from a bird's-eye view. I glanced at her face, admiring her as she admired the sea of lights beneath us. Of course, before then, I knew she was attractive, but seeing this side of her -- her smile -- I saw her true beauty for the first time.
"It's like looking at the stars but from above..." she said with a whisper. "You get this view every day? I'm so jealous."
Her face and mine were so close, I could see those glimmering lights still reflecting off her black irises. Being able to swing across the city was something I'd always been able to do, so it wasn't ever anything special to me. For the first time, I looked at the world and took in the sights from above. She was right, it did look like we were above the stars. The sea of lights was like a kaleidoscope, one that entranced us both into a state of silence.
"You know," I said, looking back at Yaoyorozu. "This view is all the more worth it when it's shared."
"You think so?" Yaoyorozu rested her chin on my shoulder. "Let's share it again, sometime, then."
She and I swung like this for just a few more minutes until we finally reached where she lived. If it wasn't apparent how wealthy she was before, the massive manor and the cars worth more than my life parked between an extravagant water fountain made it crystal clear.
We landed delicately at her front door, reluctantly letting go of one another.
"Thanks for today. It's refreshing being able to pick someone else's mind about some of the intricacies of hero work. And so was the ride over here."
"Yeah, any time, just let me know."
Yaoyorozu and I stood silent for a moment. I couldn't figure out if I should hug her, fist bump her, or just leave.
After an awkward three seconds, Yaoyorozu finally said, "Yeah, I will. Bye," and rushed to her front door.
That was awkward... Did I just fumble? I think I just fumbled...
Regardless of whether I fumbled or not, I was satisfied with where the night took us. Yaoyorozu peeped through the glass beside her door and waved, mouthing, "I'll see you tomorrow!"
I waved back, shooting a web without looking and zipping away. As I swung, I wondered...
Was that a date?