Ashes to Ashes, Power to Power: Chapter 3

"And here we are."

"Thank you for the escort, Ms. Rei." I thanked her with a smile as I opened the door and climbed out, to which she just smiled and nodded. Looking over to the house, I stared at it for a while before turning to Ms. Rei with a frown.

"Ms. Rei, All Might told me of two tests that I could take if I wished to become a Hero. Are there still spots open for those tests?"

"I assume you wish to apply for them?"

"I do." I nodded and she nodded as she took out her phone.

"There are two spots still available, but the test is in six months."

"And the closest one after that?"

"In one year and three months from today." She answered and I grimaced as I heard that. At that point, I think the battles would be in full swing and I'm fairly sure All Might would have fought against All For One by then.

At least, I think so because I'm not the best when timelines are added to the equation.

"I think I'll take the one in six months." I said and she nodded as she typed away at her phone before I blinked as my phone in my pocket rang.

"The message you received contains the location of the tests as well as the time and your personal ID. Make sure to show that to the front door when you get there and you'll be escorted to the destination." She said and I smirked as I saw the address.

U.A. High Sector Gamma

'In U.A., huh? Sounds like it will be a fun time.'

"Thank you for this, Ms. Rei."

"It was my pleasure and perhaps we shall meet once again when you get to U.A."

"Perhaps we will." I nodded and she smiled as she climbed into her car before I turned around and walked to the house when she drove off.

"I'm home~! Apologies for the intrusion." I muttered as I took off my shoes and jacket, placing the former on the genkan while hanging the latter up on the coat rack.

"Oh, you're back...and with a briefcase?" Mom gave the briefcase a confused look while I grinned and opened it up, her eyes widening not just at the luxury watch inside of it but also at the stacks of cash around it.

"D-D-Did you rob a bank?!" She whispered and I chuckled as I closed the briefcase while shaking my head.

"Nope, this is thanks from the parents of the kid I saved."

"O-Oh, well, they didn't have to." She spoke with a smile which I mirrored as I nodded before placing the briefcase down on the cabinet in the entrance hallway.

"I said the same thing, but they wanted to. Also, it turns out that All Might wanted me to become his apprentice, his successor for when he steps down."

"...He what?!" There were a rare few times from Kevin's memories that showed our mother being genuinely stunned speechless by something...and this was one of them. Her eyes were wide and I laughed as I saw her struggling to formulate words.

"W-Wha...I mean...whu...How...?"

"Yeah, he said I reminded him of when he was younger, the same drive and ambition to become something great."

"A-And? What did you say?" She tried her best to look hopeful, but I smiled as I saw the slight nervousness hidden behind her faux excitement.

"You don't have to worry, Mom. I told him no. That is way too much to give to me, especially since his enemies might target you when I'm not here."

"So, you didn't accept it because of me? Kevin, if you want to pursue the dream, you should."

"Mom, be honest. Would you be happy with me being a hero? Also, don't lie and say that I should do what I want, okay? Just be honest."

"...I would not." She answered with a regretful sigh before being surprised as I smiled and wrapped my arms around her.

"You're...you're not angered or mad?"

"Because you told the truth? Not in the slightest. If you had lied and said yes, I might have been, but I'm just happy you told the truth."

"...But you're still going to be a hero, aren't you?" She asked with a knowing look before shaking her head as I nodded.

"Yep. Like I said, I just wanted to see if you would be honest with me or not."

"Hah, very well. Then, how are you going to be this hero? Last I checked, no one over the age of 18 are still in high school unless you work there."

"Oh, I had Ms. Rei sign me up for this new course where I would do test and get a probationary license. Then, I have to attend classes for a month and if I pass the tests after those, I get to become a Hero."

"Ah, that's...a lot simpler than I expected it to be." Mom spoke with a raised eyebrow and I shrugged before opening the briefcase and taking out the watch and certificate.

Her eyes then widened as I turned and handed the open briefcase to her, the woman taking it even as she gave me a shocked look.

"Before you say I don't need to, I still have a ton of cash from my job that I was saving for a house so I have something to fall back on and even if you don't take it, I'll still pay it into a fund for you."

"...Fine, I'll take it, but I'm going to put this into an account for you." She said while poking at my chest and I chuckled as I watched her walk up the stairs to put the money away.

'Okay, the test in is six months. That means I have six months to learn not only my Quirk but everything I can about the Hero Culture in this world.' I thought with a frown before shaking my head as I walked to the entrance and picked up my keys.

"Hey, Mom! Is the bike still functional?"

"What have I said about shouting in the house? Also, yes, I've kept it clean."

"You're shouting back!" I shouted up the stairs, laughing at her grumbles before making my way through the living room and into the garage.

"Oh, it's good to see you, beautiful." I whispered with a smile as I stared at the black motorcycle, its model a Harley-Davidson VRSC that was modified to be a bit faster than the average one.

'Ah, Kevin's memories. I was wondering how I knew what kind of model it was.' I thought with a smirk as I sat down on its seat. Dusting off the helmet and making sure I had my wallet in my pockets, I turned and caught the dark green jacket with the number '11' on its back.

"Thought you would forget about that." Mom spoke with a smile as she pressed the button for the garage door and I looked at the jacket before putting it on along with the helmet.

"How long has it been since I rode this?"

"Before you went off to college and forgot about it and your mother."

"Going to guilt-trip me until you're ready to forgive me, aren't you?" I asked with a grin and shook my head at her giggle, putting the key in the ignition before the engine turned on with a rumble that shook the windows.

"Yep, I forgot how loud that thing is."

"I'm going to the gym nearby to join!" I shouted over the bike's noise and she just gave a thumbs-up before I kicked up the stand and took off with a deafening growl.

'Hahahaha! That's my baby! Roar!'

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"Holy shit, that was awesome!" I exclaimed with a grin as I took my helmet off, kicking the stand out while turning the engine off as I nodded at the few guys that gave my baby an appreciative nod.

Every guy likes a beauty that purrs like a kitten and roars like a dragon.

'I feel so bad for leaving you alone, but we're never going to be separated from now on.' I thought with a smile before standing up, carrying my helmet under my right arm as I walked into the gym right in front of me.

It didn't look any different from any other gym in terms of equipment and facilities, but that's where the similarities end.

Nearly every person inside was muscular, ripped, lean or even a combination of them in some rare few cases. Not just that, but I saw people with nails for eyes, slimes taking the form of vague humanoids, anthropomorphic animals and people with so many more different objects on numerous spots of their bodies.

'Okay, this is going to take a lot more to get used to.'

"Hi~ Are you here for a membership?" A cheerful and peppy female voice asked and I blinked as I turned to the voice before my eyes widened at the figure in front of me.

The woman was a bit older than I remember her being as she wore a blue sleeveless hoodie over a black sports bra and black spandex shorts that hugged her lower body quite nicely, but the yellow eyes with slit-like pupils like that of a cat, pale ash-blonde hair styled into two messy buns was a dead giveaway at who she was.

There was just one problem in my eyes, to be truthful.

'Why the fuck does Himiko Toga look like she's 20 and not 16?!', I shouted in my mind and it appears my long silence was beginning to weird her out as she raised an eyebrow while smirking at me.

"I didn't know I was hot enough to stump a cute guy like you."

"I've never seen a beautiful woman like you so my mind had to reset", I said the first thing that came to mind and was ever so glad for the fact that I didn't creep her out as she giggled.

"Oh, you probably just say that to every girl you meet."

"Considering you're the first girl I said that to, I would have to disagree on that", I answered, my mind now finally rebooted as she smirked before responding.

"Hmm, not bad. A guy that doesn't ogle me when he gets the chance. You're a rare one."

"Really? Guess common sense is scarce these days."

"You have no idea. Ah, sorry. I'm Himiko Toga, assistant manager of Mighty Gym."

"Kevin Nagatomo and I kind of figured it was an All-Might gym with the posters and the art on the walls", I responded while gesturing to artwork of said hero done on the walls, to which she giggled while holding her clipboard to her chest.

"I guess you can. So, what brings you to our gym, Kevin Nagatomo?"

"Well, Himiko Toga, I'm here to see if there is any place for someone that wants to become a hero?"

"Oof~ You've come to the wrong place. Hopes and dreams get crushed here", She teased with a smile and I grinned as I crossed my arms with a nod.

"Then, I've come to the right place, then", She tilted her head in amusement while a slow smirk curled across her lips.

"Oh? But i thought you wanted to be a hero?"

"I'm also the kind of guy that likes challenge. Challenges build character."

"And trauma, but who am I to judge? Most people walk through the doors hoping to get abs like All-Might within a few days. You on the other hand look like you know what you want and take it when you want."

"One could say that", I didn't confirm nor deny her response with my smile still on my face, to which she took a step closer as she tucked the clipboard under one arm while tapping her pen against her cheek.

"Well, Kevin Nagamoto, we don't get a lot of hero hopefuls walking into Mighty. Most try the other hero-type gyms down the gym as our place is more...off the radar. You sure you're in the right place?"

'Off the radar? As in for criminals? Wait, it's Himiko Toga. Of course, this place is for criminals.'

"Maybe I like things a little off the radar", I answered, matching her tone as her sharp eyes flickered to meet mine before she abruptly slapped her pen onto the clipboard.

"Alright, then! Orientation time."

"Orientation?", I asked, not sure what she meant and her grin widened with a hint of sadism and excitement in it as she nodded.

"Duh~ You don't just walk into Mighty Gym and start lifting weights. We like to get a feel for our clients. Goals, limits, pain tolerance~", The way she sounded like she purred at the last one made me wonder if it was not too late to leave, but I sighed as she wrapped her free arm around one of mine with a wink.

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle."

"Somehow, that's sounds far more menacing than you want it to be", I answered and rolled my eyes as she giggled and began to pull me away from the doors and deeper into the gym.

At first, I thought we would stop at one of the benches or another machine, but I blinked as the hardcore motivational music of the front of the gym thinned out. Instead, it was replaced by the rhythmic thud of fists on bags, weights hitting mats and the occasional pained cry from some poor fool getting slammed into the ground.

"This is the real gym. Welcome to 'The Pit'."

"Charming," I muttered, eyeing the sweat-soaked floor mats and heavy-duty gear scattered around. She let go of my arm and walked to one of the red-painted corners where a few punching dummies stood in a line.

"Alright, Kev. I can call you Kev, right?"

"Will you stop if I asked you not to?", I asked before smirking as she shook her head.

"Anyway, Kev, this is your warm-up. One minute of straight punches on each dummy. No breaks. I want to see your form, stamina and how well you follow directions."

"...I know I'm going to regret asking this, but is that all?" I asked and in response, her grin grew to a Cheshire grin as she giggled.

"Oh, Kev, this is just the appetizer."

'Four dummies, one minute with each. Straight punches for four minutes. This should be fun, then~' I thought sarcastically as I shook out my shoulders as I walked up to the first dummy.

"Ready?", She asked as she readied her whistle and stopwatch, to which I simply nodded as I shifted into the best boxing stance I could remember from the few times I watched the sport with my uncles.

"Go!", The first punches landed harshly as I kept it steady, my breathing controlled as I hopped from front to back while throwing my punches.

"Don't lock your elbows and don't telegraph your strikes like an idiot," Toga spoke as she circled around me like a vulture, nodding approvingly as I adjusted my movements to what she said.

"Oh, one more thing that I forgot to say."

"What's that?", I asked as I threw a hook, the beeping from her stopwatch signalling the end of the first minute and I moved to the second dummy before throwing a cross at its head.

"The dummies can move."

"Say wha-!" Before I could turn to ask what she meant, I watched as the dummy swayed to the side to dodge my punch before giving me a light jab on the face that knocked me back slightly.

"Like that", She said and I frowned as I went back in, ducking and weaving around the punches of the dummy while trying and failing to land a few of my own. I would like to boast and say that I managed to dodge most of its attacks, but I'm fairly sure half of its attacks were the reason why my arms were bruised.

The same went for the other two dummies and by the time her stopwatch rang for the final minute to end, I was standing, but my breathing felt ragged and most of my upper body was covered in light bruises.

"Not bad. Most people give up by dummy three", Toga spoke up as she marked something on her clipboard and I wanted to make a lame joke about my stamina, but I couldn't get a word out.

"Time for phase two! Circuit gauntlet. Five stations, one minute each, no rest."

"...Sounds like fun", I could have just called it quits then and there, but I was also far too prideful to give up as I just nodded and followed her across the room to the five stations.

"Oh, it will be for me. First, the sled push. Then, rope climbs followed by medicine ball slams, weighted lunges with the 20kg weighted vest and finally, shock-stepbursts. That one is my favourite."

"What the hell is a shock-stepburst?", I asked and raised an eyebrow as a blush appeared on her face while she smiled blissfully.

"Oh, you'll find out. Now, let's get this started", She said as she blew her whistle and I began pushing the sled, the heave weight of it as well as the weights stacked on top of it making me wheeze as I barely managed to make it to the finish line.

The rope climb was hell as I did not have the strongest upper body strength and rope burn was a bitch to deal with. The medicine balls had me wondering if they were actually 5kg medicine balls or just miniature wrecking balls that Toga had stolen. Don't even get me started on the weighted lunges as my thighs and calves were cramping up with every step.

However, it was the shock-stepbursts that had me questioning whether all of this was worked in as I stood on two metal plates while Toga plugged in a cord.

"Why do I feel I know what this is?", I asked with a frown and she giggled as she adjusted a dial near her with a gleam in her eyes.

"It's electro-stim training. Every time you jump forward, the plates send a little zap through your legs. It helps build resistance and pain tolerance so it's quite the good training for those that want to go for the tank build."

"You are enjoying this far too much. Also, you're insane", I said as I heard her cheerful explanation and she just smiled as she turned the dial up by one more turn.

"And yet, you're not moving. Now, let's go, Mr. Hero", With that said, she turned on the machine and I hissed as the first jump lit my nerves on fire.

Now, I was most definitely sure my calves were cramping up, but I didn't move as I kept standing until I was shaking and panting with a relieved smile.

"You're either suicidal or a guy way above average...or both."

"The last one. Definitely the last one", I answered as I slowly sat down, groaning at the burning pain from my knees as Toga giggled while handing my jacket and a towel back to me.

"Well then, Kevin Nagatomo. You most definitely passed your preliminary evaluation."

"And what's left after that?", I asked and watched as she tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.

"Now? You'll meet the real trainer of the gym."

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My body ached as I followed Toga past the thick black curtain that separated the main gym from a secluded area, the air feeling a bit heavier as the clanging of weights faded into a low hum.

It was replaced by the dull rhythm of something striking a target over and over again as the hallway led to a reinforced training chamber lined with reinforced walls, heavy mats and equipment that looked military-grade.

In the centre of it all, moving with sharp movements that landed clean decisive punches and kicks against the human-sized dummy stood a man I recognized instantly.

His spiky black hair was slightly matted with his sweat and his eyes were sharp with chiseled features hardened from combat as his hands and elbows landed heavily against the dummy.

However, what I recognized was the long scarf around his shoulder that he didn't use as he hopped into the air and landed a spinning kick to the head of the dummy that sent it flying off to the side.

"Is that who I think it is?", I asked Toga, who smirked and leaned in close with a nod.

"Yep, that's who you think it is."

'Shota Aizawa AKA Eraserhead, the man with arguably one of the most broken Quirks in this world that isn't One For All or All For One,' I thought with an excited smirk as the man landed, finally turning his head to us. I blinked as I watched him scan my entire body in an instant and realized just how strong the guy is.

'Wait, why the hell is a guy like him hanging out with a girl like Toga? Is she actually not a villain in this world? Am I just being a bit cautious here?'

"You brought me a stray, Toga?", His voice was flat and Toga grinned as she crossed her arms.

"Not a stray. More like...Okay, he is a stray, but he's a stray with potential. He made it through your circuit without stopping once."

"Hmph, that's a start", He muttered and I stepped forward as Toga looked at me with a knowing smirk.

"Kevin Nagatomo, sir. I'm here because I want to be something more."

"Why here? There are easier gyms, easier paths. Why come here?", He asked as he walked slowly towards me and I forced myself to not flinch as I held his unflinching gaze.

"Because this place doesn't sell dreams. It kills the weak-willed and sharpens those who are left."

"You're not wrong, but you're also not ready."

"Then make me ready", I surprised myself with my response as I held his gaze and there was a long silence before he finally turned away and walked to the corner of the room, grabbing a black duffel bag and tossing it to my feet.

"Tomorrow. 6 AM sharp. Wear something you don't mind bleeding in."

"Ooh~ He likes you~!", Toga clapped her hands with an excited squeal and I picked up the bag with a smile as Aizawa shook his head.

"Quiet. As for you, if you're late, you're out. If you hesitate, you're done. If you lie, I'll know."

"No lies. No hesitation and be on time. Got it", I nodded and he gestured for me to leave, but not before I caught him muttering one last thing.

"Let's see if the world breaks you...or if you're really made for this."

"So, how do you feel now that you're a member of the gym?"

"Sore and aching everywhere", I answered with a deadpan stare as I threw the bag over my shoulder and smirked as she giggled with a shrug.

"Hey, that's your fault, not mine. You could have quit any time you wanted."

"And disappoint a sadist like you? I knew the pain that awaited me if I failed would have been far worse than the pain I'm in now."

"True. You would be squealing by now", She answered with a nod and I rolled my eyes while walking past the shocked people looking at me.

"Would that be good squealing or bad squealing?"

"Who knows? You'll have to wait and see. Anyway, see you tomorrow at 5 AM."

"I thought Aizawa said 6?", I asked with a raised eyebrow as I hooked the bag to the back of my bike, throwing my jacket in said bag and zipping it up.

"Ha! Aizawa said that to see if you would be eager to learn or come at a later time and disappoint him. If I can give you some advice, come early and he'll go easy on you."

"How much of what you said is the truth?", I asked and rolled my eyes as she giggled and shrugged.

"Like I said, you'll have to wait and see. Bye~", She waved and I had to take a few moments to admire the bounce of her ass in those shorts before putting my helmet on with a smirk as she looked over her shoulder with a giggle.

I then laughed as she yelped when I turned my beauty on, lifting up my visor to wink at her glare before snapping it down before I kicked up the stand and took off.

'Man, this was a pretty good day for me...Wait, I forgot to train my Quirk. Shit!'

A/N: And here we are with a few changes to the story.

Toga is older because having a 16 year old girl dating a 22 year old guy would feel kind of weird but not at the same time, but she is still the same. I just have a few things planned to change her backstory to keep her the same sadistic bloodsucking maniac she was in canon.

Also, Aizawa now owns an All-Might themed gym named Mighty Gym?...Huh, who knew?

Next chapter: Preparing for Test, Quirk Training and Beatdowns.

As always, read , enjoy, review and until the next one...

Ba-Bye~!!