Ch.25: The next Big Three

A few days after the troubled mission, Sisipho was released from the hospital and together with Katsuki returned to the normal routine back at the dormitories in Yuei High. Both were welcomed by a very distressed squad, the original one, and the only ones to know what truly happened since nothing about it came out to the public acknowledge.

Also, they had a long conversation with Mr. Aizawa, who advised the two teens.

However, no words coming from any of them changed the guilty feeling that still is inside the couple's hearts. Sisipho blames herself for not paying due attention to the villain's quirk and Katsuki for not being good enough to deal with it alone.

Every day after school they went to see Mandla, who was being watched by Orion from very close 24/7. The man is heartbroken by his love's situation.

After one more week of this martyrdom, and once the doctor did a series of exams to make sure the woman is fine, Mandla finally awakened from her induced coma with the certainty that any sequels exist. It was a relief to their hearts to see the black woman conscious again; a very teary moment.

Yet from the second Mandla opened her eyes, she knew that something was wrong with her kids.

In the other two days she stayed in the hospital to rest, it was possible to see how dull their eyes are and the sore mood following them. However, the black hero already expected this happening the moment she decided to protect Katsuki with her life.

Mandla was sent back home in the same week and it didn't take too much for her total recuperate, soon going back to do hero job. More specifically, to deal with the problems that were caused by the last mission.

Absolutely nothing about it made it to the press, thanks to True Man's help, a close friend of the Ashido family. So all the deceases, archives, and conclusions were solved between Amazon and the police discretely, as it has to be when the matter is an espionage mission.

After days of dealing with everything alongside her team, Mandla finally concluded the mission. It wasn't in the way she planned, but it had to be like this; without the teen heroes.

She doesn't want them involved in this mess more than they already are, so Amazon will need to help them to learn another important lesson instead: about dealing with failure.

That's why now, on their day to come to the agency, she'll already start the internship with a meeting.

Inside her office, on the coffee table, Mandla put some pastries, hot chocolate, and tea, to make the mood light. She doesn't want them to think that a scolding is about to happen but to act more like a friend giving them good advice. When Katsuki and Sisipho entered the office room and saw the woman relaxing on her couch while eating sweets, they got confused.

"You two arrived, please seat here." she said, motioning to the two armchairs in front of her. Quietly, both nodded and sat down.

"How are you, Mandla?" Katsuki asked. "Are you feeling good enough to work?"

"Yes, definitely I am. But don't worry, we won't get so hard today. Actually, I want to talk with you." both nodded, still reluctant and crestfallen. "Let's eat first, huh? Why don't start with you two telling me about your day?"

Quietly a shy conversation started, only a small talk about superficial things. However, little by little, the duo started to relax, while feasting on the desserts.

But Sisipho was the first to touch the elephant in the room.

"Umama... I mean, Amazon, since we're here talking, I want to beg your forgiveness for my attitude over the villains and for not being able to tell that one of them was so dangerous..." the girl said with sore eyes gazing at the older's ones.

"Me too, Amazon. If I had paid more attention..."

"You're right, both of you did wrong and because of this the mission was chaos." her straightforward affirmation got them off guard and made both feel worst.

"I'm sorry..." they answered.

"However, it was also my fault. I'm the pro hero, not you too. I had my suspicions about those villains putting too much effort only for some small money. If I had investigated more I would find that they were drug dealers and something bigger than what we expected."

"What?! How we didn't see this?" Katsuki questioned.

"Because I didn't do it before passing the mission to you two. I shouldn't have made you both work on something so serious in the blind like this. If I knew it, I wouldn't have sent you two in there, never!

Not only that, I should've been the one to notice that man's quirk ahead of any of you. It was my responsibility to teach and protect you both. Because of this series of small mistakes I suffered a big consequence."

"You almost die because of me..." Katsuki sighed.

"No, I almost died because I didn't pay enough attention to the mission and your safety until it was almost too late."

"Why do you keep blaming yourself?!"

"Why are you doing the same, Katsuki?" she smiled calmly at him.

"BECAUSE YOU TOOK BULLETS THAT WERE FOR ME!!"

"Yes, I did, it was my decision. So what?"

"What-"

"What blame yourself will change? What it means?"

"That... That I am weak..." he lowered his head.

"And? Will you just keep this scowl on and do nothing about it?"

"NO! I'll be better."

"Then why are you letting the guilty pull you down? This question is for you too, Sisipho."

"Umama... I almost lost you!" the girl whined.

"So what? Your tears will change a thing? Do you think that blaming yourself nonstop will refrain you from doing another mistake?"

"For damn sure I'll not commit another mistake ever!"

"Yet this is your biggest mistake, Sisipho and Katsuki." both eyed her confusedly. "Did you two hear me saying that I was wrong? I didn't do this out of pity or shame. But because being a hero doesn't mean that I'm perfect and I acknowledge that. This mission wasn't my first failure and will not be the last one, neither from any of you.

Before heroes, we're humans, imperfect beings that are subject to error. That's something tolerable and possible to live with it. However, what's unacceptable is how you both are acting this whole week. Tell me, what did you both do to change the situation beyond blaming yourselves?"

Silence. They don't know what to say, looking away in shame, because they only got distressed and sad every day.

"I'll tell you what I did. I recognized my mistakes, found where exactly I failed and ran to change the situation. The first thing I did, still at the hospital, was call True Man and clarify things with him. You both have his contact, did you do this?"

"Hm no, Amazon." Katsuki scratched his head embarrassed.

"If this was truly your mission, why any of you finished it?" Mandla crossed her arms, eyeing them down. "Let me guess, both were too busy feeling guilty."

"Sorry, Amazon..." Sisi cringed with her harsh eyes.

"See why you two can't just keep blaming yourselves?! When a hero fails, they need to overcome all pain and guilty to change the situation for good. Or do you guys think that only because of one mistake we would abandon the case and let the whole organization unpunished?! Aren't you heroes anymore because of the failure? Or will you two take lessons to make the next be a success?"

Sisipho and Katsuki are starting to get where this conversation is going. The crushing guilty feeling slowly faded away, being replaced by determination.

"I recognized my mistakes and talked about them with True Man. All deceased villains are on my account because you two are under my mentoring. However, I also act to investigate better those men and we discovered more about the leader behind everything and now the mission is officially done."

"Really? Did True Man arrest the rest of them?" Sisi asked surprised.

"Yes. That place had a lot of promissory pieces of evidence and it wasn't so hard. You two should know that."

"Sorry, but it was hard, Amazon! It was fucking hard to see the hero I admire the most dying in front of me and then Sisi too..."

"I know, it must've been terrifying, I feel you. But Katsuki, as a hero we don't have time to feel too much. Action is more important. You can feel sad, guilty, sad, angry... However, none of those feelings should EVER stop you from doing the right thing. Any of you!"

"I get it now." Katsuki said and Sisipho agreed. But the boy still has something inside his mind. "Mandla... Why did you do that?"

"The shots?" she chuckled weakly. "I already told you, Katsuki... You're like a son to me, and you're my son-in-law too. I can't ever let anything happen to you."

Seeing his teary eyes, Mandla stood up and walked to the boy, pulling him into a strong hug. Unable to hold back, Katsuki sobbed in her warm arms. Mandla eyed her daughter and called her to the hug too. Both teens pour their hearts out and also all their anguish.

"You both did great on that day. I know it was hard, but thanks to you I'm alive and a bad organization is gone for good. Thank you. You two will be great heroes if keep this in mind: mistakes are part of the process, but what defines if you fail or not is what you'll do with them."

The three heroes kept chatting about what happened and Mandla gave them more advice about it. So that's how the return of Katsuki and Sisipho's internship was.

--✨--

Some weeks later Katsuki and Sisipho proved to their mentor that both are indeed learning to deal better with their feelings towards the missions they do.

None was bigger like that one, but surely they failed again a few times. However now, instead of just staying crestfallen about it, they used the bad emotions to ignite themselves with determination and change the picture from a failed situation to a successful one.

The pro heroes are even more hopeful about these two students now. As time goes by, their future seems immensely promissory.

Due to this, Mr. Aizawa decided to do a surprise test for Class 2-A, wanting to define the best three of the class. Since the famous Big Three already graduated and the new ones are still unknown, it's time to definitely who'll be the next from this Class. This will boost the students' hype about the future.

When the tired man announced this, the Class entered in shock, however soon it changed to a very determined and menacing aura surrounding the students.

Using their PA uniforms, the Class stepped in the Ground Gamma, which was specifically modified by Cementoss for this important day. All pro heroes that teach at Yuei High are in there to evaluate their performance.

It'll be a series of challenges created to simulate the most different situations heroes can find themselves in. To make it fair, none of the students will know what they'll be facing and everyone will do it at the same time, in different areas.

In that way, everyone will be taken by surprise and need to think of a strategy alone. Unexpected and scorching, just like a real hero's life.

The BakuSquad shared a serious look, making a silent promise that everyone will give their best. All students are standing in front of a big wall full of doors, each one with their respective names.

"This test will challenge you in 5 different aspects, the pillars that make a good hero. We'll give points based on your performances in each situation and in the end, all of it will be pondered together to determine who'll be the next Big Three!" Director Nezu told in the speakers and soon the race began.

When the loud signal went out, the doors opened. The students walked in carefully and soon each one of them saw something written in big letters on the wall.

Power

Sisipho immediately got it what is this about. Running ahead she found a bunch of giant robots.

'If it's a demonstration of power that you want...' running for them, Sisi manipulate a huge piece of cement from the floor and used it to take down two of them.

Using the air around her, Sisipho flew to one of the robots, punching it with her hand full of essence, making the thing explode. When she landed on the floor, the black girl used her perception to find what still keeping the rest up and soon shut it down.

While the robots fell and explode behind her, Sisipho ran to the next phase.

Speed

When she passed by the wall with the word graffitied on it, she frowned at seeing only a narrow corridor. All of the sudden an enormous round rock fell behind her, rolling down forward, forcing the girl to run faster.

Manipulating the floor this time, Sisipho created debris that carried her fast toward the next phase, like a skateboard. 'Easy peasy.'

Soon she reached the next one.

Technique

Now in a larger room, Sisipho narrowed her eyes at the empty place. However, she percept movement from behind a wall and something was thrown at her.

Sisipho immediately stopped the rubber bullet coming to her torso, frowning in confusion. Suddenly more parts of the walls opened and every type of thing was thrown at the black girl.

"You guys need some lessons with umama." Sisipho smirked, dodging all of it, stopping some of the projectiles with her quirk and throwing them back to the machines, breaking the things one by one.

When all of it was destroyed, Sisipho ran to the next one.

Intelligence

Frowning at it, she ran to a room where a puzzle is waiting to be solved by her. In the middle of the place, there's a giant board with three dummies: two villains and one victim.

Sisipho interpreted that she was the fourth piece of this game by seeing the shining spot on the board. When she stepped on it, one villain got to the victim and the other started to shoot her.

By reflex, Sisipho used her essence to throw the villains away, stopping all projects in her direction middle air. She ran to the victim and touched it, which lead to a wall opening for her, giving her access to the next phase.

Cooperativeness

"What?!" the girl questioned herself and out of nowhere, she bumped into someone. "T-Todoroki?!"

"Sisipho?!" he frowned too.

Soon the scene changed before them. A big crater opened near the duo, lava boiling violently. There's a very bumpy path over it, made of rocks and hopes, but it's way higher from the ground for them to reach easily.

"My gods, they're not kidding, huh? I'm melting in here!" Sisipho said, wiping some sweat away. "Do you think your ice can take us to the other side?"

"In this heat? No way. Maybe I can try my fire to boost me up, but is too risky."

"Hmm... We'll need to do this together then."

"How? Sorry but I don't know much about your quirk..."

"No problem, trust me. I think that if you carry me, I can make us reach the first platform by controlling your fire."

"Like on the Festival?" he chuckled at the memory.

"Yeah... By the way, late sorry for that."

"No offenses taken. Let's do this then."

Hugging the girl closer by the waist with his right arm, Todoroki got ready. Sisipho hold him tightly and manipulated his flames to boost them, strong enough to take both up to the first platform.

From there, they continued to help one another to climb, jump and run through the whole path. Even though the temperature is almost unbearable, they made it to the end.

The last big door opened and they got to where the heroes are watching them. Panting hard, both sat down on the floor, celebrating the success with a high-five.

They're feeling proud for being the first ones to arrive.

Sisipho is particularly worried about Bakugou now, due to this last phase. The teachers know what they're doing by putting her with Todoroki because he's the one with who she has less contact in all Class.

So this only means...

"GET OFF ME YOU FUCKER!" a flying Midoriya landed in front of Sisipho and Todoroki, the latter running immediately to help him.

"I knew it..." the girl shook her head, relieved that the boy didn't let the other behind. This definitely would lead to a zero on his score. "My love, you made it!"

"Of course I did, not even this damn nerd will pull me down from the big three!" he sat down by her side, giving a kiss on her hand. "How it was to you?"

"Easy? Pftt~ Please, I'm the best, my boo!" she said dusting off her uniform sassily.

"You damn sure are. But why is Todoroki your challenge?"

"Dunno?! I think that's more like I'm his challenge in this case, because he is quieter with me, y'know?!"

"I can agree with that, Sisipho. Even though it could've been anyone from our Class aside from Izu." Shouto said, petting the greenish boy's hair.

"I wonder why..." she giggled watching the cute interaction.

"Haha, this didn't work with me! When I read the last title I just knew who would be in there. So fucking predictable those old shit heroes." he rolled his eyes.

"Well, you gave them reasons for this, don't you think? In our first year, how many times did you try to kill him?"

"27, Sisipho!" Midoriya answered her, smiling cutely. "But Kacchan did good working with me now!"

"SHUT UP YOU DAMN NERD! Consider this a diplomatic courtesy. My will to be a hero is bigger than my wish of killing you, ONLY THAT!"

The quartet laughed at his attitude.

Soon all students made it out of the challenge, finishing the test. The heroes went to a brief meeting, to pounder the individual performances and give their notes, letting the teens wait anxiously.

Some minutes after they arrived and Aizawa was the one to talk.

"This test served not only to show us how much you all improved since last year but also something that we have been observing since the beginning of this year. So now we can confirm our guesses about the next Big Three.

However, before anything, I want to congratulate all of you, because everyone here will be a great hero in the future. As your mentor since day one, I can tell with conviction that you're the best class in Yuei and the one who improved the most. I'm proud of each one of you."

Aizawa stepped back, giving the word to director Nezu.

"As y'all can tell, the five aspects you were being observed were Power, Speed, Technique, Intelligence and Cooperativeness, individually. Zero is the minimum score and 5 is the maximum. Interestingly the first three were the only ones to take the maximum grades in all aspects. Truly being the Big Three."

"WOW~!" the Class boomed in surprise.

"So with 5/5 points in Power, Speed, Technique, Intelligence and Cooperativeness, the new Big Three of Yuei High is: Sisipho Mbeki Ashido, Katsuki Bakugou and Shouto Todoroki!"

Mouth gaped, Sisipho froze in shock, but soon was carried out of it by her boyfriend, spinning both around and laughing in happiness. All squad came to hug the couple, doing a noisy mess of commemoration.

The big screen behind the teachers is showing scores of everyone. Truly to what Aizawa said, everyone did incredible performances indeed, the lowest grade being 3 in Intelligence.

The squads were hugging their respective champions but soon it turned into a huge group hug, with all Class crushing down the next Big Three of Yuei High.

Surely Japan is about to have the best heroes of history taking care of its people.

and is with this chapter that we say goodbye to one more era in Darklight~~!! if u read The Powerful One, y'know what's about to come, right? No? Neither do I hehehehe

kidding~ LET'S GO TO ADULT ERAAAA 🤸see ya~!