"You ready?"

I wiped my sweaty palms over my dark blue gown before turning to Shinsou. Like me and the rest of the boys, he also had doned a dark blue gown and cap.

Before I could answer, the door opened wider and two bodies careened towards me.

"Our baby's all grown up ahh! Zei, get in here!" Chrissy yells right in my ear, making me wince.

Yima, on my other side, squeezes me tightly before moving to make room for Zeido. After I started hormone therapy, Zeido had been even more involved in my life. Hanging out and training with me to build my strength.

"Good luck out there, Pikachu." Zei whispers, before pulling the other two off me.

Chrissy and Yima both had tears in their eyes and even Zei's eyes were a tad misty. These were the people that had been with me from the beginning. We were all still together, even though we were pursuing different careers.

"Come on Dunce Face, it's time to go!"

I turned to where the rest of the Bakusquad was and nodded in understanding. Soon, we'd be on our own. There were a million opportunities just waiting to be grabbed, agencies in need of great heroes to aid against the fight of good versus evil. And I knew that everyone around me would be there to share it with me.

On the way out, I bumped fists with Kirishima and Sero, before turning to give Mina a quick hug. Already on the stage, most of Class A and B were lining up in their order and soon we would be too.

At the sound of the microphone turning on, Zeido, Yima, and Chrissy headed for the bleachers.

It was time.

Shinsou squeezed my unoccupied hand and then we were making our way to the front row. Though we'd all already received our hero licenses, we still had to participate in this final event to commemorate everything we'd achieved in our training as heroes-in-the-making.

The soft pitter-patter of feet sounded before a fuzzy hand grabbed for the mic. At the sight of Principal Nezu, everyone took a seat.

"UA would like to thank each and every one of these heroes for giving their time and energy into becoming who they now are sitting in front of you. All of the trials and hardships they faced was to get them to this point..."

At some point I must've zoned out, because next thing I know, my name is being called by Present Mic. On shaky legs, I make my way up the stage to stand at Mic's side. What's going on..?

Mic must've noticed my lost look, because he pulled two sheets of paper from the folds of his jacket and handed them to me. Before I could even say anything, he took his seat next to Aizawa and then all eyes were turned to me.

There were a few eyes in particular that I focused on as I unfolded the paper and moved closer to the mic. This was the two page paper that Present Mic made us write at the very beginning. Our first assignment being that we had to tell him why we wanted to be heroes.

A pair of lavender eyes drew me in, and it was his encouraging smile that made me stand up a little straighter. I could do this, I knew it!

Clearing my throat, I started reading, "No one really knows what makes a hero. Chivalry, bravery, being kind. Yeah, those are all nice traits to have, but that doesn't make a hero. A hero isn't someone in a goofy costume and it doesn't have to be someone with a flashy quirk either. In fact, you don't need a quirk to be a hero."

The silence made me anxious, but I had to continue. This was my time to show everyone why being a hero was so important. And I didn't need a stupid paper to do it. Carefully, I folded the papers back up and put them in my pocket.

"Listen.. I spent most of my life looking up to the glorified image of people I thought were untouchable. They were invincible and I wanted to be too. I thought that.. That if I wanted to be a hero, I also needed to be invincible. But, that just isn't possible. Sometimes people get hurt, sometimes they cry, and sometimes they die. Being a hero is knowing that these things can happen and still going out and doing what's right, even if it hurts. Even if it breaks people, ruins friendships."

My eyes turned to my fellow classmates, then to the Bakusquad. We had our outs and I doubt they would ever be fully forgotten, but they were here.

"But, even knowing all this, that isn't what makes me a hero. It isn't what's driven me since I was a child. No.. I want to be a hero to show everyone what we are capable of. To show that, in spite of the people who have tried to push you down, it is possible to get back up on your own. You can be a hero no matter your quirk, your sexual preference, your gender. None of that matters when lives are at stake. Being a hero, to me, is having the emotional strength to save people who might not even thank you for it, or ever do it if the roles were reversed. It isn't about glory or reputation, but about making sure you do what you can to help everyone."

The loud echo of clapping and whistling pulled me from my thoughts. Around the room—from the crowd and my fellow classmates—people were standing and applauding. A fiery blush took over my face and neck as I rushed off the stage and back into my seat next to Shinsou.

He clasped my sweaty hands in his and leaned towards my ear to whisper, "I'm so proud of you, Denks."

There was a screeching of a chair and then heavy footsteps before a new voice filled the stadium.

"I uhm... I'm not sure I could say anything better than what the problem child said. There is such a twisted view on what makes a hero, but I have faith that my kids have it figured out. None of them are perfect and I don't doubt that I'll still get called due to their stupid shenanigans, but these kids are going to go far in the hero business. And that's all.. I guess."

A couple of us laughed at his statement. It was very true.

After that, each teacher came down to give a short speech. Some talked about their students and the high expectations they held for them, while others just recounted some of the goofy memories we all shared.

By the end, I could tell that everyone was getting antsy and were ready to leave. Three hours for an assembly was a little much in my opinion. But it was finally time for all of the students to take to the stage.

I kept close behind Shinsou and the Bakusquad as Bakugou took the lead up the steps. As one, we each lined up across the cement stage and bowed to the crowd.

There was the sound of a crash, then smoke billowed around us, making a few students cough. I was already smiling for what was about to happen. 

When the smoke cleared, all eyes were on the new arrival—All Might. And though he wasn't in his big and macho form, many people in the crowd started clapping for the retired hero.

Even in his tiny form, his voice boomed across the clearing, "Thank you all for coming to see these new heroes! Now we would like to finish off with a slogan these kids have adopted throughout their time here.."

As one, we yelled what All Might had been teaching us from the very beginning.

"Together we will go beyond.. Plus Ultra!!"

Because we would go beyond. The Bakusquad, Shinsou, and I had already decided to go to the same hero agency, so we wouldn't be split up. We were in this together. All of us.

Shinsou squeezed my hand, and on the other Mina did the same. The rest of our class joined hands and raised them high with a shout of excitement. This was it. Time to start our lives as heroes.

Get ready world, because here I come!