My Hero Academia: The Dragon's Quirk

The journey back to U.A. was a surreal experience. After weeks of living in the shadows, isolated in a luxurious villa or a tense emergency command post, returning to the normal world felt like entering a different dimension. Tatsumi sat in an unmarked sedan driven by one of Hawks' agents, staring out the window at the busy city scenery. He saw people walking, laughing, drinking coffee in cafes, living their peaceful lives, completely unaware of the secret war that had just been fought to protect that very peace. For the first time, he truly understood what Hawks had said: You need to remember what you're fighting for. This was the answer.

When the car finally stopped in front of the grand main gate of U.A., his heart beat a little faster. The high walls and the iconic "U.A." logo looked the same as when he had left, but he felt like he had changed forever. He was no longer the same boy who had nervously walked through these gates a few months ago. He had seen hell, fought gods, and danced with devils.

He didn't go directly to the dorms. As per protocol, he was escorted straight to Principal Nezu's office.

The room was exactly as he remembered: half office, half cozy tea room, with a panoramic view of the city. Principal Nezu sat behind his desk, pouring tea with his usual smile, though his small black eyes shone with a sharp, analytical intelligence. Beside him stood Shota Aizawa, looking at Tatsumi with a weary gaze that couldn't hide a deep concern and suspicion.

"Welcome back, Tatsumi-kun!" Nezu greeted cheerfully. "We hear your 'intensive training program' abroad went very well. Please, have a seat. Tea?"

Tatsumi sat down, his back straight, his senses on high alert. This was his first test. He had to maintain his cover story in front of two of the best lie detectors in Japan. "Thank you, Principal. And yes, the training was very... enlightening," Tatsumi replied, using the words Hawks had prepared for him.

"I'm sure it was," Aizawa said, his voice as raspy as ever. He walked around Tatsumi slowly, his sharp eyes scanning every detail. "You look like you just came back from a war, not a student exchange program." He stopped in front of Tatsumi. "There's a new scar on your cheek. And the look in your eyes... it's different. Older."

Tatsumi's analytical mind went to work. He didn't panic. He had anticipated this. "We faced some villains with very dangerous Quirks there, Aizawa-sensei. It was non-stop combat simulation. The scars are part of the lesson." His hero's heart felt a pang of guilt for having to lie to his teacher, but he knew the secrecy of their alliance was paramount.

Nezu sipped his tea. "Hawks reported that you showed tremendous growth in strategy and adaptability. He highly recommended that you be reintegrated into the curriculum immediately. Officially, your records will show that you completed a highly advanced independent study program. There will be no issue with your grades." The principal waved his hand as if it were a trivial matter, though they all knew it was far from it.

After half an hour of polite but intense interrogation, Nezu finally seemed satisfied. "Very well. Welcome back to U.A., Tatsumi-kun. Aizawa will escort you back to the Heights Alliance dorms. Your friends must have missed you dearly."

Walking down the familiar U.A. corridors beside Aizawa felt strange. The sound of the bell, the laughter of students from inside classrooms, the distinct smell of disinfectant—it all felt like an echo from another life. When they arrived in front of the Heights Alliance dorm building, Aizawa stopped and looked at him one more time.

"Listen, kid," he said in a low voice. "I don't know what game Hawks is playing. And I'm not going to force you to tell me. But I know this: you've been through something heavy. Don't carry it alone. You have friends here. You have teachers. If you need to talk, my door is always open."

With that, he turned and left. The sincere offer touched Tatsumi more than he expected.

He took a deep breath and opened the door to the dorm.

The common room was mostly empty, as most of the students were still in class. Only Kirishima and Sero were lounging on the sofa, playing a video game.

"Yo, Sero, pass the ball!" Kirishima shouted.

"No way! I'm gonna score!" Sero shot back.

Tatsumi stood in the doorway, feeling a little awkward. "Excuse me..."

They both turned in unison. Their game controllers fell from their hands. Their eyes widened, and then their expressions changed from confusion to pure, explosive joy.

"TATSUMI?!" Kirishima yelled, leaping from the sofa. "YOU'RE BACK, MAN!"

The shout was like a signal. Room doors on the upper floors began to open. Kaminari and Mineta poked their heads out, followed by others. In seconds, the news spread like wildfire. "Tatsumi's back!"

The once-quiet common room was now filled with his classmates crowding around him, patting him on the back, asking a thousand questions at once. In the middle of the happy chaos, he saw them.

Uraraka stood near the stairs, tears already welling in her eyes, a smile of such sincere relief on her face. Tsuyu stood beside her, smiling in her quiet way, letting out a soft "kero." Toru Hagakure leaped at him, giving him an invisible hug that nearly knocked him over.

And then, he saw Momo. She was coming down the stairs, her movements as graceful as ever, but there was an immense relief in her eyes that were locked on Tatsumi. When their eyes met, all the noise in the room seemed to fade away. No words were needed.

"Welcome back, Tatsumi-san," Momo said, her voice soft yet full of restrained emotion.

"I'm back, Yaoyorozu," Tatsumi replied, a rare, genuine smile finally appearing on his face. "I kept my promise."

After the first tumultuous wave of reunion subsided, Tatsumi finally got a chance to go back to his room. Aizawa had made sure it remained sealed while he was away. When he opened the door, he was greeted by silence and a thin layer of dust covering everything.

Everything was exactly as he had left it. His textbooks were still stacked on his desk. A photo of Class 1-A taken after the Sports Festival was tucked into the mirror frame. His simple bed looked incredibly inviting.

He put down his bag and sat on the edge of the bed, the silence of the room giving him a moment to finally breathe. The dissonance between his two lives was so overwhelming it made him a little dizzy. Less than 72 hours ago, he was in a collapsing underground hell, fighting for his life alongside a legendary assassin and a lioness hero. Now, he was in a teenager's dorm room, surrounded by hero posters and piles of homework.

He walked to the mirror and looked at his reflection. He saw what Aizawa saw. His eyes. There was something different there, a depth, a weariness that no smile could hide. He touched the thin scar on his cheek. He was 'Tyrant,' the shadow operative, now wearing the costume of Tatsumi, the U.A. student, again. Could he keep those two identities separate without going insane?

He knew the answer. He had to. This peace, this normality, his friends laughing downstairs—this was why he fought. He fought in the darkness so they could live in the light.

That night, as all of Class 1-A held a small party to celebrate his return, Aizawa entered the common room and called for attention.

"Alright, you rascals, quiet down," he said. "Now that Tatsumi is back and our class is complete again, there's an announcement."

He waited until everyone was silent. "The school, in cooperation with the HPSC, has decided to hold a special Joint Training Exercise with another hero school. This is part of a new initiative to improve cooperation and synergy between schools post-Kamino and the war."

An excited murmur began to spread among the students.

"In two weeks," Aizawa continued, "we will be hosting several selected first-year students from Shiketsu High School. They will be staying here and participating in a series of exercises with us."

The class erupted in cheers and enthusiastic chatter. A joint training exercise. A chance to test their skills against their rivals.

Tatsumi smiled faintly amidst the crowd. A joint training exercise. Good. After weeks of life-threatening missions, a controlled competition sounded like a vacation. He needed this.

He had no idea that this announcement had just set the stage for his encounter with another echo from his past, a pink-haired sniper with a fiery spirit, who would bring a new level of complication to his already incredibly complicated life.