Hidden within the backstreets of Solarstar city in Herotopia: A dark-brown skinned Teenager with shiny black, braided hair sweats away her worries through forced ferocity.

She throws heavy fists at her coach's mitted palms. This gym's name, is 'Gold Digger', a long forgotten place that helped to train some of the greatest heroes.

?: "Nng! Nng! Haa! Hrraa!

?: "Good! Great form! One more! Yeah, that's right, throw a kick there! Great job!"

?: "Coach! I don't know if learning this is gonna be all that useful in the long-run!! I'm only going to the third school they built here 'Hero High', and that's as a non-fighter! I'll only be used for nursing and civilian protecting times!"

Coach: Did you try out for a non-super-powered Entrance ticket?

?: "I did...but, I failed. It was too hard, there were many people...thousands! All as good as me, or better. I was in 567th place."

Coach: "Nonsense, you just started! You lost because frankly speaking, you lack confidence in your punches and kicks! Once more, from the top!"

?: "But I don't see the point if I'm just a non-c-"

Coach: "Alright, ENOUGH with the yammering there! If you lack enthusiasm then get the hell outta my gym! I only train the willful.

Just remember! If something goes down in that school, no matter what it is! Isn't it better to be prepared as much as possible? Now go!

...Unless you plan on staying?"

?: "....I..I'll stay. I'll get better! I promised my dad that I would grow into a strong woman, and that's just what I'll do!"

Coach: "What about your mother?"

?: "...She doesn't matter. She told me to forget I was ever her child if I want to continue down this path. Hraa!"

Coach: "Alyandrea darlin', your mother didn't mean that, I'm sure. She was the sweetest supporter of your Father, but also his biggest worrier. Tuesday cared far too much for both him, and for you, so of course she wouldn't want to see her precious daughter repeat his...tragic death."

Alyandrea: "Do you think I'm going to die like my father, Coach? I thought you believed I could make it!"

Coach: "...What I believe in is that you will fail if you're not careful with your emotions, and continue blaming your mother for your father's death! I also BELIEVE that you need to continue working on those flimsy punches of yours, because there's lots of room for improvement. Even If you can't become a hero now, 5 years from now it will be possible."

Alyandrea: "but with kick-boxing alone, I don't see how I'll ever-"

Coach: "Girl just FOCUS on your martial arts! Stop...keeping your head in the clouds all the time thinking and sharpen your blows! You wanna be a hero then you have to start from somewhere. Today boxing: tomorrow we may work on Judo. The better your skills in various martial arts the wider variety you'll have to impress them.

Of course, you could also simply stick with kick-boxing and take it to unseen levels, never had the privilege myself to go that far with it though."

Alyandrea: "....I-"

Coach: "Oh, no. Don't worry about decidin' that now darlin', I mean...you have to learn how to properly throw a punch first! Or at least, try puttin' your full weight behind your kicks! Ahahahaa..."

---

At a certain time, in a certain place: just a few days before the attending students all gathered for their assembly in hero high...

??: "Xano...Xano! Somebody fetch Xano for me! Damn, where did that boy run off, to! Markov! Markov!"

Markov: "I'm right here sir, and I've brought Xano! After searching for his chip, I located him on the outskirts of a city fighting a few punks. He appeared to be losing."

Xano: "I was not!! I had him at first, then the other guy-"

??: "XANO!"

Xano: "...Yes, father?"

Father of Xano: "Get ready. You are to attend that damned Heroland's 3rd High school for heroes: Hero High."

Xano: "What?! I thought I told you NO?! I'm NOT going!"

Father of Xano: "First, calm down. Let us back up a bit. Why were you getting beaten by those 'punks' before Markov rescued you? Don't you lie to me either!!"

Xano "...I overheard them badmouthing our organization, saying they'd 'enjoy' hunting down evil again very soon, and that we probably were off killing more people again...dammit! I couldn't stand there and take it without teaching them some manners!"

Father of Xano: "...So you went out to teach them a lesson...and got beat up?!"

Xano: "N-No! Of course not! Old man Markov only saw their third guy sneak ONE jab at my side while I was busy knocking out the first two!"

Markov: "It was 12 jabs, and the first two boys were getting right back up...albeit very slowly."

Xano: "Stay quiet Markov!"

Father of Xano: "I'll handle it Markov, thank you."

Markov: "...Very well...."

Father of Xano: “More importantly, where were you that some random punks could so casually speak about hunting us?"

Xano: "Barkingsdale city."

*BOOM!*

Father of Xano: "Y-You...WHAT?! That's...That's where the ORDER ALLIANCE resides!"

Markov: "Calm down, he only went to the outskirts of the town before I grabbed him."

Father of Xano: "DON'T PROTECT HIM! Haah....did you at least remember to erase their memories before rescuing this embarrassment, Markov?"

Markov: "Naturally."

Father of Xano: "Good. That's...very good. Phew, if they found us this early, we'd be in trouble again. They might even begin hunting us..."

Xano: "Those times are from the past! Those who committed atrocities were eliminated back then...we're pacifists! Even those sacrifices for the fragment's ritual were all genuine volunteers!"

Father of Xano: "Son...do you know what that word you're using, 'pacifist' even means...? A pacifist...WOULDN'T BEAT PEOPLE UP FOR BADMOUTHING THEM!"

Xano: "..."

Father of Xano: “We have a plan that'll surely surprise them all: The Order Alliance, The Balance Land, the heroes that protected them while capturing our members in silence, forcing us to seek help from outside sources and hide away like dogs!"

Xano: "That's not nice to dogs...nevermind."

Father of Xano: "Nonsense! Dogs get treated better than us, at least society loves them!"

Xano: "...Pops...."

Father of Xano: "To that end, you MUST attend your next 5 high school years in Hero High School, No ifs, ands OR buts."

Xano: "No! I said I'm not going! Not so long as that-"

*Boom!*

Father of Xano: "You're going. Both the Order Alliance as well as the Balance Land hold friendly competitions to see whose faction can create a genuine Origin Path member first in that specific school, and this year, we're going to wreck it. Heeheeheehee~"

Xano: "But HOW when I failed to get my hands on a fragment?"

Father of Xano: "That was merely to utterly embarrass them when they try to compete in the colosseum over whose faction first fuses their body with origin energy, at the end of year physical competition.

In fact, I've been suspecting they have some secret alliance going on since the Balance Lands assisted them long ago. Trading the fragment for the dirty Malierano Family's secrets regarding alternate Chaos Paths and alternate Destruction Paths that don't require mass slaughter was a major help to all our young members. Not to mention that the fragment would've only helped you."

Xano: "But...but Father! Do you expect me to just...take this loss they dealt me and swallow it? Not only did I embarrass myself once he tried to kill me, but his sister knocked me out! He even took our fragment!"

Father of Xano: "...You can get some minor petty revenge anytime while you're there. From what I've heard, he's attending the school not as a Malierano family member, but with his family background hidden, the same as us, except he went and applied for that non-combat thingy the schools trying out.

I dunno why he went and did that, but if you bully him a bit, I can still pass it off as a childish thing of yours. Do take note, however, that both Order and Balance factions will still know about your identity since our magic all originate from the same woman.

She made lesser magic for our non-origin path members to use that DOESN'T use any origin energy. This is what you still use...and it's going to stay that way until the end of the first semester....Heeheehee."

Xano: "Really? Isn't...wait, no. This can't be true can it? Who would be that stupid? So...So can I...really...bully him and get away with it?

He...hehehe..this is just too good! Thank you Father! I'll make Sure to go, then."

Father of Xano: "Just remember not to overdo it. He is still our faction's only ally in that school....and your only friend when both of their sides try to ambush you."

Xano: "Yeah, Yeah whatever."

Father of Xano: "...XANO!!"

Xano: "Sorry...I meant, yes Father. I understand and promise to only bully him a little bit. I won't take it too far."

Father of Xano: "Very well.

.

.

Oh, and Hey."

Xano: "Yeah?"

Father of Xano: "Get him back good. We've been picked on long enough, I know full well of how you feel. Just do it with restraint, okay?"

Xano: "Hehe, got it pops!"

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