"Alright, you know why you're here, so let's not dance around the subject."

Mr. Aizawa had held (L/N) back after final period to inform him of the supplemental training he'd be receiving starting that day. Every day after classes were dismissed, he would report to Gym Gamma where, through an adjusted version of the quirk counseling he'd never received as a child, he would learn to master his power.

"The amount of control you've managed to demonstrate without any formal training is commendable, but it isn't enough." Eraser Head told him; his voice muffled by the bandages. "Now, I know the principal has explained to you that UA is assuming all responsibility for the villains you injured during the attack on the USJ, and there is something to be said about how you protected you classmates. The Principal and Midnight in particular, were impressed by your actions. Personally," his eyes narrowed, "I think you've fallen short.

"The only reason you aren't facing criminal charges is because UA is shouldering the blame. You will be held responsible if something like this happens again. We're going to make sure it doesn't. Starting today, you'll be taking remedial courses to help you master your quirk."

"And that's why I am here!" A familiar voice called from the entrance way. "To help you, young (L/N)!"

Aizawa released an annoyed sigh before he continued. "Given the destructive potential of your quirk, the staff decided that All Might and Thirteen would be the best teachers to help you, given the destructive potential both their quirks possess. Thirteen is still in recovery, but she'll be joining us in a few days. I'm here to keep you in check in the event of an emergency."

"All right young man." All Might said, placing a hand on (L/N)'s shoulder. "Let's get to work. We'll be starting by gauging your current level of control. Once you have a solid understanding of that, we'll begin increasing the amount of power you output, raising the limits on you."

(L/N)'s eyebrows raised and pulled together. "That's not a good idea." He said. "I already told you, I can't control..."

"I don't want to hear it." Aizawa said. "You can't keep hiding behind the excuse that you can't control your quirk. I'm not accepting it from Midorya, and I'm not going to be accepting it from you, either. As your homeroom teacher, I'm giving you two options. You can either accept our help and learn to control your abilities or I'll expel you. It's as simple as that."

"I know you're scared, young man." All Might said reassuringly. "But remember what I told you earlier this year. Right now, controlling your power might seem like an impossible task, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So, what do you say?"

Beads of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He swallowed the lump in his throat and hesitantly nodded his head. "Okay." He breathed shakily.

They started small. Cementoss joined them to throw up concrete barriers which progressively got thicker each time (L/N) blasted through one. The thin ones were easy enough, requiring no more than a quick release of energy. But as the thickness increased, (L/N) found himself struggling to maintain control. More powerful blasts were needed to knock down the concrete walls, and he had difficultly dissipating the energy once the light destroyed the barriers. If it weren't for Aizawa, the entire building would have probably collapsed after the first failed attempt.

With the arrival of Thirteen came a unique opportunity for (L/N) to discover where his maximum capabilities lie. True to its name, Thirteen's quirk could swallow even (L/N)'s light. In fact, it seemed Black Hole worked more efficiently on the excited photons than solid matter. Anyone watching would have been in awe, but for (L/N), it was nothing short of terrifying, and perhaps a little exhilarating. He'd never allowed himself to use his power without fear of losing control. But with some encouragement from All Might and the reassurance of Mr. Aizawa's presence, he allowed himself to abandon all caution. Even though Thirteen's quirk nullified the more destructive aspects of (L/N)'s quirk, when Aizawa shut him down the concrete floors themselves were steaming, and everyone's hair was frizzled.

(L/N) had spent his entire life dedicated to suppressing his quirk. He'd never really used his power for anything more than floating small objects towards him when he didn't feel like getting up. It wasn't until UA that he'd started using his quirk for more than the occasional umbrella, let alone releasing his power, full blast. It was like exercising an underused muscle, and the result was fatigue. Every session left him exhausted. He was certain that if it weren't for the amount of sunlight he absorbed on the walk to Shonien's, he wouldn't have enough energy to complete his schoolwork before falling asleep. As it stood, he was barely keeping up. 

It was during the third week of his training when Principal Nezu paid him a visit. He was honing his quirk's precision against Ectoplasm's clones when the principal arrived, riding atop Midnight's shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you decided to accept our help." Principal Nezu said as Midnight helped him to the ground. A streak of light took out the feet of one of the clones, knocking it to the floor before Nezu's feet where it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "You're training has certainly been paying off."

(L/N) didn't answer, too preoccupied by the clone that was fighting him in close quarters. Ducking and weaving around the construct's attacks, the young student's glowing fist found contact with the clone's stomach, sending it back into the ether.

"How do you think he's proceeding?" Nezu asked the other faculty members watching (L/N) spar.

"The boy's strong." All Might said.

"That's the problem." Said Aizawa. "Quirks get stronger as children age, usually peaking around young adulthood. The problem is (L/N)'s spent his entire life suppressing his quirk, so we have no idea how powerful it was when it manifested, or how strong it's become."

"Fortunately, we've managed to start piecing together an idea." Thirteen said. "Thanks to our quirks, Aizawa and I were able to safely allow (L/N) to find his upper limits. The only thing is we still don't have a way to gauge his destructive potential. At least, not safely."

"I thought Cementoss was supposed to help on that front."

"He was, but even his largest creation isn't enough to match (L/N)'s quirk being fired at one-hundred percent."

"He's that strong?" Midnight asked in surprise.

"Stronger." All Might said. "Certainly stronger than anyone in this room."

"Even you, All Might?" Nezu asked curiously.

"Perhaps not back in my prime, but in my current condition, it's difficult to say."

"Strength and skill are two very different things." Aizawa added. "He's still inexperienced. The rest of his classmates have spent their entire lives honing their abilities. Even if he could overpower them, it's going to take years before he can match their tactical abilities."

"And there's still much work for him to do before he's fully mastered his quirk." Thirteen added.

"There's no denying he'll have to work hard in order to catch up to his peers." Nezu agreed. "But the results will be well worth the time we invest in his training. In the meantime, I'd like to see how he feels about participating in the Sports Festival."

Aizawa nodded and took a few steps forward. "Alright, that's enough for now." He said. "(L/N), Principal Nezu would like to speak with you."

(L/N) dropped to the ground in a seated position, exhausted and breathing heavily. He rested his arms on his knees as Ectoplasm's clones disappeared behind him.

"Tell me, how do you feel you've been progressing?" Nezu asked.

(L/N) shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be telling me how I'm doing?"

"We are simply here to help guide you." Nezu responded. "As teachers, we can always offer our opinions and advice, but more often than not, our students know better than we do what they need to improve upon. True personal development can only come from self-reflection."

"Then, I guess I feel alright." (L/N) said. "It isn't as... scary, I suppose, now that I know what my limit is. But it just... it doesn't feel right. I still can't control it whenever I go past a certain point. If it weren't for Mr. Aizawa, I don't think I could stop it."

"I see." Nezu said thoughtfully. "Then in the upcoming days, that will be our focus. You will learn where that threshold lies so that you can safely compete in the Sports Festival."

"The festival?" (L/N) asked. "I don't... I don't know if that's a good idea."

"And why is that?" Nezu asked gently. Even though he already knew the answer, the principal wanted to hear (L/N) say it. Acknowledging your fears is, after all, the first step towards mastering them.

"It's just, all my life I've struggled to keep my quirk in check. And every time I lose control..."

"You can't lose what you don't have." Aizawa said shortly. "What you've done your entire life isn't control. It's suppression. Don't confuse the two."

"Aizawa." Midnight said disapprovingly.

"It's important that (L/N) understands his capabilities and limitations."

"Still, you don't have to be so cruel."

"Perhaps you think a gentler approach would be more appropriate," Aizawa said to Midnight, "but quite frankly, I don't have the time or patience to dance around the subject. (L/N) isn't in control of his quirk. He never has been. And that's because he's allowed his quirk to control him. If he can't understand that then he won't just fail at UA, he'll fail at life."

"How can you be so callous?" Midnight asked affronted. "He's just a child."

"A child whose actions have confined someone to a wheelchair for the rest of their life." Then, turning his attentions to (L/N). "You need to learn control."

(L/N) stood in reflective silence, uncomfortably aware that everyone in the room was looking at him.

I... I can't hurt another person." He said shamefully. "I just can't."

The teachers looked at the young man. This boy who had suffered at the hands of fate, all alone and riddled with guilt. Too damaged to live his life. Too scared to try. Midnight gave him a look of pity, All Might and Thirteen ones of empathy.  And through the bandages that obscured his face, Aizawa glared at him with disapprobation.

"I understand." Midnight said empathetically. "You're afraid of hurting your classmates."

"But," Nezu said, "it's for that very reason that I believe you deserve this chance to compete. It's important that you demonstrate the progress you're making. Not just to us as your teachers, but to yourself."

"Prove to me I haven't been wasting my time on you."