The new teacher at UA

With every retirement came the chance for a new age, the dawn of something new to take form and in this case it would be a time for a new leader of the next generation. Ika sat at his desk, his legs lazily propped over top the fine oak finish as Natasha slowly but surely meandered her way into his office space. With a snap of Ika's fingers, a spark of flames appeared with the words welcome before fading out into smoke with nothing but ash left behind. "Welcome in young Natasha, please have a seat as we have some.. important matters to discuss."

Ika leaned back, removing his legs from the table as he hunched forward, resting his head in his hands as he allowed the girl to get seated. "As you're aware.. the former teacher of this facility has had to retire due to a mixture of age and injuries sustained in the line of duty. She was a great headmaster, one that I think we will miss in the years to come but.. we still must look forward into the future. The students are relying on us for this, as are the civilians that inhabit this wonderful country of ours."

Ika paused for a moment, letting the girl soak in what he was saying. "You have been a top performing sidekick at my agency since you were 16 years old. You've had plenty of opportunities to step out of my shadow and have opted against them, believing that doing so would go against my guidance and will but that couldn't be further from the truth. I believe you have what it takes to be a hero greater than even I could ever hope to be, and more importantly I believe you have what it takes to carry the torch that the fine headmaster can no longer carry.."

As Ika finished, he would slide a contract across to her. He had signed her release from contract with his agency, so long as she would take on the position of headmaster at the UA Academy. A small smile would ordain Ika's face for the first time since she had entered the room. "So.. what do you have to say young Natasha? Are you up to the task?"

A meeting at the hero high school wasn’t exactly what she had been envisioning in her daily task. She was a sidekick that was usually kicking ass and walking little, old ladies across the street. Of course, she was well known throughout the country and was considered one of the most highly skilled heroes. However, she was also well known as a fledgling under Ika’s agency and that was usually where she was content in staying. She knew that Ika was eager for her to take an opportunity to thrive on her own, but she just never felt that the opportunities were what she deserved.

Entering into an office space where Ika’s feet were propped up on a desk, he would give a signature “welcome” across the sky in flaming letters. At the same time, Natasha would wave her hand once from side to side plainly. Why were they here? Who’s office was she in? Well, that would come to be the least of her worries, especially when Ika began by calling her young. “Pretty sure you’re not that much older than me, but thanks.” The woman would walk up to the desk where two seats were facing the flame hero. Then, the truth would begin to come from his mouth as he spoke about the headmistress who had recently been retired from her position. Natasha would lift her right eyebrow in a questioning fashion as she listened to the words he spoke. What was his game here?

What she was worried about had come to light as he began to express her exceptional talents and extended upon her career. Yeah, she had been in his agency forever, but that was where she thrived. She took her orders and she ran with them. She did anything and everything she was asked to do. She didn’t have the drive to make those decisions on her own as she had always been trained. Now, he wanted her to step out of that comfort zone and into a whole new world. The state of the future was on the line and he was asking her to take that responsibility. Ika would finally smile as he had slid a folder across the desk with a contract neatly tucked inside. A contract that stated she would be released from his side if she took up the mantle at the school. Natasha would immediately look down to her hands and then to her attire.

”Me? Headmaster? You can’t be serious,” Natasha would turn her head up to look into Ika’s eyes. “You want me to lead the future? I’m not sure that I’m cut out for this. I’d say my outfit is a little more than inappropriate for a school setting. Besides, I’m not necessarily on a clean slate here. What do I teach them? What if I can’t protect them? I’ve never done anything like this before. Am I even qualified?” The hand motions and the facial expressions were enough to prove her concerns were more than just some denial in her head. These were things that she would have to think about every day. She would have to plan and understand that at any moment, these kids lives could be on the line. Would she be able to live with that?

Ika rolled his eyes at the girls various complaints and concerns which were, at best, loosely relevant to the position Ika had currently picked her for. It was true that he wasn't actually that much older than her and it was true that she wasn't necessarily the ideal candidate for the job by traditional standards. Natasha was young, and to be blunt more than a little rough around the edges in ways that made her a bit difficult to recommend for a position such as this if you didn't truly have a feel for her character. Thankfully, Ika felt as though he had a firm grasp on what made Natasha tick and when taking it all into consideration he felt as though she would be perfect for the job.

"I am very serious, and yes I would very much like for you to take an active role in leading the future. I know you can do it, because leading future generations forward during a time of doubt is exactly what a hero would do, and I know in my heart that's the type of person you are Natasha. You've never failed to protect anyone you've cared about, and the lessons a hero with your pedigree could bestow upon the youth of today is immeasurable. As for qualifications, you've learned under the number one hero in the world for 5 years, I would argue that makes you as qualified as anyone has ever been. I appreciate you being humble about your capabilities, but now is not the time to be bashful. You must lead this new generation forward with confidence and courage. Please, as a favor to me, sign this document and trust in my judgment.."

Natasha could see how Ika's eyes rolled as he brushed off her concerns and worries. She knew that there was hardly ever a time that she could argue with the hero and win. However, she still tried her best and absolutely tended to succeed on a few occasions. So, she would try as she may, but it seemed that he was more than prepared this time around. He would begin to address her concerns and convince her that she was, in fact, the perfect pick for this task.

Natasha would glare at Ika in a way that stated her defiance, although it was obvious that she was beginning to lose heart by the way he decided to go about the discussion. He would begin by stating what a hero would do, which she had to agree with, since she had been following his instruction. He was the one who taught her how to be a hero and follow her own morals. Now, he was finally shoving her out the door and there was nothing she could hold on to anymore. With a huff and a puff, Natasha would blow a piece of hair from her face before glancing down at the contract on the desk.

Natasha would take a deep breath in as she conjured a pen filled with ink from the palm of her hand. She would hold it tightly as she tapped it against her chin and leaned forward to connect it to paper. Writing her full name upon the contract with some light hesitation, she would feel an odd sense of nervousness wash over her. This was it. She had agreed, although reluctantly. This was her school now and she would have to keep up with it for the sake of the future. Everything was riding on her shoulders now and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. "I guess that's it then. Although, I do wonder... how did you get your hands on this to begin with? Shouldn't the old headmaster have picked someone?" Honestly, she should have thought of it earlier, but the weight of the conversation carried her forward.

Ika would cast a light smile as the girl begrudgingly put pen to paper and signed her name on the dotted line. Ika would smile, retrieving the contract from her before calling over the principal to accept it. Once that was done and he was out of sight, Ika would sit back down to answer the girls questions a bit more.. forthcomingly than he had been previously. "Oh she did pick someone, she uh.. she picked me but as you may be aware with me being the number one hero I have much more urgent matters to attend to such as preserving the peace and ensuring that UA news gets to have a weekly interview and I've also got this pretty neat commercial coming up and.. you get the point. I don't have the time nor energy for a job of this magnitude, yet I think you fit it like a glove."

Ika would smile, giving the girl a light thumbs up as he stood up from his desk. "Not to fear though, I'll come in and visit just like I did when you were young in order to scout the next generation and offer them one of a kind guidance, the type of guidance one can only receive from an academy with the prestige that this one has to offer. Natasha, I believe in you."

Ika would stand up and smirk, casting her a wry wink before continuing on. "Any further questions?"

As she finished signing the form, her former boss would smile, which was something that she hadn’t experienced much before. It was weird to see him smile, but she could say that she was glad he was happy. Well, until he decided to answer her question. The beginning of his explanation would have her mouth gaped open wide as the feeling that she had been tricked would settle in. After a moment of excuses, Natasha would begin to grip the pen in her hand harder than before breaking it in half. She was starting to wish the pen was his head instead.

Natasha would glare at Ika as he gave her a thumbs up and stood from the desk. Stewing in her annoyance, the woman would listen as Ika attempted to lessen the impact of the situation. Even as he encouraged her and told her that he believed in her, Natasha would stand from her seat turning to face him. She would throw the broken pen pieces at the wall as their plastic shell bounced off and internal pieces went flying. “Yeah, can you hurry up and get the hell out of my office?!” The woman would ask pointing at him furiously. She would get used to it, because now she had to.