Archive of Our Own

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Chapter the First

You Died
 Let's make something clear right away. Dying sucks. It sucks balls. Particularly when it's a somewhat violent and painful death. I'd known this, somewhere in my mind, from all the countless hours I'd spent playing video games and watching movies. I'd also learned that while movies and tv shows use a cute little sound effect for the audience, it's next to impossible to actually hear a bullet. Let me tell you, feeling it is a completely different issue. It hurt like fucking hell, taking a bullet through my shoulder. But so did the next couple of bullets that hit my gut. The one thing about this that made it worth it? The little kids these selfish little shits had attacked the mall for? They were safe. I'd seen to that.  Oh. I thought as the punks pointed their guns at me again. They're swearing at me... I think. I can't hear them anymore...  I'm... not entirely sure what happened next. I think there was another muzzle flash, but my eyesight had dimmed so much it's hard to say. What I did know was that I found myself floating in some kind of endless void. Nothing but some strange light emitted from me, and even that I had a very hard time seeing. Aside from that, nothing. There. Was. Nothing. The light I was giving off was fading. Was time passing? Was I moving? I don't know. All I knew was that there Was 
NOTHING.
It struck fear and terror deep, deep into my being. This place was wrong on just so many levels and the sheer longing for a tactile, real response from anything made it so hard to bear and understand why there was just
 
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 For the longest time (so much and yet so little time), I could feel this void bearing upon me. But I fought, clinging desperately to all of my memories, even as the darkness tried to erase them. Until there was a small flash of bright light from within me. It felt... warm. Safe. And most importantly, it felt alive . The next thing I knew was a sensation of being small, much much smaller than I remembered. And I was being held by someone. My vision slowly faded into focus, and I found two adults that I'd never seen before bearing over me. A woman and a man. From what I could tell, I was being held by the woman. The woman had... wings? Looking around, I saw a few other people with strange abilities active and stuff. Was this... My Hero Acadamia ? Then I noticed that the woman and man were speaking to each other, but my ears failed to fully register the words. It sounded like cooing, or at least speaking very softly. I looked around as best I could. That's when I put the pieces together. I was in a hospital. As a baby. I had only one real means of reacting. 
What. The actual. Fuck.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Second

Begin: New Life+
 Nearly a year and a half later after that very jarring wake-up, I’ve found myself more or less settled into what I can only call a new life. More or less. Seeing as my new body was still growing and developing, I had trouble doing just about... everything. And it was annoying as all hell. I had to rely on my new... parents (dear god that alone took getting used to and I still had trouble with it), for all of it. Getting dressed, being fed which was kind of weird considering that I had a more mature mind to notice what was happening, bathing. Long story short, try to avoid experiencing it. It’s not fun. If anything, it tends to be horrendously embarrassing and excruciatingly boring. There was one particular part of my body that I found out very quickly, and I’m not sure if whoever was in charge of my reincarnation was mocking me or something, but... I was now a girl. A girl. Are you freaking kidding me?! Not only did I have to adjust to a new life, nearly half of my old memories were null and void because I’d been a boy then. Just my fuckin’ luck. There was one, tiny other detail that I saw. As I reflected, Mom stepped into view at that moment, cooing softly at me, interrupting my train of thought. Her large, tan wings wrapped around me as she picked me up and started rocking me to try to get me to sleep. This had become routine, particularly when it was parent-mandated nap and bedtime. It didn’t help that I had frequent nightmares. Sleep was little more than a wish, some nights. Other nights I didn’t get much rest no matter how long I actually slept. Always about the same damn things, too. So to be honest, being granted a lullaby and gentle rocking to try to help me sleep better was more than welcome. 
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 “Momma.” She turned her attention to me in an instant, military paperwork forgotten on the desk. “Asuka?” “Momma.” Even though I kind of expected it, it was still surprising for my Mom to actually squee as she dashed over to my little play pen and picked me up. Her wings fluttered in excitement, too. I couldn't help but giggle as she hugged me for it.  Waiting a year and a half for this? I thought as she brought me back to the desk with her. Completely worth it.  “You can keep me company while I do this paperwork then, Asuka-chan.” There was that, too. My Mom was born and raised American. But my father was Japanese. So they tried to help me learn both languages. But that was neither here nor there right now. Right now, I was in mom's lap and watching her do paperwork for her position as an Air Force Captain. Even in a world rife with what my parents called Quirks, paperwork never dies. So I thought that maybe I could help. Wasn't really doing much else, anyway. “Huh? Asuka-chan?” Mom looked at where I was reaching. “Ah, crayons. Of course, sweetie.” They'd been surprised when I'd demanded these. Something about too young and immature. Bah! I'll show these fool adults who's immature! I resemble that remark! Mom had to really stretch to reach my little collection of crayons. Or at least she tried. In the end she just used one of her wings (which, by the way, are just epic in every way) to drag them over. “Thank you, Asu-chan.” Mom giggled as I clapped happily. Both for getting my crayons and because of how cool that looked. “The red one again?” But of course! Red is, and shall always be, the best color. Particularly for what I was gonna do. I’d spotted a non-sensitive report that Mom was working on. I think taking care of my overly needy infant ass was wearing down on her, particularly while Dad was on a business trip. Otherwise I don’t think she’d have made so many writing mistakes. So I did something that I’d always wanted to do in my last life. I marked it full of red. ...well, I tried to. Toddler arms and hands are nowhere near as precise as they need to be. So at least it made it look like a random mess. “Asuka!” Oop. Caught. I looked up at her innocently right as she wrenched the paper away from me. “Don’t look like that. These are important!” Momma scolded me sternly. Even knowing I was doing something helpful, being scolded by your mom sucks . “I’m afraid it’s back to the pen.” I pouted as she picked me up off her lap and promptly put me back in the play pen. Well. Looks like I was in time out. Giving a quick mental shrug - couldn’t do it physically just yet - I returned to playing with the little toys I’d been given. At least now I knew for sure what my new mother’s name was. Captain Alexis Gōkin. I’d admit that it was definitely a very pretty sounding name. I’m kind of curious as to what they meant. 
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[Alexis Gōkin, Captain]
 “Almost lost half an hour of work because of my daughter,” I complained at lunch the next day. My husband had finally gotten home the night before, he and Asuka were going to the park today. Captain Ward, sitting across from me, looked up. She looked amused. “Really? How so, ‘Lexi?” I pulled out the report in question and pushed it across to her. Ward put aside her own paperwork to take a look. Half a second later, she snorted as she looked it over. I gave a light chuckle myself. “She surprised me! I took her out of the play pen and --” “Hey wait.” Ward stopped me, looking over the report more intently. Then she snorted again, even less ladylike than before. Then she held the report out to me. “Look again, dumbass.” I gave her a look as I snatched the paper back. Then I blinked when I noticed it. “...huh.” I hadn’t noticed it the day before. I’d just been annoyed and busy catching up on the paperwork I’d missed during my maternity leave. But now that I was looking more closely, it seemed that somehow, Asuka had done some kind of proofreading. Though the look was ruined by it having been done by a red crayon. And lots of imprecise other messy bits. Either way. Asuka was my first child, but even I knew that this was strange. Well. Looks like Katashi and I had another thing to talk about regarding her. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 3]
 Time had continued to pass. I had learned that my father was Katashi Gōkin. My Mom and Dad had met and married while Mom was off on a visit to Okinawa’s base several years ago. Obviously, things had just gone from there. But it also meant that I was being charged and challenged with learning both English and Japanese at the same time. I had known a little bit of Japanese in my previous life, but I was rapidly learning a hell of a lot more. English was easy. It had been my primary language last time around, anyway. I think they might have become suspicious of how quickly I “picked up” English. But to be honest, I didn’t really care. If they thought it was odd that I found it far too easy, let them wonder. Not to mention the fact that I don’t know how this is supposed to go! I don’t remember this shit from my first life, and I’m not gonna bother trying to emulate what I can’t remember. Anyway. Dad came over to me and gently picked me up, speaking softly in Japanese. “Asu-chan.” I hugged him in return, taking care to respond in the same language. It can be really difficult sometimes. “Yes, Papa?” “Almost time to wave bye-bye to your mother.” He started taking me over to the dresser in my room. “Shall we get ready? “Okay!” If there was one thing that I absolutely enjoyed about finally being old enough to be able to speak like a “normal” child, it was being able to deny certain clothing choices. Mom and Dad had tried to do the baby girl dresses with me. I was a male in my last life, for a little over twenty-seven years. I’m still working on adjusting to being a girl. Dresses were a no-no for me. I was glad to have made that clear when I did. I wasn’t too obstinate about it, though. I knew that Mom and Dad only had a limited selection for me. Plus some of the small tunic-like things were actually very comfortable. And since they weren’t the overly flowery dresses that were gathering dust, I was fine with that. “Alright, Asu-chan. [Banzai!]” I giggled as I held up my arms. “[Banzai!]” Dad chuckled with me as he finished pulling the tunic on over my head. He was overwhelmingly gentle with me. Just as he was with Mom all the time. I don’t think I’d ever seen him mad before. “[Okay. Do you want your hat?]” “[Yes!]” “[Yes...?]” “[Please?]” Dad smiled and dug out the hat. It was like, four sizes too big. And an old hat that I’d totally stolen from Mom. But I still loved the dark blue cap sitting on my head. Dad’s calloused fingers brushed my skin again as he worked on securing it to me. I’d found out that my new Dad worked at a steel factory. Which was apparently a really good line of work for him, considering what his Quirk entailed. Let me tell you, that was a really freaky event. Happened about two months ago. During one of our routine walks through town (primarily for exercise), a decent-sized chunk of concrete fell off an old building and headed straight for us. Dad’s Quirk, which was a mixture of super strength and super toughness, allowed him to more or less just brush it off when he caught it. Mom had crouched and covered me and her with her wings. If he wasn’t Japanese, I may or may not have dubbed him Luke Cage. As it stands, however, I hadn’t developed one yet. I think I was close. I could feel something occuring in my body. I just didn’t know what. “There you two are!” Mom called, waving from next to the road. A small sedan with the Air Force logo on the side was there, one of the doors open and the engine running. “Just in time.” Dad walked over and hugged and kissed her, while I just took the chance to hug Mom. I also decided to make my demand clear. “Home safe!” Mom gave me one of her not-smile smiles. “I will be, sweetie.” Then she kissed my forehead. There were two problems here. One, her smile only barely reached her eyes. She was afraid of what was going to happen. And two, she hadn’t brought up the combo of the goofy hat and my clothes being tacky and not going well together. Something she’d done every other time. “I agree with Asu-chan, my love.” Katashi murmured. Apparently he’d always been a sap like that. “Come home safe.” Mom hugged us tightly. “I’ll call you both as soon as I can.” I had known that this might happen. I had known that. But still I had to try my best to swallow my tears and sniffles. Dad tried to comfort me. Good father. I waved with him as Mother left. I sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time I’d seen her. I could still remember as clear as day - and had the occasional nightmare about - the last time I’d seen my first mother. I didn’t want to see that list increase. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 4. And a half.]
 Remember when counting age by halves mattered? I do. It’s kind of fun being able to do it again. It’s also fun to have very few responsibilities. Another year or so had passed since Mom had left to travel overseas on orders. Today was another scheduled day for a video call. In a few minutes, too. And now I had my Quirk, too, something Dad and I were gonna show off. Of course, Japanese was pretty much the only language we used while Mom was gone. Which was fine. “[Asu-chan! It’s time!]” Oop, there’s my signal. I grabbed the things Dad had asked me to hold onto and walked over to where he was sitting, with the laptop on the floor. I sat in front of him on my own little cushion. “[Ready, Daddy!]” I confirmed the moment I was settled. Once again I was in a small, gender-neutral little tunic. I grinned when he rubbed my head. I might still be working through the whole gender-change and new-life thing (and by the gods it’s a real pain in the ass, let me tell you). But having both parents be so supportive like this? The challenge is more than worth it. Then Skype alerted us to an incoming video call. Dad reached over my head and hit accept. Mother was right there, in her more casual uniform. She waved over her bright grin. “Hello, hun. Hi Sweetie!” “Hi Momma!” I answered, waving back. Dad waved as well just behind me. Dad spoke up next. “Are you alright, hun? You look tired.” Mom sighs. “I am tired. I just want to be home and watch our darling grow up, up close.” “You’ll be home soon, Mommy.” “Thanks, sweetie.” There was a short lull in the conversation. Just long enough for Dad to hand me one of the things we’d gotten ready. “Oh? What’s the metal bar for?” Oh now this was something I was excited to show off. “Watch, Momma!” And then I bent the metal like it was a stick. “Ta-da!” Mother was clapping loudly enough to get the attention of some of her co-soldiers. “That’s amazing, Asuka! You got your Quirk!” Dad intervened. “It’s a near copy of mine, Alexis.” “Really now?” I stayed out of this talk for now, simply marvelling at the fact that I could bend metal. After seeing a Quirk specialist, Dad and I had found out that I also had his super-toughness. Eat your heart out, Superman. Your shitty powerset’s easy to copy. By a toddler . “Sweetie?” I looked up when Mom called for me. “Yes Momma?” “I have to go now. I’ll see you two soon, okay?” Hold on. This was shorter than planned. “Huh? But Momma...” She gave me a sad, apologetic smile. “Sorry, Asuka. Duty calls.” I glanced at some of the background behind her. Red alerts, quiet klaxons... I tried (and failed) to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in my throat. But I smiled and waved anyway. “Okay, Momma. Bye-bye!” “Goodbye, Asuka. Goodbye, Katashi.” The video call ended right then and there. Dad gently picked me up and helped me get ready for bed. We got the news before noon the next day.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Third

Moving On
 
[Asuka Gōkin, Age 5]
 Losing Mom was hard. Harder than hard. For both myself, and for Dad. For Dad, it was because he was loved so very, very deeply. I did everything I could to try to console him, as did every one of our family friends. They tried to console me as well, and Dad and I even ended up visiting a psychiatrist once or twice. To help us move on. And it certainly did help. Dad was as supportive for me as I could, particularly when I kept waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares. Visions of my death kept coming back to me. As did memories of that... place.  I don’t know for sure why that darkness was so terrifying. But it just was. The worst news arrived soon after my fifth birthday. We were being deported. I’d overheard a phone call a couple months ago. Dad had been let go from his job at the steel factory. They were being overlooked in favor of other places, so they couldn’t keep all of their employees. Which meant his work visa was quick to expire. And all of our legal possessions that tied us to America, namely the house and car, were in Mom’s name. In the process we unofficially made Japanese our sole home language. In essence, it was just a big old clusterfuck. From the moment I overheard the issue while Dad was on the phone, I tried to help however I could. Things like organizing my stuff to make it easier to pack in the future. I focused on making sure I was... adjusting. Like I was right now, seemingly playing with my toys in my bedroom while reflecting on who I was. Again. It happened so very often. I had to figure myself out. It’s not easy. In particular, the change in gender. It comes up in my mind a lot. Second of course to wondering how or why I was reborn in the reality of My Hero Academia. I was male for nearly twenty-seven years of my previous life. So turning female in a new life is extremely jarring, so excuse me for being so damned focused on it. Right now, I was just focused on... reflecting. “Asu-chan?” I looked up. “Daddy?” He looked... tired. Even more tired than before. “...the moving company is here.” Oh. That explained the look on his face. “...okay.” It was time to say goodbye to our home. It was a rather sordid, sorrowful affair for us. Except for the few giggles we had regarding some photo albums and books we’d left out for our suitcases, to read and review on our travels back to Japan. Our things were scheduled to meet us there. Quirks used for moving were fantastic, by the way. Made me wish we had that back in my last life. But even that convenience made me so very depressed to leave this place that had been home for five years. It might not seem very long, but it was long enough to well and truly love this place. For Mom and Dad, it had been their first home purchase together, where they conceived me - even as a mentally mature adult that kind of thought is weird to have - and where I spent several years growing attached to them. “Bye.” I said softly, waving as we took our pre-scheduled taxi to the airport. The car had already been sold for funds. I didn’t have to look to see that Dad was waving too. It didn’t take very long to reach the airport. I helped Dad carry the suitcases as best I could. Which, given my Quirk of super-strength, wasn’t actually too hard. Except for their shapes and sizes in comparison to my height and stuff. I felt a slight twinge of discomfort in my back, but I ignored it, since it was worth it to see Dad smile as I did.  The staff at the airport complimented us, constantly telling him that I was so cute for helping him. And that my small All Might shirt was cute, particularly with the little skirt. Just thinking of wearing it had made me blush earlier.  I’m glad I wore it, though. I mused as we went through security. One of the guards waved to me as he finished using his x-ray vision Quirk. It made Dad smile to see me wear it. And it... helped me accept being a girl a little more.  Yes, I’d spent nearly five years avoiding girl stuff to try to cling to my old identity. Yes I’d finally decided to be brave and move on. It wasn’t nearly as easy as it seemed. But it had helped to lighten some of the weight. From trying to learn and adjust and remain true to my old self. Though I was not looking forward to puberty or anything even remotely related to it. Nor did I plan to agree to the absolutely stupid looking overly-feminine school uniforms Japan seemed to support. Or at least what anime had said they support, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad. But if it was, Dad might get upset with the hell I was gonna raise. “Over here, Asuka-chan.” Dad murmured, a chuckle in his voice. “Oops. Sorry, Daddy.” I blushed a bit as I dashed back to sit next to him in the terminal. He smiled and rubbed my head. “Thinking again?” “Uh huh! There’s so much to think about!” “Like...?” “Where we go, who is there...” I looked out the window. “Trees, sky, all of it!” He chuckled again and rubbed my head, then held me up as I moved to his lap. I liked it when he did that. It helped to get his mind off the sorrow that we were both drowning in. As we talked and watched the people walk around, I felt another twinge of pain in my back. Dad moved his hand to my shoulder, looking worried. “Are you hurt, Asu-chan?”  Shit. “Huh?” I looked at him confused. Seeing him relax and gently place his hand on my back again, my act seemed to have worked. Thank fuck.  “Alright. Thank you for being so strong, Asu-chan.” “I’ll be strong like Daddy!” He chuckled. “You already are, Asu-chan.” “Really?!” “Oh yes. So very strong.” 
“Attention, Gate C-23. Boarding will begin shortly. Please prepare for boarding.”
 Dad sighed a bit. “Well. This is us, Asu-chan.” “Okay, Daddy.” Even in a world with superpowers, getting into a plane boarding queue was a painfully slow and tedious process. Thankfully it was lightened by the constant compliments from other passengers regarding my good behavior, and my cute outfit. Yes I did just admit that I look cute. Shut up. Dad kept his hand wrapped gently around mine as I played with one of the few toys I had to entertain me. It wasn’t anything like my old Switch, but it did the trick. Particularly for my hyperactive five-year-old body. I might be mentally mature, but physical age had hormones that did crazy things. Throughout the boarding process, my back muscles continued to give off strange, sudden sensations of pain. And it seemed to be slowly increasing.  Fucking ow. I managed to suppress a wince and grimace of pain from Dad, since he was in front of me on the plane. That one fucking hurt .  It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it had. I got out of the way as fast as I could, being grateful that we’d been able to spring for some first class for the two of us. Not enough for the fancy-ass bed seats, but still. Either way, the Quirk I’d inherited from Dad was a weaker version than his, but it had the same effects. It granted super-strength to a somewhat mild degree, and to compensate, it also granted super-toughness. The toughness portion worked by fusing my bones with an organic metal-like substance, in order to improve their resilience. And, naturally, it made everything else in my body a lot more resilient. Which, given the problems that super-strength tends to come with, was something very useful. So why is it that using my super-strength to help carry suitcases, that someone my age back in my world wouldn’t have ever been able to do, has started causing me back pain ? Another massively painful twinge tore through me. Particularly around my shoulder blades. “Asu-chan?” I turned away from the window, pasting a big silly grin on my face. “Daddy it’s pretty outside!” He smiled softly. “It’ll be even prettier higher up. Do you need help buckling in?” “Nuh uh! See!” I pointed out the complete seat buckle. It was the first thing I did. Probably from old habits regarding lots of plane flights way back when. “Are we leaving?” “Very soon, Asu-chan.” It was indeed very soon. But as a young five year old, I was already interested in a distraction. So I grabbed one of my Japanese books from the little backpack I had as a carry on. Just a small little fantasy and adventure story, nothing too big. Rather than start reading though, I put it in the backseat pocket in front of me. As the plane started to make it’s way down the tarmac, I turned to my dad. “Daddy? Is Japan nice?” Dad seemed to think about it for minute. “I remember it being very nice. People are nice and friendly. It’s warm.” Then he smiles to me. “But I don’t regret it in the slightest to be with your mother and to have you, Asu-chan.” That made me smile. I hugged his arm. “Love you Daddy.” The plane started to rumble as it accelerated very, very rapidly to the end of the tarmac. Even with my past self’s memories, it’s still a somewhat strange sensation. Having all that speed and force pushing you backwards against the cushioned chair, I mean. What can I say? I like noticing these things. I tend to be pretty good about noticing things about my body. I also tend to be pretty decent at hiding it or ignoring it. I found myself having to really work to suppress a grimace and a wince while my back was forced against the seat. Feeling blood dripping down my back was extremely unpleasant. 
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  Motherfucker this fucking HURTS! I had managed to keep Dad from noticing my blood for the first four hours of our ten hour flight. It was a major pain in the ass. But thankfully, he started sleeping half an hour ago. It was the most peaceful look he’s had on his face in months. The flight attendants had been very helpful with all the water they’d been supplying me. It was a poor attempt to try to keep my blood supply up. And the fact that the little water bottles were cold helped to numb the pain. At this point, I couldn’t even sit all the way back anymore. There were two little somethings poking out of my back, just below my shoulder blades. Then I had the sudden and very strong urge to pee.  Well. As if today couldn’t get any more stressful. I was nowhere near stressed enough to try peeing in one of the little bottles. So I had to try sneaking by Dad. My overly considered and attentive Dad. 
Fuck my life.
 I unbuckled myself as quietly as I could, then started to try moving past Dad’s legs. “Mm.” He blinked a little blearily. “Asu-chan? Are you okay?” I blushed a bit at waking him. And from a bit of frustration at my failure. “Just potty, Daddy.” “Do you need help?” I pouted, making sure to puff my cheeks. “No!” He chuckled and moved his legs just enough for me to slip by. I moved as fast as I could so that he - or nobody else - noticed the stains on the back of my shirt. I managed to make it to the bathroom, did the thing, and very, very gently moved my shirt away from the wounds. And stopped immediately. I was hissing air through my teeth. Like some really shitty attempt at a Darth Vader voice. “Welp.” I said to myself in the bathroom mirror. “As if deportation wasn’t enough, I’ve got a auto-masochistic body. This is just fuckin’ great.” Swearing with a little girl’s voice is a little strange. But worth it. Then, naturally, shit hit the fan even harder than it already had. Specifically, next to Dad. He was sorta-kinda awake as he waited for me to come back. I was just walking down the aisle, when pain, far, far more pain that I’d felt all day wracked my tiny little body. I... think ... I collapsed to the floor of the aisle, gasping and wheezing. Tears pooled below me as they ran freely from my eyes. Dad was... he was holding my hand I think? I think he was calling my name. I don’t know for sure. Next thing I knew was the utterly blissful sensation of passing out. 
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 The darkness was back. Except... 
Why is there a patch of blue sky above me?
 Around me were flashes of images. Memories? Dreams? I don’t know. But for the first time in five years, this... this... Void wasn’t nearly as oppressive as it had been. It felt... familiar? Then I felt, more than saw, this little cube I was in fade away around me... ...as it was slowly replaced by a slightly off-white room. The scent of antiseptic was a bit overpowering, but it tell me very distinctly that I was hospitalized. Dad was on the chair next to me, holding my hand as he sort of half-lay on the bed to sleep. I opened my mouth to speak. God my mouth is dry as Hell. “Daddy?” I mentally winced as that was more of a croak than a word. But it worked. He jolted straight up, then half a second later I was buried in one of the strongest hugs I’d ever experienced. Thank everything for my super-toughness, else I think I’d’ve popped.  ...did one of my bones just creak ? “Daddy...” “Asu-chan. Don’t... don’t scare me like that again. Please. ” “I... okay, Daddy.” What else could I say to that? I don’t know how long we stayed like this. But to be honest, I didn’t want it to stop anytime soon, either. When he let go, he took the glass of water off the side table and helped me drink it slowly. It was magnificent. I finished drinking just in time for the door to open. A woman with slightly larger than normal eyes and ‘X’ marks for pupils, and one of those clipboards that could store things. “Good afternoon, Asuka-chan. I am Doctor Hisae.” She bowed a little before coming over. “I’m glad to see that you’re awake.” “U-Um... thank you, Hisae-san.” I tried to bow as well, but both Hisae and Dad stopped me. “Wh-what happened?” Hisae took the time to sit on a stool across from Dad. “The other portion of your Quirk manifested.” What. “What.” Dad gently reached behind me and okay what in the flying fuck was he -- Oh. Ooooohhhh wow. I watched in a strange mix of awe, fascination, wonder, and just plain old what the actual fuck confusion. Because Dad was very gently tugging wings into my field of view. Wings that were attached to my back.  My wings. “... what. ” Hisae chuckled to herself. “You’ve been unconscious for a couple of days. It seems there’s been something of a Quirk marriage in you, Asuka-chan.” She opened her little storage clipboard and took a few files from it. “These are some medical scans we did of your young body when you arrived, and we’ve had to update your Quirk information, naturally.” “What changed, Hisae-san?” Dad and Hisae shared a glance. I think I might’ve sounded more mature than a five-year-old should. Oh well. Rather than comment on it, Hisae gave over a small metal dowel. “Here. Try to bend this.” I frowned a little as I took it into my hands. It was just like the spares Dad used to bring home from work for me to practice my super strength on. I gave a little shrug and proceeded to bend the metal. ...except that I just ended up looking like a dumbass. Apparently my facial expressions was easy to read, because Hisae chuckled again. “Your super-strength has been refined.” She showed me some of the images, and pointed at the ones in my arms and legs. “From what we can tell, you won’t be able to use your super-strength for movement, or for things like bending metal. Probably ever again. Instead, your body has restricted it to your new flight-based muscles. You might be able to control it more consciously there.” “Okay.” I was nodding along. My Dad seemed a bit confused and impressed that I understood this as much as I did. “But Daddy’s Quirk made me super-tough, too...” Hisae nodded. "Yes , and your body has adjusted that as well." She brought out another page, this one filled with medical and technical jargon that I couldn’t even begin to decipher. “I did some scans with my own Quirk, Body Scan, and found where the changes were.” She pointed to all the bones and organs and tendons my super-strong flight muscles were connected to. “You still retained some of your toughness, but it seems that in the absence of the strength, it’s been scaled up, particularly in the areas immediately around your wing muscles. In addition, it seems that all of your bones have nearly doubled in durability.” I frowned. “So... does this mean I can learn to fly?” Dad put a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll look for a trainer when we go to our new home, okay, Asu-chan?” “Okay, Daddy.” We talked for a bit longer, but then Doctor Hisae and Dad left the room to talk in private. Which left me alone with my thoughts. And the hand mirror that they’d left on the side table. Picking it up, I started to inspect my new... wings.  Holy fuck this is freaky. I couldn’t help but admire them. Mom had tan-colored wings, but me? Mine were... amethyst-colored. Or at least a shade of purple. I’ll be honest, I immediately took a liking to them. I thought they suited me very well. While I was at it, I did a quick check of the rest of myself. Yup, still a short-ass. My dark brown hair was still combed out of the way of my amber eyes, tied behind my head in a loose ponytail, just as I liked it. I could clearly see that my lightly-tanned skin was more or less blemish free (minus a scrape or two on my knees and elbows), and that my modestly sized well... everything on my face was basically intact. I put down the mirror when Dad came back in. “Well, Asu-chan,” he began. He took his seat again, too. “They want you to stay for another day to recover some more. Then we can go home. Okay?” “Okay, Daddy.” I reached out and hugged him again. “I’m sorry I scared you.” He tried to hold back a little sniffle at that. But I heard it. And I really was sorry for scaring and worrying him. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 6]
 Musutafu, Japan. That was where Dad and I had moved to after our deportation. ...okay, it was originally Kyoto, but the job offer was officially just outside of Musutafu. After a couple months of that kind of commute, Dad finally found a much better apartment. In just about every way. It was cheaper, cleaner, a touch bigger (yes! More space for my never-ending nerdiness!), and closer to something that I’d thought about often: U.A. High School. If Mom hadn’t... I might have been able to attend a hero school in America. Yes, I’d thought about being a hero as soon as I’d confirmed what reality I was in. I had managed to be a hero to two children in particular at the end of my last life. I wanted to be a hero to far more children and people now. Which meant that I had a very large amount of work and effort ahead of me. Which is why I was in a big ass modified airplane hangar near Dad’s workplace right now. “Asuka! Quit your daydreaming!” I grit my teeth as I pushed myself through the exercises faster. “Yes sir!” Kafu-sensei was watching me closely. He was apparently an old friend of Dad and Mom’s, a retired military lieutenant. So now he teaching me in this flight-training hangar. It was used for training soldiers and civilians about flying. But it wasn’t exactly free or cheap. But I knew how to be a stubborn one. So when I started this training half a year ago, I pushed myself. Even harder than Kafu-sensei and Dad had expected me to. It definitely wasn’t easy, especially since about a month ago I started to fill in the gaps between flying lessons with martial arts. Tae-kwon-do in particular. Considering that most of my upper body was going to focused on simply making my wings work consistently and all that shit, my legs seemed like the most logical means of offense. And as a future hero, I needed at least a little offense. All of this in between school, too. I was busy these days. Kafu-sensei finally let me finish my stretches and workout. Then he started his routine inspection of my wings, making me move them exactly as he ordered. We’d learned that the metal-like structure of my bones had expanded into the bone structure of my wings. Which explained why all my super-strength went into supporting and using the damn things. Otherwise I would find it very difficult to move. Kafu-sensei finally finished his inspection. “Alright. I think we’re ready for gliding.” “Really?!” I may have squealed. Just a tiny little bit. ...shut up. Kafu-sensei chuckled a bit. “Yes. Just a little bit. I’ll be below you, ready to catch you, alright? Get up onto the second board.” He pointed at the series of modified diving boards at one end of the hangar. I raced across the heavily padded fake ground towards them and climbed the ladder to the second one in what must have been record time. (Even though it probably wasn’t.) Kafu-sensei followed me up at a more sedate pace. I did my best to control myself and not beg for him to hurry up. “Seeeeeenseeeeeeiii! C’mooooooon!” Obviously, I failed. He smirked again and just flew up to the second board. “Alright, Asu-chan. You know the gliding form we’ve been practicing.” “Yes sir!” I immediately crouched just a bit and let my wings spread just enough to start catching some air, but not enough that the microclimate blew me off my feet. Sensei took a moment to make sure it was right. And of course it was. I practiced my forms nearly every night, long after my supposed bedtime and while Dad was asleep. For at least an hour. Like I said. Sensei and Dad were surprised at my drive. But they still didn’t know the full extent of it. “Alright. Now, when I say to , you’re going to run forward and jump as hard as you can off the edge. When you do, flatten your body out as best you can, and let your wings spread wide. I’ll be there to catch you.” “Yes, sensei!” Kafu-sensei took a moment to take off on his jet-black wings again and floated back down to the heavily-padded floor. “And... GO!” I charged as fast as I could. I jumped as hard as I could. I let my wings spread, tried to flatten out. And more or less started to plummet. I raised my arms and squeezed my eyes shut as the floor rushed at my face, just as Sensei had taught me a couple months ago. But he caught me first. “Asu-chan, look at me.” I looked up at him, taking a few fast breaths as my heart raced. “You did fine for your first try.” “But...” I looked back. “I fell right away.” “Yes. But you didn’t hesitate. So let’s try again. Okay?” “...okay.” I waited for him to put me down. Then I started making my way back to the platform. My goal today was the other end of the hangar, before Dad came to pick me up. The attempts continued over and over and over for the next few hours. Kafu-sensei attempted to get me to stop and rest, but I wasn’t having any of it. Even when I managed to glide the distance he considered a success, I demanded more. I’m... not entirely certain what pushed me to go so far. Perhaps it was my stubbornness. Perhaps it was my old personality shining through, pressing me forward. I don’t know for certain. However, it paid off when Dad walked into the hanger around seven p.m., and I was able to glide from the third platform up (out of six) into his arms. I might have been dirty, hungry, scuffed and as bruised as a plum... But I was too busy grinning ear to ear to care all that much.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Fourth

With Friends Like These...
  [Asuka Gōkin, Age 8]  So as it turns out, the world of My Hero Academia has something called a Provisional Flier's License. I received mine a few days before the start of the summer break. Long story short, it meant that as long as a certified adult (such as Dad or Kafi-sensei or any certified school teachers) watched, and it was in an open-enough space, I could fly. Limited as all hell. But you know what? I’m okay with that. Because it meant that I could fly. There was just one itty, bitty, teensy little problem with flying. It. Is. Exhausting.  Let me explain this to you. For the past two and a half years, with help from Dad and various other adults, I’d worked my ass off to get this. Constant training, exercise, diet control, on top of homework that was steadily growing more and more difficult... it was hard. As I found out very quickly, both from experience and being constantly told and reminded, using my wings inefficiently used an absolute fuckload of energy. Imagine doing a 500 meter sprint, going at top speed the entire time. Now imagine burning that kind of energy in less than a quarter of the time. Thankfully, Mom had left us notes on some high-energy, high-calorie snacks. And Kafi-sensei knew of a few as well. They weren’t tasty or appealing in the slightest. But they meant that I could eat more than just them and still have more than enough energy to fly for nearly half an hour, and still attend class. You know, without falling asleep at my desk. Which I may... or may not... have done a lot. ...I admit nothing. 
Boom.
  Holy shit what was that?! I whirled around, dropping into an alert stance. Then I stopped and just glared. “What do you want, Bakugou.” Bakugou wore his (almost) never-ending smirk. His hand was smoking lightly from his damn Quirk. “You're in the way, dumbass feathers. Move.” I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms. “No.” In the way? Well... a bit, I guess. We were in a small-ish side alley near the playground that most kids in the area frequented. I was there putting some trash away in the trash cans that were left for our apartment building, so naturally I was dressed pretty casually today. His little toy fiends chuckled this time as his smirk turned into his very villain-esque grin. In that instant I resumed my defensive stance. He and his little lackeys assumed offensive stances.  This is new. Extra confidence? I mused quietly. Tsubasa - the little fat bat-winged flier - charged me first. Idiot should've learned that didn't work by now, but apparently his skull's as thick as his gut was. I took the wide opening he left and kicked straight in the gut. Not too hard! I didn't want to do anything more than bruise him. Of course, Bakugou charged in next, his palms sparking like firecrackers. It spooked a cat that was been lying in the sun nearby, causing it to dash away and knock over a small, open, jug of... motor oil? Gasoline? I dunno, it stunk. And I was too busy trying to avoid getting burned again to really notice. I took a potshot or two where I could, but Bakugou was frustratingly adept at avoiding me. So I backed out of the alley and into the more open space of the playground. A few kids looked at me strangely, but I didn't pay them any mind. Bakugou actually managed to sneer at me. “Running again?! Stupid bird! I bet you got it from your runaway Mom!” Okay. I'll admit it. I saw red. Particularly when Fatbat and whoever-the-fuck-the-other-kid was started laughing. I hadn't told anyone outside in Japan what'd happened to Mom. So I knew the other kids in my school were making guesses. But this? “You little bastard.” Snarling, I let my wings spread to their full size, a magnificent 4.5-meter wingspan.The two behind him backed away. Bakugou just gave a little tsk and prepared to charge. He fired off his Quirk again to make sure it was still going right. Or something. I don't know, he's kind of an idiot sometimes. It didn't matter at the moment. Because we charged each other and the blows started. I had almost all my focus on avoiding his explosions,while trying to get in a few hits of my own. I don't know why he was such an asshole to me, either. Because I was a girl that managed to shut him up day one of elementary? Maybe because I beat him in a lot of sports events and he's stupidly over-competitive? Don't know, don't care. Right now, he had managed to trip me up and was trying to use his explosions on my wings and arms and torso, sparks flying all around me and onto the bark chips. But thankfully, my martial arts teachers were far better and far tougher than him. Still wasn't easy.  Dammit! I can't get in any hits like this! I tried to pry my legs up to shove him off but he wasn't having it. Motherfucker!  Then literally all of my focus vanished when an odd scent breezed over my nostrils. One that I recognized from years and years of Boy Scouts.  Fire. Where? Like an absolute dumbass I looked away from Bakugou. And what I saw was terrifying. Of course, Bakugou, the adrenaline-junkie dipshit, was too busy taking the shot to blast my shoulder. “Ha! Take that, damne-oof!” Normally I wouldn't have gone for the dirty shot. But if kneeing him in the crotch was enough to get him off of me, then I didn't care. The fire was quickly spreading through the playground, over the bark chips... and ever closer to the two younger kids that were on the playset. I'm not entirely certain what went through my mind next, or if anything did at all. I just started running to them. The flames were spreading faster, closer, the extra-dry bark chips fueling it like gasoline would.  The gas! “Tsubasa, stop that gas from leaking out of those bottles! NOW!” I can only hope he heard me, because I was busy wrapping my wings around and in front of me. Trying to ward off the heat as best I could. My feathers started sizzling. But I pushed forward. It was a bit slow going... but I still got to them before the fire did. “Hey. Hey, kids. Look at me. Look at me.” I did my best to appear calm. I'm fairly certain I failed, but both the little boys did as I said. “Just... just keep watching me. Okay? Okay.” This part was even slower. Minutes crawled by like a sloth. When I got to them, I very carefully picked them up in my arms and moved my wings to cover both of them. Naturally, it meant that I wasn't being covered anymore. I could feel the burns forming on my face, my arms... just about everywhere. And I was absolutely dismayed to find that the fires were surrounding us. 
An opening. There has to be an opening. Please, please, there has to be an --
 Oh. There was water being sprayed. I could faintly hear the voices of adults, working together. So I decided to hunker down and wait. No matter how excruciatingly painful it started to become. “I found them!” The flames parted, shoved aside by heavily pumped water and what looked to be a pro hero. I couldn't tell who. “This way, kids. Right this way.” I continued to shield the little ones in my wings as we were escorted out of the fire. Doing my best to ignore the burns that continued to mark and brand my skin, like a hot iron on leather. Paramedics and a couple other pro heroes were there, waiting for us. Dad was there too. He ran over to me and started fussing, right as I let the two younger kids free. Some paramedics started coming over. I still wasn't filly thinking, so naturally I spoke up. “No, no. The little kids first. I'll be fine.” One of the paramedics looked a bit amused. “They're already being seen to by our co-workers. You're next.” ...oh. There was no arguing that. So I let them lead me away to the ambulance. It took several minutes, but they were able to address my burns on their own. I was also stuck with a breathing mask and apparatus for at least half an hour to help clear my lungs of smoke. I took the time to inspect how ruined my pink t-shirt and khaki shorts were. Long story short, they were gonna get tossed. Of course, considering what happened, the police arrived shortly after. Bakugou was silently glaring at me as angrily as he could. His anger rose every second that I ignored him. The other two boys tried to lie and cover up the incident and their contributions to it. Me? I kept my voice as level and professional as possible when I said, “We started the fire by accident.” Naturally, there were many, many more questions afterwards. The boys were mortified. Bakugou in particular looked positively murderous . As it turned out, extremely fortunately, the jugs of gasoline that had been knocked over hadn't even been capped. They could tell because the caps weren't even around... and the jugs were cut open at the neck. So the gasoline that leaked onto the playground and accelerated the fire the way a Ferrari does was, quite literally, not our fault. As a result, we were all to be punished, required to help rebuild the playground... but it wouldn't be put on our criminal records. On our way home, Dad expressed his disappointment... and his pride in my honesty. ...I still ended up being grounded for a month... My time being grounded passed by relatively peacefully. The boys and I managed to repair the playground to the adults’ satisfaction. The two kids I’d saved had thanked me profusely. I’ll admit that I blushed a bit to that. Especially when they declared me their favorite Hero. I wasn’t even in official training yet!  But, I mused as I watched them play out my window. It is very nice of them. And one hell of a confidence boost.  “Asu-chan?” I jumped a bit, then rolled my eyes while Dad chuckled as I turned to him. “Yes Daddy?” “I have to go to work now. I’ll see you later, okay?” He hugged me tightly, kissing the top of my head. I hugged back. “Okay. Bye, Daddy.” I walked with him to the door. I waved to him, grinning cheerfully as he left and enjoying the fact that I had a Dad around that I could do this with. The moment the door was closed, I got back down to business. I still respected the rules laid out by the grounding, which was more or less no electronics and no unnecessary sweets, among other things. But that was fine. I could use this time to exercise instead. My teachers had all told me that they were glad I wasn’t hurt more than I had been, but as a result of the fighting, I was barred from their training facilities until school restarted in two weeks. I was supposed to have a sitter coming over soon. And I’d be doing the same thing I’d been doing the past week and a half. I continued my training on my own. But first I had to get ready. I stopped by my room and grabbed my workout gear, pausing by the full-length mirror that Dad had hung up on the back of my door. Out of all the burns I’d received, only a couple had truly left their marks behind. One on the back of my right knee, and the other dead center of my left forearm. Thankfully they weren’t anything that was actually painful anymore. A burn specialist at our local hospital had seen to it that my burn scars wouldn’t be in the way of becoming a hero. And even if they were, I would still become a hero. It was goal in this world, after all. And not a single scar or wound was going to stop me.  I have seven years before I can officially apply to U.A. High School. I reminded myself as I changed into my workout clothes. I’ll be more than ready.  Thus began another day of near-constant physical and mental exercises. I wasn’t supposed to use things like TV, the little laptop Dad and I shared, and the smartphone he was able to get me thanks to a recent raise. But I was able to use things like a calculator while doing math practices in one of my private journals. 
I’m glad Dad doesn’t look into these. Though hiding them helps. Because I’m pretty sure he’d freak out at the math I’m doing in these.
 I was doing my best to memorize the kinds of things that would help become a better flier. Thankfully I didn’t need to use the computer or phone to look these things up, as I’d done that before the playground fire. Things like flight plans, distance calculations, mid-air and ground-based orienteering. You know, the usual 8-year-old girl things. ...oh shit. Puberty was coming up. Probably within a year or three. So you know, soon. Welp. There went my motivation for mental exercises and shit. I put away that stuff and decided to pull out the other journal. Specifically, one for my personal thoughts and reflections. I’d been using it to try to adjust to my new life. Dad had yet to find this journal, either. Turns out I was good at hiding things. Of course my past life proved that, too. I turned to my most recent page. Notes on my current personality. Notes on my past personality. Despite any attempts I made early on, my old personality hadn’t fully carried over. New facets have emerged. “Particularly the difference in genders...” I muttered to myself. I do that a lot. I sighed. “Always back to that. Fuckin’ figures.” I couldn’t help it, though! My past life, and this one, I knew that gender was more of someone’s choice. I personally didn’t care if someone decided to change their genders, fluidly or once for good. But personally? I wasn’t that kind of person. Even though I was still adjusting to an entire second life, I was still comfortable enough in this new body. Gender, wings, and all. ...especially the wings. Those were fucking cool. Speaking of which, I needed to clean between the feathers again. “These things are a full-time job for maintenance...” I muttered as I moved to the bathroom. Mom’s notes had left behind tips on keeping wings clean and presentable, as well as functional. On average, it took nearly ten minutes. But it was important to do. A hell of a lot more important than my hair or whatever it is the other girls would spend that time doing. ...then again I didn’t let my hair really grow too far below my shoulders, so there was that. I usually kept a loose ponytail. As I worked, I continued to think on my situation. “So... puberty soon...” I mused. “Gonna be a lot more involved than last time around.” Let’s be honest. Male puberty is fairly basic. Learn to shave, deal with increasingly volatile emotions, get taller (maybe), and a little voice breaking. Or at least that was my experience. I don’t know how it was for others. Female puberty? Training bras, periods, body shape changes... it seems a lot more involved to me. And it was coming up fast. Whether I liked it or not. I paused my cleaning as my train of thought resumed from earlier. Where was I earlier? Oh yeah, comfortable in body. Still easily distracted, heh.  Just a little bit of that shiny red ball syndrome. The usual. Didn’t help that young body meant young hormones and extra energy. Anyway. I was steadily growing more comfortable as a girl, yes, but I still had clingy beliefs and shit from my past life and memories. Things that I... wasn’t willing to let go or change. At least not yet. Once I finished cleaning my wings, I took another minute to just... remind myself that it was okay. I’m still alive. And I’m real. Not a dream... I think. That... was my greatest, deepest fear. That this was all just some... coma or -- “OKAY!” I slapped my face lightly. “Enough depressing thoughts.” Moving to the kitchen, I snagged a glass of water and plopped onto the couch and did the very casual thing of staring at the ceiling. 
Alright. I think... I think I’ll just deal with everything as it comes along. Like I used to do.
 It would be easier than fretting about all of it and worrying and getting overly stressed and shit. Besides, I had better, possibly more important (except not really), things to do. Such as napping. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Three Weeks Later]
 Back to school at last. I was free from being grounded, too, which was nice. Naturally, things didn't go smoothly. Bakugou was in my school, after all. So within like two days of being freed from my punishment, and nearly a week of ignoring him at school even though we were in the same class. (A class I'd yet to make an friends in... just the usual loneliness...) As it was, on my way home, I overheard Bakugou and his newest Crabbe/Goyle pair bullying someone behind the school. Which left me with options.  I could notify a teacher, I mused. Then immediately snorted. Not that it’ll do any good. They haven’t done jackshit about this before, why would that change? So I can either ignore it, or go help. Hm. Gee. I wonder which option to pick.  I walked around to where the sound was coming from. It sounded like Bakugou was hitting someone again. “K-Kacchan, please! I didn’t mean anything!” I frowned. I think that voice was familiar. Maybe? Rounding the corner, I saw Bakugou standing back when one of his lackeys charged forward (some skinny little prick that could elongate his fingers or whatever). He charged forward, letting his fingers grow -- and ran face first into the front of my open left wing. Considering that even my wing bones and muscles were reinforced by my super-toughness, I’m told that it’s kind of like running into a wall. I’m also told that my feathers tend to be very soft and silky. “OW!” Lanky-Fingers fell onto his ass, clutching his face. “Hey!” “Damned Bird!” Bakugou growled. I grinned and waved at him. Just to piss him off more. “Starting fights again?” “Out of the way dammit!” “Hmmm... nah.” I used a hand to make a shooing motion over my wing. “Why don’t you dumbasses just head on home? Go on. Shoo.” Bakugou growled even louder and crouched, point his open palms backwards. “Then I’ll just kill you and Deku at the same time!” “You can try,” I commented. I glanced behind me at the small, green-haired (green hair? Seriously?) boy that was cowering behind me. “And if you do, I’ll just kick you in the balls again.” That was not the right thing to say, it seems. Bakugou decided to take it as a challenge, because he used his explosions to launch forward like a rocket. But I was actually ready for him this time. Unlike the last time we fought, when I didn’t really know enough about him to anticipate his movements. Plus what I did was something he wasn’t expecting. I used my other wing to smack him aside like a fly. Then I did the smart thing. I pulled the kid (Deku?) to his feet, and dragged him off to the front of the school with me. “Get back here you cowards!” I didn’t let the boy so much as look back until we were out through the school’s gate. And even then I made sure we kept running a bit longer, to a safer distance. Only then did I let us stop to catch our breath. It took me only a moment, thanks to all the exercise I do. The boy was bent over holding himself up on his knees. “Hey,” I said. He looked up at me. I sighed at the dried blood  “You’re hurt.” “Oh, u-uh, it’s fine, I just --” I ignored him and dragged a small first aid kit out of my backpack (be prepared!). “Shush and stand still.” “Er, uh...” At least he held still while I cleaned up the blood and bandaged them. “Th-Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” It took only a couple minutes. “Gōkin Asuka.” “...oh! Uh. M-Midoriya Izuku.” That brought back some memories from my past life. I’d read a few issues of My Hero Academia , though not as much as others had. So I didn’t learn much of the story. But I did know this guy. “Nice to meet you.” I offered my hand, and he shook it. “You’re the Quirkless one, right?” He tried - and failed - to hide his reaction as he flinched away from me. “I -” “Cool. Wanna come over for dinner, Midoriya-kun? My place is close by.” “Uh... I guess I could -” “Good! Come on.” I ignored Midoriya’s stammering protests as I more or less dragged him along. “So. I’m sure you know about my Quirk, yes?” That got him to calm down. And perk up at the same time. Somehow. “Yeah! It’s incredible!” Then I noticed him frowning a bit. “Though I don’t know how you can move wings of this size so easily, Gōkin-kun.” “I have a minor, unplanned, Quirk marriage.” I said bluntly. I think someone around me heard me, but I don’t care. I was focused on how confused he looked. “Do you not know what that is?” He shook his head, of course. I paused as we had to wait for a road crossing light to turn green. “A Quirk marriage is similar to a regular marriage, basically. It’s a merging of two Quirks in a married couple’s child.” He patted his fist into his open hand. “I see. So you got your wings from one parents, and...” he put a hand over his mouth as he thought out loud, “given the size of the wings and the way they reacted when impacted, your wings are clearly heavier and denser than they might otherwise be... so...” “Thinking out loud, hm?” He jolted and covered his mouth, looking adorably sheepish. “Eep! S-Sorry, I just... sorry.” “It’s fine. Some people think out loud. What did you come up with?” “Uh... oh!” Midoriya looked a bit excited again, right as we turned into the apartment complex Dad and I lived in. “It’s gotta be super-strength and super-toughness!” “Correct.” I said. “You’re good at analyzing Quirks, Midoriya. You should train that. It could be useful in the future.” Was he blushing as he nodded? That is adorable . “Th-thanks. Oh. Is.. is this your place?” “Mhm. Dad and I live here.” I unlocked and opened the door, kicking off my shoes as carelessly as I usually do. “Dad! I’m home! I brought a new friend for dinner!” Dad looked over from where he was finishing with dinner. He chuckled a bit. “Did you at least ask his parents?” ...I knew I’d forgotten something. “Oops.” Midoriya looked panicked too, in the middle of taking his shoes off. “Ah! I need to call my mom!” “It’s okay! You can use our phone, Midoriya-kun. Right here.” Once that was established and he called home, Dad took me aside and quietly reminded me that springing this on him was not very smart. I blushed a bit and looked a tad sheepish. Dad forgave me though when I explained how I’d found Midoriya. “Uhm, thank you for letting me visit and use the phone,” Midoriya said a few minutes later, bowing very politely to Dad. “My name is Midoriya Izuku, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Um. I-I don’t mean to impose, but my mom wanted to come and visit, to... meet the friend I’d made today.” I couldn’t help but notice the sheer glee on his face. Midoriya... you really should not look that relieved at making a new friend. Unless... oh. Right. I remember the story a bit now... you didn’t have any until U.A., did you?  Dad gave his blessing to that, though he commented that he would have to make some more food. Which he then started to do. While he did that, I showed Midoriya around our place, because why not? He seemed impressed by all my flight books and my collection of figures based around any hero that flew with wings. Hawks was definitely a favorite of mine. We weren’t able to talk about our favorite pro heroes very much, though, because Midoriya’s mother arrived a couple minutes later, and we welcomed her into our home. Despite Dad’s initial hesitancy when I surprised him by dragging in a new friend, he didn’t resist nearly as much when I suggested that they both stay for dinner. It would make things more interesting than just the two of us, anyway. And considering the laughs we had, the way we stayed up nearly an hour later than normal just talking and laughing and having fun, it was clearly worth it. Through the night, I’d realized that Midoriya was my first friend in Japan that was actually around my age. And not just the other kids that I learned martial arts with (I didn’t really socialize well), or the kids I did school with. I’ll admit it. I’m glad Midoriya is my first friend here in Japan.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Fifth

She’s Having Adolescence
 
[Asuka Gōkin, Age 12]
 So. Puberty had arrived. A few months ago, actually. My first life, puberty hadn’t actually been nearly as bad as I’d thought it would be. Most of the issues I’d had were actually basically coasting off the very tail end. It was just mostly mental and spiritual issues while I caused... trouble. Nothing really law-breaking, but my issues weren’t of the physical sort. Or at least those of the physical sort weren’t too bad. It helped that my mom in my last life was a certified nurse. So I grew up knowing what was coming and we knew how to handle most of it. Which is why I knew what was happening when it started in this life. Which is also why I “asked” (read: told) Dad that I think our friends of the Midoriya family should come over for dinner a few days later. He’d initially looked rather confused. But then I had simply explained it as “girl things.” He had agreed to it instantly. So that night, I had to take several deep breaths. I fought to keep my face blush-free (and utterly failed I swear to god) as I started talking. “M-Midoriya-san?” I began. Izuki’s mother looked to me. “Yes, Asu-chan?” She asked sweetly. She’s such a nice woman, though she has definitely gained some weight in the last few years. Being a solo mother can do that. “May I talk to you in, uh, in private, please?” Izuku took that as the hint to stop listening. “Of course.” I led her to my bedroom, which had steadily shifted to contain a mix of amethyst and shades of red. Red will always be the best color ever. But amethyst is close behind, thanks to my wings. Anyway! After I closed the door, I knew I immediately blushed brighter as I shuffled my feet. Inko looked concerned and gently placed her hands on my shoulders. “Asu-chan is everything okay?” “I... I’ve started growing, Midoriya-san.” I think I passed on the hint when I meaningfully glanced down. “Oh!” Miss Midoriya smiled politely. “I see. Now I see why Katashi invited my son and I over. Of course I can help you, Asu-chan.” I sighed in relief and hugged her. “Thank you so much, Midoriya-san.” She smiled. “You may call me Inko-san, Asu-chan. Our families have been friends long enough.” “I know, Midoriya-san.” I smiled knowingly. She giggled. It’s a decently common topic between our families. It was a kind of direct result of Izuku and I becoming very good friends. To the point that Izuku sometimes visited my place without warning my dad, and I sometimes did the same at his place. My dad and Miss Midoriya were also very good friends. I’m pretty sure that Dad has basically unofficially adopted Izuku, just the way Inko has unofficially adopted me. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning, okay, Asu-chan? About 9:30?” Tomorrow was the first day of our summer break, after which I was going into middle school. “I’ll be ready.” “Good. Now, shall we go back to the living room? I need to get Izuku home.” “Yes, Midoriya-san.” She giggled as she hugged me one more time. Then I opened the door for her and followed her out. It was only a couple minutes later that Dad and I waved farewell to our friends and started to get ready for bed. “So...” Dad began. He looked like he didn’t know where to start. I giggled. “Midoriya-san is going to pick me up tomorrow morning, Dad. We’re going to be shopping.” He sighed in relief. “Alright.” Then he hugged me tight. “My baby girl, growing so fast.” I hugged back. I really wish Mom had been able to see me like this. Shortly after I found myself in my bedroom, shirtless in front of the mirror on the back of my door. Don’t judge me, even after twelve years of adjusting to this body I’m still not fully used to it. And even though I expected it, knew that it would happen... The very fact that I was growing breasts was (is) an extremely strange experience. It’s just... it’s hard to fully explain. Rather than worry about it, I threw on my pajamas and flopped into bed. Tomorrow might be helpful, it might be embarrassing enough for me to wish I died. But for now, I just rolled onto my side - careful to avoid my wings, sleeping on those is uncomfortable at best - and fell into a thankfully peaceful sleep. 
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 I woke sharply to my alarm blaring in my ear and fumbled to turn it off. I yawned wide and stretched as I stood very slowly. Vacation time means taking my time getting up. Though considering the time, I had to hurry to get ready for Miss Midoriya’s arrival. She was going to be here in half an hour. Dad should’ve already been gone for work today, something about the early shift. So I shuffled my feet through the apartment as I got ready. Being a simple, practical girl, it took only about fifteen minutes. Then I spotted the envelope on the living room coffee table. Inside was a note and a not-insignificant-amount of money, all from Dad. 
Asu-Chan,
 
I’m so happy to see you growing up. And thankful that Inko-san is helping you, because let us be honest, I would be fairly clueless.
 
So here is some money to help pay for what you need and to pay Inko-san. Make sure that you don’t take no for an answer from her, please.
 
I love you,

Dad
 I really do love my Dad. He’s always been thoughtful and nice. He might be clueless about teenage girl stuff, and he’s kind of shy and kind of a sap... but I am more than happy to admit that I’m a Daddy’s Girl in this life. My thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell was rung. “Good morning, Midoriya-san,” I greeted upon opening the door and bowing politely. “I just need to get my shoes on.” “Alright. I know a couple good nearby stores for us, Asu-chan.” “Right. Thank you again, Midoriya-san.” She smiled patiently as I finished getting ready. “Asu-chan. Please, just Inko-san. Especially during today. I insist.” “I...” Looking at her expression, I could tell that she was finally actually putting her foot down on it. “O-Okay, Inko-san.” “Much better! Come on, Asu-chan. This will take plenty of time.” Yeah, I knew that was going to happen. Mido- er, Inko-san led the way out to town. We talked amicably along the way, during which I learned that Izuku was doing training today. A couple years ago I’d gotten tired of Bakugou constantly kicking Izuku’s ass, so I may or may not have forcibly enrolled him in the same martial arts class that I was in. I will admit nothing. But it had definitely helped to sharply boost his confidence and his physique some. Though he still didn’t stand a chance against me. No offense to my best friend, but having wings as flexible as mine made it far too easy to blindside people sometimes. “Ah, here we are!” Oh... Well. There goes my introspection again. Time for the awkward stuff. I could feel myself blushing and trying my best to look small as we went into the store. Didn’t exactly fight the feeling, either. Then Inko-san wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’m here for you, Asu-chan. Everything will be fine, okay?” “...okay. Thank you, Mido- er, Inko-san.” She smiled warmly at me. So very warmly. “The training bras are over here.” And thus began today’s mission. A large variety of different undergarments were tested, disapproved, tested, approved... you know. The usual clothing shopping experience. Inko-san was wonderfully patient, though. We finally left with like, ten different pairs of undies. And other supplies. When we reached a small make-up shop however, that was when I turned stubborn again. “I’m sorry, Inko-san, but no.” I was putting my foot down on this one. “I will not wear makeup.” Inko-san gave a polite little sigh. “Asu-chan, it’s almost a worldwide rite of passage for young ladies.” “I know it is, Inko-san. But I will not wear makeup.” “Not even if you find someone that... interests you?” Okay. I was blushing again at that. “If that happens, if that person can’t accept or like me unless I wear makeup, then they aren’t worth my time.” But I could be immensely stubborn. To my (pleasant) surprise however, Inko-san’s smile grew. “Very brave and smart of you, Asu-chan. I wish more young girls carried that opinion. Sometimes myself included.” Oh. My already high opinion of Inko-san grew even higher. Izuku was wise to love her so much. Thankfully we moved on. We stopped by a place to grab some food, then moved to a more general clothing store. Inko-san was smart and observant, so she already knew that I wanted to avoid the more feminine clothing. You know, the stupidly frilly shit that models sometimes wore on the runway or whatever. Yes that is my past life shining through. Practicality and function go above style. But if style is the function, as was the case that Inko-san and I were shopping for, then give me something basic. I'm believer of the “less is more” philosophy. Over the years I had very steadily moved to be completely comfortable with things like skirts and midriff-baring shirts, tank-tops, etc. “Oh this looks so cute on you!” Inko-san cheered. I blushed a bit (again) and smiled. “Thank you, Inko-san. I do like it.” I agreed. It was just a very simple long-sleeved lilac-colored shirt. It was rather stretchy, particularly around the chest, and kind of large. But considering that I had grown several centimeters in height over the past few years, with estimates to grow more, this would be a good long-term purchase. It also fit surprisingly well with my favorite dark khaki-colored pants. And, well, it was cute. I did agree with that. With all of our decisions made, Inko-san and I made our way to the front desk and paid. Once more I had to put my foot down and insisted on paying for it with Dad’s gift money. I had the money ready faster than Inko-san could, anyway. So when she tried to argue it was basically a moot point. Another issue cropped up immediately after we finished, though. “Well... I think we should head home, Inko-san.” I was loaded with several shopping bags. Inko-san nodded. “Yes. I believe we have been successful today, Asu-chan.” Our walk back to my home was fairly quiet, and thankfully uninterrupted. My home was still free of Dad and Izuku. I might have been somewhat mortified if they were there to see this. Dad, not so much. But Izuku? No thank you. I wasn’t even remotely interested in him as more than a best friend, and that was the exact reason as to why I didn’t want him to see this. Kind of awkward. Inko-san helped me put away all of my new purchases, then helped me put one of the trainers on under my shirt. Better that I start getting used to it now rather than later. I will admit that they were rather comfortable. However, I did not, exactly, look forward to experiencing the rest of my body finishing growing up. This was going to be a very strange few years for me. Dad came home a few hours later, and proceeded to be hilariously awkward with his questions during dinner. He started with a classic. “So... how was your day?” Oh, Dad. Never change. “We bought several training bras and outfits, Dad,” I answered. I barely managed to keep my face straight. Eating food shortly after speaking helps. Though watching Dad somewhat choke on his food very quickly broke my composure. “O-Oh. Is, uh...” I lost it then. Dad joined the laughter soon after. Over the next several days, Dad slowly but steadily grew more comfortable asking about how I was doing. Izuku seemed to notice that I was changing, and it made me think that he was starting too. Inko-san soon told me that he very much was. So that meant it was time for a very awkward conversation. I asked Izuku to meet with me. There's a park nearby that somehow managed to be directly in between our two apartment complexes. I arrived with my new-ish Hawks-themed bag (not a purse, no thank you, those are too much of a pain). And a few refreshing drinks and snacks. Izuku came running up in his favorite All Might shirt and shorts, with his own bag of goodies. I stood and hugged him tightly. “Hey Izuku. How are you doing?” I think I was being a bit sadistic and mean. Because I took some slightly vicious delight in watching his face turn red. “I-I-I... er, I’m good,” he stammered out. Oh Izuku, you are adorable when you do that. Whoever gets your attention is gonna be so lucky. “Come on, sit.” I took a seat on the bench I’d claimed, Izuku sat next to me. I offered him a can of his favorite soda. “Here.” “Oh! Thank you, Asuka. You didn’t have to.” “I never have to but I do anyway.” Izuku chuckled a bit. He opened the can of soda when I did and took a sip. “I think you spoil me.” “I also kick your butt every time we spar.” “N-Not every time! I almost got you last time!” “Almost, Izuku. Almost.” I looked just a tiny, itty, little bit smug then. It did the job of making Izuku roll his eyes. “But you’re damn close.” “Thanks, Asuka.” I let the topic fade. Then I took a deep breath. Then another one. Izuku started to look a bit worried and concerned. So I had to speak up before he started his muttering tic again. “Izuku, we need to talk.” “Erk!” Oops. I reached over and gently helped him clear out the spit-take I accidentally induced. “Wh-what about?” “About any feelings you might have for me.” “...oh. A-Asuka, I... sorry. I ruined our friendship didn’t I? I just started having these weird feeli-” Izuku stopped short when I put a wing in front of his face. “ Don’t ever apologize for your feelings to me again, Izuku. Emotions and feelings are natural.” I took a deep breath and moved my wing back to its neutral position. “I... I’ll be blunt. I don’t like you.” Oop. Wrong way to phrase that. “Ack! No, no! Not what I meant! I meant that I don’t like you, in the way you’re feeling for me. You’re my best friend, Izuku. And to be honest, I’m not interested in being anything other than best friends with you.” The tension and fear and hurt that had appeared on his face at my (immensely stupid dumb I’m gonna beat myself up for that later ) slip-up drained away. He sighed. “Oh. Okay. I thought... sorry.” I smiled and dragged him closer with my wing for another tight hug. “I have experience in these weird things you’re feeling, Izuku. So does my Dad. Ask either of us whatever you need to, whenever you need to. Okay?” He nodded, giving me a small watery smile. “Okay.” “So. Best friends still?” I put a fist. Izuku’s smile widened and he bumped my fist. “Best friends still.” Good. I didn’t want to lose the one friend I’d managed to make here in Japan. “Good! So. I have something else I want to ask you.” Izuku looked up. He already looked a lot calmer now that we’d cleared the air. “What is it, Asuka?” “Do you want to come watch me fly at training tomorrow? Kafu-sensei finally agreed to allow an observer.” The excitement that appeared on my friend’s face was bright enough to double as a flashlight. Over the years he’d seen me fly more than once and he took notes every time, which both improved his skill with analysis and helped me grow more efficient. But seeing me flying in training? Kafu-sensei had been extremely strict about saying no. Something about a distraction during that time being the last thing I needed. Which is fair. I mean, I’d had my fair share of crashes during my years of training, leading to several scars all across my body. Thankfully never anything so bad that I wouldn’t be able to be a hero or fly again, but still. Izuku was one of the few kids my age that didn’t really care. If anything, he thought they looked cool... you know, after several weeks of fussing over them. “Uh, you aren’t going to crash and get hurt are you?” Izuku asked, poking his index fingers together. I grinned. “Not a chance.” The sheer confidence in my voice reassured him, and he agreed to come visit and watch. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 14]
 Two years later and I was on the verge of getting my Secondary Provisional Flight License. It would mean that I’d be able to fly around the city, as long as I took off from pre-designated locations, landed at the same type of locations, and didn’t go faster than a certain speed in city airspace. If I was at a certain height or greater, though, I'd have a much higher speed limit. It would also grant me a small, pocket-sized transponder so that I could continue practicing air traffic control communications. You know, something important for flying. In addition, my wardrobe had continued to change. Every now and then rather severely. Such as nearing the peak of my growth. My physician said that most of my body was finished growing, but I might have another few centimeters of height to go. For now, though, I was very satisfied with my proportions. These days I stood at 171cm. My hips and waist had reached their full sizes, something that the doctors said were good for a young woman my age. Then I had been straight-up told that my breasts were done growing. Which, sitting at a slightly larger-than-average B-cup, was fine with me. Which led to getting new a bunch of new bras. Sports bras, specifically, due to personal preference. About a year ago I had finally, finally, fully adjusted to my new life as a female. By that I mean I was fully confident in my body and as a young woman. Yes, that includes the woman-only bodily functions that involved. As for how others saw me? Well, the officials of Aldera Middle School - the school Izuku and I attended, though not in the same classes - were not exactly happy with me. Almost entirely because I had very adamantly refused to wear the tiny ass skirt they wanted me to wear. Dad hadn’t been fully happy with me raising hell like this (though he was supportive of my feelings), and normally I would have apologized, but for this? No. I told every adult that it was either the pants or I raise even more hell. They gave in. Which kind of upset a lot of the other girls in the school, who then managed to follow my lead. Then it upset some of the boys who complained about their sudden inability to “properly appreciate” their fellow students. So you know, even though many boys (and some girls) were straight up hitting on me, the majority of the student body didn’t like me. I was quietly musing on all this while I was waiting for Izuku in the school courtyard shortly after classes ended, when I heard a small splash from nearby. Walking over to the little decorative koi pond our courtyard had, what I saw made me... upset. To say the least. I looked up and saw an equally upset Izuku. I waved to him and plucked the burnt, wet notebook out of the pond. If I’d been allowed, I think I would have flown up to him and hugged him. Izuku looked seconds away from crying as he started making his way down to me. When he got to me, I had managed to start drying the notebook. “Bakugou?” I didn’t really need to ask. Izuku nodded slightly as he took the book. “Yes. K-Kaachan was... mad when I said I wanted to go to U.A.” “He’s mad about everything. If the sky got any bluer he’d get mad for it.” Usually something like that would get at least a little smile. But not today. “Asuka... do... do you think I can be a hero?” Oh. Bakugou, you are dead . “Yes. I do. I told you that before. And I still say that you can be.” “Even though I’m Quirkless?” “Even then.” I reached out and gave him a tight hug. He didn’t return it. “Hey. Meet at the park in half an hour?” “...okay.” Unfortunately for both of us, I had to run home and take care of some chores. I don’t think I’ve run home from school as fast as I did today. Ten minutes later, my chores were done. Five minutes after that, I was in the park. And I found myself waiting. And waiting. And steadily getting worried.  Izuku should’ve been here by now... I mused, pacing around our favorite bench and keeping an eye out. Is he alright? Where is he? C’mon Izu...  I checked my phone for the time and frowned. Only a minute left. 
BOOM.
 The explosion reverberated through the air. Everyone in the park looked up and stared at the pillar of smoke, rising up from a few blocks away.  Goddammit. I grabbed my bag and ran towards it. Knowing my friend, he’d be right in front of the crowd to watch. When I got there, though... When I got there. My heart fucking dropped . Izuku was in the middle of the fiery wasteland that used to be a sidestreet, tearing into some... some mud villain. Was... was that Bakugou in it? I started pushing past the crowd and the pros (one of them looked familiar?) as I tried to reach for my friend. “Izuku! Get out of --” And then he appeared. All Might himself. I caught a touch of what he was saying. Something about... following his own ideal? I think I remembered a bit of this scene from the series back in my last life. But it’s been so long that I’m not sure. But the next part I’ll never forget. All Might had one hand on Bakugou and Izuku’s arms, and the other pulled back. “Detrooooit...” he called proudly, launching his fist forward. “SMAAASH!” The sentient mud exploded into the air. There’s no other word to describe it. And then the clouds rolled in.  Did... Did this guy just change the weather with one punch?! I thought, my jaw dropped. Holy. Shit. Okay. I see why you like him so much, Izuku. Now that the villain was gone, I was unhindered in pushing my way towards my friend. The police arrived soon enough. Mud-boy was gathered up swiftly by the pros. Some of the pros started to praise Bakugou for acting so brave and having a damn good Quirk. It kind of annoyed me a bit, but I let it go. What I didn’t let go was when they started reprimanding Izuku, who had already explained everything to me. I didn’t say anything though. There was no point. They wouldn’t have listened to me. So instead I just focused on helping Izuku up and gathering his things. He looked rather down as he wound our way through town. “...sorry.” “For what?” I asked. “...missing our meet-up.” “Hey. After that stunt? You’re alive. That’s all I care about.” Izuku smiled a little. He looked about ready to say something else. Bakugou yelled from behind us, “HEY! Deku!” Izuku jumped and turned. “K-Kaachan? What is it?” “Just... just remember that I didn’t ask for you help! I didn’t need it! Got it?!” I gave him a very flat unimpressed look. Bakugou ignored it as he turned right back around and started stomping his way home. Izuku was just as confused as I was. Then things got even weirder when All Might came sliding out of a side street. Izuku, being the otaku of all things All Might, immediately spoke up. “A-All Might? How’d you escape the media so easily?” Hm. Not the question I expected, but a valid one. All Might laughed his big, booming laugh. “Ahahaha! I stand for JUSTICE! Not sound bites!” He turned to give a big ol’ muscle flex. “Because I! I am Albllrbg!  “What the fuck?!” I will openly admit that I was very shocked and stunned by witnessing All Might turn into a tiny-ass skin-wearing skeleton puking blood. I’d known about it thanks to faint memories of the manga/anime way back then, but seeing it in person? Completely different experience. “GAH!” Skele-Might jumped back and pointed at me. “Wh-when did you get here?!” ...wait, seriously? “I was here the whole time.” I deadpanned. His shoulders dropped at that. “I think you should explain this crazy shit. Please.” He sighed. “Alright. Fine. But you can’t tell anyone.” “That’s easy enough,” I shrugged casually. I ignored Izuku staring at me like I had two heads for talking to the Number One Hero this way. All Might frowned. “I’m serious. Absolutely nobody can be told this.” “I know how to keep secrets.” He stared into my eyes for a moment. Then he sighed again, and explained everything. Even showing the wound. Afterwards, he turned to Izuku. “Young man... I wanted to talk to you. About your question earlier.” Izuku looked up. “My... my question? About... being a Quirkless Hero?” 
Oh, Izuku.
 All Might nodded. “And to thank you.” Huh? “You were very heroic and selfless act back there, where even pro heroes were frozen. It was inspiring. Your bravery inspired me. And if it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to join in and save you and your other friend.” I glanced at Izuku. He looked like he was starting to understand where All Might was going with this. “Young man.” All Might finally said. “You can become a hero.” And there go the waterworks. I wrapped a wing around Izuku. “See? I told you so. Even All Might says it.” Izuku managed a weak chuckle. “Why are you always so huggy?” “Because you like hugs.” All Might chuckled. “I have an offer for you, Young Midoriya.” Both Izuku and I looked up. “I want you to inherit my Quirk.”  What. A memory resurfaced in my mind right then. Oh. Wait, that’s right. One for All is a transferable Quirk. I do remember that bit.  It seems Izuku was just as confused as I was, though. He even started his whole muttering montage. All Might wore a hilarious combination of confused, interested, and amused. I shrugged to him and proceeded to do the usual. “Izu.” I poked him, physically and verbally. “Izu. Oi. Don’t make me do it.” No answer. Fine then. “You asked for it.” It was an old trick I used for getting Izuku to stop focusing on his muttering and to focus on reality. A very, very old trick, taught to all young Americans of my time through the magical power of cartoons. The Art... of Feather Tickling. With wings like mine, it’s extremely effective. It took all of two seconds for Izuku to be on the ground laughing and begging to be let free. Inko-san had told me all of his weak points. Not that I’ll tell him that. I stopped a few seconds later just in time to see All Might taking a photo with his phone camera. “Can I get a copy of that?” All Might chuckled. “Absolutely.” Izuku finally stood up. “That was mean, Asu-chan.” “Worth it. You were lost in thought. Very loud thought. As usual.” “He does this often?” All Might asked and just chuckled again when I nodded. “Anyway. As it is, young man. Let me explain.” “Uh,” I felt a tad awkward about this. “Do... you want me to leave?” All Might looked at me. And I mean, really looked at me. Almost like he was seeing into my soul. Then he shook his head. “No. Young Midoriya seems to trust you. That is enough for me.” All Might explained to us the source of all his power, his Quirk, and how it was transferrable. I’ll be honest, it was actually quite interesting. Shortly after Izuku (rather enthusiastically) agreed to it, a thought occurred to me and I frowned. So I spoke up, naturally. “Mr. All Might.” They both looked to me. “I think you need to allow Izu to explain all of this to his mother, too. She deserves to know.” Izuku frowned at this. “I... I think you’re right, Asu-chan. Mom needs to know.” All Might looked between us. He sighed, smiling lightly. “Alright. I’ll explain it to her too. For now... Let’s please exchange phone numbers.” That took a few minutes on its own, and All Might promptly sent me the photo I’d asked for. Then he asked for permission to speak to me alone. I’ll admit it, I got a bit nervous. I mean, he is the Number One Hero. Izuku looked at me, and only agreed to it when I nodded. “I’ll catch up to you at school tomorrow, Izu.” I gave him another hug. “Get yourself home. And no more villain fighting tonight.” He chuckled. “Yes boss, will do boss.” Brat learned that kind of shit from me. He laughed as he dodged my swipe with my wing, and waved to me before running home. All Might looked amused again. I needed to head home, too. “Would you mind if we talked while walking?” “Of course not.” He said, walking alongside me. It’s a very surreal feeling to walk with a celebrity like this. “You two seem to be very close.” “We’ve been best friends for years,” I admitted. “What did you want to talk about?” When I looked, it seemed like he was considering what to say. All Might opened his mouth to say something, then somewhat visibly reconsidered. “Are you also applying to U.A.?” “I will be, yes. Someone has to keep Izuku from being a mutter-machine.” I am not above potshots. All Might chuckled again. Even as Skele-Man it’s a good laugh. “Yes, I suppose you do. I look forward to seeing you at U.A.” “Thank you, All Might. I’ll be sure to see you there.” “Good.” He offered his hand, and I shook it. “And do not worry. I will see to it that Young Midoriya makes it as well.” “And you’ll tell his mother, right?” He sighed again. “I... will admit that I do not entirely wish to. But I do understand your reasoning. I will arrange to meet her with Young Midoriya next week.” “Alright.” I understood that one. Awkward talks be awkward. “Thank you for helping Izuku, All Might-sama.” I bowed deeply to him, ignoring the way he started trying to get me to stand. “Izu... Midoriya-kun has been dreaming of being a hero for years . To hear from you, his idol, that he can be a hero... thank you.” All Might knelt down and hugged me. “He’s a very spirited and kind young man. I’ll see to it that he becomes a great hero.” He helped me straighten up. “And I hope that you’ll help me do that.” “I will.” All Might and I shook hands one more time, before we parted ways. As I walked home, though, I couldn’t help but wonder. 
What was he about to ask me earlier?
 That thought plagued my mind the entire walk home, and bounced around the inside of my head all the way until I fell asleep. My sleep was interrupted very early morning by a text message. Blinking blearily, I was surprised that it was a message from All Might. Opening up my phone, I just about lost it laughing. What the hell was Izu doing crying on the beach like that? And was that... the dump beach? Okay. Time to go investigate. I threw on a few of my clean-ish workout clothes, one of my sports bras (the only kind of bra I actually owned), and went out to the kitchen. Dad looked up from his breakfast at the dining table. “Asu-chan? You’re not usually up this early.” He watched me snag a high-energy snack and throw on my shoes. “And... you’re leaving...?” “Izu is doing some early morning training and I want to go help and watch.” It was technically true. I grabbed my exercise bag off its hook near the door. “Oh. Okay. I’ll be gone when you get back before school.” “Okay Dad.” I gave him a quick hug. “Bye Dad!” I’m pretty sure Dad looked somewhat bemused as I closed to door. It happens sometimes. Or fairly often with me. I do that to people. When I got to the beach, I found Skele-Might being more or less a drill sergeant to Izu, with Izu pushing himself to clear the beach. I sauntered up to them very casually. Very quietly. “So. How’s he doing?” I took a little bit of enjoyment in making All Might jump. “Boo.” It is hilarious seeing a top pro hero clutching their chest after a spook. “He’s alright. Better than I expected him to be at this point.” “We’ve been doing martial arts and exercise and training together for a few years. Nothing too heavy.” All Might nodded. “Hurry it up Midoriya! This place won’t clean itself!” Izuku managed to glance at me, looking confused, while nodding. “Yes sir!” Then he went back to it. “Um, Skele-Might?” Oops. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. All Might sputtered and laughed, though. “Skele-Might?! Pfftahahaha!” Oh. He liked it. Good. “What is it, Gōkin-san? Midoriya-kun gave me your name.” Ah. That explained that. “Since I’m here, I figured I might as well do some flight training...” “And you want to know if I’m certified to supervise.” All Might smiled and gave me a thumbs up. “You’re all set. The area right by the sea is open enough for you.” I looked over, and yes it was. “Thank you!” I dropped my exercise bag near where I was going to be taking off and landing, then began my warm-up stretches. It was kind of chilly out, so they’re definitely necessary. In particular I stretched out my leg, back, abdominal, and shoulder muscles. Those were the muscles that I used the most in flight. I did a quick inspection of my wings, and put on a small wrist-mounted altimeter/watch (Kafu-sensei gave it to me when I got my first license). Then when I was satisfied, I spread them to the full 7-meter wingspan. I crouched down low, letting all of my power and energy gather in my legs. I raised my wings very high up, letting the tips point almost straight up towards the sky. Then I let all of that power loose, pushing off the ground as hard as I could, jumping as high as I was able. And my wings slammed downward. There was a very solid, loud WHOOM . Plumes of wet sand burst upwards with me. I was about 10 meters straight up, which was perfect for a second flap. This was where my flight muscles - some of the few muscles in my body that still had Super-Strength from my initial Quirk - came into play. I raised my wings and slammed them down once more. With the power from my flight muscles providing the sheer power and speed needed, I took to the air. It took several more flaps to reach my beginning height. I always started a session of flight training with simply treading air. It’s basically the same thing as treading water. Just, you know, way up in the air. Kafu-sensei has beat it into my head that this is a very important skill for a flier. There are very few better means of simply observing your surroundings that managing to be high in the air, in a more-or-less stable position. Checking my altimeter, I took mental note of the fact that I was nearly 150 meters up. My current provisional license allowed for up to 160 meters. I spent several minutes just hovering as best I could, watching my altimeter the entire time. I found myself extremely happy to find that my variance was only a couple of meters this time. Now it was time to practice maneuvers. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself mentally. Then I snapped my wings shut and tucked into a small ball, throwing my weight forward. I’m pretty sure All Might yelled something, but I was too focused to notice. Instead, after a few seconds of simply falling, I spread my limbs wide and snapped my wings open. Bleeding away speed rapidly with a simple Immelmann. For those not in the know, an Immelmann means that I was flying in a sharp curve from my new level altitude, up to a higher altitude. Normally I would flip over so that my stomach wasn’t facing up, but I needed to practice flying upside down. It is exceedingly disorienting. But it’s also an important skill. Or so Kafu-sensei tells me. My training consisted of repeating and practicing the various maneuvers I was able to do on my own. It consisted of Cuban Eights (basically figure-eights in the air); Immelmann and reverse Immelmann turns (half-loops used to basically do a vertical u-turn); and a few different type of loops. I also made sure to practice aileron rolls, barrel rolls (do a barrel roll!). My personal favorite is the Kulbit. It’s an extremely tight-spaced loop. Given that I fly under my own power, the loop is extremely small. It’ll be useful in the future, I have no doubt. Nearly an hour passed before I came in for a landing. I grabbed my post-flight snack from my bag. Then I did a very good vacuum impression. Skele-Might and Izu were waiting for me. I take that back.  All Might was waiting for me. He came over, Izuku close behind, and gave me a very proud grin. “You are a natural in the air, Gōkin-san! Young Midoriya finished his day of training several minutes ago. He’s been taking notes since!” Izuku was indeed finishing his notes. I smiled, “Izu does that, yeah. He’s real good at analyzing stuff. So having him watch and take notes gives me tips on how to improve, and it gives his analytical skills practice.” All Might let his muscle form vanish as he nodded. “I see, I see. Yes I have seen some of his notes. It is very impressive!” “Done, Asu-chan!” Izu held out the notebook. “Thank you, Izu.” I accepted it graciously. I looked up at the piles of trash. “Looks like you moved... three pieces of trash?” Izu whined at my good-natured ribbing, “Hey! I did at least six!” Skele-Might started moving us off the beach. “Alright kids. It’s almost time for you two to get to school. You should be getting ready.” I checked my wristwatch and winced. Shit . I gave the boys a quick farewell, grabbed my bag and ran home as fast as I could. When Izuku and I met up at school, he looked nearly dead on his feet. “Ten. Months.” He muttered as I helped him into the school. I winced. “Ouch. Ten months of this?” He nodded. I frowned to myself, then nodded firmly. “Well. I’ll join you every day.” “Wh-what? Asu-chan, you don’t-” “I don’t have to, but I want to. Exercise is more fun with friends. That and I need to step up my training as it is before U.A.” It was true. While I was making progress, I wasn’t fully satisfied with it. I needed more power, to be better , and to do that faster . I approached All Might the next morning about this, and he agreed to help train me. I even contacted Kafu-sensei about it and got his blessing. And thus began ten months of our Training From Hell.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Sixth

Exam Pressures
 
[Asuka Gōkin, Age 15]
 Welp. Today’s the day. The day of the Entrance Exam to U.A. Izu, All Might, and myself met up at the beach at our usual time. I’d had to miss a few days during the past ten months of training to deal with personal things. But the best thing had happened about halfway through. I... now had my Secondary Provisional Flier’s License. This meant that I could fly (almost) anywhere in Japan. Dad had earned another promotion and was able to afford purchasing a permit that allowed me to take off from the top of our apartment building. It was a bit expensive, though. (He’d also gotten me a kind of fancy camera for my birthday. Told me to take as many photos as I could from the air.) Anyway. We met up. Izuku was in his middle school uniform, as was I. We both had our bags with us. “So...” I started. “How goes control training?” Izuku sighed explosively and flopped onto the sandy beach. “Horribly. It’s so hard!” Skele-Might gave us his belly-deep laugh. “Young Midoriya has made tremendous progress! It is difficult, yes. But the fact that he was ready to inherit my Quirk earlier than today means his body has made progress adjusting.” As it turns out, when I (totally didn’t) drag Izuku into martial arts a few years ago, it had already started training his body. All Might’s training program had simply dialed it up to eleven. This meant that Izuku had been able to inherit One for All earlier this week, and they’d started control training. “Slowly. Got it.” I reached down and pulled Izu up. “You’ll get it down soon enough. Exam’s today. Are you ready?” “Yes!” Izuku squeezed his fist. “I’m so ready!” “Then we should get going.” All Might (holy shit, when did he change forms?!) clasped a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “Go on ahead, Young Gōkin! I must discuss some things with Young Midoriya.” I shrugged. “Okay. I’ll meet you there, Izu.” I pulled him into a tight hug, then stepped back to prepare to take off. “Boys, don’t spend too long discussing girls.” I couldn’t help the tease. Considering that All Might sputtered hard enough to return to Skele-Might, and Izu looked like a beet, it was worth it. I was absolutely not sorry as I took off into the sky.  God I love flying. I couldn’t help the small grin that I had as I flew over the city. Kafu-sensei, thank you for all your awesome help. You too, All Might.  The both of them had pushed me really, really hard the past few months. It took an absolute fuckload of work. But now I was able to take off from the ground without having to jump up first. I was also now able to fly for much longer than I used to, my endurance having gone way, way up as a result of that super-intense training. On a related note, I have gained weight just from muscle density. My super-strength muscles had loved it, too. It was very difficult to improve my muscles, though. Muscles improve by being broken and repairing, over and over again. My muscles are infused with my super-toughness. So it was even harder to break them in the first place. But when it worked, it worked really well. This meant that my flight endurance went skyrocketing (get it? Get it? Ayyyyy). Ten months ago it was pushing it to fly longer than forty-five minutes. Now? I could last nearly two hours. More than enough time to get to U.A. And seeing as I had plenty of time before the Entrance Exam, I took my sweet time. I did a few slow loops, took a few aerial photos (made sure my camera was strapped to my wrist the entire time). It was a very nice day for a good flight. I got rather distracted by it, though, so I might have arrived at the gates a little later than I’d planned. Just in time to see Izuku get poked by another girl and then start floating in place.  Huh. That’s a new one. I made my approach, just in time as the other girl left. And while Izu was blushing over the entire encounter. “So. New friend, Izu?” “GAH! Asu-chan! It’s not nice to sneak up on people!” “But it’s so funny!” Izuku pouted. “Asu-chan!” “Come on, Izu, it’s time to get into U.A.” I started dragging him forward with my wing. Yes I was avoiding looking at the adorably pouty Izuku. Inside one of the school amphitheatres, after the written exam had finished, it turned out that Izuku and I were lucky enough to be seated next to each other. Probably due to applying together. Un fortunately, Bakugou was on the other side of Izu. But before we had a chance to talk, someone from U.A. got up on stage. I recognized him from Izu’s notebooks, the pro hero known as Present Mic. Izuku immediately started fanboying. Quietly, at least. “It’s the Vocal Hero, Present Mic! I listen to his radio shows every day of the week! It’s so cool that U.A. has --” “Shut uuup.” Bakugou growled. It only served to get Izuku’s mouth shut. Then Present Mic spoke. And he was as hammy as every other radio show host I’d heard. He also looked kind of punk rock-ish. “What’s up U.A. Candidates? Present Mic here! Your resident school D.J.!” He spread his arms super wide over his head, like a big Y. “C’mon and lemme hear ya!” Then his hand was put to his ear. Silence. Absolute. Silence. It was... kind of sad. Just when he was about to move on, I decided to let my inner American show. “YEAH!” I may have also stood up and threw an arm up. For good measure. (I will privately admit that I sweated a bit just doing this. I’m not that good in front of big crowds. I just wanted to answer Present Mic for the hell of it.) Izuku slapped a hand to his face and tried to make himself appear small. Bakugou ignored me. A lot of other people stared. Present Mic gave me a big thumbs up. “Sweet! Alllright, let’s get right into how this practical exam is gonna go down! Are you reeeady?! Yeeeah!” Izuku immediately tried to sink further into his seat as I cheered again. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn’t the only one. “Glad to see you’re waking up your spirit! So once I’m done explaining, you’re all gonna go to the urban battle centers we assigned when you all applied! Sound good?” Izu, Bakugou, and I all looked at our little info cards. I was assigned to Battle Center C. Glancing over, Izu was in Center B, and Bakugou in A. Hm. Probably to avoid friends from teaming up too much. They were looking to do individual examinations, not examine us in groups of friends. “Okay okay! Let’s explain the targets! Each battle center will be loaded with three different types of faux villains! You’ll be awarded points equivalent to their difficulty and by how well you use your Quirk in battle.” Present Mic made sure to point out each of the three silhouettes that appeared on the massive screens behind him. They surrounded the 16-bit city that was there. At this part, though, he spun and pointed at us all. “But keep things heroic! Attacking other examinees is a U.A. no-no! You got it?” That’s when someone in a light tan suit stood up. Hand raised and all. “Excuse me sir, I have a question!” “Alright, let’s hear it!” Tan suit man held up a sheet. One of the print outs. “On this print out, there are four villains listed. If this is an error, then it is shameful! As examinees of Japan’s most prestigious school, we expect the best. In addition!” At this he turned and pointed directly at Izu. “You! With the unkempt hair!” Izu pointed at himself, nervously for a reason. “M-Me?” My eyes narrowed at this guy. I’m not above admitting that my wings ruffled a bit. I did it a little pointedly, too. Tan suit man glared at Izuku. “You’ve been muttering this entire time. Stop it. If you can’t take this exam seriously, then leave. ” Izu slapped his hands over his mouth, looking terribly embarrassed. I didn’t hesitate to hug him. Present Mic thanked the guy for “calling in” (pfft, what a terrible joke), and explained it. The fourth faux villain was, in essence, a trap. An enemy that was worth zero points. The other three types were worth anywhere between one and three points. Tan suit guy finally bowed while apologizing for interrupting, then sat back down. “That’s all I have for you!” Mic announced at last. “We’ll let all of you move on out to your assigned battle centers soon, but before you go, some advice. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, that a hero is someone who overcomes life’s misfortunes. Now, with that. Are you all ready to go beyond? Plus ULTRA!” Okay. I’ll admit this part, too. I cheered it along with Present Mic. Then it was time to get onto the transport buses. I had hoped to have the time to talk (read: scold) to tan-suit-boy, but no luck. I wasn’t allowed to fly until the exam began. I did understand why, though. I mean... flying was going to make this villain hunt extremely easy. I stood far behind the crowd, because the moment the buzzer went off I was gonna be in the air and I didn't want to hit anyone with my wings. We’d all been given the chance to change into exercise/training gear. For me, it was just basically removing my middle school uniform and putting on my (new) favorite khakis, a pair of basic boots, and a newer version of lilac-blue long-sleeved shirt I’d grown to love. And my altimeter watch, of course. I had another advantage that I don’t think they knew about, though. Another piece of faint memory. Rescue points. I don’t fully recall the details behind how it worked, but I could guess. It would give me a tiny bit more of an advantage on things to look out for. I couldn’t really see the inside of the battle center, but I could gue-- "Battle Start!”  Everyone jumped a little at the very sudden call. Myself included. But I was definitely one of the kids to react the fastest. Then again, I also had the blessing of not having to wait for the (way, waaay too big) gates to open. So naturally, while everyone else was stuck waiting for that, I was taking to the air. By the time the gates had opened, I’d already found a group of robots, hiding in a far corner. I dove for them head first. A 3-pointer looked up. “Target spotted, target locked.” I flipped around, flared my wings to keep myself from going splat , and promptly crushed it under my boots. “Target victorious!” The other two robots spun towards me. A pair of 2-pointers, on either side of me. It’d be easy to leave or break them now. But I wanted to have at least a little fun. So instead I waited for juuuuust the right moment. Like when the one in front of me launched it’s retractable claw, right as the one behind me did. “Ha!” I ducked under the strikes and had a good laugh at making them destroy each other. “Mr. Incredible gives good ideas.” Yes, that idea did mostly come from The Incredibles . Fantastic movie.  I wonder if it’s still around. I mused as I took off again. I should look it up.  That’s when I found a boy with... did he actually have the head of a bird? Something like a crow? Maybe a raven? Either way, he was surrounded by a bunch of robots. I hovered there for a minute to just watch. “Dark Shadow!” The boy called. Then some very odd darkness (crushing-despair-endlessnothing) shot from his body and struck several of the ‘bots around him. They shattered like paper mache toys. Of course, he didn’t notice the bits of robot coming from the air. So I dove for it, and managed to kick it out of the way. He glanced towards me. “...my thanks,” he finally said. “You’re welcome. Good luck with the rest of the exam.” And I was off again. I couldn’t... simply couldn’t be around that shadow for any longer than I needed to be. I didn’t expect to see him for the rest of exam. Instead I focused on going from air to ground repeatedly. I helped a few others out of tough spots, and in return, they helped me. Though, near the end, I wound up surrounded by a small group of robots that were too close. And the street was too small. I’d need to move out towards a larger road to get enough space. So naturally, I was stuck using the martial arts I’d been training in for years. The one that I’d adjusted to use my wings with it. I lunged for the 1-pointer in front of me. I planted my left foot, spun forward and gave a sharp kick to it’s head from my right leg. Before I’d even finished spinning, my left wing snapped out behind me and swatted aside another 1-pointer. My right foot finally landed. Immediately I snapped my left leg straight forward. The 2-pointer was on the receiving end of having it’s head violently removed. My right wing managed to take the hit from the last remaining 1-pointer that was now behind me. I grunted from the strike. It had hurt . Less than I’d expected, but it was still painful.  I still managed to smash it into the wall with my right wing, though. I took the moment of peace to catch my breath. But then I heard it. It sounded like... like some wannabe Mechagodzilla sort of thing. I was several stories up in the air before I’d even realized that I’d taken off.  ...oh. I guess I would have been able to fly out of there. I resisted the urge to facepalm. So stupid... okay. Where’s the -- HOLY SHIT!  The wannabe Mechagodzilla I mentioned? It was big enough to be on eye level with me. And I was nearly (I checked my altimeter real quick) 30 meters in the air. Welp. There’s no kill like overkill, I suppose. I was just about to make my escape from it, seeing as it wasn’t worth any points. Except for one, little, itty bitty issue. The boy from earlier was it’s target. And he was trapped in a dead end. His shadow Quirk was in front of him. I could leave and let him handle it. Or...  Oh who am I kidding? I charged. Straight to the ground, next to him. My muscles pulled taut just from proximity to his shadow (nothing). He glanced my way. “You didn’t have to come back for me.” “You’re right, I didn’t. But I chose to.” No matter how much your Quirk utterly terrifies me. “So. Fight or escape?” The robot seemed ready to shoot something at us. I don’t know what, but considering the sheer amount of charge time, I didn’t really want to know. The boy seemed to agree. “Let us run for now.” “Alright. Straight under?” He nodded. “It seems the most logical. Dark Shadow, please cover us.” “Right!” I jumped a bit when the shadowy Quirk spoke. Right as the robot moved to fire it’s attack, it’s lower half gave us a very wide opening. We took our chance. Less than three seconds later, rubble erupted from where the robot attacked. The boy’s Quirk (Dark Shadow, I think it’s called?) kept most of it off us. I used my wings to cover our heads. I winced every time the rocks bounced off, though. Especially where they hit the already-bruising spot on my right wing. That 1-pointer earlier had hit it harder than I’d thought. As we ran, what looked like a mouth on a tentacle poked out from the inside of a building. “Hey! In here! It can’t hit you in here!” Shadow-Boy and I glanced at each other. Then I shrugged and ducked into the empty building. Shadow-Boy was right behind me. All three of us hid as the Zero-Pointer moved on, and we caught our breath. I took the chance to look them over. Shadow-Boy did, indeed, have the head of a raven. Beak, feathers, all of it. Though from what I could tell, he had normal human teeth. And he was obviously able to speak. He also happened to be a tad shorter than me. His Quirk, Dark Shadow, still frightened me. But the fact it could speak had... well, it had helped me to relax a tad. The boy wore what amounted to a gym shirt and workout pants. The other one was much taller than I was. The lower portion of his face was covered by a skin-tight blue-grey cloth. He wore a sleeveless shirt (for obvious reasons, actually), and what appeared to be gym pants. His arms had two connected arm-like protrusions sticking out from behind them. One of which had a mouth on it, and the other had an eye. The eye was looking out the door. I decided to break the proverbial ice. “Thank you for helping us out of there.” Tall boy looked over and nodded. “You’re welcome.” He held out his (actual) hand, and I shook it. “Mezō Shōji.” “Gōkin Asuka.” I offered my hand to Shadow-Boy. He accepted it, too. “Tokoyami Fumikage.” He pointed to his Quirk. “This is Dark Shadow. My Quirk.” Dark Shadow smirked proudly. “I’m the better half!” I will admit that the fact his Quirk was both talking, and making jokes, helped to ease the fear (terror) I felt just from being so close to it.  But... I’m sorry, Tokoyami-san, I mused quietly. I made sure to keep my expression clear. Your Quirk still terrifies me.  “You can see my Quirk,” Mezō mentioned. There was a mouth on one of his tentacle-arms again. I’m gonna have to get used to that. “Lets me do this.” “And you can see mine.” I shuffled my wings a bit. “Kind of hard to miss.” Tokoyami opened his mouth (beak?) to speak again, but we all jumped a bit when Present Mic’s voice cut through the air. 
“Time is OOOOOUUUUTT! If you have any injuries that require attention and can move, please make your way towards the entrance of your assigned Battle Center! The infirmary team will meet you there!”
 Well then. I turned to the other boys. “Shall we get going then, boys?” They nodded and we made our way out. I almost started flying again, but when I tried to spread my wings, there was a distinct twinge of pain from my right wing. Particularly from where it’d been hit. So there went that plan. “Are you hurt?” Tokoyami asked. I glanced over and was a bit surprised to see Dark Shadow gone. He was looking at my wings. “He hides inside me when he’s not in use.” “Ah. And yes, my wing’s hurt.” I sighed. “Damn, my feathers are probably all fucked up too.” “They are a bit, yes.” Tokoyami mentioned. “Some are broken, as well.” “I’m not surprised.” I sighed. Broken feathers are a pain in the ass . Emphasis on pain . “It’ll have to wait until I can actually move my wing, though.” Dark Shadow popped out of Tokoyami. I’ll admit I flinched back a bit. Trauma is hard to get past. Thankfully, it didn’t comment on it. Instead, Dark Shadow said, 
“Tokoyami loves fixing feathers! He’d help!”
 “ Dammit Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami swore vehemently. In vain, though, because Dark Shadow just cackled as he retreated. I looked over at Tokoyami as he fumed. It was a bit hard to see, and I think Mezō missed it. But I spotted some ruffled feathers on Tokoyami's cheeks. I’m not sure why, though...  Didn’t Mom’s notes say something about wing care? I mused as we walked on in more silence. It was a bit awkward now. We were nearing the gates. Uh... oh. OH. Goddammit Dark Shadow. I am not above admitting that I started blushing. “Tokoyami-san?” He jumped a bit. “Uh. Y-Yes?” “Do you feel everything Dark Shadow feels?” “Uh... we can choose not to share... why?” “Could you, uh, bring him out for me? And not share what you feel.” Now Tokoyami looked confused, but interested. Mezō was watching silently. Dark Shadow appeared right in front of me a moment later. 
“Hey whatcha need? Feather fixi-OW!”
 Tokoyami was straight up gaping at me. Dark Shadow was rubbing his head from where I’d hit him. 
“What gives?!”
 I just glared at him. His indignation died fast. Thank you, Inko-san, for teaching me how to glare effectively. “None of that shipping bullshit, brat.” Dark Shadow grumbled as he retreated back into Tokoyami once more. Tokoyami was still gaping. Mezō was trying not to laugh. I tried (and failed) to not look too happy about it. Our time hanging out at the gates while awaiting first aid was much more jovial after that. Once we’d all received the care we needed, Mezō had waved and left. Tokoyami and I exchanged phone numbers, having talked rather in depth about feather care. We shared tips, discussed our different methods and how much our feathers differed in texture, feel. We exchanged promises to text each other notes on feather care. Afterwards I flew back towards the U.A. entrance. Now that the exam was over, I was cleared to again. I landed once more in the little courtyard in front of the main building. There’s a little pre-designated (and very clearly labeled) landing zone for fliers like me, too. I waited by the entrance for Izuku. And waited. And waited. As the minutes passed, I grew worried. All the way until Inko-san texted me that he was home already. And appeared to be rather... depressed, to say the least. Well. I knew what my plans for tonight had become. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 15. Seven Days Later, Post-Exam.]
 My wings had healed fantastically after the exam. Recovery Girl had helped. Every applicant had been told to expect to receive our results by the end of the week. Thankfully it was during our 10-day Spring Break from middle school. Which meant that I could spend a lot of time with Izuku and trying to cheer him up. Tokoyami and I met up as well. I managed to drag Izu along, and it definitely helped to get him to relax a little more. The first time we’d met up after the exam, two days after, Dark Shadow had still been a bit annoyed with me. But he did apologize. I did too, though. I may not like Dark Shadow all that much (and not entirely it’s fault, to be fair), but I probably shouldn’t have hit him like that. The next day I’d dragged Izu along. Tokoyami (and by extension Dark Shadow) was a mixture of amused, impressed, and downright scared by Izuku’s ability to analyze and figure out his Quirk. It had helped to slightly raise Izu’s spirits and get him smiling again. Inko-san had thanked me for that quite a lot. And then the results came in. As a small projector. Dad was off at work again when it came, but I’d promised to call him with the results. “Have no fear. Because I am HERE! As a PROJECTION this time!” Welp. I knew that boisterous voice anywhere. “Here to grant you the news you’ve been waiting for! Gōkin Asuka. During the Entrance Exam, you passed the written portion. For the practical portion, you were awarded... 34 Villain points and 26 Rescue points!” All Might (projection forme!) reached out a hand. “Now. Come, Gōkin-san, and join us at U.A.! We look forward to having you here.” If anyone is curious, yes. Yes, I was crying tears of joy from this news. This was some of the best news I’d gotten in a long, long time. All of my hard work and training. The constant training and exercise, all of it... it had worked. So yes. I cried tears of joy. I cried hard enough to start hiccuping. I was halfway reaching for my phone when I noticed the projection hadn’t stopped. “Now then, one more thing, Gōkin-san,” All Might continued. “Several things were noted from your psychological examinations prior to your application. Some of the staff of U.A. would like to meet with you in three days to discuss these notes.” ...huh. That’s odd. I mean, I knew of the exam he was talking about. All applicants had been required to provide a full physical that had been updated within the last six months, and a psychiatric examination with the same requisite. My physical had gone fine. The psychiatrist had been a bit different. It’s... part of the reason Dark Shadow’s appearance had triggered my fears so strongly. Or maybe I would have reacted that way no matter what, I don't know. I’d had to come clean on my fears, and I’m almost certain it was heavily noted. ...well there was also the fact I kept acting far more maturely than a girl my (physical) age should. I, perhaps rather foolishly, took full advantage of an adults’ ridiculous ability to completely ignore the truth, if it's ridiculous enough. Even when it’s presented directly to their faces. Of course I’d forgotten that everything I said was recorded. So perhaps the staff had noticed something about that...  Oh well. Too late now. I wasn’t too worried about that. Then I managed to call Dad to share the news without any further interruption. I’m pretty sure we were both crying from the news. “I’m so, so proud of you, Asu-chan,” Dad told me. Yup, he was sniffling a little. To be fair, I was too. “...your mother would be so very proud.” I blinked at that. “She would? Really?” “Yes. Our little girl. Going to be a Hero. She would be very proud.”My tears started up again. I deeply, dearly wished that Mom (both this life’s and the one from my last life), could see me here. “...thank you, Daddy.” “So, Asu-chan, when do classes start?” Dad and I talked for another half an hour. He (very insistently) made plans for a celebratory dinner. Inko-san and Izu were going to be there as well, as she’d messaged him with good news. Of course, after hearing that, I had to message Izu. Dad had to go back to work as it was. So we said our farewells over the phone (with promises to talk a lot more very soon). Then I texted Izu to meet at the park in a few minutes. Or else I’d steal all his All Might merch. That got him to agree to it real fast. Naturally, when we met up, there were many a cheers and teary-eyed hugs. We talked all afternoon about how our tests went. We made our way down to our little training beach as we talked. I (gently-ish) smacked Izu on the head when I heard what happened. “We told you to be more careful with your Quirk!” Izu rubbed his head. “I know, I know, I just... I moved without thinking.” “You usually do.” “Hey!” I laughed. “So. That girl you saved. The same one that kept you from tripping?” Izu nodded, blushing a bit. Oooh. “Yeah. She’s really nice.” “My oh my, what’s this?” I couldn’t resist. Izuku groaned and covered his face. “Does Izu-” “Asu-chan!” “-have a cute little-” “Asu-chaaaan! Stooooop!” “-crush on someone?” I was unrepentant as Izu blushed more. He pouted. “Done?” I thought about it. Then I shrugged. “For now, yes.” Izuku groaned again. Then he blinked. Then he smirked a bit.  Uh oh. I’ve taught him too well. I found myself wondering what he was thinking. “Don’t you have a little crush on Tokoyami-san, Asu-chan?” ...that was not what I expected. It was such a surprise question that I know that I started blushing too. But I had also stopped walking as I thought about it. “...Asuka?” “Honestly, Izu? I don’t know if I do.” I smiled a bit when Izuku wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, I figured Tokoyami-san and I were friends, but I don’t know about a crush.” Izuku nodded. “I understand, Asu-chan. Just remember.” Oh boy. “I reserve the right to tease you if you do.” I sighed. “Fiiiiine. I do it to you, so it’s only fair.” “So Asu-chan. How fast can you fly now?” Izu suddenly had his notebook and pencil in hand. I chuckled. “I’m... not sure, Izu.” I frowned a bit as we resumed walking. “I don’t think I’ve ever fully tested that. Though I do know that once I get the Full Flier’s License, I’ll be legally allowed to carry people outside of emergencies.” Izuku looked excited at that. I’ve been teasing him with that idea for years at this point, so it makes sense. We started heading back into to town. Specifically towards the restaurant that our families were going to meet up at. Let me explain the flight licenses. Specifically the ones for people with wings or other means of flying, were not easy to earn. But they could be earned much faster and sooner than a Pro Hero license. When the first flying Quirk had been found, that person decided to be a hero. But Hero Committees had figured something out about their Quirk very fast. In cases of emergencies, a Quirk that granted one’s self flight was exceedingly useful. The Committees had determined that it allowed for a very fast, and extremely reliable, means of providing emergency aid and communication. So while a Flight License didn’t allow for actual hero duties or activities, it would allow a flier to aid the heroes from the air. Things like finding survivors, watching for attackers, directing emergency vehicles, etc. A Pro Hero License also doubled as a Full Flight License, for those that it applied to. This was the entire reason my Secondary Provisional License allowed me to fly as much as it did. That and it took me nearly seven years to earn. The World Flight Committee required a minimum of six . And I had the advantage of extra life experience! “Asu-chan.” I stopped short and looked behind me at Izuku. Who was standing in front of the restaurant we were meeting our parents at. “...oops.” “You get lost in thought more than I do.” “Hey!” 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 15. Three days later, at U.A.]
 I found myself walking the halls of U.A., wearing semi-casual clothes and a visitor’s badge. Trying to find the teacher’s lounge. I eventually found it by spotting the sign, and the fact that the door was partially open. Before I could open the door, though, it seemingly opened on its own. Looking down, I spotted a strange looking white-furred creature, with a scar down their right eye, holding the door open. “Hello! Am I a bear, a mouse, or a dog? Who knows?” They - no, he said. The voice helped. “But more importantly, I’m the Principal! Principal Nezu!” I bowed politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Principal Nezu.” I straightened only when he bowed back. “As for what you are, I vote chimera.” He blinked a bit. “Chimera?” “A chimera. Specifically, a mixture of mouse, bear, and dog.” Nezu chuckled a bit at that. “It is not a bad guess, I will agree. Please, come in, we have much to discuss.” He stepped aside and allowed me. “Thank you.” I stepped into the lounge. Wow this is rather lavish for a teacher's lounge, isn’t it? Though I guess they are pro heroes...  Nezu climbed onto the couch and gestured to the chair across from him. “Please, take a seat.” I thanked him again and took the offered seat. Then I noticed someone out of the corner of my eye and turned. “This is Aizawa Shōta, one of the teachers here at U.A.” Principal Nezu introduced him. I bowed as best as I could from my seat. “Pleasure to meet you, Aizawa-sensei.” “Would you like any tea, Gōkin-san?” Nezu asked. He had three tea cups in front of him, a tea kettle and a bowl of various flavors. There was also a manila folder with my name on it. “Thank you for the offer, sir, but I’ve never really been one for tea.” Nezu nodded as he finished pouring himself a cup of... chai? Green tea? I dunno. Aizawa was polite enough to offer me a bottle of water. I thanked him and accepted it. “Pardon me for asking such a personal question,” Nezu began after he took a sip. “But how old were you when you died in your previous life?” “Old enough to drink and gamble, young enough to only need a single night to recover.” Both the adults paused and just looked at me like I was crazy. I couldn’t help but giggle a little. Nezu chuckled with me. “You must have expected the question, then.” I shrugged and nodded. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. I wasn’t exactly hiding my rebirth during the psych exam.” “No, you did not. During the Entrance Exam as well, we noticed you displaying strength, and the ability to remain calm, in nearly the entirety of the simulation. Except...” “Except when I was near Tokoyami-san’s Quirk.” Nezu nodded. “Yes. Did it remind you of the Nothing?” I swallowed and clenched my hands tight, white-knuckle tight. I hated hated thinking of that... that place . That never-ending, constant, soul-crushing, 
N̥̦̖o̪̳͖͢T̵̩̻̤h̲͉͚̱̲͇͖I͚͍̙̲̭ṇ̼̣͎G̤̜͘.͓
 Then Aizawa-sensei gently placed a hand on my shoulder. It was only then that I realized that I had started to hyperventilate. My wings were half-spread, knocking down half a dozen things. Every muscle was tense. I was trembling.  “You are safe here,” Aizawa told me firmly. “You are not alone in your experience.” Tension slowly left my body. Very, very slowly. “I... I’m not?” Nezu shook his head. “No. You are not. Half of the teachers, Shōta and myself included, have experienced it. I know of some people in the world that have gone through it more than once.” “I... I see.” I managed a shaky deep breath. “We have to know. Was your rebirth the cause of a Quirk?” I couldn’t help my little snort. “No, sir. The world I died in didn’t have superpowers of any kind. Those were all fictional.” Both of them glanced at each other. I pretended not to notice. Nezu spoke up once more. “You never did give a straight answer. How old were you when you died?” “I was twenty-seven, sir.” I snorted a bit. “Whoever is in charge of the reincarnations was also fucking with me.” “Language.” Aizawa interjected sternly. In response, I switched from Japanese to English. “[Whoever is in charge of the reincarnations was also fucking with me.]” Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Nezu chuckled. “There were a couple other things we wanted to discuss.” Nezu opened the folder and took out a single page. “It seems that you had an issue with your middle school's uniform?” “Yes sir. At the time I was not comfortable with the rather short skirts that the uniform required women to wear.” I blinked, then frowned. “And I am still not comfortable with them. I have seen the ladies’ U.A. uniform sir.” “I did figure that, yes. And your actions had some wide-reaching consequences that you may not have realized. Parents and students came to us and requested we do the same, and we have seen to it that it is an option. So if you wish to use uniformed pants rather than the skirt we would normally provide, it is perfectly fine.” I will admit to sighing in relief. “Thank you, sir.” We discussed a few other things. And given my flawless English, even after years of disuse, both Nezu and Aizawa had offered to excuse me from the English Language classes. Instead I requested that I be given the option of teacher’s assistant. So that I could help my fellow students instead. They seemed pleasantly surprised and promised to bring it up with the English Language teacher. Our meeting ended very shortly after. Mostly as a result of someone else knocking on the door to the lounge. Principal Nezu said something about having another appointment. So I stood, opened the door for the next student, and bowed before I left. I walked to the end of the hall. Stopped. Let what just happened sink in. “...how the fuck did I stay calm during that? This shit is weird...” It took a serious (and probably very visible) amount of effort for me to shrug that odd feeling off. Before I’d left, Principal Nezu had told me where I could make uniform requests. I decided to go ahead and get that done before I headed back home. When I got home, I immediately went to my room and took a nap. To hell with thinking about how strange this day was. 
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[Asuka Gōkin, Age 15. Day One of U.A.]
 I didn’t get nearly as much sleep as I’d wanted the past couple nights. Nightmares had sharply resurfaced and struck at my psyche. They’d hit  and damaged me, the way a train does when it accidentally runs over someone. Dad had noticed right away and done his best to help. Izuku had done his best to help. But the only people that would (apparently) be able to help were at U.A. And I wasn’t allowed in without an appointment, or until classes started. So I’d been forced to endure multiple nights’ worth of Nightmares of Nothing. I don’t think I’ll ever truly move past my fears of that place. To this day I sleep with a nightlight. The lack of sleep convinced me to take the public transport with Izu. He didn't fully understand why I'd not slept well (and I strongly doubt that I'll ever tell him), but he was nice enough to let me use his shoulder as a pillow. What? Don't judge me. “Asu-chan?” Izu was gently shaking me awake. “We're here.” I nodded. I rubbed my eyes free of the sleep powder. I was probably gonna need an energy drink today. Maybe the cafeteria had one? I'll check later. For now we had to get to the classroom. “What class are we in again, Izu?” Izu dug into his pocket. It had both our schedules. “Uh. Class 1-A, Asu-chan.” “Mm.” Of course, me being me, that was when I spotted it . “Izu, what the hell is that?” He jumped and looked around. “What? Asu-chan?” I sighed and pointed at his uniform tie. Then I pointed at mine. “I'll ask again. What the hell is that?” Izu had the decency to blush. “Um... I just... sorry...” I grabbed him by the tie and dragged him over to the side of the road. Then I forced him to untie it, and I undid mine. “Watch closely, Izu.” Izu managed to both follow my movements, and copied me decently well. At least it looked better. Only then did we head into U.A. I... might have stopped and redone my tie, and maybe I was showing off a bit, seeing as I'd gone for a Balthus knot. “How do you know so much about neckties and knots?” “Personal experience, Izu.” He looked rather confused by my answer, but I found a convenient distraction. “Is this our class?” Izuku’s confused expression vanished at my question. He looked at the extremely large door that had “1-A” engraved and painted into it. He reached forward and opened the door. And thus the noise came through. “-I can't believe so many-” “-this school attracts many strong-” “-am I not magnifique in this-” “-your shoes off the desk!” Oh I recognized that voice. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do? What school are you from?” I sighed. I definitely recognized that voice. “I am from Soumei Private School.” Bakugou gave a roguish, defiant smirk. In other words, his normal one. I stopped listening at that point, however. Because I spotted an empty seat next to Tokoyami-san, and thus I made my way to it. “Good morning, Tokoyami-san.” I took a moment to situate my things at my desk. Tokoyami smiled towards me. “Good morning, Gōkin-san.” “Are you prepared for today?” “I am, yes. I have prepared myself as adequately as I am able.” I almost said more. But then a giant yellow caterpillar appeared in the doorway. Standing up. 
Oh. It's a sleeping bag... containing Aizawa-sensei.
 “It took eight seconds for you all to shut up.” Well. He wasn't pulling punches. “Time is precious. Rational students would understand that. I am Aizawa Shōta, your teacher.” He reached into the sleeping bag and pulled out a UA gym uniform. “Put these on and meet me outside. Hurry up.” I'm pretty sure all of us were confused on at least some level, but we complied. I followed what appeared to be a set of floating clothes into the ladies’ locker room. I couldn't help but ask, “So are you permanently invisible, or...?” They turned around. “Yes, I'm permanently invisible.” It took me a second or two to realize they were bowing, so I bowed in return. “Hagakure Tōru.” “Asu- er, Gōkin Asuka.” I almost introduced myself backwards. My American-ness almost got to me there. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” “You as well! I wonder what kind of tests Aizawa-sensei will have us do?” I shrugged as I moved to my assigned locker, where a fresh gym uniform (and a spare set) was waiting for us. It was as I stripped out of my uniform that I heard a couple of the girls behind me gasp. I turned around to ask what was wrong. Except one of them was right up in my face. “Are you alright? What happened?” I belatedly noticed that had she pink skin and weird horn-like things on her head. She was also already shirtless and her gym top was in her hands. “Uh... what do you mean?” She poked a few of my scars. Particularly my burn scar on my left forearm, the big scar on my chest poking out from under my sports bra, and the small one near my right shoulder.  “I mean, are you alright? What happened?” Oh. Her question made a lot more sense now. I shrugged, shrugging on my gym top. “I’m fine. They don’t bother me any.” I managed to slip on the rest of my gym uniform. “Hurry up girls, we don’t want the boys to show us up, do we?” I weaved my way past the girls and their gaping expressions. Izu gave me a strange look when he noticed that I was the only girl there when he ran out to join us. We were all standing in a very, very large dirt field. In front of what appeared to be a discus throw field. “Hey Izu,” I began. “Is it crazy to forget that I have scars because they don’t bother me?” Izu opened his mouth. He thought about it. His mouth closed. Then he opened his mouth again. Then he shut it again and just shrugged. I shrugged too. It was only a few seconds later that the rest of the class shuffled over. Aizawa just looked bored the entire time. Then he dropped the bomb shell. “A Quirk assessment test?!” I think only myself and two others stayed silent. A girl - the one Izu had been talking to before Aizawa-sensei appeared - near Izu and I spoke up... Uraraka, I think? “But... orientation! We’re gonna miss it!” “If you really want to be a Pro Hero, you can’t waste your time on pointless ceremonies.”  He’s not entirely wrong. I’ll admit that I only kind of listened when Aizawa-sensei talked about the country pretending equality, education standards, U.A. teaching freedom. “Bakugou.” I focused back in. “You scored the most points on the entrance exam. What was your softball throw back in junior high?” “67 meters, I think.” Aizawa nodded and tossed a softball at Bakugou. “Right. Try it again, but use your Quirk this time.” Bakugou nodded. He stepped into the circle. “Anything goes, just stay in the circle. Hurry up. You’re wasting our time.” “Alright. You asked for it.” Bakugou took a moment to stretch his arm. Then he pulled back, and right as he let go, there was a solid boom . “DIE!”  ‘Die’? Sheesh. Chill out dipshit. I knew that I wasn’t the only one to think that. Don’t ask how I knew that. Then Aizawa-sensei showed the result. 705.2 meters? Well then.  “We’re going to be testing your Quirks using physical exams. It’s one of the more rational means of finding your limits.” “This is gonna freaking awesome! I can’t wait to use my Quirk for this!” I glanced over at who spoke (the fuck’s up with his elbows? ). He got cheers out of some of the other students. Naturally, Aizawa took issue with some of us declaring it ‘fun’. “Fun, huh? You find pro hero work fun?” He chuckled. Rather sinisterly, I’ll admit. “Alright then. Whoever comes in last place gets expelled.” “What?!” Pinky cried. “But that’s not fair!” Yes, I will admit to rolling my eyes. It seems Aizawa felt the same, since he immediately went on another little speech about life not being fair, villains not being fair, and Pro Heroes having to combat that unfairness. Or something like that. I wasn’t fully paying attention. Izu’s expression had my attention. He looked terrified. Then he glanced towards me, swallowed. And the terror I saw in his eyes was slowly shoved away, replaced by a grim resolve. I was both impressed, and confused. I didn’t do or say anything...  I didn’t get the chance to, either. Aizawa-sensei was already pushing us towards the first test. The 50-meter dash. I was stuck watching for now. First up was that boy with... engine pipes in his calves? The buzzer went off, and he used a slightly-strange looking running stride. Exhaust pumped out of the pipes in his legs.  Ah. A variation of super-speed then. That makes more sense. Then I watched the girl he was testing with hopping. She also muttered a soft “kero”. ...a frog-based Quirk? Huh.  Pinky and Sparkle-Belt boy went up next. Sparkle-Boy made a comment about not having enough panache, then used the belt to fire a laser as a means of propulsion. From his stomach. He still ended up finishing second. Solely because he had to stop part way through. Then he turned to us and sparkled as he said, “If I fire my beautiful beam for more than a second, it hurts my tummy.” I am absolutely certain that all of us listening had the same thought: What a tool.  The boy with the weird elbows went up with the admittedly well-endowed girl. She had... roller blades on her feet? When the hell...? Oh well. I’ll ask, or figure it out, later. When the buzzer went off, the boy launched... tape from his elbows (which explained a lot, actually), attaching it to the ground and using it as an improvised grappling hook. The girl just skated. Obviously. And then I was called up. There was an obscenely short dude with purple hair and round orbs on his head. (Izu later told me that he was staring at my ass very intently before the dash started. I now had a new target.) We set up on the two starting blocks. The camera/timer/speaker thing next to us piped up. “Ready? Three!” Boy and I set up into proper track-start sprint form. It’s weird to describe. “Two!” I let my wings spread to their full span. I’m not sure, but I think a few of my new classmates sounded impressed. “One!” My muscles tensed, ready to launch. “Go!” WHOOM. I slammed my wings down at full power. Then the consequences of flying this low to the ground appeared. Oh shit! I had to throw my weight forward, tilt my wings down and forward, and dug my boots into the ground. I wound up falling onto my ass just from the force of the inertia. Ow.  Then robo-timer piped up. “3.12 seconds!” 
You know, I’m okay with that. It’s way faster than in middle school. Junior high. Whatever.
 Tokoyami appeared in my vision and offered me a hand. I accepted the aid. “Thank you, Tokoyami-san.” He smiled. “You are welcome, Gōkin-san.” I spent a moment brushing the dirt off my pants. I looked over at the sprint track and noticed that Izu was up with Bakugou. And managed a mere 7.02 seconds. Bakugou received 4.13 seconds. If it weren’t for the concentrated look upon Izuku’s face, I might have talked to him about it. But I don’t think he would have appreciated that. So instead I focused on my own performances. Next up was grip strength. Basically, take this cute little measuring tool, squeeze as tightly as you can. I managed to generate only 64kg of grip strength. Mezō Shōji used three hands to generate 540kg. A couple of the boys (tape-boy and New-Target, namely) were staring in awe. I tried to ignore the look on Izu’s face. Third test was the Standing Long Jump. Long story short, big sandbox. Jump as far as you can from a stand-still. Hopefully clear the sandbox. We all had to go one at a time. The girl that had roller skates moved her shirt to reveal skin that was glowing. Shortly after bouncing shoes appeared.  Huh. Some kind of creation Quirk? Neat. I watched with everyone as she reached near the end of the sandbox, but not quite clearing it. Bakugou went next. He took his jump, then used explosions from his hands to rocket all the way over. The boy with the weird belt did the same. And then Aizawa-sensei called me up. I took to the starting line. Crouched, let my wings spread, and pushed off the ground with as much power as I could muster. If you guessed that I would use a flap or two to just land on the other side of the sandbox, give yourself a gold star. Izuku didn’t so much as pass the recording robot. Once again I refrained from talking to him about it. No matter how much I wanted to. The expression my best friend was wearing was one of pure concentration, and grim determination. Like he wanted to be able to do this on his own. So I left him be. Aizawa’s fourth test was Repeated Side Steps. Basically just an agility test. Three lines all in a row. Put your feet on, or near, the line in the middle. Hop to the line to your right, touch it with your foot, then hope back to the middle line. Do the same with the left side. Managing to do both counts as one completed cycle. Usually given a time limit of one minute. I managed to achieve a score of 43. Izu earned himself a score of 44. By my mental calculations... Izuku was currently in last. Right as we went back to the Ball Throw. Mezō was up first, since Bakugou had already taken his turn. I was fascinated in watching Mezō use multiple hands on his multi-arms to give the ball a boost in power. It unfortunately still only managed a little over 250 meters. And then it was my turn.  Well fuck. The fuck am I supposed to do? I picked up the high-tech softball in my right arm. Hit it with my wing? Throw it really, really hard? Can’t leave the circle. Assuming that means I can’t go straight up because that can’t really be tracked. So... throw it. Really hard. Got it. Hm. Fastball pitch might help.  I turned to the side. Vague memories of numerous softball and baseball games that I’d watched (mostly at work) resurfaced, and I did my best to mimic the pitching form. I hadn't practiced this much before now, in this life or the last. I pulled my right arm back, started to swing it around in a close approximation of a fastball pitch. The ball flew from my hand, launched by the sheer force I’d put into the throw. About half a second later, I crouched low, and forced my wings to flap as hard as I could get them to. In order to give the fastball pitch more of a tailwind. Then I found myself blinking as my mind caught up with what I did.  Why did I not just plan to do that from the start? I was exceedingly tempted to facepalm. But I held back. Of all the times to do something without thinking...  Then Aizawa-sensei told me that I’d managed to achieve 231 meters. ...I shall accept this result and not tell anyone that I had done the flap thing almost purely on instinct. Don’t ask me how that works, because I’m not sure either. Then I stepped over to stand near Izu. He leaned a bit over. And whispered, “You didn’t plan that at all, did you?”  He knows me too well. “Shush.” “Midoriya!” Aizawa called, interrupting us. “You’re up.” Izuku jogged over to the throwing circle. He picked up the ball. After a moment’s contemplation, he pulled back, his entire right arm light up -- and then it shut off just as the ball left his hand. He received a meager 46 meters.  Wait, what? I glanced at Aizawa-sensei. What we’d all assumed to have been a weird-looking scarf appeared to actually be a set of bandages or something. There were yellow goggles under them. “Wait... those goggles! Eraserhead, the Erasing Hero!” Izuku called, loud enough for us all to hear. “You can erase someone’s Quirk just by looking at them!” 
...that is stupidly useful. Except for mutation-based Quirks like mine, I guess.
 Aizawa-sensei used his bandages to drag Izuku closer. From the expression on his face, the talk they had must have been some kind of dressing down. Izuku was let go shortly after and allowed to retrieve the ball for one more try. “Hm.” Iida muttered. “It seems that Sensei gave him some advice, though it may not have helped. Given his performance, Midoriya-san will undoubtedly be the one sent home.” Bakugou gave Iida a look . “What?! Of course he will be, he’s a Quirkless loser!” I had to fight to keep a smirk off my face at that. Oh if only you knew, Bakugou. I focused on watching Izuku again. The look he wore was one of even greater determination that it had been all day (somehow), and it contained absolute focus. And then the ball flew. It rocketed from his fingertip. A very loud boom resounded around the rest of us as the ball was released. We were all (myself included) in awe at the result. Especially when the ball landed. The speaker ‘bot chirped, “705.3 meters!” Izuku turned to face Aizawa-sensei and clenched a fist. “Sensei... I can still move!” The sound of someone choking on their own spit reached my ears. I turned to see that it was Bakugou. I will openly admit to smirking from behind him. Then he charged.  Ah shit. I started moving to stop him, right as Izu started freaking, but it seems I didn’t need to. Aizawa-sensei’s scarf had launched forward and brought Bakugou to a screeching halt. “What... the hell... is up with your scarf?!” “It’s a special-made capture weapon, made of carbon fiber and a tough metal alloy.” Aizawa sighed. “Stand. Down. It’d be wise to avoid making me keep using my Quirk. It gives me serious dry eye!”  ...you know, that makes sense. Explains the eye drops he used earlier. I did agree with the rest of the class’ assessment that it was too bad, though. His Quirk seemed immensely useful. In the right situations. While I was distracted, Izu had made his escape and was now being slowly approached by Uraraka. Then I saw his finger. Holy fucking shit! Is that what your new Quirk does to you Izu?!  I didn’t get the chance to go fuss over his self-inflicted injury. Aizawa-sensei made the next one go along. Creation-girl was up next and she... made a cannon. Then shot the softball from it. And received a score of 2 kilometers .  ...no kill like overkill I guess? I know for a fact that I’m not the only one that had their jaw drop. I tried to edge over to Izu to try to help, but Aizawa was pushing us towards the next test before I had the chance. Damn. I’m gonna fuss like crazy over him later. The next few tests seemed to blur by. In between the tests I managed to sneak over to Izu and forced his finger into a straight position, using sticks and tape. The sticks were made by Creation-girl (she introduced herself Yaoyorozu Momo), and the tape made by Weird-Elbow boy (named Sero Hanta). I managed to bug half-and-half silent boy into putting a little ice on it. Just a little bit. Didn’t want to kill the cells. Aizawa kept giving me looks while I did this, but I ignored him. First aid mattered to me. Particularly when it involved the best friend I'd ever had. “Thanks, Asu-chan.” Izu said once it’d all come together, just after the sit-ups. We were moving on to the toe-touch thing. Izu and I were in the back of the line for this one. “Don’t thank just me, Izu. Thank everyone that helped, too.” “I will, Asu-chan. I will.” The rest of the tests went by a little easier. Izu had looked utterly miserable during the sit-ups. The pain must’ve been horrendous. I couldn’t just stand by and let it go. Even then, even after the first aid helping him for the rest of the day, Izuku was in last place. “Also, nobody is getting expelled. That was just a logical ruse to get you all to perform your best.”  Logical ruse my ass. I glared a bit at Aizawa. It didn't work in the slightest. “Midoriya, go see Recovery Girl for your finger. Everyone else, come back tomorrow. Gōkin, with me.” I sighed and followed Aizawa. Experience let me ignore everyone’s stares. “Yes, sensei?” “Why did you waste time tending to Midoriya’s injury? It was self-inflicted.” His tone didn’t sound accusatory, and I couldn’t see anything about ‘punishment incoming’ from his posture. I thought about it for a second. “Sensei, you straight up said right at the start that these tests were a means to test our physical abilities and Quirks. The pain from the finger was affecting his performance. Allowing that to continue would have negatively affected his score more than it already had. That would have prevented you from making an appropriately accurate judgement.” I took a deep breath. “He’s also my best friend. I wasn’t about to let him suffer that pain any longer than necessary.” Aizawa-sensei looked me over for several moments. Someone who wasn’t used to this kind of thing might have shied away. For me, it was easy to withstand his stare and to simply stare back. Then he turned and started walking. I watched him go for a moment. When he didn’t say anything else and just kept walking, I turned and ran into the locker room to change. It took me less than three minutes to get back into uniform and run to the nurse’s office to check up on Izu. The instant I opened the door, I blurted out, “Is everything alright, Izu?” Izu jumped and looked to me. Then he chuckled. “Yeah. Everything’s good, Asu-chan. Recovery Girl took care of everything.” He held up his heavily bandaged finger. “Though I’m really tired now...” Recovery Girl nodded. “My Quirk heals you, but it requires the use of your body’s stamina and energy.” Then the elderly lady got up and turned towards me (wow she’s tiny). “Midoriya-kun tells me you gave the injury first aid?” I nodded. “Yes ma’am. Some of our classmates helped as well. Normally I wouldn’t have moved a broken bone so much, but given the circumstances it seemed the best solution.” Recovery Girl nodded. “Yes, I can understand. It helped to reduce the swelling, so it didn’t require as much stamina as it might have. He’s clear to head home now. Make sure he doesn’t overexert himself for a day or two, at least.” “Yes ma’am.” I grabbed the good part of Izu’s arm and started to very physically drag him. “Come along, Izu, let’s leave the very nice Recover Girl alone.” I ignored Recovery Girl’s good-natured laugh and Izu’s mild complaints about being dragged like this. I think the last time I did this was a few years ago, so that might be part of it. Izuku broke free (read: was let free) when we reached the school exit. Izuku slowed down and hugged me, then let go. “I can get home on my own, Asu-chan.” I guess my worried look was obvious because he continued. “I-I mean, it’s really nice of you, Asu-chan, but... I know you want to fly home. I’ll text you when I get home safe, okay? Promise.”  Damn you and your heart-felt promises with those eyes. “Oh fine.” “Hey Midoriya-kun!” Iida came running over. “Are you alright? Is your finger doing well?” Izuku blinked and looked a bit flustered at all the attention. “I-I’m alright. Asu-chan’s first aid and Recovery Girl’s Quirk healed it up. It should be fine by tomorrow, though Recovery Girl wants me to lay off it for a day or two.” “Heeeey!” We turned to see Uraraka running up. “Are you all going to the station?” Iida nodded, Izu nodded, I shook my head. Iida spoke up. “You’re the infinity score girl, right?” “Uraraka Ochako. You’re... Iida Tenya, right?” She turned to me once Iida confirmed her guess.. “You’re... Gōkin Asuka, I think.” I nodded, so she turned to Izu. “And you are... Midoriya Deku?” I had to fight against heavily-ingrained habit to clench my fist at hearing that name. She didn’t mean anything by it. Izuku was quick to correct her about his actual name and the origin of that stupid nickname. Iida very quickly agreed with my mentality over it, stating the name to be “unsportsmanlike” (not the phrase I use, though). “But... it kind of reminds me of “you can do it”! I think it’d make a great Hero name, too. It’s cute!” Izuku’s response was instantaneous . “I’m Deku!” Iida was shocked and started demanding why Izu had changed his stance so fast. I was doubled over busting a gut laughing. “A-Asu-chan! Stop laughing!” I looked up to see Izu trying to get me to stop. While he was red as a tomato and covering his face. Nope. I started laughing harder. Uraraka looked confused by all of our reactions. “Um, by the way, I wanted to ask...” She glanced over to me. Izuku looked at me, then back to her. He was still blushing a bit. “Um, what is it, Uraraka-chan?” She gestured towards me. “Is Gōkin-chan sister?” Let’s all be honest. That question was going to happen sooner or later. Izuku and I hadn’t been expecting it, though. So I think we can both be forgiven for laughing a little bit. “S-Sorry, Uraraka-chan,” I finally sputtered out. “It’s just... we’ve never been asked that. And we’re not.” Izu finally managed to stifle his laughter as well. “Sorry, Uraraka-san. It was just surprising to hear.” Uraraka giggled, blushing a bit. “I’m sorry for assuming that. It just... you two seem so close, is all. Are you dating or something then?” Izu blushed a bit, and I will admit that I did too. But we both shook our heads. Izu explained. “No, Uraraka-san. We talked that over a while ago, and we both agreed that it was better for us to remain friends.” “I don’t know,” Izu gave me a grin. Cheeky brat. “We might as well be, Asu-nee.” I started blushing a bit from that. Oh it is on. “You’re not wrong, Izu-nii.” Ha! I can make you blush too, Izu. “You two can make sure he gets to the station, right? I need to head home soon.” Uraraka nodded, Iida gave a firm confirmation, and Izu whined about having to be watched over. He was also ignored. I gave them all a tight hug, backed away to a safe distance and took off. When I got home, I gave Dad a happy greeting. He stopped me from going to my room right away. “You look all flushed, Asu-chan,” he mentioned. “Is everything alright?” I blinked. Then I realized what he meant. My smile grew to blinding proportions. “Everything is amazing, Dad. Absolutely amazing.” “Good.” He hugged me tightly. “Dinner will be ready soon, okay?” I hugged back as tightly as I could. Dangit Dad stop making my bones creak when you do that. “Okay, Dad.” “What has you so happy, by the way?” Dad later told me I got a bit misty-eyed. “Izu-nii.” He blinked. Then he grinned to me. “Adopted each other, did you?” He kissed my forehead. “Well you two keep each other safe. Siblings watch out for each other at every cost.” “Already am, Dad. I’m going to go clean up before dinner.” I hadn’t fully realized how much I enjoyed being “siblings” with Izu. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. Been friends for a little over seven years now. Been through a lot together. While we’ll never be romantically involved (no thank you), I love Izu so very much. I can’t wait to see where Izu-nii goes from here. I will be right there with him to make sure he gets there.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter the Seventh

Playing Combat Like a Pro
 
[Asuka Gōkin, Age 15]
 Early the next morning, I was flying over the outskirts of the city. I was using the camera Dad had given to me on my last birthday. Taking many a photo of the world. The camera wasn't too powerful, or all that special, but it was good enough for what I was doing. Perhaps I could sell a few images online or something, make a little cash. I took another photo of the coastline, then checked my watch.  Oops, time to head to school. I gripped my camera tightly as I flew towards the school grounds. Nearly went over my allotted flight time.  Everyday, I try to get flying time in before the rest of my day. I keep a clean uniform in my locker at school, just to make it easier. I raced to the locker rooms, waving back to a few students that waved at me. I was usually the only girl in the locker rooms at this time, and that turned out to be the case once more. It took only a couple minutes to crack open my locker, shrug off my flight clothes, and to wrestle my way out of my weighted vest. “Oof... glad I upped the weight recently.” I mused aloud. It took me a moment to properly fold it and lay it on the bottom of my locker. It's too heavy to put on a hanger. “Let's see... clean, clean, soap, shampoo... aight, to the shower.” U.A. had three showers in each of the locker rooms, which is a bit generous. But considering how dirty we get training to be heroes, it's kind of necessary. I stretched my muscles as I made my way to one of them. The weighted vest was one of the better, and simpler, means of training my flight muscles. I had increased the weight of the vest just before the entrance exam. So naturally my muscles were burning from the exertion. The hot water from the shower was just what I needed to help my muscles relax after, too. So I just relaxed for a couple minutes. I had another bad nightmare the night before. I'm sure I had really obvious eye bags now. I glanced into the fog-proof mirrors the ladies’ showers had. I grimaced. I'm gonna get so many questions about these. I finally started actually washing up. Izu-nii’s gonna fuss. I paused a second later. Well. It seems the “sibling” thing has stuck.  I will openly admit to grinning like a loon at that thought. For several minutes. I did manage to get it (somewhat) under control by the time I was getting dressed. I decided to leave my weighted vest at the bottom of my locker. No point in wearing it when I was going to be sitting down for most of the day. ...though I could probably do the invisible chair exercise that Izu-nii does. Nearly every single class. And those grip things he uses. All the time. Like, seriously, all the time.   Hm... oh. I can just remove some of the weight attachments and wear it under my uniform. Less obvious. Some air chair exercises with it on... yeah. I pulled a few of the weights out of the vest and shrugged it on under my shirt. There we go. Not too heavy, but endurance exercises will be good to do.  I checked my altimeter/watch. Realized I was almost late. Fuck. Clothes were very quickly put on, perhaps a little messily but I don’t care right now. Grabbed my bag and started jogging down the halls. And my luck kicked in. I ran face-first into half-and-half silent boy from yesterday. My super-toughness absorbed nearly all of the force, so I only stumbled a bit. The boy nearly fell over, but caught himself by using a quick sheet of ice to catch his feet. “Sorry about that.” I apologized. I bowed. “I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going.” He took a moment to free his feet and undo the ice. “...it’s fine. You were the one to... request some ice from me yesterday, yes?” We started towards our class, at a more sedate pace now. “Yes, I was. Thank you for that.” Request was a polite word. I had bothered him until it was done. “You’re welcome.” Just outside the classroom, I offered my right hand. “Gōkin Asuka.” He looked at my hand for a time. Then he accepted, and shook it. “Todoroki Shōto.” His right hand was pretty cold, but given his power, it made sense. “It’s a pleasure to properly meet you, Todoroki-san.” Then I opened the door and headed into the classroom. Most of the class was already in their seats, with a few exceptions. I weaved my way through to the back and sat next to Tokoyami-kun again. (I hadn’t noticed that my lack of reaction to his name had given Todoroki pause at the door.) I politely greeted Tokoyami-kun and set up at my desk for the day. Izu-nii (is it bad that I smile a little every time I call him that, even if just in my mind?) was already here and starting his air chair thing. I wasn’t going to do mine too much. The vest should be enough for now. And then Aizawa-sensei walked in, scolding the students that weren’t in their seats when the bell rang. So basically the typical start to a typical high school day. The day went by fairly easily. English Language class was by far the easiest for me. It seems that the note of my personal history hadn’t been passed along just yet. So forgive me for being bored out of my skull. Present Mic hadn’t really appreciated it. Particularly when I yawned. “This is SUPER VITAL, you know!” He bellowed. (By the gods he’s loud, my ears are ringing.) I blinked up at him blearily. “[My apologies, Sensei, but I already have a more than passing grasp of English from my time in America.]” Present Mic paused at that. My classmates were giving me strange looks, like they hadn’t expected it. I suppose I hadn’t told them about it, so that’s fair. After a moment, Present Mic nodded to himself. “Alright. Since you seem to have a good grasp of this, help me with these!” And then I found a bunch of homework on my desk. With an answer key. And a red pencil.  Well. No time like the present. I shrugged and got to work on it. It was more interesting than what everyone else was stuck doing. Other than that, the day was fairly normal. The cafeteria was nice and roomy, and they sold food for very good prices. Not to mention the food was really good . I sat down with Izu-nii, Uraraka, and Iida. They gave me some odd looks. I will openly admit to taking several moments to notice. I am very good at failing my spot checks. When I finally noticed, I was in the middle of chewing. I covered my mouth. “What?” “I did not know you were so skilled at English, Gōkin-san!” Iida stated. In his usual, very enthusiastic manner. Oh. That. I swallowed my mouthful food. “I was born and raised in America.” I shrugged. “Oh. That makes a lot more sense.” Uraraka nodded. Izu-nii was still confused, though. “But... didn’t you say that you and your father moved to Japan when you were only five?” “That did happen, yes.” “Then... how can you be so good at it? Wouldn’t the memories and knowledge have faded quite a lot?” I shrugged. “I have a lot of experience with English.” Then the attention was dragged away from me when Lunch Rush came over. Iida was distracted by the proximity, Uraraka was encouraged to enjoy her white rice (Lunch Rush claimed it as fantastic comfort food, and he’s not wrong). If you guessed that Izu-nii was fanboying again, give yourself a gold star and a pat on the back. Either way, it was an exceedingly convenient way for the topic to switch. Though from the way Izu looked at me when we started discussing our training, it seems the topic wasn’t over. Which is fair. I hadn’t told him anything of this. Though to be fair, I also wasn’t trying very hard to hide it, even from him. When the bell rang, it was time for us to head to our favorite class. Hero Basic Training. “I am...”  Ohhhhhh boy. Here we go. I chuckled at the way literally everyone perked up. Myself included. Incoming Ham. I wish I could take my camera out for this, but dammit I left it in my locker.  Then the door opened and All Might was leaning in. “...HERE! Coming through the door like a HERO!” He was wearing a very bright and vibrant outfit. Bright red shirt with circles in the center, branching off to his arms as white lines to advertise their strength. Blue pants, a belt buckle that was reminiscent of his very own expression and face, and blue pants. He also had a very large blue cape.  ...is it bad that my very first thought is of Edna Mode declaring ‘no capes’? I will admit that the outfit does look pretty badass, though. Reminds me of some kind of mix of... Batman and Captain America. Or something like that.  “Welcome to the class you’ll be attending the most here at U.A. High: Basic Hero Training! This is where you will learn what it really means to be a pro hero! So let’s get right to it!” He moved to flex a bit and stretch, showing off all of his back muscles as he crouched next to the teaching podium. Then he stood, turning sharply and thrusting a big-ish little sign out towards us. It had bold, bright red kanji imprinted onto it. It read ‘Battle’. “Combat Training!” 
Okay. I’m interested. Also my muscles are really tired from wearing the vest all day. But worth it.
 “But one of the key components of being a hero is... LOOKING GOOD!” He pointed towards the wall. Rather enthusias-oh he was pointing at compartments that were opening. That makes more sense. “These were designed for you based upon your Quirk registration forms and from the requests you made before school officially started!” OhMyGodwhere’smineIwantit. GIMME. “Take the briefcase with your student number on it, put on your costume, and meet me at Training Ground Beta!” “YES, SIR!” The entire class was very excited. It was almost unanimously decided to get our briefcases in ascending numerical order. Which meant that I grabbed mine before Izu-nii got his, seeing as I was seat number 13. Yup, I was lucky number 13. I waited for Izu-nii to get his before I moved to follow the class. Then I realized that he hadn’t actually grabbed his briefcase. “Izu-nii?” He jumped a bit, and I know I saw a slightly goofy grin from calling him that. “Asu-nee?”  I think my heart just melted a little. “Where’s your costume case?” “Oh! Uh, I didn’t grab it because, well, Mom made my costume.” “Ah.” I hugged him. “I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure she made a fantastic Hero costume for you.” “Yeah. I’m really excited to wear it.” “I’ll see you out there with it, then.” I squeezed him a bit with my hug, then ran off to join the girls in the locker room. When I arrived, they were taking their time mostly talking. I hurried to take my uniform off. “Whoa!” Uraraka exclaimed. “Were you wearing that all day?!” “The weighted vest? Yeah.” I finally took it off, sighing a bit and stretching all of the muscles I’d been using for it. “I need to do endurance training, and I’m already used to flying with the heavier weights.” I pointed out the extra weights at the bottom of my locker, then placed my vest on them. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a while now.” Jirō Kyōka (the girl with the extendable headphone jack earlobes) nodded. “Given how difficult it must be to fly, it makes sense that you'd want to improve your endurance.” “Yeah.” I reached back and undid my ponytail. It was getting a bit knotted. So I ran my hand through my hair a couple times, then redid it. There, good as new. “Right now I can fly for about two hours, as long as I've got the energy and I maintain a leisurely enough pace.” “And in stressful situations, even with adrenaline, your flight time might reach only about half that.” Yaoyorozu Momo (or Yaomomo-chan as we'd started calling her, to her delight) mentioned. I nodded. “Perhaps I could come up with a more efficient training method for you?” “Yaomomo-chan.” I turned to her and grabbed her hands between mine. “I will pay you for that.” She blushed a bit at my forwardness. “Uh, th-that’s not necessary...” “I'm gonna do it either way.” “...you could... help me with English Language homework?” “Deal!” I turned to open my costume briefcase, bending over to undo the latches from where it lay on the bench. “We can discuss meeting times later?” “Uh, sure.” (I would later be told by Uraraka that Yaomomo-chan, and a couple other girls, blatantly stared at the scars on my legs and ass. I will admit to blushing a bit upon learning this.) I very quickly got distracted by putting on my costume. There was a note about the goggles being incomplete, and instead simply offering facial protection at the moment. Everything else was there, though. It took a few minutes to get ready. Mostly as a result of having difficulty reaching my wing joints on my back, and thus having to get help from Uraraka. Part of my costume included some defensive armor for my wing joints, specifically where they met my torso. Then she undid her zero gravity effect. “Oof!” I staggered a bit when the weight settled in. “Are you okay?” “I-I'm fine, Uraraka-chan. They're just heavier than I expected. It's not a bad thing. They'll help train my flight muscles while keeping my joints safe.” They really were heavy. But my super-strength muscles adjusted very quickly, and so they were almost unnoticeable within minutes. During that time I put on the rest of my suit. It consisted of basically a tougher-material version of my long-sleeve lilac shirt. The one that's been a favorite for years at this point. I wore a thin, but very well insulated, flight jacket over the shirt. There were strips of armor-like material spread throughout the jacket as additional defense. It also had a hood that could be strapped down easily enough, and just as easily undone so I could wear it. I had some semi-tight dark brown flight pants. Yes, semi-tight. I'd made it clear in my request that none of my outfit was to be too skintight. I'm not interested in showing off like that, thank you very much. Anyway. The pants had a few tasteful streaks of amethyst and red, my two favorite colors. Those colors outlined the secure pockets that were all along the pants. At least up until my boots. My flat-footed boots (I’ve yet to wear heels) covered most of my shins, they were armored along the sole and top of my feet. As a leg-based fighter (from years of tae-kwon-do), I'd felt that it was a good idea. I also got some gauntlet-style gloves, without the fingertips, naturally. The gloves had a little bit of armor all along the back, protecting the back of my hands and wrists. Naturally, everything was also very well insulated. But it was also easy enough to simply remove some of the lining or unzip certain areas to cool down if/when I needed to. On my waist were two criss-crossing belts, both holding several pouches. One of which was dedicated to my personal flight transponder. For now I also carried just some first aid stuff. Be prepared! (I also carried a small, foldable, self-defense knife, buried in one of my pouches. Memories of my Death Day, and lack of proper self-defense, will forever haunt me.) All in all, I thought I looked good. I put my Flier’s License into one of my belt pouches, my phone into another, my transponder into a third, and started heading out to the training ground. The other girls were already heading out, so I jogged to catch up. Right outside of the tunnel that connected us to the training ground, All Might stood. “They say the clothes make the pros, young ladies and gentlemen!” His voice was booming, loud, and proud. Of us. “And I see here just how true it is! Ladies and gentlemen, you are all now... Heroes in Training!” All of us, and I do mean all of us, looked exceedingly proud and just ecstatic to hear that. From the Greatest Hero of our time. While the feeling filled us, I looked around. Izu-nii wasn't anywhere to be seen. But a few others were. All Might was giving us a few minutes to socialize about each other's costumes, so I went over to talk to the girl that stood out the most to me. And who also just so happened to be the closest. “Very daring, Yaomomo-chan,” I commented. “I don't have the heart to wear something like that.” Yaomomo turned to me, blushing a bit. “It's useful, though, since my skin has to be exposed for my Quirk to work properly.” She looked me over. “You look very daring, Gōkin-chan.” “Young Heroes, listen up! It's time to explain how this exercise is going to work.” I'll skip the details. Basically, everyone was split into teams of two. I wound up paired with Mineta. There would be a fake explosive set up in a building. One team of villains versus one team of heroes. Hero team wins by capturing both villains or retrieving the explosive. Villain team win by incapacitating (aka capturing) the heroes, or by defending the bomb until time runs out. Simple enough. The other girls were giving me pitiful looks. They really shouldn't have. Because they didn't need to worry about me. The instant the first teams that would do the exercise were decided (sorry for your luck, Izu, but you can do it!) and the rest of us were shuffled into the Monitoring Room where we could all watch, I pulled Mineta aside. I knelt down to his eye level (as a little bit of an extra insult). I made sure one of the other girls could hear as well, to act as backup. “Mineta-san.” My voice was level. Calm, level, and frigid. Mineta was rather blatantly staring at my tits. “Y-Yeah, Gōkin-san?” “Eyes up here, tiny man.” His eyes flicked up to mine. He froze just from the frosty look in my eyes. “I'm going to tell you once. I want to win this exercise, or at the very least put in a damn good showing.” He nodded in understanding and almost, almost shifted his attention downwards. “Ah-ah. Here’s the warning. If, during this exercise, you stop concentrating on winning or doing your best because you're too focused on ogling me, or if you try to grope me at all...” I leaned in a little closer. “I will kick you in the crotch as hard as I can, then hang you from the U.A. flagpole with a wedgie using duct tape. Am I clear?” Mineta’s eyes were very wide with quite a lot of terror. He was simply frozen from fear, it seems. I did, after all, mean every word. “I said: am I clear?” He nodded fast enough to nearly get whiplash. I smiled and patted his shoulder as I walked back into the group to watch. Jirō, the girl that had been listening in (and recording it, as evidence and just because) appeared impressed. “Gōkin-chan,” she began. I looked over at her. “Teach me your ways.” I chuckled a bit. “Perhaps on the weekend, okay?” Jirō nodded in agreement. “So Midoriya and Uraraka have split up while you were distracted.” I looked at the screen. My fists clenched when I saw Izu-nii facing off against Bakugou. It's too bad the audio was off, I'd love to hear what they were saying. It must've been intense, to cause those expressions. My hands clenched steadily tighter and tighter the entire fight. Bakugou was burning Izu all over with all of his explosions. The predictable right hook that he favored didn't even give Izuku a chance to retaliate, Bakugou moved too quickly.  His battle instincts are extremely strong. I made a mental note of that. Stronger than I remember.  And then Izuku blasted the ceiling to kingdom come, Uraraka used a broken column as a bat to launch debris at Iida. Then she used the distraction to retrieve the fake explosive, claiming victory for the Hero Team. All Might swept us aside (gently) in his hurry to see to caring for Izuku. We watched as Izuku was carried away by robo-stretchers. The others were brought in. Bakugou looked devastated at his defeat. So I left him be. Oh believe me, if he didn’t look like his entire world had just fallen apart, I’d be tearing into him so fucking hard. As it was though, Yaomomo-chan took the time to critique the entire battle. She gave Iida praise for actually being in character as a villain and staying in character. She criticized Izuku for his exceedingly reckless plan that, if this hadn’t been a training exercise, would not have gone through well at all . And she also mentioned Bakugou running off to deal with whatever issues he had with Izuku, and how it was poor timing. Issues that only they knew about. Even I didn’t know. And I’ve known them for years . The battles continued to progress. Todoroki-san and Mezō-kun went up against Ojiro-san and Hagakure-chan. About twenty seconds passed before the entire building was encased in ice.   ...are you fucking kidding me?! Holy shit! I’d known about Todoroki-san’s ice powers from the Quirk test. I didn’t know about this level of power, though. How much work have you put into training this, dude?  He looked... a bit depressed about it, actually. I didn’t have the time to look into it or ask him about it, though. Mineta and I were up. He glanced at me a tad fearfully, then made sure to keep his view professional and not-perverted from then on. I planned to explain to him why he needed to work on his attitude later. For now, it was Mineta and I as the villains. We were up against Satō Rikidō (powers up by consuming sugar, at the cost of mental capacity) and Jirō-chan. We, as the villains, were granted a few minutes to prepare. The Hero team would be arriving shortly after us, so we hadn’t entered the building yet. “So what does your Quirk do, Mineta-san?” I glanced over and found him mildly shaking a bit just being close to me. I sighed. “Mineta-san. Deep breath. Just give me the respect I ask for, and let’s work together, okay?” Mineta took one, two shaky deep breaths. Then he nodded. “Okay... okay. My Quirk, Pop Off, lets me remove the purple balls from my head, and stick them to various surfaces. I only bounce off of them. Depending on my mood, they can stick to a surface for up to a full day.” I nodded. “How resilient are they?” “Uh, I dunno.” He frowned. “I’ve never tested that.” “Alright. Anything else?” “If I remove too many, my scalp starts to bleed.” I winced. “Alright. So caution for that is needed. Hm.” I looked up, and backed away from the entrance. “One moment.” Then I took off, straight up. I stopped at the fifth (top) floor, and started looking around it. The little radio thing in my ear gave a soft crackle as it came to life. 
“Gōkin-san, are you looking for the bomb we have to defend? We already know it’s on the fifth floor.”
 
“No, I’m looking for all the doors that lead to it. You can leave your pop-offs in some of the doorways to make them harder to open. Satō-san has a variation of super-strength. But if we can stall him long enough...”
 Mineta clicked into my train of thought. “We can try winning by avoiding combat all together!” He paused as I landed again. “Won’t that be boring, though?” “Boring, yeah. Really, really fucking boring. But it’s also the most practical.” I checked my alti-watch. “We have one minute to get this done.” Mineta looked fairly resolute as we made our way into the building. I pointed out the placements I’d spotted, particularly the door handles, hinges, and a few gaps in the various doorways. Mineta ran out of stamina for his Quirk very quickly, but he had enough to leave a few extras. Some as sneaky traps on the stairs. But given what we knew about Jirō-chan, I had Mineta set up a few of them in the room with the bomb. To act as makeshift sound absorbers. Then we settled in to wait. Tension grew in the air, and I could tell that Mineta was nervous. He kept almost breaking my ultimatum rules, but he would always catch himself. We could hear Satō-san raging down below, fueled by the sugar rush he’d self-medicated himself on. Jirō-chan was probably trying to direct him. But from the sound of things, they kept tripping on the little traps we left. Which left time to talk. “Mineta-san.” He jumped a bit. “Y-Yes, Gōkin-san?” “Have you heard of the American-born villain, Carmen Sandiego?” I still got a bit of a laugh out of that name. Though it made sense, given the villain’s MO. He frowned. “No...” “Sandiego is a female villain. Her Quirk allows her to read the intent of people she interacts with, and to judge their personal values and that kind of thing.” I paused (for dramatic effect). “Such as level of pervertedness and ability to respect women.” Mineta winced a bit at that. “I just can’t help it, you girls are so beautiful.” “I understand. Believe me, I know where you’re coming from.” I ignored his confused expression. “The problem is that Sandiego is a serial killer.” Mineta’s face lost color. “And her victims are almost exclusively men.” “What?!” He gaped at me. “That’s not even her actual name. It’s a joke based on an old game about having trouble finding a stealthy woman. Nobody knows her name.” I paused to listen for any indication of whether or not the Hero Team was coming up quickly. “Specifically, she goes after men that she describes as “unsalvageable”. What she means by that are men that she determines are too disrespectful, or perverted, around women. This is part of the reason you need to control your perversion, Mineta.” He swallowed. “Because one day I might come across a pretty villain girl that I can’t beat. And they’ll kill me for it.” “And if they happen to be a hero? What do you think will happen then?” I sighed. “You have a fantastically strong Quirk, Mineta. You’re smart, and you mean well when you fight for your friends. I doubt you’ll ever be truly free of your perverted thoughts and such, and honestly I don’t care if you ever are or not. That’s on you. But you need to consider how the girls in class feel about it more.” I paused to let this sink in. “I won’t say who, but several of the girls in our class, and other classes, have filed complaints on you. Many of them pushing for your expulsion from the hero course.” Mineta sucked in a breath. He opened his mouth to speak. But that was when the wall was busted open. Jirō-chan and Satō-kun had various bits of their costumes missing, probably left on the purple orbs. Thankfully nothing too terribly incriminating or embarrassing. Either way, it was now time to fight. I glanced at my watch as Mineta and I stood, taking up some fighting stances. I brought my goggles up over my eyes. 
Two minutes left.
 Jirō-chan spoke up first. Her plug lobes were already moving towards her speaker boots. “Give it up, villains! You’ve lost!” Satō-kun just growled and pounded his fists together.  When in doubt, stall with Large Ham. “Not a chance, Heroes! You’ve only just found us, and you have yet to see the traps we’ve laid in this room alone!” “Yeah, right.” Jirō-chan didn’t take the bait. Instead she just started blasting us with sound.  Shit! I didn’t see where Mineta went when we both rolled to the side. The sound stopped shortly after, but I could hear Satō-kun charging up to grab the bomb. “Not so fast, Heroes! You’ve only found your way to your DOOM!” My left wing snapped out. I grunted when Satō-kun ran head-first into it. Fuck he’s a heavy hitter! I can feel that all the way in my damn bones! I glanced out to find that he was already getting up. “Mineta! Handle Satō-kun!” I didn’t wait for an answer. I rolled around the pillar I was already behind to one closer to Jirō-chan. It wasn’t the best idea, because Mineta could simply use the few remaining sticky orbs he had to jam Jirō-chan’s speakers. But I was trying to keep him from doing perverted bullshit, so... worth it. While I was behind the pillar, I fished the capture tape out of one of my belt pouches. “You won’t win that easily, Villain!” Jirō-chan blasted my newest location with sound from her speakers. I wrapped my wings close around myself and covered my ears. It was exceedingly disorienting. My very bones were rattling. And with Satō-kun crashing into me before, I could feel my left wing shaking more than a little painfully. However... “Ha! You overestimate your abilities, Hero!” I charged out from around my pillar. My wings were still protecting me from the sound, even as it died down. My (left) hand with capture tape was hidden behind my wing. “And you foolishly underestimate mine!” Jirō-chan’s earplugs were unplugged from her boots. She tried to plug them back in, but I was well within reach. I let my right wing snap forward and slap one of her plugs out of the way. Jirō-chan winced at the pain that no doubt went through her. Kudos to her, though, because she still managed to snap out a kick. It caught my right in my gut. My breath exploded out of me.  Fuck those boots hurt. Two can play at this, Jirō-chan! I grabbed her foot with my right hand while it was still on me. Then my left wing came around and smacked her in the head. Jirō-chan stumbled back, wrenching free of my grip. I grimaced when I saw a small trail of blood trickling from her temple. I expected her to swing a fist or another leg at me. What I didn’t expect, was one of her plugs. It came at me faster than I could see, and jabbed right through one of my feathers, near my wing arm. Holy fucking ow  I could feel hot blood trailing down my feathers from the wound. But it also provided the perfect opportunity. Before she could retract it, I grabbed it with my right hand, and used my other to wrap capture tape around it. I wasn’t able to do more than make a little tape handle kind of thing. It was enough. I grabbed it and pulled.  “AH!” Jirō-chan was jerked off-balance by the force. “You damn Villain!” “All is fair in love and war, naive Hero!” While she was off-balance, I used my legs to trip her onto her back. “Especially for those of us that want to win! ” I sat down onto her stomach and used my remaining capture tape to secure her arms to the floor. Just in case, I also taped her plugs to the floor. And I mean the plugs themselves. Not the part that attached to her ears. The instant I did that, the P.A. turned on. 
“Villain Team WIIIINS!”
 I got off of Jirō-chan and panted. The fight might’ve only lasted like, thirty seconds, but fuck it’s tiring. “Good fight, Jirō-chan.” “It was fun.” Jirō-chan giggled. “You hit hard. And your wings are hard as hell.” “Here, let me help you up.” I started to peel the capture tape off of her. “And you hit damn hard too, you know. I like the speaker shoes.” “Thanks. They work really well.” Jirō-chan took my offered hand to help her stand. “Your boots are pretty cool too.” “Heh, thanks.” We moved to help Satō-kun stand. His Quirk’s timer had run out, so he was very dizzy and goofy right now. “You were very cute and cheesy with the hero act, by the way.” “I was cheesy? You provided all the cheese, Gōkin-chan!” She dropped her voice a bit in a poor attempt to mimic me. “‘Not so fast, Hero!’ Are you for real?! That’s such a cheesy line!” I laughed. Jirō-chan and I continued laughing and teasing each other all the way back. Back at the monitoring room, we were given some mild praise for our practical thinking. It was a very boring several minutes up until the fight, for everyone watching and involved, but All Might straight up told us that it had worked. Though we were criticized for taking advantage of our knowledge of the Hero Team’s Quirks. Something we probably would not have known out in the real world, which is fair. We received some first aid from Recovery Girl shortly after our turn. Mineta was silent the entire rest of the day. 
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 I was on my way out of the high school, after changing back into my uniform, when Present Mic came up to me. “Gōkin-chan, if you would, I’d like to speak with you in private.” “Yes, sensei.” I followed him to the nearest teacher’s lounge. I took a seat when he offered it, and politely declined the tea (nope, still don’t like tea). Present Mic took a deep breath. “Shōta has discussed with me part of the reason you are so proficient in English Language. It seems that I had missed the memo regarding your past life.” I blinked. “Oh. Well, it was rude of me to yawn and dismiss that class as I did. I apologize, Sensei.” “Yes, well. I wished to discuss your attendance in future classes.”  Ah, so that’s what this is about. “What in particular, Sensei?” “Ways for you to assist the other students. I’d prefer to have them all as proficient as you and I are with English.” I nodded in understanding. We spent nearly an hour discussing options. In the end it was decided that I would basically just continue doing as I’d done today, helping grade homework. At least until we could decide on another course of action. When I finally left the school and was able to check my phone, I found out that I had several messages. Some were from Izu-nii, telling me he was alright now, and just primarily telling me not to worry about his health (too late on that, dummy). The rest of them were from other classmates. Yaomomo-chan mentioned getting my number from Izu and asking about meeting up for tutoring on English, though she said a few other of our classmates requested help. I told her we could all just meet up during lunch to discuss details. Tokoyami-kun mentioned (in his usual, overly flowery speech) that he wanted to meet at some point to train together. I told him to talk to me in person about it. It was also not a bad idea, honestly. Training with friends was always fun. The last message was from someone online asking to buy a copy of a photo I’d taken. I’d thrown an ad of it onto what is basically Ebay. It’s not actually called that in this reality (which also happens to be like, year 2097), but close enough. And someone was offering decent money for the photo.  Fuckin’ deal! I accepted the offer. I was hoping for more, but the amount I got was good. If I saved up enough, I could get a much better camera. Better camera, better photos. Better photos, higher sell price. Higher sell price? More money. Gimme. Money makes the world goes ‘round, after all. ...also I wanted to build a computer again. I did it in my last life multiple times. I wanna do it again. For what little free time I had. It would be absolutely worth it.  Bweep. Oh another message. I stopped just outside of the gates to U.A. Yes I was walking slowly tonight, bite me. Izu-Nii >Asu-nee? Are you free today or tomorrow? Me >Yes? Is everything alright? Tomorrow was one of our few free days from school. Also yes, I changed the display name for him on my phone. Izu-Nii >I just... wanted to ask about something.. Me >About...? Izu-Nii >Uh... nevermind. It’s nothing big. Me >If this is about parts of my past that I haven’t told you about, we can talk. Izu-Nii >Er, uh... if you’re sure, Asu-nee. Me >Meet at my apartment tomorrow at noon, okay? Izu-Nii >...okay. Good night, Asu-nee. Me >Good night, Izu-nii. I stood outside the gates to U.A. for another several minutes. I’d offered to share the story almost completely on a whim. But thinking on it more...  I really do need to come clean on this, to at least someone. Izu-nii is the best person for it, I think. I took a deep breath. Oh holy fuck I’m so nervous about this.  My heart was racing just at the thought of coming clean on something like this.  Is he going to hate me? I don’t want to lose my best friend... Will he believe me? Will... will this be where I find out if this is all even real?  My thoughts kept circling like that the rest of the day. I ended up taking the train and walking home. 
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 “Good morni... Asu-nee? Are you alright?” I had the door open, getting my shoes on while Izu-nii watched from outside the apartment. “I’m alright.” “Are you sure? You, uh... you look tired.” I stood and glanced at the little mirror in the entryway. I grimaced a bit as I poked at the eye-bags under my eyes. Even after my quick shower, I looked like death warmed up in the microwave. The usual side effects to not sleeping last night. “I’ll be alright. Just... no flying today, I guess.” I stepped out of the apartment and locked the door behind me. “C’mon, we can go to the roof.” “Is that okay? I thought it was locked.” “It usually is.” I led the way to the stairway, and we started our way up to the top. “But I’ve got keys and a permit.” “...you can get those?” “It’s not cheap, but yeah.” “...oh.” Once we finally reached the top (holy fuck my legs are heavy today), I unlocked the door and showed Izu-nii the little shelter that was built into the roof. Near it was a small, but effective, set of signal lights. They also doubled as landing lights. Inside the shelter was a small but comfy couch, blankets, a mini-fridge with snacks, and a space heater. “Wow.” Izu-nii looked a bit impressed at the setup as we took a seat. “I didn’t expect this.” I grinned. “Our landlady is a flier, as is her son and daughter. So she had some inclinations to set this up.” We sat there for several minutes. Just watching the sky and the clouds. The day was wonderfully clear. “So. Uh...” Izuku fidgeted with his hands. “If you don’t want to talk about this, you don’t have to. We could go to the arcade again or the beach or --” “Izu. It’s better to just do it now. Just... don’t tell anyone. Please?” I waited until Izu-nii nodded. Then I told him. Everything. ...okay, not everything. There was no point in telling him unnecessary details, like my favorite colors, what I did in free time back then, those kinds of things. But the necessary stuff. Like that I’d died, I remembered all of it, then reborn. Yes I told him about getting used to being a girl. I didn’t tell him of my experience with The Nothing . It wasn’t... something that I was comfortable telling, well, anyone. Izuku was silent once I finished explaining. My wings ruffled a bit as I waited. I fidgeted, wringing my hands. 
He totally hates me. Or he doesn’t believe me. Or both. Oh fuck what if it’s both what do I do did I do this right, OhGodwhatifhe-
 My thoughts froze when he hugged me. “Asu-nee. I believe you.”  ...he believes me? “You believe me?” “Yes. It explains a lot of you, too.” “I... I guess it does...?” “You’re a lot more mature than everyone else in class. You’ve been there the entire time for me while growing up, and well... I guess given how weird Quirks can get, it’s not that outlandish...” I blinked at him, more than a little suspiciously. “You’re taking this really well, Izu.” He tends to be honest to a fault.  Izu blushed a bit. “I trust you, Asu-nee. I don’t see why you would lie about this or make it up.” He paused. “And well, it was previously unheard of to pass on a Quirk, too.” “...true. It’s just... sorry. I-I thought you’d...” Izu squeezed me in his hug. “You’re my best friend and basically my sister, Asu. I’m not going to tell anyone, I promised not to.” I finally hugged him back. “Thank you, Izu-nii. Thank you.” “Love you, Asu-nee.” I wrapped one of my wings around him, holding him close. “I... I was so, so damned scared of how you’d react. I’m sorry. I should have had more confidence in you.” “N-No, it’s okay. I-I know what you mean,” he murmured softly. “It-It’s really hard to talk about secrets.” “Yeah.” I lay my head on his shoulder. “Um... does this make you the older sister, then?” I snorted. “Either way I’m older than you, dork.” “Yeah, but still,” he paused when he noticed me suppressing a yawn. “Do you, uh, want to go back to bed?” I shook my head against his shoulder. My other wing moved to wrap around myself and to wrap around Izuku from the other way. I closed my eyes for just a moment. So naturally, I found myself blinking bleary eyes, laying against Izu-nii on the couch on the roof. My wings were wrapped around us both, keeping the two of us very warm. Izuku looked very calm. He was browsing something on his phone while one of his arms was wrapped around my shoulders. Izu-nii looked over to me when I mumbled words. I think they were words, anyway. “It’s been about an hour and a half, Asu-nee.”  Oh. I yawned and moved to stand and stretch. “Thanks, Izu.” “Feel better?” “Much.” I felt several bones crack and pop as I stretched. Oof. “I think I’ll still avoid flying today, though. Did you still want to go to the arcade or something, Izu-nii?” “Yeah! We haven’t done that in forever.” I laughed. We really hadn’t. I felt a lot more energized after the impromptu nap. My feathers were kind of mussed up, though. We took the stairs down one level, then went for the elevator. Inside the elevator I was able to at least straighten my feathers. Izu chuckled and pointed out how messy my clothes were now. For that I just shrugged. Izu rolled his eyes. We mostly just discussed training methods on our way to the little arcade that we’d been attending for years. Then I spotted the booth. “Hey, Izu, c’mon!” I grabbed his arm and dragged him to it. “Asu-nee, do we have to?” “Yes. We promised to do one everytime we found one.” “I know, but haven’t we outgrown them? You especially?” I gave him a look. “Izu. You can never truly outgrow a photo booth.” I shoved him through the curtain. “Now shush and submit.” Izu heaved an overly-dramatic sigh. “Fiiiiiiine.” I taught him sarcasm way too well. But he put up with the photos again. I used my newly-earned photo-selling cash to pay for two copies of the photo strips. My favorite this time was when I got Izuku to stand in front of me, I kneeled on the little bench, and wrapped my arms and wings around him. The smiles on each of us were just so pure and happy. “Well. I think I want this one as it’s own photo.” It took a little finagling, but I was able to get the photo booth to give me a good-quality larger copy of the image. “...can you get me one, too?” “Of course, Izu-nii.” “Hey, Asu-nee?” I glanced over and noticed him staring at my wings. “Have your wings gotten bigger?”  What? “What?” “I think your wings are bigger.” “But... the doctors said I was done growing last year?” Izuku shrugged. “I dunno. I just... I thought they looked different...” “...I’ll check later. I want to beat you at that Hydro Thunder game again.” “Not a chance, Asu-nee!” Izuku dashed into the arcade ahead of me. I laughed as I raced to catch up. My worries over telling my story were gone, appeased by Izuku’s honest and easygoing heart. Also I beat him super badly at the majority of the games we played in the arcade. All in all, it was a good day. Once I got home (after saying bye to Izu-nii, of course), and after we’d had dinner, though, I enlisted Dad’s help. I mentioned Izu’s comment and asked if we could measure my wingspan again. It’s kind of a tedious process and it basically requires help. “Okay, Asu-chan,” Dad said. “Unfold the next part.” “Right, Dad.” I unfolded my right wing some more, while tucking away the part next to my body. “So how was work, Dad?” “It was fairly easy today. I had a bit of a workout keeping some of the metals in shape.” “You always do, Dad.” He chuckles, “Not always. Just most of the time. Next part, Asu-chan.” I moved my wing again. We didn’t have the room in our apartment to stretch both my wings out all the way. Nor did we have a measuring tape that big. You know, both good reasons to just measure one wing at a time. And to do it one bit at a time. Then just add it together. Wasn’t exactly perfect, but it was the best for us to do when inside. “Right. So all the time, Dad.” He rolled his eyes. “Alright. That’s all of this wing. Next one, Asu-chan.” I did as he asked. “So... how goes the Hero-ing?” “...slowly. Kind of painfully.” Dad paused. “Painfully?” “Yeah. Training is hard. We’re being pushed really, really hard.” “Ah. Are you... alright?” “I’m fine right now, just tired. I didn’t sleep too well.” “Well let me know if it gets too hard for you, okay, Asu-chan?” “I will, Dad. I promise.” He hugged me once he finished measuring my other wing. As a steel factory foreman in charge of some engineering for the metal, Dad was very good at accurate measurements. “Hmm... it seems that your wings are still growing. You’ve gained a quarter of a meter on your wingspan.” “Huh...” I pulled one of them around to look closer. “...Dad are my feathers darker too?” He looked a little closer. “Hm. A little bit, I think. It’s hard for me to tell.” My wings have been amethyst-colored for basically the entire time I’ve had them. But it now that we’ve noticed that they’re still growing, it seems that the color isn’t settled either. So now all of my feathers have darkened a shade or two. I was still calling them amethyst, but they were steadily shifting away from that color and a little closer to violet. Then I thought of something else. I hugged Dad, mentioned being tired from lack of sleep the last night, and went to get ready for bed. It took me a few minutes to clean and straighten my feathers in the shower. Plus another several minutes to preen out some of the broken and ruined ones. That, by the way, is still annoying painful. Arguably the best means of dealing with bad feathers is simply removing them. But it’s like... it’s like pulling out nose hairs. Easily doable, but painful . The broken and bad ones are less sensitive than that, though, so it’s a little bit easier to deal with. When I got to my room, I stripped and took out my private measuring tape. I’d gotten it with Inko-san during my first bra shopping trip. Then I used it to measure myself. Found out something very surprising, considering what my doctors had told me last year.  I-I-I’m still growing. I probably looked rather stunned (because I was) as I grabbed my pajamas and slipped them on. Oh. That explains why my sleeping bra felt a little tight last night.  ...I was going to have to go shopping for new bras soon. Probably in a week or two at best. My last thought that night, as I settled in to sleep, was: 
Why does being a woman have to be so goddamn expensive?
 
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 When I woke up a couple days later (and fully recovered from my sleepless night, and after two perfectly boring school days), my undergarments were a tad tight at first. I was able to loosen them a little. Maybe I'd be able to save some money and not buy anything new for a while. Once that was done, and I’d put my hair in the usual ponytail, I went through the usual routine of putting on my school uniform. Once I’d finished, I glanced into the full-body mirror on the back of my bedroom door. A random thought appeared.  ...aside from my hair being a lighter shade, I have it set almost exactly the same as Lara Croft from the reboot series. How did I not notice this before? I blinked. Oh right. Because I’m an oblivious dumbass sometimes... most times.  Then I shrugged. I went out to the living room, hugged my Dad, then threw on my shoes and grabbed my bag. On my way up to the roof, I pulled out my camera and prepared to take a few more photos to possibly sell. If I got ones that were good enough, I might make some decent enough money. On a related note, that picture from the photo booth that I’d liked? It’s now my phone background. Yes I loved it that much. Anyway! I took off from the apartment roof, took some time heading over to school. On the way I took as many photos as I could. My eye was rather critical today, though, so not very many were kept. If I wanted to sell these or use them as advertisements for my skill as a photographer, they had to be really good. Problem there was that my standards tended to be higher than needed. During my flight over town, I spotted a crowd hovering around the entrance to U.A. They all had recording devices of various types. I groaned. “What the fuck does the press want?” I spotted a familiar mop of green hair. “Oh boy.” I tucked my camera back into my bag, and started my decent. I was trying to land in the middle of them, so I had to go slower than I normally would. Though a slow landing was good training. Something I’d not done in a while, either. It worked, too. The reporters made room for me. Some of them looked rather annoyed. “Excuse me!” A woman stepped forward. “Are you in All Might’s class?” I cocked my head to the side. She frowned. Right as she was about to repeat her question, I answered. “Yes, I am in his class.” And then I spotted it. “Ooh! Excuse me!” The woman was rather (understandably) indignant when I pushed her aside. “Wha-hey! I wasn’t finished yet!” “I’m sorry, excuse me.” I bowed to the male reporter that was behind the woman. Holding a very nice looking SLR camera. “I’ve been looking into photography as of late.” He perked up a bit. “And you wished to ask about my camera?” “Yes, please.” I spent nearly ten minutes talking to the very kind and patient reporter (named Yosaii Iishi, he gave me his business card) about cameras. I showed him the current one I was using, a decent enough little digital camera. He had a very fancy (and very expensive ) DSLR, so he recommended a much cheaper alternative, the mirrorless camera. Long story short, he gave me a list of options for good cameras to start with. I thanked him for the advice and headed into class. In the process, I’d given him my permission to use my image in any articles, as well as answering some questions about the classes. I made it clear that I wasn’t going to answer personal questions, though. And I kept my answers juuuuuust vague enough to keep them from being too implicating. It was a fair enough trade. And it kept the reporters around us distracted with my answers, long enough for others of my class to slip in (wink wink). ...I ended up having to jog to class, though. My luck shined through when the bell rang the instant I sat down. I will openly admit to sighing with relief. “Shut up Dark Shadow, I can hear and see you laughing.” Tokoyami-kun jumped a bit. He turned. Then he scowled at Dark Shadow, who was hovering behind him. “Knock it off, Dark Shadow.” Dark Shadow gave one last chuckle before he vanished. Then the door opened. Aizawa-sensei was on the other side. He walked up to the podium. His sleeping bag was in one hand. A small stack of papers slammed into the top of the podium. “Everyone, good work on the combat training yesterday. I read the reports and watched the recordings.” He glanced over at what were undoubtedly his notes. “Bakugou. You’re a hero in training and you have talent. Stop acting like a kid.” I think Bakugou looked away, I couldn't tell from my angle. “I know, I know.” “Midoriya.” Izu-nii jumped and straightened in his seat. And started to stare down at the desk. Aizawa continued, “You settled it by breaking your arm again?” Aizawa sighed. “You can’t keep using the excuse of ‘I can’t control it’. It’s already getting old. I don’t like repeating myself. But if you can get your Quirk under control, it’ll be extremely valuable. So hurry up will you?” “Yes, sir!” Izu sounded so very determined. It’s cute. “Alright. I have another task for you all today...” Let it be known... that all of us wondered just what strange, weird-ass event he had for us today. “...you need to pick a class representative.”  Oh thank Arceus it’s a normal class activity! I paused. In Japan... well, more accurately, in this life. I hadn’t ever had to do this last life. Or at least not that I remembered. Of course, while I had that thought, nearly everyone started clamoring to be chosen. It got loud. And then Iida-kun got everyone to pipe down and offered a democratic voting option. Aizawa slipped into his sleeping back and just took a nap. I suggested that we allow everyone to have three votes, and that each vote must apply to a different person. This allowed for people to both vote for themselves, as people are wont to do. By simply not counting self-votes, we would eliminate a lot of problems. In the end, the voting boiled down to... 
Midoriya - 3 Votes

Yaoyorozu - 2 Votes
 Izuku was shocked. “I got THREE VOTES?!” Bakugou slammed his desk and stood. “Alright you idiots! Who voted for him?!” I heard whistling behind me. I turned. Uraraka blushed when she saw me smirking at her. All I said was: “You are adorable, Uraraka-chan. I approve of this.” I turned around right as she blushed more and squeaked. She has a huge crush on him. It’s so fuckin’ cute.  By now Izu-nii and Yaomomo-chan were at the front of the class. Izu looked astonished and scared at being class rep. Yaomomo looked almost bored. Aizawa-sensei was finally awake and mentioned being glad that the whole thing was over with. Then he dismissed us to lunch. I decided to let Izu-nii be with his little group of friends and went over to sit with Yaomomo-chan, Tokoyami-Kun and Mezō-kun. Yaomomo-chan swallowed her bite of rice as I sat down. “Thank you for the help with the English Language homework, Gōkin-chan.” “You’re welcome.” “I deeply appreciate the help you granted us, Gōkin-san,” Tokoyami-kun said. “Your aid allowed Mezō-san and I to improve our grades significantly.” I chuckled. “You always speak so formally, Tokoyami-kun. May I ask why?” His cheek feathers ruffled a tad. “I... It is simply how I was raised, Gōkin-san.” “It’s kind of cute, Tokoyami-kun.” While he sputtered and tried to not choke on his salmon, I turned to Mezō. “Mezō-kun, you’re good at weight training, yes?” Mezō had a spare hand patting Tokoyami’s back when he turned to me. “Yes, Gōkin-san? Do you need help with it?” “Yes. I’m always having trouble training my musc--” 
BRRRRRNNNNGGG.
 I’m pretty sure every single person in the cafeteria jumped. I got rice all over my uniform too, dammit. We stood up in slight confusion, unsure of what to do. At least until the P.A. system piped up. 
“Warning. Warning. Students, this is a Level 3 Security Breach. All students please evacuate the building. Repeat, all students...”
 By then it didn’t matter what automated alert was saying. Nearly all of the students were charging through the hall to evacuate. Panic had decided to reach into many students, and squeezed . Then I noticed that Tokoyami-kun was getting pushed around. He was visibly having trouble staying standing.  Fuck. If he falls, he cou-OH SHIT. “Shōji!” He snapped his attention to me at my yell. “Grab Tokoyami! He’s going to get trampled!” Mezō looked where I was pointing. Tokoyami was getting stepped on by like, five different people. I was getting pushed away, my wings were pinned to my back. I could barely breathe.   “LISTEN UP! Everything is okay!” Holy shi- Iida was yelling at every student and teacher from on top of the emergency exit sign. “It’s just the press! We’re U.A. students! We need to remain calm, and prove that we’re the best of the best!” It was loud. It was proud. It was a little egotistical, feeding into the whole “U.A. is the best” thing. It was very, very “Iida Tenya”. Most importantly: it worked . All of us calmed down. Panic, the panic that had started to squeeze and crush and suffocate -- it was gone. Mezō-kun was helping Tokoyami-kun up. I pushed everyone out of the way and made sure Yaomomo-chan was alright.  “Attention, all students.” Principal Nezu, I think? “The situation has been handled. Please resume your previous activities. And remember, Plus Ultra!”  Well. That certainly simplified things. I decided to hold off on finishing my lunch until I'd made sure my friends weren't too badly hurt. Yaomomo-chan and I had a handful of minor bruises. My wings and feathers were all fucked up again, but that's easily handled. Tokoyami-kun had more bruises than the rest of us at the table. Plus a couple of minor lacerations. As always I kept bandages and stuff on me. In what was to be our line of work, it was good to be prepared. His cheek feathers were all puffed up though. Tokoyami-kun happened to also be foolish enough to try to stop me. “Your assistance is much appreciated,Gōkin-san, but--” “And I will continue to give it no matter how adorably flustered it makes you. So no declining it, Tokoyami-kun.” I chuckled when he pouted a bit at my insistence. “Alright. Done.” “...thank you very much, Gōkin-san.” I reached up and ruffled his feathers a bit (ignoring his soft squawk when I did), “Anytime, Tokoyami-kun. I'll see you all back at class.” We still had a few minutes before class resumed, but I needed to go double check some of my homework. When I got into the classroom, I spotted someone that I didn't recognize. He was sitting in one of our spare chairs. “...is that cat?” I asked. He jumped a little, smiled softly, and nodded. I quietly made my way over. I put out one of my hands, fingers curled down, to let the cat get a sniff. Then my hand was granted permission to scratch the cat behind the ears. “I'm Gōkin Asuka.” He glanced at me. “...Kōda Kōji...” His voice was incredibly soft and quiet. “You're in 1-B normally, right?” He nodded. “Is this your cat?” He shook his head. “May I?” He nodded and gently held out the cat. I've always loved cats. I was lucky to find out that I wasn't allergic to them in this life. The cat let me hold him (after a short gender check). More than that, he started purring even louder. He settled into my arms, laying his head on my shoulder and nuzzling into my neck. That was naturally when Aizawa-sensei came into the room. He stopped and stared. I smiled and waved completely unrepentant. “Is that your cat, Gōkin?” “Nope! Kōda-kun found him. Or something like that.” “I see. And why are you wasting time playing with the cat?” “Because I love cats and it is completely worth it.” I came over and pushed the cat onto Aizawa. He took a hold of him on reflex. “Also I've seen you picking up cats in the streets, sensei. So I really doubt you mind all that much.” Kōda-kun was standing by the door, unsure of whether to leave or not. The cat started batting at sensei’s capture scarf. Aizawa sighed. Even as he distracted the cat with a treat he fished from his pockets. “On your flights?” “On my flights.” I paused. “I have photographic evidence. On a related note, you act like one a lot. Sleeping anywhere and everywhere possible, giving everyone a glare or stare, and always trying to be tough and irritable when you aren't.” Aizawa-sensei’s eye twitched a bit. “Kōda. Please put the cat back where you found him for now.”  He passed on the cat. Then he waited for the door to close. “You have photos ?” “Nope. I've never even seen you on my flights.” I totally didn't smirk in victory at his twitching eye. “It was, what did you call it? A logical ruse?” “Were you always such a smartass?” “Absolutely.” I went back over to my seat and got some homework out. “Oh I told Izu about my past.” “...and?” I shrugged. “It's Izu.” Aizawa snorted. “Of course.” He resumed preparing for the last part of the day. He was going to be overseeing us during our Basic Hero Training today. The rest of the day was fairly standard. Training, more training, flying home, heading to bed. You know, the usual afternoon. Except for when the staff at school had all the students leave the campus through a different entry gate. That had been odd. It wasn't something I worried about that night. I was too busy putting up my latest photos on a website to advertise my steadily-improving skills. I also sold the rights to a handful of other photos. And then I went to bed. That night, I slept more peacefully than I had in days. 
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 I woke up bright and early the next day. It took me another extra couple of minutes to stretch and get out of bed. Then like five more to stretch and wake up. It was supposed to be a quiet day today, so I took my time getting ready. Cleaned my wings extra thoroughly, cleared my shoulder-length hair of all its knots (then promptly put it back into my usual lazy ponytail). It was actually really nice to relax in the morning. Dad was out already, of course. He always had the early shift. So I had a simple, filling breakfast, threw on my school uniform, and dashed up to the roof to take off. Today I opted for a slightly more daring one. Usually, I either did a slight jump followed by a couple flaps; or I just, you know, flapped really hard. Today? I took a running leap off the edge of the roof. I had to make sure that I jumped far enough to avoid any balconies. And thankfully I did. As I started plummeting, I let my wings open a tad slower than usual. The end result? I swooped over the ground, using my momentum to glide back upwards again before I finally started to properly climb. I was going to have to apologize to everyone later. I had whooped a little, tiny bit loudly on my way back up. Just a little bit. On my way, I spotted a certain, familiar birdbrain walking to school. He seemed to be taking quite the long way around, though. 
...well, no reason not to join him. To spook or not to spook... spook it is.
 Let’s be real here. It’s not like I had any other real choice. So I glided down towards Tokoyami-kun. I managed to get close enough to notice that he was staring down at his phone and he had big headphones on. They weren’t gonna stop me. I landed as quietly as I could behind him, reached forward, and grabbed his shoulders. 
“Boo!”
 Tokoyami-kun jumped. I caught his headphones as they flew off his head towards me. He spun around as fast as he could, his arms almost ready to defend. Naturally he stopped when he saw me holding my stomach as I laughed. Dark Shadow appeared over his shoulder and threw me a thumb’s up. 
“I saw you coming, good work!”
 Tokoyami-kun turned and glared. Nearly all of his feathers were ruffled now. “And you did not see fit to tell me?” “Couldn’t, it was too funny, Kagechan.” Dark Shadow retreated before Tokoyami-kun could retort. “Kagechan? Cute name.” Tokoyami-kun turned back to me, heaving a sigh. He held out his hand. I gave back his headphones. Then I started to walk past him towards the school. He seemed a bit confused as he stepped up to match me. “You seemed to be a little lonely, Tokoyami-kun,” I mentioned. “Also I wanted to make sure you were recovering well from yesterday.” “...I am well enough, Gōkin-san.” “Chan. Gōkin-chan , Tokoyami-kun.” Tokoyami-kun full on almost tripped over himself (he’s so cute sometimes). He managed to stumble back into a proper walking rhythm. “I... i-if you are certain, Gōkin-chan.” “I am. You have allowed me to use kun for you this long. It’s only fair.” “I see.” Tokoyami-kun reached up and used his hands to straighten his feathers a little. “May I ask a personal question, Gōkin-sa... er, Gōkin-chan?” He’d corrected himself when he noticed the look on my face. “Of course you may, Tokoyami-kun.” He took a deep breath. “Dark Shadow and I have... noticed something about yourself.”  Aw shit. I think I know what he means. “Yes...?” “It appears to us that you are always tense, and possibly even afraid, of Dark Shadow.” He glanced over to me. “You tensed even when he appeared behind me just now.” I didn’t say anything for a while. As in, several minutes. Then I heaved a very heavy sigh. “I am. I am terrified of Dark Shadow.” Tokoyami-kun opened his beak. “But! It’s not really... [fuck this is awkward]... okay. I’m not terrified of Dark Shadow himself. What scares me is what he reminds me of.” Tokoyami-kun stared at me for several moments. Then he nodded. “I understand. True fears and terrors never truly leave our minds.” “Nor do the scars they leave upon our souls ever fully heal.” “Yes.” He glanced my way as we got closer to the road up to the school. “If you ever wish to talk about it, Gōkin-chan...” “Thank you, Tokoyami-kun. But it’s not something I’m... comfortable talking about.” Thankfully, Tokoyami-kun nodded. “I understand.” He paused. “If I may ask, Gōkin-chan... are your feathers different?” I perked up a bit at that. Our trip to U.A. passed by a lot more happily as we discussed feather care. I mentioned that my wings were darkening in color a bit. When I mentioned that I had changed up my means of care, using a different set of oils, Tokoyami-kun mentioned that my wings might be reacting differently. I had considered that, but I didn’t really have the means to test it. Or at least not sure of how to test it. Tokoyami-kun offered to introduce me to a feather-care professional.  I’ll be honest. I didn’t know they existed. “Thank you for letting me walk with you, Tokoyami-kun.” We both moved into the entry hall of the school and went about changing our shoes. “You are most welcome, Gōkin-chan.” He smiled to me (wow he needs to do that more, it’s such a warm smile). “I must admit that having a... a friend to traverse with was more pleasant than I had expected it to be.” “We can do it more often, if you’d like?” Tokoyami-kun’s cheek feathers fluffed a tad. “I... I would like that, yes.” I gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you in class. I’m going to go check up on Izu-nii.” I went over to where Izu was just coming in and hugged him tightly. He smiled and hugged back. The two of us talked about how our training was coming along as we made our way to class. I thanked him many more times about how he’d taken my story. Izu-nii continued to comfort me and just assure me about it.  He’s such a wonderfully kind kid. I couldn’t help smiling as I sat at my desk. I’m so damn lucky to have him as such a close friend.  The day went by quietly. I hung out with the friends I was making here during lunch, we finished school work... except for the last class. Hero Basic Training. The best class. Aizawa-sensei stood before us. “Today’s training is going to be a little different. You’re going to have three pros looking after you while we do this. Myself, All Might, and another faculty member.” Three? Due to yesterday?  Hanta Sero raised his hand and piped up. “Sir? What kind of training?” “Rescue.” Aizawa-sensei even held up an intro card, just like All Might had done. Wow. “You’ll be learning to deal with natural disasters, shipwrecks, things like that.” Kaminari (Electro-boy) seemed a bit nervous. “Natural disasters? We’ve got quite the workout today.” “Yeah, but this is gonna be so cool!” Ashido Mina piped up. I will admit to agreeing with their assessments. This was going to be both very tiring... and it was going to be so freaking cool. Finally, we could properly show our stu- “Guys I wasn’t finished yet.” Oops. “What you wear during this exercise is up to you.” The costume compartments started opening when he pushed a button behind the podium. “I know you all are excited about your costumes, but keep in mind that you aren’t fully used to them yet. They might hinder your abilities. Keep that in mind. In addition, the facility we’ll be using is off-campus. So we’re taking a bus to get there. Alright, that’s all. Meet at the bus in fifteen minutes.” Almost all of us went for the costume cases. When I opened my case this time, there was a note on top of my goggles. 
Gōkin-san,

We have finally managed to install one of the enhancements you requested for your goggles. They're hard wired through the insulation of your coat, to the buttons on your gauntlets. So far the only enhancement we've been able to install is a maximum of a 3x zoom.
 
Also it's super cool!

-Support Team
 I will openly admit this. I straight up squee’d. Yaomomo-chan giggled about it. I ignored her as I worked through putting on my costume. It took a little doing, but I was able to get the joint armor on by myself! Yes, yes I was proud of that. I stepped out to the meeting area. Moved over to some open space, and started stretching. If we were going to be doing rescue training, I needed to be nice and limber. Also I played around with my upgraded goggles. 3x zoom might sound small, but it's super cool. The buttons on my gauntlets to control it were in the little corner between forefinger and thumb. Kind of reminded me of Ant-Man’s sizing buttons. “Whoa! Asu-nee those look really cool!” Izu suddenly appeared in my vision. Since I was at double zoom, I jumped at how close he suddenly was. “Oops. Sorry!” “No, it's okay.” I pulled them off and let them sit around my neck. “They look cool?” “Yeah.” I gave them another look. Yeah, they kind of did. The goggles were attached to my costume by a medical-grade synthetic rubber, which also housed the wiring. The outline was a generic black, but the outside of the lenses were a very pretty light blue. Not too dark so that I could see clearly indoors, but they were able to transition to a darker shade in sunlight. Useful for flying. “Thanks, Izu-nii. Where's yours?” I looked him up and down. He was wearing his neck/face guard, gloves, and elbow pads. Izu rubbed the back of his head. “It's still being fixed, so...” “Oh right.” I reached a wing out and wrapped it around him. “You ready for this?” I never quite got an answer. Iida interrupted us to get us all on the bus. By lining up in student number. While waving his arms around like a robot. 
Oh, Iida. You goofy cyborg-looking kid.
 In the end it wasn't even necessary. Which, naturally, left Iida in a depressed funk for the entire bus ride. I was in the back of the bus, because the low backrest was easy on my wings. I had my phone out and I was mostly just ignoring what everyone was saying. It’s an old, old habit of mine. I was just catching up on some of the newest Reddit (who knew that site was so universally awesome?) stuff when Aizawa stood and told us to quiet down. We were there. The place was big. As in, Six Flags park big. Us students, myself included, were left just kind of gaping at it for nearly a solid minute. Especially since someone in a big, puffy spacesuit was waiting for us. “Hello, everyone! I’ve been waiting for you.” They greeted cheerfully. Their voice was a little muffled and hard to hear. Izu-nii gasped. Fanboy Mode: Engaged. “It’s the Space Hero, Thirteen! The chivalrous pro who’s rescued a ton of people from disasters all around the world!” Uraraka looked just as fleeful, though. “Thirteen is my all-time favorite hero!”  Given her powers, that actually makes sense. I will admit to liking Thirteen as well, though. They’re very cool. “Come on inside, everyone! Everything’s ready.” They (seriously, the fuck is their identified gender?) started leading the way up the steps. I stayed towards the back. My wings tended to get in the way of people when we were all standing up. Mezō-kun was there with me. It’s a side effect of him being so damn tall. Once we entered the building, I will admit to chuckling (and being utterly amazed ) at what we saw. We were on a big entrance platform, with a large staircase leading down to the main plaza. We got into two organized lines to make it easier for us all to see and hear the teachers. “Whoa!” Kirishima cried, dashing forward a few steps. “It’s like an amusement park in here!” Thirteen seemed to perk up a bit. They pointed towards what looked like a gigantic water pool and slide, with... a yacht? “Over there is the Shipwreck Zone.” Towards buildings buried in mud. “Landslide Zone.” A big red dome. “Fire Zone.” A big blue dome. “Storm Zone... and more!” Thirteen turned to us and spread their arms, gesturing to the entirety of the building. “I prepared this building specifically to train students for dealing with various types of disasters. I call it... the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!” Thirteen turned and pointed at us rather dramatically. “But you can call it USJ!” Literally all of us thought the exact same thing: Just like Universal Studios Japan...  My hand was covering my face as I giggled, just to keep them quiet. Mezō-kun had a copy mouth smiling with me. Then I noticed someone was missing. I kept my voice low. “Hey, Mezō-kun? Didn’t Aizawa-sensei say that All Might was supposed to be here?” Mezō-kun looked ready to answer, but Thirteen spoke up. “Before we get started, I have one thing to say. No, two... no, three. Or four... maybe five...” I had to hide my smile again. Pro Hero or not, Thirteen was a bit scatterbrained. “I’m sure you all know about my Quirk, Black Hole, and just how powerful it is. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust .” I blinked. Okay. That is stupidly powerful. And here I thought flight was stupid good.  “Yeah!” Izu-nii was using his fanboy knowledge again. Though seeing Uraraka nod just as enthusiastically was a bit surprising. And cute. “You’ve used your Quirk to save hundreds of lives all over the world.” “That’s true.” Thirteen nodded. “But my Quirk can very easily be used to kill.” I took me a moment to connect the dots. Ah. I see. Yes, yes it can be.  “Some of you also have very dangerous Quirks. In a society of superhumans, we often lose sight of just how dangerous Quirks can be. Please don’t forget that if you lose focus, or make the wrong move, your powers can be very deadly. Even if you’re trying to be virtuous.” Thirteen turned and used a gloved hand to gesture to Aizawa. “Thanks to Aizawa’s fitness test, you have a better idea of your Quirk’s potential. And thanks to All Might’s combat test, you likely experienced what it’s like to use your Quirks in combat. “Today, you won’t be using your Quirk to fight or compete. Instead, you’ll be using it to rescue. To save people’s lives. You won’t be using your powers to attack each other, or enemies. Only to help. After all, that’s what being a Hero is all about: ensuring the safety of others.” Thirteen crossed their arm in front of themselves and bowed. “That’s all I have to say. Thank you so much for listening.” I cheered and clapped with everyone. Thirteen was a charismatic and devoted Hero. Even with just those words, I could tell. Aizawa spoke up. “Right. Now that that’s over wi-”  Zzt-zzzt. We all looked up as electricity crackled all along the lights. “Everyone stay together and head towards the exit!” Aizawa-sensei suddenly sounded far, far more serious than he ever had. “Thirteen, protect the students!” I spotted Izu-nii taking one step forward. “Stay back!” Aizawa’s sharp command halted all movements. “Those are Villains. This is real.” It was only then that I’d felt it .  It was a sensation. A feeling, picked up only by people who’d experienced life-or-death situations. Killing Intent . I’d only experienced it once. And It had gotten me killed last time.

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Chapter the Eighth

Universal Studios Japan: Villain Attack Edition!
Villains. Real villains. Kirishima was making some comment about something. I don't know. My heart was too busy filling my ears with the sound of my pounding blood.Will we die? Will I die again? ...No. Can't die again. Won't die again. Can't. Won't. I jumped a bit when Mezō-kun gently placed a hand on my shoulder. Tokoyami-kun put one on my other shoulder."-een, get the students out of here and alert the campus!" Aizawa-sensei's voice washed over me. Even in the urgent situation, his voice helped to ground me. "Kaminari, you know Morse code, right? Use your Quirk and your headset to try to contact the main campus!""Y-Yes sir!"Mezō-kun looked at me a little closer. "Gōkin-chan, we're going to be alright." It was only then that I realized I was shaking.Fuck. Get under control. Control. I managed one deep breath. Then two. It took four for my shaking to disappear. "...sorry.""We'll be fine, Gōkin-chan." Tokoyami-kun affirmed.I realized then that my left hand was very tightly wrapped around my right wrist. Because my right hand had, almost by instinct, reached for one of my pouches.My defense knife. Fuck, I almost drew it. Fucking fuck. "Okay. Okay. We... we're retreating while Sensei covers for us, right?"Tokoyami-kun nodded. Thirteen started to rush us towards the doors as they took the lead, so the three of us turned around. Mezō-kun kept a hand on my shoulder. We were near the center of the group. I didn't bother trying to stop him. His hand helped to keep me grounded. Unfortunately for all of us, whoever it was that had broken the villains in, appeared before us. He was a large cloud of what appeared to be dark purple mist, with a pair of bright yellow eyes."There is no escape for you." His voice had a bit of an echo to it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains. I know it's rude, but we decided to invite ourselves in to say hello. Is this facility not a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace -" he seemed to almost spit out that word - "to draw his last breath?"
They want to kill All Might? Ha. Good joke.
"He was supposed to be here today and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been a change of plans." He seemed to sigh. The purple fog started to spread around us. "Oh well. I still have a role to play here."Bakugou and Kirishima saw their opening as the fog spread more. "DIE!" No prizes for guessing who that was.Bakugou caused a big, massive explosion. The smoke from the explosive filled our vision. I covered my mouth to try to not inhale it. Mezō-kun had let me go to try and stop the boys. I glanced around to try and take stock of everyone, but it was no use. Kirishima made some comment about not taking this lying down. Then the smoke cleared."I see U.A. lives up to its reputation of strong students." Purple-Fog-Man was more or less fine. He was reconfiguring himself back to what might be normal for him. "But you should be more careful, children. Someone could get hurt."Thirteen's voice rang out from the front of the group. "You two, get out of the way! Right now!""I'll scatter you across this facility." Fog-Man's fog spread around all of us. "To meet my comrades - and your deaths!"This fog seeped in around us. My wings moved to wrap around me. I clenched my teeth as I prepared to try and fight back - and then the fog really, truly enveloped us. The lights vanished from view.Every muscle in my body froze and tensed. The fog was cold, dark, crushing.
Nothing.
And then I was falling out of the air. Wind-swept rain pelted my skin and clothes. Even terrified, the instincts and skills Kafu-sensei had pounded into my head over the past several years took control. My wings snapped out, slowed my fall.Then the wind blew straight into them and I slammed into a wall, back first, only a few feet above the ground. I felt, more than heard, something in my back go pop.RRRrggh! I slid down the wall onto my feet.Even with the pain emanating from my back, my mind nearly instantly returned to what Fog-Man had just thrown us through.Fuck. Fucking shit fuck. I wrapped my arms around myself. My left hand was holding my right arm still, to keep away from my knife pocket. Control. Control, Asuka.This was the worst possible place to lose control. Darkness like that reminded me of that Nothing. No matter how terrifying it was to me, I had to be in control."-kid's dumb enough to-""-easy-""-hard feelings, kid-"Voices? Why the voices? Goddammit, I don't need voices in my head!Then I felt It (that same spine-shivering intent) again. Closer than earlier. My focus returned sharply. Right in front of me was some masked asshole. They had spikes jutting out of their hand.The hand that was rushing towards my throat.
Threat. Neutralize.
Training kicked in with a vengeance. I leaned slightly right. My left hand snapped out, grabbing the dude's wrist. My right palm struck with all the force I could put intro hit. There was a very distinct snap as his forearm broke. A grimace of pain crossed his face.I didn't care. As I let go of his left wrist, my left leg kicked right up into his crotch. Dumbass wasn't wearing a cup. From there I grabbed his head with both hands and broke his face over my knee.Less than half a minute had passed and the first villain I'd ever fought (in this life) was out cold in the ground. The other seven were backing away warily.Focus, Asuka. Focus on surviving in one piece. I drew my self-defense knife and got into defensive stance. You can have your meltdown later."Heh." One of the Villains piped up. He had a buzzcut, and a police baton in his hands. "A trainee hero that uses a knife? Some hero you're trying to be.""Coming from an old man that needs a baton? That's rich."He sneered. His arm with the baton reared back, like he was gonna throw it.And then Dark Shadow came out from around the corner, grabbed the baton in one hand, and used the other to beat the man unconscious in one hit.Thanks to the distraction, I was able to lunge for the next one. A woman with metal plates fused to her skin, I think. She also had some kind of metal horns or whatever sticking out of her hair. They turned out to be absolutely perfect for knocking out the guy next to her when I bashed their heads together."Ow! Stupid bitch!" The woman whirled and grabbed my arm. "I'm gonna crush your bones!"I hissed out air as her hands squeezed my arm. The bones in my arm were being ground against each other hard enough for me to drop my knife. Fucking hell! Is her Quirk strength-based? I lashed a foot out at her chest. Sure enough, she gave a little oof as her lungs were forcefully emptied.She was also forced to let go of my arm. I winced at the bruises I could already feel forming. While she was busy recovering, Dark Shadow slipped in behind her and knocked her out cold with one claw.I glanced around. The other villains were already down. Dark Shadow was already retreating back around a nearby building, gesturing for me to follow as he did. I found Tokoyami-kun hiding under a little carport.I held myself up by the knees as I panted. "Thanks for the save, Dark Shadow, Tokoyami-kun.""You are welcome, Gōkin-chan." He came over as I straightened up and winced. "Your right wing seems to be dislocated.""That explains the pain I'm feeling." I took another deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I have first aid gear in my pouches. I don't know how to relocate a joint. Help me immobilize my wing."Tokoyami-kun nodded. I dug into my pouches and gave over rolls of gauze and tape. I dug into another pouch and produced an ice-less cold pack."There is something that I must tell you, Gōkin-chan." Tokoyami-kun was speaking slower than normal. More deliberately. "Something that... I must ask that you not share."Something you're only sharing because of the urgency of the situation. "...wait until after we finish binding my wing and find a more secure place to talk. Okay?""...right." Tokoyami-kun paused when I handed him the activated cold pack. When he hadn't moved for several seconds, I made a leap of logic."You don't know how to bind a limb, do you, Tokoyami-kun?""...it is knowledge that I find myself sorely lacking in the present situation."I chuckled, then proceeded to instruct him. Kafu-sensei had been ruthless about making sure I knew this.That is a story all of its own.In the end, Tokoyami-kun was able to bind my wing securely to my back. It took some doing, some improvising with cloth left around the carport, and a little longer than we'd hoped. We could both hear villains coming in. The cold compress was pressed against my joint through a couple layers of gauze and cloth.Then it was time for us to move. As we left the carport, I took stock. I'm down a wing for fighting. My left forearm is bruising heavily. Bones there are at worst bearing minor fractures, at best scratched or weakened. Down one roll of medical tape, several gauze, one cold compress. Knife has been exposed and was dropped during the fight. We stopped at a corner to a leaning building, wind-blown rain pelting our bodies. Dark Shadow peeked around, then waved us forward."Here." Tokoyami-kun held open a door to a run-down "shop". It had some knocked-over (prop) shelves among some (prop) ruins, and it was darker than the other areas. "Alright. I believe this area is secure enough to... tell you.""I'm listening, Tokoyami-kun. And I give you my word that I will keep it a secret."Tokoyami had to take a deep breath. Then he told me about the secret of his Quirk. How Dark Shadow gained power in darkness, grew weak in light. How it was basically another creature that he was co-living with. And how, if he loses control, then Dark Shadow takes over."I see." I kept my voice carefully level as I answered. Tokoyami-kun tried not to flinch. "I can't really judge. I have my fair share of secrets that I've kept. Come on, we need to see if we can get out of here."Tokoyami-kun seemed relieved as he nodded. "Yes. I do not know where the exit to the storm dorm is. From your words, I can assume that you do not either.""No, I don't." I glanced out of the building. "We don't know how many villains there are, either."Tokoyami-kun opened his beak to speak. Then my instincts, the ones that were sharply improving every minute, recognized that intent from before. It seems Tokoyami-kun noticed me suddenly tensing, and he started to prepare for whatever I was sensing.And then something-no, someone lunged out of the shadows. Their body was covered in darkness, stretching out of the shadows left by the lack of light in this broken-down "shop". Their shadow-body had claws, already extended. They were coming straight towards Tokoyami-kun.My one active wing unfurled and moved to block the way. I lunged forward. Shadow-Man was already on course, but one of his legs seemed to move out of the shadows to keep my wing from stopping him. Tokoyami-kun was pulling away from the claws.And like something out of a cartoon, Tokoyami-kun tripped on some of the props behind him. It had the bonus of making Shadow-Man's claws miss his face and head. But they still managed to leave angry, red lines all along Tokoyami-kun's chest. Then my friend finished falling backwards onto the broken shelf behind him. There was a solid crack and he went limp.You motherfucking son of a bitch. I managed to get within reach of his claws and grabbed the wrist. My wing pushed his leg out of the way. I can already see the weakness of your Quirk. You can merge with shadows, but you have to be physical to attack!This left me the perfect opening. My leg moved to kick - and then a large shadow-claw came out of nowhere and punched the villain hard enough to smash him into the far wall. I looked over.
...you know, that's both creepy as fuck and cool as hell.
I could see that Tokoyami-kun had some blood leaking from his head. Even with the way that Dark Shadow was wrapped around his body tightly, giving my friend a rather intimidating appearance....fuck. I'm trembling again. God fucking dammit. "Come on, we need to get out of here. We're not secure anymore.""Right." Dark Shadow nodded Tokoyami-kun's head. "Kagechan is unconscious but alive. This is an old ability of Ours, one we don't like to advertise.""...right."We made our way out of the building. Then immediately we got into defensive stances. Several villains were surrounding us. Fortunately for us, however, what little light the Storm Dome provided was getting lower and lower. Dark Shadow's power was thus higher, and only getting higher. Two tendrils of shadow-arms extended out and grabbed two villains, promptly smashing them together.I charged a couple villains myself. With only one working wing, I wasn't as mobile as I might have normally been. But I was still able to lunge at the nearest gal, someone with overly long hair that lashed out at me. Her small stature might have made it hard to hit her, if I was someone that focused on hand-based combat. Her hair grabbed my wing (holy shit this stuff is as tough as cable) and nearly split to grab my other limbs. Unfortunately for her, she forgot that legs are usually longer than arms. Mine follow that line of logic as well."Guh!" She grunted when my boot slammed into her solar plexus. Then my other boot came around and slammed into her head.Her Quirk let me go when she went unconscious. She dropped to the ground like a stringless puppet. The man next to her lunged at me with wait is that my knife in his hand?I was able to grab his left wrist and keep it away from me. "Well. Thanks for returning that, dumbass."He smirked when his other hand appeared from behind his back with an exact replica. Oh shit! My trained reaction was to twist his arm behind his back and take the blade out of his hand. I wasn't quite fast enough, though, as his other hand was still able to leave his mark on my arm. I lashed out with an open palm and broke his elbow. He grunted at the pain it caused and dropped the knife. Then I went with my newest favorite and kicked him in the balls. From behind this time, just for the variety (it's the spice of life). The other knife he held dissipated into energy and he collapsed onto his knees."Owww... you cheap bitch...""If you don't want to get kicked in the balls, wear a cup, dipshit." Then I kicked his head into the ground. There was a distinct snap when I did.I winced and gave his face a second glance. Okay, yes, he was just unconscious. But he was also down a tooth, had a broken nose, and was bleeding pretty profusely.Oh no. What a shame. Dumbass. I turned around and spotted a few more villains near me. Well. This one was kind enough to return my defense knife.I crouched and picked it up in my right hand. Then Dark Shadow's overly large shadow hand came and crashed all the villains into each other, then straight into the nearest building wall....this is why being a martial arts class around a mage is annoying. I didn't say that though. Instead what I said was, "Thanks for the save, Shadow.""Of course. Gotta keep Kagechan's cute friend alive!"I smirked. "Oh? You find me cute, Dark Shadow?"Shadow stumbled. It was a bit odd seeing Tokoyami-kun's body so expressive, even when just shrouded in the living darkness. Then he chuckled as we started heading towards the edge of the dome."I do find you a bit cute, yes." He admitted. "In part due to your willingness to be around me despite how much I remind you of The Nothing."I stopped. As in, froze mid-step and stared at him. I'm sure my eyes turned as wide as dinner plates. "You... you know about -?"Dark Shadow shook his (borrowed) head. "Only partially. It's a result of what I am.""...a being in a symbiotic relationship. From an unknown source.""Yes. I have trace memories of certain concepts from my source." He held up Tokoyami-kun's hand to stop my questions. "I don't know enough to answer very many questions, not even about where I came from. Only the bare minimum.""I... I see." I swallowed (where did that lump in my throat come from?). "Can... can you answer some of mine then?""Yes." Dark Shadow gave me a grin. "Nothing about Kagechan's dimensions, Gōkin-chan."I rolled my eyes and used my good wing to smack the back of his head. "Told you. None of that."Dark Shadow just chuckled. Unrepentant brat. Then he turned serious. "I am willing to answer some of your questions, Gōkin-chan. Some may pertain to private information that I will not share, however."I nodded. "That's fair." I looked around to make sure there was nobody in earshot, then we resumed walking to find the exit. "Is Tokoyami-kun's wound alright?""I'm using some of my power to apply pressure.""Good." I took a deep, shaky breath. Then another one. "S-Sorry. I just..."Dark Shadow gently placed a shadow-cloaked hand on my shoulder. I felt my muscles tense for only a moment. Because it was in that instant that I noticed a stark contrast between him and The Nothing that I recalled.He's... warm. Warmer than I expected. "What... what is the purpose?""Of The Nothing? To cleanse souls of their old life." Dark Shadow let go of my shoulder as we made our way through the Storm Zone."Yeah... I thought that might be it." I shivered as I recalled how cold, dark, and crushing it had been."It doesn't always work, obviously. But from what little I know of it, it's extremely successful.""Then why..." I paused. I'd been about to ask why I'd made it through unharmed. But that wouldn't be true. That place harmed and damaged me enough. I don't even know what, if anything, is missing from Before."You made it through more intact than you should have." Dark Shadow sighed. "I apologize for the bluntness but it's the most effective."I nodded. "No, it's appreciated."He continued before I could ask my next question. "Before you ask, no, I don't know the details about how a soul keeps their memories. All I know is that the higher beings aren't huge fans of souls that do. But they also recognize it as a sign of a how strong a soul can be."I frowned at that. "What do you -" I stopped. Then I inched forward to the edge of the nearest building and peeked around, to look towards the sound I'd heard."How many?"I held up two fingers. Almost immediately, Dark Shadow launched his extendable claws around the corner. Half a minute later he pulled them back."Done."I rolled my eyes at how smug he sounded. "Keep your pride in your pants."Dark Shadow sputtered and laughed at that. It was kind of cute, honestly."You have a sharp wit, Gōkin-chan. Did you have another question?""...why is the 'cleanse' so damned painful?"Dark Shadow sighed. "Because a sentient soul is very... clingy. It clings to everything that made that soul unique. Memories, personality, all of that. And the most efficient way to tear away all those clingy remains, is torture. I don't know much about the exact means, nor do I want to. Just that the few survivors describe it as a mixture of being crushed, frozen, torn apart..."Dark Shadow stopped listing the means and put a hand on my shoulder again. I barely noticed; I was too busy trying to bury the memories of it all. God dammit. Get yourself under control, you dumbass."Gōkin-chan." Dark Shadow spoke softly. It managed to get my attention. "As long as you are alive, The Nothing will not, cannot, get you. I do know that much.""...it can't?""It cannot."Considering the sheer number of scars and holes The Nothing had left on my heart and soul, hearing that took... it took so much weight off my chest.I felt like I could finally just breathe.Dark Shadow's claw was so wonderfully warm on my shoulder. He helped guide me through the exit to the Storm Zone. Apparently he found it while I was so deeply focused on my mind.The rest of the day turned into more or less a blur for me. Dark Shadow had retreated into Tokoyami-kun shortly after our escape, something about keeping his control ability a secret and energy usage. The teachers had arrived.I remember that my dislocated wing was relocated very quickly (the EMTs praised our first aid, too) and my other wounds tended to. Tokoyami-kun had eventually awoken. He didn't remember much of my talk with Dark Shadow, just that he'd been helped out of the Storm Zone. Dad came soon enough to pick me up. I gave Izu-nii a hug before I left with Dad.I slept more peacefully that night than I had in years.
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School was closed for a full day. Dad took the day off, and took me to our wing specialist. Even after Recovery Girl's aid the day before, I was ordered to leave my wing immobilized for the rest of the day. Dad fussed over me all day yesterday and half of today. He didn't really stop until Izu-nii came over, with Mezō-kun and Tokoyami-kun in tow.Izu-nii, wearing plenty of bandages on his arms and legs, hugged me tight when I opened the door for him. "I heard you got hurt, Asu-nee.""I hear you got pretty hurt too, Izu-nii." I hugged him tightly. "I see you brought your newest followers.""Tokoyami-san mentioned wondering how you were doing, so I offered to show him how you were doing.""Which is why you asked if you could bring them by." I glanced up. "And Mezō-kun came by because...?""I was with Tokoyami when he got the invite. I remembered that you wanted to ask about muscle training.""Oh right. So were you boys thinking of somewhere to go?"Izu-nii shrugged. "Somewhere."I rolled my eyes. "Alright. Come on in, everyone. I need to finish getting ready if we're going out."I opened the door wider and held it open for all of them. Dad came out from his room/office. Izu-nii introduced our classmates while I went to my room and grabbed some casual clothes. I'd already showered, thankfully, so all I had to do was get dressed. Took me only a couple minutes, but I was reminded of something I'd been meaning to do for a while now. Time for some clothes shopping, it seems."Alright, I'm ready." I came out into the living room to find the boys kind of standing around. "Looking a bit awkward, boys. Dad didn't do anything, did he?"Izu-nii shook his head (the only one who looked comfortable, I noted). "We were just trying to figure out where to go."I shrugged. "We can just walk around town for a bit, see if we can find something."The boys agreed to that pretty easily. Dad gave me a hug. He was noticeably gentler than he usually was. He also slipped some spending money into my hand.I made sure to hug him tight before I stepped out the door. We started to walk on towards downtown. Along the way, it was just some general talking."I have been meaning to ask, Gōkin-chan," Tokoyami-kun started. "How is it that you and Midoriya-san are siblings? I seem to recall learning that you were an only child.""Ah, I can understand the confusion." I reached out and dragged Izu-nii into a side hug. "We're siblings by choice."Izu-nii grinned and hugged me back. "I was strong-armed into it.""It took almost no effort. His arms used to be so flimsy."Mezō-kun chuckled. "You two certainly seem to act like siblings.""We've been friends long enough that it just sort of... happened."Izu-nii nodded. Then he groaned. "Oh no."The three of us blinked. I'm certain that I looked very concerned. Then Izu-nii pointed at a photo booth and I perked right back up. Also I started dragging him towards it."Asu-nee, really? We've got friends with us!""Then they can join in!" I looked behind us at our friends. They both wore expressions of bemusement. "We decided a few years ago that every time we found a photo booth, we'd use it."Tokoyami-kun nodded. "I see. As a means of both entertainment, and to preserve memories."That... was not what we thought of at the time, but sure. "So since we're all here, let's take one together."Mezō-kun was definitely amused. I could tell because he was chuckling. "It may get a little cramped, though.""We'll make it work!"Izu-nii wore an expression of resigned acceptance. It took us nearly twice as long just to get into the both than it did to just take the photos. There were also a couple of incidents.Long story short, Dark Shadow was the proud bearer of at least four new bruises.Luckily enough for me, one of my favorite stores was also nearby. So after we had the photos taken care of and squared away, I started to head over to it. The boys kind of objected. Izu-nii got my attention when I got a little close."Er, Asu-nee?" Izu-nii was blushing. "Are you... really going into there?""Yes. Why...?" Wait... is... is Mezō-kun blushing? Oh that is so cute."I... don't think we should go in there.""And why not?"All three of the boys were getting progressively more and more flustered. Let it be known that I knew why they were. And that I was milking this for all it was worth.Tokoyami-kun cleared his throat. "It would... not be truly proper for us males to enter an area so dedicated to women.""I see, I see. Well I doubt you three really have to worry about that too much." I moved over to the game store that I'd been going for, rather than the women's lingerie store that was next door to it. "Really you three, I wasn't going to do that to you."A few minutes later the three of them were in the store with me. Mezō-kun was rather lost here. He admitted that it was due to his minimalistic lifestyle. Tokoyami-kun was interested in some of the stealth games. Izu-nii was looking at puzzle games. I was looking at some role playing games....and first person shooters. And action-adventure. And exploration. I love video games.Don't judge me.I found one that I wanted early on, bought it, then told the boys that I actually did need to visit the store next door. Izu-nii promised to message me if they went somewhere before I got back. I was most likely going to be done sooner than they would be here, though. This store was another one that I came to every now and then. Inko-san had recommended it. I needed to purchase an entirely new set of bras because my old ones were getting too small.Still can't believe I'm still growing. Doctor Tobu said my wings have gained a full meter in wingspan now. I stepped up to the register, paid, bowed as I gave my thanks, then headed back to the boys. Hopefully it stops soon. I do not want, or need, to have big tits getting in the way of my flight. And costing so much money just to keep up with.The boys were waiting for me outside the game store. I joined them again, and we headed on over to a nearby cafe. We took a table to ourselves.Tokoyami-kun and Izu-nii talked about their experiences with the USJ Incident (as it was now being called). I will admit to eavesdropping. From the few contextual clues I was able to, more or less, figure out that Dark Shadow hadn't told Tokoyami-kun of our talk.In between those clues, Mezō-kun was able to help me figure out a more efficient means to train my flight muscles. I was going to bring it up with Doctor Tobu tomorrow before school.On our way home, Tokoyami-kun started walking beside me. Then he slowed down a bit and used it as a means to let us talk at least kind of privately. Izu-nii and Mezō-kun seemed curious, but polite enough to stay out of it.Tokoyami-kun started with a deep breath. "Gōkin-san."Dropping the honorific I'd insisted on? "Yes, Tokoyami-kun?""Dark Shadow mentioned that you two talked while I was unconscious.""We did.""He has assured me that he will not share what you two spoke of, unless there are extenuating circumstances."Thank you, Dark Shadow. "That's very nice of him.""In addition, I wished to thank you for the assistance in fighting those villains.""No, Tokoyami-kun, thank you. You and Dark Shadow did far more to them than I did."Tokoyami-kun's cheek feathers fluffed up a bit. "Yes, well... Dark Shadow tells me that if you had not been there, things would have been more difficult.""I doubt that, personally." Then I looked up and found that, coincidentally, we were at the gate to my apartment complex. "Alright. Thank you for the good day, boys."Izu-nii came over and hugged me. Mezō-kun waved farewell with six hands (yes, I did give a it a giggle). Tokoyami-kun remained his aloof self and just nodded. Dark Shadow came out and waved to me as well.All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxing day with my friends.
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School was scheduled to resume the next day. My wing specialist saw me in the few hours I had before it started. She gave me the green light to fly today. I also discussed with her Mezō-kun's weight training ideas. They basically consisted of putting weights on my wings. Doctor Tobu said she would get back to me on it.Until then, I simply continued to wear my weight vest whenever I flew to school. The news screens plastered all over town continued to rerun the footage about the attack. I made sure that my aerial photography didn't have them in the background. Hopefully I would be able to get some people interested in these ones or something.On my way to school I made sure to take my time during my flight. At least what little time I had to spare between the appointment and the start of the day.I still found my thoughts returning to my little talk with Dark Shadow two days ago. Last night the Nightmares had returned sharply, clearer than ever before.I shivered at what I'd seen in the mirror when I'd woken up. Dark, angry bruises all along my body. The darkest and angriest were a couple small circles in my chest. And one on my forehead. The places where I'd been shot in my last life. There were faint trails of dried blood on my face, sourced back to the circle dead-center in my forehead.They were also the parts of my body (soul?) that the Nightmares had been so focused on burning with a white-hot iron.I shook my head and lightly slapped my face. No, no. Bad thoughts. School. Get to school.When I landed at school, I glanced into one of the super-clean and reflective windows. A sigh of relief left me. The bruises (and the blood) had faded away quickly enough after I'd woken up. Phantom pain wracked my body though, giving me a hell of a headache. Thankfully it was steadily fading, but I still occasionally rubbed my head as I changed into my uniform. Izu-nii met up with me on my way to the classroom."Are you alright, Asu-nee?""Yes. Just a couple of minor aches." I glanced at his bandages. "Besides you're one to talk. Izu-nii the mummy."Izu rolled his eyes and shoulder-checked me. "Shush, Asu.""Not a chance."Izu-nii sighed. It sound very put-upon. "I don't know why I try.""Because you love me." I wrapped a wing and arm around him. "'Whether you really want to or not."He chuckled. "Sometimes it's worth it.""Pft. Always." Then we reached the classroom. "Go sit, Izu-nii. Try not to get a papercut through the bandages, hm?"I giggled as I dashed over to my chair. Izu-nii lingered behind me, sighing and slapping a palm to his face. Tokoyami-kun was sat beside me once more. He gave me a mildly worried glance."Are you feeling well, Gōkin-chan?""Uh, mostly. Why?""You appear to be somewhat pale.""Ah." I sighed and rubbed my forehead when another, fainter, ache rippled through my head. "I had a few very vivid, and extremely unpleasant, Nightmares.""I see. Will you be alright today, then?""Yes. I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, Tokoyami-kun."He started to nod, then stopped. He tilted his head. An expression of confusion appeared on his face. "Dark Shadow is wondering if they... brought back some scars?"Sounds like he was told to repeat those exact words. Another memory echo, then? "I was very strongly reminded of a few scars, yes."Tokoyami-kun's expression turned into even deeper confusion. His beak opened. Then the sound of the classroom door opening distracted us both. Standing at the opening was a mummified Aizawa-sensei."Good morning."Alright. That is a little too much dedication. I winced in sympathy as Aizawa limped towards the podium."My well-being is irrelevant. The battle is incomplete," he started. He must've sensed our unanimous confusion because he continued. "The U.A. Sports Festival is nearly upon us."Kirishima perked up. Really, really perked up. "Yes! Not only is a normal school event, it's gonna be so co-" He stopped suddenly.Sero had put his hand in Kirishima's face, then spoke up. "But what about the villain attack as USJ?""The faculty has decided to use the sports festival as a means to show the country that our security, and crisis management, are both functioning flawlessly." Aizawa paused just long enough to let that sink in. "But security will still be far tighter than previous years."I was familiar with their line of thought. They're putting on a show of strength. Tell the world that everything is fine."Besides, it's important for all of you to give a good showing at the festival. Since the Olympics faded into obscurity, the U.A. Sports Festival has taken over as the event to watch in this country."Awww, what? But the Olympics are so badass! I have a new thing to research."As a result, numerous hero agencies watch the festival. If you do well enough, they may even offer you an internship." Even through the (ridiculously large amount of) bandages, I could tell how serious Aizawa-sensei became here. "This festival only happens once a year. You only have three chances. Getting an internship will be immensely helpful for you. The event is in two weeks."Two weeks. I barely noticed as Aizawa limped out of the class. My body moved on auto as I took out my notebooks. Two weeks of training to improve. How can I make a good showing? Should I focus on that this year?I wound up thinking about it pretty much all day. Then I got a message from Doctor Tobu during lunch. It was a very simple email, containing designs and instructions on usage.Izu-nii leaned over and looked at the design. "What are those?""Wing training restraints and weights. Custom design." I mentioned. "My wing specialist designed them for me, with help from one of her friends it seems. I need to get these made, I'll meet you back at class."I raced over to the Support Department. As new students, we'd been given a building tour early on in our education. When I got to the big metal doors, I knocked. Maijima Higari, otherwise known as the Pro Hero Power Loader, answered.I bowed. "Good afternoon, Maijima-sensei.""Good afternoon. You are... Gōkin-chan, yes?""Yes, Maijima-sensei. I was hoping to ask for aid from Support. There's a training tool I need to have made."Maijima-sensei nodded and let me into the room. Other than himself, and lots and lots of power tools, it was empty. With what little time I had left in my lunch period, I had to rush through the explanation of what I was looking for. Thankfully Maijima-sensei was able to basically print the design from my email. I was told that I'd be sent a text message when it was finished.Or something like that. I don't know for sure, some student came in and I was basically rushed out by Maijima-sensei when that happened. Not entirely sure why, I'll be honest.When I got back to the classroom, Mezō-kun was (actually rather surprisingly) the first to approach me."Were you getting those trainers made by Support?"Okay now it's not that surprising. "Yeah. My doctor was able to get them designed by a friend or something. They should be ready in a day or two. Thank you for the suggestion, Mezō-kun.""You're welcome, Gōkin-chan."The rest of the day was mostly quiet. Basic Hero Training was boiled down to little more than, well, training our Quirks and bodies. Weight lifting, sprinting, light resistance training (for Tokoyami-kun). The usual kind of thing.For me it involved wearing my weight vest, just above my newest land-based maximum. Then I would basically just do push-ups using my wings. While my wings aren't as articulate as my arms, particularly for things like writing, they were good enough to exercise like this. Other than that, I couldn't really do my hovering/flight exercises at school. Not all of our teachers were certified to supervise, and the area wasn't really very good for it anyway. Yes I did it in the air, but crash landings were always a risk during flight training. Hard dirt and concrete hurt to crash into.Three days later I had the training restraints. They wrapped around my wing joints, and were attached to my wing bone at several points. They worked similar to those resistance bands people use to train their arms. Due to the extra strength in my flight muscles, they were tougher than they would have been for others.Mezō-kun helped me put them on, during a break in training. "How do they feel, Gōkin-chan?"I frowned as I rolled my shoulders. "Really strange. I thought they'd be heavier." Then I tried (keyword: tried) to snap open my wings like I usually do. "Okay. Ow."Mezō-kun chuckled. "Slowly, Gōkin-chan.""Yes. I have learned that."So this time I opened them slowly. It took me a bit longer than usual to manage it, but to be able to feel my muscles burn with the effort? Glorious. I wasn't going to be flying with these anytime soon, though."Thank you for the help, Mezō-kun. Would you like me to continue to spot your weight lifting again today?"He nodded. He went back to his bench, and I followed. The entire rest time, I continued to try to hold my wings open. Naturally, it got progressively more and more difficult as my muscles tired. By the end of the day, I couldn't even open my wings at all with them on. Mezō-kun was kind enough to help me take them off.Mezō-kun chuckled again when I sighed with relief. "They work well, then?""Extremely well." I grunted as I started some cool-down stretches. "Thank you for all the help today, Mezō-kun.""Of course, Gōkin-chan. Have a good evening."I waved farewell as he left. Taking a look at the instructions from Doctor Tobu, I learned that I wasn't going to be able to wear the restraints the next day. Afterwards I'd be able start wearing them regularly, but with the resistance level lowered severely. Today, I'd had them maxed out to get my muscles started on building. For the next several days, I was going to be allowing my muscles to mostly heal, then breaking them just a bit more.This continued for the rest of the two weeks. There was something from the other classes about beating us, but whatever about that. I ignored them in favor of my training. Speaking of which, due to the training I was doing, I was barely able to fly at all the entire time. Dad was also very unsympathetic about it. He made sure I ate well, but other than that, all I got from him was the usual "it's your own fault."And then it was the day of the festival. Why do these things always arrive so damn fast?! There were food stalls lined up everywhere, the press was unrelenting, and we were in one of the changing rooms. All of us were restricted to our gym training uniforms as a means of fairness. It was mostly quiet. I spent my time on my phone. Obviously I left my restraints off my wings, leaving them on would have been dumb."Midoriya." I glanced up at the sound of Todoroki-kun speaking up. "Objectively speaking... I believe it's accurate to say that I'm stronger than you."
Wait. What? What the fuck brought this on?
"However... you have All Might in your corner, helping you out. I'm not here to pry. But know that I will beat you."Kaminari made some mention about declaration of war. Kirishima stood from his chair and strode over, asking why. Todoroki-kun admonished them for treating this as a team game and that they weren't friends at the moment. I ignored them (mostly; Todoroki-kun was, technically, correct) to listen in more closely to Izu-nii's answer. I even ignored Todoroki-kun turned and moving towards the door."Wait a sec, Todoroki-kun." Izu-nii's voice was quiet, soft. But level and strong. "I don't know what you're thinking of. Or why you think you need to tell me that. And yeah, you are better than me... and you undoubtedly have way more potential than anyone in the Hero Course."Kirishima objected to that. "Hey! Don't you think you're being a little too hard on yourself? ...and us?""No. He's right. All the other courses, they're coming at us with everything they've got. We're all going to have to fight to stand out. And I'll be aiming for the top too."Todoroki-kun turned to face him from where he'd stop. "Fine."
Heh. Hell of a speech, Izu-nii.
Then we were being ushered out of the locker room. Through one of the entry tunnels. The sunlight shone brightly towards us, warm and welcoming. We could hear the dull roar of the crowd.Holy hell this is a lot of people! I was near the middle of the pack as we stepped out into the arena. Also I was gaping slightly. I'll admit it. Holy hell. Are... how many of them are pros?!I faintly registered Present Mic announcing our arrival. I was too busy trying to spot the pros in the crowd. At least until Midnight (sheesh she needs less skin-tight stuff) got our attention. Bakugou was invited up to give the opening speech.Well shit. He's gonna fuck all of us over. My arms were crossed as I awaited Bakugou's damning speech. He's gonna throw us all under the fucking bus for his overinflated ego."I just want to say... that I'm gonna win."Yup. Called it. I glanced around. It seems the rest of my class had called it too. The other students started booing him. Izu-nii? You seem... unsurprised, but worried?I was about to ask him what was wrong. But Midnight used her cat-of-nine-tails whip - no, seriously, a damned bondage whip - to get us to quiet down."After that spirited speech, we have the first event!" Midnight turned and pointed. Behind her, a very large hologram appeared. "Spin the wheel!"With those words, the screen started to blur through several kanji.I found myself biting my lip. What event are we starting with?

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Chapter the Ninth

U.A. and the Not-Olympics
 “Our first event is... the Obstacle Race!” There on the large holographic screen, hovering above Midnight as she faced it, read exactly that. Obstacle Race. “All of the classes will be participating in this event!” She pointed to the graphic. It was of a stick figure leaving the center of the stadium, and running a lap around the outside. “All classes will be participating! It’s a nice, refreshing 4 kilometer run around the stadium! The course has three obstacles that all participants must get through. You must leave through the red gate there, and the first one to make it back through will be the victor. Only the first forty-two to pass the finish line will move on to the second event!”  Sounds simple enough. Also, round the outside, round the outside... dammit Eminem. Curse your ear worm. I moved over towards the gate, and immediately realized one of the issues. We’re gonna get stuck in the tunnel. Like we did back during that alarm, when Iida-kun took charge.  I stayed towards the back. The timer was already ticking down. Left me only a little bit of time to try and figure out an approach. Midnight had already made it clear that we had to go through the red gate, otherwise I would have just flown over. ...maybe. I wasn’t really taking this whole event that seriously, I’ll be honest. I’ve never been a very competitive person. Or a sports enthusiast. Or, well, interested in sports. Like, at all. Except for the Olympics. My thoughts were derailed when the lights on the red gate started turning off. There was a loud buzzer sound to go with them. Three, two, one...  “GOOOO!” I will openly admit to jumping at that loud voice. It took me several seconds to recall who it was. I had completely forgotten that Present Mic (and mummy-sensei) were the announcers. The time I spent recovering gave everyone around me a couple seconds to get ahead of me. Shit. I raced to catch up. As I stepped past the threshold of the gate, an idea popped into my head.  I should be able to - SHIT, JUMP! Right as I’d been about to put my idea into action, ice had suddenly swept over the ground towards my feet. Nearly all the students in front of me were stuck now. My wings spread almost on instinct, and I let them slam into the walls to suspend me. Well... not what I thought of, but I can work with this.  There were faint yells from up ahead, but I ignored them. Instead I took a tanooki leaf out of Luigi’s book, and started hopping from head to head. This hadn’t been my original idea, either, but whatever. My wings were exceedingly helpful in keeping my balance. There might have been one, two... dozen... complaints from my platforms.  I am not sorry in the slightest. As I leapt through the other end of the tunnel, I noticed that the majority of people were breaking free. And that all of my classmates were near the front. Ha! Suck it, Monoma of 1-B!  I was just taking to the air towards the first obstacle, when I spotted it. Apparently, even after the financial losses after the USJ Incident, the teachers had managed to anticipate me doing this. Because the first event was a large cavernous opening to an underground passage, many an arrow pointing into the clear water that filled it. I glanced forward and noticed lots of raised bits of ground, with small holes in them. Air pockets?  Fine. I can still use the altitude I’ve already gained. I tilted my axis forward, tucked in my wings, and dove for the water. My arms pointed forward, my head tucked, I assumed the more-or-less proper swan dive form. I winced mildly when I hit the liquid, though. Even when diving in with the proper(ish) form, it hurts to land in water at the speed I was going. Also the force slammed into my wings and let me tell you, that shit stings . My bones vibrated a bit from the sheer force of the dive.  I hate having my wings soaked like this, I mused as I started swimming. Just the typical breaststroke. Kafu-sensei had forced me to learn swimming as part of his training. Something about needing it as a future Hero. Note to self, do not let him get away with saying “I told you so.”  While I was underwater, I had to blink a few times. Even after that the water was stinging my eyes. God I wish I had some goggles. Note to self, get costume goggles waterproofed.  My first stop was one of the air pockets. I breached, gasping for air. Then it was back under and searching for the way to go. I spotted a few faint lights down near the bottom of the tunnel, but nothing to hint about where to go. Yaomomo-chan swam by with a set of goggles, fins, and a breathalyzer. Damn her and her cheaty-ass Quirk.  But she seems to know where to go. So I took another breath from the air pocket before I started following her. Glancing around, I saw someone being helped along by a couple other students. Ojiro-kun was using his tail to extremely good effect. Bakugou, Todoroki-kun, and Izu-nii were stuck with little more than their physical conditioning. Then my focus recentered back on Yaomomo-chan, and the lights near the bed of the tunnel. When I got closer, I noticed they were attached to waterproofed cameras.  Ah, I see. She’s following the cameras, which will inevitably lead to the goal. I had to abandon my trailing to go up for air. While in the air pocket, I took stock of my placement. I think I’m near the middle of the pack... maybe? I’m in the race at least.  With that all cleared up, I resumed. From what I could tell of the lights, the tunnel went further down. As I made my way down, it seemed to me that most of the others were taking air breaks and trying to figure out the right direction. Some of them were taking the hint of following the others, though. I winced as the water pressure started to double up on my wings, tender as they were from the dive earlier. As I passed under an overhang, I spotted light filtering in very close to my head.  This reminds me of the Atlantis movie, I mused as I swam up and breached into the open air. There’s even the giant cavern like it.  I swam over to the shore. While I started moving forward, I let my wings shake a bit of the water off. Then I jumped up, spreading my wings to slow my decent. I didn’t move forward, though. The stalactites (the spiky rocks from the roof of the cave) and stalagmites (the ones from the floor) didn’t leave enough room for full flight. And they weren’t placed very randomly...  It’s a maze. Dead ends and everything. A smirk flitted over my face. I can’t fly through this. But I can still cheese the hell out of this.  Wing-assisted hops. Once I landed, ignoring the complaints from the people around me, I used a wing-assisted leap to get on top of a floor-spike. Only then did I noticed that some of the dulled spikes were lined with metal plating, probably as a means to reinforce them. Thankfully the teachers had seen to it to dull all of them so they weren’t sharp and deadly. Light glinted off of a camera lens near my head. Only now that I was close enough, did I see that cameras were imbedded in the rocks. Alongside some more lights. “Move it, you damned bird!” I flinched back as Bakugou used his explosions to launch past me. Motherfucker! Not letting you win that easily!  I launched off the spike I was on. My idea here was similar to back in the tunnel. The variation was that, unlike Bakugou ahead, I was able to cling to ceiling rocks in addition to the floor ones. Mineta wasn’t too far behind me. He was using his Quirk to bounce from rock to rock. I refocused again, leaping forward. My wings were perfect for controlling (more or less) my landing and air time. Bakugou’s explosions flattened several rock tips, making it even easier. Izu-nii was nowhere to be seen (not by me, anyway). Then as I neared the end of the maze, one of the rocks loosened by dumbass’ explosions landed on my wing. Super-toughness can only do so much when a big chunk of pointed stalactite lands on one’s back. “Argh!” I crashed into one of the stalagmites near the end of the maze, bashing my face into it. The weight from the stalactite rolled off my back. “Motherfuck!” Someone said something to me, but I missed it. I was too busy focusing on the next part of the race. Wiggling free of the crevice I was stuck in, I started moving towards the exit. As I ran through the end of the tunnel, I took stock of my injury. Blood was running sluggishly down the side of my face. My left wing was in far too much pain to move at the moment. 
Sprained? Dislocated again? Fuck. Can’t fly for the rest of the race. Goddamn my shitty ass luck sometimes.
 And just in time to reach the next portion. A minefield. With no real ceiling. Rather than just fly over, I was stuck making my way across slowly. 
Fuck my life. If this isn’t a perfect example of a contrived coincidence, I’ll eat a fucking hat.
 I grumbled even as I focused on stepping between the mostly-harmless mines. It took me extra time each step. My injured wing kept wanting to relax and scoop along the ground. Nearly triggering some of the mines, and in fact setting a couple off. They stung . Even with only a glancing blow from the one that hit me. After a few meters, I glanced up, and finally noticed that Todoroki-kun and Bakugou were far, far ahead. I hadn’t even really seen Todoroki-kun up ahead earlier. Though it made sense, given the ice that had appeared in the starting tunnel. I am the most observant person ever. Said nobody. Which is absolutely why I jumped at the extremely loud explosion from behind me. Then Izu-nii flew overhead. With a... sheet of metal in his hands. From the last section, maybe? One of the rocks Bakugou’s explosions had blown apart? I stood still and watched, with no small amount of awe, as he rocketed towards first. Izu-nii had to spin forward and slam the metal into the ground for another boost. It wasn’t until Bakugou and Todoroki-kun started using their Quirks to catch up that I snapped out of my thoughts.  Dammit Izu, stop getting so damn cool. I started nearly jogging through the minefield to try and catch up. I grit my teeth as I tried flapping my wings. Ow, fuck. Dammit I can barely move my left wing. Note to self, see about training wings to be more damage resilient. Or improve super-toughness somehow.  I crossed the finish line behind most of the class. I slowed to a stop, bending over to catch my breath. When I looked up at the results, I sighed. 
Forty-seventh. I’m out.
 My attention was caught when Izu-nii came over and hugged me. I hugged back. “Sorry you didn’t make it, Asu-nee,” he whispered. Possibly to keep it from being too embarrassing? “It’s fine. I have another two years to show my skill.” I winced as I tried to move my wing. “And I damaged my wing again. So I need to go to Recovery Girl anyway. Go get a win, huh?” I slapped his back as I headed out of the arena. I barely heard the announcement for the next event as I walked. I wasn’t really pleased with my placing, but I wasn’t about to let Izu-nii know that. Though he probably figured that out anyway. His empathy sense is way, way better than mine. When I reached the nurse’s office, she gave me one look, sighed, and made me sit on the chair next to her. So I sat down with my wings facing her. “Minor to moderate sprain of the left wing joint and muscles.” “At least one of you knows your first aid.” Recovery Girl quipped. I heard the very familiar sound (and felt the very strange feeling) of her Quirk activating. “Alright. I'm going to bind the wing joint, so it can rest.” “Yes ma'am.” I waited patiently as she secured the joint. Then I turned. “There's also a minor open wound on my left temple.” Recovery Girl nodded and took out some cleaning wipes and bandages. “I'm curious, young lady, where you learned all your first aid and medical knowledge.” “Mom taught me.” She nodded again, then finished bandaging my head wound. “Alright. Don’t fly for at least a couple hours while your wing joint finishes recovering.” “Yes ma’am.” I stood from the stool and bowed before I left for the stadium seats reserved for our class. I stopped by the locker room and grabbed my bag. It wasn’t too much of a walk. Though it was rather depressing to find that I was in there by myself. Oh well, I’ll do better next year. At least I now have an even greater idea of where my limits lie. I took my notebook and pencil out of my bag, opening it to a fresh page. Quickly labeled “weaknesses”. The first one I wrote was “wings are big targets”. Of course I’d considered that when I designed my costume. Armor around my wing joints to prevent outside damage. But apparently that didn’t stop internal damage. Who woulda thought, right? Fuck I’m dumb sometimes. So now, I had to figure out how to deal with that kind of thing. Plus similar attacks that did nothing more than dislocate them, or similar attacks. Or you know, being thrown into the side of a damn building because of a wind storm. Just one major issue here.  How in the fuck do I prevent that? Or improve my internal damage resistance? I groaned and rubbed my forehead. I glanced up at the stadium. Oh, the cavalry battle was starting. Izu-nii had picked Tokoyami-kun, Uraraka-san, and... some girl with boots and goggles for his partners. And was that... a jetpack on his back? 
...you know, I should have expected it, given how advanced tech can be in this world.
 It took me a moment to figure out what the fuck the objective was. Headbands with point values, time limit, top four teams advance to the one-on-one fights. Seemed simple enough. Also seemed like a game that my flight could have broken like a twig. I looked back down at my notebook, and sighed. I didn’t have any ideas on how to deal with this issue. I glanced down towards the stadium. Yet another sigh blew past my lips.  Fuck this. I tossed my notebook and pen onto my chair, then stood and started walking around the top level of the stadium. There was an entire circuit that we students had access to, and I was fully intent on using every meter. I even started making my way through the halls. Then I ran headfirst into someone that was a wall of solid muscle, and my thoughts were smashed to bits by that wall. “Sorry, sorry! I was... really lost in thought.” They chuckled a bit. “It’s alright. I wasn’t paying much attention to where I was going, either.” I am not ashamed to admit it took me a moment to actually glance up and see who it was. “Gang Orca? What are you doing here?” Orca chuckled a bit. “Principal Nedzu requested that I be on duty for the first portion of the race. Just in case any of the students needed the help.”  You know, that makes a lot of sense. “And now you’re sticking around to watch?” “Correct. I was granted some prime viewing seats.” He tilted his head a bit. “You appeared to be rather lost in thought. Is it something I could help you with, Miss...?” I realized that I should introduce myself, and bowed. “Gōkin Asuka. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” When I straightened, I looked him up and down a bit as I thought over his question. Then I frowned a bit. “I’ve been having issues with damage resistance for my wings.” Orca nodded in understanding. “The joints and muscles get internally damaged, and you’re not sure how to make that happen less often.” “That’s the exact problem I’m having.” Orca nodded again, and started to walk ahead of me. I followed as quickly as I could to hear what he had to say. “I assume you thought of asking me due to know my known weakness.” “Yes, sir.” He chuckled. “You need not call me that. Though the politeness is appreciated.” “Uh, alright.” “As we were discussing.” He paused as we reached the upper ring level of the stadium. “I faced a similar problem when I was your age, yes. How to prevent an issue that has, by nature, very little means of training against.” I frowned a bit as I looked down at the arena again. I noticed that Kirishima and (I glanced at the screen) some guy named Testutestu. Who seemed to be enveloped in steel. Or something like that. “I’m just not sure where to start.” “Personally, Gōkin-chan.” Orca turned to me. “I would suggest starting with Recovery Girl. She would know where to start the most out of all of us.” I sighed a bit and nodded. “I didn’t even really think of that.” I frowned more and put a hand to my chin, thoughts swirling in my head. Orca placed a hand on my shoulder, getting me to focus on him. “You may not have made it into the second round, and you have learned from your mistakes. But for the rest of the day? I would suggest that you relax. Cheer on your friends and classmates. Take the time to decompress.” I looked down at the arena. Let those words of advice swirl through my mind. Then I took in a deep breath, held it, and slowly let it out. “Yeah. I can worry about the training more later.” Orca nodded, smiling slightly. “I trust you can find your way back to your seat?” I chuckled a bit. “Yes, I’ll be fine from here. Thank you for your advice, Mr. Orca.” He smiled a bit more at that. Then he turned, waving politely, as he left. I made sure to wave back before returning to my seat. I let go of my worries, at least in regards to improving my defenses and such, for the rest day. Or at least that was the idea. I kept getting distracted from the second event (some kinda team keep-away game? I dunno.) to write notes on ideas I would have about improving my defenses. It happened often enough that when some of the rest of the class came up, Yaomomo-chan had to tap my shoulder more than once to get my attention. Yes I blushed a bit at that. “Sorry. Focused on this.” She chuckled. “I can tell. What is it?” “Ideas for improving.” She nodded. “Would you like some help?” “Not yet. Let me get a little farther, then we’ll see.” “Alright.” I looked down at the arena again as Midnight started to speak. She said something about taking a break for an hour, to let all of us get food and rest. Which would explain why only a few of my classmates were up in the stands, dropping off a couple things. After the break came the part everyone was looking forward to. The fighting tournament.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be continuing this story.I've basically written myself into a corner, and quite frankly, I'm not interested enough to try to get out of that corner.I apologize for springing this on all of you, and thank you for all the kudos and comments! It really means a lot to me, but I simply can't bring myself to work on this story anymore.Thank you again for coming by, and I hope to see you enjoying my future stories!