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"Do I have everything I need?" I mumbled to myself as I looked over my list again. It was long today, longer than usual (which was saying something), but hey. On a day like today, I needed to be prepared for every eventuality.Which was easier said than done, I quickly discovered, as one of the eventualities that I did not prepare for made itself evident. My heart raced in my chest, pounding painfully against my ribs as the city bus pulled to a stop.
Note to self: pack emotional support plushie.
A forcible shake of my head and a large sip of my cheap, lukewarm coffee did nothing to settle it as I took my first step to my doom- no. Thinking positive. To the exam that I was absolutely going to crush today, because I've prepared for this and I was totally ready.Today was UA Day, as I called it, otherwise known as the second part of U.A.'s Recommendation Entrance Exam. The practical exam. And I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I passed the written exam; it was mostly practical questions about quirk applications and precautionary control over them. Easy.This, this was the real challenge. I was still struggling to comprehend the absolute miracle that was me getting recommended in the first place.Whatever. This was no time for self-doubt! I had an exam to pass.Deep breath in, deep breath out.Hoo boy.My eyes slowly shifted to gaze up at the towering UA building, still shrouded in early morning darkness.I took a step forward."Hold on, do I have everything I need?"
Okay, so we're doing this.
I pushed my way through a set of large double doors to greeted by a large area of various terrains, like some sort of obstacle course, and a beaming pro hero.Present Mic waved with a full arm."Well hello there!"I waved back in the exact same fashion- waving with my entire arm even though he was only a few feet away- and walked up to him, extending my hand. "I'm L/n Y/n, here for the recommendation exam?""Yeah, Eraserhead told me all about you! Apparently you're a bit of a hot-shot, aren't ya, kid?"I shrugged. "Nothing particularly heroic by any means, but it's landed me here, right?""Sure has, kid! You get out there and rock the competition! I can't wait to see it!"Other students began to file in, and Present Mic took up the job of sorting us into groups of six for the race. It was a three kilometer/over one and an half mile obstacle course, with each student competing to get the best time possible.I didn't recognize any of the kids I was put with- makes sense that they wouldn't live near my part of town- which meant I needed to pay careful attention. I couldn't quite identify most of the quirks by looks alone, but one boy in particular caught my attention. Not because of any visible quirk, but just... something about him, maybe.A boy, around my size, maybe an inch or so taller, with red and white hair and a large mark around his face. I couldn’t get a good look at it, and it's rude to stare, so I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked away.But still, there was something about that odd, disrupted symmetry that really drew me in.Or maybe I was just violently fighting the urge to obsessively go over my list a fourth time and needed a distraction, who knows?Present Mic raised his hand and called up my group to the starting line.I lost the mental battle going on in my head and checked over my list one last time before coming to a stop at the marked line."On your mark!"One knee slowly settled into the ground as I knelt into a starting position. I sized up the course."Get set!"A swipe of my hand through the air pulled down my drop-down menu. I selected an option, and a grappling hook appeared in my hand."Go!""Y/N!""What?!""Letter from UA!"The comic I was reading was launched across the room as I rocketed out of my bedroom, knocking over at a stack of books, a pile of laundry, and stepping in a bucket as I clunked into the living room.Mom laughed from her spot on the couch, holding an icepack to her swollen ankle. I stopped and looked at it, concerned."Just twisted it at work, honey. Go read your letter." She held it out to me."Are you sure you don't need-""Go, sweetheart."I nodded and took the letter, rushing back to my room. Kicking the plastic bucket from earlier off my foot and out of the way, I pulled out my desk chair and sat down on my knees, feet tucked up underneath me, staring at the letter in my hands.I tore open the fold, ripping it several times and leaving the pieces on the desk.A metal disk slipped out of the opened packaging. My trembling hands set it on the desk and pressed the play button.An image of U.A.'s principal, Principal Nezu, floated over my desk."Greetings, miss L/n F/n! We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into UA's hero course on full scholarship! Welcome to your hero academia!"A pause.I did it.I actually did it."YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD?! I'M GOING TO UA!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
To say that the next month was a blur would be an understatement. There was a lot of preparation to do to get ready for my enrollment in U.A.Thankfully, Principal Nezu was a saint, so most of it was taken care of for us.My U.A. uniform arrived in the mail the week after my acceptance, and my textbooks showed up the week after that, all pre-paid.I also found and purchased an emotional support plushie- a round, squishy, black cat stuffed animal that I christened Bagheera and carried around with the rest of my supplies.The week after I received my textbooks, a letter came in the mail requesting hero costume designs, which I submitted with enthusiasm. I had gone through roughly eight designs before I submitted it, to the point where everyone I knew started to get irritated at my constant babbling about it.Now, after all the work and waiting, I was finally on my way.On the bus.To school.To UA.Mom sat in the seat across from me in her nurses uniform and worn crocs, while I stood holding the handhold attached to the roof of the bus, my heart beating a million miles an minute in my chest.The bus slowly swayed to a stop in front of the hospital."Alright sweetheart, you have a good day today." Mom kissed my cheek as I materialized and dematerialized my emotional support plushie in my hand absentmindedly."I will Mom!""And don't be nervous. Your classmates are kids, just like you. You're gonna be fine.""I'm not nervous."Mom raised an eyebrow and glanced pointedly at Bagheera. I looked down at the plush for a moment, then sat down in Mom's empty seat with a huff."Fine. I'm nervous. Now hurry up, you'll be late."Mom smiled, kissed my head, and hurried off the bus with a few other early-morning commuters. The bus doors swung closed behind her, and the engine cranked to life as the vehicle began to move again.Could you really blame me for being nervous? I mean, U.A. was the most prestigious school for heroes there ever was and ever will be! And I was just casually sitting on the city bus in my U.A. uniform to start my first ever day of high school.As I sat in my bus seat, silently stressing to myself, a movement from the back of the bus caught my eye. I looked up from where I was strangling Bagheera against my chest to see a girl, a little shorter than me, with short, milk chocolate hair and dark brown eyes. She walked up to me, the skirt of her U.A. uniform bouncing around her thighs as she smiled bright enough to light up a city."Hi!"A small, nervous smile was returned as I replied, "Hello."I glanced down, then shifted over to the vacant seat next to me, silently inviting the girl to sit down. "Are you going to U.A. too?""Sure am! I'm Ochaco Uraraka!" She plopped down next to me without a care in the world, grinning and extending her hand. Her cheeks were really pink, and she had this kind of cheerful vibe. What did it remind me of? "It's super cool to meet you! And I love your stuffed animal!""Oh, this?" I looked down at it, grinning and taking her hand. "It's for the nerves. Wanna hold her?"And so, I made my first school friend before I even got to school.Ochaco was awesome. She insisted that I use her first name, which I returned, chatting the whole bus ride about anything and everything we could think of, from cats to our quirks to what video games and books we liked.She was an absolute ray of sunshine and, by the time we arrived, my stress was almost entirely eliminated.We stepped off the bus together, Ochaco holding Bagheera."I don't think I could ever pick a favorite Kirby game. But if I had to narrow it down, I would totally say either Kirby and the Forgotten Land or Kirby's Adventure." Ochaco hummed, giving my plushie a happy squeeze."I haven't played Forgotten Land yet, but I've seen online playthroughs." I smiled thoughtfully, "It looks like a blast, though. I wish I could play it. We don't really have any of the more modern video game equipment at home, just a rerun of the Nintendo NES system.""Wait, no way! Me too!""Techmo bowl?""Yeah! Bubble Bobble?""Absolutely!"A strong sense of kinship washed over me.That is, until I slammed into something hard in front of me, snapping me out of my euphoria. Instantly, I stumbled back, yelping, "Oh stars, so sorry about that! My bad!"The person I nearly knocked over glanced back at me, irritated. I blushed and pursed my lips awkwardly as my vision locked onto a pair of heterochromatic eyes, one dark grey, the other a piercing blue."Hey, I remember you from the entrance exam. Sorry about banging into you, I guess I got distracted!" I smiled, trying... and failing... to diffuse the awkward tensionHe blinked, attitude radiating complete and utter disinterest, before turning away."Watch where you're going.""I didn't- aaaaannnndd he's gone." I frowned and set a hand on my hip. "Jeez.""Yeah, that was a little rude." Ochaco tilted her head at the boy's retreating back. I shrugged."He... probably has a lot on his mind. First day nerves, I guess."Ochaco nodded, deciding that was an acceptable excuse and squishing Bagheera against her chest in complete adoration. I continued to watch the boy's retreating back. What was his name again?Again, something about him caught my attention. I definitely remembered him from the exam, he ranked really highly.I shook my head."C'mon Ochaco, let's go! We've got a homeroom class to get to!"The guy from earlier- Stars, I really needed to learn his name- was already in the classroom when we arrived, along with a large handful of other people: a green haired boy that Ochaco seemed to recognize, as she instantly went to strike up conversation with him, a tall boy with glasses and bluish hair, a ash-blonde haired guy with his feet up on the desk (currently insulting the glasses boy like there was no tomorrow), and another girl I recognized from the recommendation exam. She also placed higher than me. Yaoyorozu, I think. Yaoyorozu Momo.I joined Ochaco in her conversation, introducing myself to the green kid, who returned the favor and introduced himself as Midoriya Izuku.He was super sweet and awkward, in an adorable cinnamon roll type way. This child had to be protected at all costs, he was too precious. He was also blushing furiously at all the attention Ochaco was giving him- it was pretty obvious he hadn't really talked to girls before.I used my time to scan the class, taking in each of the new and exotic faces. A detail that did not escape my attention was that the boy- whatever his name was; red and white hair- hadn't moved. He didn't talk to anyone, just stared down at his desk and fiddled with his hands. Odd.I shrugged and turned back to Ochaco, Midoriya, and the blue haired boy who had introduced himself as Iida Tenya.That is, until a voice from behind us made me jump half a foot in the air."If you're just here to make friends, you can pack up your stuff now."I landed from my jump, laughing when my eyes landed on a sleepy, disgruntled form, laying on the ground in a bright yellow sleeping bag."Hello, Erasurehead-san. Or, I suppose it's Mr. Aizawa now. I didn't know you were teaching this class!""Hello, L/n." He took my hand as I offered it to help him up, unzipping his sleeping bag. "Welcome to the hero course," He added to my horrified classmates. "It took eight seconds before you all shut up. That's not gonna work. Time is precious. Rational students would understand that.""Yessir." I grabbed Ochaco's arm. "C'mon, let's find open seats."We found a pair side-by-side, Ochaco on my right and What's-His-Name on my left.Erasurehead, as I knew him, stepped into the room, looking out over the sea of students and mumbling, "Hello. I'm Aizawa Shota, your homeroom teacher."The class gasped in shock. I sniggered."Right, let's get to it. Put on your gym uniforms and head outside."Roughly twenty minutes later, the entire class was out on the field dressed in the surprisingly nice PE uniforms. Everyone had just finished questioning what we were all doing out here: a quirk assessment test.I would be lying if I said that didn't make me nervous.I forced myself to focus as Eras- Mr. Aizawa, he was Mr. Aizawa here, stared down the class."You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives. But you never got to use your Quirks in physical exams before."I wrung my hands. Did I do okay in those exams? Would that hold up here with these guys as my classmates?"Bakugou, you managed to get the most points on the entrance exam. What was your farthest distance throw with a softball when you were in Junior High?"I glanced over at an irritated looking blonde boy on my right."Sixty-seven metres. Why?" he snapped."Try using your quirk this time around. Anything goes, just stay in the circle." Aizawa held out the ball for Bakugou to take.The boy scoffed and stepped up to the circle, snatching the ball from Aizawa's hand as he passed.Bakugou wound his arm back, glaring daggers into the distance."DIE!" he yelled, a large explosion coming from his palm as he launched the ball. I felt my loose hair fly smack my face, stinging slightly as the explosion sent a blast of smoke, wind, and dust in all directions.First off, big mood.The ball thudded to a stop somewhere in the distance, and Aizawa glanced down at a device in his hand, calmly reading off the result. "705.2 metres."Holy stars.Bagheera materialized in my hand as I felt my heartrate spike.So, there I was, clutching a cat plushie to my chest like a two-year old and internally struggling to figure out how to apply my quirk to this test.
...I have a baseball bat or something, right?
"Today you'll engage in eight physical tests." Aizawa's menacing voice interrupted my thoughts. "All of which are to gage your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and will be expelled immediately. I decide how this class runs. If that's a problem, you can head home right now.”My heart plummeted as the other students shook off their shock to warm up. The look must have shown on my face, as I suddenly found Mr. Aizawa standing behind me, mumbling, "Oh, and L/n?""Yessir?""Just because I recommended you to the hero course doesn't mean you're getting any special treatment, understand?" He glared down at my heavily intimidated face for a moment, then smirked a little. "Suck it up, you'll be fine. Get out there."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
First off, the fifty meter dash. I was a fairly fast runner, with a little experience on the track team in Junior High, but that was all that I had going for me.We went in pairs to race. And you'll never guess who I was paired up with.That's right! Heterochromia boy! Otherwise known as Todoroki Shoto, as I (thankfully) found out.We lined up at the starting line. My Quirk really didn't have any practical application here, which was, frankly, terrifying, but I was sure I could handle it. I had to have at least one or two good scores, right?I had to. Or else."Go."I took off, feeling a rush of cold air surround me as Todoroki blasted right past me, generating ice from his right hand to propel himself forward. The monitor at the end of the course declaired in a chirpy voice: "4.10 seconds!"I finished shortly after. "6.03 seconds!"I grinned, not particularly bothered by my average score and approaching my competitor."Hey, it's Todoroki, right?"He looked over at me, not saying anything but pretty much confirming I was correct. I ignored his silence and smiled, setting a hand on my hip."That's pretty impressive, what you did there. It was cool. No pun intended, I guess."A long pause."Whatever."He looked away.I frowned. "Alright, that's cool. Pun not intended- dang, I'm on a roll. I'll leave you alone. Great job, though. Can't wait to see what else you do."I shot him a casual single finger gun, shaking off the feeling that I had failed miserably at this interaction. Todoroki bristled, but didn't say anything as I walked away.Stars, talk about people issues. But I still couldn't get Todoroki off my mind. There was something about his reaction- his tone, his body language, something- that told me that whatever his problem was went a little deeper than just social problems.Next was the grip strength test.Average.Standing long jump.Ever so slightly above average- once again, thank you Junior High.Repeated side steps.Average.Needless to say, I was starting to feel inadequate, as well as a sinking, genuine fear of being expelled.Next came the ball throw.Bakugou shot the ball again, getting roughly the same score as before. Ochaco, in all of her beautiful, zero-gravity glory, sent the ball out of the atmosphere.I stepped up next.Swiping one hand through the air, I pulled down my drop down menu and scrolled slowly through the list of items I had stored.I selected one, and a baseball bat appeared in my hand.
Y/n L/n! Her quirk: Hammerspace! Her quirk gives her the ability to take any object and store it in her own personal pocket dimension for later use! However, every object she stores forces her to carry 2.5 percent of the weight, a drawback when carrying heavy items.
I tossed the ball up in the air, wound back, and smacked the ball as hard as I could. A fair-sounding crack! echoed through the field as the ball was launched right from the sweet spot of the bat.Mr. Aizawa looked down at the tracker. "91.44 meters."Not bad.Ochaco cheered as I stepped out of the circle, accepting her high-five with enthusiasm.I watched on as Midoriya stepped up to the circle, and Mr. Aizawa erased Midoriya's quirk before he had the chance to use it. Apparently, Midoriya's ability had too much raw power, so much that it broke his arms whenever he tried to use it.In the end, Izuku was able to isolate it into a single finger and was able to continue with the test.Other notable events- Yaoyorozu made a cannon to shoot the ball out of. So, naturally, the logical next step was to slip it into my inventory when no one was looking.What? There were uses for it! Well, probably not, since I now had to carry roughly 180 pounds extra weight on my shoulders. Not ideal, to say the least.I took a water break and emptied out the cannon in the girls changing room. I could come back for it later.Still, my mind remained stuck on something for the rest of the tests- Sit ups: significantly above average (I had a set of hydraulic thingamadoodles that forced me up faster than I could do it on my own), Seated Toe-touch: slightly above average, Distance Run: slightly above average.As Aizawa calculated the results, I mulled over my interaction with Todoroki again and again.Todoroki.Stars, where had I heard that name before? It wasn’t the entrance exams; this felt like a buried memory. Something I hadn’t bothered to remember, something that I hadn’t heard in a long time."Hey, Ochaco? Can I borrow your phone? I need to look something up."Ochaco blushed. "O-oh. My phone can't do that." She ducked her head, ashamed, and pulled out a pale pink flip phone. "My family... couldn't exactly afford a real one."I stared down at it for a moment, then pulled out my own cheap flip phone."Ochaco...why do you think I asked?"She stared down at it.We both broke out into laughter, and Yaoyorozu, standing close enough to overhear, offered me her phone.I did a quick google search of Todoroki's name.Needless to say, I certainly didn't expect what came up.
Enji Todoroki, more commonly known as the pro hero Endeavor, is the reigning number two hero...
Oh.I swiped out of the tab, deleted the search history, and handed Yaoyorozu her phone back.In the end, no one was expelled, Aizawa claiming that it was a lie to get us all to try our best- thank the stars-, and the day ended as an overall success. Sure, I had gotten nineteenth out of twenty-one students, but I counted that as victory enough when I wasn't entirely sure that I was going to make it at all.I walked (Rather slowly, because of the weight of the cannon I was now carrying around. Totally worth it, though) to the bus stop with Ochaco, perfectly satisfied and having finally put the awkward interaction with Todoroki out of my mind. It really wasn't any of my business how he interacted with people anyway, and I felt kinda bad for searching him up. It felt like something a stalker would do, even if I was just curious.I managed not to think about it since we got our results back.That is, until Todoroki walked up beside me."Hey."I glanced over my shoulder, confused. "Um... hey. Whazzup?"Todoroki looked at me, still bored, but less hostile than before."I had a question, if you don't mind."I shrugged. "Sure thing. Hey, Ochaco, I'll meet you at the bus stop."Ochaco watched us for a moment, slightly conflicted, but gave me a thumbs up.Todoroki continued to stare me down as we were left alone."Fire away."Todoroki nods and locks eyes with me. "I have no intention of sugar-coating this, so I'll state this bluntly. Your quirk is not particularly powerful at all. It's a storage quirk, which shouldn't have any applicable power of it's own. But, somehow, you managed to not only get into U.A., but you were recommended. How?"I blinked, ignoring the ever-so-slight sting that came with his words."Well, you aren't wrong. My quirk is weak. I'm not going to deny that."Todoroki's expression shifted a little. That probably wasn't the answer he was expecting. I grinned at him."But I don't need a crazy powerful quirk to get by. It's not how my quirk works or what is does that matters, it's about accepting it and using it to it's maximum compacity! Sure, my quirk's weak," I ball my fists, smiling brightly, "but I adore my quirk! It's amazing! I mean, look at this!"I summoned a large wooden mallet into my hand, waving it around."It's all about adaptability and knowing what I can do. Sure, my quirk's weak, but I wouldn't change it for the world! I'm not here to be the best, I'm here to learn how to use my quirk to its fullest potential. When you have a gift, you have to own it, even it's flaws."I gave him a massive closed-eye smile, resting the mallet on my shoulder."Does that make sense?"I opened my eyes and immediately dropped the smile.I had never seen someone look so... conflicted.He pursed his lips. "Thank you for explaining."And he walked away.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next day was calm. I met Ochaco on the bus again- apparently she only lives two streets away from my neighborhood. Naturally, this realization came with immediate plans to meet up at the park or a local shop to hang out.The school day was simple, with a lot of normal classes. English, Japanese, Math, Science, the works.And then, the single best- or worst- period in the entire school. Lunch.Lunch was great when you can spare the pocket money for it.I think the rest of that sentence is self explanatory.Thankfully, my power-sister was in the exact same scenario, so we decided, 'screw it, we can spare the cash.'And so we got food.And stars above, was I glad we did. Ochaco, ever the saint, invited me to sit down with Midoriya and Iida."Thank God for you guys, it would have sucked to eat alone." I chuckled, sitting down, "seriously.""It's no problem, L/n! You would've done the same for us. Besides, this'll give us a good chance to really get to know one another."Midoriya smiled, digging into his lunch. "That's a great point, Iida." I tilted your head a little. Midoriya seemed... a little bit too happy. Judging by the way he nervously- and incredibly awkwardly- pelted us with questions about ourselves, he probably didn't have many friends before.But honestly, I've never had more fun."Pppffft- what!?" I nearly choked on my rice and whipped my head around to stare incredulously at Iida, who was smiling proudly. "Your bro's Engenium?! Like, Pro-Hero Engenium? No way!""That's right!" Iida set a confident fist on his hip, "As the second Iida son, I hope to live up to the standard my brother has set as a true hero of this world.""That's super cool.""W-why do you want to be a hero, L/n-san?" Midoriya asked."I told you, call me Y/n! And, well, the reason's sorta complicated. I-"The bell rang."Darn! I guess you'll have to tell us later!" Ochaco sighed and went to return her plate. I followed her.My bag went flying across the room and onto my seat, landing with a thump onto the floor as it slid off. There wasn't anything in it- I carried all my books and stuff with my quirk- but I do keep the bag around for aesthetics. Plus, it was free- another thing U.A. covered in my scholarship.Ochaco was scribbling down her phone number on two torn pieces of paper to give to the boys- I had to admit, I was looking forward to seeing Izuku's reaction to that- and Todoroki was sitting. And that was it.I honestly didn't know what I was expecting, but I tried to engage him all the same. "Hey Todoroki! How was your lunch?""Fine.""Care to elaborate?""Not really.""...Ouch." I let out a self-deprecating chuckle, trying to diffuse the tension. "I guess I had that coming. Sorry."There was a long pause as Todoroki looked down at his desk, silent."You didn't do anything wrong. Don't say you're sorry."I opened my mouth to respond, but was cut off by a sudden yell as a tall, brightly dressed hero made an appearance."I AM HERE! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"Izuku immediately started shaking with so much joy I thought he was having a panic attack.His fanboy energy was infectious as I stared at our new teacher. Sure, I knew a few Pros. Erasurehead- Mr. Aizawa, is a bit of a family friend, and I've had a few good conversations with the local pros around my area. But I never thought that I would get to see All Might in the flesh, let alone learn from him.All Might happily marched to the front of the classroom, beginning to explain today's lesson."Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High," he started, "think of it as Heroing, 1-0-1. Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro, and what it means to fight in the name of good! Today's lesson..."
Please be hero stuff please be hero stuff please be hero stuff...
"WILL CERTAINLY PULL NO PUNCHES! COMBAT TRAINING!""It's real hero stuff!" I threw a fist into the air, then realized that I had said that out loud and promptly sank into my chair. "Sorry."All Might laughed. "I appreciate the enthusiasm! Of course, one of the keys of being a hero is...looking good!"Twenty-one numbered metal suitcases appeared in the wall to my left. "These were designed for you based on your Quirk registration forms you sent in before school started."The class erupted with joyful squeals and yells.Get yourselves suited up, and then meet me at Training Ground Beta!"I was the first one out of my seat, rushing forward, grabbing the suitcase that corresponded with my seat number, and looking around at my classmate's reactions.Izuku looked like he was about to burst, Ochaco nearly floated out of her seat in excitement, and Todoroki... didn't react.What was I expecting, anyway?Half an hour later, our costume change was complete, and my newly bedazzled classmates gathered in Ground Beta.Asui's outfit looked spectacular- I went out of my way to tell her so, and ended up on a first-name basis with her. Kaminari's looked cool. Izuku's outfit felt a little familiar, but overall gave me the impression of a bunny... and..."Y/n! Oh my gosh, I love your outfit so much!! It's so pretty!"My train of thought was cut off as Ochaco leaped at me in a hug, which I returned with enthusiasm."Mine looks pretty? Girl, have you seen yourself? You look awesome!"Ochaco let go of me and blushes, pulling at the fabric. "You think so? It's not too skin-tight? I thought it was too skin tight.""No way!" I grinned. A girl with pink skin and hair -Ashido- then came running over, followed by a pair of disembodied gloves that I assumed was the girl with the invisibility quirk, Hagakure Toru."Oh my gawwdd!! You look so amazing!!" Ashido squealed. I laughed and looked down at my outfit.The fabric was much like Ochaco's: light-but-flexible, tight, but not enough to restrict movement. However, my main deviation from Ochaco's outfit was my suit's color scheme.Where Ochaco's was tame shades of pink mixed with black, my outfit was brighter than the sun, a full show of hot pink, bright yellow, and police strobe blue.Yeah, my quirk wasn't strong. Sure, my quirk wasn't flashy. All that meant was that I had to be twice as much on my own.I just had to be "Plus Ultra".
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Now that you're ready, it's time for combat training!" All Might announced. "For this training exercise, you'll be split up into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two-on-two indoor battles."Villains, huh? The class started barking out questions as I waited for All Might to continue. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Todoroki shift.I swear, it wasn't my intention to keep watching him, really. But his hero costume was... interesting.I didn't want to admit that I hated it, but I really did.There's nothing inherently wrong with it, technically, there was simply something off about it. Off-white in color, with beige shoulder straps and some sort of ice covering his entire left side, head to toe. And... I hated it. Why did I hate it? It was his costume, and there was nothing wrong with it design-wise.But then, it didn't exactly take a genius to tell that that ice wasn't really a style choice, not with the way it was placed. It perfectly covered him- his blue eye, his scar, his red hair. Like he wanted to hide those parts of him.Maybe that's why I hated it.All Might finally cut off the questions, opening some sort of script to read from "Listen up! The situation is this! The villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must try to foil their plans. The heroes must catch the evildoers or recover the weapon. Likewise, the villains succeed if they protect their weapon or capture the heroes. Time's limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"Hmm. Alright, so it all depended on who we were paired up with."Excuse me, sir?" Kaminari, the kid with the electric quirk, spoke up. "Why are some of us playing villain roles, when this is meant to be a Hero Course?"All Might smiled. "Does anybody think they know the answer to this?"My hand went up, as well as Todoroki and Yaoyorozu's."Young L/n?" All Might pointed to me. I put down my hand."’Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you need not fear the result of a thousand battles’ - Sun Tzu, the Art of War. We're doing this to understand the motivation and function of villains, so we're prepared for actual battles."All Might looked impressed. "That's correct, young L/n! Villains are not just simple entities like the robots from your entrance exams. They have motives, plans, and strategies that a hero must comprehend! Now then, are there any more questions?"Silence."Alright then!"He began to select groups. I was paired up with Tsu.I smiled at her, which she returned with closed eyes. Then came the pairings.Tsu and I were set on the villain team, against Todoroki and a boy named Shoji, who had some sort of multi-arm transformation quirk.I began to think of strategies to keep the mock bomb away from Todoroki and Shoji- I had one idea that I was very excited for- but something else caught my attention.Midoriya was teamed to fight first... against Bakugou.And that was bad.I didn't know a lot about Bakugou. I knew he was a very angry and aggressive person with a complete disregard for manners and rules, sure, but that was all surface level. However, I didn't like the way he looked at Midoriya.Like a bully staring down his favorite victim.Tsu pulled me away before I could say anything."So, do you have any ideas for a plan?" Tsu held a finger to her chin, thinking. I smiled, tearing my eyes away from a terrified looking Midoriya. As much as I wanted to protect the jellybean, he would be fine. He was smart, and All Might would stop Bakugou if he got too... murder-y. "I do have an idea. So, here's what we're going to do..."Bakugou abandoned all traces of his actual mission to target Midoriya. Why am I not surprised.Deciding watching Midoriya fight for his life was bad for my mental health- he would be fine, totally! All Might's watching him!- I glanced around the room for Todoroki. For some God-forsaken reason, I hadn't given up on trying to talk to him. I mean, I actually got two sentences out of him one time. If that wasn’t progress, what is?I walked up to his side, watching the monitor that his eyes were locked on. It was showing a close up of Bakugou firing off another attack, which Midoriya dodged and counterattacked."Hey Todoroki.""What do you want?" Todoroki didn't look at me, instead continuing to watch the screen. I smiled a little."Just wanted to wish you good luck for our fight, that's all. We're up next, right?"There was a long pause as Todoroki watched Midoriya get blown across the hall- he would be fine, seriously. All Might wouldn't put him in danger."Why are you wishing me luck? I'm on the other team." His voice was clear and empty, like usual, but I did detect a hint of curiosity in his tone."Just because you're my enemy doesn't mean I don't want you to do well!" I set a hand on my hip, grinning. "You're my classmate, after all!"He still didn’t look at me as he replied, "Are you trying to guess our strategy for the match?"I sweatdropped. "Why would you think that?""All warfare is based on deception." He blinked, then tilted his head away from the screen, his one visible, greyish eye locking with mine. "You could just be trying to get ahead."My smile returned. "You like the Art of War?"He stared at me for a moment, then turned back to the screen. "Who doesn't?""All Might, you gotta get in there to end this fight! Bakugou WILL kill Midoriya! Do you see his face? He would NOT hesitate!"He ignored me, continuing to watch them fight. Beside me, I heard Todoroki scoff."L/n, have you even looked at Uraraka's screens?""Heh?"I looked around for a feed with Ochaco, and sure enough, there she was, floating forward and- and grabbing the bomb."Heroes win!""Oh."Todoroki glanced at me. "Considering how close you seem to be with Uraraka, I would expect you to have more faith in her abilities.""I THOUGHT MIDORIYA WAS GOING TO DIE!"Midoriya was wheeled to the nurse’s office, leaving the rest of us to discuss the results. And by the rest of us, I mean everyone except me. I was too busy talking myself down from the adrenaline high given to me by this one green-haired boy that I barely knew but already found myself extremely emotionally attached to."Now now, students! Can anyone tell me why Iida got the highest score, even though he lost to the heroes?" All Might asked, cutting me off and looking around for any raised hands. I thought for a minute, but Yaoyurozu's hand was already rising into the air.I listened to her explanation- it was impressive. No wonder she got in on recommendation- before All Might dismissed Tsu and I to prepare for our battle.I grinned at her, and we both ran off, dashing into the building and finding the replica bomb."You really think this will work?""I'm confident!" I pushed at the bomb, delighted to see that it, though formidable in appearance, was not particularly heavy. Smiling, I reached out to tap it, swiping left with my hand and watching it disappear into Hammerspace.Tsu and I high-fived."Now all we gotta do is catch 'em."The announcement rang out, signifying the start of the fight. Tsu and I had split up to confuse them- I was now sitting on the roof, while she was hanging out somewhere on the second floor.I had pulled a pair of binoculars from my inventory, and found a nice little vantage point where I could spy on the team below.Todoroki and Shoji were outside, and Todoroki had his right hand pressed against the building.
What is he...
Ice began to spread from his fingertips, climbing over the building."Oh-!"I leaned over the edge to watch the ice continue to climb at an alarming rate- Todoroki hadn't noticed me yet, but Shoji definitely had- and tried to gauge how thick the ice was.After determining the ice's thickness, around three or four inches, I backed up from the roof's edge, pulling a pair of high heels from Hammerspace and slipping them on over my outfit's shoes, letting Todoroki's ice stick the heels to the floor.I waited to remove myself from them, since Shoji had informed Todoroki of my presence. I stayed in place, trying to look like he had frozen me to the roof. It wasn't particularly hard, as my face still betrayed my surprise.All warfare is based on deception, after all.The two entered the building, and I took off.My hero costume’s shoes gripped well against the ice, and I listened out for any stray noise as I tip-toed around corners. I assumed Shoji would assume I was still stuck to the roof, so there was no reason for him to still have extra ears out.God, his quirk was so useful.I hid in an empty room as I heard footsteps approaching, slipping a listening device out of my inventory- I had specifically requested it as a support item when I sent in my costume design.I held it to the wall.I could hear Todoroki's confident footsteps- his stride was shorter than Shoji's. He was probably hanging behind in case any of us had managed to escape the ice.In theory, it was a smart plan. But, in practice...Shoto’s voice echoed quietly."...What?""What's wrong?""It isn't here.""What isn't here?""The bomb. It's gone."Shoji's footsteps, moving closer to the other room."Could they have moved it?""That's the only explanation. Let's split up and search."Smirking, I pulled out a walkie-talkie from my inventory and whispered, "Now."Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. - Sun Tzu.I burst out from the room as Tsu leapt in, wrapping her long, frog-like tongue around the two boys, who were caught completely off guard. They were helpless to fight back as Tsu pulled them to the floor, completely immobilized."Villains win!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"We did it! We did it!"Tsu released Shoji and Todoroki, her tongue flying back into her mouth as she leapt at me in a hug. Jumping up and down in excitement, I squealed, "You were amazing!""So were you! Ribbit!"I pulled away from the hug, turning and offering my hands to our defeated opponents."Good game."Shoji accepted my hand with an appreciative nod, but Todoroki ignored me, his face pinched in irritation, standing up and turning away on his own.I tapped him on the shoulder."Hey." I smiled a little bit. Todoroki stared at me. "You did a great job back there. That ice trick was amazing.""Clearly not good enough," Todoroki said curtly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "How did you manage to escape it?""Well, Tsu jumps really far." I glanced back at my frog-like new friend, watching her walk back down to the waiting room. "Walk and talk."I gestured for him to follow me, and, to my surprise, he does."As I was saying, Tsu jumps really far. My guess is that she just jumped to a point where the ice had already risen to it's full height, so she wouldn't get stuck. I used high heels."Todoroki blinked. "High heels?"I rounded the corner, arriving at the bottom of the stairs to the observing room. "Yeah, high heels. Had 'em in Hammerspace, so I just took them out and stepped on them. The ice froze them to the ground and not my shoes.""...Clever." Todoroki nodded, turning and walking away without me.I stood there, waving and calling back, "Thanks!!"I waved goodbye to Iida and a freshly healed Midoriya- he had broken his bones again during his fight with Bakugou- and started off towards the bus stop with Ochaco.We were talking about the day's events, mostly complimenting each other back and forth and laughing, when I noticed a familiar red and white haired figure out of the corner of my eye. Stopping, I turned around."Hey, Todoroki!"Todoroki stopped and glanced back at me. I waved at him. "Have a great night! See you tomorrow!"And he froze. There was a moment of silence.He brought his hand up for a small moment, then lowered it. "Right. See you then... I guess."He walked away. Ochaco and I boarded the bus in silence.Another pause."Progress!" I threw both of my hands up in the air, falling happily into an empty seat. Ochaco laughed."TELL US, WHAT'S IT LIKE HAVING ALL MIGHT, THE NUMBER ONE HERO, AS A TEACHER?""Uh- I dunno, I really gotta get to cla-""WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO YOU DO?""HOW IS ALL MIGHT AS A TEACHER COMPARED TO HIS HERO STATUS?"I sighed, giving up trying to talk my way out of it. Ochaco and I were instantly stormed with cameras and reporters trying to get gossip about U.A. since we set foot at school, and I ended up losing her.Yeah, I needed to get out of here.Pushing through the crowd and grabbing the hand of the first person in a U.A. uniform I could find, I summoned a megaphone from my inventory, held it up to my lips, and pressed the button."HELLO EVERYONE! I WOULD LOVE TO CHAT, BUT WE REALLY GOT TO GET TO CLASS. I REQUEST THAT YOU NOT STORM ANYONE WITH A U.A. UNIFORM, AS THE BELL WILL RING IN A FEW MINUTES. THANK YOU!"I lowered the megaphone, tugging the person I had grabbed out of the crowd, which was now giving us more space."Hey Midoriya.""H-hey, L/n-chan! Thanks for the save!"No problem."I managed to tug us into the clear. Izuku takes a deep breath, looking relieved."Hey, Midoriya-kun, go get Mr. Aizawa, will you? I'll try to round up the rest of our classmates.""Got it!" Midoriya cheered, awkwardly holding up for his hand for a high-five. I grinned and high-fived him, before turning back.Opening my drop down menu, I pulled out a baseball bat, a roll of duct tape, and a strobe light.Taping the light to the baseball bat produced some kind of guide beacon, and I began to shove my way through the crowd, still toting my megaphone, to find our other classmates."Coming through! Gotta get to class! Excuse me!"Forcing my way through a cluster of reporters, I found a cowering Mineta and desperately confused Ochaco, who I called out to."Hey guys!"Mineta looked up at me from where he was clutching Ochaco's leg. "L/n! Thank God! Save meeeee!"Ochaco waved in relief and joined me, tugging Mineta with her by the head. I safely escorted them out of the sea, where Mineta began to literally cry with relief."I'm going back in. See ya!"This went on for a while. Kaminari, Momo, Jirou, Iida, and even Bakugou (with some reluctance and a lot of yelling about how "I don't need your help, you extra!") were safely escorted out of the crowd."Helllooooo! Please step away from the U.A. student! Thank you!"A few straggling reporters stepped away from their victim, who noticed the strobe light."Oh, hello, L/n.""Hey Todoroki. I think you're the last one. C'mon." I grabbed his hand and began to tug him away from the crowd, slipping the baseball-light-beacon into my inventory.Jeezus, his hand was warm.We walked through the door, and I let out a sigh of relief. "That was stressful.""Thanks for that, L/N," Todoroki's voice broke through steadily through my catharsis, murmuring, "you... you can let go of my hand now.""OH SH- Sorry!" I pulled my hand away, flapping it desperately through the air. "I forgot I was doing that! God, your hand is hot."He looked down at his hand for a second, then glanced away. "That would be a part of my quirk.""But I thought your quirk was ice?""It is. Sort of.""Oh. Alright then." I smiled. "Let's get to class."So we left. I took my usual seat next to Uraraka and Todoroki, watching as Mr. Aizawa slinked into the room."Decent work on yesterday's combat training, you guys." He mumbled, stepping up to the podium."Jee, thanks teach." I mumbled to Ochaco, who giggled, as Aizawa addressed Bakugou and Midoriya about their quirk training."Let's get down to business." I looked back at our teacher, folding my hands in my lap."Our first task will decide your future."The blood drained from my face.Is it another Quirk test?"You all need to pick a class representative."Oh, good. Just normal school stuff!Immediately, at least ten people leapt up, shouting about why they should be class rep. I shook my head, burying my face in my hands.Ochaco glanced at me. "Don't you want to be class rep, Y/n? It's a great opportunity to get recognized by hero agencies!"I chuckled. "What, you think, I would be a good candidate for class representative? Girl, I can barely find my notebook when I wake up in the morning!""Actually," a low voice came from beside me, "I think that you're rather qualified.""Heh?" I turned and looked at Todoroki, blushing a little at the praise and attention. "What makes you say that?"He sat up a little straighter in his seat. "You're smart and resourceful; what you did with the reporters today proved that. You connect well with others, and, as you just demonstrated, you're humble and don't work for recognition. I can't think of anyone better to be a leader."My face was on fire. "W-wow. Thanks so much. That really means a lot to me." Then, as an afterthought, "You do realize this is, like, the most words you've ever said to me, right?"His eyes locked with mine for a second, before he looked away. "It's the truth."Meanwhile, Iida was shouting at the top of his lungs (as usual), about how the election should be held democratically.It seemed like a good enough idea to me, and I watched as Aizawa slid down the wall in his usual sleeping bag, leaving us to ourselves.Iida tallied up the scores.I blinked.L/n- 3Midoriya- 2"H-How did I get two votes?!" Midoriya shrieked."How did I get three votes?!" I yelled after him, my voice hitting a pitch that I previously thought only dogs could hear."ALRIGHT, YOU IDIOTS, WHO VOTED FOR DEKU?" Bakugou howled.Mr. Aizawa woke up from his nap, checked the board, and nodded. "Alright. Your class president is L/n, and your vice-president is Midoriya.”The bell rang, and the class was swiftly released for lunch.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I walked to the mess hall in shock, Midoriya in an equal state beside me. Neither of us could believe our luck."Hey, guyyyys? Earth to Deku and Y/n!" Ochaco waved her hand in front of our faces. "What's with the stone expressions? We should be celebrating! Let's go!"She grabbed Midoriya's hand, tugging the flustered mess along with her as she ran off, leaving me behind. I laughed and shook my head. My fave OTP was at it again.I yawned, stretching my arms out, and promptly bonked someone in the head."GAH! Sorry! My fault!""I find you say that rather a lot." A low voice mumbled. I blushed as I noticed Todoroki rubbing the back of his head where I whacked him."Sorry." I giggled. "Um... hey, wanna come eat lunch with us? Ochaco and Midoriya and Iida and Tsu and me, that is. That's what I mean by 'us'. I just know you eat alone a lot. So, what do you say?" I asked, giving him an awkward grin.Todoroki looked at me for a moment, then looked away. "I'm not here to make friends.""Irrelevant!"He blinked.But, before either of us could say another word, there was a loud blaring over the loudspeakers."Security breach, security breach, everyone, please evacuate."Chaos echoed out in the mess hall as I desperately looked around at the loudspeakers, as if they would give me some kind of clue of what was happening."Security breach?" Todoroki wondered."Who could possibly-"Before I could finish my sentence, a rush of students erupted from the Cafeteria doorway, shoving and screaming. I stumbled as Todoroki rammed into me, falling against my shoulder and attaching there as the stream of people refused to cease.I winced. His grip was strong, and his hands... huh. One was ice cold, the other was warm, like heat from a fire.No, no, focus!Wrapping an arm around Todoroki, so as not to get lost in the sea of people, I pulled open my drop down menu and searched desperately for something to get us out of this mess.Nothing.Another person slammed against my shoulder, sending me stumbling, and I felt my knees buckle. Todoroki's grip doubled, his arms looping around my neck."Keep standing." I looked up to see a flash of genuine concern over his face. I nodded."I know. Stay close or we’ll be trampled. Are you-""The evacuation doors aren't opening!!" Someone shrieked."We need to get out of here!" Another yelled."What's happening with the doors?!""Have villains gotten inside the school!?"The crowd, though still rippling with pushes and shoves, slowly settled down, and I pulled yet another pair of cheap high heels out of Hammerspace. The six inches extra height didn't do me much good, but I was able to pick out a few other class 1-A students in the crowd.I stepped down off of the heels. "Alright, I see a few others. If we can just-"It was at that moment that I realized how incredibly close we've been this whole time. And, as much as I wanted to pull away, there were people pushing in on all sides, completely limiting any movement space.Heat erupted in my cheeks. "Uh... yeah, if we can just get over to the left, I think I saw Jirou and Yaoyorozu. R-right now the most important thing is to stay together. Stay together and get out of here safely, without anyone getting trampled."Todoroki nodded, and I thought I saw the faintest dusting of red on his face before he grabbed my hand. "Let's go."I nodded and began worming my way through the crowd, inching along with a lot of stops and stammered apologies. Todoroki, of course, did neither of these things, instead marching quickly to our desired location.I stared up at him, simply letting myself be pulled along. So confident...With one final dodge, we found Jirou and Yaoyorozu, who were blushing at least twice as hard as I was at the close proximity they found themselves in to one another."Is everyone alright?" I questioned, squeezing my way into some empty space left by a shifting student."We're okay. How about you?" Yaoyorozu nodded. Jirou seemed too flustered to speak."We're fine." Todoroki replied, glancing around again. "Though, I suppose all we can do at the moment is wait for things to settle down."Which was fair- although the movement had calmed, people were still screaming and shouting. I even noticed one girl crying in the back of the crowd."Have villains infiltrated?""How did they get past the school's defenses!?""A-are we going to die?!"And then..."DON'T PANIC!""Iida?" I looked around for the source of the voice until I felt Todoroki tap my shoulder. He pointed up.And sure enough, somehow floating against the wall above the stuck exit door, was Tenya Iida, shouting reassurances to all the students that it was simply the media that had breached the school and that everything was going to be ok.And then... nothing. Just murmurs and conversation. No more screams and shouts, just chatter.I blinked."Wow."After a few more minutes, an announcement came over the speakers assuring us that the breach had been handled. All the students were dismissed to return to our classes."They really give us a heart attack like that and expect us to go back to class...?""L/n, I-" Todoroki's voice began, before Midoriya came bounding over through the shifting, returning crowd in a hurry."L/n-chan! There's something I really need to discuss with you!""Oh-" I smiled at him. "One moment. What were you saying, Todoroki-kun?"Todoroki shook his head. "Nothing that can't be said at a later time."He walked on ahead of me, leaving me alone with Midoriya.Midoriya and I arrived in class and told Mr. Aizawa that we wanted to make an announcement as class reps, to which he agreed. I stepped up to the podium, giving everyone a wide grin."Hey everyone. First off, I want to say thank you so much to everyone who voted for Midoriya and I. We really and truly appreciate it. But, after some deliberation, we have come to a decision."I take a breath and smile. "We will be stepping down from our positions- Me to vice president, Midoriya stepping down entirely, and we want Iida to take the role of class president."Iida blushed. "M-me? But, surely you must want the role for yourself, right?"I nodded. "I'll admit, I do love the honor. However, seeing you deal with the chaos at lunch so calmly really made me think. I think I'm much better serving from the sidelines. You're a natural-born leader, and we want you to take this role."I glanced at Midoriya, who nodded with me."Do you accept, Iida?"Iida stood up, and, with his normal official manner, replied, "I accept your offer, L/n."I smiled, stepping out to the side to make way for Iida as he stepped up. From the back of the room, I thought I saw the corners of Todoroki's mouth twitch."L/n-san."A short glance over my shoulder told me that it was Todoroki. I gave Ochaco a thumbs-up, encouraging her not to wait for me, and turned around."Whazzup?""I... had a few things I wanted to say." Todoroki set his hands in his pockets, gathering his thoughts for a moment. "First, I wanted to apologize for what happened during the evacuation. I understand it might have been uncomfortable for you, being in that close proximity. I panicked. I hope you forgive me."I blinked, then blushed a little as I remembered the incident.His arms around me, hands touching mine...I shook my head. "Don't worry about it! It was totally fine. I mean- it is fine. Yeah."Todoroki nodded. "Right."A pause.He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not the best at this... but I also wanted to congratulate you on your decision. To let Iida be class president. That was something that not many of our classmates would do."I blushed a little bit more. Thank goodness the sun was setting, or I would look pretty red right now."Aw. That's really a sweet thing to say. Hey, I-""I... wasn't finished.""Oh, sorry."Todoroki sighed."You said... when I said I wasn't interested in making friends, you said that it was 'irrelevant'. Explain. How is it not relevant?"I tilted my head. Another one of these questions, huh?I smiled. "Well, just because your goal isn't friendship doesn't mean that it's a good and important thing. Humans can't physically survive without social interaction. I figured you didn't like people much, but I wanted to invite you to lunch, because I wanted to spend time with you. Even though you don't want friends, I know that you need them."He bristled. "You don't know me.""But I want to!" I chirped, beaming. "I want to get to know you! We're classmates, after all! Maybe one day we could even be friends."He blinked at me, then looked down. I extended my hand."Please? At least give it a chance?"Another blink, then a cold hand laced with mine, giving my hand a firm shake."Alright."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Mr. Aizawa wouldn't really make us come to school on weekends just for being late today, right? Actually, scratch that, I wouldn't put it past him." I mumbled to myself. Mr. Aizawa had sent us home yesterday with a very severe warning that, "Tomorrow is a big day class, so don't be late. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to weekends altogether."On top of that, Ochaco had missed the bus.Was I worried? Yes."Don't worry, sweetheart. Uraraka's a smart girl. She'll be ok." Mom kissed the top of my head as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the hospital. I gave her a hug, and she stepped off.I immediately pulled out my phone from my inventory and texted Ochaco.
Y/n: Are you there yet?
A ping.
Ochaco: Not yet
I sighed and made to shut my phone, then had an idea.I pulled up another number and typed out a text.
Y/n: Gmorning!
There was no response for several minutes, then a ping.
Todoroki: Good morning.
Yes, I exchanged numbers with Todoroki. Yes, it was my idea. Yes, it took a little convincing.His response seemed short and disinterested, but whatever.The bus pulled to a stop in front of the bus stop, and I hopped off, storing my phone in my inventory as I walked.I skipped into the classroom, happy to see that I wasn't incredibly early for once. Yaoyorozu, Mineta, Ojiro, and Koda were already here, sitting and chatting quietly. Well, Koda wasn't chatting. He waved at me shyly as I walked over, which I returned, sitting down on top of an empty desk."Good morning, L/n!" Yaoyorozu smiled."Morning, Yaoyorozu! I'm super excited for today!" I leaned forward a little, resting my chin on my hand. "What do you think Aizawa has planned? I was up all night thinking about it.""I'm not sure, but I've heard it's going to be big." Ojiro added."I don't know..." Mineta hesitated, rubbing his chin in thought, "whatever he has planned for us sounds like it could be torture. However..." A horrifying smile crept its way onto his face."If I get to see all of the girls in their costumes again, I'll be in heaven. All of their assets on display like that~ like-"A wooden mallet was promptly brought out of Hammerspace and whacked over Mineta's head. He fell unconscious. Having stood back up to get a better aim, I crossed my arms. "Little freak.""What did I miss?" A low voice came from over my shoulder, causing me to jump and my hammer to clatter to the ground."Jeezus-! DO not do that, good lord-""Don't be so distracted." Todoroki looked down at a still-stunned Mineta. "What did I miss?""Mineta being a perv,” I answered, flapping my hand. "Nothing I can report him for yet- just some thirsty comments, no targeted attacks- but I can and will bring this to the principal if I have to."The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Oh, if looks could kill."AAAAANNnNNNNDDDD we're going over here now!" I grabbed Todoroki's hand- colder than usual, lovely- and dragged him over to our usual seats.He seemed... pretty pissed off. I'm not sure why- it's not like Mineta was talking to or about him. I watched Todoroki sit down, the air slowly warming back up as time passed.After a few minutes of silence, with a few students trickling in over time, including Ochaco, Mr. Aizawa trudged in the door, rocking his usual 'I haven't slept in three weeks' mood."Good morning," he mumbled, looking thoroughly like there was nothing good about it at all, "Today's lesson will take place at our Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Otherwise known as the USJ. There, you will conduct rescue exercises, which are to help you whenever you have to save someone, particularly in different environments. All Might, myself, and the rescue hero, Thirteen, will be supervising the activities."My face lit up. Thirteen was always one of my favorite heroes. She had such an unconventional quirk, just like mine."Get changed into your hero costumes," Aizawa hummed, already leaving the room, "We leave in half an hour."And so we left.It was chaos, trying to get on the bus, as Iida's bus-boarding strategy failed miserably and immediately. Obviously, the most logical course of action, as a good and loving classmate, friend, and class vice-president, was to try to force Ochaco as close to Midoriya's seat as possible, fail, and give up on all my hopes and dreams.So there I was, squished between Ashido and a crushed Iida, patting his arm gently as he wallowed in despair."Hey, (nickname), can you clear something up for us?" Ashido grinned, leaning forward to to see my face better.I raised an eyebrow. "(nickname)? Really?""Just work with me here." Ashido flapped a hand. "So, are you and Uraraka-chan, like, secretly related or something? I've barely ever seen you two apart!"The same eyebrow was raised further. "What would happen if I said yes?""Toru would owe me 700 yen.""No, we're not related." I rolled my eyes, smirking slightly. "It would be awesome if we were, though.""HA! Pay up Mina!" Toru yelled from the other end of the bus, waving her glove around frantically."I'll pay you when we get there!"I laughed, resting my chin in my hand and gazing out the window. That is, until I felt Ashido's presence steadily getting closer."What?""I have another question~!"I pulled away from the window. "What? I can't think of any other of our classmates that I could possibly be related to.""No, no, not that!" She laughed, then leaned in close. I could feel her pink hair tickling my ear as she whispered, "Soooooo~ you and Todoroki. What's going on?"Now THAT caught my attention, and a faint blush began to climb up my face. "Um... nothing? I barely know the guy.""Yeah, but you, like, want to know him, right?" Ashido tilted her head. "Because I think he's talked to you more than anyone else in the class."And THAT caught me off guard. Without thinking, my gaze drifted to the red and white haired boy sitting at the back of the bus, pensively staring out the window. "You... really think so?""I knew it! PAY UP, TORU!""I'LL PAY WHEN WE GET THERE!""HOLD UP, I NEVER SAID-"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"WE'RE HERE!""Let me out!""I wanna go first!""HURRY UP, YOU EXTRAS!""EVERYBODY, ONE AT A TIME, WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE SAME PLACE!" I shouted into my megaphone, Iida and I both trying and failing to calm our frenzied classmates.A massive dome-shaped building stood before us, looming over our bus and shrieking peers. Eventually, Aizawa stepped in, which caused immediate and continual silence.Damn, I wish I knew how to do that.We filed into the building, where we were met by a large, open space, filled with different terrains. Cities, lakes, forests, anything you could think of was out here.Jumping up and down with excitement, I grabbed Ashido's arm, who immediately started jumping with me.Nobody bothered to tell us to stop as Thirteen arrived, to my delight, and began to explain her quirk and our task today."Anyways," Mr. Aizawa interrupted Thirteen. "You will be assigned into groups, and be tasked to different areas of the USJ. There, you will conduct rescue missions under our guidance. So let's cut to the chase and get this show on the road, shall we?"I grinned.But, as we soon discovered, this was not what fate had in mind.Down the massive stairs leading towards the center of the USJ, purple and black circles popped into existence. A steady stream of people, one after another after another flooded out of the misty gates, until they covered every foot of the entrance. Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty people, the numbers kept rising. My heart sank. This wasn't part of the training exercise."Aizawa...?" I took a step back, looking for reassurance from my teacher."Has the training started already?" Kirishima frowned, looking out at the sea of people. "I thought we were rescuing people."Aizawa held out an arm, pulling his goggles down over his eyes."This is real." His voice was calm. "Those are villains."There was a collective, shuddering intake of breath from the class.A villain... a thin, young man with... with hands gripping his face and limbs... began to speak."Where is he? I went through the trouble of bringing so many friends who were eager to meet him. They want All Might. The great Symbol of Peace. I can't believe he's not here... Maybe if I kill a few kids he'll come out to play."Of course, they were after All Might. Mr. Aizawa glared down at them, his quirk activating."Thirteen, why aren't the alarms going off?" Yaoyorozu asked. Thirteen didn't look back at her, continuing to watch the villains."Good question. I'm not sure."Beside me, Todoroki watched the advancing villains, a deathly calm expression on his face."One of these villains must have a quirk that's masking the alarm's presence here. They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at a time when a class was being taught."His eyes narrowed."They're fools for trespassing here. But they've thought this out."Aizawa stepped forward. "Thirteen, get them out of here, and alert the main campus. Kaminari, try using your quirk to contact the school."Kaminari nodded. I shook my head."Erasurehead, what about you? There's too many of them, I know your fighting style! It's not suited for this! I know you can handle groups but there's no way you can take all of them, especially if they start working together!"Aizawa glanced back at me, the edge of his mouth twitching a little. "I thought you would have more faith in me, Y/n. You can't be a pro hero if you only have one trick. I'll leave it to you, Thirteen."He jumped down into the fight without hesitation."Everyone, with me! We have to get to the front entrance!" Thirteen called, leading the surrounding students in a run. Of course, when I glanced back, Midoriya was not running with the group, entranced by Aizawa's fighting."MIDORIYA! ARE YOU CRAZY?! This is no time to be analyzing, we gotta go!" Iida screamed as I turned and sprinted back to him.Midoriya hesitated, antill watching, until I grabbed his wrist. He looked back at me."C'mon nerd. We gotta-"Another hand grabbed MY wrist and pulled the two of us forward."L/n, what were you thinking?" Todoroki snapped, forcing me along with him. I released Midoriya's arm, who increased his speed to run beside us.Todoroki did not let go of my wrist, moving it downwards to my hand instead. "You could have gotten hurt."I didn’t have a response to this, so I stayed silent, focusing on taking deep breaths as I ran, the doors growing closer.And then... a swirling hole emerged near the doors, spitting out a murky, gaseous figure. The sinking realization that we were blocked in came as two smoke-like slits emerged from the mist, and a low, formal voice spoke."Hello, students of UA High. We are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we have decided to invite ourselves in to this haven of justice to say hello. Isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath?"My hand tightened instinctively around Todoroki's.To my surprise, his hand squeezed back.We were helpless as the villain continued, "Unfortunately, it seems as though All Might is not here. How unfortunate. There must have been a change of plans that we did not forsee. Ah, well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a role to play."Of course, without hesitation, Bakugou and Kirishima leapt forward, swinging their fists in a punch.I lowered my drop menu and pulled out a riot shield, just as the two boys threw the first punch. Rubble flew in all directions, bouncing and clattering off the shield as I clung to it, pressing my face into my arm to try to stop the dust from entering my lungs. Todoroki leaned slightly closer to share in the protection.The dirt-laced smoke began to clear, revealing Bakugou, Kirishima, and..."You certainly live up to your school's reputation..."The villain rose again, completely unharmed, his gas-like form twisting and rising again."But you should be more careful, children. Otherwise someone might get hurt."I pursed my lips, slipping the shield back into my inventory and glancing back at Todoroki."You alright?"He brushed some dust off of his costume, straightening and reminding me full force how much I despised that outfit."Yeah, I'm fine. You?""All good... I think. Be ready."Oh, and I was still holding his hand.The villain's eyes narrowed, voice unchanging. "I'll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades, and your deaths."He threw out his hand, sending out waves of the same black and purple mist over us, swirling, gaining speed.And, one by one, I watched my classmates vanish into its depths.If the reality of the situation had not reached me before, it did so then, as my grip on Todoroki tripled and the air began to swirl faster, lifting more and more of our classmates off of the ground.I wrapped both my arms around Todoroki, pulling him to the ground to increase our air resistance. The air chilled as he anchored himself to the ground with a small blast of ice."Do you have anything heavy enough in your inventory to hold us down?" Todoroki shouted over the wind. I shook my head."Nothing that I can risk losing. But I can do this."I pulled out a length of rope, handing him one end and beginning to tie my end around my wrist. "His quirk is some sort of teleportation one. He's trying to split us up so we'll be easier to pick off. So-""We need to stay together."The wind doubled in strength, straining to pull us off the ground.I nodded.Todoroki set his left hand on the ice, a sudden burst of heat melting it immediately. We stood up, releasing each other and letting the wind sweep us away. The rope pulled against my wrist, and damn, it HURT.But it worked.The wind died and I found myself in a freefall into the landslide section of the USJ, Todoroki and I still linked.Hurriedly pulling down my drop-down menu, I summoned an inflatable air-mattress and managed to work that underneath us, cushioning our fall.I gasped, my heartrate running at a million miles an hour."Y-you alright?""Fine." Todoroki stood up, pulling me up with him. His voice, like always, lacked emotion.How was he so calm?!Summoning a pocket knife, I cut the rope between us and took the pieces, slipping it and the mattress back into my inventory for later use."Heh. Well, what do we have here?" A voice asked. My heart sank.Of course.A villain stepped into view, followed by another, then another.I took a headcount, summoning a large mallet from Hammerspace. "Ok. There's twelve of them... and two of us.""I like those odds," Todoroki mumbled, stepping forward while a misting of ice covered his arm. I dropped into a fighting position, gripping my mallet firmly with two hands."Let's go, then."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Three villains immediately rushed at Todoroki, who dashed forward as well, freezing them within an instant. I took a running start and jumped, launching myself a good few feet in the air and bringing down the mallet on the first villain's head.He groaned and stumbled, allowing me to get the jump on him from behind. I stuck my leg out, making him trip, then pulled back my fist. It connected with the villain's temple, and he fell unconsious immediately.I looked up.Every single other villain was frozen to the ground, save for one that seemed more talented than the rest, dodging around Todoroki's large shots of ice.Sighing, I pulled out a slingshot and a rock.Another direct hit to the temple caused the villain to crumple at Todoroki's feet. He glanced back at me. "I had him.""You got ten of them in the time it took me to take down one. Suck it up." I rolled my eyes.He didn't respond, staring at the villains with a deadly expression. "So, the plan was to scatter us, then kill us."I glanced over at him. "Yeah, we figured that out be-""You were woefully unprepared."Oh. He wasn’t talking to me.Todoroki's voice was ice cold as he stepped towards the frozen villains. A chill went down my spine. I didn't like seeing him like this."In fact, it looks to me as though you've had no training whatsoever. You haven't the slightest idea how to use your quirks."The villains twitched underneath the ice, muttering amongst themselves in terror."This power...""He's not a kid, he's a monster!"I raised my mallet. "Whoever said that, I can and will whack you into another dimension."Todoroki ignored all of this, approaching one of the villains. Every step he took clicked against the ice as he studied the villain he chose with the unwavering attention of a predator."Pathetic. At this rate, if you stay frozen, your cells will slowly die as your body succumbs to frostbite and hypothermia.""Hold up-" I stepped forward, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Todoroki-"He ignored me, pulling away and holding out his hand in front of the villain's face, icy mist swirling as it radiated from his skin."I want to be a hero, so I want to avoid any unnecessary cruelty. But I can only do that if you tell me how you plan to kill All Might. That's the only way you'll survive."And so the villain talked. I watched as he spilled every bit of information that he knew under Todoroki's threatening gaze.What we already knew- the plan to split up the students and kill us. What we didn't- a biologically engineered monster designed to defeat All Might.Todoroki seemed satisfied and turned back to me."If I melt the ice, will you knock them out?"I blinked, trying to calm my racing heartbeat. "Y-yeah... sure."Todoroki nodded. Setting his left hand on the ice, the ice began to shrink under his fingers. Small flickers of flame leapt from his body as his quirk began to perform.Huh...
"Jeez, why is your hand so warm?!"
"It's part of my quirk."
I tilted my head. That... that was his quirk, wasn't it? Ice... and fire.The process of melting the villains out was a slow one, as there were ten of them that we needed to free and incapacitate. As I knocked out each villain, I took out the rope that I had left and tied them together best I could.I stood up from handling the last villain."I have several questions.""Save them for later. Now that we know their plan-""The first of which being: What the hell is wrong with you!? WHAT WAS THAT?!"Todoroki took a step back in surprise. "What are you talking about?""T- That! That- Back there! With the villain! Threatening him like that!"Catching on, Todoroki crossed his arms. "What about it?" He asked, tersely. I threw my arms in the air, stumbling over my words."You- You- AAAGH!"My hands came down to press into my temples as my vocabulary failed me. How could I describe this confusion tearing apart my brain? Todoroki, calm, collected, tough-as-nails, socially withdrawn Todoroki, threatening a man's death at the hands of his quirk. Without hesitation.It...It..."It scared me." I pulled my hands away from my face, turning away and looking out over the USJ. "You scared me. I... I guess I just hadn't imagined you doing something like that. I'm sorry for yelling."There was a silence as my quivering voice died away.A warm hand settled on my shoulder, and I jumped, looking back at him."I'm sorry for scaring you. That was never my intention."I sighed. "What was your intention, then? I- We could have-" Another sigh. "No, you made the right move. I'm being overdramatic."Todoroki didn't contradict that statement, but he didn't remove his hand. "I was taught that hesitation is never allowed. In a battle, a real one like this, it can make the difference between life and death. Sometimes force is required. Even if it seems wrong."His voice was still monotone, but it seemed softer than usual. I thought about his words, continuing to stare out over the many USJ terrains."Who taught you that? No one at UA has said anything like that yet.""Uh-" Todoroki blinked, pulling his hand close to his chest, and I knew I hit the nail on the head. But now wasn't the time.Smiling dryly, I shook my head. "Don't answer that. I won't pry right now. Right now, I want to get back to Aizawa. Now we know their plan, we can... I dunno, we can try to warn him."Todoroki let his hand fall back to his side. "Are you sure that's a good idea? With the amount of villains he's fighting, we would be a liability."I looked down. "Also I'm worried about him and want to make sure he's ok."Todoroki sighed. A very long, tired sigh. "This is a bad idea.""Yessssss- C'mon! Let's go find our teacher."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Something was very wrong. As if the whole villain attack wasn't wrong enough already, SOMETHING ELSE was wrong. Something bad was happening.We barely ran into anyone as we were walking, and the villains we did see were very easily taken care of. I was starting to run out of rocks, however, so I picked them up as I went along.Until, as I was flicking through my list, mentally preparing myself for whatever battle we might have to partake in, Todoroki tapped my shoulder.No, not tapped. He rapidly hammered it in some sort of unconscious panic until I looked at him, asking, "What?!"He didn't answer, his mismatched eyes locked onto something in the distance.I followed his gaze. And there, gripped by a massive monster and twisted between misty portals, was All Might.In unison, Todoroki and I broke into a run, desperately trying to get to our teacher. The scene became clearer as we approached, the monster's fingers gripping All Might's side, blood leaking through his shirt.I looked over and locked eyes with Todoroki as we slowed to a stop a safe distance from the battle, a stupid idea forming in my mind. Todoroki seemed to recognize my expression."L/n, whatever you're planning-"I started running again before he could finish."L/n, DON'T-"Footsteps behind me told me that he was following, but I didn't care. Someone- Izuku?- shouted something, but I was focused.The monster looked up at me, letting out a loud, low growl."Young L/n!-" All Might called.I stared down the monster, and jumped.My hand came down on its back.And it vanished as I placed it in my inventory.Complete and utter silence settled over the field as my classmates and the villains stared. I rolled, landing on the ground and brushing myself off. My shoulders began aching almost immediately from the weight of the monster in my inventory, thankfully whittled down to a few kilograms. The rest of the battle was short."I'm torn between wanting to throttle you, wanting to ask you how you did that and how you knew it would work, and applauding you for your quick thinking." Todoroki mumbled, standing next to me as the police pack up the last few villains into the cars. The monster- the ‘Nomu’- was being tied up by more police, me having dumped him out of Hammerspace as soon as they told me to. The thing needed to go on a diet."Preferably not the first one, but thank you for the consideration," I deadpanned. Shoto sighed.After a long pause, I glanced at him. "Remember how I said that I had several questions?""...Yes." His voice was low, like he was dreading my next words. It doesn't stop me from saying them."...Do you...wanna talk? Are you ok?"He didn’t answer. Instead, he muttered, "Shouldn't you be calling your parents? To tell them that you're alright?""Mom's probably heading towards the emergency room right now to deal with Mr. Aizawa, the last thing I want to do is bother her."Another pause, before I added, "Shouldn't you? Be calling your parents, I mean?"Todoroki looked away. Hesitantly, I set a hand on his shoulder. A warm feeling settled into my palm as I did so, and for the first time, I understood why."Todoroki, I won't force you, but that stuff you were saying back there was heavy. I won't force you, but I want to help, and I want to understand. So, if you want to talk, I'm-"A hand, ice cold, came back to rest on mine. My heart skipped a beat as I finished, "-I'm here for you.""Not now." He said, finally turning to look at me. "But...talking might be a good idea."We lock eyes, and I realized he still had a grip on my hand. I nodded."Whenever you're ready."The bus ride back to U.A. was quiet. Most students were still on the phones with their parents, or talking in low tones with their friends. I was sitting in silence next to Todoroki, squeezing Bagheera like a lifeline. I was worried. Worried for Mr. Aizawa, worried for my classmates, and worried about the upcoming conversation with Todoroki. He was putting his trust in me. I couldn't let him down.He approached me as I was leaving to wait for the bus. Ochaco's mother had come early to pick her up, but Mom was still at the hospital, probably working overtime for Mr. Aizawa.I stepped away from the empty bus bench, watching him hesitate. "You don't have to tell me anything, if you don't want to. I don't want to pressure you."Todoroki shook his head. "If there's anyone I want to know this... I think I would rather it be you."I blushed a little at that. Since when did he think so highly of me?Todoroki closed his eyes, setting his hands in his pockets."Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" I missed the bus that night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"You- you really trust me with all this, huh?" The first few drops of rain fell around my shoulders as I walked, Shoto beside me, escorting me to the next bus stop that had a bus that ran through my neighborhood.How was it possible for a mind to be so utterly numb, but racing at a million miles an hour. I would be lying if I said that the things I had just heard- what Shoto had confided in me- hadn't shocked me to my very core. And, yes. He told me to use his first name. I eagerly returned the favor.I didn't know how to react. We went from acquaintances, maybe the makings, the very beginnings of a friendship... to this?If I thought I was scared at the USJ-No. That wasn't a fair comparison. At the USJ, that fear was for my safety. The safety of my friends, my teachers. This fear... what was this?Why did the USJ already feel like such a distant memory?Shoto looked at me. "It seems irrational, to tell you this. Because it is. This better not be a mistake."I lifted my head. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you never regret it."He nodded. The rain started to pick up, and I pulled out an umbrella from Hammerspace, offering my extra one to Shoto. He shook his head. I noticed he had his hand extended, a frost coming off of it. Raindrops were freezing as they fell, landing as droplet-shaped ice pieces in his hand. I watched."That's pretty cool."He shrugged. "A game I used to play as a kid, whenever I could get out of the house. I was never allowed to play real games- still haven't, really. So I made my own."I picked up one of the droplets with the hand not holding my umbrella. It melted almost instantly between my fingers. I let out a small chuckle and looked back at him."Thank you. Thank you for trusting me."The bus stop neared in the distance. Shoto nodded."Thank you for listening. I appreciate it.""I'm always here for you." I smiled, taking his hand. It was warm. Without thinking, I brought my hand up, brushing a stray raindrop away from his eye. As my fingers grazed over the skin of his scar, he caught my hand.Not meeting my eyes, he moved my touch to his right side."I guess you'd better get going. The bus will be here any minute.""O-oh." I pulled my hand away, taking a second to process my thoughts. "Right. Um, text me, ok? When you get home or something?"He tilted his head. "Why?"I shrugged. "Humor me."The sound of screeching breaks and a stalling engine informed me that the bus had arrived. Shoto nodded. "I'll text you."I smiled. "See you around, Shoto.""See you around... Y/n.""You guys! Did you watch the news last night? It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time! Though I bet nobody noticed me hanging out in the background," Hagakure sighed. I leaned forward over my desk, trying to hear her better from the back of the room.Shoji blinked. "Probably not.""It's difficult to stand out when you're just a pair of gloves." Ojiro chuckled apologetically."We're totally big deals, though," Kaminari leaned back in his seat, waving his hand around, "Those news channels love us.""Oh, get over yourself. A hero course that pumps out pros was attacked, that's all they care about," Jirou scoffed."Mmm," Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement from her spot across the room. "Who could have known what would have happened to us if the teachers hadn't arrived.""WHY'D YOU SAY THAT?! I'M GONNA PEE MYSELF JUST THINKING ABOUT IT!" Mineta wailed."SHADDUP AND GROW A PAIR, COWARD!"I sighed, turning to Todoroki- Shoto. Right. It felt weird, calling him by his first name."I didn't see anything on TV. Actually, I collapsed on the couch the minute I got through the door, I was so drained. Were we really on TV?"Shoto nodded, not bothering to open his eyes. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something."In fact, your heroics with the monster you captured caused quite the stir, L/n." Tokoyami added."Yeah, if weren't for you, who knows how long that fight would have lasted?"I chuckled. "Glad I could be plot convenient. It was a bit too reckless, though." I glanced at my watch. "Class should be starting soon. By my count, we're all present, except for-""Attention! Homeroom class is about to begin!" Iida shouted, power-walking into the room at the speed of a running penguin. "Everyone stop talking and take your seats!""Uh, we're all sitting." Kirishima blinked. Sero chuckled."Yeah, you're the only one standing."Iida fell into his seat. "Dang it.""Don't sweat it, Iida." Ochaco giggled. I shook my head, not regretting the choice to make Iida class president in the slightest."Hey, who do you think's gonna teach the class today?" Ashido wondered, leaning back in her seat. Tsu frowned."That's fair. Mr. Aizawa should still be in the hospital recovering from his injuries.""Aha," I sweatdropped. "My mom works at the hospital. Mr. Aizawa was released yesterday. Knowing him, I would be willing to bet he shows up.""I'll take that action!" Kirishima shouted. "Two hundred yen! There's no way that-!"The door scraped open. There, wrapped in bandages, was Mr. Aizawa.The class erupted in shock."Fork it over, Kirishima!"Kirishima sighed and tossed two 100 yen coins over at me. I caught them and slipped them into my inventory for safekeeping."Mr. Aizawa, I'm glad you're ok!" Iida called."You call that ok?" Ochaco fumbled. I shrugged."My wellbeing is irrelevant," Aizawa mumbled, limping to the front of the class and adding, "L/n, whatever your mother instructed you to lecture me about, save it.""Yessir.""Anyway, what is more important is that your fight isn't over yet.""Don't tell me..." Bakugou muttered."Not more bad guys!!" Mineta screeched."The U.A. Sports Festival is about to start.""WHY WOULD YOU SCARE US LIKE THAT!?" The class howled."This is nuts. Everybody's getting so fired up. I can't believe- Oh my God, L/n, do you need help with that?"I stumbled into the room, a pile of papers stacking well beyond my head swaying in my arms. As everyone was rambling about the Sports Festival, I slipped out of the room and grabbed as many support item registry forms as I could carry.Slipping the stack into Hammerspace, I gave Midoriya a thumbs up. "All good! Just need to get an early start on getting support items registered. You know, they're kinda my whole thing." I leaned back against a nearby desk, grinning, "Anyway, of course this is getting people excited! This is why we came here! It can kickstart our path as heroes- even more than that! This could be the make-or-break! I've got to get in with a good agency! One of the top heroes, like Hawks or Best Jeanist or someone! The best agency avaliable!""We've got to do our best at the Sports Festival." Ochaco... growled...?Let's just go with, 'she was glowing with determination.'"Uraraka, what happened to your face?""Ahaha... That's the spirit, sis."Ochaco pumped her fist. "Everyone, I'm going to do my best!"She then started yelling at the class with more passion than Iida on a Monday morning. I backed away slowly, poking at Shoto’s shoulder."I think she's lost it. Help."Shoto glanced at me and stood up without a word. He began to walk towards the door, pausing once to look back at me. I blinked, then followed."So, you've been awfully quiet." I said, pulling a clipboard, pen, and a few support item sheets out of Hammerspace, clicking the pen and beginning to scribble down an application for my favorite mallet."There's a lot on my mind."I glanced up at him. "Wanna talk about it?"He sighs. "Lunch first."I nodded, clicking my pen again and beginning to write down the ingredients of my homemade smoke bombs. We walked in silence to Lunch Rush's kitchen, joining the line. Shoto looked down at my form."Why are you planning on bringing a shovel to the Sports Festival?""Now, now, I can't just be giving away my secrets." I giggled, finishing the paper and pulling out another one. I heard voices behind me, including one that sounded like Ochaco's voice- back to normal, thankfully- but I ignored it in favor of flicking through my inventory for any other useful items. Shoto glanced back at them for a moment, then looked back at me.We got our food and sat down in a secluded corner of the cafeteria.I put away my pen and pushed the clipboard to the side, giving Shoto my undivided attention. "What's up?""A lot of things," he mumbled, pushing his food around in his bowl."Not helpful.""I'm aware."I shrugged. "If you don't wanna talk about it it's chill. What do you want to talk about?"He looked up, muttering, after a moment of silence, "At the moment, anything but the sports festival.""Ok, if a vegetarian becomes a zombie, do they return to eating meat or do they remember their values from their human life and continue to eat non-meat products?"Shoto blinked. I continued to watch him, dead serious.He looked back down at his food."If the vegetarian is turned into a zombie via infection or virus, it would be safe to assume that they would turn to a carnivorous diet.""And what if they were resurrected by a necromancer?""Then I suppose you can't rule out the possibility of past memories taking effect. Of course, do the undead really need to eat, or are they just biting people to spread the zombie infection? Because that information could have an influence on their behavior."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Wednesday, 5:35 P.M
Contact name changed from L/n to Y/n
5:35 P.M. Shoto: I'm home.
5:35 P.M. Y/n: Glad to see ur home safe
5:36 P.M. Y/n: See u at school <3
Saturday, 8:32 A.M.
8:32 A.M. Y/n: Hey
Shoto glanced down at his phone, pushing his half-finished breakfast to the side to open his messages.
8:33 A.M. Shoto: Good morning.
8:33 A.M. Y/n: Got anything going on toda
8:33 A.M. Y/n: *today?
8:34 A.M. Shoto: I don't think so. I have training later on in the day, but other than that, I don't think I'm doing anything. Why?
8:35 A.M. Y/n: Wanna hang out? Theres a cool place somewher between my place and ua so it shouldnt be too far fir either of us.
8:35 A.M. Y/n: sry for text speak autocorrect is having an aneurysm or smth
8:36 A.M. Shoto: I think I can make it. What kind of place?
8:36 A.M. Y/n: Ice cream parlor and shopping district. Gimmie a sec to find the address
8:36 A.M. Shoto: I'll do my best to be there. What time?
8:37 A.M. Y/n: 10 or 11 work for u?
8:37 A.M. Shoto: Sure.
"You made it!" Y/n shouted, waving with her full arm as Shoto gingerly stepped off of the city bus. He lifted his hand and gave her a small wave in return."Don't look so surprised. I told you I'd be there." His heart fluttered a little at her joyful expression. He liked seeing her happy, though he isn't sure why she was. All he did was show up. It's not like his presence was anything special, anyway.Y/n grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the bus, grinning. "I'm not surprised, I'm excited! Ice cream awaits!"He nodded.She said these things so casually. Well, of course she did. She was normal, in that way. She had even mentioned going to this place with Uraraka a few days ago, didn't she? It's not unusual for kids to go out and have fun. It was normal. He wasn't.Uraraka was like a sister to Y/n, wasn't she? Or maybe she was actually her sister. No amounts of denial from either party had put that rumor to rest, yet.Oh, Y/n was looking at him again. Her face was softer than before. Still smiling, just more at ease. More welcoming.He liked seeing her like that as well."What's on your mind?" She asked. He looked down at the pavement, watching the cracks move away as they walked past them."Can I admit something?""Mmmhmm."Shoto glanced at her, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I've never exactly had ice cream before. My old man always kept a close eye on what I ate."He didn't look away, this time, and watched as Y/n's face twisted into something bitter. But before Shoto could leap into his excuses- that he didn't mind, he didn't care, he wasn't missing anything- when her grip shifted from his arm to his hand and she proudly declared, "Then today is the day that is resolved! Let's go!"And she continued tugging him along, smiling just as wide as ever and practically glowing with determination.The bell in the doorway jingled as Y/n shoved it open, happily waving to the young adult behind the counter. "Heya, Yuta!"The boy looked up from his cell phone, playing with the tips of his purple hair. "Hey, if it isn't my favorite customer! And who's this?" He pointed playfully at Shoto, who suddenly felt uncomfortable. Y/n laughed."Friend from school! I'll take my usual- c'mon, Shoto, pick what flavor you want for your ice cream." Yuta gave a thumbs up and looked back down at his phone. Y/n smiled, gesturing to the glass case of ice cream on display.He ended up going with vanilla, while Y/n took (ice cream flavor).The two walked outside after a brief back-and-forth on who would pay, in which Yuta got so annoyed he insisted it was on the house and booted Y/n and Shoto out. That worked fine for Shoto, who sat down on a wooden bench next to Y/n. She began to tear into her ice cream, sucking on the top of it.Shoto looked at his for a moment."Well? Go ahead!" Y/n laughed. Shoto frowned."Why do you have your phone out?""I'm waiting for you, dummy! Go!"And so he did. He bit into the ice cream, feeling his eyes widen. He swallowed and immediately went back in for another bite.More laughter. He likes Y/n's laugh, he thought. Loud and sweet and unafraid to be heard."Is it good?""It's amazing."About halfway through his ice cream, a sharp pain erupted against his temple. He winced, setting a hand against his head as he grimaced. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Y/n hold up her phone again."Brain freeze?""Is that what it's called?" He glanced up at her, watching her put her phone away."Yep." She grinned, taking another bite of her cone. He frowned."Seems like an odd name for it. Your brain isn't actually freezing.""But it feels like it, right?" She poked his shoulder.Shoto blinked. "Not really."Y/n laughed again. Yes, he really did like her laugh."And where have you been all day?" Endeavor glared, watching as Shoto set down his bag. Outside, the sun was just beginning to set. Shoto ignored his tone."I was out with a friend." He answered, voice even.Endeavor raised an eyebrow. "What friends?""Someone I met at school."A scoff. "Whatever. Get changed. We're training tonight.""Mmm." Shoto nodded. These were typical interactions between him and his 'father'. Shoto found that things often went smoother between them when he acted this way. Short sentences, quick answers, even tone.It was stifling.Shoto left for his room, closing the door gently behind him, ever so careful not to close it too loudly. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket.
6:38 P.M. Y/n: (27 attachments)
6:38 P.M. Y/n: Thanks for the awesome day! I took these and figured you would want them. We should do this again sometime!
Shoto blinked as he opened the attachments. Y/n had taken pictures.Y/n laughing as Shoto held his head with a brainfreeze.Y/n pointing at a dress she liked in the window.Y/n blushing profusely as Shoto bought it for her.Y/n pulling him into a hug, her expression caught mid-laugh as Shoto stumbled.He stared down at his phone, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch and pull into a smile.
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"AaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"Ochaco chuckled. "Y/n, please calm down. You're scaring me.""I can't!" I bounced into the air again and again, buzzing from head to toe with nerves. "I'm so nervous I can't keep still or I will EXPLODE!""P-please don't explode, L/n-chan." Midoriya set a hand on my shoulder as I slowed my vertical leaps and bounds to smaller hops."Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen you this energetic." Mina chipped in. I shrugged."Ironically, coffee and sugar don't make me hyper. But I'm high on adrenaline and anxiety right now, and I'm ready to kick some ass!"As I said this, Iida burst through the door, calling, "Everyone, get ready! We're entering the arena soon!"Immediately, it felt as if someone had pulled the drain in my bathtub of confidence. I stopped bouncing as I felt the weight of anxiety settle further in my stomach.Was that a weird simile? Eh, whatever.I watched as Mineta pretended to ball up his fear and shove it in his mouth- an interesting strategy, I'll have to try it sometime- when approaching footsteps caught my attention. Midoriya looked up as Shoto stared down at him.Damn, there was some height difference there. I pulled Bagheera out of my inventory, hugging her as I watched."Hey, Todoroki," Midoriya said, voice timid, "what's up?"Shoto locked eyes with him, getting right to the point. "From a competitive standpoint, I think it's fair to say that I'm stronger than you."Midoriya wilted. "Yeah?"I frowned. What was Shoto playing at? He continued, "However, you've got All Might in your corner helping you out. I'm not here to pry about what's happening between you two... but know that I will beat you.""Shoto, what's going on? Why are you acting weird?" I put Bagheera away as I shifted protectively in front of Midoriya. Kirishima stood up as well."Yeah, why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started-"Shoto pushed Kirishima's arm away as it came to rest on his shoulder. "We're not here to be each other's friends."He turned, walking away. "Don't forget. This isn't a team effort."I was about to follow him when Midoriya spoke up."Todoroki. I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you'd need to tell me that you'll beat me. And yeah, of course you're better than me. In fact, you probably have more potential than anyone in the hero course. That's why you got in so easily.""Midoriya, aren't you being a little-"His voice didn't shake or waiver as he continued, "No, he's right. All the other courses, they're coming for us with everything they've got."He looked up. "And I'll be aiming for the top too."Silence flooded the room, save for a single word. "Fine."He left, leaving the room dead silent.Until I slammed my hand down on the table, making the room collectively jump."I'm going after him.""Y/n, I don't think that's the best idea." Ochaco grabbed my hand. I was fuming. Why was I so mad? I couldn't tell you. I was furious. Maybe it was because I was mad that Shoto targeted Midoriya like that. Maybe I was upset because I knew that there was something making him do this. Something that I knew a thing or two about. But before I could go after him, a notification came over the room screens.It was time."You know them for withstanding a villain attack-- the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid gold skills, the hero course students of Class 1-A!"My breath hitched as I stepped out onto the field. People were cheering and screaming from all sides, mixing together into an ocean of noise. President Mic introduced the rest of the classes: hero course Class 1-B, general studies, support course, and business course. We gathered together in the center of the field for the introductory speech.Taking a breath, I smoothed over my anger and concern for Shoto. I could focus on him later. Whatever was on his mind- I was sure I knew what- couldn't be handled right now.I told him I was always there for him. I just hope he remembered that.Miss Midnight began to talk. For the student entrance speech, she called up... Bakugou.Uh..."Um... who thought that was a good idea?" I asked."I guess that hot-head did finish first in the entrance test." Sero added, watching him with trepidation.A girl from general studies sighed, fixing us with a glare. "Only for the hero course exams."I rubbed the back of my neck. "We're not the biggest fans of him either. I won't deny that our class has ego, myself certainly included, but... I'm just going to stop talking, this is just going to make everything worse."I ducked my head, my face on fire. Somehow, this seemed to appease her slightly, as she aimed her eye roll at Bakugou rather than us.I watched, terrified, as Bakugou stepped up to the microphone."I just wanna say," he started, staring out at the crowd, "that I'm gonna win."The students erupted with anger. I ran up with Iida, who was shrieking at Bakugou.Bakugou scoffed. "It's not my fault that the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory."I snarled. Before I really registered what I was doing, I was marching up to the platform, brushing quickly past him.Did I have any idea what I was doing? No.Did I know why I was doing this? No.Was I doing it? Hell yes."Hi everyone. Sorry about that. Um..." I blushed as I realized what I was doing. "Um... alright. My name's Y/n L/n, and I would like to say a few words, if that's alright, Miss Midnight."Miss Midnight looked thrilled. "Knock yourself out, darling."I nodded."Alright. First, I would like to thank everyone here today. As you may have noticed, there's a lot of... how do I say this? There's a lot of competitive spirit between classes right now."I gave a small chuckle. "But... I want to bring our attention to something. Standing here, saying this speech that I'm making up on the spot, I think- I think that this is a gift. Being here, today, showing off our talents for you today, is a gift.“I don't think we realize that enough. That none of us- um- in my experience- have earned a right to be here. We're entitled to nothing. It's because of our teachers, or families, or friends, or simply strangers who have helped us along the way... um... yeah. We can do nothing on our own. Today is a gift, a privilege for- um- for all of us, I think, and it's important to realize that without the others around us, we would be... we wouldn't be where we are right now. And this sports festival is a way to show to those who have helped us along that we appreciate what they've done. That their efforts have helped us seize the day."Face aflame, I set the mic down and mumbled, "Thank you," before rushing back into the crowd of students, all of which were staring at me.Why did I do that why did I do that why did I do that why did I do that?"Thank you, Miss L/n!" Midnight cheered. "Now! Without further ado, it's time for us to get started!"I buried my face in my hands, still on edge from the total fool of myself I thought I made of myself. Ochaco pulled me into a hug, but her reassurances did nothing to calm my sheer humiliation."The first game of this festival, what could it be?" Midnight called, a large holographic screen showing a spinning wheel of colors that would choose our challenge.The wheel stopped on an obstacle race.Midnight grinned. "All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest. The track is four kilometers long around the outside of the stadium! As long as you don't leave the course, you can do whatever your heart desires! Now then! Take your places!"The students gathered at the gate, and I dropped into a running position at the front of the gate.The countdown began.
I'm ready.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Begin!"I took off running.The doorway- a narrow, metal hallway leading outside- was obviously the first obstacle. I started in the front of the group, so it was easy for me to push my way out of the crowd.The tell-tale sound of ice crystals forming behind me warned me that Shoto was activating his quirk. Ah, well. I didn't want to use this yet, but I guess I have no choice.I jumped as he passed me, summoning my drop menu and selecting one of my newest support items. A pair of ice skates appeared in my hand, adhering magnetically to the bottom of my shoes- another support item.Landing easily, I took off. Shoto, glancing back over his shoulder, locked eyes with me for a moment before watching those behind me. I didn't waste time looking back. Usually, there was some sort of indicator of someone approaching.For example, Mineta shouting at Shoto, before a loud THWACK implied that he had been knocked out of the air.There were several large robots blocking the way. While surprising, it wouldn't be too hard to deal with. By now I had removed my ice skates and had returned to a sprint, only a few feet behind Todoroki.He stopped running, looking up at the robots in shock, giving me the opportunity to dash past him. President Mic's commentary was simply background noise as I charged ahead.This would be difficult, normally, but I didn't have to fight the robots. I just had to get past them.One of the large, metal hands came down, trying to stop me, while I reached my hand out. Another point about my quirk- the things I store in my inventory don't HAVE to appear in my hand when summoned. At the moment, I can place them up to four feet away.An immense pain settled in my shoulders for only a moment before the robot was thrown from my inventory, stumbling and crashing into a few other machines. And, once again, the sound of ice informed me that Todoroki was pulling off another ice trick.The sound of crashing metal filled my ears. He must have knocked them over. I smiled. He really was amazing.I tuned in to President Mic's commentary to see if he had anything helpful to say about the rest of the competition."WOWEE! These two are the ones to watch! It almost seems unfair! Your thoughts?""L/n is task-oriented," Aizawa's voice spoke. I wondered how he got roped into this. "She's clearly focused on the goal given to her: get to the end of the track, fast. Todoroki's attack, on the other hand, was both offensive and defensive. He's going for the goal, while trying to stop others from making it at all.""No wonder they got in on recommendations! They've never even fought those robots before, but they didn't stand a chance against their crazy skills!"I laughed at that. Talk about high praise.I neared the next obstacle.Massive pits and platforms were connected by ropes. Some were elevated above the others, and some were lower, but most were just a straight shot across from one platform to another. When did they have time to build this?!Whatever. Todoroki had caught up to me by now, easily sliding over the ropes and using his ice to keep balance. I huffed."There's no way you're getting away that easy!"I summoned a dual zipline handlebar from Hammerspace and started zipping over the slanting ropes. It was slow going- and by slow I mean not as fast as Shoto- but I made good time. I was at least halfway across when pounding footsteps told me that the rest of the students had arrived.Light work.Then... I arrived at the final obstacle, and my progress slowed to a halt.A minefield.There was nothing I had that could get me across this without touching the ground.
Ok, think, Y/n, think.
The mines would have to be single use.More people started to arrive as I locked my eyes on the ground, trying to at least make some progress.I could see where the mines were, but it would be slow going.The mines were useless once touched. So...An idea popped into my brain just as Bakugou blasted past my head. Whatever. Whatever! What did I have that was heavy, heavy enough to not get blown away, come on!In a panic, I started throwing things. Whatever object I probably wouldn't need: a pocket knife, a roll of paper towels, an empty bottle that I forgot to get rid othis morning, anything.The objects began to trigger the bombs ahead of me, and I formed a new plan: throw things and make a path."Todoroki and Bakugou are neck in neck for the lead and knocking for the finish line, with L/n close behind!"I smiled. I could do this.A large explosion echoed from behind me, larger than the others, but I ignored it. I kept running, every now and then throwing objects at the ground.Only when I caught up to Shoto and Bakugou, who were stopped in their tracks, did I look up.Laughter burst in my chest, and I cackled, still not letting up my sprint. How Midoriya managed to make himself a rocket was beyond me, but it was hilarious.I kept running, taking second place from a stunned Bakugou. That was only temporary, of course, as he quickly came to his senses.Another explosion, in front of me, this time, causing Shoto and Bakugou to stumble.
I can make it.
I put all my effort into my sprint."FIRST PLACE IS MIDORIYA IZUKU!"That was fine. I could see the finish line now.Shoto was on the other side, catching his breath. Bakugou was grabbing at his wrist, looking furious. My breath stung sharp in my lungs, my heart beat in my throat, my legs felt like lead and my mind was racing but I could make it. I could!I crossed the line right as I lost my balance from exhaustion, tripping over my feet and tumbling across the ground.I gasped. I made it. I made it.A hand reached out in front of me, and I looked up to see Shoto. He looked irritated, or as irritated as he could be behind his usual stoic mask.I took his hand."Thanks.""Whatever."#1: Class A: Midoriya Izuku#2: Class A: Todoroki Shoto#3: Class A: Bakugou Katsuki#4: Class A: L/n Y/n#5: Class B: Shiozaki Ibara#6: Class B: Honenuki Juzo#7: Class A: Iida Tenya#8: Class A: Tokoyami Fumikage#9: Class A: Sero Hanta#10: Class A: Kirishima Eijiro#11: Class B: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu#12: Class A: Ojiro Mashirao#13: Class B: Awase Yosetsu#14: Class A: Asui Tsu#15: Class A: Soji Mezo#16: Class A: Sato Rikido#17: Class A: Uraraka OchacoI let out a sigh of relief as I found Ochaco's name. I was so glad she made it.As Miss Midnight informed us about the benefits of the next activity- filler for the sake of hyping up the audience- I looked around for Shoto.He was near the front of the crowd, staring at the screen and not looking away.What did I expect, anyway?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It's odd, how time seems to move quicker the more you dread something.The two weeks of training were brutal. Endeavor made sure they were. A reminder that he couldn't fail. That he had to win this festival, to live up to the reason why he was created.He still refused to use his fire. He didn't need it. He wouldn't give Endeavor the satisfaction.He would win this alone, with only his mother's quirk.This thought pounded in his head as he confronted Midoriya, louder as Midoriya challenged him back.It waivered as he walked out, hearing the muffled noise of a hand slamming down, and Y/n's determined voice, "I'm going after him."She didn't have the chance. Good. He didn't need anybody getting in his way. "You know them for withstanding a villain attack-- the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid gold skills, the hero course students of Class 1-A!"Shoto walked out onto the field, ignoring the cheers and screams of the crowd. It meant nothing to him, really.He knew Endeavor was up in that crowd, somewhere.President Mic introduced the rest of the classes: hero course Class 1-B, general studies, support course, and business course. They gathered together in the center of the field for the introductory speech.It went more or less as expected. Bakugou slouched up to the microphone, announcing his confidence in his victory. It simply forced the weight of determination further into him.That is, until he noticed Y/n marching past him, taking the mic from the platform."Um... alright. My name's L/n Y/n, and I would like to say a few words, if that's alright, Miss Midnight."And she began to speak. Though she stuttered and wilted under the gaze of the crowd, she spoke bravely."It's because of our teachers, or families, or friends, or simply strangers who have helped us along the way... um... yeah. We can do nothing on our own. Today is a gift, a privilege for- um- for all of us, I think, and it's important to realize that without the others around us, we would be... we wouldn't be where we are right now."He pursed his lips. She was wrong- she was. She was.He didn't need Endeavor- his help, his training, his quirk. Everything- every last thing, every trait Shoto saw from Endeavor in himself, Shoto hated. He didn't need Endeavor.He didn't need anyone.That didn't stop him from wanting to reassure Y/n and tell her how well she spoke when she rushed from the platform, mumbling, "Why did I do that why did I do that why did I do that why did I do that?"For someone so confident in her worth, she seemed so unsure with her words.It didn't matter. The first challenge was about to begin.
Second place.Shoto wanted to be disappointed in himself as he bent over, trying to catch his breath. He wanted to tell himself that it wasn't good enough, that he had to win, he had to do this- but he couldn't. Because, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Y/n cross the finish line.He watched her fall, landing almost face-first in the grass, that beautiful, triumphant smile taking up her entire face as her chest heaved with desperate breaths.Shoto didn't need anyone.But he walked over, offering his hand and pulling Y/n to her feet.She thanked him, eyes soft and warm.He walked away.
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“The cavalry battle,” Miss Midnight announced, “will be your next game! Allow me to explain. The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit. In theory, it’s basically the same as a regular playground game, but there’s one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course.”I nodded along as my classmates broke out into murmurs about how the game would be played.Miss Midnight snapped at all of us to be quiet, and continued, “The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom.”I ran a quick few numbers in my head. I would be worth… 200 points, I think. Or was it 195?I looked back up at Midnight, who raised her arm in a dramatic fashion.“And, the point value assigned to the first place contestant is…” Midnight’s lips pulled up into a wicked grin. “...ten million.”No sooner were the words out of her mouth, when every face in the crowd turned to stare at Midoriya. And, though I was ashamed to admit it, mine was among them.On one hand, there was my overall philosophy of ‘protect the cinnamon roll at all costs’.On the other hand… ten million points…Miss Midnight grinned and gestured back up at the board.
“First years, here are the rules that you’ll abide by! The game will last fifteen minutes. Each individual point value will be added together to reach your team total. Everyone will know how much you’re worth thanks to your headbands.”Midnight held up a white headband with large, red numbers on the front for the crowd to see.“Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team’s score! Even if your headband is taken or your team is knocked down, you can continue to compete! You may use your Quirks as much as you like, but there are still rules! Make a team fall on purpose and you’ll be disqualified.”There goes my strategy, then.A large timer appeared on Midnight’s screen.“Now, you’ll have fifteen minutes to build your teams! I recommend you begin.”I glance around, looking for a team. I noticed Shoto staring at me for a moment, but he looked away before I could figure out what he wanted.One strategy I picked up in elementary school for games like dodgeball was to walk around and see if anybody invited me to their team. Before, this was just a strategy to see if anybody would take pity on me- I was terrible at sports back then- but now I needed to scope out the competition and find teammates.So, I started wandering. Mineta and Shoji were teaming up with Tsu, it seemed, which meant my go-to wasn't avaliable. Ochaco was teaming with Midoriya (the OTP strikes again) but there was no way I was teaming with everyone's number one target.With no better options, I spotted the first person from my class that I could find and bounced up to them.“Hey Ojiro!" I called, "Do you have a… team… yet…?”Ojiro didn't respond, instead staring vacantly past me. So was the other kid he was standing with, someone from class 1-B. Confused, I waved a hand in front of their faces, trying to get their attention.“Ojiro? Hellooooooo~? Are you ok?”At the sound of footsteps approaching, I turned around to see a purple-haired boy with an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Aizawa. I tilted my head.“Hey, you’re the kid from general studies who challenged our class a few weeks ago. Shinso Hitoshi?”The boy looked slightly taken aback at the fact that I knew his name. “Yeah, that’s me.”I looked back at Ojiro. “Do you know what’s wrong with him? Is he- wait a second.”I turned around and stared accusingly at Shinso. “Did you do this?”“Maybe.” He replied, his words sharp and defensive.I continued to wave my hand in front of Ojiro’s face and shrugged. “Honestly, respect. That's certainly one way to get people to do what you want. Anyway,” I turned around, clapping my hands. “I’m a short range fighter that relies on support items. I placed fourth and I need a team.”Shinso looked even more caught off-guard than before. “...Are you always this blunt?”“Pretty much. I’m worth 195 points, though Ojiro is worth a lot too. So that would give us a pretty good chance of making it to the top, even if we don't manage to snipe the million points.”"That's true," Shinso nodded.I waved my hand in front of Ojiro's face again. "Can he not hear me, or...?"“I’m not sure. Usually, they forget what happened when I release my hold on their minds.”“That’s so cool.” I grinned.Shinso tilted his head. “You’re strangely open minded.”“Well,” I shrugged, “my Quirk is a storage type. I literally just have a pocket dimension for keeping things in. Us unconventional Quirked have to stick together, don't you think?"I extended my hand. “Team?”“Team.” The battle began.While most were heading for the ten million points, we stuck in the background. I fended off attacks from the right with a baseball bat, and Ojiro took fending off the left with his tail. Or, Shinso made him fend off the left. I must admit, I felt bad about the whole brainwashing deal.I liked Shinso, I decided. He was odd. Quiet. Determined. His quirk was unconventional, just like mine. It wasn't hard to figure out why he wasn't in the hero course, even without him telling me as we warmed up for the battle. The normal entrance test was a face off against the robots I encountered during the race. Since they didn't have brains, Shinso's quirk, brainwashing, wouldn't work at all.And he didn't have a family friend willing to recommend him to the course.Secretly, I wanted him to win this festival. I got lucky when I got into this course. I wanted him to have the same chance.Together, we had this cavalry battle in the b-"Someone's coming!" Shinso warned, cutting off my train of thought. I fumbled to pull my drop down menu, and just barely managed to block the oncoming attack with a riot shield. I felt someone graze my arm, but our headband was protected."Well, if it isn't class 1-A, thinking fast? Nice block, by the way."I passed the riot shield to Shinso and re-equipped my baseball bat, looking around for the source of the voice. A blonde figure turned, smirking at me. I tilted my head."Um... thanks?"What was this guy's name? Monoma, right? From class 1-B. Monoma giggled."I've been waiting to figure out what your Quirk was. That scene you pulled, with the monster at the USJ, and all those fancy moves with your items. I've been dying to get my hands on this."Oh."Yeah, good luck with that. Come on, Shinso, let's make a move. Tetsutestu has a lot of points and we need to cement our position.""Right.""What?!" Monoma's confusion was palpable as he tried to take something from an empty pocket dimension. I started running, looking over my shoulder as I left."My quirk's not worth much without a lot of planning, Monoma! And since you can't try to knock down teams without being eliminated, that trick I did with the monster and robot is useless too! It's all about preparation! Now, let's go get those points!" We managed to grab them at the last second, right before Mic called that time was up. He began to read out the placements."In first place is Team Todoroki!"I shifted out from underneath Shinso, offering a hand to help him dismount, which he took."Aha. Thank goodness Shoto made it." I smiled. Shinso glanced at me."A friend of yours?""Yep!"President Mic continued. "Second place is Team Baku- wait! It's Team Shinso! When did they manage to grab those extra points?!"Bakugou's following howl of pure anger was loud enough to wake the dead. I sniggered."Going for Tetsutetsu's points was an excellent call, L/n. Nice job." Shinso shook my hand one last time before walking away, leaving me to deal with my newly-un-brainwashed bewildered teammates."In THIRD place is Team Bakugou! And in fourth place is Team Midoriya!"Midoriya's wails of happiness were just as loud as Bakugou's screams.I laughed.
"SHOTO!!!"I ran towards my friend, jumping at him and pulling him into a hug."You got first! That's amazing! Great job! I'm so happy for you!"
"Uh-" Shoto froze for a moment before hesitantly pulling away from my grip. "Thank you, L/n.""L/n?" I chuckled, "I thought we were on a first name basis!""Right. Y/n." Shoto pulled away further, and I frowned."Hey, what's up? Is everything okay?""It's fine." He muttered, communicating that he was absolutely not fine."Is this about earlier with Midoriya? Stars, I forgot about that. Why did you do that, anyway? Is it-""It's nothing, Y/n, drop it." He snapped, looking back to glare at me for a second before walking away. I blinked.I had two options.Option A. Follow him. I could see him setting a hand on Midoriya's shoulder now.Option B. Leave him alone.I sighed, turning away as Shoto walked away with Midoriya.
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Nope. I'm getting to the bottom of this.Even as I walked away, trying to find my way to the staircase to get into a higher section of the stands, I promised myself that I would get to the bottom of this.Why was Shoto acting like this?I had a hunch that it had something to do with his hero training- he told me that he never used his fire powers. He told me that he hated having them, because of how his father treated his family. At the time, I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I thanked him for trusting me and made sure he got home before passing out from exhaustion from the whole affair at the USJ.So why was today the day he decided to close up? Why was today the day he decided to push everyone away? Why was he targeting Midoriya, of all people?!I gripped at my face with frustration, my mind reeling with too many unanswered questions.Thankfully, an answer came my way very quickly, in the form of a very angry wall of muscle that I had the wonderful fortune of running smack into."Umph-" I swore to myself as I was knocked flat on my rear. My nose stung, having collided with what felt like a brick wall.Said brick wall hissed, "Watch where you're going!""My fault, my fault. Stars, that hurt." I rubbed aggressively at my nose and rose to my feet, looking up at who I ran into.The wall was, in fact, Pro Hero Endeavor. A six-foot-five tower of flaming muscle, snarling down at me before banging past my shoulder. "Damn children."I stared at his retreating back, personally offended."Jeez. That's Endeavor?" I frowned, muttering to myself. "Talk about rough around the edges. Even Shoto wasn't THAT rude the first time we-"It clicked.The next second, it was my shoulder banging past Endeavor's as I blasted past him, my head whirling. Endeavor shouted something at me, but I continued to run, not showing any sign that I had heard him.'Omg how did she forget that Endeavor is Shoto's dad, that's so obvious-' Shush. I had a lot on my mind, okay?! We were all just attacked by villains, and trapping that monster thing had drained a ton of my energy! I am allowed to forget things!Shoto was gone by the time I located Midoriya, but that was fine. I snagged the green-haired cinnamon roll by the front of his shirt (gently, might I add. See also, Rule #1: Protect the Jellybean) and pulled him back into the tunnel hallway he was walking out of."Spill it. Why's he acting weird towards you? I figured out why he's acting weird, but why you? I'm high-key freaking out, this is crazy and I'm really worried for him, you gotta help me.""T-take a breath, L/n-chan! I-It's alright, seriously!"I huffed, letting go of him and doing as he asked. "Alright. Can you help me please?""Yeah. You already know most of... it..., I'm assuming?""He told me after the USJ attack." I sighed. "Walk and talk. Maybe I can grab a protein bar before we have to get back on the field."Three protein bars each later and a vague explanation of what Shoto didn't tell me- his father's rivalry with All Might, and Shoto's suspicion that Midoriya was connected with All Might in some way, leading to some of his odd behavior."I see," I mumbled around the last of my caramel almond bar, "so he's targeting you because of your connection with All Might- you don't have to tell me if it's true or not, I don't care all that much right now- and he's pushing everyone else away because he's trying to prove that he can succeed with only his ice, not his fire or anyone else's help.""That seems like a fair summary," Midoriya muttered. "I wonder what we can do about it- I mean, it's his life, not ours, but the way he's acting is unhealthy, not to mention that these frequent challenges against me are freaking me out a little, even if it is important to accept that I'm aiming for the top, I really don't want more ominous threats about how people are going to defeat me..." Midoriya's voice trailed off into vague muttering and he thought to himself."Um. Midoriya?""It feels wrong to be poking into his life like this, but he did come to me with his story, it's not like I pressed him for details... And then there's the fact that this stuff is really serious, and we can't just go charging into it without knowing the full story...""Midoriya.""This whole thing is really delicate and I don't want to get this wrong- gosh, this is so stressful, I-"I smacked his shoulder. "Midoriya!""What?""Did I miss a memo or something? Was I supposed to get dressed up like that? Because if I was supposed to, I'm rioting." I pointed at the 1-A girls, who were all pretty red in the face and dressed in bright orange cheerleading uniforms. Even Ochaco was wearing one."Um..." Midoriya turned bright scarlet as his eyes landed on Ochaco. "L-let's... let's ask her, how about that?"We didn't get the chance, as Miss Midnight stepped up to her podium, signaling for the students to get into their groups from the cavalry battle. Shinso nodded at me as I approached."Good to see you not making a total fool of yourself, like the rest of your classmates.""Dunno what I missed, exactly," I frowned, "but whatever it was, I'm glad I wasn't a part of it."Shinso sniggered as I took my place beside him, the tempting urge to start jumping up and down rising in my stomach as I looked up at the lineup board."Can you believe it, Ojiro? We're in the finals! It's our one big chance to get recognized by hero agencies! We can't fail now!" I turned and grinned at the tailed boy, who did not share my excitement."Right..."I frowned and glanced at Shinso, who looked away."Ojiro-kun, are you alright?"Before he could answer, Midnight spoke up. "It's almost time for the final challenge! We'll draw lots to see who you're up against, then you all can enjoy the extra activities while the finalists preparefor battle. Let's start with the first team."I glanced at Shoto, who was standing a few paces away, and gave him an encouraging smile. Then, Ojiro's hand shot into the air."Um. Excuse me. Sorry."My heart sank. Wait, nononono-"But I'm withdrawing."The students erupted into gasps and protests as Ojiro lowered his hand. I wrung my hands, desperately thinking of some way to talk him out of it, as he continued to speak."It just wouldn't be right. I don't remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it. I think," He looked at Shinso, with no contempt in his gaze, only quiet regret, "it was that guy's quirk."I stuttered. "O-Ojiro-kun, just be- just because he used his quirk on you doesn't mean that you shouldn't participate! I- I mean-""I'm sorry, L/n-san, but it just wouldn't be right. I wish I could seize this opportunity, but my conscience won't let me.""Ojiro-kun, think about this! It's-""I have, okay?" Ojiro balled his fist, staring with a determined gaze. "Everyone gave their all last round, but I was just someone's puppet. I don't want to advance if I don't even know how I got here. It wouldn't be fair."The boy from class 1-B stood up as well. "I should withdraw for the same reasons. This isn't how I wanted to get here. It goes against what this festival is for.""Just listen to these guys," Kirishima muttered, "so manly."I frowned, gathering my thoughts. "I-""Don't." Shinso's arm came down on my shoulder, effectively cutting off my sentence. "Don't even think about withdrawing.""But I-"An odd buzz came over my brain at that moment, a free, almost floaty feeling taking over my body. My mouth snapped shut without my permission, and my eyes turned back towards Miss Midnight.I blinked."What...?"The matchup brackets were displayed on the board. Ojiro was not on them.I rounded on Shinso. "What did you do?!""I stopped you from making a stupid decision, that's what. You deserve to be here. Don't even think about denying that."I pursed my lips and looked away, back up at the screen as Midnight announced the lineups."(Nickname)! Are you excited? I can't wait to melt your butt!" Ashido shouted, throwing her fists in the air with enthusiasm. I scanned the screen for my name. Sure enough, Mina was my first opponent.I smiled and cheered, "Be on your guard, because I'm not holding back!"
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"It's Izuku Midoriya from the hero course, versus, Hitoshi Shinso from general studies!""Agh! Why did they have to fight? Now I don't know who to root for!" I leaned over the balcony, pulling a pair of binoculars out of my inventory to see better as President Mic introduced the two competitors and a basic recap of the rules."You're rooting for Shinso?" Ojiro spoke from behind me. He didn't sound particularly upset- maybe a little irritated that I was rooting for the guy who had brainwashed him, but rightfully so."Yep," I nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I love Midoriya to death, but I sorta get where Shinso's coming from."Leaning back over the balcony, I fiddle with the binocular knobs to zoom back a little and focus on the two boys. "Looks like they're talking- Oop, there he goes."Midoriya ran forward, shouting something, then froze as Shinso easily took control of his brain. Ojiro groaned loudly. "I warned him not to say anything!!"I continued leaning over the balcony as Iida and Ochaco stood up, holding their breath.Shinso didn't smile as he spoke. I couldn't hear what he was saying- they didn't broadcast what the fighters said for any children watching the festival (foul-mouthed teens could not be trusted)- but at his words, Midoriya turned and began to walk out of the ring.President Mic howled in confusion as Ochaco and Iida began to shout. I sat forward in my seat, pressing the binoculars so hard against my face that I'm pretty sure they left circles around my eyes."Deku, what are you doing!?" Ochaco shouted as Iida waved his hands in every direction out of distress.Midoriya continued to walk closer to the out of bounds line. I shook my head."Shoulda made him run. Give him less chance to fight back."There was a small explosion of air, and Midoriya stopped moving. I smirked."See? Match over."Ochaco sat back down, letting out a massive sigh of relief as Midoriya managed to judo-flip Shinso out of bounds."Midoriya wins!" Mic cheered. "I'll be honest, that was a really kind of a boring first match, kids, but both of you fought bravely!"Shinso turned and walked away, as the support course started screaming and cheering for their classmate."I'm gonna go find him and Midoriya and congratulate them." I grinned and stood up, leaving the class observation box and wandering out through the hallways.Let's see... Midoriya would be in Recovery Girl's office, so that means I have to... take two lefts, a right, and go down like five flights of stairs. Got it.I started walking, humming absent-mindedly to myself as I moved.The hallways were empty, the only sound being my footsteps and the song stuck in my head. So, naturally, when a familiar voice around the corner demanded, "What do you want?" I jumped half a foot in the air.My first instinct after that was to respond, but another voice replied before I could, quickly reminding me that the voice was not speaking to me.I didn't like the sound of the conversation that followed."You're acting disgracefully, Shoto. If you had simply used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in both of the first rounds. It's time to stop this childish rebellion of yours."Footsteps drew closer as the second voice continued to speak, and Shoto's familiar shadow, growing steadily closer, appeared in front of the hallway I lurked in.I shouldn't be eavesdropping. This-"You have a duty to surpass that imbecile All-Might. Do you understand what I'm saying? You're different from your siblings. You're my greatest masterpiece."My blood boiled, the corners of my vision turning red as Shoto marched past me, eyes trained forward, so he didn’t notice me."Is that all you have to say to me, you bastard?" He hissed. "I'll win this match and advance using only Mom's Quirk. I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me use yours."An intake of breath from the second voice- the voice I now knew belonged to Endeavor- told me that he was about to reply. Whatever it was, I didn't want to hear it."Todoroki-kun! Hey!"I stepped out of the hallway, smoothing my face into an innocent look, as if I hadn't heard that disgusting conversation. Shoto looked back at me, the terrifying expression on his face settling into barely contained anger."Y/n. What are you-""Who are you?" Endeavor's voice was biting. I pretended not to hear him and stepped in front of Shoto, hopefully blocking Endeavor from view."I was trying to find Midoriya to check on him and I got lost. Thank goodness I ran into you, though! I wanted to wish you good luck! Though, do you think you can help me find Recovery Girl's office? I've been running around for FOREVER!"I locked eyes with Shoto, and Shoto, recognizing the out, nodded."Of course, L/n-san. I can help you with that. Come on. She's on the ground floor, to make it easier for the contestants to get to her.""Oh, duh! Dammit, why didn't I think of that?"I plastered a fake smile on my face and quickly dragged him out of the room, chirping, "Come on, we should say hello to Midoriya before your match starts!"Once we were safely out of Endeavor's view and earshot (a full floor down, on the other side of the stadium, just to be safe) I let go of Shoto's hand."Sorry about that. I figured you didn't want to be there.""You would be correct." Shoto's face was neutral, but I noticed his fists balling at his sides. "How much... did you hear?"I pursed my lips. His gaze narrowed."Y/n?""The whole thing, I think? Please don't be mad at me!"Shoto sighed and looked away, muttering something. I winced."It really wasn't my intention, I swear! It wasn't! I- I heard someone while I was walking and I thought they were talking to me and by the time I realized they weren't and that person was you it would be super awkward and I didn't know what to do and I'm sorry!" I burst out, all in one breath, while wringing my hands. Shoto sighed."I'm not mad at you. I don't think I can ever bring myself to be mad at you.""What?""Nothing. I'm not mad at you, that's all. Thank you for getting me out quickly." He unballed his fists. "That bastard will learn, eventually. I won't be his puppet."I flinched. "Yeah... God, how do I- This is going to sound empty and useless, I know, but I'm sorry. And if there's literally ANYTHING I can do for you- like, I will absolutely whack him with a mallet if you want me to- you can ask me, I swear!"To my delight, the corners of his mouth twitched. Just slightly."That won't be nessesary, but... thank you. That means a lot." He inclined his head. "I should be getting ready. My match will be starting any minute.""Right," I nodded. "I'm gonna go check on Midoriya."To my surprise, his expression hardened at this. "You really care about him, huh?""Well, yeah. I mean, the nerd breaks his bones when he uses his power, of course I'm worried!" I giggled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Anyway, good luck out there. Oh-"I grabbed his hand, catching him before he could walk away. "About something you said earlier..."He tilted his head as a sign that he was listening. I smiled softly."You said that... you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of using his quirk, right?""That's correct.""And his quirk is fire.""Yes. Y/n, what are you-""Look, I'm just trying to say... it's not his quirk. He doesn't own you. You said that, right? So, that means he doesn't own your quirk either." I laced my fingers with his, making sure that I was gripping his left hand. "Your fire is your own, you know that, don't you?"There was a moment of silence, before he ripped his hand away."You're wrong, Y/n.""Shoto?""I've got to go. The match is starting.""Shoto-!""Thank you for your support. I appreciate it very much. Go check on Midoriya. I've... got to go now."
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Midoriya was fine. Recovery Girl was a miracle worker.We walked back to our seats in relative silence, Midoriya having the mercy to not ask about my stony expression. I didn't have words. I didn't even have anything to think. All I could hear was my and Shoto's conversation looping over and over and over and over in my head.
"Your fire is your own, you know that, don't you?"
"You're wrong, Y/n."
I sat down in my seat, watching Shoto and his opponent, Sero, walk out onto the field."NOW, welcome to the ring, our next players!" President Mic shouted, "He's got skills, but at the expense of some really creepy-looking elbows. From the hero course, it's Hanta Sero!"Ochaco looked at me, concerned, when I didn't offer a reaction to Mic's jab. She knew that kind of humor was right up my alley."Versus, an early frontrunner in the competition who's WAY too strong for his own good! Someone who rightfully got into the hero course based on recommendations! It's Shoto Todoroki!"Shoto stood still, staring at the ground. What he was thinking, I couldn't guess."Ready? BEGIN!"Sero's tape whipped out within a moment, wrapping around Shoto and starting to swing him towards the boundary line.The class was on the edge of their seats, watching with baited breath. I didn't blame them. If Shoto lost this, the class hierarchy would be pretty much overthrown.In the blink of an eye, however, ice crystals erupted from Shoto's right side, covering the floor of the arena and flying outward, covering Sero and cementing him in place. It didn't cover much more than that. The ice shards and spikes were large and impressive, sure, but they were controlled. It wasn't hard to tell- this was calculated."Sero, be honest. Can you move at all?" Midnight called from her stand on the sidelines. Sero shivered."N-no, are you kidding?"Midnight nodded and raised her arm in the air, announcing, "Sero is immobilized! Todoroki advances to the next round!"I stood up as Shoto, down on the field, stepped forward to release Sero from his ice prison."I'll be back, Ochaco.”
"Hey. Good show out there.""Hello, Y/n. Thank you."There was an awkward silence as Shoto and I watched each other, his expression deadpan, my stomach fluttering and mind reeling.I smiled. "Um. Wanna watch the matches in the waiting room? There's two matches until mine and I feel like I'm gonna explode from nerves. We don't have to talk, if you don't want to. I just need to plan with someone, if that's okay."There was a moment of silence, before Shoto inclined his head. "Sure. That sounds fine."
“Shiozaki, huh? Look at her hair. God, I would kill for her hair thickness.""Her... her hair is made of vines, Y/n.""Yeah, but look at how well-layered it is!""I'll bet the vines are detachable, or grow at her will. This will be a tough fight for Kaminari, since plants are poor conductors.""I could take her, though. Those vines aren't anything a good pair of hedge clippers can't fix!" "Hatsume Mei. She's from the support course.""Oh, I've met her! She heard of how item-reliant my fighting style is and offered to lend a hand. Yeah, she's bonkers.""It looks like she gave Iida support items.""Hoo boy. Hatsume's gonna make a total fool of him. Poor Iida." "Welp, I guess I'm up next."I rubbed the back of my neck, my stomach doing backflips as I straightened up from my warm-up stretches. Shoto offered me a hand, which I gladly took, pulling me to my feet."Thank you."I blinked. "For what?""Just... nevermind. Good luck."It might have been my imagination, but I would have sworn that I saw the faintest twinge of a smile on his face before he looked away. I grinned, giving his hand a squeeze."Let's hope I won't need it. See you after!"I winked at him and jogged out of the room, checking over my list one more time as I ran.I blinked in the sunlight, waving in response to the screams and cheers that greeted me. From the other side of the field, I saw Mina do the same."You're going down, Y/n!" She shouted, grinning. I smirked right back."Don't be so cocky!"President Mic's voice echoed from all sides of the arena, standing out clearly over the roaring of the audience."First, is there some kind of purpose to those things sticking out of her head? It's the acid splasher, Mina Ashido!""Versus, the sweet and spunky weapons-wielder from the same class! You know her for single-handedly capturing a villain monster, it's Y/n L/n!""Aww... Your introduction is so much cooler than mine..." Mina sighed, dropping into a running position as Mic's voice boomed,"BEGIN!!"Mina immediately burst into a run, sliding on a wave of acid bursting out from under her feet. I started to sprint as well.A boomerang went whizzing past her head, and she dodged, stumbling. Catching it easily on it's return, I wound my arm back for another shot, adrenaline coursing through my veins.Ashido saw my movements and swung towards the right, adopting a zigzag pattern. Her mouth moved, though I couldn't hear what she was saying over the sea of noise from the crowd. Boomerang now useless with her running pattern, I replaced it with my mallet and tried to copy her movement patterns.She stuck to the center of the arena, drawing closer to me with every second that passed.Her feet shifted sideways and she slid past me, slinging a wave of acid as she moved. I ducked into a roll and made a grab for her ankle, but she was gone again, back to sliding around the arena.I was playing too much on the defensive. I needed to move, now.This time, a silver ball went flying at Mina's face with startling accuracy. She ducked, falling off her balance. A ball to the stomach sent her backwards onto the dirt, allowing me to get close.A veil of acid erupted from her arm. I shifted my momentum to the left, gaining on her from the side as she stood up again.My fingers grazed her shoulder. There, that was all I needed-She shouted something, and a punch connected with my jaw. Stumbling back, I grunted, pulling a small shield out of my inventory to block her next attack.Another blow connected with my stomach.Her arm pulled back, but not fast enough. My wrist wrapped around it."Crap-" She tried to pull her arm back, but it was too late. I grinned, yanking her to the right. She stumbled, then disappeared as she vanished into Hammerspace.In an instant, all noise and feeling came rushing back. A numbness receded from my mind and body, like a wave pulling back from the shore, dragging away the focus and sharpness that had settled in me. Mic's screaming, the crowd's cheering, an ache in my jaw, a heaviness in my shoulders, a spiked lump in my throat, a sharp pain in my lungs- it all came rushing back at once.Midnight raised her arm. "Ashido has been- um... immobilized! L/n advances to the next round!"I did it.My knees felt weak as the wonderful realization sank in. I had done it! I was moving on to the next round!"L/n? If you would please release Ashido?""Huh? Oh, right."Mina appeared in front of me, blinking wildly as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Woah. That was freaky." She muttered, then smiled, her hand extended."Good round, Y/n!"I smiled. "Good round, Mina!”
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"Ok, it was like, so freaky! But... oddly calming. One moment there was so much noise and chaos, and the next moment it was all quiet. I felt all free-floaty, you know? It was really cool. So quiet, too, but it wasn't silent. It felt like it was alive, you know? Like it was breathing, even moving, you know?""Well, Hammerspace is a part of me. It's connected to my life force- that's why I still have to carry around weight when I store things. If I die, it'll probably collapse right along with me. Of course, I've never actually looked into it-""WAIT, SO IF YOU DIED WHILE I WAS STUCK IN THERE-"I laughed over the rest of her sentence. Mina and I had left the field a few minutes prior, making a quick stop with Recovery Girl to rid ourselves of any bruises. Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami had taken our places on the battlefield."Who died?" Tsu looked up at Mina and I, frowning as she held one finger to her lips."Mineta will," Jirou mumbled, "if he doesn't grow an ounce of human decency."The boy in question was writhing in pain on the ground, clutching at his eye, which I assumed Jirou poked with her earphones.I tossed myself down in a seat next to Midoriya, briefly noting that Ochaco's seat was empty, but setting the thought aside for the moment in favor of gathering more info. "What happened this time?""The perv started yelling about 'fighting like you're in a game where everyone's clothes get knocked off.'""Yeesh. Can I get an official statement on that? This has got to be reportable." I pulled out my phone, though Jirou didn't respond. She was too busy watching Yaoyorozu's match with an unusual amount of concern.I shrugged and turned to Midoriya. "Hey, what happened to Ochaco? Her match is after this, isn't it?""I'm actually not sure. She just kinda left.""Is she alright?" I frowned at her empty seat. "I mean, she is fighting Bakugou after Kirishima's fight. That can't be easy on the nerves."Izuku nodded, watching as Momo was easily pushed out of bounds by Dark Shadow and Kirishima's fight began. We quickly realized, however, that Kirishima's opponent had an incredibly similar quirk, and this fight was gonna take forever, as they were simply trading punches without any mercy.We shared a nod set off. After a bit of asking around, we found her in the waiting room.Midoriya opened the door, looking concerned. "Uraraka?""Ochaco? You okay?" I poked my head over his shoulder and followed him as he entered the room, walking past Iida. Ochaco didn’t smile as Izuku walked in- an immediate red flag."Deku, Y/n, why aren't you watching the matches?""Well," Midoriya shrugged, "most of them ended how I expected them to.""And Kirishima's fight is gonna drag on for a WHILE." I sniggered, thinking of how he was matched up with his literal power-twin.Ochaco's hand tightened around her wrist. "I'm next," she mumbled. "So this is it. My fight." Her lips pursed as she stared down at the ground."It'll be okay!" Iida tried to reassure her. "I'm sure Bakugou won't use his full power of his explosions on a girl, right?" He glanced at Midoriya."No, he would."Ochaco flinched. I sat down beside her, rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to be encouraging."And besides," Midoriya continued, “everyone's trying to get the top spot in these games. Even if she wasn't fighting Kacchan, I don't think anyone would hold back.""You can do it, sister!" I threw my arms around her, and she smiled a little, leaning her head into my shoulder. Midoriya looked down."You've helped me so much. It's my turn to help you." He pulled out his notebook- the charred one where he took all his hero notes- and offered it to Ochaco."I've got a plan for how you can use your Quirk against Kacchan. It's not much, but I did my best."Ochaco shook her head. "Thank you so much... but, no. Sorry.""What?""You're turning down a plan from Midoriya?" I raised an eyebrow.Ochaco smiled. "You're amazing, Deku. I keep seeing that over and over again. During the cavlary battle, I told you it was a good idea to team with friends, but now that I think about it, I might have been trying to rely on you to get by."She stood up slowly. "That's why when Iida said he was trying his best to beat you, I actually kinda felt embarrassed for myself. Y/n and Iida both took their own paths, and I think it's high time I did, too. We're all rivals, even you and me, Deku."
She smiled, determination flooding back into her voice as she gave him a wide smile. "So I guess I'll see you in the finals!"She left the room, leaving us in silence. I glanced at Midoriya."Hey, can I see that plan?"We sat side by side in our seats, all of us on edge as Ochaco walked out onto the battlefield and President Mic began his commentary."It's the eighth and final battle of the first round of matches! First up: he was kinda a hot-shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face! From the Hero Course, Katsuki Bakugou!"Bakugou was snarling, his lip pulled back to reveal his barred teeth. His eyes were fixated on his opponent, but he didn't look at Ochaco the same way he looked at Midoriya. The difference was clear to me: he respected her. This wasn't predator and prey. This was a fight between two equals."Versus, the one I'm personally rooting for, also from class 1-A, Ochaco Uraraka!"Ochaco took a deep breath."Let the eighth match... BEGIN!"My voice almost gave out from screaming as the first part of the fight played out."I get that this is intense, but why are you so worked up about this?" Yaoyorozu asked, wringing her hands with worry. I didn't turn around to look at her, instead pausing to chug as much water as I could."Ochaco's got this. She's strong. She's a quick thinker. Even if she doesn't manage to touch him and float him out of bounds, she has a plan. I know she does.""Even if Uraraka tries to get the jump on him, his quick reflexes put her at a total disadvantage," Sero murmured."Ith just as I suspected," Mineta declared, "Bakugou's a total sadist."I gritted my teeth at this comment, my vocal cords protesting as I continued shouting. I didn't care that my classmates were behind me, cringing whenever Bakugou set off an explosion. Ochaco could take it.This was my sister we were talking about, after all."Ugh, I can't watch." Jirou whimpered, leaning into Yaoyorozu's shoulder.Debris flew in all directions, clattering against the ground before being blasted into the air again not a moment later as Ochaco leapt at Bakugou."This is shameful! Listen, kid, you really wanna be a hero? Then stop acting like a bully! Stop toying with the girl and end this match!" Someone shouted from the stands, and the sound of it made my blood boil.I sank down in my seat, watching Ochaco make another charge.Another voice joined in the protests, then another, until the crowd was ringing with boos.I let out a scream of frustration and began yelling at the crowd. "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU! HOW DARE YOU?! SHE'S PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING THIS!!""She's just a girl, this is sadistic letting her fight like this!" Someone from a nearby observation box called back. He then immediately realized his mistake as I rounded on him."Just a girl? Keep your sexism out of this fight! Ochaco's like a sister to me and she's stronger than almost anyone else I know! How dare you call her 'just a girl!' She's just as capable as any boy, so sit down and keep your mouth shut!!""The crowd is booing Bakugou!" President Mic exclaimed from the commentator's stands. I looked up at it, still seething. If he said he agreed with them, I swear to the stars-"And honestly, I kind of agree with what they're- OW, HEY, what the crap?!"
Mic was quickly cut off as Aizawa elbowed him in the face, taking the microphone.I let out a deep breath as Iida pulled me down into my seat."L/n-san, you can't just yell at the audience like that.""I can and I will, and I would do the same thing if this was your fight." I crossed my arms. "How dare they."Iida, to his credit, looked deeply touched by my words before looking back over at the commentator's box as our teacher began to speak."Who is the man that started this uproar? Are you a pro?" Aizawa's voice was deadly, and the crowd fell silent immediately. "Because if you're serious, you can go home immediately and hang up your cape. I'd suggest looking for another career."I smiled as he continued. "Bakugou's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top."I glanced at Iida, who nodded. "He's right.""Watch." I pointed, not out at the stadium, but up in the air. "She kept low to the ground so Bakugou would tear up the stadium. Then she floated the debris, creating weapons."Iida's eyes widened.Ochaco lost. Bloodied and bruised, she kept fighting until she passed out, even when her attack failed.I couldn't be prouder.The race to Recovery Girl's office left me breathless, as I had to fight rather a lot with a very logical Iida, who insisted that I didn't go kick down the door and congratulating Ochaco until Recovery Girl had time to patch her up. He was right, of course, but that didn't mean that I didn't fight him tooth and nail to get past him."Outta the way!" I shoved past Bakugou as he marched past, still scowling. "Great match, by the way! Have you seen Ochaco?""Round face's in the waiting room." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Cool your jets, Pockets, she's fine. The old lady fixed her up.""Pockets?!"He marched away without explaining his nickname. I shrugged it off and continued to run."OCHACOOOO!!!" The door to the waiting room crashed open as I barreled in, dancing around a very startled Midoriya before throwing my arms around my best friend. "YOU DID AMAZING! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!! I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!!""Y/n," she laughed, "I lost.""IT DOESN'T MATTER, YOU SLAYED AND I'M PROUD!!"
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"NOW WE'VE GOT A FULL ROSTER FOR THE NEXT ROUND! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!" Present Mic's voice echoed through the halls of the stadium, the thick rock walls doing little to stop his enthusiastic commentary."Already?" Midoriya mumbled, frowning, before smiling at Ochaco. "Later.""I'll come with! I wanna find Shoto and wish him good luck, too."Ochaco stood up, "Oh, I'm sorry Deku! You weren't able to prepare because of me!""I ship it," I mumbled. Neither of them heard me as they encouraged each other.The OTP strikes again.I followed Midoriya out of the room in a very good mood. Midoriya was on the verge of tears, he was so touched by Ochaco rooting for him."S-so, do you have a plan for how you're going to fight Tokoyami, L/n-chan?" Midoriya looked at me, wiping something wet from his eye and blinking rapidly."Mm-hmm." I nodded. "Since my skillset is so similar to Yaoyorozu's- weapon based, you know- he'll probably do the same attacks he did with her before. But I'm eighty-five percent sure that Dark Shadow has a physical body of some sort and is connected to Tokoyami, so if I..."My voice trailed away as a familiar flaming figure rounded the corner right in front of us."AH!" Midoriya jumped half a foot in the air and stumbled backwards. "Endeavor?!"I crossed my arms, glaring daggers at the number two hero as he looked over me at Midoriya."Ah, I was looking for you." He pushed past me."Oh, yeah, hi." Midoriya spluttered. "Uh, what are you doing back here?""I watched your fight against the brainwashing guy-""Shinso," I corrected. Endeavor ignored me, continuing to speak to a very intimidated Midoriya."Your power is pretty impressive. To create so much wind just by flicking your fingers. It reminds me of another Quirk.""Yeah, yeah, we've all heard the drill about how similar Midoriya-kun is to All-Might. It's a bit of a running joke." I grabbed Midoriya's arm, tugging him away. "He's got to go, though. Right?""Y-yeah. My fight's up next, after all!" Midoriya and I started walking away."Deep breaths, L/n-chan." Midoriya squeezed my wrist as I fumed with the desire to deck Endeavor in the face with a mallet.A feeling that amplified tenfold when Endeavor spoke his next words. "It's my Shoto's duty to surpass All-Might as the number one hero."I froze, my blood boiling. Beside me, I felt Midoriya stop too."Your?" I hissed. Midoriya's grip tightened around my arm as my hand began to twitch.Endeavor continued. "This match will be a testing ground for how much training he has left. So hit him hard. Don't disgrace yourself or him by holding back. That's all I wanted to say. I apologize for bothering you."Midoriya and I shared a look."Endeavor," Midoriya began. Endeavor's receding footsteps stopped. "I am not All Might.""What are you-""And the same goes for Shoto," I continued, taking turns speaking with Midoriya."He may be your son, but he isn't you.""He's a million times more."And we left.I wasn't able to find Todoroki before the fight began, but my adrenaline was on overdrive as I watched from the student stands.The fight began.Immediately, a barrage of ice, bigger than anything I've seen from him yet, went shooting at Midoriya.With a massive crash, Midoriya broke it, breaking his finger in the process."WOW! Midoriya managed to break Todoroki's insane opening move!!" Present Mic screeched.I leaned over the balcony as it happened again and again- two of my closest friends battling it out for the top.I couldn't even scream."Oh, no, crap! I'm missing it!"Kirishima's voice was instantly cut off by a dozen angry shushes as all eyes turned back to look at Y/n."Oh," Kirishima muttered before being pulled roughly into a seat by Bakugou."The girl's so damn whipped over Icyhot that she's gone unresponsive. Look at this."He threw a small pebble at her head.No reaction."Oh, dang. I knew she was in deep but I didn't realize how deep." Kirishima shook his head as Midoriya sent off another blast.Then something happened. An ice incline shot up in front of Todoroki as he began sprinting for Midoriya, making an attack."Look at that, she's gonna stand up. Probably gasp too."She did both. Kaminari laughed. "Dude, this fight must mean a lot to Todoroki to get her so riled up."Todoroki's fist hit the ground as Midoriya dodged his attack. Y/n sat down again, muttering under her breath. Ochaco glanced at Iida, looking concerned."She's so loyal," Yaoyorozu breathed from her spot beside a blushing Jirou."Is that something you look for in a partner, then?" She asked her, but was cut off by Mineta."Todoroki doesn't even know how much she cares. Ith tragic."Midoriya aimed a punch, causing a blast of wind to rocket across the field. Y/n stood up again, shouting as she saw Todoroki stand up, stopping himself from flying out of bounds with a wall of ice."Come on! You can do this, I believe in you!!"Ochaco set a hand on Y/n's arm. "He's gonna be okay, Y/n, really.""Yeah, Midoriya's giving him a run for his money, but they're both going strong." Iida added, trying to talk Y/n down. Y/n shook her head."No. Look."The class did."He's shaking," Y/n continued. "It's not as obvious as Midoriya's bone breaking, but his quirk does have a drawback. He's freezing himself."Sero blinked. "Well, whaddaya know.""This wouldn't be a problem for Icyhot if he would just-""Use his fire."Bakugou and Y/n locked eyes from across the stands, coming to an understanding.Y/n wasn't cheering for him to win. She was cheering for him to accept his flames.The fight continued. Again, and again, the blasts continued, Midoriya breaking and rebreaking his fingers for Todoroki.Again and again, Y/n's cheering got louder, almost desperate."Please!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!"Todoroki took a blow to the stomach, flying across the field.Midoriya's voice rose up from the field, joining with Y/n's, screaming, "IT'S YOURS! IT'S YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!!"And then..."YES!"A burst of flames rocketed forward, everyone in the stands leaning away from the heat- except for Y/n.She stood up, screaming at the top of her lungs, smiling like someone had given her the world, and to her, someone did.He was using his fire.Endeavor's voice shouted from the other side of the stands, but hers drowned it out, screaming louder than anyone ever knew possible."Huh? What's this?" President Mic's voice echoed over the arena. "It sounds like Todoroki has a fan in the stands! Is that- Yes, it's Y/n L/n, screaming her LUNGS out in support of her friend!"Midoriya charged forward. Todoroki's flames and ice flew out to meet him.Tears streamed down my face, no power on Earth strong enough to stop them as I rocketed towards my friend, nearly knocking him over as I threw my arms around him."You idiot." I sobbed into his shoulder. It's warm, warmer than usual, like a fire on a cold January night."What?""God, I'm so proud of you. You did it!! You did it you did it you did it!!" More tears streamed down my face as I squeezed him tighter, jumping up and down in pure euphoria.Shoto hesitated before wrapping his arms around me in return.Then I impulsively pressed a quick kiss against his cheek, and the heat coming from him multiplied three times at least.I ignored it, pressing my head into his shoulder, still crying."I- just- wow. Your fire, Shoto- it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I'm so happy for you."I looked up at him, and he looked back at me. And he smiled."Thank you. Thank you, Y/n."
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I pulled back, blushing a little when I realized almost half of Shoto's shirt had been burned off by his flames....Okay, fine, I was blushing more than a little. Could you blame me? He- stars above, I was not expecting him to be that jacked.What was I talking about, again?I shook my head, looking up at Shoto again and realizing his expression had hardened significantly.Frowning, I turned to look over my shoulder.Yep. Endeavor. He must have shown up while I was congratulating Shoto. Sighing, I shifted over to the left, out of the way. This was gonna be fun.Endeavor was smirking- that alone made my fingers itch for a hammer, but this was Shoto's fight."What's the matter? Not going to tell me to get lost?" Endeavor began. "You need to learn how to control your left side. It's dangerous to release so much energy like that. But I'm glad you're finally seeing reason. Now that you've abandoned your childish rebellion, we can get back to what's important."My fist clenched around... wait-I looked down to see Shoto's hand in mine, his grip so tight that his hand was shaking.Blinking, I glanced back up at his face. He didn't look upset enough to warrant this reaction out of anger... did I grab his hand? Was this my fault?Endeavor was speaking again, Shoto still silently listening."After you graduate, you'll work by my side. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty, Shoto."Shoto took a breath, face neutral."I haven't abandoned anything."He lifted his left hand, staring down at our intertwined grips. "You're a fool to think my feelings could be so easily reversed. Instead... out there..."He looked at me, the faintest twitch of a bittersweet smile on his face as we locked eyes, "With you..."Shoto gazed back at Endeavor, deathly serious. "I forgot all about you."Shoto took a step forward, and I followed, watching as Shoto brushed past his father. "Whether that's good or bad, whether it's the right thing to do, I don't know. Maybe I don't need you."Together, we rounded the corner, leaving a dumbfounded Endeavor behind.It wasn't until we were safely out of earshot- once again, on the other side of the stadium, just to be safe- that I burst out laughing and pulled Shoto into another hug.He blinked, nonplussed. "What's this for?""Just because.""Oh."We stood there for a moment, and I realized he had his arms wrapped around me as well. Something in my stomach fluttered and took flight, filling me with a sense of euphoria."So, you aren't mad about what happened with Midoriya? I was under the impression that you were very protective of him.""Midoriya?"I blinked."OH MY GOD I FORGOT ABOUT MIDORIYA!!" I pushed myself away from Shoto, grabbing at my hair. "I'm the worst friend ever, he broke like a hundred bones and I just FORGOT!!"I turned away, then pulled Shoto into one last hug. "Gotta go! Catch you later!!"I ran off, almost kicking down the door to Recovery Girl's office when I arrived, much to Recovery Girl's vexation."How many times do I have to say it!? He is in no state for visitors!"I didn't hear her as I pushed my way past the group of students already here- Tsu, Mineta, Iida, and Ochaco. Hanging off of Tsu's shoulder, I bowed deeply and stammered out, "I'm so so so sorry I didn't come see you earlier, Midoriya-kun! I was super worried I swear!!"Midoriya, through his look of intense pain, chuckled. "Caught up in the moment?""Yeah- how did you know?!""You're much too noisy!!" Recovery Girl charged forward, beginning to push us all out of the room, "I know you're worried, but I have to focus on surgery now.""SURGERY!?!?!" Everyone immediately screeched.Iida won his next fight easily, so my match was next.Midoriya was still in with Recovery Girl, and that scared me more than anything, not even going up against Tokoyami.The fight was quick. Dark Shadow, it turns out, counted as a physical form and was, in fact, a part of Tokoyami. I grabbed Dark Shadow's beak on their second jab at me, and easily stored the two of them in my inventory.After the match, Tokoyami politely asked me to please, please, NEVER do that again, because the darkness of the infinite void of Hammerspace made Dark Shadow go wild.We shook hands and left in a good mood.Kirishima's match was fascinating to watch. Kirishima managed to get Bakugou on the defensive, creating a sort of delicate dance between the two- Kirishima punching with vigor, Bakugou dodging with grace. Bakugou won by taking advantage of Kirishima's quirk overuse.I laughed, sitting down in the leaning back in my seat next to Ochaco as Midnight announced Kirishima's Bakugou's victory."Talk about a good show, huh?"Ochaco glanced at me and raised an eyebrow."What?" I tilted my head."LADIES, GENTS, AND ALL THOSE IN-BETWEEN, OUR FINAL FOUR!"I nearly had a heart attack as the realization sank in- my face was up there on the screen. I was in the final four.I immediately recovered as Midoriya limped to the student box."Deku!""Midoriya!!""Hi Midoriya," Tsu smiled, "It looks like your surgery went okay.""Yeah." He smiled back. "Recovery Girl healed me up enough to walk- oh-"I stood up and pulled Midoriya into a (very gentle) hug, then sat back down in my seat."Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" Ochaco asked, concerned. Midoriya nodded."I want to watch these matches in person. This is where everyone's efforts are finally gonna pay off. Oh, L/n-chan!""Weh?""Isn't your match with Kacchan after this?"I sank further into my seat. "Don't remind me. I have a plan, but... blegh... Yeah. I should go get ready."”Y/n."I looked up from my list, which I was running over for a third time."Oh. Hey, Shoto! Is the match over already?"He nodded. "I got away with not using my fire, this time.""Oh, poor Iida. Anyways, what's up? Shouldn't you go be warming up for your next fight?" I smiled, setting a hand on my hip and trying to pretend that my heart wasn't on the verge of beating out of my chest from panic.After seeing Bakugou fight Ochaco..."I wanted to wish you good luck. You've been so supportive of me all day, and I've been less than appreciative. I wish to make up for that.""Aw," I stepped forward and pulled him into a short hug, smiling widely. "Thank you so much! I know you have a lot on your mind. Thank you for the thought.""It's the least I could do."I shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking back and forth on my heels."Hey, Shoto? Can you promise me something?"He looked up at me, blinking."Sure."I gently took his left hand. "I know you aren't comfortable using your fire yet. And, odds are, it won't even come to this. I'm probably not gonna win this fight, if I'm being honest." I smiled, trying to appease the odd, fluttery tension building up in my stomach. "But, if by some miracle, I do win, and we face off in the finals?"We locked eyes."Please, promise me you'll use your fire. If I lose, with you using only fifty percent of your power? It would reflect badly on me as a hero. It'll make my power look weaker than it already is. So please, promise me that you won't hold back."There's a moment of silence, before Shoto squeezed my hand."Only for you, Y/n. I promise."
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"IT'S TIME FOR THE LAST SEMI-FINALS BATTLE, AND BOY, AM I HYPED FOR THIS ONE!!" Present Mic's voice roared over the screaming of the crowd. I held up a hand, shielding the sun from my eyes as I stepped out onto the field."Hold onto your butts, sports fans, because this fight's gonna be a doozy!!""Is it, though?" I heard someone snark, somewhere to my right."I know she did well with her last two fights, but she doesn't seem all that different from the gravity girl from a few rounds ago. It's like lambs to the slaughter."I pursed my lips and reminded myself that it would look really bad to threaten an audience member as I walked up to the stairs to the arena, standing face-to-face with a confident looking Bakugou."Sorry, Pockets, but this matchup isn't exactly in your favor." He sighed, cracking his knuckles. I narrowed my eyes."Don't count me out yet, Bakugou."We locked gazes, both our expressions pulling up into a smirk."BEGIN!!"Unarmed, I charged forward, hands open and at the ready. Adrenaline flowed through my veins, waking me up, pushing me forward. Bakugou crouched in his usual gremlin pose, guessing at my strategy and letting me get close.He knew I was a short ranged fighter, just like Ochaco. It wasn't possible for me to get close enough to him to put him in Hammerspace- it was stupid to try. For now.His hand whipped forward, aiming at my chest.It was now or never."Sorry."
We’ll see who’s sorry soon, Bakugou.
I dug my heels into the ground, holding out my arm.Within an instant, a massive burst of heat and flame erupted from his hand.Within an instant, it vanished, as I slipped the pure, fiery energy into Hammerspace.The feeling was... odd. A burning sensation erupted around my neck and shoulders as the timeless void of my inventory stopped the explosion from completing. It felt like Shoto's touch- like heat from a fire."YESSSS!!" I laughed."WHAT!?!" Bakugou roared, then lunged backward as I made a swipe for him.I wound back my hand, opening my drop down menu and selecting Bakugou's explosion, laughing with shock as the raw energy bloomed from my fingers.Present Mic was screaming, people were yelling, but I didn't care, couldn't hear, I was thrilled.Bakugou, in a panic, fired off another explosion, which I caught immediately and blasted right back at him, howling with joy. Bakugou was shot backwards by the impact, grinding his teeth as he dodged another one of his attacks made my own."DAMMIT, HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!" He screeched, aiming a punch at my nose. I dodged easily and made another grab for his arm, which he evaded."Come here and find out!" I called back, dancing around yet another punch. I did notice that my wrists were starting to ache- probably a drawback from his explosions.He aimed a punch at my stomach, which I blocked, pulling down my drop-down menu and selecting a baseball bat.Bakugou's eyes widened as he narrowly dodged a swipe at his head. I leapt back, barely avoiding his counter attack.I needed to get him out of bounds, knock him out, or immobilize him.He dodged another attack with the bat, and finally landed a hit on me. I put the bat away. This was gonna be hard.Bakugou ducked as I sent a silver ball whizzing past his head, then threw himself backwards as I made another swipe for his arm. He landed on the ground.There was my chance.With Bakugou sitting on the ground, I grabbed his hands, cutting off his ability to set off an explosion without giving me a weapon instantly; I pushed him down and got him flat on his back. One of my knees was placed on his chest, the other firmly pinning both of his legs on the ground.Bakugou yelled and thrashed, before vanishing completely.I stood up, laughing, and lifted one fist in the air."Bakugou has been immobilized!" Midnight announced, a hint of glee in her voice. "L/n advances to the finals!!"Gasping, I sat right down in the dirt, releasing Bakugou and taking in the realization that I. Was. In. The. Finals.I was in the finals.I was in the finals!I was-"POCKETS! JEEZUS CHRIST WILL YOU PAY ATTENTION!?"I was, quite literally, yanked out of my euphoria by Bakugou grabbing me by the back of my shirt and pulling me to my feet.I blinked at him as he crossed his arms."Ugh... just- frickin- good match or whatever. You fought pretty okay."He stormed off, leaving me stunned but extremely happy.It's odd, how time seems to move quicker the more you dread something.The ten minutes of preparation given to Shoto and I were brutal. Every moment, every second ticking by was a reminder of the weight this fight carried. But then, even if I did fail, if I lost this fight, that was okay. Because I had already come so far, proved myself so much, lived up to what I wanted to be, and what I wanted to accomplish.I was made of pure energy as stepped out onto the field for the last time."Welcome to the final battle of the UA High School Sports Festival!! In just a moment we'll see which first years come out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this, folks!!"It was exhilarating, hearing the screams of the crowd rise louder than ever before, knowing why they were cheering, who they were cheering for.Maybe Mom was watching from work."From the hero course, Shoto Todoroki, versus his classmate, Y/n L/n!"I was ready- I was. I was.Well, I guess it didn’t matter.Ready or not, here I come."BEGIN!!"
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Immediately, Shoto slammed his hand to the ground, sending a massive slope of ice right for me.I immediately panicked.(This was not a helpful reaction.)The ice wall rushed forward. The moment I regained my ability to think, I tapped at my chest and vanished into my own inventory.A little trick I learned in second grade over a game of hide and seek, and one that I'd been waiting to show off all day. I took a breath, calming myself down, then popped right back out of Hammerspace again, landing on a solid ice slope.It was steep. Thinking quickly, I slipped the ice skates into my hand, jumping and letting them adhere to my shoes. I used this as a chance to gain speed, materializing a baseball bat in my hand.Shoto jumped back as I leapt forward. I wasn't gonna land the hit.Bat abandoned, I managed to pull the ice skates off midair and let them disappear back into the void; I tucked into a roll and hit the ground, grunting from the jarring impact as a sharp pain hit flew through my shoulder. I messed up the landing.Shoto raised his eyebrows as he sent another ice barrage in my direction. I ran hard to the left, summoning a hunting boomerang."When did you learn how to teleport?" He demanded. I kept sprinting. To my credit, I was fast. He wouldn't be able to block me at this rate with his ice.The boomerang narrowly grazed his shoulder. Shoto stumbled back, giving me the chance to dash forward and grab his left wrist.He still hadn't-Just as this thought crossed my mind, a burning pain shot up my arm. My back made hard contact with Shoto's ice glacier, knocking the wind out of me.Gasping for breath, I looked down at my hand, then back up at Shoto. His left side was flickering with dying flames.I laughed."That's what I'm talking about!"The moment I pulled a full breath into my lungs, I was back up again.My hand was burned- nothing too serious, though it definitely hurt. Backing up slowly, I quickly searched my inventory for burn soothing patches before the sound of ice crystals forming told me to MOVE.Another glacier went flying past me. I felt the blast of air as it flew by.Shoto knew he couldn't knock me out of bounds with his ice- not with that trick I pulled earlier. He was trying to box me in.I charged forward, aiming a blow towards his head. He ducked, and a cold hand found it's way around the back of my neck.When did he-I spun around, making a wild grab for his wrist and grasping only air as his hand let go.A blow smacked against my head, sending me stumbling. I grabbed a shield, blocking his next attack.His arm pulled back quickly, but he left himself open. I jammed the riot shield into his ribs. He grunted and pulled back.I aimed a punch at his nose. Shoto caught it with his left hand, flames leaping from it.I screamed- I couldn't help it- and threw myself forward, desperately grabbing for anything- anything that could give me an upper hand- and found nothing.My back slammed against the ground as he flipped me over. His hand- was it his right or his left, his right or his left?- slammed down on my shoulder, ice spreading from his fingertips.Right hand, then.I kicked at his chest, sending him sprawling back.Another punch, then another: left, up, duck right, duck, duck, punch, duck, dodge, right-He dodged, then stomped his foot down, sending a blast of flames in my direction. I struggled to dodge. Breath came in sharp gasps, my face and stomach ached, water and ice ran down my shirt, an ocean roared in my ears.I stumbled back, desperately searching in my inventory for a silver ball. An icy blast hit my stomach before I could.A frustrated grunt escaped my lips as I finally materialized the silver ball.Another dodge- this time around a blast of fire- and a sickening crack! as the ball made contact with it's target.Shoto cried out, and the sound made my stomach twist. I think I broke his nose.His attacks doubled in power. Ice, then fire, then ice again: ow.Darkness flashed at the edge of my vision as I blocked another ice attack. But, while my vision blurred and spun, I noticed a fire in Shoto's eyes.I smiled, stumbling.
"L/n has been knocked out!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shoto watched, blood steadily dripping down his face, as Y/n collapsed.A final rush of adrenaline flooded through his body before finally tapering off.All his senses flooded back: the pain, the noise, Y/n's burned and bruised form on the ground, a hint of a smile on her face.He stumbled forward, but was cut off by four medical bots wheeling forward with a stretcher. He vaguely registered that one of them was instructing him to follow them to Recovery Girl's room.His eyes were on Y/n, his body following numbly as the medical droids wheeled her stretcher away. Recovery Girl tittered as they entered the room."Ah, of course it's you two. If it weren't for Midoriya, these would be the worst injuries I've seen all day!" She smiled, stepping out of the way of the stretcher and waving Shoto inside.She patched him up first- Shoto could feel the cartilage shifting in his nose. It wasn't a nice feeling. Shortly after Recovery Girl finished up with him, the door was kicked down and Y/n's entire friend group (plus some) stormed into the room."No no no! Out!" Recovery Girl shooed at the closest in the flash mob, beginning to shove them out of the room. "For now, only those in need of medical care. You can see her in a few minutes. Wait outside!"Everyone grumbled, and a few squinty looks were thrown Shoto's way. He just shrugged at them. He didn't know why Recovery Girl was letting him stay, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. By now, the medical androids had shifted Y/n onto a cot in the corner of the room, and, with a kind nod from Recovery Girl, Shoto pulled up a chair and settled next to her.From the other side of the room, Recovery Girl cracked her knuckles in a very un-old-lady-like way.Shoto studied Y/n, and every splash of blue, purple, pink, and red that marred her skin added weight to his heart. He wished he hadn't fought so hard, but...she had asked him to. So no one could fault her for losing. His gaze traveled down her burned arm to her hand, which was laying by her side on the cot, knuckles bloody and bruised. He had no idea how much pain he'd caused her.His fingers grazed against hers, then gently interlocked. Her hand was warm. This was the first time he had instigated holding someone's hand in... how long? He didn't want to think about it.Recovery Girl chuckled empathetically as she noticed. "Mmmm.. almost done, sonny. Don't worry."The bruises up and down Y/n's face and arms, cuts and scratches on every inch of exposed skin, started to close themselves and return to normal coloring."Will...she wake up soon?" Shoto asked quietly. Part of him almost didn't want to be here when she woke, for fear that she'd be upset with him for putting her through the complete hell that was their fight. The rest of him kept him still, kept his fingers intertwined with hers."Will who what?" Soft, slurred words drifted from Y/n's split but healing lips. Shoto almost jumped, but was glad he didn't, since it would have jarred her.Recovery Girl smiled down at Y/n, whose eyes were still closed. "Easy, there. Don't try to talk yet.""But...Shoto?" Her eyes fluttered open."Yes, I'm here," he said, leaning over her so she wouldn't have to move her head or neck. He gently pulled his hand away and set it in his lap. "Stay still. You're still healing."She made a quiet sound of assent and closed her eyes again."Y/n...I'm sorry. About the fight." Her eyes opened again, staring at him with mild confusion. "I know you asked me not to hold back, but...that was harder than I've gone in a long time."Y/n tilted her head a little, smiling softly as Recovery Girl retreated and gave her permission to move and talk again. Y/n thanked her and slowly sat up, stiffly swinging her legs over the side of the cot, and patting the space next to her. Shoto switched seats, chest and head turned towards his friend, their eyes locked.Y/n chuckled. "You really have been beating yourself up about this, huh? It's fine, Shoto. I knew what I had coming when I asked you that. I don't regret it one bit. And you won!" She laughed- God, he loved her laugh. "I'm so happy for you. You deserve it."Shoto's spirits lifted, and the guilt eased as he slowly returned her smile. Something strange tingled in his arms and hands, and he found himself wanting to lift them and wrap them around her. Should he?He looked away. Recovery Girl was definitely watching them. She tilted her head towards Y/n, as if telling him to do it.His mind went blank, and then his arms were rising, curling around her shoulders. He gently pulled her closer, her eyes widening in surprise. A small gasp escaped her lips as she rewarded him with a radiant, beaming smile, and leaned into his chest, her hand coming up and resting on where his arm crossed in front of her collar.Shoto’s brain started to buzz with flurries of anxiety. Nervous thoughts invaded his mind, bouncing off each other and making it so hard to focus. Was this okay? Should he have asked? She was so warm. Was he doing this right? Is she comfortable? Why did he do this? Was this awkward? Should he let go? Who came up with the concept of hugging, anyway? Whose idea was this?After several moments of silence that he couldn't tell was comfortable or uncomfortable, he dropped his arms, pressing his hands into the cot. Y/n straightened, still beaming at him.She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, gave up, and leaned her head into his shoulder, sighing contentedly.Shoto felt a faint warmth crawling up his face as the corner of his mouth twitched.Y/n glanced at Recovery Girl. “How long was I out?”“Only a minute or so,” Recovery Girl smiled, tucking away some papers in a file drawer. “You didn’t miss anything. I expect they have the podiums up for you now, actually. Why don’t you go ahead and go? I think you’re healed up enough.”Only two minutes? It had felt longer.Shoto stood, and, hesitatingly, offered a hand to Y/n. Her grin brightened again, and she took it, the action sending an odd feeling through his chest.Hand in hand, they walked through the open office door, thanking Recovery Girl thoroughly before taking their leave.The hallway, thankfully, was devoid of any flash mob of Y/n’s friends- they must've returned to the stadium instead. Y/n and Shoto fell into step together as they walked, his left fingers laced with her right.A few passerby congratulated the pair of them as they walked, a few gazes lingering on their joined hands but not commenting. Shoto thought he might die right then and there if they did.He couldn’t bring himself to pull away, though. Not when Y/n’s touch was so wonderful.They stepped out into the light of the stadium and were escorted gently to their posts, Shoto standing in first, Y/n in second, and a scowling Bakugou in third.Shoto’s hand still buzzed where Y/n was holding it, like the feeling was imprinted into his brain.He watched, seeing but not all there as All Might made his grand entrance, ready to present the medals.It was ironic, wasn’t it? That the outcome Shoto had been fighting so hard against came true? Shoto had won the festival- he had won using both his powers. His fire and his ice.Was this what Endeavor wanted?Beside him, Y/n pulled back from All-Might’s embrace and inclined her head, thanking him. Her gaze then turned to Shoto, giving him a massive smile, sunlight radiating off of the silver medal around her neck.No. Endeavor wanted Shoto to stand on this platform alone, surrounded by strangers. It was never Endeavor's plan to have Shoto's friend- his closest friend- standing right beside him, encouraging him with her joy.Shoto wanted to be here with her. That was something no one could take.Shoto dipped his head as the weight of the gold medallion settled around his neck, and All-Might pulled him into a light embrace.It wasn't as good as Y/n's hugs, but it was nice all the same.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Good morning Midoriya!"Iida shouted as he sprinted forward, decked head to toe in raingear."Wow, Iida, you really went all-out with the rain gear." Midoriya's voice rang with surprise, even more so when he noticed me, dressed similarly and clinging to Iida's back like a child getting a piggy-back ride. Tucked safely under my leg was the hook of my umbrella, which was serving as a shield from the light rain that was falling around us as I aggressively scribbled at a spare notebook I brought.I looked up, laughing at Midoriya's expression. "I lent it to him!""Why on earth are you walking so slowly?" Iida continued, running right past Midoriya, who panicked and broke into a jog behind him. "You'll be late!""Late? But there's five minutes until the first bell!""U.A. students should always arrive ten minutes early, don't you think?" Iida responded. I grinned back at Midoriya."I slept through my alarm and missed the bus, but ain't no way I'm letting Ochaco have the satisfaction of telling me 'I told you so', since she said I was gonna be late!"Iida picked up speed and we arrived inside, laughing a little about how bewildered Midoriya looked.I set my umbrella aside, changing shoes at my locker and heading off to class before the other two, just to cement my not-lateness.I bounced into class in a pretty great mood- it was a beautiful, rainy day, the Sports Festival was done and over with, and wonderful normality was settling right back in.The class was chattering about how strange it was to be recognized on the street from TV- I too had the celebrity experience on the way here, but half of it was stifled by the fact that I was dead-ass sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me. Thank God I ran into Iida ten minutes before, or my lungs would have shriveled up into meat raisins.I continued to scratch at my notebook, happily taking my seat next to Ochaco and Shoto, who both leaned over to see what I was drawing."That looks really good," Shoto mumbled, staring down at my scrambled mess of designs and descriptions. "What are you drawing?"I grinned and turned the paper around for him to see."Well," I flipped my pencil around and erased a smudge mark on the edge of the sheet, "thanks to the Sports Festival, I recently realized how much of a pain it is to get punched in the face, so I'm making some edits to my hero costume to prevent that from happening in the future. Specifically a helmet, and a few long-distance capturing devices that Hatsume showed off in the Sports Festival. I gotta stop by the Support Course labs and ask her about 'em.""Nice," Ochaco grinned, just as the door slid open, revealing Mr. Aizawa."Good morning."We were all quiet and safely in our seats in a blink of an eye. "Good morning, Mr. Aizawa.""Ribbit- Mr. Aizawa, you don't have bandages anymore. That's good news." Tsu noted, sounding pleased."The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment." Aizawa replied.I snorted into my arm, trying and failing to mask the noise. Go get 'em, Recovery Girl. Aizawa glared at me for a moment before turning back to the class at large."Anyway. We have a big class today on Hero Informatics."Tension stiffened in the air, the fear palpable in my classmates.Informatics? What does that mean in the context of heroes? Was this something I should worry about? I already had a pretty full schedule for the day, I didn't have time to study-"You need codenames. It's time to pick your hero identities.""THIS IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY AWESOME!!"We were all back in our seats in a blink of an eye as Aizawa's glare turned dangerous.He took a breath and continued. "This is related to the Pro Hero Draft picks that I mentioned last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft yet, not until their second or third year, but your class is different.""Dunno, sounds like child labor to me.""You're not funny, L/n, and I will not hesitate to put you in detention.""Yessir."Aizawa sighed. "By extending offers to first-years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though."Mineta hit his tiny fist on his desk. "Stupid, selfish adulth."I rolled my eyes. As if purposefully violating your classmates to satisfy your own perverted desires wasn't selfish."So, what you're saying is," Hagakure leaned forward in concern, "we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited?""Correct," Aizawa nodded. "Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers."Excited, I looked up at the board as it began to display names.Then I promptly had a heart attack.T- there were- I-3550 offers.I- I got three thousand, five hundred and fifty offers.It took me a minute to realize that I had literally fallen backwards in my chair in surprise and was now laying on the floor.I immediately sat back up, looking back at the charts.Shoto had a little over four thousand offers, and Bakugou got six more offers than me. Was I mad? No. Slightly bitter? Maybe.Whatever. Three thousand offers!!!! One of them had to be a popular pro!Throwing my arms up in victory, I glanced around the room. Ochaco was rapidly shaking Iida's shoulders in excitement, on the verge of tears. Midoriya got... none. Poor baby.Shaking away my sadness at Midoriya's misfortune, I turned to smile at Shoto. A smile which immediately fell when I saw the look of utter contempt on his face as he stared at his offer count."What's wrong?"Shoto looked away from the board, not meeting my eyes. "These offers are probably because of my father.""Doubt it."Shoto glanced at me, schooling his disdain into a look of calm neutrality. "Why do you doubt it?""I mean, I'm sure a couple offers are just because your dad's a pro," I gestured at the board, "but Iida got fourth and he's Ingenium's brother. He only got a couple hundred offers. Give yourself some credit. You're amazing. Own it."Shoto's expression softened, and he gave a short sigh. "You're right. Why are you always right?"The corner of his lip twitched.Butterflies erupted in my stomach."Uh- I- uh- Of course I am! I know everything!"...And I dabbed.
(Author’s note: NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON-)
Aizawa quickly explained that everybody- even those who didn't get any offers- would be interning- AFTER Ochaco stopped howling with laughter, and I recovered from my metaphorical dead faint of embarrassment. Shoto, thankfully, looked more confused at my action than anything, so I didn't need to jump in a hole and die... yet.ANYWAY LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT!Hero names!"These hero names will likely be temporary," Aizawa sighed tiredly, "but take them seriously, or-"The door slid open with a thud."You'll have hell to pay later!"Several boys (Excluding Shoto, Midoriya and the others that had dignity, and a few specific ones I had marked “possibly gay”) perked up as Midnight, in all her jiggle physics glory, sauntered into the room."What you pick today could be your codename for life. You better be careful, or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent.""She's got a point." Aizawa rifled around under his desk and pulled out his sleeping bag. "Midnight will have final approval over your names. It's not my forte."I sniggered quietly as I remembered the time he told me the story of how he got his hero name. Props to Present Mic for thinking one up on the spot, though.Aizawa continued, "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you wanna be in the future. A codename that tells people exactly what you represent."Whiteboards were passed back across the room.Oh, stars, we were doing this right now?I glanced over at Ochaco, then Shoto. Neither of them were looking at me, Ochaco furiously scribbling out a list of potential names, Shoto staring off somewhere in the distance.So- I just needed a hero name that doesn't sound stupid. Not only that, but something that fit with my wild costume design, as well.Oh stars... my quirk- hammers, pocket dimensions, holding things... I pursed my lips, chewing on the end of my Expo marker.Anything with 'pocket' sounded stupid, I knew that much already. Um..."Now, students, who among you is ready to share?"
WE'RE PRESENTING THESE!?
I audibly gulped as I went back to writing down example names with renewed vigor. As I listened, I heard Aoyama announce his hero name. Midnight made a few edits and he sat down, satisfied."Okie dokie, let me go next!" I looked up as Mina bounced to the front of the room. "My codename: Alien Queen!"To my surprise, Midnight shuddered and shot the idea down almost immediately.Since the first two were so weird, I felt like I had to come up with something really clever now.Stars, this was-Stars. Did I say that too much? I’d never heard anyone else use it as an exclamation, but it always sounded so right to me."Ribbit!" Tsu raised her hand. "I think I've got one."I watched her cross the room and turn her whiteboard around. "I've had this name in mind since grade school. The rainy season hero: Froppy.""How wonderful! It makes you sound approachable! What a great example of a name everyone will love!"I agreed. It was so perfect for her.Kirishima went next, declaring his codename as Red Riot.I think I saw Bakugou's mouth twitch as Kirishima explained that it was based after his idol hero, Crimson Riot.Jirou went next, dubbing herself Earphone Jack. I thought it was cool and really captured how down-to-earth she was as a hero.Shoji chose the name Tentacole. Sero claimed the name Cellophane.I bit at the Expo marker again. What could I do? I could hold things- tools, heavy objects, even explosions. If it had an energy-based form, I could hold it, right? It felt powerful, holding that explosion at the Sports Festival, like I was made of light.Ojiro took the name Tailman, Sato choosing a similar one with the name Sugarman.I hummed. Though there was nothing wrong with them, it sounded so plain. Mine needed to be just as memorable as I wanted myself to be. I wanted to stand out in the minds of people, to shine brighter than those around me.Mina slammed her fist down. "Pinky!!""Make those looks work for you, girl!" Midnight cheered. She was so supportive- I could at least rely on her to give me good feedback about my hero name.My classmates continued to roll with their names.Chargebolt.Invisible Girl.Creati.Beside me, Shoto stood up. I watched him step up to the front of the room.He set down his whiteboard, turning it around for the class to see."Shoto."Midnight frowned and leaned forward. "That's it? Just your name?"Shoto nodded. "Uh-huh." He pulled back, wiping off his whiteboard as he reclaimed his seat.I smiled at him as he sat down. "I like it.""Like what?" He glanced at me. I shrugged."Your name being your hero name. It's just- it's just you, you know? I think it's nice that you're just being yourself."Shoto's mouth twitched as he looked down. "If anything, I thought you would be disappointed.""Never." I grinned. "But…I do think I know my hero name, now."I smiled and stood up, walking out to the front of the room. Midnight gave me an encouraging thumbs up as I set my whiteboard down, taking a deep breath."I'm the Inventory Hero: the hero with pure energy in her grasp. I'm Starholder!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was kinda wonderful, watching my classmates choose their hero names. I was so proud of Ochaco and Midoriya when they chose their names, and, cringe as it may sound, I really felt like I knew my classmates a little better after this.After about thirty minutes of name making (in which Bakugou still didn't have a hero name) Aizawa woke up from his nap and resumed the class."Right," he mumbled, voice still rough from sleep, "now that everyone's decided on their hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships. They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those of you who were on the board will choose from among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list."Midnight casually grinned out at the class as Aizawa held up one of the sheets of paper in his arms. "You'll have a lot to think about. There are around 40 agencies across the country who've agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its heroes focus on. Remember that."I nodded to myself. I suppose my goal of simply interning with a popular hero seemed silly now."Imagine that you were the hero Thirteen," Midnight added, "you'd want a place that focuses on rescuing people, not fighting villains. Understand?"Think carefully beside you decide." Aizawa finished, drawing a chorus of respectful ascent from the class.The papers were passed back, the class murmuring about what type of heroes they wanted to work with. We only had two days to decide.I grinned widely, scanning over my list.There- there were so many options! Agencies, individual heroes, full intern teams!I ran my eyes down the list, deciding to just read my options before weighing the pros and cons.Uwanga Agency, Fatgum agency, Fourth Kind agency, Molotov Hero Office, Endeavor Agency-I did a spectacular double take, desperately searching the list again. There was no way- I absolutely dissed him several times at the Sports Festival, there was no way-There it was.I heard a small intake of breath beside me, and I knew Shoto had gotten a similar offer. A glance over at him confirmed my suspicions. We locked gazes for a brief moment, his heterochromic eyes slightly wider than usual.I gave him a small, reassuring smile and looked back down at my paper.My Quirk naturally had potential for rescuing, so Thirteen or someone like that might be a better option. But then, I could be really good for capturing villains, too.I pursed my lips. Okay. Focus.The pros:Endeavor was a fighting type of a short to mid-range fighting style. I was a weapons user of a short-range fighting style, and, while I could go all day with practical and impractical weapons, I doubted I would hold well in a one-on-one fight, fists only.On top of that, Endeavor was the number two hero. Interning with him would look fantastic on a resume.The cons:Endeavor is an asshole.Endeavor may or may not hate me. (His reasons for sending me an offer were unknown to me. Maybe there was an error?)Shoto hates Endeavor with a passion.By the time I had gotten this list of thoughts through my head, at least thirty minutes had passed.I sighed, burying my face in my hands and taking a few stress laps around the room."So, guys, have you decided what agency you want to be in yet?" Mina groaned from her position, faceplanted on her desk.Mineta grinned. "Mount Lady's my top choice!""Mineta," Tsu walked by, standing around Midoriya's desk, "are you thinking something perverted?""P-possibly!" Mineta stuttered in reply.In all honesty, I couldn't blame him for being dirty minded with Mount Lady. I mean, interning with her? Unforgivable. But her whole brand was, quite literally, "big sexy", so I really couldn't blame him for getting worked up about someone who flaunted her features like that as a marketing method."Hey, Deku, who's on your list?" Ochaco grinned. Midoriya was completely not listening, muttering to himself at a million miles an hour. I laughed and tapped him gently on the head."Ground control to Major Midoriya? Come in, Midoriya!"Midoriya jumped. "O-oh! Sorry, what did you guys say?""You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you?" Tsu tilted her head. Ochaco smiled widely, joining her and gathering around Midoriya's desk. I followed her."It'll all work out!" She beamed, "I've settled on my pick!""Already? What agency?" Ojiro walked up behind her, surprised. I shook her shoulders. "Tell us, tell us!"Ochaco batted my hands away, laughing. "The one that Gunhead runs! He's the Battle Hero!"Midoriya looked confused. "Really? Gunhead's a big brawler, though. Are you sure that's where you want to intern, Uraraka?""Yep! He sent me an offer!" She emphasized the word with a punch through the air.Gunhead, huh? I don't think that was on my list...more's the pity. That would be the perfect place to go."You gotta promise to come back and teach me everything you learned!" I punched at her shoulder, though she caught my fist easily. "I need to improve with my hand-to-hand.""I thought you were trying to be a hero kinda like Thirteen, more focused on rescuing people than fighting villains,” Midoriya said."Ultimately, that's the plan. But my fight with Bakugou at the Sports Festival got me thinking." Ochaco set a hand on her hip, smiling proudly and punching her fist in the air. "The stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from the battle hero will give me a different perspective, right?"Midoriya blinked. "Yeah, totally."Ochaco and the rest of the group changed subjects, and I noticed Shoto stand up to leave.Slipping my offers list into my inventory, I followed him out into the hallway."Hey, Shoto!"He glanced back over his shoulder, slowing his pace to let me catch up. "Y/n." He inclined his head. "I- I think I should talk to you about something."I blinked, then smiled. "Of course! I'm always here if you need it. Should we get lunch first, or...?""I would rather get this out of the way." His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were directed straight forward, usually a sign he was: A. Angry, or B. Thinking about Endeavor.Sign B was usually followed by Sign A, so my observation was a bit redundant.I nodded, glancing around for an empty classroom and jerking my thumb over at it. "’s there good?"He nodded. "Let's go."Perching on the teacher’s desk, I watched Shoto gently slide the door shut, walking past me and sitting on top of the desk closest to it, right in front of me, folding his hands in his lap."What's going on, Shoto? Something up?"He sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his internship submission form.I reached for it, his fingers brushing gently against mine as he passed it to me."I've been thinking hard about this, and I trust y- I trust your judgement."I looked down at the paper. In the top choice slot, written in delicate handwriting, marred with eraser smudges, as if he had started to write and changed his mind over and over again, were the words 'Endeavor Hero Agency'. Huh.I nodded, and he continued."My old man may be a bastard, but he's the Number Two hero for a reason. It would be foolish to deny that I could learn a lot from him, beyond my regular training. The last thing I want to do is spend any more time in his presence than I have to, but it may be beneficial.""And you want to know what I think?"Shoto inclined his head, silently telling me to speak my mind. I smiled a little."Though the final choice is your own, I think that there's much to learn. Which- um... which brings to something I wanted to talk to you about.""Go ahead."I chuckled nervously, pulling my list of offers out of my inventory. "So... I'm a weapons user of a short-range fighting style. We all know that. But I really want to improve my hand-to-hand. I need to be able to get up close and personal if I'm going to be able to capture villains. If somehow my quirk is erased or something, I’m absolute toast. Burnt toast. Like...the-house-is-on-fire-because-I-accidentally-on-purpose-stuck-a-metal-fork-in-the-toaster- toast.”Shoto’s lips twitched, and I could tell he liked my metaphor. Or was it a simile?Didn’t matter. Shoto was doing it more often- smiling, I mean. He nodded for me to continue.I let out a nervous breath as I showed him the paper. "My offers for this goal are...limited. Ochaco's going to Gunhead's agency, but I didn't get that offer. There were a few other minor heroes, but... well, I have one more option. I don't really know why or how I got the offer in the first place, but..."Shoto had caught on by now. "You want to intern with my father."My hands twisted in my lap, and I bit my lip. "Please don't be mad.""Why would I be mad?" He blinked, lowering the list. I wrung my hands tighter together."Cuz he's an asshole? I kind of gathered the idea that you hated him?"Shoto nodded and gave me back my offers list. "I do, but that doesn't mean I'm mad." He stood up, sitting back down next to me on the teacher’s desk (carefully avoiding sitting in the wrong place and getting a fake succulent up his ass), closer than he normally did. Probably because of the dangerous fake plant."Actually, it's comforting. The idea that you'd be there with me, I mean."Oh. Wow."Oh." I smile, letting out a relieved sigh. "I- That-""Before you get too comfortable," Shoto cut me off with a frown, "I'll remind you to be on your guard. I'm not sure why he sent you the offer, but I am sure it's not out of good will. Be prepared."Grabbing his hand in mine, I let an excited grin crawl over my face. "Always."Shoto walked me home that night."Everyone has their costumes, right? Remember, you need permission to wear them out in public. And don't lose them," Aizawa instructed, scanning over our class as we waited at the station. I stood next to Shoto, the metal suitcase containing my new and improved hero costume clutched in my hands. I was buzzing with nerves."Gotcha!" Mina cheered."Speak properly. It's yes, sir, Ashido.""Aw, you didn't need to call her sir. That's sweet, though," I chuckled."You're not funny, L/n."Shoto’s lips’ slight contorting (not that I’m always watching his lips, that’s be weird) contradicted Aizawa’s statement, as did the mirth bubbling in his eyes."I thought it was funny." Mina mumbled, smiling at me. "That was good."I grinned."Make sure you mind your manners with the other heroes during your internships. Now get to it."The class dispersed with a collective, "Yes, sir!""Mr. Aizawa, make sure my mom doesn't work too hard, okay?" I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "She's started taking on night shifts and I'm a little worried."Aizawa set a hand on my head. "I'll be sure to keep her home. Now that I have a break from you hellspawn, I can help her out."I beamed. He pulled his hand back."Get out of here. And don't get into trouble.""Yessir!"Heh. Little did I know that I absolutely would NOT be following that instruction.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The train car speeding us toward the Endeavor Hero Agency jostled slightly, like the earth was shaking beneath us."Y/n, you're nervous.""I am not nervous!""The hole you're chewing in your lip begs to differ."I stopped chewing my lip and pulled out Bagheera, giving her a death-squeeze. "Better?""Significantly."Aww. He cares. I squeezed Bagheera again as another horde of violent butterflies attacked my stomach. I tapped my foot, desperately trying to come up with a retort."Well- you're nervous too!""Am I?" Shoto glanced back at me, his head tilting a little."Mm-hmm. You're doing that thing where your voice goes from genuine to deadpan faster than Bagheera can blink."Shoto glanced down at the plush cat in my arms. "Bagheera blinks really fast, then?""Yup. That's why we never see her doing it.""So she's just watching us, all the time?""Yes.""What do you do with her when you get home?""What? Uh...I put her on my bed. What does that have to do with-""So she's watching you when you undress every night?""What?!" I started to laugh hysterically at the accusatory look Shoto was giving my stuffed cat. "Pfft- Maybe so. Bagheera, I didn't know you were horny. The shopkeeper didn't tell me that."Shoto was unable to control his subtle snickers now. "Where'd you get her, anyway?""Found her at this little shop. Close to where we went for ice cream together, actually.""Ah. Why didn't you show me the shop?""You want an emotional support plushie too?"Shoto paused, maybe seriously considering the question. After a moment, he just shrugged. "I don't have a pocket dimension to carry it around in.""You don't need one! You can just use your backpack."Shoto was quiet for a moment. Then he looked over at Bagheera, whose innocently horny eyes gazed up at him."Well..." he locked eyes with my plushie. I lifted her a bit higher so Shoto wasn't staring...well, at my lap."Uh...can I....?" He lifted his hand, pointing to Bagheera. I beamed at him and set her in his arms.Shoto stared at her, stroking her head and back carefully; like she was a real cat he was afraid would hiss and leave him like cats and scary girlfriends do."I...this is nice. I can see why you like this." His eyes traveled around the train car, as though reconfirming there was no one else there to witness his soft moment, before returning his attention to the cat. And me."Do you want her back?" He asked, extending Bagheera back towards me. I shook my head. "I'm okay. We're both nervous, so we can share her."He rewarded me with a tiny, soft smile, and carefully squeezed Bagheera in a hug, as though he was afraid to hurt her. Someone needed to call Recovery Girl; my heart was melting."I bet you like the feel of my skin, huh, you horny cat?"I wheezed like a dying accordion. "Shoto-""Last stop. Everyone off!" The train swayed gently to a stop at the station.Shoto bit his lip."Shoto, you're nervous.""I'm not nervous.""The hole you're chewing in your lip begs to differ."Shoto's mouth twitched. "You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?""Harry Potter fan?""Thanks to Natsuo." His mouth twitched again as he stood back for me to get off of the train.I grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him along with me."Don't lie to me and tell me that you're cultured; you don't know what a dab is.""I’m glad I don't, because you looked mortified after you apologized for it.""And I will not be explaining it to you because you will never look at me the same way.""What is it, a swear?""PPPFT- no.""So why-""Moving on!" I charged forward, desperately escaping the questionnaire by dragging Shoto by his hand to our intended destination.Shoto, mercifully, let the subject drop, speeding up to keep pace with me.According to Shoto, one of Endeavor's sidekicks would be picking us up from the station to drive us to the agency.They weren't hard to find. A woman with fiery green hair stood at the end of the station platform, waving her arm wildly in our direction."Todoroki Shoto, L/n Y/n?" She asked as we approached her."That's us!" I smiled as Shoto nodded."Great! I'm Endeavor's sidekick, Moe Kamiji, call me Moe. 'S'it good if I call you by your firsts?Shoto shrugged, and I nodded enthusiastically, already liking her. And her hair. It was green and bright and made of FIRE, like Endeavor's mustache, but a lot cooler and with less midlife crisis/anger issues/general-lack-of-empathy-and-common-sense vibes."Got everything? Let's go!" She turned and marched confidently outside, and me and Shoto exchanged glances before following her.She led us outside the building to where a fancy car that I immediately assumed was for someone else waited, and was caught a little off-guard when Moe opened the front passenger door and hopped inside. I glimpsed someone in black- a driver- at the wheel.I glanced at Shoto, who seemed unfazed by the elegance, as he opened the backseat door and looked at me. It took me a moment to realize he was holding the door for me, waiting for me to get in."Oh-thanks-" I slid inside and looked around.It was a really nice car, actually. The windows were smudgeless, there were cup holders and armrests underneath them, seats were smooth black leather and-They had butt warmers.I hesitated to press any of the buttons, but Shoto slid in and noticed me staring at them."Have you ever been in a car with heated seats before?" He asked, reaching down and pressing one of the sleek buttons. I waited for a second, then laughed a little as the leather under me grew warm."No..." I squinted at the buttons and pressed the warmer for Shoto's seat, then leaned back, feeling the heat gently rise through the leather. "I feel like they could do a lot better than just calling them seat warmers, though. It's kinda bland, don't you think?"Shoto looked down at the seat warmer knob, playing with the temperature a little. "What else would you call them?""Um..." I searched my mind. "Rear roasters?""Rear roasters?" Shoto repeated incredulously. "Seriously?""What, you can do better?"Shoto stared at the black leather of the seat in front of him, where the eavesdropping Moe sat with her arms tucked comfortably under her head."Uh...give me a minute, I'll think of something.""C'mon. Want some help?" Moe offered. "Just think of synonyms for seat or butt, and then heat."Shoto nodded. "...sweat seats."I snorted so hard my nose hurt. "Not the direction I was expecting, but okay.""Well, what else were you thinking?"I grinned. "How about heinie heaters?""Tushie toasters," Moe interjected."That's too similar to rear roasters," Shoto argued."No, it's not. Rear sounds completely different.""I've got it!" I laughed. Shoto and Moe leaned in slightly in anticipation. I paused for dramatic effect before saying, "Butt broilers."They both groaned comically, but couldn't help but laugh. Shoto's deep chuckling made something in my heart flutter."This is gonna be a fun week," Moe decided, still snickering."I'm glad you like it, because this is Y/n's definition of 'normal conversation'." Shoto sighed, still chuckling. I smacked his arm."My conversation is perfectly- well it's not normal." I huffed. "I transcend normal, your mortal minds are too small to comprehend the sheer amazingness of my conversation skills."Moe burst out into cackling laughter and Shoto glanced at me."Thanks."He didn't need to elaborate. I smiled. "Well, what are friends for? Let's make it a good week."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
This task was easier said than done, apparently, as the first thing we were tasked with was meeting Endeavor for a, and I quote, “rundown on this week’s expectations”.Lemmie tell ya how that went.Shoto’s face went stoic again as we stepped out of the elevator to Endeavor’s office, the joy from before completely vanished. There wasn’t very much I could do about it, either. What could I do or say to make him feel better about the situation? It’s not like there was a wikihow on supporting your friend who would be working with his abusive asshole of a father for a week (there really isn’t, I checked). So we walked up in silence.Endeavor’s office was large, fancy, and dark, the only light being from the orange evening sunset flowing through large ceiling-to-floor windows. It was a really nice place. A big crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room, a long oriental rug covered the tile floor, pressed underneath a couple leather couches and chairs.Our footsteps echoed across the empty, cavernous room as Endeavor stood waiting for us on the other side.Shoto stopped in front of his desk. I stood beside him, twisting my fingers nervously. I didn’t dare bring out Bagheera.“I’ve been waiting for you, Shoto,” Endeavor began, and god, if that didn’t leave a bitter taste in my mouth. “You’re finally ready to walk down the path of the mighty.”“I have no intention of following any path you’ve created,” Shoto responded without missing a beat. His words almost sounded rehearsed, like he knew this was coming. “Only I can decide my future.”Endeavor smirked, dismissing his words. “Is that so? You should go get ready. We’re going out.”Shoto tilted his head. “Where to?”“It’s time I show you what it means to be a hero.”We were dismissed, leaving the room in silence.“Welp.” I shrugged. “That could have gone worse. He could have at least acknowledged that I was there, though.”Shoto shrugged. “I have a few running theories on why he invited you here. None of which are good.”“Thanks for that vote of confidence. Care to enlighten me on what they are?”“Not until we get a little further in.”“Alright, then. Worst rundown on expectations ever. 2/10.”Day 1“This is incredible,” I whispered, standing behind Shoto as we packed up our things. We were currently standing in the Hosu detective office, Endeavor finishing just finishing a meeting with the head of police. “We’re- we’re following a villain case. The Hero Killer’s, of all people!”Shoto chuckled, standing up. “I guess it is a little exciting.”“Though, I completely missed why we’re in Hosu.” I frowned, setting a finger on my lip. “Is this where he struck last time?”Ahead of me, I heard Endeavor scoff as he walked past us, towards the door. “You should have been paying more attention.”I frowned, following. “Sorry, sir.”“Anyone would know this,” Endeavor continued. “It was all over the news. The Hero Killer attacked the hero Ingenium. He’s in the hospital, paralyzed.”I spluttered. “Ingenium?! Like… Iida’s brother?”Shoto glanced at me. “You didn’t know? It was the only thing the media could talk about other than the sports festival.”“I went home and immediately crashed. I was sleeping for at least 15 hours.”Another scoff from the flame hero. “Another weakness. If you want to be a hero, you can’t rest for so long after each simple mission.”Shoto and I frowned. While his criticisms were valid, he seemed… a little too eager to attack my flaws.How strange.Wait- Iida.I whipped out my phone, furiously typing.Penguin Engine, 9:28 P.M.
9:28 Y/n: Iida
9:28 Y/n: Iida
9:28 Y/n: I’m so sorry
9:29 Y/n: I just heard the news about ur bro
9:29 Y/n: Are you alright?
9:29 Y/n: I’m here if you need to talk.
He didn’t reply. I sighed.Day 2.“RREEEEAAAAAHH!” I screamed as I was launched across the room, landing on one of the thin training room mats.“Pathetic,” Endeavor scoffed.Shoto glanced back at me to see if I was alright, giving his father a chance to hit him in the stomach.“She’s distracting you, Shoto! Stay focused.”I scrambled back to my feet and launched myself forward again, jumping to the side as Endeavor sent a burst of flames my way. Shoto rejoined me.“You- you do this every day?!”“Pretty much.” He shrugged and ducked around another punch. I ducked as well, not quite dodging it but managing to minimize the damage as it hit nearer to the top of my head.I fell over, catching myself on my hands and flipping back upright, aiming a kick at Endeavor. He caught my foot easily.“Weak. Move faster!”I went flying across the room. Again.I tucked one arm over my chest, sending the impact to my shoulder and rolling over the ground. I winced, but got back up.This was a quirkless sparring match- well, we were quirkless. Endeavor still got to use his, adding another level of difficulty.Endeavor was suddenly in front of me, sweeping me off of my feet. I landed hard on my back, wheezing.“Incredible. You go to the greatest hero school in the nation, yet you can’t even hold your own in a fight.”I winced, pushing myself up with shaky arms. Across from me, Shoto regained his footing, crossing the room to help me up as Endeavor finally backed off. I sighed. “Guess I still have a lot of work to do, huh?”Shoto pulled his hand away as I got my feet underneath me. “Actually-”“You two, separate and get changed.” Endeavor barked. “We’re going out for lunch, then resuming training. Make the most of your break.”“Yessir.”I met Shoto and Endeavor outside the agency, dressed in a casual outfit- a silky, long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. I wasn’t told what to wear, but considering it was just lunch, I decided to go with comfort. I made the right call, apparently, as Shoto was wearing something similar as well. Endeavor sniffed disapprovingly, maybe at the thrift store-vibes he could probably smell coming off my shirt, but didn’t say anything. We started walking.I pulled out my phone, glancing at it. “Iida still hasn’t responded. Should I call him?”“He might be just busy.” Shoto shrugged, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. They fell right back down again, and he gave up.My heart fluttered, and I shook my head to focus.“Right. So, uh. Where are we going for lunch?”“Some place that Endeavor likes,” Shoto said. I didn’t miss how he called his father by his hero name, but I wasn’t really surprised, given their relationship.I followed Endeavor, who definitely seemed to know where he was going, and Shoto, who seemed to grudgingly have come to a conclusion that he couldn’t change anything about our destination or our company. Endeavor had made it clear as we left the agency building that each of us would be paying for our own food because, “Heroes will get free stuff occasionally, but you’re not heroes yet. So you have to work and train harder for the rewards.” Whether or not that was going to be an issue was to be determined.Endeavor finally stopped and turned to a restaurant that seemed…..healthy. The neon sign read ‘Green Pastures’.Stupid name.We went inside and I surveyed the place. Every shade of green, darker booths, counters and stools. A section in the back with a bar and drinks.Endeavor marched up to the counter and ordered without hesitation or even looking at the menu. The man at the counter seemed to recognize him, and when the hero paid and stepped to the side, staring expectantly at me and Shoto, the employee’s eyebrows raised, especially at me, it seemed.I panicked slightly, realizing I had to find something to order with a pretty short time limit. Shoto looked at me and stepped forward to order, probably having been here before and understanding I needed another few seconds. I looked up at the menu, which did have mostly healthy things on it. And healthy things were usually….expensive. I found something that looked good and followed the tiny dotted line to the price. It was too small to read from here, as if they didn’t want customers to know before they ordered.Oh, great.Shoto finished his order, paid, and looked back at me. I stepped forward. “Uh, the number three combo, please..”“That’s 2,988 yen, please.”Ahhhh- that was a lot. Shoot, shoot, shoot…I dug around in my bag. 500 yen, 630…638….638.20…..638.27 yen. I glanced at the menu, scanned it. The only thing I could get for that much was bottled water.“Uh…cancel that…” I mumbled, stuffing everything back in. The employee nodded emotionlessly. I saw Shoto’s head tilt slightly in my peripheral vision, could hear Endeavor scoff slightly, and every drop of blood in my body redirected to my face.I didn’t know what to do, other than to stare at the floor as Endeavor grunted and walked away, presumably to wherever he wanted to sit.“One number three combo.” Shoto’s voice appeared suddenly by my shoulder, making me jump in surprise. I looked up at him.“What? Shoto, are you..”“Shoto, don’t pay for her food. If she came unprepared, that’s her problem. Don’t reward her for that.” Endeavor’s harsh voice, paired with his footsteps coming back to the counter, make me flinch.Shoto ignored his father and handed his debit card over the counter once again. The employee, still blank-faced as a dead fish, accepted it, at least feigning ignorance of the way Endeavor was glaring at all three of us.I could barely keep my mouth closed as Shoto took his card back and looked between me and Endeavor, both frozen in our respective mortification and overwhelming gratitude and pissed-off-edness.“Are we gonna sit down?” He asked, as if nothing had occurred.Grumbling, Endeavor turned and stomped over to a booth near the back. Shoto and I stepped away from the counter into the dining area as Shoto tucked his card back into his pocket. He gestured to the tables. “Where do you wanna sit?”I hesitated. With my heart doing CPR on itself in my chest, I reached out and touched his elbow gently.“Shoto…thank you. You didn’t have to do that..and, uh, I can pay you back.” Surely I had the cash at home somewhere.He stared at me, and for the first time I’d ever seen, a tiny smile appeared while he was 100 feet of his father. “Don’t worry about it, Y/n. You need to eat, anyway, since we’re gonna keep training after lunch. You don’t want to do that on an empty stomach, trust me.” His eyes flicked to where his father was sitting down at the booth, and the smile, surprisingly, remained, though it did flicker.“Okay…where should we sit? Over...Oh wait, there’s tables outside! How about there?” I suggested, pointing to a set of doors leading to a patio area.“Alright.”We went outside and chose a small, circular table with the least unbalanced chairs we could find. Mine still tilted to the side as I sat down, and Shoto chuckled. “Do you want to trade chairs?”“It’s fine,” I laughed. “Thanks. Such a gentleman, to offer to sit in a wobbly chair for me.”The tiniest blush spread across Shoto’s face. “Anyway, uh…I was watching you while we were sparring with Endeavor. You’re doing pretty well.”I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m doing my best…”“No, seriously.” He met my eyes, smiling slightly again. “And I’m not just saying this to make you feel better. You really are doing well.”My heart shuddered, and I smiled a little, looking down. “That really means a lot, even if there’s obviously some things I need to work on.”Shoto nodded, reaching out and taking the table’s salt shaker in his hand and turning it in his fingers. “There’s always gonna be stuff to improve. Do you want some tips, from what I saw when you were fighting?”I nodded eagerly. Endeavor’s ‘coaching’- at least for me, Shoto was a different case- was mostly him yelling about what I was doing wrong. Or just flat-out insults. “Yes, please.”“Alright. I noticed that you tend to use your hands and feet a lot for blunt impacts-punches and kicks. Which is natural, but kicking tends to shift your balance. Your center of gravity is no longer in line with your feet, so you’re off balance already-which makes it so much easier to knock you over completely.” Shoto held up the salt container.“Like this.” He balanced the salt on one of the lines on the bottom, using a little bit of ice to stop it from falling over entirely. Still, it was so shaky that if there was a strong wind in a certain direction, it would tip. Shoto moved over the pepper to sit normally next to it. “The pepper’s center of gravity is over its base, so it’s hard to knock over, see?”I nodded. Shoto was a good teacher, I realized.“And the salt is knocked over easier because its center of gravity isn’t over its base, it’s off balance. The salt is you-““I’m not that salty.” I joked. Shoto smirked.“Well, you’re closer to salt than pepper, aren’t you?”Odd statement, but okay.“Unless you want to get thrown across the room again, I’d recommend saving kicks for when Endeavor is off-balance himself-maybe when he’s focused on attacking me.” He righted the salt and pushed them back to their spot.“Alright. Avoid kicks. What else?”“Well..” Shoto’s gaze shifted to my hands, which were sitting intertwined on the table. “Can I see your hands?”The request was unexpected, but I complied. I spread my hands out in front of him, palms up.Shoto focused his stare on them, reaching over and taking one, rubbing my palm and running his thumb over my knuckles. The cold and the warmth they afforded made my heart pound hard against my ribcage, to the point where it was almost painful. Almost.He took my fingers and ever so gently brushed them over the knuckles of his hand.“I’ve been training since I was six, so my hands are conditioned for this. But, as you know, punching hurts, and people have a lot of bones in their hands. So make use of your other assets.” He released my hands, resting his chin in his palm. “The heel of your hand is always a good start. A sharp blow to the nose-“ he mimed the action- “will likely break it without causing any damage to you. Elbow and knee strikes are good, too, and there’s no shame in going for more sensitive areas as well.”I raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound like fair play.”“You think villains are gonna play fair?”“Point taken- oh, food’s here.”A young woman approached the table with a large tray, carrying a bowl of soba- cold. Who on earth likes it cold?- for Shoto, and a poke-bowl for me. I smiled sheepishly as the lady as she set my plate down.“Thanks again, Shoto. For paying for me.”He looked down, picking up a pair of chopsticks and beginning to play with his noodles.“It’s nothing.” He mumbled, hurriedly shoving a bite in his mouth. Was he… flustered? Nahhhhh. I smiled.“It wasn’t nothing to me. It meant a lot more than you think.”He choked slightly, coughing around a mouthful of soba. I immediately started to stand up to help him, but he held up his hand, gesturing for me to sit back down. I did so, my chair wobbling a little as I sat.He finished coughing and rubbed his lips and the back of his neck, not looking up at me. “Sorry. Swallowed wrong.”“Eh. Happens to the best of us.” I laughed and started stabbing at my poke bowl. “This… this is really fun. We should do it again sometime. Maybe something a little longer than an ice cream date.”He choked again, and this time I really did have to get up to help him.“What do you mean you can’t make snow?!”“I mean exactly what I said.”“But snow is just tiny ice!”“With intricate, symmetrical patterns that, outside of forming naturally, should take hours to make.”“Hmm.”“Shoto,” Endeavor called, poking his head through the doors leading to the patio and sneering slightly, “it’s time to go.”I sighed as my presence was ignored by the pro-hero… again. It seemed the only time he wanted to speak of the fact that I existed was when I was doing something wrong.Shoto shrugged. “Alright. Ready, Y/n?”“Yeah.” I forced a smile and stood up, going after after the pro-hero. Shoto followed.“Y/n, are you alright?”In front of me, Endeavor grunted his disapproval. I opened my mouth to say, ‘It’s fine, nothing to worry about,’ but thought better of it.“Not entirely. But I can handle it,” I said, my voice a whisper, so the flame hero wouldn’t hear.Shoto smiled- the expression was coming so much more easily than when we first met. My heart fluttered, and I took his hand in mine behind Endeavor’s back.I jumped out of the way of another attack, Endeavor’s large fist whizzing past my head, so close I could feel my hair flutter. I counter-attacked with my elbow, which he dodged, turning and sending a burst of flames at Shoto. He joined me on my left side, breathing heavily.“You’re doing a lot better.”A light blush crawled up my face. “Thanks, I-” I jumped out of the way of another punch. “I think your advice really helped.”Shoto grinned, dodging around another swipe.Endeavor aimed a kick at my right side, and Shoto’s words flashed through my mind- he would be off-balance now. I charged forward and lifted a fist, then changed to a chop, then shifted for an elbow strike in indecision as different pieces of advice flashed through my mind, contradicting every move.My elbow slammed into his gut, but he barely grunted, and his leg knocked me over all the same. I fell onto my hands and knees, and I could almost hear Shoto’s voice in my head telling me to get up.
On your feet, on your feet.
I got my legs underneath me and stood up as quickly as I could. What I’d forgotten was I was nearly underneath Endeavor at the time. That impact made him grunt.I scurried away as Endeavor pushed out, his arms over-fueling my getaway. I stumbled back to where Shoto stood, in a fighting stance but only fighting off a fit of laughter. He grabbed my elbow so I could regain my balance, and released me as soon as I was steady as we both stared down Endeavor, who was glaring at both of us but mostly me. No doubt his pride hurt worse than his groin now.Shoto and I looked at each other and locked eyes.“Spilt up?” I suggested under my breath. Shoto nodded and took off to the left while I went right. My poke-bowl shifted uncomfortably in my stomach now, and I wondered vaguely if Shoto’s cold soba was affecting him the same way.Shoto leaped at his father and shoved him off-balance, providing me with an opportunity to push him as well, so Endeavor teetered right, then left and backwards. Finally, as if an invisible agreement that didn’t require words or even eye contact, we both rushed him- Shoto with a punch to the gut, me with a shoulder blow to the ribs.Endeavor roared like an injured bear as he crashed to the floor, and Shoto managed a kick to his shoulder before dancing away from Endeavor’s grasping hand searching for a grip on his ankles.Shoto and I reconvened as Endeavor scrambled back to his feet within seconds.“Nice job,” Shoto hissed at me. I nodded. “You too.” Then Endeavor ran at us- not as fast as he had earlier before my accidental, uh….crotch crash….but still enough to inspire us to get out of the way before he ran us over like a truck, or a bowling ball. We had no desire to become bowling pins or roadkill, so we leaped out of his path of destruction.He turned towards me as I jumped and danced on my toes around his left side. I looked at his eyes, and the combination of damaged pride and determination for vengeance was honestly scary.He barreled towards me, a bull seeing red, and I was considering diving between his legs- impractical but cool-looking if I pulled it off- but decided against it in the last second, trying to get away with a punch and dodge.We got to exchanging blows in such close quarters, I could smell his sweat- not exactly a scent that encouraged breathing. Quite nauseating, actually.His foot hooked around the back of my knees, and he both buckled them and punched at my left shoulder simultaneously. I practically flipped, but I managed not to break my wrists or ankles as I rolled and landed on my stomach. I pushed to my feet, looked up to see Endeavor’s face brimming with intensity and determination right before he punched me in the stomach.I practically flew backwards, tumbling back down and only managing to push myself up with one hand, the other holding my stomach as stars danced around the center of my vision and black rimming the edges. I really regretted the poke-bowl now. I leaned forward as my stomach heaved my digesting food upwards, into my now burning throat, out…onto the floor.—————————————————————Shoto froze in shock as Y/n curled into herself, her trembling left arm supporting her as she gagged, coughing and choking as bile fell from her mouth.His heart seemed to stop in his chest.“Y/n!” He ignored Endeavor’s sneer and grunt of disapproval as he raced to Y/n, where she was coughing now, her stomach’s contents splattered on the floor. She looked up at him, her face flushed with exertion and possibly embarrassment. “S-Shoto..”“Are you okay?” He asked, crouching to one knee beside her and cupping his hands on her shoulders. Was this how his mother felt, standing in front of him as a child?How often had she done this? Had her heart twisted and protested what it was seeing the same way his did?He didn’t understand the feeling, but he didn’t have time to think about it.Y/n met his eyes. “Y-yeah, I-I’m sorry-““It’s alright. Can you stand?” When she shrugged and nodded, he shifted his hands to her elbows and pulled her up, helping her away from the puddle on the floor. “You can lean against me if you need to.”She nodded again. “Wait. I- I need to-” she mumbled, trying weakly to pull away.“You don’t need to fix it, Y/n. Don’t worry about it,” he insisted, but she didn’t stop, teasing his worries about her collapsing again.He shifted one of his hands to the side of her back, carefully avoiding her stomach, to support her. Y/n didn’t seem to notice the intimate contact, seeming hellbent on cleaning up the mess. She tapped something in her Hammerspace menu, and a roll of paper towels and a bottle of cleaner appeared in her hands. “But-””Y/n. Listen to me. It’s okay.”Y/n sighed and gave in, straightening and leaning against him for support, the cleaning supplies disappearing. “I’m so sorry.”“Not your fault. Let’s go sit down,” Shoto said quietly, eyeing the benches on the side of the room, where water bottles and clean towels of every size waited patiently. Y/n nodded again, swallowing.As Shoto started leading Y/n to the benches, he became aware of his father scolding them both; about how Y/n shouldn’t be giving up like this, how Shoto shouldn’t be helping her and encouraging such weakness- Shoto tuned him out again, hoping Y/n didn’t take it to heart. They let him talk to himself as Shoto helped her sit down and got her a water bottle.“Sip it slowly,” he reminded her softly as he crouched in front of her, opening the water and handing it to her, making sure she wouldn’t drop it with her trembling hands before he got up again and grabbed a washcloth. He took another water bottle and soaked it, wringing and partially freezing it in his right hand as he went back to her.“Put this against your stomach, to help with the bruise,” he murmured, giving it to her as she switched the water to her left hand and took the cloth with her right, gingerly pressing it against her stomach under her shirt.“Thank you,” she breathed, setting the water on her knee. He nodded. “Feeling better?”She nodded back. And smiled at him. That smile alone eased all his worries and made him return with his own, and he made no effort to hide it.“Shoto! L/n!” Endeavor’s voice boomed behind them, shattering their temporary peace. “Get back out here!”“Can’t you just end training now?” Shoto asked, closing his eyes and standing to face his father, his smile dropping like a stone from his face. Y/n watched him, shoulders tense.“Why? Because of a tiny injury?” Endeavor huffed and glared at Y/n’s vomit, standing several feet away from it, arms crossed. “Heroes get injured all the time, the battle doesn’t stop for them. You-“ he peered around Shoto to sneer at Y/n- “should be glad I didn’t take advantage of your weakness. That’s what a villain would do.”Shoto bit back an angry retort about him being close enough and stepped away from Y/n, meeting his father closer to the middle of the room. “You can’t expect us to hold our own against you, especially not without quirks. We’ve been training all day. It’s evening now, time to end anyway.”“The best heroes train day and night to become the best,” Endeavor argued. Shoto scowled at him. “And I suppose the best heroes aren’t allowed to work together? Not allowed to help each other?”“They shouldn’t be dependent on one another,” Endeavor growled. “And…” he lowered his voice, as if he didn’t want Y/n to hear. “L/n is becoming a distraction for you. She’s only a burden, and you shouldn’t be associating with anyone but the most powerful students.”“Y/n is the strongest I know,” Shoto retorted, and his use of her first name made Endeavor’s face darken even more. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, and I don’t need your approval for who I care about.”Endeavor snarled.“Hey, what’s going on in here?” Moe, the green fire-haired hero that had met them at the train station, poked her head into the room, and Shoto was glad for the distraction. They’d barely seen her around, what with the Hero Killer case; now, with Endeavor distracted, he could return to Y/n.Shoto turned and made a beeline to her. The idiot was standing again, clutching the thawing rag in a death grip and trying to get her feet under her properly as her face paled again. “I mean, I can probably still fight,” She mumbled, shaking her head rapidly to try to focus herself. That seemed to make it worse, as she stumbled again.Shoto took the hand holding the washcloth and pressed his palm on top, refreezing it. “Still, you should rest before more training. You’re probably more drained than you realize, and you need a little longer to recover. Besides, it’s about time for dinner anyway. He’s just being stubborn.” Satisfied with the washcloth, he pushed her back down to the bench and glanced at her water bottle. Half gone. “Keep drinking, too.”Y/n absorbed his words and nodded, wincing as she leaned around him to look at Moe. Moe was frowning down at the floor, easily piecing together what happened.“Shoto’s right, Endeavor. You’ve put these kids through the gauntlet, and it’s time to let them rest. Especially if one’s been injured.” Moe glanced over her shoulder at Shoto and Y/n. Y/n waved at her, and Moe waved back with a small grin.“Fine. But they’d best be ready for an even harder day tomorrow.” Endeavor gave one final glare at his son and Y/n. Shoto took the cue to catch Y/n’s eye and nod to the door. Y/n caught on and they quietly left the room as Moe and Endeavor continued their heated (no pun intended) exchange.“So, how’s your stomach?” Shoto asked as he stood by my bed, hands in his pockets. I’d had to assure him several times that it was alright for him to come in, and even now he seemed hesitant to relax.“It’s doing better- stars, sit down, Shoto. The bed’s not going to swallow you whole,” I teased, shifting around in my big fluffy blanket and patting the seat beside me.Today had been a roller coaster, and I just wanted to relax. I had heard most of Shoto and Endeavor’s argument, but shoved it away in the ‘process later’ brain box for when I had my mental energy back.Shoto sat down and relaxed slightly. “What do you want to get for dinner? It wouldn’t be too hard to just order in, I suppose.”I waved my hand. “No need.”Shoto tilted his head in that adorable way of his while I swiped through my inventory menu, selecting a few items. Then his eyes widened slightly with understanding as an unplugged water heater, beef jerky, and several containers of instant noodles popped into existence on the bed.“This is gonna be terrible to work off in the morning, but I want junk food.”Shoto laughed as he picked up the heater and began searching for a convenient outlet. “Of course. Is there anything you don’t have in Hammerspace at any given time?”I grinned at him. “Well, I don’t have any hostages in there. Currently. And I think there’s an outlet by the desk over there.”Shoto snorted and carried the heater over to the desk. “I thought you could hold non-perishables in Hammerspace?” He questioned. “It can’t spoil or rot in there, right?”“Yeah, but I like non-perishables better because everything that comes out of Hammerspace is just room temperature, or…..void temperature. Lukewarm. And a fridge is too heavy to carry around, as well as too expensive. I just prefer this way, I guess.”Shoto nodded as he came back to the bed for the noodles. He took two, and I vanished the other twenty-two back into my pocket dimension.Shoto added water from the attached bathroom sink, set the water to boil, and sat back down on the bed.“I have a question.”I glanced over at him, smiling. “Yeah?”“What does your shirt mean?” He asked, gesturing to my black INCONCEIVABLE t-shirt. I raised an eyebrow at him and stood up, turning around so he could see the picture of Vizzini on the back. When I looked over my shoulder, he still looked confused.“Is…that a movie?”My jaw hit the floor. “Of course it’s a movie! The Princess Bride?”Shoto shook his head.“YOU UNCULTURED SWINE!” I howled, laughing. “Where can we get a TV? We’re doing movie night.”
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I- I'm so happy, you guys!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCHHHHHHHHH!!!I really never imagined we would reach this point- this fic is my child and I'm super happy to see it get a little bit of love!So! in celebration, I have created this.Co-writer Mel Rose and Author Supergirl present:✨The writing process✨ (AKA: a brainstorming text conversation we had ten minutes ago)Enjoy the show --------------------------------------——— Co-writer: They gets to the lab and she puts the tv in Hammerspace and he’s like “I feel useless now” and she goes“Your presence is never useless, Shoto Todoroki”Me: YesMe: TakingCo-writer: Maybe sparks convo on usefulness maybe notCo-writer: But either way they get back to Y/n’s room and Shoto’s calculating what time it’ll be when the movie ends while Y/n sets it upCo-writer: Maybe ten pmMe: So- I need to think of a time [cENSORED, NO SPOILERTS]Me: And you knowMe: Realize feelingsMe: Can we start working up to that through snuggles?Co-writer: Bah, this is a slow burnMe: WE ARE IN CHAPTER THIRTYCo-writer: oh yeahCo-writer: Time flies when you’re having fun huhCo-writer: Now taking your cuddles comment into account, Shoto’s considering e seating arrangementsMe (not listening): Let’s torture them a little bit moreCo-writer: Wait do they have the beans bagsCo-writer: Where are they getting the beans, [Author Name]Me (still not listening): [MOREE BIG SPOILERTS;)]Co-writer: WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THE BEANSMe (now listening): IDKMe: CHILLCo-writer: WHERRECo-writer: ARECo-writer: THEG HGETTJG.Me: WHERE DO YOU GET BEANS FROM?Co-writer: THE FRIGKEMDOSN Co-writer: B E A N SCo-writer: BEAN BANGS?!Co-writer: BAGSMe: Y/n prob doesn’t have oneCo-writer(not listening): BREAN BRAGSMe: maybe Moe?Co-writer(responding to “y/n prob doesn’t have one): wellCo-writer(responding to “y/n prob doesn’t have one”): WHETE IS SHE GETTING THEMMe: Ooh- maybe instead they build pillow fortCo-writer: GaspCo-writer: Pillow fortCo-writer: yesCo-writer: OkayCo-writer: Suits for momentCo-writer: Braim thing workingMe: You know how funny it would be if I just put out a chapter titled: ✨the writing process✨ and it’s just us shouting at each other about bean bags?Me: I’m doing thatMe: right nowCo-writer: YesyesyesCo-writer: Best idea you’ve ever had[And that is how we got here](Co-writer editing here: yes, my autocorrect works overtime, no, it does not get paid for said overtime) (suck it, autocorrect) (but also thanks) (thanks to the readers of this as well! Don’t forget to leave comments because they make my braim Produce the Happy Juice) (oh hey that rhymes)
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“What are you two doing?”“Teenage rebellion. Oh, and educating a sheltered child.”Moe, standing in the hallway with a snarky grin, laughed. “Fuck yeah, stick it to the old people. What kind of education?”“Princess Bride.”“Computer room’s down on the left. Download Disney Plus, password’s ‘firefighters taken literally’. All one word, no capitals, and all the Ls are exclamation points. Return the TV when you’re done with it.”“Got it!”I rushed past Moe, grinning wildly as I dragged Shoto down the hallway, practically kicking open the door to the computer lab in my excitement. A number of TVs stood, lined up around the walls, each one with a display of the city. There were a few of Endeavor’s other sidekicks sitting around, watching their monitors. They generally ignored us, though a few waved as I strolled up to one of the deactivated monitors, tapped it, and swiped it right into my inventory.Shoto watched me do so, waiting. “That was easy. I didn’t actually have to come along for this.” He sounded like he wanted something more to contribute to our mission.“Your presence is never useless, Shoto Todoroki. You are a DELIGHT to be around.” I grinned, not entirely sure where the sudden burst of encouraging words came from, but I shrugged it off and grabbed his arm again. “There’s nobody I would rather be with!”He was flustered- I could tell instantly as his left wrist in my hand grew warmer, just enough to notice.“So,” he began as I turned sharply on my heel and begin to skip out of the room, “why is this movie so… iconic, exactly?”I ignored his choppy subject change. “Iconic is not the word for it, Shoto! That is a horrific understatement!”“Well, how would you describe it?”I considered. “I can’t. No one can sum up its amazing mess in words. Except maybe Shakespeare. But he’s dead. You’ll just have to be patient to see what I mean.”Shoto nodded as we continued back to my room. “What’s it about?”I beamed. “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles! It’s the finest masterpiece of the pre-quirk era, you’ll see! There’s a book, too. Less people have read it, and it’s a bit…well, it ends a bit differently, told in a strange narrative style, but otherwise the movie producers did a great job of sticking to the plot. It has the best one liners, too. Like this one.” I point to the front of my shirt, where the word 'INCONCEIVABLE!' was written in bright white impact font.Shoto glanced at where I was pointing, then diverted his gaze away immediately, going straight to the ceiling with an ever-so-faint tinge of red growing up his face. I looked down and realized I was pointing directly at my chest. Whoops.“Anyway! Uh…let’s get this TV set up,” I stammered, flustered, as we approached my door. I slid the door open and studied the bedroom for a good place to put the TV.“Whatcha think? On the trunk thingy?” I asked, pointing at the furniture at the end of my bed.Shoto nodded. “I think there’s an extension cord in the closet. There was one in my room.” He turned, poking through the closet as I pulled the TV out and positioned it carefully on the trunk.He threw me the bright orange cord, and I plugged it in to the nearby wall socket.“She said the password was…firefighters taken literally, all lowercase, one word, right?” Shoto asked, picking up the remote control and studying the buttons.“Yeah, and the Ls are exclamation points.”“Okay.”I immediately began to raid the closet for pillows. There were an abundance of them on the top shelf, so I stood there jumping like an idiot for about twenty seconds before realizing there was a stool in my closet, and standing on that, I piled the pillows in my arms.“Is this it?” He glanced away from the movie summary on screen while I dumped my collection of cushions onto the bed. Swiping my hand through the air produced my inventory menu, and I began scrolling for any other useful resources. I nodded. “Yup, that’s it!”“…What’s all that for?”“You think we’re gonna have a movie night without a fort? Ooh, and popcorn! I forgot I had these!” I grinned, several packets of microwave popcorn and a blanket popping into existence in my arms.“A fort? Of what?” Shoto leaned forward, intrigued.“Of pillows, of course!”Shoto caught the one I threw at him. “I’ve never made one of those before.”“Well, what did I expect, anyway? I’ll show you how! We’ll keep a blanket or two for ourselves, and we build the rest up using whatever we can find,” I reopened my inventory to search for poles or something of the like. “I think I might have a couple wooden planks or something…”“Would this work?”I looked up to see Shoto looking at me and holding a tall, slim beam of ice. I grinned. “If you can keep it from melting, yeah.”“I can refreeze it once in a while.” Shoto set it to the side and created another one, running his hand in a cupped position across the air to try to keep it smooth. “How many do we need?”“Four, at least. It needs to be stable.”“Alright, hang on.” Shoto picked his ice rods up and lifted his hand. The rods began to freeze together, far apart enough for three people to lay side by side and tall enough so that we could almost stand on our knees underneath. Another horizontal rod stretched from the highest point where they connected, and branched off again so the whole thing resembled a greenhouse structure. He propped it up on the bed. “We can just put the blankets on it now, right? And I can just reach out to refreeze it every minute or so.”“Shoto, you’re a genius.” Beaming, I picked up the largest blanket and tried my best to hurl it over the top rod. "An absolute genius."Shoto added smaller designs to keep the blankets in place, and while he double-checked that they were secure, I decorated the inside of the fort with the remaining pillows and blankets.“Is that good?” Shoto questioned, standing outside the fort as I brought the first packet of popcorn over. The others sat nearby, waiting for their comrade to be eaten so they could serve their purpose as well.“It’s perfect!” I giggled, “But first, no movie night is complete without popcorn.” I tossed the packet onto the bed and flipped through Hammerspace. “I knew it! I knew I had a pot in here somewhere.” “Why do you have a pot in there?” Shoto asked as I opened the packet of popcorn and poured it onto the pot.””For stuff like this! Or for hitting people. It’s pretty heavy.” I put the lid on top with a clunk. “Need fire to pop the popcorn, though.”Shoto nodded and held out his hand, trying not to burn the bottom of the pot. Soon, we were both laughing and listening to the sound of kernels exploding. “Sounds like Bakugou when he’s mad,” Shoto muttered. My arms ached from holding the pot for so long, but I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that. “I think it’s ready. It’s time! Now let’s start our movie!”I flopped down underneath the fort structure on Shoto’s left side, so he could use his right hand to refreeze the poles. He settled in and shifted a little, turned his head away, then stopped.He let out a small, calm sigh as he pressed the play button, and I couldn’t help kicking my feet as the movie started.Excitedly, I reached into the popcorn-which we were eating straight out of the pot- that sat between and in front of us while Westley and Buttercup were introduced.Instead of getting a handful of delicious Bakugou-d corn, however, my hand grabbed something warm and very differently shaped, also wandering inside the popcorn for a snack.My mind blanked as a million butterflies erupted through my stomach.I- I felt that way a lot around him, didn’t I?I pulled my hand out, still holding Shoto’s, and used my other hand to take some popcorn. Shoto blinked at our hands, his head tilting in the light of sunset peeking through the curtains. He let go of the ice pole he was keeping frozen and reached into the bag with that hand for popcorn, letting his left hand stay clasped in mine.As the movie progressed, I continually nudged and elbowed Shoto during the good parts to make sure he was paying attention. He seemed to enjoy it; he grinned at the iconic lines and looked over at me when Vizzini first appears onscreen, checking the picture of Vizzini on my back.He seemed to be glancing over at me a lot, actually. I could see his eyes flick towards me in my peripheral vision, and the smile that grew on his face stayed.Somewhere around the middle of the movie, during the Fire Swamp, perhaps, I felt my eyes start to droop. It had been a long day; Shoto was right, the training had taken more out of me then I had realized. The popcorn was long gone, but neither of us wanted to disturb the peace lingering over the bedroom.Stifling a yawn, I feel Shoto’s eyes on me again.“Tired?”I took a moment to process his question and nodded. He chuckled and reached over again to pet Bagheera, who was watching the movie with us between my arms.I grew sleepier as Westley was tortured- such a goofy scene-; Shoto paid rapt attention to the movie, but he noticed when I started to subconsciously lean towards him, arms slowly transitioning into a better headrest than just propping it up on my palms. Shoto’s chin sat on a pillow he was holding, his arms crossed beneath it.I realized at some point in my foggy head that I was tilting into his shoulder, but I'm too tired to change position. And perhaps I didn’t want to anyway.There wasn’t anyone I would rather be with.Y/n looked like she was ready to drop off any moment, her eyes blinking closed for longer seconds and yawning cutely several times a minute.Shoto split his attention between the movie, which was pretty good- he definitely saw why Y/n loved it so much- and watching the girl herself slowly fall asleep. When her head touched his shoulder, though, he knew he was in trouble.He waited until she started snoring softly between exhales before he let go of the ice poles, which he’d been refreezing constantly throughout the movie, and used both his hands to lower her head onto the pillow that sat in his arms. She barely stirred as he adjusted the blanket around her back, pulling it up to her shoulders; then he pulled another pillow over and propped his elbows on it behind her head so that he could still watch the movie.As it finished, he wished she were still awake so he could talk to her- although he was certain he could hear her voice, see her reaction in his head anyway; shaking his arm excitedly as she asked him what he thought of the movie, going on a long rant about why she loved it so much, and gasping dramatically when he joked that he would be interested in a summer home in the Fire Swamp. He loved hearing her talk.As the credits rolled, he considered how to return everything to normal without waking her up. He made a mental checklist of the tasks before him:1. Get Y/n out of the blanket fort (without waking her up).2. Dismantle the fort.3. Fix up the room so there wasn’t a huge mess for Y/n to clean in the morning.4. Get Y/n into bed (without waking her up).5. Return the TV to the computer lab.He figured the first and fourth steps would be the most crucial parts of the plan, but it was getting late, so he knew he should go ahead and start. Unless he just put his head down and went to sleep beside Y/n, and stayed the night in here with her…No, no, no. He shook the thought away. He couldn’t do that without giving propriety the finger, and if his father ever found out, there'd be hell and more hell to pay.Besides, who knew if she’d want him in here? The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.He steeled his resolve and started on step one. He gently sat up and took Y/n’s shoulder, rolling her over so she faced up at the ceiling. She really was out hard- maybe a heavy sleeper, maybe just particularly exhausted by today.He should have drawn more of the heat (no pun intended) from his father’s training sessions, made himself a nuisance to Endeavor so Y/n wouldn’t have had to fight so hard just so she didn’t get thrown across the room or knocked off her feet every ten seconds.He stood and crossed to her side of the bed, sliding his arms under her back and knees, hoisting her up. Carefully, he carried her over to one of the chairs by the table. He had the passing thought that she didn’t get to brush her teeth, but nothing to be done about that now. He set her down, and she didn’t so much as stir as he added Bagheera to her lap.Step one done. He turned back to the fort on the bed, where there were drips on the bedcovers and blankets from the melting ice. He pulled all the blankets off and tossed them into a pile on the bed before taking the structure and taking it to the bathroom. He melted it into two parts and laid them against the wall in the shower so they’d melt on their own down the drain.He stepped back into the bedroom and put all the pillows and blankets back in their rightful place, settling the blanket he remembered coming specifically from Hammerspace around her shoulders. Step two: done.He unplugged the TV and wound the extension cord back up, returning it to the closet, and putting the TV by the door so he could pick it up on the way out. The popcorn and ramen containers were thrown in the trash, and the unused popcorn packets, pot, and water heater were onto the table so all the things Y/n would put back in Hammerspace were in the same spot. Step three, check.Shoto flipped back the covers and picked Y/n back out of the chair, putting utmost effort into making sure he didn’t touch anything he shouldn’t, and laid her down in bed. He pulled the covers over her and tucked Bagheera into her arms. She shifted then, snuggling into the bedsheets. Shoto allowed his hand to linger on her shoulder, let himself stare at her peaceful face a bit longer than was necessary to make sure she seemed comfortable.Finally, he pulled his hand away and turned to make one final survey of the room. Everything was pretty clean again, all was peaceful. He wondered as he turned off the bedside lamp and made his way to the door what Y/n would think of it all when she woke. He opened the door and picked up the TV, glancing one more time through the darkness at Y/n, curled up in bed with Bagheera.“Good night, Y/n.” Shoto shifted the TV in his arms and stepped out, closing the door softly behind him.He didn’t hear the small mumble, “Goodnight, Shoto…” as the door shut.
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Day three
“Hey, Shoto!”Somewhat surprised to see Moe tramping around the halls at such an early hour, that is, three o’clock. Shoto had woken up too early and decided to take the TV back instead of returning it when he went down for breakfast, but heroes usually woke up in an hour or so if there wasn’t an emergency call. Shoto shifted the TV in his arms again.“Hey, Moe.”The flaming assistant caught up with him. “How’d movie night go?”“It went well. I liked it a lot, and Y/n obviously knew it by heart,” Shoto replied. “I’m just returning the TV now.”“Cool. I’ll help.” Moe grabbed the end of the TV, and they shifted it between them. “So, where is Y/n now?”“Uhh..” Shoto hesitated. For some reason, he kind of wanted to keep how exactly movie night had ended to himself. What if she told Y/n, who realized what he’d done while she was asleep? That’d be…at least mildly embarrassing. But Moe was looking at him expectantly now, and he wasn’t going to lie to her on a whim.“She fell asleep near the end.”“Ah.” Moe gave him a knowing glance as they reached the computer lab and returned the TV to its spot. “And did you leave her in whatever uncomfortable position she fell asleep in?”Shoto saw no way to sneakily evade the question, so he just mumbled, “uh, no.”“Mmm?”Shoto looked up from plugging the TV in to see a smirk on the fiery girl’s face. “What are you looking at me like that for?”“Like what?” Moe’s expression slipped into one of mock innocence. “Did you put her in bed, though? Tuck her in? Kiss her goodnight?”Shoto didn’t answer the entirely unnecessary question. Why did she even want to know? Though he was sure the blush on his face gave his answer away.“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”“Well, if you left her comfortable enough, I’m sure she’ll thank you in the morning. Or not, if she doesn’t remember how she got there. I assume you don’t want me to tell her?”Shoto hesitated again, and shook his head no.“Alright. Well, good chat, Shoto. See you around.” She gave him her end of the TV as they reached the computer lab, turning and strutting away with the confidence, Shoto imagined, only someone who had fire for hair could have. She paused and looked back at him before she slipped into the hallway to look back at him. “Good luck, Shoto.”Then she flounced off before Shoto could process whatever she might mean by that.“Gooood morning!” Y/n chirped as she raced down the stairs- likely too impatient to take the elevator- “Shoto! I’m so sorry I fell asleep last night, I never got to find out what you thought about the movie!”Shoto felt a smile tug at his lips. She was acting almost exactly as he imagined- bouncy, light, and full of energy.“I really enjoyed it. How’s your stomach?”“Got a nifty lookin’ bruise from the whole thing, but I found some advil in my room so it’s manageable.”Shoto nodded. “That’s good then. Here-” He tossed her an apple from the fridge. “Sorry we don’t have real breakfast. Everyone else is tracking down a new lead on the Hero Killer case, and you probably don’t want me to cook.”Y/n grinned, catching the apple. “No one ever taught you how to cook, then?”“Endeavor keeps me on a strict diet whenever I’m at home.” Shoto shrugged. “He has ever since I was a kid.”“Bah. Well, today’s the day we remedy that!”“Wha-” Shoto stumbled as Y/n slipped the apple into Hammerspace and grabbed his hand, his face heating up at her touch. He let her drag him to the fridge, and she began poking through it, a crap-eating smile on her face. “What do we have- any dummy can do eggs, and my mom’s not really one for traditional breakfasts, so most of the stuff I know how to make is more of a western breakfast… ooh, bacon!”She grabbed the package and shoved it into the hand of his she wasn’t holding. “Take. Where are the pans?”Shoto blinked down at the package in his hand as Y/n released him, opening three cabinets before giving up and pulling a cast iron frying pan out of Hammerspace. How many culinary props did she have in there? Maybe someday she’d host a cooking show in the void.“What is this?”“Bacon.”“And that is?”Y/n froze. “You’ve never had bacon?”A long pause.“No…?”“I’m gonna frickin murder that hunk of fiery bull- It’s fine. Let’s fix that!” She grabbed his hand again and pulled him close to the stove. “You wanna make it with me?”Her wide eyes stared into Shoto’s, and he felt his heart flutter.“Yeah.” He nodded, letting a small smile cross onto his face. “Yeah, let’s do it.”“YES!” Y/n cheered and pulled him close. Shoto’s heartbeat sped up. “Okay, so what you’re gonna want to do is spray the pan with anti-stick solution- butter works too in a pinch-, and fill it up about halfway with water and set it over medium heat. This gets all the flavor out and makes it crispy…”“L/n, get off of your phone. We’re on patrol.”“No phones on patrol, yessir.” I shut my phone, letting it fall into Hammerspace. I had been trying (and failing) to text Iida again. Guilt still gnawed at my stomach, though I’ve played it off as much as possible all day. I wrote out one long apology text to try to avoid spam texting, and Iida apparently read the message… even though the sun was setting on our third day of internships and he still hadn’t responded and Iida never took any more than five minutes to respond to a message, unless it was during a test or an emergency. Surely he wasn’t that busy…? Or, was it something about his brother? Was he mad at me? Was he going to do something stupid?I shook my head as the sky turned from orange to pink, then slowly blue and black.It was peaceful. Quiet.Until.The noise reached my ears before my eyes caught on to what I was seeing. Screams, pounding, an explosion. An attack.Endeavor was already on the move. “Shoto!” He shouted. “You’re joining in on this one! I’ll show you a true hero in action!” Gross.Shoto grabbed my arm and pulled me along, sprinting behind his father. We fell behind quickly, but there wasn’t any way I was missing this fight.“Huh?” Shoto glanced down at his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.“This is not the time to be checking your phone!” I yelped, right before I slammed into Shoto’s shoulder as he came to an abrupt stop. Endeavor glared back at us.“Put the phone down and watch me, Shoto!”“Y/n.”“What?”“It’s Midoriya.”“Midoriya? What about him?” I pulled back, rubbing at my shoulder where we collided. Endeavor was storming back over, looking just about ready to rip the phone out of Shoto’s hands. “I- I don’t know. He just sent his location.”I stepped closer again and leaned in to see his screen. “No other message? No emojis?”“Nothing.”We shared a look.“Yep. Let’s go.”“Way ahead of you.” Shoto turned and started running, keeping his eyes on his phone.Midoriya was in trouble, I just knew it.“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, YOU TWO?!”“An alley at 4-2-10 Ekou street,” Shoto called back. “Once you guys are done, send some pros to back us up. Our friend is in trouble.”“So many fools out there are nothing but talk, but you… are worth keeping alive.”The voice from the alleyway wasn’t familiar, but it still gave me chills as Shoto and I continued to run. We hadn't run far- maybe a block or so?- but the faint echoes from the alley were way more than textbook suspicious activity. I glanced at Shoto, and he showed me his phone. We were getting close- really close. A boomerang materialized in my hand.“There are countless false heroes around here who are all talk,” the voice continued, drawing nearer, “but I think you’re worthy of staying alive. You’re different from these two.”Midoriya began to yell, and I saw the glint of a sword being raised in the air.The Hero Killer leapt back as a blast of fire and a hunting boomerang whizzed right past his head, lodging itself in the weak alley brick behind him as the fire left a charred black mark on the concrete below.“Just in time,” I breathed, reaching out my hand, scrolling through my inventory and pulling out a baseball bat.Shoto held up his hand, the flames covering his left side lighting up the entire alley. “Midoriya, learn to write more specific directions.”“Or don’t. It was oddly effective.”“Y/n.”“He’s fighting the goddamn hero killer, Shoto, you think he’s gonna have time to type?”“T-Todoroki? L/n? You too?” Iida gasped, pressed against the ground, blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder.“You’re using your left side…” Midoriya whispered. Shoto didn’t hear him, but it made me smile, just a little bit.“It took us a few seconds to figure out,” Shoto continued, “That group text to everyone with nothing but your location. But we all know sending a meaningless message is not your style.” Shoto sent a blast of ice swirling around the alley, gathering the victims and tossing them behind him, melting the ice with a blast of fire.“The pros will be here in a few,” I nodded. “You aren’t adding any more names to your list, Hero Killer.”“L/n, Todoroki, don’t let him draw any blood!” Midoriya shouted. “He ingests it and freezes his victims, that’s how he got us!”“That explains the blades,” Shoto murmured, ducked into a fighting stance. “We just have to keep our distance-”My hand met his shoulder, pushing myself forward and sucking a flying knife into Hammerspace. I released it in a single swing, sending it right back to the Hero Killer. He dodged, running forward. "Fighting now!"Run, stop, drop, roll. I flew out to meet him, sliding underneath him and aiming a blow towards the back of his head.WHACK!A pinch, a small dribble of blood. I landed the blow and Stain stumbled, but he grazed me. He’s dazed. Shoto knocked the blade out of his hand, but another one hits Shoto’s outstretched wrist before he can react.“Sho-!”Shoto sent a burst of flames flying around all sides, knocking the hero killer back. I dodged and stumbled back to Shoto’s side.“B-both of you- stop it… I’ve inherited my brother’s name!” Iida shouted. His voice- I almost forgot he was there, and anger bubbled up in my chest. Iida… he did this on purpose. The absolute idiot got himself into this on purpose!?! “The Hero Killer is mine to-”“Inherited his name? That’s weird,” Shoto scoffed. “Because the Ingenium I knew never glared with such hatred. Guess your family also has a dark side to it.”Stain ran forward again, Shoto sending a glacier of ice to meet him.It didn’t last.The Hero Killer blew through it without so much of a blink, cutting the ice to shards with his blades.“Obstructing your own view when up against an opponent faster than yourself,” Stain growled. “A poor strategy indeed.”Two blades pierced the air.“MOVE!” I screamed, pushing Shoto out of the way and reaching my hand out. One blade vanished into my inventory at my whim, but before I could gather my thoughts to grab the second-I screamed again, this time in pain as the blade slammed, hard, into my palm.“Y/n-” Shoto gasped. I ignored him, ripping the blade out of my palm so fast I saw bone before my hand was covered by blood.“Y/n!”I looked up in time to see Midoriya knock the Hero Killer out of the air with one swift kick. “I can move again!” He shouted, grabbing Stain's cloak and dragging him violently to the ground.“A time limit? But he was the last to get hit.” Iida gasped.I blinked up at where Stain had been.A cold hand grabbed the back of my costume and pulled me back, throwing me hard to the left. “Bandage your hand. Now.”I blinked, fear and terror now far too close to my chest as I lifted my damaged hand. Gritting my teeth, I swiped through my drop-down menu to find a roll of gauze and used my right hand to wrap it, as tight as possible. “If Midoriya can move…” I muttered, “...then there’s a variable about the blood that determines time.”“Amount, natural resistance, or blood type,” Shoto agreed. I let a silver ball fall from my inventory into my right hand, gripping the lukewarm metal in a death grip.“I’m type B…” An injured pro hero- I had barely noticed him, but he must have been Stain’s intended victim- murmured.Iida choked out, “And I’m type A.”“We need to get these guys out of here and let the pros handle this.” I tugged on Shoto’s sleeve.“He’s quick enough to dodge my fire and my ice. I’m not seeing an opening and four of us are injured. We can’t run- the best option is to keep dodging and wait him out.”“Are you gonna be able to fight with that hand, L/n-chan?” Midoriya asked. I nodded.“With the adrenaline, sure. Two-handed weapons are out, so I’ll just stick to projectiles. I’ve got eight silver balls and- why the hell are you glowing?”Midoriya grinned at me, buzzing with green lightning. “My internship went pretty well.”“Focus, you two.”“Right! L/n, you’ve got too much blood exposed. I’ll draw attention. L/n, you get behind him with that dodge-roll, and Todoroki should provide support from the rear.”“Pretty risky plan…” Shoto sighed. “But, yeah.”“Let’s do this.” I grimaced.“Three on one, huh?” Stain scoffed. “At least you’re not naïve.”Midoriya moved first- I followed immediately, ducking behind Stain while Midoriya pelted him with attacks. Shoto’s fire struck soon after, and Stain, for all his talent, was having trouble keeping up.Ball after ball, punch after punch, flame after flame.Midoriya began to slow.I dodged another attack from the Hero Killer, stumbling over my own feet and landing on my injured hand. I failed to bite back a third yell of pain as my full weight landed and Stain grabbed my wrist, running his tongue tenderly, almost lavishly, over my bloodied skin.It felt as if my blood had turned to ice. Stain released my wrist, and I fell back against the alley wall, hand stuck at my side, my fingertips just barely brushing the sidewalk.Shoto was shouting and Stain was on the move again- Shoto wasn't paying attention and he swooping close to Shoto and bringing his katana down and we were losing and there was nothing I could do-“Iida!” Midoriya shouted. I glanced back at him- he was frozen again, just like me- but Iida was up and back in action. The Hero Killer distracted, Shoto got out of the way. Tears sprung to my eyes- Shoto was fine, he was fine, he was fine he was fine he was safe and alive-“I’m so sorry, L/n, Todoroki, Midoriya…” Iida muttered, keeping his head down and breathing hard with adrenaline, “...this had nothing to do with any of you. I won’t let you bleed for my sake anymore.”“This society is warped with the cancer that is so-called ‘Heroes’,” Stain growled, staring Iida down with venom in his eyes. “Someone needs to cleanse this system. You’re a fake who prioritized his selfish desires!”“Iida, don’t-”“He’s right. I have no right to call myself a hero…but I won’t let him break me. Because if I break,” Iida hissed, clenching his fists, “then Ingenium is really dead.”I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as the fighting returned to full force. We could do this.Trusting my friends to cover me, I turned my attention to the hurt pro that the Hero Killer had been hunting. He’d been bleeding out for at least eight minutes- that’s a lot of blood.I grunted, pulling myself forward. My blood type… type O. That must wear off pretty fast. The bandages from earlier materialized into my hand as I tugged myself into a stumble, reaching the wounded hero and helping him sit up. “Here…” I tugged the last of the bandages off the roll and began to apply pressure. “How long have you had that wound?”“God, I don’t know…” He groaned. “He was monologuing for a while before that kid in the armor showed up, but it can’t have been more than three or four minutes.”I nodded, pressing my thumb to his wrist. His heart rate was elevated but his breathing was normal. He’d probably lost about a liter of blood, maybe a bit more? Silently, I thanked my mom and all the wonderful nurses who taught me about first aid. “You’ll be fine. It’s gonna be hard to walk- your blood pressure and breathing are going to pick up, but that’s natural. Let’s wait for the bleeding to stop and first responders should be here to pick you up any minute.”The hero laughed, setting a hand on mine as I clumsily finished wrapping his wound- which was hard, with one hand injured. It looked like Stain’s Quirk had worn off, then.“Kid,” The pro laughed harder, though he grimaced as he did so, “I’m a pro. I know what blood loss feels like.”200 yen says my face caught on fire right then and there as I jerked my hand back. “Oh GOD, I’m an idiot-”“You're not an idiot. Just the opposite, really. You’re gonna be a great hero, kid.”“Y/n!” Shoto shouted. I glanced over my shoulder, helping the pro up with my arm as I did so. “He’s out cold!”“Great.” I breathed a sigh of pure relief. “Are you injured? Hang on, take this one. Midoriya, let me get you cleaned up. Iida, you’re next.”Shoto nodded, taking the pro from my shoulder as Iida stripped the Hero Killer of weapons and looked for something to tie him with.I let out another sigh, searching for another bandage roll.“I’ve never felt more afraid in my entire life.”“Yeah… you almost died back there, huh?” Midoriya chuckled nervously, letting me wrap his leg up with gauze. I shook my head.“We all almost died. I don’t know what I would do with myself if any of us didn’t make it.”“But we made it.”“Yeah. We did. We did.” Hallo friends! Co-author here (7/31/24). Looking at the comments from GremlinChild329 on chapter 30, we decided not to put the deleted scene of a certain dumpster fire being pocketed, so we’re adding it here! This takes place after movie night, the next day, training with Endeavor before the Stain incident. Enjoy!
I skirted around the edge of the ring, eternally frustrated by the new rule that said we couldn’t step outside the circular boundary.
Shoto rolled between his dad’s legs and came up early, smacking his hand into Endeavor’s….sensitive stuff. The hero howled and made a grab for Shoto.
Shoto grinned, calmly dodging half a dozen punches in rapid succession.
I saw him wink at me around Endeavor’s fists, a nod to the fact that the move’s basics had first been pulled off (mostly on accident) by me. I moved in and caught Endeavor off-guard with an elbow to the side, but he grabbed my wrist before I could get away again and threw me into Shoto.
We slammed into each other, tumbling head over heels over heels over head. We came to a stop right by the line, Shoto putting his right hand out and putting up an ice barrier to stop us from rolling right over. My back hit first, and we slammed into it with an “oof!”
I opened my eyes as my brain stopped rattling around from the impact, and realized Shoto was right beneath me. Staring at my face. My hands were braced right by his shoulders, our legs tangled.
I jumped up off him and got up, untangling our legs, and offered him a hand up.
Shoto looked at the hand, then at me; he took it, but after he got up and threw a quick glance to the left, he wrenched it away. A flame licked the space where our clasped hands had just been. Endeavor stomped toward us, looking pissed.
“Stop helping each other!” He demanded.
“Building dependency on other heroes only ends in ruin.”
I shrugged at him. This man needed therapy.Endeavor growled and launched himself at Shoto, who jumped aside and kicked his father in the shin, but Endeavor grabbed his wrist and pulled him around, slinging Shoto like a yo-yo. A Sho-yo.
Shoto tried to stop himself, but his father’s superior size made his struggling useless, and Shoto was thrown almost right out of the ring. Another wall of ice came up to stop himself, and Shoto groaned and grabbed his shoulder as he slammed against it, slumping to the ground.
I ran toward him, but I had to abandon the plan to help him up as Endeavor jumped me. I dodged and ducked several swings and managed to hit him in the gut, even though it didn’t do much.
I glimpsed Shoto getting to his feet around Endeavor’s massive bulk, and he was still rubbing his shoulder.Is he injured? I wondered. If he’s hurt, will Endeavor let us stop for a break? He-
My train of thought crashed as Endeavor’s fist crashed into my side, my ribs yelping in protest. I staggered and kicked Endeavor in his shin, thinking if I were to target where Shoto had hit earlier, maybe it would hit a bruise.
But of course the #2 hero simply doesn’t bruise. He grunted, stepped backwards, and swung at Shoto- who seemed to have forgotten his shoulder in favor of sneaking up on his father. He almost succeeded, and was able to jump onto Endeavor’s back. The man burst into flame anew, and I worried that Shoto would get barbecued.
Shoto’s eyes met mine and widened as his father’s skin blazed, instinctively letting go of his hold around Endeavor’s neck. He hit the floor and stumbled, but stayed on his feet.I ran at Endeavor and slipped around his left side after faking to the right, rejoining Shoto.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” Shoto rubbed his shoulder again. Endeavor turned to face us standing side by side.
“Mm. Can you fight with that shoulder?”
“I think so.”
“Not a confidence-inspiring answer, Shoto.”
“It’s fine.”
“You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” I caught his grin as we split up. Endeavor turned to Shoto and attacked, but Shoto dodged all of his shots, more on the defense than he normally was. Endeavor didn’t seem to either notice or care, as he kept swinging.
I snuck up on the surprisingly fixated hero and, instead of jumping onto his back like Shoto had, grabbed his arm and hung on like a koala. Shoto gave a huff of incredulous laughter while Endeavor glared at me and shook his arm. I clung on tight.“What- this is not a tactic pro heroes use! Get off!” He growled, shaking harder. Because I have a death wish, I refused to let go, wrapping my legs around his hand and hoping he didn’t remember to use his fire. Shoto chuckled and lunged, grabbing his father’s opposite arm and hanging on the same way.
“Both of you, stop this foolishness!” Endeavor cried, frustrated. He swung both his arms like a windmill now, his skin smoldering. I squeezed the sweaty skin and closed my eyes to shut out the blur of color that was my vision now.
Endeavor roared and suddenly stopped flailing like a plucked chicken, and I opened my eyes as his body shifted. I hung on as Endeavor aimed his left shoulder (where Shoto was wrapped around his arm- staring at me- and grinning) at the wall. He barreled over the out-of-bounds lines, and I realized how he was intending to get me and Shoto off. Not a bad strategy, but if he was planning to slam Shoto against the wall going at this speed, then all I’d have left of my friend was a Shoto pancake.
Shoto turned his head quickly, then looked back and met my eyes as the wall approached, his heterochromatic eyes wide with mild panic. He couldn’t let go of his father’s arm, he’d get trampled-but if he didn’t, he’d get crushed. Personally, I didn’t want to see who would win in a Shoto vs. Wall contest.
Also panicking slightly now, I did the only thing I could think of: I pressed my palm into Endeavor’s shoulder blade.
The arm I was holding disappeared, and me and Shoto fell to the floor- not a comfortable landing, but easier than getting squashed against a wall like overripe fruit.
“Oof!”
Shoto and I sat up and locked eyes again.
“Y/n, did you just…”
I swallowed. “Put your father in Hammerspace?”
“Oh, my god. Y/n…” Shoto stared at me, then closed his eyes and began to laugh. I joined in, and soon we were both clutching our sides and wiping tears.
“You just..I can’t…” Shoto wheezed, sitting up from his fetal position, where his head had been pressed to the floor, his laughter echoing against the wood. “He’s gonna be so mad…”
“I’m dead, aren’t I?” I agreed, struggling to pull myself together. “Might has well delay the inevitable. It’s hard to tell time in Hammerspace, he won’t know. How’s your shoulder?”
Shoto sighed, still smiling even as he flexed his right shoulder. “I’ve had worse.”
“Mmm.” I moved closer and reached out to touch it, and he didn’t flinch or even blink as my fingers grazed his shirt. “Does that hurt?”
“About the same. It’s okay, Y/n.” He got to his feet and offered me a hand, which I accepted.
“What about you?”
“Doing great. Until I have to let Endeavor out.”
“Do we have to?”
“Unless we want to be questioned by police about his sudden disappearance, I think so.”
“What about police?” Moe interrupted, her head popping into the room.
She came in without further invitation; she’d been checking on our training a lot more since the…vomit incident. “I can get you alibis if you guys need them.”
“Hi, Moe. I don’t think we’ll need alibis, but…uh…what’s the best way to not get squashed by an angry Endeavor?”
“What did you do?”
I hesitated, then pulled down my drop menu and showed it to her. There, at the top of the list, was a TODOROKI ENJI button, next to a small graphic of him flailing, his tiny mouth moving and flames bursting off his body but dissipating as they left his skin.
“You…you put him into your pocket dimension thing?!” Moe cried, then bent double, hands on her knees as she started to laugh as hysterically as Shoto and I had.
Shoto and I looked at each other, and at Moe’s cracking up, we collapsed into fits of laughter again.
“I think I can hear him yelling from the void,” I wheezed.
“Okay so…we do need to let him out, how do we stop him from killing us?”
“Just get ready, stand by the door and let him out,” Moe said, using her sleeve to dry her face. “I’ll help you, I’m on a contract that says he legally can’t fire me for another year or two. Ready?”
I nodded and waved Shoto over to the door of the training room. “What, do we..?”
“Just do it!”
I clicked on Endeavor’s option.
“SHOOTOOOOO! THIS IS WHY I TELL YOU NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH-“
Endeavor quieted, realizing he’d been returned to reality. His flames roared to life as he stared us down in the corner of the room.
“RUN, motherfuckers, RUN!” Moe shouted.
I grabbed Shoto’s wrist and pulled him out the door as Moe jumped between us and Endeavor and dragged him out, escaping through the hallways.
(end of deleted scene)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I want to see them,” I repeated for the third time as Mom came back into the hospital room, rubbing at the bridge of her nose.“Patience, Y/n.”I sighed, throwing myself against the bed pillow and crossing my arms. “And they’re all okay?”“More or less. I’ll let them explain the details. Now,” Mom set a hand on my shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, “A few people want to meet with you and your friends. I’ll take you over to them before they come in.”I perked up immediately. “You could have led with that, Mom.”Mom rolled her eyes and helped me to my feet, walking me down the hallway to the next room. I practically kicked open the door as we approached, letting myself in and barreling into Shoto’s arms.“You’re okay!”Shoto chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Yeah. We’re okay.”“L/n, don’t kick open hospital doors! And…your hand…” Iida’s voice faded to a murmur, staring at the white bandages wrapped around my hand and shifting in his seat. I waved it around, shrugging.“It’s healing up nicely. And I’m flying high on some post-stitches pain killers right now, so I’m just raring to go!”Midoriya laughed, leaning back a little against the crisp white sheets and pillows of his bed. “We’re glad you’re okay, Y/n.”I took a seat on Shoto’s bed, smirking at his lack of honorifics. “Damn, Stain scared the -chan out of you, huh?”“Y/n,” Shoto frowned, and I ducked my head.“Yep. Sorry. Too soon.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “It’s a welcome change, that’s all. Um- my mom said that we were meeting with someone? Who-?”The door slid open.“Heh. All the little warriors are awake, then.” An old gentleman in a bright yellow hero costume scoffed, followed by a tall, young hero in a blue outfit.“Gran Torino!” Midoriya paled.“Mr. Manual.” Iida ducked his head.“I’ll chew you out in a minute, Midoriya,” the elder hero barks, pointing at his intern, “but you’ve got a visitor.”I blinked and stood up, brushing nonexistent dust off of my clothes. Judging by the hero’s tone alone, this man is important.A man- with either a shapeshifting quirk or a rather unfortunate animalistic one- steps into the room.“That’s the chief of police!” Midoriya squeaked. I slowly recognized him as Midoriya’s instructor introduced his name.“Please stay seated,” The dog-headed officer nodded politely. I sat. Shoto did not.“So, you’re the U.A. students who put a stop to the Hero Killer.” The man let out a small bark under his breath, voice grim and arms held behind his back. “Stain is currently in treatment for burns, broken bones, and a number of other serious injuries.”Shoto stiffened at the mention of burns. I stood up again as well, setting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He didn’t react.“As you all know, the usage of quirks as weapons without a license is illegal, and heavily enforced. Even as heroes, you have to pass tests to earn even a learner’s permit to use your quirks in combat. Permits that none of you have.Those without permission, those who inflicted harm without explicit instruction from the powers that be, even if they were to face the Hero Killer… such action would represent a stunning breach of the law. The seven of you must be dealt with strictly and impartially: you four, and your hero mentors, Endeavor, Manual, and Gran Torino.”Oh.My grip tightened on Shoto’s shoulder. What was going to happen? We- people had been arrested over stuff like this.“Hold on.” The tension in Shoto’s shoulders multiplied tenfold before he pushed my hand away, glaring at the chief. “If Iida hadn’t acted, the hero Native would be dead. And if Midoriya hadn’t shown up, neither of them would have survived.” Shoto’s voice steadily grew in volume as he stares down Tsuragamae from across the room. I grabbed his hand again.“Shoto, don’t yell, it’s going to be fine-”“Don’t lie, you don’t believe that and I know it.” Shoto pulled his hand away and turned right back to the Chief. “Should we have let people die all in the name of your ‘law'?!”“Everything turned out fine,” the man snapped back, furious sarcasm lacing his tone. “So just forget about the law this time! Is that how you see it?”My gaze went back and forth between my friend and our superior, watching the argument escalate. Flames jumped from Shoto’s fingertips as he gets closer- escalating the argument to a dangerous level.“Isn’t it a hero’s job to save people?!”“Shoto, sit the hell down right now or I swear to God I will put you in Hammerspace!” I demanded, grabbing the back of his hospital shirt and throwing him roughly back onto the bed. “You need to calm down before you do something stupid!”“The damn mutt could stop you from becoming a hero, Y/n!”“And I would deserve it! There’s no getting around the rules! Excuses aren’t lawful- If a man rapes a woman and blames it on how she’s dressed, it’s still wrong!”“You’re comparing rape to saving our friends, Y/n. I thought you were smarter then this!” Shoto slammed his hand down on the bedside table. Tendrils of frost crawled over the edges.“H-hey, let’s just calm down-”“I’m glad we saved our friends. Now I’m ready to take the fall for it. I’m not sorry and I’m going to take my consequences with grace. And that’s final. So fine. Keep yelling and get yourself arrested, I’ll be there to bail you out. But don’t fight this for my sake.” I took a step back, crossing my arms and turning back to the chief of police, bowing apologetically. “I’m sorry for my friend’s behavior, Tsuragamae-sama.” I glanced back at Shoto to see if he was silent now. He was. I added, “We’re listening, now.”He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a responsible girl, L/n. That was very mature of you.”I straightened, and glanced again over my shoulder. Shoto’s face had settled back into neutrality, and he was very obviously avoiding looking at me.I just fought and threatened my best friend. Since when was that mature?“Thank you, sir.”“On that note, what I said previously was what I was required to tell you all as the police. The real question is whether or not to deal with this publicly.”I blinked, confused. Tsuragamae continued, “If we let the story out, you’ll be praised by the public, but you won’t be able to avoid punishment. But if we keep all of this to ourselves, the Hero Killer’s burns will support the story that Endeavor was the key operative. He’ll receive the accolades. There were few enough eyewitnesses that we can keep the truth of it under wraps.”I blinked again, processing what he’s saying. “You mean…”“You’ll receive no recognition, but no legal action has to be taken against you. You’re all promising heroes.”“Thank you.” Iida’s voice was the first to speak up. I bowed. The three boys, Shoto standing from the bed I’d pushed him into, followed.“Thank you for everything,” I said to him.“As someone invested in keeping the peace,” the chief smiled, bowing back, “I can thank you more.”I glanced back at the boys, smiling. Midoriya looked like he was about to faint, Iida was blinking back honored tears, and Shoto looked embarrassed. “You could have led with that,” He mumbled.I sighed.What now?I was released from the hospital after two days. I didn’t go back to the internship. I didn’t say goodbye to Shoto, either.We still hadn’t apologized.School served as a nice distraction, especially with the training activity we were doing. Midoriya was putting his new powers to work. I couldn’t be more proud, look how my cinnamon roll was growing.“For the record, Y/n,” Ochaco huffed, throwing her arm around my shoulders, causing me to drop your uniform shirt as I tried to tug it over my head. “Next time you need a lift, just ask.”“You’re referring to me tricking you to levitate rubble with me on top of it to give me an advantage?”“Yes, you tricking me to levitate rubble with you on top of it to give you an advantage. You coulda just asked! I would help you anytime!”“It was a smart plan, though!” Hagakure waved one gloved hand around in the air enthusiastically before taking it off, leaving us with no indication of what she was doing. “I’ll definitely be using it in the future!”“Don’t you dare!”“Mina, can you get my zipper?” I turned around, showing her my back and wrestling the bright, visored helmet off of my head. Mina giggled as she watched me struggle, especially since I was avoiding putting too much pressure on my healing hand.“How’s that new helmet working out for ya?”“I don’t mind it being tight,” I tugged again, sending the helmet flying off into my hands with a pop, “It’s excellent. I even have a little screen on the visor that shows me different statistics. The only problem is that it’s just so HOT.”“I can see that.” Momo shook her head, creating a washcloth from her shoulder, soaking it with her waterbottle and tossing it to me. I caught it and mopped my forehead, sighing with relief.“Thanks, Momo. Y’know, I gotta talk to Sero about what kind of circulation he has. He doesn’t seem to have any problem with it. Would it be weird if I asked him for a roll of his tape as well?”“Speaking of boys,” Jirou groaned as the noise from the adjacent locker room increased. Mineta’s voice, specifically.I glanced over at the wall separating the two sexes, gesturing for the other girls to be quiet. Mineta’s wild chatter became clearer.“-HOLE! And you know what’s next door, right? The girl’s locker room!”“Oh- he wouldn’t.” Jirou whispered, spotting the hole in the wall and getting closer.“Mineta, peeking on girls is considered a major offense!”“Yeah, well, I’m going on the offensive!” Mineta cheered, the white of his eye now visible. “I wanna see Yaoyorozu’s boobs! Ashido’s sexy silhouette! Hagakure’s floating panties!”Mina jerked her skirt down lower across her thighs, boiling with rage. Jirou moved her earphone jack closer to the hole, lining up into position as Mineta continued, “Uraraka’s practically perfect body! L/n’s sweet, sweet hips! Asui’s surprisingly decent b-”Jirou jammed her headphone through the hole, hitting Mineta straight in the eye. He screamed.I sighed, pulling a small cork out of my inventory and using my pocket knife to whittle it down to fit in the hole. “Remind me to punt-kick him later.”“I’m with you,” Tsu nodded. Jirou sighed and waved goodbye, walking out of the room back to class.Momo watched her leave. “I don’t get it...”“Don’t get what?” I blinked. Momo jerked, seemingly realizing she said that out loud.“Nothing! Nothing at all. I just-”“Yaomomoooooo~” Mina sang, creeping closer and throwing her arms around Momo’s shoulders. “Do you have a crush on Jirou-chan?”“No!” Yaoyorozu pushed her off roughly, covering her blushing face with her hands. “I would never. No. That’s not a possibility.”“Why?” I frowned, taking a step closer.“Yaoyorozu, are you okay?”Momo lowered her head. “I- I have to go.”She ran out of the room, staring at the floor the entire way.I blinked. “Okay?”“Denial~” Hakakure hummed. Tsu tilted her head.“I don’t think she’s in denial. You know, her parents are pretty political, from what I’ve heard.”“Should we be gossiping about her while she’s not here?” Ochaco wrung her hands.“It’s not gossiping, it’s helping a friend.” Ashido set a hand on her hip, seeming hurt and concerned. “I’ve never known Yaomomo to flee from a conversation like that.”“Do you think she’s afraid of liking another girl?”“I dunno.” I sighed. “I’m with Ochaco, though. Let’s stop talking about it while she’s not here. We can sit her down and have a girl-to-girl talk some other time.”“Summer vacation is close at hand,” Aizawa muttered, looking out at the class. “Of course, it would be completely irrational for you to take a whole month off.”The class tensed.“You’ll be attending a summer camp.” Aizawa finished, and all the nervous energy transformed into a collective excited one.“Truth or dare!” Mina shouted.“Fireworks!” Tsu grinned.“BATHHOUSES!”I whacked Mineta over the head with a spare textbook.“However.” The entire class threw themselves back down in their seats, looking at Aizawa with anticipation. Aizawa rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Anyone who doesn’t pass their upcoming final exams will be spending their month in summer school hell, right here.”“DO YOUR BEST, GUYS!” Kirishima shouted. I laughed.“Summer camp, huh! I’m hyped.”“It’s going to be amazing! I’ll start making a packing list!” Ochaco grinned, searching through her backpack for a piece of paper. I scrolled through my drop-down menu for one as well, but someone tapped me on the shoulder before I could start writing. I glanced over.“Oh. Shoto, hey.”“Y/n.” Shoto rubbed the back of his neck. “Can I talk to you?”“Sure.” I nodded. The bell rings. “Go on without me, Ochaco. I’ll probably be late for the bus.”“Okay!” She gave me a thumbs up and left to talk to Midoriya. I turned back to Shoto, shoving my hands in my skirt pockets.“What’s up?”“Let’s talk outside,” He mumbled.We walked out back together, to the well-trimmed courtyards around the school, standing in awkward silence. Nerves squirmed in my gut.Shoto took a breath, seeming as tense as I was. I missed the playful banter we’d been sharing not even a full week ago. Teasing him and fighting over who got the crispiest piece of bacon. Now we were actually fighting.“Look, I-““I-“Shoto and I blinked at each other. I waved my hands around.“Nono, you go first. Sorry.”“It’s fine-““I mean, do you want me to?”“I don’t mind.”“But do you want me to?”“I- I mean no but you can go-““You just go first.”Shoto chuckled. “Alright.” His expression darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. “I’m sorry for what I said a few days ago. At the hospital. I was just angry that we did what- well, I thought it was the right thing- and you were all about to get punished for it.” Shoto sighed, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Being a hero is all of our dreams and I didn’t want to see that taken away from you. I acted irrationally and you were right to stop me. I’m sorry.”Shoto finally finished, squeezing his arm so hard the skin below was slowly discoloring- I’d never seen him do that before. I blinked at him. Shoto went red.“I- did I do that correctly? I haven’t apologized for much before and Endeavor certainly isn’t a good example of how to do that. So… Fuyumi gave me advice but I’m still not-“He cut off as I reached over, facing him fully as I pulled his hand off of his forearm. “No, you did great. Thank you. I just…I wanted to apologize too. That I was so rough like that when I grabbed you and yelled at you like that. I couldn’t see any other way to get you to stop before you...you, uh-““Did something stupid like threaten a chief of police before he explained to us that he would keep us from legal action?” Shoto smiled slightly. “Yeah, I think my apology makes more sense.”“Pfft.” I shook my head. “Well, when you put it that way.”“Friends again?”“Friends again.” He nodded, letting that little, intoxicating flicker of a smile cross over his face. I sucked in a breath.“Um… what are you doing tonight?”Shoto shrugged. “My guess? Training. Like always.”“Is it…mandatory?”Shoto’s eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “Are you suggesting I blow off my father and my training to hang out with you?”I nodded.“Sure, let’s do it. Anywhere you have in mind?”After a quick call to Fuyumi (who agreed to cover for Shoto, and seemed very excited when she heard my voice and what we were doing), I led Shoto to the bus I took, having said bye to Ochaco prematurely, as she seemed strangely giggly and offered to sit in the back so we could talk.“Shoto?”“Yes?”“You know you’re not responsible for what happened to my hand, right?”“Why do you bring that up.”“Because Midoriya was laughing his precious ass off at something about you being a ‘Hand Crusher.’””Look, it is a pattern-““Are you sure your mom won’t mind, Y/n?”“Yeah, I’m sure. She likes you. Says you seem mature.”She also teased me quite extensively about my ‘first date’ and ‘stay out of trouble’ over text. Someone had to do it, I guess. Not like I was going to tell Shoto that.It wasn’t until I was getting my key out for the front door to the apartment that I considered; Shoto was rich.I was definitely not.He was well aware of this, and he wouldn’t judge, but…I just hoped he didn’t mind.“Welcome to casa de L/n,” I said cheerily as I opened the door and slipped off my shoes. “You want a snack?”“I’m fine,” Shoto muttered, taking his shoes off as well and looking around at the somewhat-clean kitchen, living room and dining table, built for four and used for two. “I like it. It’s...cozy. And…what’s the word?”I looked around, trying to see the space through his eyes. Well-lived furniture, family pictures sitting on the bookshelves, the old rug that needed a good beating with a baseball bat.Shoto snapped his fingers. “Homey. That’s the word.” He smiled, looking over at the framed photos sitting on the smudged glass-surface side table. The first one was the first and only time I went to Disneyland Tokyo. I- what age, nine?- was desperately trying to drag Mom to Space Mountain while Mom was holding up her phone for a selfie. Shoto chuckled and stepped closer to a framed picture of six-year-old me proudly showing the camera a seashell, with blue waves sneaking up behind me, ready to knock me over.“Cute,” I heard Shoto mutter under his breath. I was glad he was looking at the picture and not me, because the picture couldn’t blush.“So, uh. Wanna see my room?” I asked, searching for a distraction. He nodded and followed me as I opened the bedroom door, then quickly realized that it had been a while since I’d cleaned it. And-“Okay, on second thought, give me a moment-“ I turned around and pushed Shoto away from the door, blushing even harder now. “Just wait out here. Gimme fifty seconds.”He nodded and stepped back, going back to browsing the pictures with a small smile.I went into my room and closed the door, then immediately set about identifying the most embarrassing pieces of the mess and cleaning (hiding) them. Under the bed went the pad and tampon boxes, into the closet went unfolded laundry chilling on the floor, take five seconds to straighten the covers a little, and I reopened the door. “Okay, this is good enough. C’mon!”Shoto stepped inside, looking around. “…wow.”I raised an eyebrow at him as I plopped down on my bed. “Elaborate?”Shoto drifted over to the cabinet, where he observed my button collection. “It’s..I’ve never seen so many personal details in one place. I like it. It’s…authentic.” He glanced up at me. “How did you get the-“ His eyes darted to the corner of my room, distracted. “Y/n, why-“ he chuckled, then started laughing. I felt like I hadn’t heard that beautiful sound in forever. “Why is there a cannon in your room?”I grinned. “Don’t you remember the first day of school, where Mr. Aizawa had us throw a baseball as far as we could?”Shoto nodded, smiling openly. “That’s…Yaoyorozu’s cannon?”“Yup!”He kept laughing. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. Anyway…where did you get all these buttons?”I hopped off the bed. “My Grandmother sews. She moved to a nursing home a few years ago- we FaceTime every weekend. I think she still sews? Anyway, she made me clothes as a kid and let me root through her button jars whenever I visited. This one was my first one…”I explained where I’d gotten most of the buttons and rocks, at which he seemed to enjoy hearing me prattle on about. He seemed curious about most of the details in my room, and I wondered what his room looked like.”What about this rock? It’s not colorful or unique like the others.””Ah, that’s…we were out in the country visiting some aunt, and I kicked a rock from the edge of a road to the middle, and then I felt guilty as I walked away, and nervous that it would get run over because of me…so I ran back and adopted it!””..I see. Did you name it?””Yeah! Lucifer!””What?”Overall, the whole situation just felt… good. I missed him. It just felt right, being around him.…Wait a minute.“So, Shoto, have you always had hair like this?” Y/n asked later, once they were done looking at all the cool things in her room. It was fascinating, all the funny little objects and thingamabobs that she had for decor. And the cannon. If the zombie apocalypse ever started, Shoto was teaming up with Y/n.He was sitting on the floor, back against the couch, where Y/n was sitting. She touched his hair, right between the red and the white. Shoto felt tiny tingles follow her fingers as she traced his part. Butterflies beat against his stomach as she did so.“Yeah, even as a baby. Got my father excited that my hair would imitate my quirk, and he was right.”“Ah, forget about your quirk. You have some really soft and fluffy hair, and it’s so iconic. I bet some girls are jealous of it.”Shoto felt his face slowly come to match his right side of hair. “I…Fuyumi might have some pictures of me as a baby. I can text her, if you like.”“Yes! Absolutely!” Y/n played with his hair, ruffling and smoothing and messing it up again. Not that Shoto cared. He texted his sister about the topic, and she responded within a minute, surprisingly.
Fuyumi: yeah, I have some pictures. Why do you want them, though?
Shoto: Y/n wants to see them.
Fuyumi: ohhhhh
Fuyumi: of course
Fuyumi: 4 attachments sent
Fuyumi: tell her I said hi
Shoto: I will
Shoto: thanks
Shoto tapped on the first picture and handed his phone up to Y/n, who squealed softly. “Fuyumi says hi.”“Aww, she’s sweet. You seriously need to introduce me to her and your brother.”Then she was silent for a moment as she comprehended the picture. Shoto looked up, then lifted himself onto the couch next to her, observing the photo of himself in his cradle, tiny hands reaching up to the camera-holder, hair indeed red and white and messy, eyes wide and unscarred.“Ohhhh-look at your onesie!” Y/n giggled delightedly. “It’s got little dinosaurs on it!”Shoto chuckled slightly. “Yeah, that probably wasn’t Endeavor’s choice of outfit. He probably wanted me to be macho from the very beginning.”Y/n sniggered and swiped to the next picture. There he was in his grandmother’s arms, reaching up to play with her flaming hair. “Look at that. You must’ve had terrible survival instincts when you were little.”Shoto nodded. “Hopefully I’ve wisened up a little since then.”“Ah, of course you have. Every baby is constantly looking for dumb ways to kill themselves, anyway. Apparently I was rather fond of banging my head on the floor when throwing a tantrum.”“That explains a lot.”“HEY!”Shoto snorted softly as she swiped to the next one, which turned out to be a video.“Oh my- SHOTO. How on earth could you keep this from me? I can’t believe you!”She pushed at his chest in playful rage, but he glimpsed the toddler version of himself running down the hallway. In bear pajamas.Y/n laughed and gasped slightly as baby Shoto slipped, despite the grippy socks attached to the onesie, but the bear simply wiggled forward on his stomach in an army crawl, trying to get away from whoever was chasing him around with a camera. “Aww, you’re just as stubborn as you used to be.”Shoto chuckled and shook his head, leaning in closer as Y/n, as she (indignation apparently forgotten) tapped the sound button. A younger Fuyumi’s voice came from the phone, with his mother’s echoing in the background.“Get back here, stinky little bear!”“Ahaha- get him, Fuyumi!”Finally, the camera-Fuyumi- caught up with the furry escapee. Bear Shoto giggled and waved his arms as Fuyumi scooped him into her arms, the camera adjusting and focusing on the bear’s human face.“You need your diaper changed, Houdini,” A younger, happier Rei Todoroki caught up with the camera, snagging Shoto and pulling her close to his chest. Fuyumi adjusted the camera again as she pretended to gag and gasp for air after lifting a squealing Shoto.He had forgotten about this.Touya was probably alive at this point, too.Y/n glanced at the modern Shoto, who suddenly felt like he had set his own face on fire. He should’ve checked the attachments before giving them to Y/n.No way it can get worse, right? He thought as Y/n giggled again and swiped to the last picture, still looking at Shoto. Unless-That’s too much skin. Shoto snatched the phone back from Y/n as fast as he could before she had time to look down and process what she saw. He was seriously going to call Fuyumi later and yell at her.Well, he would never yell at her. Maybe he would just let her rub it in and laugh and then ask her not to do that again.“Ahhhaha, yo-you don’t need to see that.” He deleted the picture before a syllable had left her mouth.“Wait, what? Why not?” She looked confused- she hadn’t seen the full thing. For as embarrassing as the bear costume was, he really would’ve preferred it to what he was wearing in that last picture. Which was nothing. Fuyumi had read that Y/n was going to see what she sent and she had sent a naked baby photo. A dick pic from almost 15 and a half years ago.“Anyway, uh…what about your baby pictures? You have some, right?” Shoto asked, stuffing his phone into his pocket.Y/n still looked suspicious and confused, but she got up and pulled an old-fashioned photo album from the nearby bookshelf, turned to come back, paused, turned and grabbed another book, and then came back. She flipped a few pages in the photo album, giggling and blushing, and set it on the table in front of Shoto.Shoto leaned forward and suddenly found himself absorbed in the pictures of tiny baby Y/n. And one was…was that a ladybug costume?“You’ve been withholding baby pictures of you dressed as a cute animal too,” Shoto pointed, not daring to lift his head lest she see his face. The round-cheeked little ladybug smiled up at the camera holder, already the brightest and happiest one in the room. The next picture was her being cradled by her mother, a beautiful, exhausted-looking woman in a nurse’s outfit.“Ah, so I have. Consider it an exchange of secrets,” Y/n smirked, rubbing the back of her neck as Shoto flipped the page. She leaned across the table, grinned at Shoto as he studied the taped-in photographs. “Anything you want to say, little bear?”“Little bear?”Y/n just smirked at him. “Mhm.”Shoto didn’t know whether to pull his eyes from her enticing eyes and force them back to the yellowing pages or hold her gaze. He let her stare him down.When did she become so intimidating?She was really pretty, too.Y/n laughed and looked away, leaving him with the book to slip back into her room and root around her bookshelves.“Anyway!” She chuckled. “I wanted to recommend a few books to you. I picked up a few other cool books from various genres from the local library- sorry if they’re bad choices, all I know about your literary tastes is that you like the Art of War.”She pulled three books into her hands and frowned as he set down the album and followed her. “Where is the- Shoto, can you check my top dresser drawer? I might have left it in there.”“Sure.” Shoto stood up, opening the drawer and pushing sweaters out of the way until he found a book titled ‘The Lunar Chronicles’.He picked it up, turning it over in his hands, then noticed something underneath it. A picture of Y/n and a strange man, smiling and laughing in front of a sky backdrop. Shoto picked it up.“Hey, Y/n.”“Yeah? Ow-” Y/n banged her head on the underside of her bed before scooting out underneath it, picking pieces of lint off of her shirt. “Did you find it?”“Yeah. I saw this, though. Did you want it back in your photo album, or-”Y/n’s eyes widened, her hand snatching the paper out of Shoto’s before he could even blink.“Don’t look at that!” She yelped, shoving it back, deep in her drawer, and slamming it behind her. Shoto watched her.“I- I’m sorry, I thought-”“It’s fine.” Y/n shook her head. “Forget it.”“I’m sorry.” Shoto flinched inwardly. He messed up. Again.The look must have shown on his face, because Y/n set a hand on his arm, sighing softly, “Shoto, it’s okay. I just… forgot that was in there. It’s a picture of my dad.”“Your dad?”“Yeah. Divorced my mom just before I turned six and gave up full custody without a fight.” Y/n shakes her head, trying to bring a more lighthearted tone back into her voice. “It’s okay, though. I didn’t know him all that well.”“Oh.”“It’s fine, Shoto.” Y/n smiled again. “Seriously. I’d rather have just Mom over him, anyway.”Her smile was pretty. Really, really pretty.Wait a minute.“Okay. So,” Shoto flipped the book in his hands and ran a finger down the summary. “What is this about, anyway?”“It’s absolutely incredible! It’s a futuristic fantasy- type novel about…”“Bye, Y/n. Thanks for having me.”“It’s my pleasure! We should do it more often!” Y/n threw her arms around Shoto’s shoulders as the bus swayed to a stop. “See you tomorrow at school!”“See you then.” Shoto waved and boarded the bus, watching as Y/n grinned, turning back to walk to her apartment.Shoto sat down, burying his face in his hands. It made sense, didn’t it? The butterflies, the constant excitement to spend time with her, the blushing.
I shut the door to my apartment, sliding down against the cold wood. It made sense, now. The butterflies, the constant desire to hang out with him, the blushing.I had a crush on Shoto Todoroki. He had a crush on Y/n L/n.
Oh stars.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Where did you get all of these stuffed animals?” Shoto asked, running his hand over the population of plushies on my bed. I had invited him over again for the weekend, since Mom had to cancel our weekend plans to pick up an unexpected shift.“Some of them are just old childhood memories that I will never ever ever get rid of.” I shugged, picking up a tiny, frayed pink bear from the seat of honor in the middle of the spread. “Meet Bear. Absolute veteran in the stuffed-animal business, love of my life, my closest friend since the day I was born. Literally.” I carefully set him down, before choosing another. “And some of them are from old friends, a few from my mother, a few I picked up here and there from garage sales and the bowling alley, and some of them, I don’t even know where they came from.” I showed Shoto a large brown squirrel, unearthing her from between the wall and my bedframe. “This is Twiggy! Got her from Build-a-Bear on my seventh birthday.”“Build-a-Bear?”I tilted my head at him. “It’s…probably a safe bet that you don’t have any stuffed animals, right?”Shoto looked at the squirrel in my arms, and carefully lifted a hand to pet its head.“This is..soft.” His eyes flicked up to mine, and he cleared his throat. “Uh, yes. I mean, no. I don’t have any stuffed animals.” His eyes shifted back down to Twiggy. “I’ve heard about Build-a-Bear, though. Don’t they have stuff where you can choose the skin?”I nodded. “They do! And then there’s the heart thing, and choose accessories..” I paused for a moment, then set down Twiggy. “Go get your shoes.”“Get my…Y/n, what are you thinking?”I pushed him through my bedroom doorway. “Get your shoes! Gimmie a moment.” I closed the door and set to work scouring my room for cash. Estimating it would be about….maybe under 8,000 yen? Bah. Maybe Shoto could pay for a little bit of it. Just a little bit, though. This boy was getting his own plushie, and there was no stopping it.I collected every coin I had and counted them up. I had… 4,522 yen. Hm. Maybe Shoto would have to pay partial custody after all.I stuffed all of it into Hammerspace and opened my bedroom door, looking for Shoto. He stood by the door, looking through the photo album again.“Ready?” I asked, grabbing my own shoes and shoving them on. Shoto closed the photo album and set it down on the table.“Yes,” Shoto said, grabbing my shoulder with one hand as I swayed, trying to keep my balance with one foot off the floor. “Careful.”“Mhm!” I finally crammed both shoes onto my feet and opened the door. “You ready for this? Which way to the mall?”“Let me guess. You want to go to Build-a-Bear?”I nodded eagerly. “You know it! Everyone deserves a plushie. Especially one with special memories. And I’m going to deck your dad next time I see him, assuming it’s his fault you don’t have any fuzzy friends?”Shoto smiled a little. “It wasn’t like I’ve always wanted one and he wouldn’t let me get any, Y/n. I just never had one. It’s not a hate crime.”“Hate crime.” I ignored him, grabbing his hand and tugging him along to the bus stop. “Can you search up what time they close today?”Shoto pulled his phone from his pocket. “They close in two hours.”“And the next bus won’t be here until…another 45 minutes.” I swiped through Hammerspace and came out with two pairs of rollerblades- hot pink and sparkly (I hated them, but I got them on discount and they were good shoes that fit me) and a plain black pair, too big for me to wear comfortably. I kept them around anyway for emergencies. “And the mall is a fifty minute walk away, right?”Shoto nodded, still looking through the GPS app. “Right. It would take twenty minutes by bus, depending on the traffic-“ he looked up and noticed the items in my hand.“How long by rollerblading?” I asked him. Shoto turned off his phone and pocketed it. “Doesn’t say.”“Well, let’s find out!” I plopped down on the bench and pulled off my shoes, dropping them into Hammerspace. “Have you ever rollerbladed, Shoto?”“No.”I tied my shoelaces and stood up, throwing him a pair.“I could always call an Uber, Y/n.”“I mean, if you really want to.”Shoto looked down at the roller blades, then back up at me. He sighed, cracking a smile. “At least put on a helmet, Y/n.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Don’t worry, we can Uber back. This is gonna be fun!”“Nice hair, Shoto!” I tugged my rollerblades off on the pavement, admiring Shoto’s extremely wind blown hair. He felt it, then pushed it back in an attempt to fix it.“Thanks.” He chuckled- stars, his laugh is amazing- sitting down on the curb and tugging his rollerblades off. He’s a fast learner- it only took him about ten minutes to get the form and rhythm down. Although that crash with the light pole would be forever branded into my memory. Normal shoes back on, I hopped up and giggled at the flyaway strands he’d missed. “Great! More time for Build-a-Bear.”He followed without resistance, and we came to a stop by the mall map.“To the left, one turn,” I muttered, then continued pulling him along. The smooth floors would’ve been so much fun to roller skate on. And there was less danger of being run over.Maybe I should invest in heely shoes.When we got to the Build-a-Bear shop, Shoto blinked at the glowing lights and skin bins awaiting. “Are we both getting one?”“Nope! This is just for you!” I led him inside of the sparsely populated shop and turned to the first step: picking out what kind of animal plushie to get. Bears, frogs, axolotls, rabbits, etc., all in different colors and with different suggested outfits.“Any ideas of what you want, Shoto?”Shoto shook his head, heterochromatic eyes roaming the skin bins. “You can choose for me.”“Hm.” I considered the possibilities. “What about……” I reached down and picked up a deflated, bright red-and orange bird. Was this a….?It was.I thought about Shoto using his fire during the sports festival, and the Hero Killer fight.“Shoto.”He turned to me, and I held up the skin, grinning. “How about a phoenix?”Shoto stepped closer, and ran his fingers over the soft, fuzzy bird.“A phoenix.” He smiled down at the bird, examining the bright blue eyes and impulsively bringing a hand up to his scar. “Are you trying to be metaphorical, Y/n?”“Maybe a little.”Shoto nodded. “Let’s get her.”“Alright, then! Next…the Hear Me part!” I marched over to the audio station, already considering what to do for this bit.“Hear me?” Shoto surveyed the giant screen, holding the phoenix in his arms like he wanted to keep her comfortable. “I…what’s this?”“Hmmm…” I considered all the different things that we could record in the plushie’s hand-well, wing- button. Today was a sappy day. Sappy day calls for a sappy message.“Okay, go wait outside,” I said, taking the skin from Shoto and shooing him away towards the doors. He looked confused. “Huh?”“You’ll see later.” I pushed his shoulder. “Go….I dunno, get yourself a snack. OOH! Auntie Annies. Go get some pretzels or something.”Shoto’s eyes darted from me to the phoenix, but he shrugged and left the store, disappearing around the corner.“Okay,” I mumbled, getting out my flip phone and assembling the plan for this in mind.….wait…. “Shoto!”Shoto turned around, still puzzled over what Y/n was doing in the store that she didn’t want him there for. Was she done already?Y/n was waving, half inside and half outside the store, waving at him with her free arm. He walked back to her.“That was fast-““No,” Y/n grinned sheepishly. “I need your phone.”Shoto pulled out his phone and unlocked it. “…why?”“You’ll find out later.”Shoto offered her his phone, and she took it and went back into the store.Whatever she was doing…might take a little longer than he originally thought. I opened Shoto’s contacts, having seen before how to establish a group call on a non-flip phone. I flicked around his contacts, and got a little distracted seeing…mine.The profile picture was a selfie from our ice cream outing, a shot of both of us laughing hard. I had ice cream on my nose.Huh.Shaking off the massive, stupid grin that had appeared on my face, I sent out a group facetime invite to the ‘Dekusquad’ (thanks to Ochaco for the name. Midoriya didn’t know about it yet, but Ochaco promised I would be there when she used the term in front of him)“Todoroki?” Midoriya picked up first. “Is everything all right?”“Todoroki-kun?” Ochaco seconded.“No, Shoto’s not here, it’s Y/n-““Todoroki! Is this an emergency, because if so-““Ribbit-““No, wait, guys-“ I laughed a little. “This is Y/n calling from Shoto’s phone. I need you guys to help me record something- when I say go, you take turns saying what you like about Shoto. Don’t ask why.“Ochaco squealed. “Awee! Wait, are you at Build-a-Bear? I went there once when I was younger!”“You’re doing one of those recorded messages things,” Tsu tilted her head, a faint smirk on her face, “aren’t you, Y/n?”“I- Yes, I am.”“That’s very sweet of you!” Iida smiled, waving around the arm not holding his phone. “Words of affirmation are an excellent way to show a friend they are loved!”“That’s a great idea, L/n-chan.” Midoriya giggled. “Let’s do it, guys!” Shoto hummed to himself as Y/n conducted her mysterious business inside the shop. It had been almost five minutes now. Maybe she was serious about him getting snacks during his exile. There was a boba shop over there-“Shoto!”Y/n was again waving to him from inside the store entrance. And she was beaming.“Are you done now?” Shoto asked as she held out his phone.“Mhm! Here.” She hooked his arm through hers and pulled him back inside the store. Shoto blushed. She was so flippant with the physical contact she made.Holding the stuffed animal skin and something else he couldn’t see, Y/n took him over to a massive spinning cotton machine, the purpose of which was completely beyond him. “What is this?”Y/n handed the skin of the phoenix to the employee sitting by the machine, and once her left hand was free, she used it to cover Shoto’s eyes.“Y/n, what- what are you doing?” I didn’t respond, only braced myself as I watched the stuffing spout go right up where the sun didn’t shine on the poor phoenix.When that was done, the employee gave our newly stuffed plushie back, and I uncovered Shoto’s eyes.“Why did-“ Shoto stopped as I placed the phoenix into his arms. He stared at it, then carefully squeezed its sides.“Give it a hug test to make sure it’s stuffed right, then we’ll stitch ‘em up,” the employee smiled.Shoto nodded and slowly hugged the phoenix. I could almost see his eyes sparkling. “It’s cute.”“Good?” I asked him. He nodded, his face pressed to the top of the bird’s head.“Alright, time to stitch her up, then!”The employee took the phoenix back, and Shoto watched with wide eyes as they inserted the little heart with the voice recording inside of the orange creature. Then they stitched the…area of stuffing injection…and handed her back.“Got any ideas for a name?” I asked Shoto, examining the rows of accessories around the back of the store. “Or any accessories for her?”Shoto shrugged. “We name her now?”“We come up with a name, and get the ‘birth’ certificate over there.” I pointed out some big screens at Station 7, Name Me. “And accessorize, if…”Shoto noticed my hesitation. “If?”I licked my lips and opened Hammerspace. “I…don’t have enough for any accessories, I’m not exactly sure if-““You want to pay for this?” Shoto blinked, suddenly looking awkward. “You don’t have to do that, I’ve got it.”“Yeah, but I’m getting her for you!”Shoto’s cheeks turned slightly red, but he shook his head and looked over the stuffed bird and the drop-down screen showing the amount of money I had. “How much is it for this one?” He asked, lifting the plushie.“Uhh-““Y/n, seriously, I really, really don’t mind.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “It’s not even a special occasion.”“When’s your birthday?”Shoto paused. “January 11th.”“Well, there you go! Special occasion!”“That was five months ago!”“So?”Shoto sighed, but he was smiling. “Alright. Can we divide the cost?”“Ffffffffffffine.”We haggled in the middle of the Build-a-Bear while looking at accessories until we came to a conclusion: Shoto could pay for the actual plushie, and I’d pay for the voice recording implanted inside, as well as any accessories we picked out. I wouldn’t let him squeeze where the heart was yet.“Listen to it later! So it’ll be a surprise. You’ll like it.”Shoto shook his head. “Alright, fine. I’ll listen to it when I get home, after I’ve gotten this past Endeavor. Now, have you seen any accessories you like that you want.. her to have?”“Still haven’t decided on a name?” I picked up a teal baseball cap. “Mm. You want to give her a hat?”“Green? Are you colorblind?” Shoto asked, covering his bird’s eyes as if to shield her from the bright color.“It’s teal, it’ll go with her eyes.”“No, that’s green, Y/n. I will not condone a blue-eyed phoenix with a green hat. Why does a phoenix need a baseball hat, anyway?”“Why does anybody need a baseball hat? …hmm, I need a baseball hat.”Shoto seemed to be enjoying the banter as much as I was. “See? You agree with me.”“Hey, wait-““Dasha?”Shoto’s eyes flicked to me. “You don’t like it?”I shook my head. “No, I like it! I’m just wondering why you chose it.”Shoto tilted his head, adjusting the blue bucket hat on Dasha’s head. “I just like the way it sounds. No idea what it means.”“Cool! I love it.”Shoto tapped in the date on the Name Me screen, and the name Dasha Todoroki-L/n.“Todoroki-L/n?” I stared at it. What did he-Shoto’s finger hovered over the SUBMIT button. “We’re sharing custody, right? It was your idea to come here, after all.”HOW does he say such adorable things with a straight face?! My heart was just about ready to burst out of my chest.“Okay…submit, then.”A birth certificate was printed out, and I picked it up, resisting the urge to fan my face to get rid of the stupid massive blotch of red covering all my features. “You’re a parent, Shoto!”Shoto rubbed the bird’s beak, grinning. “Mhm.”Shoto pulls out his phone and holds it up, waving me closer. He wraps his arm around me.I think the butterflies in my stomach are going to tear right out of my body.“Say Build-a-Bear.”“That’s too long!” I protested.“No, it’s not.” Shoto’s grin was priceless as he poked me. “Say it, for Dasha.”“What kind of hero are you-“ I cracked up.Shoto took the picture, and even Dasha was smiling beneath her bucket hat.Shoto sat on his bed, feeling for the little heart outline under the cotton skin of the phoenix. Y/n had said he could listen to it when he was alone, and now he was alone, having successfully smuggled the bird up to his room without his father seeing.What could it be that would require his phone to record it? He wondered, pressing on the heart.Immediately, giggles- sounding like Y/n’s- erupted under the skin as the technology vibrated. “Ready? Go!”Then Iida’s unmistakably bossy voice blared, “Todoroki-kun, you are an extremely talented individual!”“You’re brave and kind, and don’t ever change that!” Ochaco cheered next.It’s our friends. The Dekusquad, Shoto thought.“And intelligent and heroic! Ribbit!”“Your power is your own!” Deku’s enthusiastic voice made him smile.“You’re amazing, Shoto! And your dad’s a-“ Y/n called, and he could see her animated smile even as Iida interrupted her with “L/n! Language!”Then everyone was laughing, and Shoto was joining in as the voice recording ended with Y/n calling “We love you, never forget that!”Shoto kept chuckling, and he pressed it again as he picked up his phone to text Y/n and thank her again.
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Shoto was vaguely acquainted with the term ‘crush’. He had heard Kaminari mention it enough that he got the basic gist of it. A quick google search confirmed his suspicions. He had a crush on Y/n.It was what to do about this problem that was the issue.Shoto took a breath as he pushed open the door. “Hey, mom.”“Shoto!” Rei Todoroki looked up, beaming and opening her arms to embrace Shoto, which he quickly did. “How are you doing? I got your last letter!”Shoto smiled. “I’m doing good. A lot has happened, actually. I’ve been meaning to ask you about a few things.”“Oh?” Rei giggled and sat down in her desk chair. Shoto took his seat on the edge of her bed. “Well, by all means! What’s been going on?”“Um.” Shoto pursed his lips. How to phrase this? “Well, I told you about my friend Y/n before, right?”Rei nodded. “Mmm-hmm! How is she doing?”“Really great. We went out yesterday to Build-a-Bear. She got me a stuffed animal.” Shoto sighed. “She’s really amazing. And I really like spending time with her.”Rei just nodded, listening closely.“And, I think… I might want to be in a relationship with her. Romantically. I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea. She’s my best friend. I don’t want to lose her,” Shoto finished, squeezing his wrist. He wasn’t sure where he had picked up the habit- usually he just shoved down any form of anxiousness and kept a straight face. This was easier, he guessed. Less stifling.“You won’t lose her, sweetheart.” Rei smiled, taking his hand in hers and giving it a small squeeze. “If she doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, things will be awkward for a little while. But you’ll both move on and laugh about it one day. And who knows? She might feel the same way.”“Thanks, Mom.” Shoto chuckled. “I really want you to meet her. She’s amazing.”“You should bring her around, sometime.” Rei’s expression lit up. “I would love to meet her. She sounds incredible.”“She… she really is.”“I’m terrified.”“It’s going to be fine.”“What if I say something stupid?”“Everyone says stupid things. Just laugh it off.”Y/n wrung her hands. “Well, um… what is she like so I know what not to say?”“Now, I’m not going to tell you. Be yourself.”“Anyone to ever exist can confirm that that is the worst advice you can ever be given.”“That is… just- that’s not true at all.”“False.”Shoto sighed. “Seriously, Y/n. She’s gonna love you. Everyone does.”“Also false.”Shoto rolled his eyes, approaching the front desk of the mental hospital. “Hi. We’re here to see Todoroki Rei.”“Mmm-hmm. Bringing a guest?”“Yes.”“Alright.” The employee smiled. She looked tired. “If you’ll just sign in here, miss.”Y/n signed her name and contact information, and they were on their way.As they rode the elevator up to the right floor, Shoto asked, “Why are you nervous?”Y/n tugged on the hem of her sleeve. “I..I dunno. I mean, I’m super excited to meet her! And I know she doesn’t really belong here…” she paused. “Still just scared I’ll say the wrong thing, I guess. What are we going to talk about?”“School. Life. Probably a bit about the past, whether we want to or not. Nothing to worry about.” The elevator doors opened before them, and the brightly-lit hallway loomed ahead.“After you,” Shoto said, extending his open hand. Y/n nodded and stepped out.“This room, right?” She asked as they approached. Shoto nodded and knocked twice.“Come in,” his mom’s now more familiar voice called.Shoto smiled and nodded at me one more time before turning the door handle and stepping inside. I followed in his shadow, examining the room. It was clean and minimalist, and overall as white as the hair of the woman sitting on the bed.“Shoto!” The woman, Rei Todoroki, stood from her spot and moved closer, arms open. “And…” her smile grew. “Is this..?”“Yes.” Shoto stepped aside to reveal me a little more, and opened his arms slightly as if to present me. “Y/n, meet my mom. And mom, this is Y/n L/n.”I swallowed and bowed slightly to her, my heart pounding. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Todoroki.”“Call me Rei, dear.”“Oh.” Familiarities already. I wasn’t sure what I expected from Shoto’s mom, but probably not that she’d be so welcoming and excited. “Alright…Rei, then.”Ms. Todoroki- Rei- gave her son a quick side hug as she approached, which Shoto returned without hesitation. He was getting better at hugs. I smiled as Rei stepped past him and took my hand. Her hands were cold, like her son’s.“I’ve heard so much about you. I’m happy to see you.” Her quirk may have been ice, and her eyes were lined, but her smile was warm as a fresh cup of tea. Or soba. Unless it was Shoto’s soba. Weird boy.“Come in,” she said, waving us further into her little space. Shoto and I obliged, and we both hesitated when we realized there was only one chair.“Oh.” Rei stopped when she noticed the reason for our pause. “Well…I could probably ask for another chair-““There’s no need!” I recovered my unreliable brain cells and opened Hammerspace, popping out an unfolding chair. I opened it and set it between the bed and table, by the window, as Rei smiled again.“Ah. Shoto had described your quirk to me- Hammerspace, right?”I nodded. “Yes! It’s very useful in case of furniture shortages.”Shoto took the original chair, and Rei resumed her seat on the bed. “How does it work? I’m sure there’s something Shoto hasn’t told me about.”I glanced at Shoto, who seemed to have become very interested in the grains of wood on the table. Maybe it was the sunlight shining on him from the window, but his face seemed the tiniest bit flushed.“Well-“ I reopened my menu and scrolled through it, showing her my various items- “I can put anything in here, and it’ll stay the same. Living things too, and perishables. So I could put milk in here, for example, and it would never spoil. It’ll just ome out at room temperature, which might be a little weird.” I grinned and pulled out Bagheera. “And the only drawback is that I can feel a tiny percentage of the weight of whatever’s in here.” I offered her the plush, and she lifted a hand from her lap to stroke it.“I understand that’s how you solved the Nomu battle, right? Placing the monster in Hammerspace?”Surprised, I nodded. “Yeah. Felt like giving a piggyback ride to a toddler, really. On top of everything else, it felt a little weird, but it was over pretty quickly.”Rei laughed. “Can something like a flower survive there? Like a potted flower?”“I’ve…never tried it. I imagine, though…”Shoto watched Y/n and his mother chat, smiling at how they both relaxed after less than a minute. They got along well, and the nervous formality melted faster than he ever could have hoped. He hadn’t seen his mother’s face so animated since when he’d first visited.There was the point of his mom referencing how much she already knew about Y/n from what he had told her, thus revealing just how much he’d talked about her, which was…embarrassing…but maybe she wouldn’t notice. Or mind.She really was beautiful, her side profile competing with the sunlight framing it in terms of glowing brightness.“What about you, Shoto?”He blinked. Crap, he’d been caught off-guard. “What?”His mom smiled sideways at him, while Y/n tilted her head. “We asked you if you were excited for the summer camp.”Ah, right. “You’ve asked me that several times before, Y/n.”Y/n grinned back at him. “Well, I can never get a straight answer out of you about that. And besides, now Rei’s here!” Y/n made little jazz hands in front of his mother, making all of them laugh. Shoto remembered him giving her advice to be herself- her telling him how terrible the idea was. Well, it seemed to be working pretty well anyway. And maybe later he should try to talk to her about self-confidence, just a bit. Maybe everyone needed some help with that. “Well… I mean, the quirk training aspect should be good. I’ve been neglecting my fire for so long, it’ll take some work to get it-”“Forget the quirks! Campfires! Party games! Staying up late! Sugar rushes! Snacks! S’mores!” I waved my arms around, grinning. Rei giggled while Shoto furrowed his brow.“S’mores… what are those again?”Rei’s smile dropped, just a little bit. “They’re melted marshmallows, with chocolate and gram crackers.”“Oh.” Shoto, not noticing his mother’s bittersweet smile, let his mouth twitch. “I like the sound of those.”“Shoto’s vote is for s'mores!” I grinned, “My vote is for ghost stories and staying up way too late. That’s always fun.”Rei laughed again. “Take plenty of pictures, you two! I wanna hear all about it!”“Absolutely! My phone isn’t great, just Shoto and several other classmates have good ones that will be awesome for class pics.” My head swiveled between mother and son. “Shoto, we should get a class selfie stick!”Shoto nodded, not seeming to share my excitement. “Yeah, okay. I could get one. Or we could ask Momo.”“Do you remember what those are?”Shoto hesitated before shaking his head.“They’re the sticks you can put your phone into and use it to take selfies from a better angle, right?” Rei offered. I nodded. “Maybe you could help me teach Shoto about modern culture, since he’s not familiar with a lot of it.” I beamed. Rei shook her head.“Oh, dear, I’m afraid I haven’t been caught up with pop culture for quite a while. You’ll have to educate us both, I suppose!”“Hm.” I looked down, thinking. Then I clapped. “Bluey!”Rei furrowed her eyebrows. “I can’t say I’ve heard of it.”Rei hated to admit it, but if she knew that she would set Y/n off on an absolute vent, she would have let Shoto do the talking. Shoto, however, seemed completely unfazed by Y/n’s sudden tangent, leaning his chin on his fist and watching her gesture wildly and bounce in her seat.They lock eyes, and Rei has to stifle a giggle.‘Does this happen often?’ she mouths. Shoto nods.‘More than you might think.’ he whispers back.“It had amazing art and voice acting, they were voiced by real kids, and talented ones too- and I love it so much! And the SYMBOLISM! They have episodes dealing with abandonment, a dad in the army, implied miscarriage, infertility- it’s all amazing! Some of it is really obvious, but some of it is kinda toned down so only adults or older teens get it. Like the one in season three, The Decider! That one made me cry.”“Oh, why is that, dear?” Rei set a hand on her chin, mimicking Shoto. She couldn’t deny, the girl’s passion was contagious.““Well, a lot of them have made me cry, The Decider uses such an eloquent metaphor for divorce and parents separating- imagine this, alright? We can watch it together later-the main characters’ family is watching a sports game with their neighbor’s family, but only the dad and two boys. The mom is watching it alone from their house because she’s cheering for the other team. The older son is definitely sold on the dad’s team, and so he doesn’t understand why the younger brother doesn’t know whether to choose their mom or dad’s team!”Shoto’s expression shifts. “I bet that episode means a lot to you.”“...Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t mean to go crazy there.”She sits down again, and Shoto reaches out for her hand. She blushes. Rei smiles sadly. It wasn’t hard to tell- Y/n must be a divorcee kid.“Well, dear, I would love to see it. Though, I don’t think my TV-”“I have a laptop!” Y/n pulls a laptop out of her inventory, grinning widely. “If you wanna watch it, of course.”“I would be delighted.”“Thank you, Ms. Rei! I had a great time!”Y/n smiles again as she steps out of the door. Rei laughs. “Of course, dear! Visit again soon, alright!”“Alright! I’ll be down in the lobby, Shoto, so take your time!” She skips off.Shoto smiles. “She was so nervous on the way over here, too.”“She makes you very happy, I can tell.” Rei sighs, setting a hand on her son’s shoulder. “Thank you for letting me meet her.”“I’m glad that you did.” Shoto tilts his head. “That’s the whole ‘meeting the parents’ phase over.”“She’s already met-” Shoto wrinkles his nose, and Rei lets the subject drop. “She’s a really good kid, Shoto. And for the topic of your crush?”Shoto stiffens, looking up at her. “Yeah?” His voice is apprehensive. Rei kisses the top of his head.“If she doesn’t feel the same, it’s okay. A friend like that won’t flake out just because things get awkward. Just follow your heart, darling. That’s all you can do.”A day later, Rei found herself scrolling through the long list of 7-minute episodes, wondering whether she really wanted to watch all of these. Shoto’s friend Y/n had gotten so animated (no pun intended) about this show that Rei had checked the TV to see if the mental hospital had it after all. They did.Rei had seen a few in the first season, and while some of these seemed interesting, nothing really caught her eye. Some of them were exactly what their main purpose was: a kids show to entertain young children. But Y/n had been adamant there were many episodes that were more than that. One of the episode names she’d listed caught Rei’s eye.Baby Race? Might as well. If it’s just silly and cute, only 7 minutes wasted.The first few minutes established Bluey’s mom- what was her name again? Corndog? No, Chili- setting up the story. The unspoken, one-sided competitive spirit, the excitement, disappointment.The smooth animation played out the blue toddler’s rolling, bum shuffling, and backwards crawling as the excited, supportive Bandit cheered her on and provided comic relief “this isn’t legal anymore!”. Chili stressed over her development. Trying to take matters into her own hands that couldn’t be controlled.And the bone-deep sense of failure when it eventually ended. The poofy toddler was walking before Bluey. Chili hiding from the mother’s group, cut off from support she needed.But the pink one noticed. And came over. Chili called the poodle Bella, and apologized for the messy house. Wasn’t that relatable, if not the supportive father or concerned friend or morally questionable grandmother.“Are you upset with me that I lost the baby race?” The six-year-old Bluey asked.Rei remembered Shoto on one of his first visits. “I made it worse, though, looking like him. Does it still bother you?” And turning his chair so his left side was more visible then his right.“No, sweetie.” The mother pulled her daughter closer into a hug.Rei blinked a little more than she typically did, though she didn’t notice. She was too invested in the show. Y/n was right, it really was layered.“I just…felt like I was doing everything wrong.”Hadn’t there been days under Endeavor’s roof where she felt like neither her nor Enji could parent right? Him focused on the wrong things, her not being strong enough to help redirect to the right things.Shoto was only five when he was forced into training…and Touya was only 13 when he died. She’d already been put in here by then. Too far away to even attempt helping. Her first born…The poodle friend, Bella, pulled out a photograph. She’d had nine kids, surprising Chili.“Wow. You must’ve learned a thing or two.”“I have. And there’s something you need to know.”“What?”And then the perspective shifted to Chili’s view. And there was a clear, perfect shot of Bella saying in a soft voice, “You’re doing great.”Rei’s heart sank and filled at the same time, like a drowning person’s lungs, as Chili straightened and elegant, quiet orchestral background music began to highlight the moment. You’re doing great. She was doing great? She was trying so hard to reconnect with Shoto, and Fuyumi and Natsuo. So many years of not being there or not being strong or brave enough couldn’t be helped, but could it be possible she was doing enough now?She wiped at her eyes, and wished she could give the pink cartoon poodle a hug along with Chili.The moment didn’t last long enough, cutting to present Chili sniffling and wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Did she have one of those? She might need one, at this rate.The younger daughter asked her mother, “Are those happy tears, mum?”“Yeah. Happy tears, honey.”There was a knock on the door, and Rei paused the ending where the toddler Bluey finally learned to walk. She scrubbed her face with her palm, took a deep breath, and asked, “Who is it?” The door opened, Shoto stepping gingerly into the room.“It’s Shoto, mom. Sorry for the surprise visit, I-“Shoto’s words melted on his tongue as Rei opened the door and he saw her. “Mom, are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”Rei reached over the door threshold and pulled her son into her arms. “I’m alright, honey.”Shoto returned her embrace. “…alright.” He stepped into her room upon being released, looking at the TV. “I thought I heard music-oh.”“Oh?” Rei closed the door. “Have you seen this episode?”Shoto looked over the screenshot of an overjoyed Chili and tiny blue paws. “Yes, I saw it last night, actually. I’ve been watching Bluey with Y/n. She says it’s relaxing after a long day, even when she cries over certain episodes like this one.” He smiled at her. “I see it got you too.”She nodded slightly. “Yes. It did. I think I understand what Y/n was talking about, now.”Shoto stepped closer to her and pulled her back in for another hug. “Listen to the poodle, mom.”Rei laughed and returned the embrace. “Alright.”
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“He’s- I want- Ochaco, how do I tell him? I keep acting like everything is normal but I’m dying inside!”While everyone else was panicking about finals coming up, I was taking the opportunity to let out my newfound crush panic out on Ochaco. “We still hang out and laugh and crap but now I feel like I’m going to explode every time we brush hands! Why do crush symptoms get so much worse AFTER the crush is realized?! Why can’t it get better?!”Ochaco patted my arm sympathetically. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”“You have a crush on Midoriya, don’t you? How do you deal with it?”“U-uh, crush, what crush?”I rolled my eyes. “You’re a bad liar.”“I know.” Ochaco sighed, resting her cheek on her fist. “...I guess I just suppress it most of the time.”“But I don’t want to suppress it! I love it when he smiles and I adore his laugh and I love going places with him and-”“You do know that you’re the only one who he does that stuff with, right?” Ochaco giggled. “He barely talks to most of the class. You’ve even had him over to your house.”“So? We’re friends.”“Y/n, you’re way more than friends.”“Best friends, then. If I ask for more I can ruin everything!”“Nothing will be ruined.”The bell rang. Ochaco and I waited for Miroriya, Iida, and Shoto to catch up, switching the conversation to the topic of the practical tests as we sat down with our lunches. Shoto was quiet as he ate, just listening in on the conversation.“Personally, I’m not too worried about the tests. Sure, it's mostly guesswork for me with quadratic functions, but English is a breeze thanks to Mom.”“What about your mom?” Hagakure, who was sitting at a conjoining table and apparently listening, questioned.“She wanted a bilingual household. I speak a lot of English.” I smiled, remembering Mom attempting to teach tiny, six year old me her own clumsy English. I think she was still taking lessons back then.“So that’s why you’re so good at it! I thought I was just falling behind!”I chuckled. “Yeah. The practical exam is what I’m worried about, really.”“On top of our physical studies, we have to keep in tip-top physical shape to- OUCH!” Midoriya’s mumbling was cut off by a sharp elbow to the back of the head.That blonde kid from class 1-B giggled. “Ah, sorry. My tray just couldn’t get around that big head of yours.”I leapt to my feet, shoving my chair away as I pointed wildly. “Say that again, I fricking dare you.”“Oh, what are you going to do to me, miss high-and-mighty? I heard you all ran into the Hero Killer- was the sports festival not enough?”“Oh, like we asked to run into a murderous serial killer. Bold of you to assume we have a death wish. You must, though, purposefully pissing me off.”“Oh, if that’s the case-”Class 1-B’s representative, Kendo, walked over and smacked him over the back of the head.“Sorry about him.”Iida blinked, staring down at her enlarged hand and Monoma’s slumping form in half-admiration, half disapproval. “Y- While I appreciate you handling that, perhaps you can do it less violently? It’s very unbecoming of a hero student to act in such a way!”I stared at him. Hypocrite. “Hosu incident, Iida.”“Ah-” Iida paled and bowed his head to Kendo. “My apologies. I’m sure you know how to handle your classmates.”“No problem.” She laughed, waving a hand.“Thanks, Kendo-chan.” I sighed, pulling a plastic bag out of my inventory and throwing it to Shoto. “We’ve got one of those as well. Shoto, can you fill that with ice and give it to Midoriya for his head?”“Sure.”“I- I’m fine, really.” Midoriya blushed. Kendo leaned over and picked up the semi-unconscious Monoma off of the floor by the back of his shirt. “I overheard you guys talking about the practical exam. Between you and me, I heard that it’s a battle against robots, like the ones in the entrance exam.”Midoriya immediately took to mumbling.I chuckled. “Really? Thanks so much for telling us!”“No problem! I know an older student who told me. Just passing the knowledge along!” Kendo grinned, dragging a whining Monoma back to their table.I sighed. “Well, that makes things harder for me.”“Same here,” Hagakure groaned. “There’s that hidden switch on most of them that turns them off- that was the only way I got in.”“Ooh, I’ll be sure to use that. Wait, Midoriya, you’ve probably got a page on those bots, right?”“Yep! Just let me find it!”“Yoooo, Todoroki!” Kaminari called, throwing his arm around Shoto’s shoulder and stopping him from walking out of the room. “Be a bro and lend me your English notes from last week, will ya? I fell asleep a lot that week and I need to cram ASAP.”Shoto glanced at the door, then blinked at Kaminari. “I was about to swap notes with Y/n, so we could learn anything we’d missed and compare tomorrow before the test.”“Yeah? And where’s she going?” Kaminari squeezed Shoto’s shoulder tighter. “Come on, Y/n has her own notes!”“She’s going to a meeting with the support course to discuss alterations with her hero costume.”“So she won’t miss it!”“How much sleep do you get, for you to be falling asleep in class?”“Irrelevant- Come on, seriously, I don’t want to fail out of U.A.”Shoto sighed. “Fine. I guess I can text her.”“Thanks man.” Kaminari sighed too, but with relief. “I totally owe you one.”“Get more sleep and we’re even.”“Denied.”Shoto rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, opening his texts and tapping on Y/n’s picture.“Wait-” Kaminari lunged forward, nearly knocking the phone out of Shoto’s hands. “You put hearts in L/n’s contact name?!”“Yes?”“You put hearts in L/n’s contact name?!” Sero shouted, practically jumping on Kaminari to get a look. “Aweeeee! That’s so cute!”“Of course IcyHot would put hearts with Pocket’s name, he’s been crushing on her since the sports festival, dumbass.” Bakugou rolled his eyes, pushing past the growing group of boys crowding around his phone. Shoto held it closer to his chest, fighting back a blush. He had no idea what had inspired him to use never-used-before heart emojis for her contact name, and he was starting to regret it.“Um.”“Dude! You totally do, don’t you?” Sero laughed. “You should tell her!”“I-”“Yeah!” Kirishima joined in, throwing himself on Shoto’s other side.“She is quite the companion to you,” Tokoyami nodded. “I have no doubt that she returns your feelings.”“We’re just friends.” Shoto shook his head, shoving his phone in his pocket.“Not really. Hagakure and I are ‘just friends’.” Ojiro chuckled. “Trust me, anyone can notice the differences between the way we interact with each other versus you and L/n.”Shoto blushed, shoving Sero and Kaminari off of his shoulder, rifling through his bag for his English notes. “You..really think so?”“We know so!” Aoyama laughed. “It’s quite impressive how much her eyes sparkle when she’s with you. It practically outshines my own!”“I would die to have L/n play with me the way she acts with you…” Mineta moaned, before getting whacked hard over the head by Ojiro while Shoto contemplated freezing him to the floor for eternity for putting that disgusting idea into words.Shoto found his English notes and held them out to Kaminari. “I’d have to think about it. I don’t want to force her into anything she’s not comfortable with.”“A virtue,” Tokoyami sighed, sending Dark Shadow to pick up Mineta and dump him in his seat, “that this detestable boy should care to learn.”Mina looked up from her notes. “Yeah, of course he likes you.”“He does not.”Ochaco dropped her bag by her seat. “He likes you.”“He does not.”Momo giggled into her hand. “Does too.”“Does NOT.”Jirou spun an earphone jack around her finger. “Does too.”“Does not!”“He’s coming,” Tsu ribbited.“Does- wait, frick-”I sat down in my seat, trying to force the blush off of my face as Shoto walked into the room and took his seat next to me.“Um- hey!”“Hey. Ready for the test today?”“I was either born ready or I’m gonna speedrun failing out of school.”Shoto chuckled. “Let’s hope it’s the former.”“Lezzgo.”Aizawa trudged into the room, ushering in the rest of our classmates, carefully cradling a precious mug of coffee. “Usually I would be asleep during this, but in recent years my trust in my students not to cheat has shrunken significantly.” All eyes turned to stare at Denki and Mineta. “So, regrettably, I will be awake and ready to expel anyone who even so much as glances at another student’s paper. Understood?”The class nodded.“Good. Here’s your test. Bubble in the letters on the scantron. Written response questions will be graded by myself. Kaminari, Mineta, Ashido, do care to make your handwriting legible.”Aizawa passed back the papers, and Ochaco leaned in close to me, whispering in my ear, “Does too.”“Are you trying to meet GOD-”“L/n, shut it. Begin.”
I should tell him.
The thought pounded in my head from the minute I finished my last test.
I should tell him.
I ate dinner in front of the TV, watching old American cartoons and worrying about the Practical Exam.
I should tell him.
Worrying didn’t work, I was still thinking about Shoto as I cleaned up my plate and washed up the dishes, focusing on the plates until my hands were red from the heat of the water. I went to bed early and woke up early, getting ready and packing a healthy lunch.
I should tell him.
Even if he doesn’t like me back, it’s not going to ruin our friendship, right? I mean, Mina and Toru are always talking about how attractive he is, and he doesn’t seem to mind at all. I could confess and in the worst case scenario he says no.
I hopped on the bus. Ochaco sat next to me, going over battle tactics that diverted my attention nicely.
I should tell him.
I fumbled with my costume zipper, pulling it up and tugging strands of hair out of the clasp. My helmet slid down smoothly over my head with a good thwack of my fist, and I turned on the visor’s screen by double tapping a button on the inside rim. The database lit up, reading statistics on the room temperature, an immediate count of the number of people in the room, a measurement blood amount and blood pressure, my heart rate, my coordinates, and a few other useful gimmicks, all thanks to Hatsume.“I should tell him.” I said out loud to the changing room at large. Completely at random, but everyone seemed to understand anyway, for better or for worse.“Shoot your shot, what’s the worst that can happen?” Jirou shrugged, pulling on her leather jacket.“I die of embarrassment?”“Nah.”“I think I’m gonna do it.”“More power to you!” Ochaco grinned.I bit my lip. “Any advice, you guys?”“Tell him outright,” Momo said, adjusting the shoulders of her costume. She pulled them closer, bridging the chest-revealing gap for a moment before the fabric snapped back into place. She sighed, giving up and glancing back at me. “Look him in the eyes and tell him how you feel.”“No beating around the bush, either.” Tsu added. “It’ll just make things more complicated.”“Right…..and…….what do I say?”The entire room sighed. “You really are hopeless,” Ochaco summarized.We finished getting ready in tense silence and marched outside, meeting up with the surprising amount of teachers who showed up to give us instructions. At least, I thought they were here to give us instructions. What else could they be here for?Cementoss, Ectoplasm, Thirteen -she works here?- Midnight, President Mic, Power Loader… What was going on?“Let’s begin your practical exam.” Aizawa intoned, “Knowing you guys, you probably asked around and you might think you have a vague idea of how this’ll go.”“Yeah! A robot rumble, like in the entrance exams!” Kaminari pumped his fist.I shifted, glancing around and catching Shoto’s eye, since my helmet’s visor was up. I believe the nervous butterflies and the crush butterflies in my stomach began a turf war right then and there- my fingers started trembling as nervous goosebumps erupted over my skin and my face heated up. The feeling was not unlike having the flu.Bagheera materialized into my hands. Yeah, I really need to tell him.“Not quite!” Nezu burst out of Aizawa’s capture scarf, throwing his little paw to the sky. “Various circumstances have demanded revision to the exam format!”
Where did he come- was he in Mr. Aizawa’s-
Kaminari froze, dread creeping over his expression. I sighed, shaking away thoughts of our principal’s apparent portability. “Called it.”“From now on, we’ll focus on battles against flesh-and-blood opponents. It is critical that our teaching simulates practical experience as closely as possible!” Nezu fixed me with a knowing gaze. “As such, you students will be pairing up and fighting one of the teachers you see here!”My stomach dropped all the way to my toes (no doubt causing very interesting terrain changes for the butterfly turf war).Teachers. We were gonna be fighting pro hero teachers. Pros with years of experience and at least twenty years on all of us. Teachers.I tried to faceplant into Bagheera’s plush. It didn’t work, my helmet got in the way. “We’re all gonna die.”“First, Todoroki and L/n,” Aizawa smirked, “against me.”I looked up. “Oh.”I glanced over at Shoto. He smiled at me.“Next, Midoriya and Bakugou.”My head shot up. “You’re kidding.”He wasn’t kidding.The game was simple. Reach the goal or capture the teachers.Knowing that didn’t exactly help my crushing panic, but oh well.We started off running. The challenge terrain was a suburban setting, which gave us good cover.“Alright. I know Aizawa- I have since I was little. I know how he fights.”“It’s about which one of us he finds first,” Shoto agreed.“I’ll immediately notice if he erases my quirk, because my connection to Hammerspace will be blocked and I won’t be able to feel the weight of the objects in it. He knows that, so you’re gonna have to help keep track of your quirk. Just a few flames should work.”“Right.” He held up his palm, letting a small spark flicker to life. He smirked a little, not meeting my eyes. I melted at the sight. “Once he’s in sight, I’ll draw him away, then you make a run for the escape gate.”“I dunno. Eraserhead is very mobile. He’ll catch up to me too quickly.” I jogged behind him, ignoring the pounding of my heart for the task at hand. Blame it on the adrenaline.“What do you propose we do, then?”“Try to catch him, I guess. Once we find him, I’ll draw his attention while you stay out of sight. Trap him with your ice and tie him down. You have the capture tape, right?”Shoto nodded. I nodded back and continued walking. “I’m surprised they paired us together, though. Isn’t this supposed to be a challenge for us? We’ve worked together before and I know Aizawa’s fighting style like the back of my hand.”“How do you know him so well, anyway?”“Got my mom and I out of a spot of trouble a few years ago. Saw him again at our local cat cafe and we kinda got to know him. I’ve always been a fan- underground heroes are my favorite, and-- Shoto. Your flame!”Shoto looked down at his hand and whipped his head up, dodging out of the way in time to avoid Aizawa’s capture weapon.“Shoto, go!” I pulled out a silver ball from my inventory, running to the left so Aizawa couldn’t keep his eyes on both of us. Shoto dodged around the corner, picking up speed, but Aizawa followed him.Frick. He must have predicted this plan. I dropped the ball back into my inventory and turned the corner, sprinting to catch up with him. If I could catch up with him and-No. If Aizawa’s distracted, I needed to escape.Right?I glanced over my shoulder again. I wanted to follow him. I wanted to help. If Shoto’s in danger, I NEEDED to help.I turned, sprinting in the opposite direction, towards the goal. I don’t think. I just moved. Aizawa’s capture weapon is easily cut to prevent it from being used against him, so I materialized a pocket knife into my hand and keep sprinting, blade kept tightly in my palm so Eraser couldn’t see it.Sure enough, I felt a tight grip wrap around my waist, pulling hard. I fell back, and Aizawa leaped closer- my arm came up, slicing at as much of the weapon as I can reach. It fell away easily and I rolled out of his grip, moving faster. He cancelled my quirk as I ran, throwing his capture weapon at me again. This time, I grabbed it, yanking back just as hard. Aizawa wasn’t expecting this.I didn’t have any kind of plan, none whatsoever, and my impulsive moves were probably ruining any chance Shoto and I had at this.Eraserhead stumbled as I pulled at his weapon and my quirk returned. I grit my teeth as Aizawa cut at his own end of the weapon and it came loose in my grasp. I turned and ran again- where I was, I had no idea. I’d forgotten where the goal is. Two silver balls weighed down my hands, the metal warm in my grip. Aizawa returned to the shadows.
Where am I?
I stopped running and looked around, breathing heavily. I had a nasty feeling that in my panic, I’d managed to get even further from the goal than before. Where-“OW-” I slapped my hand over my mouth, jumping up and down as something sharp went through my shoe. “What the-” I pulled it out. It was black and spiky. Huh. Note to self: Look up more about these later and consider investing in them.I let it fall into my inventory and rounded on the nearby building. Climbing was dangerous, since Aizawa liked to keep to the high ground, but how else was I supposed to figure out where the hell I was supposed to be going?I pulled a pair of suction-cups out of my inventory and latched them to the nearby building, scaling it quickly.Alright, where-“Shoto?”I mean, who else has red and white hair? And was tied up over an electrical line? I suppressed a laugh and jumped down from the roof, moving myself into Hammerspace in order to stop my momentum as I got close to the ground.“Shoto!” Shoto looked down as I danced carefully beneath him around the black spiky-things.“Y/n!”“Hang on, I’ll get you down.” I pulled a broom from my inventory and swept at the black things, clearing a space for him to land. A quick knife thrown at the rope had him falling into my waiting arms.“Thanks.” Shoto looked away as I set him down, twisting his wrists behind him as the fabric loosened. I pulled at it, and it came away. “...we need a new plan, and fast. Before he finds us.”“Hmmmmm. Here, I know where he can’t find us.”“Where?” Shoto blinked. I smirked a little, setting a hand on his shoulder. He vanishes, and I jumped right in along with him.“What-!” Shoto blinked once, twice, three times, then shook his head. “Where-?”“Welcome to Hammerspace.” I grinned, backflipping in the empty, floaty void. “Soundproof, invisible, safe.”“Y/n.” Shoto laughed- ohhhh my god I love his laugh- “This is perfect.”“What? Oh, yeah. Obviously, we can come up with a plan here. How come your ice wasn’t fast enough? I would have thought-”“Forget about my quirk, Y/n.”My turn to blink. “Why? Yours is more powerful. Plus, Aizawa already knows mine, I told you. It’s pretty much useless here, let’s be honest-”“Y/n. Stop counting yourself out.” Shoto flapped himself closer and set a hand on my shoulder, shaking it. “Your quirk is how we’re gonna win this.”“How?”“Look, I have an idea…”I was running again. Breathing hard, footsteps pounding, mumbling to myself. We just had to make it out. Just had to make it out-Aizawa dropped down from the nearby building, whipping his capture cloth at me again. He didn’t bother to cancel my quirk. I dodged out of the way, circling around him. Here we go.I pulled down my drop-down menu, releasing a weight off my shoulders just as I feel my connection severed. Shoto landed far to the left of me, out of Aizawa’s vision, and launched a barrage of ice right for him.I jumped out of the way just in time.We won.“God, I love you.”“What?”Shit-
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Y/n slapped her hands over her mouth so hard it must’ve stung, pulling away from him, face going bright red as her eyes filled with horror. The words took a moment to reach Shoto's brain, and took even longer to register.
'God, I love you.'
"You...""I-""Focus, you two." Aizawa smirked up at him, watching Y/n collapse in internal panic. "L/n, get a grip on your anxiety, please."Y/n nodded and materialized Bagheera into her hands, squishing the little cat firmly in her arms."You did well." Aizawa nodded as Shoto, doing his best to push aside his pounding heart and thoughts about her, began to melt him out of the ice. "L/n, you used your situational awareness and loyalty to combat my strategies, and Todoroki, you worked well with her and cooperated well together in a high-stakes environment, making sure not to let protective instincts or forceful leadership trample your chances. You pass.""Thank you, Mr. Aizawa.""Th-thank you, Mr. Aizawa!"Shoto settled back into the observation room, watching the monitors and attempting to soothe the panic in his chest by watching Momo and Jirou combat President Mic.Jirou used her jacks to produce soundwaves in various directions, to confuse the hero about their direction, while Momo created several flash-bombs and smoke bombs to distract him and cover their escape.Jirou flinched and threw her hands over her ears as Mic sent out another skull-splitting yell over the forested battlegrounds, and Momo pulled a pair of noise-canceling headphones out of her arm, slipping them over Jirou's ears with tender grace. Jirou looked like she was ready to explode on the spot and busied herself with organizing the flash bombs.They were cute together.He wanted something like that.He glanced over his shoulder at the far wall, where he figured Y/n was probably hiding in the girls’ bathroom. She ran away from him once they released Aizawa and left the battle grounds, hyperventilating the entire way. He hadn’t seen her on the way to the observation room.Did she mean it? Did she... Did she really like him?Shoto lifted one hand to his scar, running his fingers over the rough tissue. Surely it was just a slip of the tongue. Better not to get his hopes up.Uraraka entered the observation room then, and he pushed off the wall to join her, too nervous to sit down.“Uraraka, have you seen Y/n? Is she okay?” He asked. “Is she still hyperventilating?”Uraraka shook her head, grinning. “She’s fine. Mina and Toru are with her in the bathroom.”She didn’t offer anything else, and Shoto twisted and knotted his fingers together, like he always saw Y/n do if she didn’t want to bring out Bagheera. “…well…did she say anything?”Uraraka’s grin struggled to be restrained. “Mm-hmm.”She wasn’t going to give him anything else, was she? “Can..I see her?” He asked, even though he wasn’t sure whether he knew what to say if he did. When he did. He could only imagine how their next meeting would go, and he didn’t want to delay it and increase the awkwardness, like after the Hosu incident. He’d hated not talking to her.“Mmmm. I’ll ask her. But we should wait until the finals are done.”“So nobody is distracted?”“Because nobody wants to miss this.”Shoto blanched, releasing his fingers as he remembered most of the boys in 1A dogpiling him about the hearts in Y/n’s contact name on his phone.“…how invested are you guys, with this?”Uraraka reached into her pocket and pulled out several 100 yen coins. “Do you really want to know?”Shoto hesitated. If the stakes were high, it would only increase the pressure on him, and especially Y/n, who tried not to disappoint anybody. Especially the people she loved. “...no. Just…try to keep the exchanges subtle, for stars’ sake.”Ochaco nodded and put the money back in her pocket, wondering when he’d started saying that. Only Y/n ever said ‘for stars’ sake’. He didn’t even seem to realize he’d said it. And the finger twisting… she let her grin take over her face as she left the room again. They’d been spending so much time together, and now it was finally time for these idiots’ ship to sail.Shoto sighed as Uraraka left the room again, and ran his hand through his hair. What was he going to do?He leaned against the back wall, making sure no one would see his screen, and pulled out his phone to scroll to the newly-created family group chat. Obviously, not including Endeavor. Just him, Natsou, Fuyumi, and Mom.
Shoto: guys I need help
Shoto: especially from Yumi and Mom
Shoto: Is anyone free to talk for a minute?
Mom: Always, honey.
Mom: Is everything okay?
Shoto: yeah, but something happened in school
Shoto: I got paired up with Y/n for the final
Best Sis Yumi: I’m here too!
Best Sis Yumi: Something about L/n? spill
Mom: What happened?
Best Sis Yumi: oooh he’s taking a long time to type this is gonna be awesome
Shoto: we passed the practical which involved fighting our teachers so we got Aizawa but after we beat him she just… kinda burst out “god, I love you” and then she slapped her hands over her mouth, and ran away almonds hyperventilating when Mr. Aizawa dismissed us
Mom: Oh, wow!
Mom: Almonds?
Shoto: almost*
Best Sis Yumi: YESSSSS ITS HAPPENED
Best Sis Yumi: so what are you gonna do now
Shoto: that’s what I wanted to ask you guys about!
Mom: Just tell her how you feel. You like her too, don’t you?
Shoto: yeah, but how??? I don’t want to make her feel awkward
Best Sis Yumi: it’s gonna be awkward anyway!
Best Sis Yumi: just invite her somewhere private to talk and just blurt it out
Shoto: I never just blurt stuff out
Best Sis Yumi: soemtkmes you have to!
Best Sis Yumi: you hormonal children
Mom: Fuyumi, be nice.
Best Sis Yumi: I am!
Mom: Anyway, Shoto, Yumi is right. If you both like each other, it’ll turn out fine. She might be nervous because she doesn’t know for sure you like her back, so it’s best not to keep her in suspense.
Best Sis Yumi: yeah, end the suffering
Shoto: okay
Shoto: thank you
Shoto: I still feel incredibly underprepared though
Best Sis Yumi: you’ll be fine bro
NATSUBRO: I’m here! Sorry just got out of class
NATSUBRO: whatd i miss
Best Sis Yumi: just scroll up and read
NATSUBRO: who is Y/n???
NATSUBRO: Sho you have a crush??? How did i not know this???
Best Sis Yumi: lol
NATSUBRO: nobody ever tells me anything
Mom: You’re always busy with classes and homework, Natsuo.
NATSUBRO: >:(
Best Sis Yumi: i think Shoto left
Shoto: I still have time to chat
NATSUBRO: you need advice on how to tell a girl you like her???
Shoto: not from you
Best Sis Yumi: 💀
NATSUBRO: SHOTO HOW COULD YOU
Best Sis Yumi: Natsu, respectfully, you are so gay, how would you know how to talk to girls
Shoto: wait what
Shoto: Natsuo you’re gay???
Best Sis Yumi: Duh
Mom: Oh, I didn’t know that either.
Best Sis Yumi: …wait-
NATSUBRO: YUMIII I HADNT TOLD THEM THAT YET
Best Sis Yumi: oh
Best Sis Yumi: well you should have done it faster ig
NATSUBRO: forget it forget it, we’re talking about Shoe’s romantic issues rn
Mom: Shoes? You mean Shoto’s?
NATSUBRO: autocorrect
Mom: Ah.
Best Sis Yumi: we can talk about Shoto’s broken gaydar later but for now we need to help him get the girl without bursting into flame or whatever it is people with fire quirks do in these situations
NATSUBRO: ???? We grew up with three?
Shoto: actually I gtg, my phones gonna die
Best Sis Yumi: text later and tell us how it goes!!!
Mom: What does gtg mean?
NATSUBRO: gtg is got to go for text-speak
Mom: Oh! Talk to you later, Shoto! And you too, Fuyumi and Natsuo!
Shoto: bye
Best Sis Yumi: byeeee
NATSUBRO: still can’t believe you outed me, Yumi
NATSUBRO: i had confetti cannons and everything for the big reveal
Best Sis Yumi: L
Shoto shut his phone off before the battery could die, considering asking Denki to charge it, but remembering that time Y/n had voiced her worries about if Denki ever felt like everyone just wanted to use him to charge electronics and personal gain, so he slipped it into his pocket. Well, Natsuo was gay, apparently. And Fuyumi knew. One crazy romance-themed revelation at a time, though. He had to focus completely on talking to Y/n about this, or he was going to somehow derail everything.The rest of the day was, as anticipated, tension agony.When everyone’s finals were done, they headed back to the classroom (him and Y/n kept separate by most of the class, seemingly by design, because he was jostled to the left side of the hallway by Kirishima and Kaminari and a massive wall of peers blocked him from even seeing Y/n).“Well, problem children, most of you passed,” Aizawa announced. Everyone cheered… except for most of the Bakusquad. Shoto smiled, feeling like he was sweating bullets in the warm classroom as Aizawa announced that everyone would be allowed to attend the training camp mentioned a few days ago.Y/n was right next to him. Right next to him.Less than a few feet.He wasn’t looking at her.She wasn’t looking at him, either.Maybe she also felt like her head would explode if she did. Knowing her, she probably was feeling like that.He thought about Fuyumi and his mom’s encouragement and advice. Talk to her as soon as possible so ‘end the suffering’, as Yumi put it. What to do, though?
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My head was going to explode if I looked at him. I was sure of it. It would explode, and then gray matter would be everywhere. And he’d be grossed out. He probably was already grossed out. Why hadn’t I been able to keep my mouth shut? And I’d probably just made everything worse by running off. What if it made him think I didn’t mean it? I did. So much. So much it hurt my heart, and my head. Or maybe that was because I wasn’t breathing. Maybe I should’ve been breathing. Or maybe it would be better if I just died of suffocation so I never had to look at him, or explode, or-
A tiny white crane crashed into the side of my desk, effectively drawing me out of my spiraling thoughts as it flopped to the floor. What was-
I heard a short, quiet mutter to my left. Shoto. This was his?
I reached down and carefully snagged it off the ground by its neck, careful not to crush the little bird. It sat on my desk, elegant and slightly rumpled from its failed landing. Little smoothed-out creases, slightly deviant from the main folds, made me wonder how much effort Shoto put into it. Was this meant as an offering? Or token? Of what? Forgiveness? Was this his way of saying he liked me back? Or maybe he wanted to convey that he didn’t, but was still willing to be my friend? What if it wasn’t, though? I was his best friend in this class, and his others were mine as well. If he didn’t like me and distanced himself, would he go back to being antisocial, or would we awkwardly share friends? He would never hate me.
Another paper landed on my desk as I stared at the crane, rubbing its beak. I risked the tiniest glance at Shoto; his left hand was covering the side of his face, head down. I looked at the second paper. No fancy origami; it was folded in a plain square. A note?
I picked it up and unfolded it. In small, familiar handwriting:
Unfold the crane, Y/n. I can refold it later if you want.
I blanched. The crane! I picked it up and slowly undid the careful creases. There was writing in the middle that I hadn’t noticed.
Do you want to meet up after school? Garden on the side of the building?
Rabid butterflies started eating my organs. I tried to refold the crane into its original shape, failing miserably. Then I dared to look fully to my left.
Shoto was watching me and the crane, hand still covering his face but fingers parted, allowing his eye to peek through the top. When our eyes met, both of us blushed and locked gazes with our desks.
I grabbed a pen and my own sticky note.
Absolutely!
Shoto’s long fingers carefully refolded the crane, and he handed it back to me, looking at the origami instead of me- though I did see his eyes dart to mine’s before looking down again.
I shifted on the bench we shared, smiling at the white paper. “Thanks.”
Shoto nodded. “Of course.”
Another pause slowly stretched between us, and I felt like I’d swallowed the paper crane and had it come to life in my stomach. Shoto’s fingers squeezed and twisted together, the tip of his pinky finger turning red, then purple. I wanted to say something, but Shoto had been the one to invite me out here, and he had that look on his face that meant he was very specifically choosing what to say.
“So, um-“ Shoto finally released his suffering pinky and rearranged his hands. “Ah. So-“ he squeezed harder, then just opened his hands. “Before I start, can you...” he gestured something with his hands that, if I looked close enough, were trembling slightly. Probably my imagination. But the tension in his posture and voice clearly wasn’t. He swallowed.
“Can I borrow…Bagheera for this?” He asked finally, the last words leaving him in a rush.
I grinned and fumbled to open Hammerspace, overwhelmed suddenly by the cuteness. He never would have been so open and trusting as to request that a few months ago, would he?
I tapped Bagheera into existence, and Shoto waited for me to offer it to him before gently taking it and settling the plush cat into his lap, stroking its back and watching the sunlight play tricks with the shifting fur. “Thanks. So.” He took a deep breath. “I…you mean what you said, right? In…I mean, during the final?”
Oh god oh god oh god. I took a deep breath as well. Too bad we didn’t have Dasha, so we could’ve both had something to hug out our nerves. I wondered what Shoto was doing with Dasha. I should ask him later. Assuming this went well.
“Yeah. I did.” I pulled my legs up and crossed my legs on the bench, twisting my fingers together, same way Shoto did earlier.
Shoto went very quiet, hands stilling on Bagheera’s back, then slowly moving down the sides and sliding down to the front paws, pinching the nubs and lifting them up and down and side to side, almost like a silly little dance. I smiled, despite the raging war against my immune system and the crane in my stomach.
“So, uh-“ Shoto pinched the nubs- “I..I feel the same way.” He took another deep breath while my lungs stopped working, an unfortunate casualty of the crane war. “I..I really like you, Y/n. You’ve helped me with so many things that I couldn’t possibly list them all, and-“ he cleared his throat. “And I love spending time with you. You always make me smile.” His hands had finally stopped dancing with Bagheera. “So, you..you like me too?”
Meanwhile, in the metaphorical crane v.s. bodily organs war, the stomach had been abandoned as a barren battlefield. The main fighting was now occurring in my brain, causing the other activities to slow considerably. Any good response I had somewhere up in that frontal lobe got stuck in traffic, and my mouth had no material to work with.
My eyes still, fortunately, seemed to work. I noticed Shoto’s fingers start squeezing Bagheera’s paws again. “…Y/n?”
My heart received the information from my eyes that Shoto seemed to be getting nervous again, and started screaming for backups, pumping more blood through to clear the traffic in my head.
And it worked. The mighty battle between my body and the crane was flushed out of my head and down into the tips of my fingers and toes, and I immediately grew jittery, wiggling my hands like I’d taken a few pure shots of caffeine. Or forgotten my ADHD meds. My brain snapped into overtime to figure out something to say. “Y-yeah! I do! I..” I beamed at him, unable to put anything I was feeling into words. My face felt so, so hot. Was I blushing? I was definitely blushing.
Maybe it was alright, because he was blushing too.
“I do really like you, Shoto. I don’t know how long I’ve been crushing on you for, but I realized it…I think a week ago? When you came over and we looked at each other’s baby photos.” I kept playing with my hands, and Shoto noticed, moving Bagheera over to my knee but keeping his hands on its head as he rewarded me with a small grin.
“I think that’s when I realized too.”
We both slowly relaxed as we played with the cat on my knee. His smile was so precious.
“So, um, what now?” Shoto asked, rubbing Bagheera’s head.
I pinched the tail, feeling the plush inside shift around.
“Now…” would be a great time to come up with a response to that. “Do you..want to try dating? No pressure or anything, or course, this is new for both of us, and we’re too young for anything serious, but-y’know, cute things. Hugs and going out for drinks and..basically what we’ve been doing,” I realized. “We would just…know how much we like each other.”
Shoto’s smile grew even wider. “That sounds amazing.” He let go of Bagheera and carefully took my hand in his, me still holding Bagheera’s tail. His hand, even though it was his right side, seemed warmer than usual. His face glowed with a small, adorable blush. “D..do I have to actually ask you?”
It took me a second to realize what he meant, but I said, “only if you want to.”
Shoto nodded, and I noticed his free hand pinching his leg. “Okay…L/n Y/n, would you..like to be my girlfriend?”
Even though my brain knew that was what was happening, it still felt like my heart was too small to contain the joy in it at hearing him say the words. I let go of Bagheera and his hand and grabbed him in a tight hug, arms looped around his chest and squeezing like I was trying to crack his rib cage. “Yes! ”
Shoto didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, and as Bagheera tumbled into his lap again from my movement, I heard some faint whispering and a small, stifled, far-off squeal to our right.
I turned my head, but when I didn’t find the source easily, I opted to stay in Shoto’s arms. Shoto lifted his head and stared over me. “Y/n, did you tell Ochaco she could watch us?”
My stomach seized. Maybe I shouldn’t have assumed he would be okay with that, but they were friends too and she had looked so excited- “uh…yeah…”
“Well, I think that was her. She’s peeking around the corner, and being very bad about hiding.”
“Sorry-“
“No, don’t apologize. I did the same with Midoriya, he’s around here somewhere.”
A muffled squeak drew my attention to a green tuft of hair poking out from behind the wall the bench was sitting against, directly opposite Ochaco on the left. “Yeah, there he is.”
Our spies disappeared again, less careful with disguising their whispers now that they knew they’d been spotted by the targets.
“Who are they talking to?”
“Uraraka told me earlier that none of the class wanted to miss..this. Midoriya and Uraraka might be relaying what’s happening to the rest of the class.”
“….can we sneak up on them?”
Shoto snorted. “Absolutely.”
I sprang around the corner, grinning mischievously as every girl in Class 1A was caught red-handed, almost all of them recoiling with surprise.
“It went well?” Tsu asked, recovering first. I nodded. “Really well.”
“What happened?!” Hagakure said, her sleeve waving around.
“Details!” Mina demanded, jumping to shake me roughly by the shoulders. Ochaco stood by and watched, giggling madly.
“OkAY, OKAY, HANG ON-“
Shoto stepped silently past the wall’s edge, staring down every boy in the class, most everyone huddled behind Midoriya, who had his back to Shoto. Every eye zipped to him, most of them nervous or happy or amused. Midoriya didn’t notice.
“And I think he officially asked her, because we all heard her say yes, and then they hugged, I think both of them were smiling-“
“Midoribro,” Kirishima warned, grabbing the broccoli’s shoulder to stop his rambling recap. “Turn around.”
Midoriya stiffened and turned, then jumped a foot in the air. “H-hey Todoroki!” He said, sweating bullets out of nowhere. “I know you said I could come, a-and everyone else wanted to come to, so I thought I’d I just watched and paraphrased what happened, it’d be okay, you’re not mad, right-?”
Shoto took a moment to process what he had said before nodding. “It’s fine, Midoriya. I’m not mad.”
“Well, how’d it go, bro?” Kaminari asked, stepping forward and slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Are we going to have to come up with a couple name? Sho-/n? Y/-to?”
“Talk to Y/n about it. I don’t mind.”
“Great!”
“So are you two dating now?” Sero asked.
“OF COURSE THEY’RE DATING, DUMBASS! THEY’VE BEEN DANCING AROUND EACH OTHER SINCE THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!” Bakugou shouted from the back, and Shoto wondered why he was here.
“Just…c’mon.” Shoto turned and led the grinning boys back into the garden-courtyard, meeting up with Y/n and the girls of Class 1A. Y/n looked so happy, beaming like someone had traded her the moon for a nickel and the sun for a dime.
“So, everyone was really here, huh?” I asked, laughing as I counted heads. Everyone from Iida to Bakugou was here.
“Privacy is an illusion,” Tokoyami agreed.
“Alrighty then!”
“Well??! Is there something you would like to share with the class??” Mina squealed.
Shoto smiled and took my hand again. “I’ll let you say it, Y/n.”
My cheeks were starting to hurt with how hard I was smiling. “Shoto and I are dating!”
Nearly every girl in the class screamed in unison and lunged for a group hug- Jirou hastily put the soundproof headphones Momo had made for her earlier in the finals on over her ears, then joined in on the excitement. The guys in the Bakusquad started shouting and rushed Shoto, almost knocking him over as our hands separated and Shoto disappeared into the mob, eyes wide and chuckling. Bakugou yelled angrily for Denki to “LET GO OF ME, I DON’T CARE THAT ICYHOT FINALLY GOT OVER HIMSELF”.
The excitement lasted for several minutes, stopping only when Iida noticed Mineta almost getting trampled by the bouncing Bakusquad. He grabbed the grape child’s collar and tugged him out of harm’s way. “Mineta! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine! Todoroki, I have a question,” Mineta called. Shoto finally detangled himself from the herd and called without checking to see who had spoken, “What is it?”
“Will Y/n let you touch her boobs now that you guys are dating?”
Everything stopped, and everyone seemed to groan in unison. Iida dropped Mineta to the ground as if suddenly disgusted to touch him.
Everyone glared at Mineta, especially Shoto and I.
“Absolutely not. We’re 15,” Shoto bit out as I retorted “Get some therapy before I get a taser!”
Mineta sighed, then started screaming as the girls of Class 1A gave Mineta a swift beatdown and then resumed partying. I turned to look at Shoto. He was still frowning, and blushing, apparently from the very idea of him touching my chest being put into words and those words having to be heard by his innocent ears. His left side was smoldering and smoking enough to make Sero cough and step back, and Denki slipped on a patch of ice on the ground.
“A taser isn’t a bad idea, now that I think about it.” Shoto tilted his head. “Maybe I should ask around to see who wants one. Except Mineta.”
“How much do they cost, do you think?”
Shoto waved off the question. “I’m sure Endeavor would be more than happy to unknowingly buy self-defense equipment for hero students.”
I grinned. “Alright, then. Forget about that.” I looked around at the impromptu party and wondered if I had enough snacks to feed them if we were gonna have an actual party.
“Hey..” Shoto pulled his phone out. “Can we…take a selfie to send to my mom and siblings? I kinda told them about this during the finals, asking for advice, and they’re all waiting for an update…”
“Heck yeah!”
I pulled him in for another hug and laid my head on his shoulder, and he held up the phone to take a picture.
There was a bit of awkward shuffling so we weren’t squinting into the sun, but Shoto’s soft smile seemed almost as bright.
Shoto: (attachment sent)
Best Sis Yumi: It worked???
Mom: You two need to come back to visit and tell me everything!
NATSUBRO: little bro has a girlfriend! 🎉 🎈 🎊 🥳
Best Sis Yumi: knew you could do it!
Shoto: thanks Yumi
Shoto: Mom, Y/n’s been asking when we can visit you again, so it’ll probably be soon
Shoto: Y/n says hi to all of you guys
Mom: ❤️
NATSUBRO: hey look at that, Mom’s first emoji! More reason to celebrate, we should throw a party
Shoto: Class 1A is already throwing a party over this, surprisingly
Shoto: (attachment sent)
Best Sis Yumi: you guys look like your having fun
Mom: Who is the kid with purple hair bleeding on the ground?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So, it’s illegal to carry a taser.” I blinked. “What?”We sat on a bench a bit away from the actual ‘ship party’, as Mina had dubbed it. Mineta was banned for his question, but nobody’s spirits seemed dampened. Once he’d been sent away to Recovery Girl with a very bloody face, a black eye, and maybeeeee a broken nose, I’d brought out some snacks I had stored in Hammerspace- just enough for a mini-party. Mina also had enough to share in her backpack, as did Satou. Then we started to get real creative when someone suggested the idea of popsicles. Yaoyorozu created some wooden sticks. I brought out a bottle of water flavoring and a small cup. Shoto held the cup with his right hand and Momo created water to pour into it, I mixed in some water flavoring, Shoto froze it - boom, instant popsicle. Shoto had laughed as he’d handed the first one to an eager Sero. “Y/n, how long have you been keeping that idea in the back of your mind?”I’d grinned. “Since I saw the water flavoring at the store.” Now, everyone was enjoying their popsicles and celebrating the end of finals along with me and Shoto. Maybe they just wanted a reason to party. Even Bakugou didn’t seem as scowl-y as he normally did, hanging out with Kirishima and exploding a bag of chips open with mixed results- mostly bits of plastic and Doritos flying everywhere.“What do you mean, it’s illegal to carry a taser?”“It’s illegal for citizens to carry a taser if they’re under 18. You mentioned getting a taser.” Shoto held up his phone, showing me his screen of a Google search ‘where to buy tasers’.He swiped out to a group of tabs and handed me his phone. I glanced at the search history, for funsies.
where to buy tasers
are tasers legal
legal taser age
list of nonlethal self defense melons
list of non lethal self defense weapons
I looked up. “Self-defense melons, huh?”“Autocorrect,” he said with a small smile. “But look.” He brushed his finger over the screen, scrolling down.
pepper spray restrictions
pepper spray mirrors
pepper spray minors
I grinned. Melons and mirrors and weapons and minors. He clicked on ‘Pepper spray restrictions’. I scanned the information. No legal restrictions based on age…“You’re saying…”“It’s not legal to carry a taser, yet, since we’re minors…but pepper spray is just as effective. I’m sure Mineta won’t come near you if he knows you have pepper spray on you.” “Or any of the other girls, either!” I laughed. “Nope.” “Where can we get some? How much does it cost?” I started typing in a new tab, but I was so excited that…:whee tp get peper sprauI looked at Shoto. “I think your autocorrect hates me.” He pressed a hand over his mouth to cover his giggle. I corrected the search and looked over the results. “Costco! Is there a Costco near here?” “About 50 minutes’ walking distance.” “Maybe we can make it shorter with some roller skating.” I smiled. “Though that looks pretty far away.”“Yeah, that was fun.” Shoto smiled. “How about-“
“So raise your rigghhttt finger, and solemnly swear, whatever they say about me, I don’t careeeee”
I looked back down at the vibrating phone in my hand. “Endeavor” was calling. “That’s your ringtone for him? ‘Rather be Me’ from Mean Girls?” I handed Shoto’s phone back to him, sniggering. “You know that song?”He nodded, not answering the vibrating phone. “Found it one day and figured it fit well enough. Not perfect, though.”“Want me to send you a list of better ones?”“Sure. I can have a new one every month.”“A calendar of big middle fingers towards your dad.”“Sounds fun.”I inhaled wrong, coughed, took a fresh breath, and then burst into laughter again. “So…does he know that’s your ringtone for him?”Grinning, Shoto shook his head. After the conclusion of the chorus, ‘I’d rather be me than be with you!!” the phone went to voicemail. I wondered what his ringtone was for me. Shoto went to put the phone into his pocket. “Anyway-“
“So raise your riiigght finger-“
Shoto groaned. “He only calls twice if he really needs something. He knows I usually ignore his calls anyway.” “You can call him. I’m sure it’s fine.” Shoto sighed. “Okay, but if whatever he has to say goes beyond thirty seconds, I’m going to hang up.” I chuckled. “Should I get everyone to quiet down?”“No, he knows Class 1A is rowdy. Maybe we won’t be able to hear him.”Shoto swiped on the button, finally ending the rebellious audio. “Shootooo!”“What is it?” Shoto asked as his smile dropped from his face. That is, until his eyes reconnected with mine. Then a hint of a smirk returned. “Where are you?” “School.”“You’re with your classmates?”“Yes.” “I saw something on social media. One of your classmates, the electric one, posted something about you and your… friend… L/n.” He said the word ‘friend’ like it was something rather nasty that was lurking on his doorstep. I blanched, glanced across the garden. Mina and Denki were taking selfies. They must’ve posted some pictures online. “Yes, what about it?” Shoto asked, still sounding bored, but a bit of tension had infused into his posture. His free right hand began to frost his uniform pants. “The caption said you and L/n had, and I quote, ‘finally gotten their crap together and realized how in love they were. hashtag idiots in love.’” I could almost hear him breathing fire like a dragon with halitosis over the phone, which was on speaker, even held up to Shoto’s ear. “Is this true, Shoto?” Shoto’s eyes shifted to mine again. He raised one eyebrow. Unsure what he meant by that, I shrugged.“Yes.” “SHOOTOOOO!” There was a small fwoosh over the phone. “This is beneath you! You would really betray your family for that penny-pinching weakling you call a friend?!” “Without hesitation.” Shoto lowered his phone and hung up. I sat frozen, unsure what the appropriate response was. “Y/n?” Shoto met my eyes as the ringtone started again. He silenced it and finally put it away, not breaking eye contact. “You okay?” I swallowed. “Shoto…thank you.” He tilted his head slightly. “For what?”“For saying that. You didn’t have to.” “Saying I’d ‘betray my family’ for you?” He scoffed slightly. “That man is not my family. My family were the ones giving me advice and encouragement to talk to you about this.” Shoto pulled his right hand off of his pants, the ice having slightly frozen his skin to the cotton. “It was nothing.” I took his right hand, ice crystals still sticking to his palm. I brushed them off. “Still. Thank you.” He smiled at me. Really smiled. Then he looked over at our classmates, a few of whom had paused to watch whatever was going on in our corner. I grinned. “Kaaaammiiii?”“Yeah, love bird one?” Mina called, waving wildly from where she was taking selfies with Kaminari.“Is your name Kami?”“Nooooo…”“Kami?”“Yeah?” The electric blonde glanced over his shoulder. I grinned, slightly nervous and trying to cover it up. “You posted a picture of us, didn’t you?”“Yeah! I’ve got a following since the sports festival.”“Great! Get me in the next pic!”Shoto snorted. “Yeah, he’s already mad. Let’s get a group photo.” “Hey…” I pushed my hands into my uniform pockets, side-eyeing Shoto as he walked me home. “Are you going to be alright tonight? Endeavor’s gonna be on a rampage, isn’t he?”Shoto nodded. “He is. But he can only take it out on me if he can get to me.” “What do you mean, if he can get to you? Are you staying somewhere else?” Shoto shook his head. “I have a plan. Don’t worry about it.” We came to my apartment building, and I stopped and turned to look Shoto in the eye.“Will you text me later? Let me know you’re alright?” “Of course.” I nodded, and stepped forward to wrap my arms around him. “Be careful, okay?”“I’ll be fine, Y/n. He’s not going to hurt me.” I could imagine a scenario or two where that could happen, but didn’t mention it. Shoto returned the hug, leaning his head against mine. “I should go if I want to get home before he does. Bye, Y/n.” “Bye, Shoto.” I let go, and gave him one last smile. “Talk to you later.” He nodded, and turned to head home.Well, the place where he stayed.Was it too early to hope that his home would be with me one day?His father was already home. Amazing. Shoto pulled his backpack tight against his body and snuck around the house, to where his bedroom window was. Being careful not to step on any branches or something noisy, Shoto stayed close to the wall, listening. Endeavor was inside his bedroom. Fantastic. Little pops and crackles of flame followed his heavy footsteps around the room, muttering to himself. Judging by the shuffling and rustling, it sounded like the flame hero was going through his stuff.Shoto stopped several feet away from the window and sat down on the stone. Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Fuyumi’s voice joined Endeavor’s heavy breathing. “Father? What are you doing?” “Have you seen Shoto today?” Endeavor asked, ignoring her question. “Uhh- no, I leave for work before he leaves for school. Why-““He won’t respond to my calls- again,” Endeavor fumed. “And a classmate of his posted something on social media about him dating that weakling little girl in his class.”Shoto focused on not bursting into flames when he heard that. Y/n was not weak, and his father was-“I think L/n sounds like a very nice girl,” Fuyumi said calmly. “Mother has met her, and she seems to like her.” Endeavor was silent for a moment, then seemed to return to tramping about the room, going through his stuff. “Yes, well, I still-“ he stopped, and there was silence for a long moment. Then-“What is that?” There was a heavy layer of disgust in Endeavor’s voice as he stomped closer to Shoto’s bed, and Shoto’s heart dropped like a stone as he realized what his father must be looking at.No, not Dasha, please not Dasha-“It looks like a bird,” Fuyumi said. There was another small, quick rustle, then her voice grew: “Wait, Father! Don’t burn it!”“Why not?!” Endeavor demanded, flames crackling louder. “That’s probably important to Shoto. You know your relationship with him is on thin ice. Don’t you want him to follow in your footsteps? Burning his property doesn’t seem like a good way to win him over.”Shoto held a hand over his mouth, hoping and praying Fuyumi’s logic- entirely correct, although it implied that there was still a chance of Shoto following his father’s plan for him- worked.There was a loud, angry sigh, and a quiet thump as something soft hit the wooden floor. “Fine. But I’ll be asking Shoto about it. And if you see him, come tell me, okay?” Fuyumi must’ve nodded, because Endeavor sighed again, sounding slightly less pissed this time. Then his heavy boots clumped out of the room and down the hall. Fuyumi’s much quieter footsteps made their way forward and stopped a few feet from the window. She hummed once, and Shoto carefully stood up and peeked inside. Fuyumi was standing in front of him, examining Dasha. The phoenix plushie barely had a scratch on it, thankfully. Shoto leaned in close to the window, tapping gently.“Yumi.”Fuyumi startled and turned toward the window, and her eyebrows shot up. “Shoto?” She whispered back, then hurried to close the door.Shoto used his ice to boost himself into his bedroom. His drawers were open and his clothes were on the floor, his desk messy and pillows in disarray. His father ransacked his room. Wonderful. “Did you hear all that?” Fuyumi asked, coming back to the center of the room after closing the door firmly and locking it. Shoto nodded, and held his hands out. His sister blinked at him, then ‘oh’ed softly and handed Dasha to Shoto so he could inspect it for damage. None.“Thank you, Yumi.” Shoto hugged the orange bird to his chest. “For everything you said.” Fuyumi waved him off. “It’s fine. I’ll keep quiet about seeing you here, if you need me to.”Shoto nodded. “Once you leave, I’m going to freeze the door shut so he can’t come in.” “What about dinner?” Shoto shrugged. “Don’t want to get caught in the kitchen.” “How about I bring you some from your window?” Shoto smiled. “Thank you again, Yumi. You’re the best.”Yumi nodded and stepped toward the door. “I know.” Her face grew a little sad. “He’ll come around, don’t worry.”“...Right.”Fuyumi decided to drop the topic. “And congrats with L/n, again. Something tells me she has something to do with your plushie there.” And with a small wink, she unlocked and slipped through the door.Shoto locked the door again as his sister’s footsteps faded down the hall, then set his hand on the doorframe and carefully froze the door to it, creating a barrier Endeavor wouldn’t be able to pass without sufficient noise, even if he melted it. Then, Dasha still under his arm, he turned back to his room. Time to clean this mess up…I looked up from my book as my phone buzzed. Finally! I’d only been waiting an hour for Shoto to text, but it’d felt like forever.
Shoto: doing good 👍
Me: didn’t run into your dad?
Shoto: he went through my stuff and interrogated Yumi, but he never saw me.
Me: what did you do?
Shoto: snuck in through the window and heard him trashing my room and talking to Yumi, and he almost incinerated Dasha.
Me: WHAT
Shoto: she’s fine, don’t worry
Shoto: attachment sent
Shoto: Yumi managed to talk him out of it
I clicked on the image and stared at it. Shoto was sitting on his bed, Dasha in his lap. The camera was angled so in the background, you could see…was that his door? Awe, was that his first selfie he took by himself?
Shoto: froze the door so if he comes back, he won’t be able to get in
Me: what about dinner?
Shoto: Yumi promised to bring some through the window
Shoto: see? I’m fine
Me: Can’t wait to meet Fuyumi, she sounds great
Shoto: she’s pretty amazing
Shoto: Anyway, do you have any plans for tomorrow? You wanted to go to the mall with our class, right?
Me: yes
Shoto: I’m visiting my mom tomorrow, but we can meet afterward
Me: sounds great!
Me: also!
Shoto: oh no
Me: I had this idea
Shoto: oh no
Me: it would piss your father off enough to boil the ocean
Shoto: …
Shoto: go on
Me: if you partially bleached your red hair
Me: and dyed your white hair a light blue
Me: you could have cotton candy hair
Shoto: …..the idea has merit
Shoto said goodbye to Y/n almost half an hour after the sun set. It was so easy to get carried away texting and talking to her. She’d loved the picture he’d sent her of Dasha silhouetted against the vibrant sunset. They made plans to meet up the next day, and Shoto impulsively added a heart to his last goodbye. She immediately returned it.He pulled Dasha close to him like he always did, especially on the rougher nights, infinitely relieved she wasn’t a pile of scattered ashes. Once he had gotten comfortable, he pressed the heart under Dasha’s skin.
“Hehehe- ready? Go!”
“Todoroki-kun, you are an extremely talented individual!”
“You’re brave and kind, and don’t ever change that!”
“And intelligent and heroic! Ribbit!”
“Your power is your own!”
“You’re amazing, Shoto! And your dad’s a-“
“L/n! Language!”
Shoto smiled as he closed his eyes.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Mall trip! Mall trip!”“Mall trip!!”“Mall trip!”“Mall trip!!!”“Mall trip!”“MALL TRIP!”“SHADDUP YOU EXTRAS, YOU MAKE ME WANNA BLAST MY EARS OFF!”So the day was going great. 1-A organized a mall trip to prepare for the training camp. Almost everybody was there, though Shoto couldn’t make it, since he was visiting his mother. I told him to give Rei a big hug for me. But hey, almost everybody was here! Mina was bouncing out of her skin with excitement, and I couldn’t blame her; I was, too. The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall was known as one of the best quirk-inclusive malls in the entire country. Of course I was hyped!“So, I know I should probably be doing some more ‘responsible’ shopping,” I chattered happily to Midoriya and Ochaco as I stepped through into the open-roofed building, “But look at this! My mom got it for me as a reward for doing so well this year!”I whipped out a brand new Nintendo Lite from Hammerspace, waving the light blue console around in the air. The console came from the pre-quirk era, but since most innovation went into quirk control and support items after the first superpowers showed up, not many consoles have come out since. The Nintendo switch was still respectable as ever. Ochaco squealed with excitement.“Oh my gosh! Does that mean you can finally-?”“Yes!”We stared at each other for a moment, then threw our hands up in the air and yelled, “KIRBY GAMES!”I then had to catch my Switch from falling to the ground and shattering, because I accidentally threw it. Thankfully, I managed a clumsy save.“Why don’t we split up and look around?” Kirishima suggested. “Let’s say we’re all back around three?”Everyone called back their assent and began to pair off. Kirishima grabbed Bakugou’s arm and dragged him into a shop with a bunch of camo and all-terrain clothing. Momo hesitantly offered Jirou her arm as she pointed towards a shop on the second floor, and Jirou took it (not without turning the color of a tomato first).Mineta made a beeline for the nearest Victoria’s Secret, followed by a very unhappy Tokoyami, just to make sure nobody had to call mall security.I jogged off alone, taking the escalator up a floor to the nearest GameStop. I already had everything I really needed for the camp, and even if I was missing something, Kirby took priority.The GameStop was fairly empty and poorly lit, as usual, and I skipped my way right back to the left wall of the store where the Nintendo games hung, chanting, “Kir-by, Kir-by, Kir-by,” under my breath.There it was. A used copy of Kirby and the Forgotten Land.Finally, the sacred game touched my hands.“Excuse me.” A raspy voice, well, rasped from behind me. I jumped a little and stepped out of the way for a man in a hoodie to scan the shelves, pale fingers lingering on a copy of Switch Sports, one pinkie hovering in the air above it. Wii Sports Resort was better.Something slightly bothered me about the guy, though, besides his choice in Nintendo Sports games (or maybe he already had Wii Sports Resort, though the console was discontinued, so maybe not-? No, wait. Focus). He looked familiar, or maybe he sounded familiar? What was it that Aizawa said about warning feelings? A hero’s intuition, he called it.He picked up an unused copy of Forgotten Land and flipped it over, scanning the back.“Kirby, huh? Maybe I should replay the original, take my mind off things,” The man muttered, more to himself than anything else, but my ears still perked up.Did he say…“You’ve played the NES Kirby game?!”It was the man’s turn to startle, looking over his shoulder. “Oh- yeah?”“Awesome!” Was I being too loud? Maybe I was too enthusiastic and I was weirding him out… “It’s the best one, right? The pixel art is so fluid and distinct, and the copy abilities feel so natural!”“Y-yeah!” The guy whirled around to face me, and I got a good look at his face under his hood- he was grinning widely, and his lips looked like something out of a horror movie with how chapped they were, but it was a little hard to focus on his face when I was meeting a fellow Klassic Kirby fan. Pink puffball stans unite! “And the music!”“UGHHhhh, yes! Best chiptune soundtrack- rivaled only by Undertale!”“Finally, someone with taste!” Hoodie-man laughed. “You enjoy that game, alright? Tell me if it chalks up to the original.”He picked up the copy of Switch Sports and made his way to the register, paying in cash.“Sure will! Bye!”I waved as he walked away. Perfectly executed social interaction, check! I paid for my game and left the shop, glancing at my watch and quickly scrolling through Hammerspace to make sure I was fully packed. Plus, I had some money left over… Ooh, I could get, like, ten Twix bars with this much! “What do you MEAN you ran into a villain?!”The detective running the investigation- Tsuka-something, nice guy- pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure this is helping him remember things?”“YES!” A very panicked Midoriya, Ochaco and I yelled back at them. Midoriya’s shock had faded a little, now replaced with wild confusion. I had returned to the little bench area once I had finished my short shopping to wait for someone else to show up, where I ran into a lovely little scene of Ochaco CALLING THE POLICE.Funsies!Anyway, Midoriya needed to give as many details about his villain encounter to the detective as possible, so here we were at the closed mall, testing out our never-before-seen strategy to get people to remember things: three friends hysterically yelling questions and details at each other for twenty minutes until one of them had an actually helpful epiphany. So far, it went like this:“I RAN INTO A VILLAIN!”“WHAT VILLAIN?”“THE ONE WITH THE HANDS! SHIGARAKI!”“ARE YOU SURE?”“WELL HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAVE THE HANDS!”“SO HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS HIM?”“I RECOGNIZED HIM!” Midoriya waved his hands around wildly. “HE HAD THE RASPY VOICE AND THE CHAPPED LIPS AND THE BLUE HAIR!”Wait.“Bro- he was that dude in the GameStop.”“What?”“He was the dude in the GameStop! When- When I went to get my Kirby game earlier, up there!!” I gestured towards the shop.“Well… guess we found the helpful epiphany!” Ochaco laughed- it sounded forced. Also, she was sweating bullets. I ran a hand through my hair. “He was looking at the Nintendo games! I talked to him about the original Kirby games, he had good taste! Well, I mean, he did buy Switch Sports, so that’s questionable, but-”“He bought something?” The detective perked up. I shook my head. “Cash. No tracking, Unless…is there any way to trace a Nintendo Switch system?”Detective Tsuka-something frowned. “Maybe. We could trace an online account, but there’s no way to guarantee he plays-”“Oh! Switch Sports over-relies on online multiplayer to make up for its lack of alternate sports modes!” I shouted, jumping up in the air. “It’s the only real appeal of the game, playing online!”Midoriya, Ochaco, and Tsuka-something stared at me like I had grown an extra head. I put my hands down.“Sorry.”“Don’t be sorry.” Tsuka-something flipped open a notepad and started scribbling down words. “That’s a start. That’s a REALLY good start.”Midoriya laughed nervously. “Wow, L/n-chan, who knew that your knowledge about video games would be so helpful in a villain investigation.”“Not me, that’s for sure- Shit, that’s my Mom calling. She must be home by now- gotta take this, bye!”“You ran into a villain? Are you okay, baby?!” “Yes, Mom, I’m fine.” Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to mention that I had talked to him about Kirby. “He seemed normal, and my info is helpful to the police anyway. I’ll be home soon, okay?”“Okay…see you soon, then. Stay safe.”“I will! Bye, Mom!” I hung up and said bye to my friends. “See you guys at the pool tomorrow!”“Tomorrow!” Ochaco hugged me as Midoriya waved. I headed to the bus stop, and as I waited, I wondered if Shoto was done visiting his mother yet. Maybe I should text him and let him know what happened…
Ding
Shoto looked down at his phone. Good timing, he was in the elevator going down the mental hospital, having finished the visit on a great note. Rei had been very happy to hear the news of him and Y/n, smiling as he told her about his method of confession and laughing at classmates’ reactions and impromptu party.On a related note, it was Y/n who had texted him.
Y/n💕: how’d the visit with your mom go?
Shoto: It went well. She was happy to hear about you, and told me to give you a hi and congratulations from her.
Y/n💕:☺️ your family (minus the dumpster fire man) is so sweet
Shoto snorted at her new nickname for his father as he stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. He really needed to set up a family dinner to invite her to the next time Endeavor was out of town…
Shoto: how was the mall?
Y/n💕: It was great! I got a new Kirby game and talked to a terrorist
Shoto stared at his phone, waiting for her to correct her last text. When it didn’t come…
Shoto: arent you going to correct the last text?
Y/n💕: nope
What. Shoto swiped out of messaging and called her.“You mean you actually talked to a terrorist?” He asked as soon as she picked up. “Are you okay? What happened?!” “Whoa, it’s okay!” He could hear slightly-nervous giggling. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just went to the GameStop at the mall, for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and some guy was there too getting Switch Sports, of all things- and we chatted for a few moments about NES Kirby, he didn’t seem that bad- in desperate need of some Chapstick, yeah, but otherwise normal.” She paused to take a breath, and Shoto stepped outside to start the walk home.“Is that all that happened?”“Umm…no. After he left, I went to buy some candy- do you like Twix, by the way?”“Focus, Y/n.” “But do you?”“I haven’t had them, but what happened?” Shoto could feel his anxiety growing, feeling impatient to know what he’d missed. “Okay, I’ll give you the Twix later- but when I returned to meet up with the class, Ochaco was calling the police! Apparently after he went to GameStop, the Switch Sports guy went and threatened Midoriya. It was that guy from the USJ attack that almost killed Mr. Aizawa!” “He threatened Midoriya? Is-”“Yes, he’s fine. Poor baby is still in shock, though.”Shoto shook his head. Leave it to Y/n to refer to All Might’s secret love child as a ‘poor baby’. “Anyway, the mall was closed and evacuated- apparently the Switch Sports guy literally almost strangled Izuku in the middle of the mall and nobody passing by batted an eye at it- and we’ve given all the info we can to the detective. I’m on my way home now.”Shoto took a deep breath, processing. How did Class 1A manage to find trouble wherever they went? He wished he could’ve been there to freeze that guys a-“Shoto? Are you there?”“Yes, I am. It’s just hard to process that you were talking about video games with a villain.”“And he had good taste, too! When it came to Kirby, at least. I dunno what he was doing getting Switch Sports, it’s such an inferior game, and the Mii designs are just painful-“Shoto smiled. She was such a nerd. Adorable. “You ready for this?” I giggled over the phone, grabbing a granola bar and piece of fruit for breakfast. “I’m so excited. The UA pool is supposed to be really big, too..”“I’ll be at the bus in ten minutes,” Ochaco responded. I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “See you there?”“Yup!”I hung up and unwrapped the granola bar before I left, bouncing down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. How Momo had managed to convince the staff to let the girls use the pool, I had no idea, but I was pumped enough to explode a bicycle tire. Maybe I should get a bicycle. Then I wouldn’t have to take the bus, I thought as I jogged. The bus station finally came into view, and Ochaco, in casual clothing, waved enthusiastically.“Hi!” Ochaco jumped onto my back in greeting, and I debated putting her in Hammerspace for a moment, just for kicks. “Did you play the Kirby and the Forgotten Land you got yesterday yet?” “I DID! Can I rant about the stuff you already know everything about anyway?”Ochaco nodded as she slid off my back, and I launched into the speech about the quality and everything else as we waited for the bus. Mostly about Car Kirby. Karby. We love Karby.By the time we arrived at UA, I was searching Hammerspace for an extra bottle of water, my voice tired as Ochaco took her turn talking about Kirby. I imagined buying her a Kirby plush for her birthday, if she didn’t already have one. “Hey girls!” Mina and Toru waved as we got off the bus, the two of them headed to the changing rooms. “C’mon! Yaomomo and Jirou are already there!” So was Tsu, who seemed quite excited to get to the water, unsurprisingly. “Do the chlorine and pool chemicals make it any different for you?” I asked as we started to change into the school-mandated swimwear. “Not really. I mean, it’s not ideal, and it gives me a lot of acne, but mostly I don’t notice it,” Tsu said. I nodded. Interesting. Midoriya would probably be super interested in that, too. The school swimwear wasn’t exactly sexy, which was probably a good thing, if Jirou was right and the boys were joining us too soon. Mineta was definitely going to be out there salivating. But if Shoto was here too, it would’ve been nice to show off at least a little-I shook my head wildly. No, what was I thinking?! Besides, it wasn’t like my swimsuit was anything special. If anything, it was a bit too small, since I was starting to grow out of it…I shuddered to think of what Mineta might do. “Everyone ready?” Momo asked, making sure her hair was still in place. The girls filed out to the quiet, empty pool. “How about we stretch a little?” Ochaco asked, testing the water with her toe. “Don’t want to risk hurting anything so close to the training camp.” Momo nodded. “Sounds great!” The boys slowly filtered in, wearing the school swim trunks. Surprisingly (and thankfully), Mineta wasn’t there yet. Kaminari wasn’t either, but he was much, much lower in the scale of pervert-ness. Most of the boys in class were a 1, he was a 2.2, and Mineta was an 11.Ojiro, Koda, Midoriya…almost all the boys came. Iida walked in wearing a cap and goggles, and I almost didn’t recognize him. I thought he was a pool instructor or lifeguard until I saw his engines, and he waved at me with his typical choppy arm. “Good to see you guys!” He called across the pool. “Even over break, as UA students, our training should be constant and widely-spread across types of athleticism! I’m glad to see you all agree-“ I was distracted by a flash of red and white hair, and as I looked over, I realized-I hadn’t considered that I’d be seeing Shoto in his swim trunks. Shirtless. Sure, I’d seen with his shirt partially burned off at the sports fest, but-My body stopped working mid-stretch, and I distantly felt my ankles scrape against the pool edge as I hit the pool surface with a quickly muffled splash. The cold water shocked my body, but my brain seemed to have gone for a separate swim for a bit, because no command to move was given. Something wrapped around my waist, and I was tugged to the edge of the pool, and strong arms hooked under my armpits and pulled me up. Tsu’s tongue unwrapped from my waist as Momo dragged me onto the edge, saying my name. Ochaco seemed to be bent double a few feet away, laughing her antigravity ass off. Iida was shouting more from across the pool, and Mina was smirking at me like a cat that had finally caught the laser. Reality leeched back into my brain like an unwanted slug virus, and I dared another glance across the rippling pool. He was still shirtless. And now he was staring at me. I attempted to flop back into the pool, but Momo grabbed my shoulders. “Hey. Stop that.” “Shoulda left me in there,” I mumbled, feeling dazed. Was it possible to concuss yourself with a pool surface?“We can’t have you bleeding in the pool,” Jirou pointed out.“What?” “Your nose is bleeding,” Toru giggled. I lifted my hand to feel beneath my nose. Everything felt wet, but my fingers came away red. Great.Momo pulled a tissue from her wrist.“Here.” She glanced across the pool again. “Ah…I think Todoroki is concerned, Y/n.” I risked following her gaze. Shoto was talking to Iida, and keeping one eye in our direction. He noticed me looking and turned to face us. I suddenly felt very aware that now my hair was drenched and my swimsuit was sticking to my body, dripping everywhere and puddling beneath me.“Everything all right over there?” He called, and I noticed several boys exchange amused, knowing glances behind him. “Y-yup!” I gave him a thumbs-up and pushed myself to my feet. “Lost my balance is all!”“Sure,” Ochaco wheezed from beside me. I contemplated pushing her into the pool.Just then, Kaminari and Mineta burst out of the doors, causing a merciful distraction as Iida turned to face them and both scold them for being late and congratulate their idea of inviting the class for endurance training. “We don’t have to do that, right? Endurance training?” Toru asked. Jirou shook her head, grinning. “I don’t know what they wrote on their request form, but we didn’t specify training in ours.” Mineta and Kaminari turned to look at us, in all our non-sexy school bathing suit glory. Kaminari seemed pretty disappointed, but Mineta was apparently fine with our thigh-length, anti-boobs swimwear. Iida approached them, arms wide like he was trying to assert dominance through T-posing, threateningly inviting them to start training. The girls laughed as he picked UA’s resident grape juice and off-brand Pikachu off the ground and carried them back to the rest of the boys. The boys started their training, swimming laps in the water, while Toru grabbed a volleyball from the equipment stash. Quirks allowed, and soon everyone was in the water, though ironically I was last in this time. Momo and Iida let me back into the pool once my nose stopped bleeding. Ochaco and Tsu had the natural advantage, but they didn’t like my tennis racket much- too bad. Toru tried to borrow one as well, but since it technically wasn’t her quirk, the request was eventually denied. Momo didn’t bother creating anything, apparently she was already pretty good- and Mina…“Mina, do not mix acid in with the pool water, please, I don’t want to die today-“ “That was fun!” I cheered, glancing over at the boys taking a break from their intense training, chugging the orange juice that Iida had brought. Poor Midoriya, his hair honestly looked like a rat that had survived a 2-in-1 tornado/tsunami. No more poofy broccoli. Shoto’s hair still looked good, though, almost the same. I tried very hard not to look below shoulder-level, and Ochaco smacked my arm every time she noticed my gaze drift below even chin level. She hits me again, though, and I’m whacking her ass into another dimension.Very angry yelling erupted from the locker room doorway, somewhere along the lines of, ‘something something something DAMN NERD!”Ah, that must be our resident pomeranian. Farewell, peace.After listening to whatever Bakugou was saying, Iida stuck his arm straight up in the air, calling out to the rest of the boys (in a much more decipherable voice without the angry growl Bakugo had coined), “Hey, everyone! I propose that we see which boys can swim fifty meters the fastest! A friendly race!”I nudged the girls. “Wanna go check that out?”“Yeah! Hey, Iida!” Momo called, “Why don’t you let us help with that!”“Sure, please!” “And, quirks?” Ojiro piped up, “Can we use them?”“We’re at school, so there shouldn’t be a problem with that!” Seeing Bakugo’s grin, Iida quickly added, “However! You cannot cause damage to your classmates or the building!”“I’m gonna annihilate you, Deku!” Bakugo very predictably barked, before rounding on a still very shirtless- WAIT NO DON’T LOOK AT HIM- Shoto. “AND YOU TOO ICY-HOT, BASTARD!”Shoto blinked.I turned back to the girls, fingers twitching with the urge to pull out Bagheera and jam my face into her to hide my panic. My face felt very hot and could probably be color matched with Kirishima’s hair dye. Please everyone just blame it on sunburn…“Hey,” Shoto spoke suddenly from behind me, deciding to put me out of my flustered-ness or increase it tenfold, I’m not sure which- “I’m glad you’re alright, after yesterday. Midoriya gave me the rest of the details.” I jumped and spun around, eyes darting to his, flicking back down to his chest, and all the blood in my body rushing to my face. “Yeah, well…Chapstick-deprived villains, what else is new? Maybe I should start a GoFundMe to get him a bunch of Chapsticks. Maybe he can get a brand deal with them if he stops being a villain.” Shoto shook his head at my rambling, but he was smiling. Momo wanted to ref, so it was decided on four sets of five- perfect. And then-“Hey, why don’t we put the lovebirds in the same heat?” Mina asked, eyeing me and Shoto. He shrugged, and I sent Mina a death glare. It was FINE, really, I didn’t mind competing with him. It would be fun. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.Especially if I kick his butt. So the first heat went great, with Mineta, Tokoyami, Koda, Bakugou, and Mina. Mostly like this:“Do you think Dark Shadow can swim?” I asked Shoto and Midoriya, eyeing the lineup as Momo blew her quirk-made whistle.“I dunno-wait, what’s Bakugou doing?”I stared at Bakugou, who was…decidedly not swimming.“Seriously?” I muttered as Bakugou touched down on the other side of the pool, the last of his explosions firing off over his hands.“HOW WAS THAT, YOU SIDEKICKS?!”“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”“YOU DIDN’T EVEN TOUCH THE WATER!”“IT’S CALLED FREESTYLE SWIMMING!”Heat two was mine, versus Sero, Aoyama, Shoto, and Kirishima. Now that I realized Iida and Momo were going to allow going over the pool, I had a feeling I was about to get my ass handed to me. I opened Hammerspace, pulling out a pair of flippers. They were old, but they still worked well. “Why do you have flippers?” Ochaco asked.“Why don’t you?” I tugged them on and started to line up, but then remembered how difficult it is to walk in those things- like my toes had lengthened by a foot and become extremely wiggly and unwieldy.Naturally, I tripped and nearly fell flat on my face.“Are you okay?” Shoto asked, stopping while I tried to stand without damaging my flippers or skin. I looked up, and he was holding his hand out to help me up. I smiled at him and took it. Definitely looking only at his head. “Maybe you should have applied sunscreen before you got here,” Shoto mused as I managed to line up between him and Kirishima without dying. “Your face is really sunburned.”I gave a short, embarrassed laugh in response. “Uh, yeah, maybe.” Momo counted down, and behind us, Denki started singing Baby Shark, likely for Kirishima. and blew the whistle, and I launched into the water.C’mon, for the bragging rights. I got this!I went into freestyle (not the Bakugou kind), since I knew it was the fastest.And yet, halfway through when I came up for air, I noticed a bridge of ice towering to my left. I looked down, and saw Shoto slide smoothly onto the concrete. He‘s taking the Bakugou route? Are you kidding me? He turned around to see the rest of the race, and his eyes went to me. I stuck my head farther above water. No point in trying to win now, so…“YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY GET IN THE WATER!”His face completely neutral but obviously trying to disguise his smirk, he held eye contact with me and dipped his toe into the water.“BASTARD!”He snickered and pulled his foot out of the water. I kept swimming, finishing second, surprisingly, just before Kirishima. Aoyama and Sero had collided in midair, and now were struggling to swim with both of them tangled in wet tape and drenched in sparkles. Serves them right.Speaking of…After storing my flippers, I turned to Shoto, who was now using his fire to melt the ice path. “Shoto!” Wearing a playful smirk, he turned to face me. “Good game.” I held out my hand for him to shake. He accepted it just as I used my other hand to shove his chest, intending to push him into the water and teach him a lesson. His skin was so warm and smooth, dangit-He teetered back towards the water and grabbed my arm with his other hand, and I was pulled into the water with him. On top of him. Holy…I opened my eyes underwater, and he had too, and he was just looking at me-I attempted to get my feet underneath me and stand. All I managed was to kick him in the thigh.Eventually we pushed each other away and burst to the surface, gasping for breath. He swiped his hair out of his eyes, chuckling. “Are you really that unhappy with me for the ice? Iida said we could use our quirks.” I caught my breath and swam back to the edge of the pool. “Revenge is a dish best served cold, and wet, I guess.” He looked a bit confused, if not amused, as we climbed out. Everyone else was watching us. Mina and Ochaco were holding a fangirling festival with less shame than a stripper in a nudist colony. Heat three rolled around as Ochaco, Ojiro, Midoriya, Shouji, and Iida lined up. Surely nobody in this bracket would cheat by going above the water! I stood with Shoto and Tsu, still trying to avoid looking at Shoto’s torso, focusing very hard on the match and not on coming up with ways to indiscreetly give myself a small stab wound so there wouldn’t be as much blood in my cheeks. Tsu had already offered me sunscreen, and Shoto was analyzing with me about who would win. “Do you think Iida’s quirk works underwater?” “I don’t know. Shouji and Ojiro both have extra limbs to help them swim. They have good odds I’d they don’t get tangled up in a separation line or another contestant.”“And Midoriya can probably try to use his quirk underwater. Haven’t seen it before, though. What about Ochaco? Do you think she could use gravity to redirect the water somehow?”“No idea. And floating herself makes her nauseous, so she’s unlikely to be doing that. Who do you think will win?”“Mmm…Midoriya, probably. I don’t see any reason why his quirk couldn’t work in water. What about you?”Shoto inhaled, watching the racers line up. “…I’m not sure. All of them have a good chance.”“I’m thinking Iida,” Mina piped in.“Wanna bet? 500 yen?”“Perfect.” Momo blew the whistle, and to my surprise, Iida hopped onto a pool separation line and powered up his engines, arms out for balance like he was T-posing to assert dominance again.“What?!” I cried as Shoto chuckled and Mina laughed triumphantly. “Iida- out of all the people to play fair-“And yet, as Midoriya powered up Full Cowl, he started to gain. “Impressive,” Tsu said to herself. The pair’s speed only increased as they came to the end of the pool. I grabbed Shoto’s arm and squeezed it. “Wait, if they don’t slow down-“BONK! “AH-blurb-““AH-OW!”“OH MY GOD, MIDORIYA, IIDA, ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?” I called as the broccoli resurfaced, rubbing his head and coughing up water; Iida seemed to swallow a second yell and sat down on the pool edge to rub his stubbed toes. I was immensely surprised there was no blood in the water or that Iida’s toes were not broken into pieces.“Midoriya wins!” Momo called. Beckoning Shoto and Tsu after me, I jogged to the competitors, where Shouji, Ojiro, and Ochaco were getting out of the water. “Deku, everything alright? Iida?” Ochaco asked as she met up with us, Ojiro and Shouji congratulating Midoriya and stepping away. “Fine, just seeing stars,” Midoriya mumbled. Iida grunted an agreement as I pulled several plastic bags from Hammerspace and turned to Shoto, who was already creating little ice cubes. Once Midoriya and a limping Iida were back on their feet, Mina came up to me and tossed me a 500-yen coin that I barely caught. “Cheers.” I slipped it into Hammerspace. “Wanna take any bets on the next heat?”“Not in the slightest!”The entire Dekusquad except for Tsu gathered in the shade for the last non-championship race, watching Satou, Jirou, Kaminari, Hagakure, and Tsu like up. “You got this!” I cheered, pumping my fist for my frog friend. She gave me a thumbs-up and stretched into position. “And Kaminari-kun, please don’t use your quirk in the water!” The blonde groaned comically and waved me off. Beside him, Jirou flexed her ear wires.Momo’s whistle blew, and miraculously, nobody went over the water. There were five splashes, and I elbowed Shoto and Iida. “See that, you two? They’re swimming. They’re in the water.”Ochaco giggled as Iida started, “Quirks are allowed in this competition! It would have been unfair to selectively restrict some and not others-““Hey, look!” Midoriya pointed at Tsu, who was quickly taking the lead. Jirou had poked Kaminari in the eye with one of her earbuds, but Kaminari had grabbed them in a panic, dragging them both behind. Satou and Hagakure were swimming fine (well, Satou was. It was hard to pinpoint where Hagakure was), but they didn’t really stand a chance.Tsu finished first, unsurprisingly, and Jirou took second after untangling herself from Kaminari. “Good job, girl!” Ochaco and Mina shouted together as Tsu grinned, hopping back toward the shade. “Thanks. Does that mean it’s time for the championship match?” She asked, and Momo and Iida nodded. Iida strode out into everyone’s view and officially confirmed it, and everyone was starting to get hyped up to see the official best swimmer (no actual swimming required) of Class 1A.“Alright!” I bounced on my toes. “So that’ll be…Tsu, Shoto, Bakugou, and Midoriya! Good luck, guys!”Shoto, Tsu, and Midoriya nodded and went to line up, met with an eager Bakugou. They readied themselves at the edge of the pool as Momo announced the championship match; Shoto’s arm frosted up, Bakugou’s hand popped with explosions, Midoriya and Tsu braced themselves for the water. “READY-““GET SET-“
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Tsu, Shoto, Midoriya and Bakugou jumped- fell?- into the water, which was surprising. I thought Bakugou and Shoto would have gone over the water again.They surfaced, all looking confused. None of them were using their quirks. Tsu, meanwhile, was absolutely gunning it down the lane, not even realizing anything was off. Wait-“What happened?” Kaminari asked. “Why aren’t they using their quirks?” Sero said.“It’s 5 pm.” Aizawa stepped forward, apparently having snuck in when no one was looking. “Your authorized pool time is over. Hurry up and go home.”While some of the boys started to protest and Mr. Aizawa shut them down, on the far side of the pool, Tsu sprang up onto the ledge. “Ribbit!” She looked around. “What happened?” “You’re the fastest swimmer in 1A, I guess,” I called out to her. She shrugged and hopped over to us as the boys started to climb out of the pool, disappointed. “Oh well!” Midoriya said brightly as Iida handed him, Shoto, and Tsu towels. I saw Bakugou snatch one from Kirishima. “That was pretty funny, the way you guys just fell in when your quirks deactivated,” Ochaco laughed. Midoriya blushed and wrapped his towel around his neck, chuckling with her.“Cute,” I muttered. Shoto watched them too as we headed for the changing rooms. Shoto was waiting for me as I left the girls’ changing and locker room, leaning against the wall and playing with a piece of ice, trying to melt certain bits of it.“Hi, Shoto!”He looked over at me and smiled. “Hey.” He pushed off the wall. “Can I walk you home?”“Of course!” He nodded, and we started walking. Bakugou and Kirishima weren’t too far ahead of us, and the sun was already starting to set. “Did you have fun today?” I asked Shoto, skipping slightly as we walked. He nodded again. “I did. Training is a lot more fun with our classmates then at home, and the races at the end were entertaining. Even if Midoriya did almost concuss himself.”“And Iida stubbed his toes so hard they almost inverted into his foot,” I chuckled, wincing in sympathy. “So…” Shoto glanced over, scanning my face. “Wait, what happened to the sunburn?”“Huh?”“The sunburn that’s been on your face all day.” He pointed, as if I didn’t know where my face was. Stars, he was so adorable when confused. “Where did it go?”Well, now that he was fully clothed, that ‘sunburn’ had mostly faded. “Aha…it’s probably just the lighting playing tricks.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“CAMP! CAMP!”“CAMP! CAMP!”“CAMP! CAMP!”“Quiet.” Mr. Aizawa, unsurprisingly, gave us a lecture as we stood before the buses, the morning we left for the training camp. I was only half listening, instead discreetly admiring how Kirishima had the guts to drape his arm on Bakugou’s shoulder- after reattaching my jaw to my head when Bakugou allowed it. I’d given Mom her nice long hug goodbye this morning, reminding her that it was only a week and that I’d be home safe in sound in a few days. She’d lost some sleep over the whole chatting-with-a-villain thing, and seemed a bit reluctant to let me go so far away. But we talked over our concerns, and she agreed to let me go as long as I texted her a debrief every night.Oh, Aizawa, right. “What did he say, Midoriya?”“Just to be ready to train over the summer, that’s all.” Midoriya flashed his classic kind smile, then jumped as Ochaco bounded over.“I’m so psyched! I’ve been looking forward to this camp all semester, you guys!” Ochaco leaned in excitedly, unaware at how close she was getting to Midoriya. “oHh, yeah, it’s definitely close, huh?” Midoriya stammered, turning the color of a freshly-gutted tuna, arms waving wildly like he was panicking. “Hey, what’s the matter?”“I-I’m just a little hot!” Ochaco finally seemed to register the situation, and I could almost pinpoint the exact moment the last brain cell ejected from her head in an emergency escape pod as she sprang backward several feet with a matching blush. “A-Ah- let’s hear it for camp! Yeah! Hyah! Hyah!” Kaminari and Mina joined in with her clapping and dancing around. Shoto walked up beside me. “What are they doing?” “Rapidly declining in intelligence.” Shoto tilted his head at the scene, but only managed to get out, “What does that have to do with-“ before he was interrupted by a loud blonde. And not Bakugou. Or Kaminari. Or even Aoyama.Class 1B had joined us, I observed as Monoma started screeching from behind us. Thankfully, Kendo cut him off with a hard smack to the head. I wish I could do that with Bakugou whenever he started screeching.Maybe I could talk Kirishima into it, his quirk seemed similar to Kendo’s.Nah.“Don’t mind him,” Kendo advised as she dragged the unconscious copycat toward the bus. “Time to get on the bus!” I glanced behind me as everyone started to head for the buses- realizing Mineta was drooling, staring at the girls of both classes. It really was unfortunate that his eye-level came right up to most girl’s thighs or butts, even if his height made him easy to dropkick.I pressed my skirts against my skin and mentally ran through my weapons in Hammerspace as his gaze flicked to me. Kirishima frowned down at the grape child as Shoto glanced over at me, then followed my glare. Immediately, his left hand burst into flame. Mineta noticed, squeaking and jumping backwards into Kirishima’s leg. Kirishima stumbled, then sighed as the pervert cowered behind him with a squeaky “C-c’mon man!” “Dude, pull yourself together.” Kirishima muttered at Mineta, pushing him away.Shoto stared him down a few seconds longer, before snuffing out his fire and turning back to me. “Let’s go. We don’t want to be the last ones on the bus.” He waved off my thanks as we boarded, and I noticed him watching Mineta all the way to the bus, nodding once when Kirishima boarded between me and the walking whiny winery. I scoped out the Dekusquad’s seating choices on the bus, trying to find the best possible seat to hang out with my friends. I had no idea how long this bus ride was going to be, and I couldn’t decide between aiming for a window or an aisle seat. Tsu and Ochaco had already sat down, Midoriya and Iida across from them, Shoto behind them, and-“Y/n!” Mina patted- well, pounded- the seat next to her. “Come on!” With one last glance to Shoto- whose seatmate was apparently going to be Aoyama, talk about comedy- I flopped down beside Mina. “Hey girl!” “Hey!“Are you ready for this?! I’m so pumped, I couldn’t sleep last night!”“Neither could I! I was up all night thinking about what the place might look like and what we’ll be doing besides training. And, yknow, other stuff.” She winked at me.“Other stuff?”“Yeah, about that. There’s a question I wanted to ask you.”“Fire away!”Mina elbowed me, leaning in close. “Soo…you and Todoroki. What’s it like?” Oh, it was this line of questioning. I smiled nervously. “He’s really sweet. I’m so excited to spend time with him going forward. I have so many ideas for stuff to do with him, and a few ideas on how we could combine our quirks for cool combo moves, since we always seem to end up fighting together-““Ah, forget training. Tell me the juicy stuff.” Mina leaned close, giving me one of her specialty evil grins. “Is he a good kisser?”“WHAT?!”I almost screamed, my entire face burning red and burying into my hands as Iida whirled around and began to chastise me, “L/n, please lower your volume! I fear you will distract the bus driver!” Ochaco, Tsu, and Midoriya leaned forward and around their seats, their concerned questions overlapping. Kirishima and Kaminari looked at Mina and I with puzzled chuckles. “Come on, surely it’s not that bad!”I groaned into my hands. “It’s-we haven’t kissed yet, Mina! What are you talking about?!” Thank goodness Shoto was napping through this bus ride. “Hm. Not at all? Well, I guess he’s saving it to make it even more special. Speaking of, are you guys excited to be sleeping in the same building the next few days~?”Holy shit.“OOF-OW-“I buried my face in my hands again as Mina rubbed her shoulder and pretended that Kirishima and Kaminari weren’t laughing their heads off beside us.
Ding!
Mina looked down at her phone and checked the notification. “Oh-““What is it?” I leaned in over her shoulder.
Here’s your daily reminder to do your English lesson! You know what happens when you don’t!
“The heck?”Mina swallowed and swiped open her phone. “I’d rather not die before the training camp… you’re pretty good at English, wanna do it with me?”“Wait, what was that? Was someone sending you a death threat to practice English? Was that Mic?!”“No!” Mina laughed as a green owl lit up her full screen. “It’s Duolingo, a vaguely threatening language app! You should see what happens when it’s 11:55 pm and you haven’t done your lesson.” “…what happens?”“I might have the screenshot, Denki sent it to me.“ She tapped the screen in a few places, then showed me a screenshot Kaminari had apparently sent her.The owl was no longer green, but a very dark, angry red. I stared at it. “…That is one murderous looking owl. Yeah let’s do that English lesson-“Mina and I flew through lessons for about a half hour after that. Until Mina got stuck, that is.“But WHY do the adjectives have to be in an order?? It doesn’t make any sense!”“Neither does any part of English!”“But this is just stupid! Just throw them in any order! Why does it have to be Shape before Size??”“Reverse it.”“STUPIDITY!”The bus pulled to a stop, and I plucked the phone out of her hand, tucking it into my pocket.“Let’s take a break, why don’t we? Stretch our legs!”Mineta ran off of the bus first, hugging his bladder and wailing at the top of his lungs, followed by the rest of the students. I choked back one hell of a moan as I stretched, a little bit of fuzz coming over my vision as I twisted against the wall of the bus. Ugh, that was better.I jogged over to Shoto’s side. “Hey!”“Hi.” Shoto’s mouth twitched slightly. “Glad to be off the bus? We shouldn’t have much more than an hour left after this.”“You have no idea, I’ve been helping Mina grind out English lessons for a vindictive threatening owl, I need something new!”“You what?”“You don’t think we stopped here just for you to stretch your legs, did you?”The class froze. Aizawa and rhetorical questions were never a good combination. Never.Then a voice called from the other side of the overlook: “Heya Eraser~!”I glanced over my shoulder and promptly had a heart attack.
OH MY STARS-
“THE WILD WILD PUSSYCATS!” Midoriya and I shouted in unison, turning to each other and beginning to jump up and down.“THE FOUR PERSON RESCUE TEAM THAT SPECIALIZES IN MOUNTAIN RESCUES!” Midoriya continued fanboying from a respectable distance, while I went up to the heroes. “MANDALAY-SAN!”“L/n!”“L/n!” “Ms. Pixie-Bob!”The two heroes suddenly grabbed me into an embrace, squeezing me tight against their costumes. I laughed.“Y/n, you know these people?”I glanced over my shoulder at an immensely shocked Ochaco. “Mandalay-san’s cousin and her husband used to frequent my neighborhood. They were heroes, too, and we kind of got to know them. They introduced us!”I pulled back a little, letting my hand linger on Mandalay’s paw glove. “How’s Kota?”“You can ask him yourself!” The rescue hero replied with fake cheer, stepping back to reveal her “nephew”. I knelt down, grinning and holding out my hand for a fist bump.“Hey, Kota. Long time no see.”Kota sighed. “Hey.” He didn’t return the gesture.I let my hand drop. There wasn’t much I could do for him, no matter how much I wanted to. He was grieving. “Here.” I whispered, pulling my last two Twix bars from Hammerspace and pressing them into his hand. “Don’t tell your auntie.”“L/n, come back here. We still have a job to do.”“Yes, Mr. Aizawa.” I blew Kota a small kiss and jogged back to my class. He was smiling, just a little. After saying hello to the class, Mandalay gave a rundown of the campgrounds and its location, far away at the bottom of the mountain. I had caught on to where this was going by now (again, Aizawa and rhetorical questions often meant bad things), but the rest of the class was in denial.Ochaco gulped. “...Why did you have us stop all the way out here?”“We both know the answer to that.” I shrugged, walking forward and looking over the metal barrier separating us from the steep dirt incline below. “Y/n, what are you doing?” Shoto asked as he followed me to the edge, looking at the sheer drop. “Walking to camp!”“The time is 9:30 in the morning..“ Mandalay started. They were going to place a time limit on us, then. Better go ahead and get this ball rolling. I jumped over the barrier, free-falling for a moment before popping in and out of Hammerspace to reset my fall speed. Shoto’s voice echoed over the drop, too distant to make out before popping in and out of the void.“Y/N-” Shoto gripped the railing as Y/n literally jumped off a cliff, his heart stopping. Then she disappeared into Hammerspace, and he blinked. Suddenly he felt incredibly stupid. A few-no, a lot of his classmates chuckled behind him. He could feel their stares on his back. He didn’t know why Y/n had jumped, but he trusted her judgment. Judging by the grin on the brown-haired pussycat’s face and the distance between here and the training camp, well, what was the point in waiting to get thrown off a mountain? He stepped over the railing and jumped down as well, creating an ice slide to catch him while he caught up with Y/n. It took every ounce of strength I had to stop myself from laughing as the dialogue continued above me, and every one of my classmates were launched over the barrier.Shoto slid to the ground beside me on one of his iconic ice slides, stumbling over a rock upon dismount. I turned to Shoto and helped him to his feet. “Hey, what did you yell up there? I didn’t catch what you said.”Shoto looked up as every one of our classmates was launched over the barrier. “Uh, nothing.”Was he blushing? Why was he blushing? Maybe I’d ask the girls later. Our classmates staggered to our feet around us, most recovering from their rough landing. “Keep your guard up!” I chirped.Everyone turned to glare at me.“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US THEY WERE GOING TO THROW US OFF A CLIFF?!” Kaminari wailed. “SO NOT COOL!”Mineta, for once, didn’t join him in harmony of whining, running off into the forest to relieve himself. I was surprised he had the dignity to not walk up to the first tree and flash the entire class with his tiny-“I didn’t know we were going to run into them.” I shrugged. “But, knowing Eraserhead, I would bet-”A rumbling noise came from the ground, and I grinned. “That Ms. Pixie-Bob will be throwing some obstacles our way. Don’t worry, I know how to get through it!”“WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE?!” Sero screeched. “Ms. Pixie-Bob’s quirk. She manipulates dirt, but electric currents break the connection.” I watched as the hulking monster rose out of the dirt. “Yaomomo, some metal stakes might be needed.”“Right!” Momo saluted, pulling the collar of her shirt down and beginning to pull metal rods out of her skin. Jirou jogged over to cover her.“Kaminari, what’s the lowest voltage you can give out at a time?”“Ummm…” The blonde tapped his foot, obviously distracted by the giant dirt monster. “Maybe two thousand volts?”Midoriya brightened. “You’re going to use the stakes to transmit a smaller amount of energy through spaced out conductors so Kaminari doesn’t overload himself!”“Human stun gun, what can I say?” Jirou snorted, picking up Momo’s finished metal lightning rods. “Where do you want these?”“Everybody, take one! Put them in the ground at various intervals, then Kaminari can shock them. It’ll disable Pixie-Bob’s quirk for a short time, since the electric shock messes with her connection!” I shouted to my grinning classmates, then rounded on our class president. “Iida, mind leading the way?”Iida blinked. “R-Right! Everybody, grab a rod and find a safe place to put it! Go, go, go! Shouji, Jirou, status!”“I spy two up ahead! And two flanking each side!”“Seven total!” Jirou called out. Iida nodded, chopping his arm through the air.“Run, now!”I glanced at Shoto, who smiled and took off through the forest on a trail of ice. I sprinted after him, grinning broadly.We carried the rods with us, and Kaminari seemed to hold out well enough. Whenever Kaminari was too far away when a new beast formed, well, we had enough talent between us to take it down effectively. “Y/n, catch!” Shoto created an icicle-spear and tossed it to me, which I held tightly as he raced between the legs of the latest monster. I jumped and ran up its back, Shoto freezing his front legs in place so I could stab it in the neck. I hopped down from the weakened entity as Satou and Kirishima ran up and finished it off, punching hard and unrelenting until the beast crumbled. “Nice shot,” Shoto complimented as we continued running. “Thanks for the spear. Ooh! You know what this reminds me of, I could use a sword!” “A sword, huh?” Shoto muttered something to himself, too quiet for me to hear, but I distinctly caught the word ‘Christmas’. Ochaco informed us as we ran that Mandalay had told us to be at the training camp by 12:30, within three hours, or we wouldn’t get lunch. I had jumped over too fast to hear her finish; Shoto had apparently been distracted. I slipped my phone out of Hammerspace, slowing to a jog as I checked the time. “Guys, it’s 1pm. We missed it.”“Well…maybe they’ll let us eat anyway,” Ochaco murmured. “How far along are we?”Midoriya passed us, slowing down as well. “Hang on, I’ll check!” He volunteered, boosting himself through the treetops with his quirk. He hit his head on a branch for a moment, but made it out of sight. He came back down a minute or so later, rubbing his head while Shoto created some ice and accepted a plastic bag from Momo. “I think we’re a little over halfway through,” Midoriya mumbled, accepting Shoto’s ice pack. “Thanks!”“Only halfway through? Man…” Ochaco sighed. “No lunch for us, then. We’ll probably miss dinner, too, if we don’t hurry.”“Ah, don’t worry about it!” I opened Hammerspace. Of course I’d packed specifically for this circumstance. “Who wants trail mix and crackers?” I yelled. Every head in the forest perked up, smiles erupting over everyone’s faces. I looked back down at my list. “I’ve also got chips and protein bars!”Shoto chuckled as he took a pack of trail mix. “I’m not even surprised. Thank you, Y/n.”“Yeah, thanks!” Ochaco cheered, choosing peanut butter crackers. “Great thinking,” Midoriya said with a cheek full of almond-caramel protein bar. “It’s better this way, since we’ll have more energy to keep going… Yaoyorozu and Satou will especially benefit from this, although I think Satou has his own supply…”His muttering was buried under the yells of Kaminari and Kirishima- “YOU HAVE SNACKS? CAN WE-““Yes! Everyone, take some and eat while you walk!” I yelled back. I did not want to repeat myself 20 times, but it seemed I wouldn’t have to, when the noise and the hunger of our classmates drew them. Once everyone had taken at least one, I stored it back in Hammerspace. “Still half full, in case the teachers want us to leave camp the same way we came in,” I laughed to Ochaco, opening my own snack. Ochaco groaned. “Don’t jinx it.”“Hey, guys-is that the end?” “I think I see a light!” “WAHOOO!”“Looks like the litter is arriving earlier than expected~!” Pixie-Bob cheered, waving as the rest of my classmates trudged out of the woods. I checked my watch, squinting my eyes slightly. I had never really dealt with much quirk overuse before, but I could definitely feel a headache coming on. Shoto had a little bit of ice stuck to his cheek, and Bakugou was definitely favoring his right wrist. Oh, and Ochaco definitely needed nausea medicine ASAP. But nobody had collapsed, and nobody looked on the verge of passing out! I called that a win!
…Stars, I just want to take a nap. My head hurts…
“Meow meow meow meow!” Pixie-Bob giggled, “I thought it would take you kids much longer than that to get here! You guys were seriously great.” She reached out her paw, pointing at Shoto, Bakugou, Kaminari, Midoriya and Iida. “Especially the four of you! It seems like you’ve had quite a bit of experience!”I frowned at the expression on her face. “Ms. Pixie-Bob?”“I CALL DIBS ON THESE KITTENS! I’LL GROOM THEM MYSELF!” She lunged for them, darting around them and crooning for their attention as they took defensive positions. Shoto his behind his raised arm, as did the other four. Even Kaminari, in his frazzled and partially burned-out state, didn’t seem entirely interested.I chuckled, walking behind them and sticking my head over Shoto’s shoulder. “Sorry, Ms. Pixie-Bob, I’ve called shotgun on this one.”Midoriya peeked out from behind his arms. “Uh, speaking of ages-“Ms. Pixie-bob shoved a massive paw in his face, leaning close with a scary expression. “Choose your words carefully, boy.”Midoriya pointed at Kota, standing a distance away with Mandalay and Mr. Aizawa. “I was just wondering since we got here, who is that kid? What’s he doing here?”I let Mandalay answer his question. “Oh, that little guy? He’s my cousin’s son, he lives with us now. Don’t be shy, Kota! Say hi to everyone. You’re gonna be around them for the next week.”Midoriya walked up to the kid and made introductions even as Kota glared at him under his spiky hat. “Hey there, my name’s Midoriya. I’m from UA’s hero course.” He leaned down and extended a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”Kota took a small step backwards and punched Midoriya right in the peanuts."KOTA!!" I screeched, rushing to Midoriya's side.”hOUUGHHH-” Kaminari winced slightly in sympathy and Bakugou snorted. I could hear pity groans coming from others in the class as Kota walked away. “WHAT A LOW BLOW!” Iida yelled at Kota’s retreating back, sounding like a WWE announcer for a hot second. “YOU FIEND OF A CHILD! A PUNCH TO THE SCROTUM IS UNFORGIVABLE!” Kota turned to glare at Iida and Midoriya, who was still frozen and clutching his peanuts. “The last thing I want is to hang with a bunch of wannabe heroes!”"Stars above-"“‘WANNABE’? How old are you, kid?!”Bakugou inhaled slightly, looking proud. “Kid’s got spunk.”“He’s like a mini version of you,” Shoto muttered. I covered my mouth trying to contain a howl of laughter as Bakugou started yelling at him. That’s my boy!“Yeah, sure,” Shoto said evenly after Bakugou threatened to ‘blast him all the way to hell’. I grabbed his shoulder for balance, trying not to collapse from how hard I was giggling. “Enough playing around.” Aizawa rolled his eyes. “Get your stuff off the bus. Once your bags are in your rooms we’ll have dinner in the cafeteria. After that you can bathe and sleep.”The class collectively groaned.“Tomorrow, your training begins in earnest. You better get a move on.” “You’re so mean, Aizawa-Sensei,” I mumbled, skipping the bus since I already had my stuff. Shoto and I walked away from the steaming Bakugou, splitting up for Shoto to get his stuff and me to check on poor Midoriya.Hang on, what was that smell?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“FOOD!”
I stuffed my face as everyone did the same, chatting about the bunkers and chuckling as Kirishima and Kaminari downed three bowls of rice apiece.
I had already dropped off my stuff- The girls’ bunker wasn’t bad, small and simple, with futons on the floor and clean bathrooms. Maybe we could treat it like a sleepover if we weren’t so tired.
I sat between Momo and Koda, rapidly shoveling kelp into my mouth from my bowl and listening to Mina ask Sero about visiting the boy’s bunker.
“So, guys, do you think cereal is soup?” I asked, swallowing the rest of my miso soup broth.
“Y/n, where do you get these conversation starters?” Shoto asked, noodles halfway to his mouth.
“Of course it’s soup!” Sero announced from Momo's side. “What else would it be?”
“I don’t know, it might not be. What’s the definition of soup?” Momo asked. “Do you have a dictionary in Hammerspace we could look at?”
“Nah, I can’t read those small-print things.”
“What kind of soup uses milk for its liquid base, though? Would that disqualify it?” Shoto asked.
“Creamy vegetable, potato soup, broccoli cheese, cream of mushroom...”
“Why do you know so many soups?” Sero gawked at me. I took another bite of rice.
“Good soup.”
“Valid.”
Shoto looked between Sero and I, frowning. “...What?”
“We’re bathing in hot springs?! Cool!” I yelped, bouncing up and down, exhaustion forgotten momentarily. “I guess it makes sense, given the area.”
“It’s gonna feel so good,” Mina groaned. “But…I think the boys are going to be bathing at the same time we are. Separated by a wall, according to Mandalay.”
“Are you serious? That means…” Ochaco sighed.
“Alright, I’ve got Mineta duty.” I swiped through Hammerspace, holding up my old video recorder as the girls filed into the changing rooms for the hot springs. “Jirou, would you mind keeping an ear out for when he starts thirst-rambling? I can pack up and get up over the wall to stop him by the time he finishes.”
“Um-”
I glanced over at Jirou, who had her gaze very, very fixated on the ceiling. Which was weird, none of us had started changing yet.
“Y-You know, I could probably keep a lookout, you know!” Momo said as she tapped my shoulder.
Wow, her face was red too.
“Don’t you want to clean up, though, Momo?” Tsu frowned, poking her head around the corner of the locker lineup. “Is something wrong? What about you, Jirou?”
Jirou yelped. “Nothing’s wrong! I think I’ll just clean up later! You go on without me!”
She ran off. I raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Momo, who looked… upset?
“Oh.” She mumbled. “I guess that’s fine then.”
Hmmmm…
“Momo, do you have a crush on Jirou?”
That did it. Momo jumped half a foot in the air, hands flying to cover her blushing cheeks. “N-no! Of course not! I’m a girl, how am I supposed to have a crush on another girl?”
Mina raised an eyebrow, dancing playfully around Momo’s shoulders. “You know being gay exists, right?”
“Being… no, that’s not something people are supposed to feel.” Momo shook her head, seeming divided between covering her face and her arms.
The entire room stopped moving.
“What do you mean by that?” Ochaco glanced over her shoulder, tying a towel around her chest. “People feel different romantic attractions.”
“Yeah!” Hagakure’s floating towel bounced up and down. “All LGBTQ people are valid!”
“Yeah. There’s nothing wrong with having feelings for another girl,” I added, slipping around the locker room corner to change.
Momo didn’t respond for a moment or two. I finished stripping, pulling a fluffy bathrobe out of my inventory and putting it on before coming back around the corner. “Momo?”
Momo chewed her lip as she hid around the corner the same way I had, avoiding looking at everyone. “I…I don’t know. I just…it’s complicated.”
I exchanged glances with the others. “We can talk about it later if you want, Momo. But I’m not gonna sleep a few feet away from you if you still stink from today.”
The tension in the room loosened, and Momo emerged, her towel wrapped very tightly around her. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go clean up. But…where’s Jirou?”
Jirou, as it turned out, had elected to change in the bathroom. She joined us as we came to the hot springs, very red and looking everywhere but the rest of us, especially Momo, who was also looking everywhere but her.
“Alright, remember, Jirou, keep an ear out!” I grinned, loosening my bathrobe and quickly slipping underwater. Tsu jumped in after me, and the others- Jirou and Momo being the last, both looking at the sky- joined us.
“Be careful, get in slowly if you’re not going to look where you’re stepping,” Ochaco chuckled. Once everyone was in the water, Jirou plugged her ear into the wooden wall that stood dozens of feet high, separating us from the boys. Not that any wall, no matter how high, would stop Mineta.
“This feels amazing!” Mina squealed, splashing around slightly.
“I’m so glad they’ve got a hot spring here,” Momo murmured, finally relaxing.
“Uhh, guys?” Jirou frowned, nose wrinkling as she looked at the wall as though it had offended her. “Mineta’s started.”
“Already?” I groaned. “I guess I can come back down after I deal with him.” Quickly, I got out of the water and rewrapped the bathrobe around me, before heading inside and finding the corridor that led to the ladder to the top of the wall.
“Ah, hey Kota.”
Kota, standing at the base of the ladder, averted his eyes. “Hey. Mandalay told me to keep an eye out for the short one in your class. The pervert.”
“Tell her thanks. I was gonna handle it, I need to collect evidence so we can get him expelled. You wanna come up with me?”
Kota hesitated, then nodded before heading up the ladder between the walls.
I could hear some of Mineta’s rambling, as well as Iida’s warnings as I climbed.
“Let’s end this grape once and for all.” I grin, pulling out my cam recorder. I took my position, crouched just out of sight, shivering.
Water sloshed below me as Iida continued yelling. I wondered if any other boys would try to stop Mineta.
“Now I know why I have this quirk…it’s because walls…are meant to be climbed! I’m coming for you, ladies! Plus Ultra!”
He’s dragging our school motto into this? Seriously? I thought as his voice neared, one hand out and open, the other ready to catch the incriminating evidence that might finally make UA a safer place.
A quiet
shoomp!
and a screech from Mineta made me peek up further. What was that?
“When did he learn to dodge like that?” Kirishima wondered aloud, glancing at Shoto, standing now and aiming another only-slightly-dull icicle at Mineta after the last one embedded in the wall. Iida stood at the bottom of the wall, yelling uselessly.
“MINETA MINORU GET DOWN FROM THERE-! TODOROKI DO NOT THROW ANOTHER ICICLE, THAT IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR-!”
When he got close enough that I could hear Mineta mumbling to himself, I stood up to look the drooling creep in his eyes. He froze as I stared him down, but his eyes still searched for a gap in my bathrobe. I made sure the camera focused on his face for future purposes.
He noticed the camera. All of the blood drained from his face.
I balanced the camera on the edge of the wall, using my other hand to flip him off.
Kota grinned, reaching his hand back and slapping Mineta across the face, knocking him backwards off of the wall, screaming as he fell.
“Maybe before you should try to be a hero,” Kota called, “you should try to be a good person!”
“WE GOT HIM, GIRLS!” I yelled behind me, the girls cheering at Mineta’s victory. I grinned, feeling satisfied. “HE’S EXPELLED FOR SURE!”
Kota flashed me a small smile and began climbing down the ladder.
I stored the camera in Hammerspace, then decided to flip off Mineta one last time.
Oh. Right. The boys hot spring…
The entire class of boys was down there in the water, Mineta landing on Iida’s face (Poor Iida), the others in the water. Well, not Shoto. Shoto was gripping an icicle and staring blankly at me, a towel wrapped around his waist.
A very small towel.
And he was staring at me.
There was an icicle stuck to the wall, just above one of Mineta’s (hair)balls, matching the one Shoto held. If I could’ve gotten a tangible thought through my brain, it might’ve been to thank him for at least trying to stop Mineta. However….
Oh my god he’s basically naked. He’s staring at me and he’s naked holy-
I don’t quite remember falling off the ladder and over the wall, but Ochaco later told me that I’d toppled backwards and that Tsu’d had to catch me with her tongue. The water eventually brought me back to reality, my bathrobe soaking through in the hot spring.
“Maybe next time I hear Mineta, I’ll just hook up a speaker and blast him through the wall,” Jirou muttered as Mina slapped my face a few times to reconnect me to the real world.
“Yeah- Mina, I’m fine- quit-“ I spluttered, trying to stop her from hitting me again. “I’m good!”
“Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Ochaco said, everyone crowding slightly in the water. I tugged off my soaked bathrobe and tossed it to the edge. “I…might’ve seen something like that.”
“Y/n!” Mina gasped. “Did you see-“
“YES I SAW-“
“OH MY GOD-“
“I KNOW-“
“WERE THEY HOT? WAS HE HOT? THEY WEREN’T COMPLETELY NAKED, RIGHT-”
“MINA!”
Shoto couldn’t deny the fact that his face was overly warm as a splash sounded from the other side of the wall. Y/n- had seen him practically naked. And she seemed to only be wearing a bathrobe herself.
He wasn’t sure how to feel about this.
Shoto turned away from the hot springs, as several of the boys were glancing at him now.
Still, the way she just shoved Mineta off the wall (it looked like she had been holding a camera, maybe collecting evidence), and flipped him off…cool.
And the grin on her face as she assured the girls on the other side that Mineta had been downed…so wide and bright. He loved that smile.
Ah, right, Mineta.
He set his icicle-spear down and stalked forward, where Mineta was blubbering and climbing off of poor Iida. All of the boys glared disapprovingly at Mineta, and Iida was already recovering and launching into an angry rant. Shoto didn’t listen as Mineta grabbed his towel and looked up at him.
“Mineta.”
The pervert squeaked.
Shoto held out his left hand. “Would you like to be strangled by Aizawa, or boiled alive by me?”
The grape creep squealed and took the wisest option, which was to run. Unfortunately for him, Shoto had two powerful quirks and tunnel vision.
“That was unpleasant,” Shoto muttered, returning from Mineta’s near death experience (he didn’t kill him. Just turned Mineta in so Aizawa could do the honors).
“Did you see that swan dive L/n took off the wall?” Kaminari chuckled. “Dang, Todoroki’s abs always making her fall into convenient bodies of water.”
Shoto blinked at him. “Is…is that…am I the reason she fell into the pool the other day?”
Every boy within hearing range turned to stare at him. “Yes!” They all nearly yelled, seeming shocked he hadn’t realized this before.
Houston, the gays are panicking.
Jirou and Momo, even now that they were both fully clothed, were still blushing at one another as everyone filed into the girls’ bunker.
I glanced at Mina, who gently tapped Momo’s shoulder.
“Yaomomo,” she said, kindly, “would you like us to help you get your crap together so you’re not dying for the rest of this trip?”
“Um…”
“It’s okay to say no,” I added. “But it’s okay to ask for help!”
To her credit, Momo seemed to be considering it.
“My parents wouldn’t approve,” she whispered, finally. “They’ve designed everything about my hero career so far, I couldn’t wreck it like that.”
…Wait a minute. That was a big red flag.
“They’re designing your hero career?” I blinked. Momo glanced at me as if this should have been obvious.
“Of course. They’ve been championing the idea from day one.” She looked away. “I…don’t care for it, much. But I can’t-”
I put my hands on her shoulders. “Momo.”
Mina set her hands on top of mine. “Teenage rebellion is normal.”
“Teenage rebellion?” Jirou perked up.
“I like teenage rebellion!” Hagakure jumped.
“Arson!” Ochaco cheered.
We all looked at her.
“What?”
“I-I’m not sure that’s quite what the idea was-” Momo started.
“No, that’s perfect, Ochaco! Arson!” I shook the hand pile.
Momo blinked.
And burst out laughing.
This was the first time I’d ever heard her really laugh.
“You- You all are crazy! I don’t get it! What are you proposing?”
“Design your own costume! Try loud music you’ve never heard before! Figure out what rules you hate and break them!” I grinned, balling my fists. “Make bad choices so you know not to make those choices in the future! It’s healthy!”
“...The idea is tempting. But…”
“We can help.” Jirou added, twisting her earphone around her finger and averting her gaze. “Just for a night. What happens in the cabin stays in the cabin, right?”
She smiled, glancing over at her then firmly looking away. Momo stared down at her feet, thinking hard.
“...Alright. Let’s do it.”
“GIRLS NIGHTTTTT!!!” Mina immediately dragged Tsu and Ochaco into building a fort, and I opened Hammerspace and scrolled.
“Hmm… first things first, how would you like to paint your nails, Momo? I have red, black…”
“Oh!” Momo blinked, a little whiplashed but smiling. “Um… I’ve never done black nails before. My parents considered them to be ‘gang-like’.”
“Black nails coming up!”
“I’ll get the music!” Jirou called, throwing oversized tank tops and shorts out of her suitcase until pulling up an Ipod and Bluetooth speaker. “How much swearing are you comfortable with?”
Momo turned red, causing Jirou to immediately turn the same shade. “Um… I trust your judgment.”
“Um- Right! Got it! Mina, let me help you with that fort-!” A strong bass chord played as Jirou set the speaker on the suitcase, and a song I quickly recognized from all the best “Girlboss” playlists started.
I shook up the black nail polish. “Mom used to let me practice on her, so don’t worry about it being messy. And I have pillows! Tsu, what color do you want?”
And that’s when Aizawa walked in.
Everyone froze, Tsu hopping out of the construction site murmuring “Why did everyone go quie-”
She stopped as well upon noticing Aizawa, who seemed to be processing everything.
At length, Aizawa sighed and shook his head. “I forgot to collect everyone’s phones on the bus, so I’ll need them now. As for this…” He gestured around the half-set up sleepover. “…Don’t wake me up.”
Everyone grinned with relief as they pulled out their phones and obediently gave them to Aizawa.
“Wait, wait wait-” I pulled back at the last moment, flipping open my phone to text a goodnight to Shoto.
Aizawa tossed Ochaco’s phone into his sack, and leveled a stern gaze at me.
I fumbled over the buttons. “Hang on-”
“L/n.”
“Justamomeent!”
“L/n.”
His voice turned slightly dangerous and reached for it himself. I pounded the send button and handed it over with an innocent smile. Aizawa collected it and left with a “don’t stay up too late- we’re not going to take it easy on you in the morning.”
Everyone let out a relieved sigh as Aizawa left. “Back to girl’s night!” Mina cheered, and I continued to shake the bottle of nail polish like it owed me two years of overdue rent.
Shoto’s phone buzzed on top of one of his shirts as he sorted through his suitcase. He picked it and checked it, seeing a notification from Y/n.
Hey Shoto! Just wantttes to say gnighrts!
Shoto smirked. That was the most Y/n misspelling he’s seen in a while.
“What? What is it?” Sero looked over his shoulder. “Aww. How on earth did she spell it that badly?”
“I have no idea.”
“Spell what?” Ojiro called from the top bunk across the room, tail hanging over the railing.
“Is your girlfriend texting?” Kaminari shouted from below him, playing with the fluff on Ojiro’s tail.
“Um…” Shoto glanced at his phone. “Yes.” He sent a
‘see you tomorrow :)
’ back and put his phone down.
“Hey, Todoroki!”
“Yes, Kaminari?” Shoto glanced down at the blonde. “Is there something you want?”
“Just curious about how everything’s goin’ with Y/n. I gotta say, man, out of all the guys in this class, I did not expect you to be the first to get into a relationship.”
Shoto’s lips twitched. “Me either.”
“Yeah, she swept you off your feet, huh?”
Shoto looked down at his lap, casually avoiding Kaminari’s gaze.
I guess she did, really.
“It’s going well. I’m…..getting used to the physical contact.”
“Yeah, but what else has happened? You guys kiss yet? Or cuddle? You got nicknames for each other, like honey buns or cutie pie or other nauseatingly adorable pet names?”
“No, no, and no.” Shoto paused. “Y/n does seem like the kind to use nicknames like that, though. Though maybe a little less conventional.”
“Yeah! Want me to help you brainstorm nicknames?”
“Thanks for the offer, but absolutely not.”
Kaminari mimed being stabbed through the heart.
And yet, the idea wasn’t bad… nicknames were a form of affection, and would Y/n like the gesture? Probably. Only problem? His knowledge of pet names wasn’t exactly…extensive.
Glancing behind him to ensure no one was there to sneak up and look over his shoulder, he pulled his phone out and opened a search tab.
good nicknames for your girlfriend
Top results:
Peach
Princess
Angel
Muffin
Sugar
Cupcake
Honey
Why were so many of these food-related? Shoto scrolled down the list, considering possibilities. Should he go for one that matched her personality, or just a general term of endearment that sounded right?
Kitten
Pumpkin
Sweet pea
Pixie
Mama
Mama? Shoto’s eyebrows raised. Why would you call your partner your mother?
Baby cakes
Blossom
Boo
Cutie Pie
Ah, there’s one that Kaminari mentioned.
Gorgeous
Love
Sunshine
That one had potential, he noted. With Y/n’s constant sunshiny personality.
Sweetie
Wifey
Darling
Precious
Sweetheart
The list ended there.
All…okay options, he decided. But none felt entirely natural. Maybe it had to come from him. It had to be personal, right?
Maybe he’d text Fuyumi or his mom about this.
No, he’d already bothered them enough with this.
Shoto scrolled down a little farther and started searching through the
People Also Asked
questions, further lists coming up.
Maybe if he could take one of these and somehow alter it, that would work better. Like…if he shortened one of the longer suggestions. He scanned the results of the third question. Chickadee…chick? No, wait, that sounded incredibly disrespectful. And Dee didn’t make any sense.
Cupcake, no…Cutie Pie, neither sounded original, even if he split it up.
Daisy…maybe he could look at some other flower names? Did Y/n even like flowers?
Lovebug… just Love was too generic, and Bug…
Hmm.
It was unique, and would likely amuse her…it wasn’t too sappy, but it could be, if he placed it in the context of Lovebug, or…cuddle-bug? Maybe not.
He opened a new tab.
Nicknames that end with bug…
A dictionary website came up first in results, supplying things like bedbug, firebug, humbug, jitterbug, and ladybug. Lighting bug came to mind.
Huh… that might actually work.
“Alright, everyone, phones in the bag.” Aizawa entered the room with a lumpy sack.
“Yes, Mr. Aizawa.”
“There’s no way I can do this!”
“Oh, come on, it’s not like anything is gonna happen, it’s gonna be great!”
“But what if something will?”
“Say it Momo, say it!”
“Jirou, that’s my arm-”
“Oh, s-sorry, Momo, I can-”
“Nonono, don’t let go, it’s fine! It’s just dark, it’s fine- Um- Okay okay! Bloody Mary-”
“This is such a bad idea-”
“Shhhhhhhhh!”
“Bloody Mary…”
“One more, one more!”
“...Bloody Mary!”
“RUN!”
”WHOA-!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“GUYS THEY SAID DON’T WAKE AIZAWA UP-!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Grab your protein bars and get a move on, we have a lot of work to do today,” Aizawa called, turning on the lights to our room. I groaned and jammed a pillow over my head. “I expect you all to be up and in your P.E. uniforms in ten minutes. Welcome to hell.”
He left. I groaned, rolling over and lifting my head from the pillow. “Hhhgh. Alright guys, my fault. Staying up late was a bad idea.”
“I think…” Momo rolled over from her spot on the floor, blinking the sleep out of her eyes, “that that was the greatest night of my life.”
“Ppppft-” Mina snorted, grabbing the snoring oversized T-shirt that was Hagakure and yanking her to her feet. “You’re acting like you had sex for the first time.”
“MINA!!”
“What?! Tell me I’m wrong.”
Hagakure hit her over the back of the head with a pillow.
We trudged out of the bunks, yawning and groaning and munching on the PopTarts I passed out from Hammerspace. The guys, filing out of their dorms with a bit more energy, joined us. Shoto hung near the back talking strategy with Midoriya. Kirishima was dragging a snarling Bakugou by the back of his gym uniform.
Kirishima was the first to notice Momo’s new black nails.
“Woah, Yaomomo, I like your nails! Is that what you guys were doing last night?”
Momo held them up, beaming. “Yes! Y/n did them for me.”
“Oh, sweet!” Kirishima turned to look at me, my cheeks puffed out with strawberry PopTart. “Do you have any other colors in Hammerspace?”
I grinned and pulled the red nail polish out. “Why? You wanna-“
“Yeah!”
I considered this. “We’ll have to do it later when we get a break- hey, won’t it get chipped soon anyway? With your quirk?
Kirishima shrugged. “Either way, it’ll look super manly, right?
I nodded, eyeing Bakugou, still allowing himself to be dragged around by Kirishima. The blonde scoffed and looked away, paying zero attention to Mina recounting the demon we summoned in the mirror last night to Denki.
Running on four hours of sleep and the victory of convincing Momo to be a rebellious teenager, combined with Aizawa’s promise of training till collapse, I figured this was gonna be a good day.
Aizawa gave a quick (although it felt VERY long) demonstration with Bakugou throwing a ball like when we tested our quirks at the beginning of the year. I was a bit surprised to see he hadn’t improved much, but it made sense once Aizawa explained it- and then it was time to get to work.
We each got our individual assignments, and locations to do them, Aizawa on his second pot (bucket?) of coffee as he and Pixie-Bob directed kids.
“What’re you doing?” I asked Shoto, who didn’t respond.
“Shoto?”
Shoto blinked. “Oh, sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked what your quirk training is. Are you okay?” I studied him, taking in his shadowed eyes and slightly delayed reaction time.
“I’m fine. Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Shoto shrugged. “Not really used to sleeping around other people, you know?”
(And on top of that, he hadn’t had Dasha. He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to admit it out loud, but he’d grown accustomed to sleeping with her. He hadn’t brought her on the trip, of course; instead, he’d asked Fuyumi to hide the stuffed bird in her closet so Endeavor wouldn’t find her.)
Oh, right, the training. He shrugged. “And, I have to…sit in water and regulate the temperature with my fire and ice, if I understand correctly.”
“Cool! Mr. Aizawa said I’m going to be training by both working on releasing and taking multiple items into Hammerspace at once. Which, I’ve tried before a long time ago, but it didn’t exactly…end well.” I thought back to standing in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by broken eggs. “In hindsight, using eggs was a bad idea, but in my defense, I was six.”
Shoto nodded. “Maybe if you work on that, we won’t have a repeat of what happened with the knives during the Hosu incident.”
I shuddered as I remembered the knife piercing my palm, tracing the little scar left in its wake. “Yeah, that would be best. I’ll see you later, Shoto.”
“See you later…”
Shoot. He’d forgotten to ask her about using nicknames.
Well, it wasn’t like there was a time limit. Maybe over lunch…
I opened Hammerspace, training on the same flat mountain top that Sero was using to launch his tape off. Already, I could see several of my classmates starting, just as the sun started rising over the trees; Bakugou trying to explode the sky, Denki and Aoyama lighting up the early morning, Shoto in a tank top climbing into a tub of water…Koda just…screaming…actually, almost everybody was screaming for one reason or another.
Hey, how come Satou and Momo literally just get to sit down and eat sweets?
Lucky.
I stretched as Mandalay wheeled a very intimidating automatic tennis launcher that looked VERY illegally tampered with.
“Ready?” She called, “Try to catch these at the same time!” And pressed the button, launching eight balls at my face.
I held my hands out, willing for them to disappear into my pocket void.
One did.
One didn’t.
And six hit me in the nose and various other places.
“Ow!”
The second rolled away and bumped Sero on the leg. The tape-dispenser didn’t notice, only continued screaming.
“Leave it,” Mandalay said. “If you don’t know how to swipe multiple things into your Hammerspace at once, try imagining a void entrance at your fingertips. Perhaps if you widen the imagined entrance point, more items can enter.”
I blinked, trying to craft a better metaphor to explain it to myself. Like… I dunno, like having a garage door, so you can park a car, rather than having to force a bike through a regular door.
I rubbed my nose as Mandalay fiddled with the settings of the machine. Only three launched out this time, thank the stars. Stretching my hand out, I imagined opening the ‘doors’ to Hammerspace, stretching the entry point.
One ball disappeared.
Another did the same.
And the third one hit me in the teeth.
“FUCK-”
“Language!” Mandalay cheered. “See, you got it!”
I nodded as I groaned and rubbed my mouth. Good thing we hadn’t started using the practice knives yet.
“Again!”
All three tennis balls went into Hammerspace.
“Great! Now let’s try releasing multiple items at once. The tennis balls you’ve collected have coalesced into one menu option, right?”
I nodded again. Identical items always grouped together into the same little pockets.
“Then try throwing all of them at the target!”
All six? I lined up my aim and chose a target, then chucked the pocket’s contents by selecting with the opposite hand.
A while later, after dawn, she told me to take a water break while she and the other 3 Pussycats welcomed Class 1B.
“While you wait for me to get back,” she instructed, “try practicing releasing items from Hammerspace without your menu.”
“Huh?”
Mandalay nodded. “I understand you use your menu every time you release things from the void, but I want you to try releasing them mentally.”
Mentally…? ”I don’t even know if that’s possible, though.”
“You never know until you try!” She cheered, trotting off down the mountain, leaving me alone with only the melodic sounds of Sero’s pained screaming.
The next several hours were dedicated to trucking through training, until the Pussycats called us all for dinner.
And by dinner they meant making dinner ourselves.
“Now, remember what I said? We’re not serving your food anymore!” Pixie-Bob called over the mass of exhausted students.
“If you guys want to eat, you’ll have to make your own meal! Starting with cuurrrrryyyyyy!!” Ragdoll squealed.
“Yes ma’am,” I muttered in sync with my drooling classmates. So hungry…
Ragdoll continued on some high-pitched ramble that I started to tune out, but something she said evidently stuck with Iida. He perked up, color seeming to flood back into his features.
“I see…an important part of saving someone recovering from a disaster is providing for their physical needs, as well as spiritual…ah, this is a great opportunity!”
Spiritual? Where had this lecture gone wrong?!!
Iida spun on his heel and started yelling at the rest of us about curry, as if that boy had ever cooked a meal for himself in his life (meant in the most affectionate way possible).
Mmm, curry…
We started preparing the food, starting with the grills. Shoto lit most of them, except for the one Sero encouraged Bakugou to light. That one exploded.
I tried to teach Iida how to peel potatoes as Shoto began cutting something across from me. I had been told that Fuyumi was a good cook, though (again, in the most affectionate way possible) I doubted that skill carried over. I began cutting chicken once I made sure Iida wasn’t going to accidentally shave his fingers off.
Bakugo was going OFF with chopping vegetables, shouting at Denki the entire time like a more explosive version of Gordon Ramsay.
“Ow-” Shoto hissed suddenly, and I looked up to see him cradling a small cut on his finger.
“Oh, gimmie that. I’ve got bandaids.”
Shoto paused. “It’s really not that bad, Y/n. Just startled me.”
“Nonsense.”
I took his hand in mine, and Shoto blushed, looking away as I pressed the cotton part over the pooling red and wrapped the adhesive around his finger.
Why was he…oh, stars, I was holding his hand…
The food was terrible, but nobody cared. I was practically gnawing on the chopsticks by the time it was served.
“Whoa, you’re scarfing, Momo!” Mina observed from a table over.
Momo straightened. “Yes…my quirk transforms lipids into brand-new atoms to create inorganic materials. That means the more I eat, the more I can make.”
That would certainly explain her all-you-can-eat training earlier.
“Like how poop works,” I heard Sero mutter. Momo immediately turned bright red.
I almost snorted curry out of my nose as Jirou gave Sero a solid right hook to the face. “Apologize!”
“Okay, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“Don’t listen to them, Yaomomo, your quirk is really cool.” Jirou rushed, looking firmly away.
“Oh-” Momo blushed just as red. If not more. Dammit, I needed to get these two idiots together. “Thank you.”
“Uno!”
“We’re playing Go Fish?!”
“I thought this was poker…?”
“Mawile, I choose you!”
“That’s Pokémon! Where did you even get that from?!”
“Hammerspace!”
“Where did you (yawn) think she got it… out her ass?”
“Oh, hey Mina. Welcome back. How were remedial classes?”
“….(thump)…zzzzZzZZZZ”
“…oh.”
Training was just as brutal the next day, but I did improve slightly. Only three balls to the nose this time.
Sometime in the middle of the haze of training, Mandalay told me something about the game we were to play after dinner that night. I probably would’ve been more excited, had I not taken a hard rubber ball to the stomach in the middle of it.
Ochaco looked very concerned at dinner, eyeballing the multiple small bruises that were beginning to pop up around my face. “Do you need an ice pack?”
“Nah, it’s fine. It’ll get in the way of stew.” I grabbed an armload of firewood and carried them beside my bestie. “Hey, check it out, Chef Bakugo is at it again.”
Ochaco followed my gaze to a certain Pomeranian, chopping carrots at a rate that would’ve left me fingerless. “Whoa, Bakugou! You’re really good with that knife!” She unwisely leaned in, despite the fact that the scowling blonde was holding a very sharp object that he was apparently efficient with. “It’s weird…”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S WEIRD?! HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE BE SO DAMN BAD AT EVERYTHING?!?”
“Look at that. He’s not blowing stuff up,” Denki muttered as he passed by.
I deposited the firewood with Midoriya, who was talking with Shoto and Momo about Kota.
“You tend to cut to the heart of people’s feelings. It can be annoying,“ Shoto muttered.
“Midoriya, it’s not always a good idea to try to get people to trauma-dump on you.” I chuckled, setting the firewood down beside the stoves. “I know it worked with Shoto, it did for me too, but sometimes you just gotta leave people alone. Or at least get to know Kota first. He’s a really great kid, you know?”
Shoto blinked at me. “Wait, what?”
“I mean, if you can get him to trust you, then maybe. Kota’s been through some rough stuff. I’d love to see him work through it with someone instead of just blaming heroes and quirks for everything.” I ruffled the broccoli’s hair.
“Y/n, what do you mean by trauma du-“
“YOU GUYS! YOUR HANDS AREN’T MOVING!” Iida yelled, having finally gotten the hang of peeling potatoes and now going through them at a rate that seemed to be scaring some 1B boys. “WE’LL NEVER MAKE THE BEST STEW IF YOU STOP NOW!!”
“SHUSH, IIDA, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT EMOTIONAL TRAUMA!”
“But- Y/n, what does trauma dumping mean?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The totally awesome test of courage! I had a hockey mask in Hammerspace and a MISSION!Our turn to scare people was second- which kind of sucked, because I was so ready to scare everybody. I had facepaint, a handful of weapons to brandish wildly, the aforementioned hockey mask, sound machines, a megaphone- I was READY!Well, after I got the living daylights scared out of me in a few.Shoto milled around with the other students, hands in a light cotton denim jacket that HOLY shit he looked really good in.I looked around at all the pairings around me. Tokoyami and Shouji, Jirou and Momo (Which Ochaco and I may or may not have bribed Pixie Bob. You know, for a good cause), Hagakure and Aoyama, Tsu and Ochaco, Ojiro and Mineta, and Iida and Koda, and-“Pockets, who’s your partner?! Take your boyfriend and trade with me!” Bakugo howled, angrily gesturing over his shoulder at a bewildered Shoto.I blinked. He would kill me, but...“Sure. Hey, Midoriya, get over here!”“What- WAIT NO THAT’S EVEN WORSE-!”“NO TAKE BACKSIES! Shoto, run!”“Wha-” I grabbed his arm and sprinted to the other side of the group. Bakugou popped off a few explosions, and I sent a sheepishly apologetic look to Midoriya.“Remember! Grab your flags at the end of the trail and come back with dry panties to win! ALRIGHT MY KITTENS! FIRST GROUP, GO~!”One by one the groups wandered off into the forest.“AaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"Shoto chuckled. "Y/n, please calm down. It’s not our turn to scare people.”"I can't!" I bounced into the air again and again, buzzing from head to toe with nerves. "I'm so nervous I can't keep still or I will EXPLODE!"“P-please don't explode, L/n-chan," Midoriya called from across the clearing.“SHADDUP NERD!”“I WASN’T EVEN TALKING TO YOU?!??”“Oh, my lovebirds~ It’s time for you to begin!”“DEKU IS NOT-”“She’s talking about me!” I pushed Bakugou, sending him screaming some more angry pomeranian-speak into my ear. “Why’re you so quick to assume it’s-”“YOU’RE DEAD, POCKETS!!”“We’re gonna be on the same team-”“I DON’T CARE-”I tuned out whatever else he had to say as Pixie-Bob shoved me and Shoto into the forest. “Okay, well, if this doesn’t kill us, I guess Bakugou will for that joke,” I muttered, taking Shoto’s warm hand. He chuckled as he matched my pace then hesitated slightly."He was the one to assume ‘lovebirds’ meant him and Midoriya.""You think that matters?""Point taken." Shoto shook his head, then pursed his lips. He seemed...nervous? “So…we’re gonna be alone for a while, until the 1B kids pop up...and I wanted to ask you something.”I paused. “Yeah? Something wrong?”He waved his free hand slightly. “No- I just…” he fumbled for the right words. “How would you feel if I called you by a nickname?”I almost completely stopped. “I- nicknames?”He nodded. “It seems like something you’d like.”I beamed at him, a blush scrawling up my face. “Sure! I’ve been tempted to call you Sho on multiple occasions but I didn’t want to bring it up.”“Oh. I don’t mind. Um…” He frowned. “Can I…can I call you ‘Bug’?”I blinked, and Shoto scrambled to explain, “I- I mean, I…I was looking online, when I had the idea, looking for ideas…” he faltered, seeming embarrassed. “Like…lightning bug, lovebug… that kind of thing, but shorter.”“...Shoto, I love y- it. I love it.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss against his cheek just in time for a head to pop out of the ground.“ACK-” I jumped into the air, and felt a pair of arms reach out to steady me. I blinked. “Oh, hi. You’re from 1-B! Uh, good job.”Kodai stood up from the ground. “Mm…not as scared as I’d hoped.”Another guy with whitish hair stood up from the bushes. “Any wet pants?”“No!”Shoto shook his head, letting go of one of my arms. “Let’s go. We gotta get our tags.” The 1B kids groaned and sank back into their hiding spots. “Who’s after you guys?”“500 yen and I’ll think about telling. But otherwise, byeeee!”I grinned at them and pulled Shoto forward, avoiding the softened spot on the ground. “C’mon, Sho!” Shoto followed me, touching a spot on his cheek and smiling as we trailed down the path. The sky was deep blue and a light fog was drifting over the trees, and we were alone again.“...Hey,” Shoto frowned, looking up at the drifting fog, “do you smell something?”I lifted my nose into the air, sniffing. “I… wait, yeah. Is there a wildfire somewhere?”Shoto squeezed my hand, which I hadn’t dropped since tugging him along. “That’d be bad, in the forest… Though, it almost smells toxic.” I looked around and noticed a different fog, almost purplish, creeping behind us. “Huh. Do you think it’s one of the 1B kids?”“I don’t think so.” I backed away from the creeping haze, opening Hammerspace. “...it does smell toxic. Here.” I scrolled for a while, since I hadn’t gotten it out for a while, but I eventually found the gas mask and popped it out, handing it to Shoto.He nodded and undid the straps, lifting it to his face, but paused. “Where’s yours?”“I only have one. They cost, like, 3,000 yen.” “You only have one?” He lowered the mask and held it out. “Then you wear it. I’ll be fine.”“No, you take it-”“But-”Less than thirty seconds later, we both had our hands on the mask, pushing it at each other. “Y/n, I’m not wearing it-”“Hold STILL!”I took the mask with one hand and grabbed the back of Shoto’s head with my other, pushing it down and strapping the mask onto his face. Shoto gave up. “Look, we’ll take turns. When you can’t keep breathing minimally, I’ll take it off and we’ll switch.”“That’s a good plan,” I nodded. “Ragdoll was waiting at the end of the trail, right? We should catch up with her, it’s closer than camp.”Shoto took a deep breath in through the mask and started jogging.I ran behind him, breathing as little as possible. Every little breath kind of… itched, like a tingling in my lungs. After a few minutes, when my head started to spin, I tapped his shoulder. “S-switch?” He put a hand on my shoulder to steady me and quickly pulled off and handed me the mask. I reached up to put it over my face when- my foot caught on something soft. “MMPH-“ Still dizzy, I toppled over and hit the ground with a thump.“Ow!”Shoto dropped to his knees next to me and helped adjust the mask over my mouth and nose, brushing dirt off my shirt.“Are you okay? Oh-“He looked past me, at the thing I tripped over. I glanced over as well and felt my heart stop. “Oh.”It was a boy from 1-B, lying motionless on the ground.“That’s… not good. That’s really not good.”I pressed my fingers against the side of his neck. There was a pulse, slow but steady.“He’s alive.”“I guess this gas makes people pass out. Are we being attacked?” Shoto questioned softly.“By who, the League?”“I think so. We- we should really find Ragdoll. Like… we should run.”I set my hand on the boy’s shoulder and moved him to Hammerspace.Shoto and I climbed to our feet and continue the path.“Stay on your guard,” Shoto muttered, putting a hand on my shoulder for balance as he pulled his shirt over his mouth, as if that would help. Maybe it would.“I think I see the table!” I called, taking off my mask after a few minutes. “And we’re clear of the fog now, I think.”“That’s a… Y/n, stop.”“What?”“Look.” Shoto pointed ahead, and I squinted, rubbing at my eyes. Ragdoll was nowhere to be seen. The only notable thing was… blood, covering the table. Lots of blood.“Is that Ragdoll’s?” I whispered, a sickening sense of dread weighing down my stomach.“Let’s get a closer look.” Shoto moved in, scanning the surroundings, and examined the table. I followed, biting my lip. “Where’s Ragdoll? Did they take her?”“I don’t know. Let’s get back to camp, try to find some other classmates.”I nodded. “Should we stick with the main path or go into the trees?”Shoto looked around. “I don’t see any threat right now, and we’ll go slower if we’re in the foliage. Not to mention someone might be able to follow us, and it’ll be easier to find classmates on the path.”“If you say so.” I tore my eyes away from the bloody white table. This was bad. They took out a pro-hero.We were running now, both of us on high alert and listening for something other than our own desperate heartbeats. I reached out and grabbed Shoto’s elbow as a shadowy black figure came into view.“Hey, do you see-“
Shing!
I gasped as a white blade shot past my head, forking and snapping and landing in the dirt with enough force to have cut off a limb. I yelped and barely managed to duck out of the way, Shoto and I jumping in opposite directions. “Showww meeee…show me your EXQUISITE FLESH!” The man(???) standing on the path rasped. He was rail thin, arms concealed with a dark, spiked straitjacket, covering every inch of his skin…except his mouth, which was wide open, his unhinged jaw revealing blocky, moon-white teeth. One tooth seemed to have elongated and grown in a split second to stretch past my head as a sword. I barely managed to dodge as another tooth grew into a blade, then another, his body lifted into the air by the blades’ contact with the ground.Shoto threw up an ice barrier, keeping his eyes on the villain as I ducked behind him, opening Hammerspace and letting the unconscious boy from 1-B drop into my arms.“I’ll get the villain, but I can’t take them both,” I whispered. “People stack into the same part of Hammerspace, so keeping him there could put him in danger.”“I’ll carry him.” Shoto nodded, slipping his arms under the boy’s and hoisting him up. I smiled and creeped around the edge of the ice wall, reaching out and brushing my fingers against the nearest blade, which had been slamming against the barrier.He noticed, sending eight spears hurdling to my head before I waved my hand through the air, moving the villain into the safety of my pocket dimension.“Good job,” Shoto muttered, adjusting the classmate on his back.“What do we do now? The others must be under attack too, we should go help them!” I wrung my hands. “Which way should we go? Back to camp or keep going?”“I don’t know.” Shoto shook his head. “I want to keep going forward. To help anybody who might be in a worse conditions along the trail, we don’t know how many villains there are.”“Ochaco went after us, right?” I glanced over my shoulder. “And Tsu. I don’t wanna leave them.”“...Alright. Go quickly and be safe, okay?”“Huh?”“I’m going to go ahead, but if you don’t want to come with me, I’m not going to make you.” Shoto stared into my eyes. “Just- be safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”“Sho.” I smiled, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his left cheek, just a centimeter away from his lips. “Thank you.”“I trust you.” He adjusted the boy on his back so he could reach out and take my hand, and squeeze it gently.“I trust you too. And don’t worry. We’ll be okay.” I smiled, squeezing back.He nodded and pulled away, jogging down the trail. I smiled, turned, and did the same.“Hm. Shallow. Not much blood.” The girl ahead of me hummed, voice quiet as I approached from behind. Her hair was blonde, and she was wearing a beige lumpy sweater with some sort of pipe system attached to the back.I caught Tsu’s eye, and the girl noticed her gaze and glanced over her shoulder.I waved.“Hello. Awesome mask. You alright, Ochaco?”“I’m fine.” Ochaco huffed, glaring at the girl- I assumed she was a villain.“Can I help you with something?” I stuck my hands in my pockets. “We’re being attacked at the moment and I think these two need to get back to camp.”“Ehehe. I know you, Y/n. You’re just as cute in person.”“Aw, thank you.” I smiled a little. “You’re really pretty, I love your hair.”The girl lit up. “Really?”“Y/n, respectfully, what are you doing? ” Ochaco blinked at me. I waved a hand.“There is a madness to my method, sis, just trust me. Never caught your name, by the way.” I smiled again at the blonde girl. She clapped.“I’m Toga!”“L/n. Nice to meet you. Nice knife.”“Thanks! It’s a little old.”“Nah, it’s cute. Does it cut well?”“Apparently not.” She frowned down at it. “Not enough blood. Usually I’d suck it directly from the cut to make it flow, but there’s no time.”“On a mission?”Toga grinned and reached behind her, pulling out a device attached to her backpack. “You could say that.”Okay, that was a little intimidating. I had to keep her distracted, keep her talking. “Don’t worry, this machine will start pumping it out as soon as I stick it in you.”She pressed a button, and a needle popped out. I stepped back. “nOPE, I DON’T LIKE THAT, I DON’T LIKE NEEDLES-”Toga lunged at me, and I dodged, sprinting as FAR AWAY from the thin pointy thing as possible. “LOOK, I’M ALL ABOUT KNIVES USUALLY BUT I DON’T LIKE NEEDLES PLEASE NO-”Toga sighed. “Aw. Well, since we’re friends now, I guess I won’t use it on you. Oh, Uraraka~”Tsu’s eyes widened, and she grabbed Ochaco with her tongue, flinging her away from Toga’s next attack.“Get back to camp! We should only use our quirks to protect ourselves, not to counterattack!” Tsu called out.“Tsu, Y/n, come on!” Ochaco waved frantically, ready to run as Tsu released her. “We’ll be right behind y-” Toga rushed forward, slicing Tsu’s tongue before she could retract it.“YOU’RE HOLDING THE KNIFE WRONG!” I shouted as I grabbed Tsu’s arm, pushing her behind me to mutter to her. “Tsu, I just need to get close enough to touch her-”“I am not holding the knife wrong!” Toga’s voice sounded indignant. “What do you know about knives?”“More than you think. If you want the slashing power you should hold the flat end against your arm and swing your elbow to attack.”“Y/n, should we really be helping the villain?”“Madness to the method, Tsu, I’m kinda freaking out here! Split up!”“Tsu? That’s such a cute nickname!” Toga giggled, reaching up and pulling the mask off her face. “I think I’ll call you that too!”“Don’t even think about it! Only my friends get to call me that!” Tsu made to hop out of the way of Toga’s next attack as I broke left, but the flying needle caught in her hair and stuck against the nearby tree, pinning her to it.“YAY! So I guess I must be your friend too- AH-”I leapt at her. She dodged.“DAMMIT!” I tugged on the tube connected to the needle’s vacuum, pulling it out of the tree. “Honestly, put down the knife and the blood sucky thingy and I’d be willing to think about it!”“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Ochaco screeched, running past me.“I THOUGHT WE TOLD YOU TO GET BACK TO CAMP!”“I’M GOING TO HELP!”Toga lunged at Ochaco, who pivoted, grabbing her knife wrist and the base of her neck- one of the moves Gunhead taught her.She forced Toga to the ground, and I let out a sigh of relief.“You know, if you used that elbow technique that wouldn’t have happened.”“Y/n, you’re helping a villain!”“Sorry.” I sat down against a tree to catch my breath. Ochaco had everything under control, and Tsu was restraining Toga’s hands.“Oh, Y/n, you’re just delightful.” Toga crooned.“Thanks.”“You’ve got the same smell as me.” She continued, apparently not finished. “You’ve got a crush on someone, right?”“A boyfriend, actually.”“REVEALING INFORMATION TO A VILLAIN!”“SORRY!”Toga squealed with delight and kicked her feet. “That’s so much fun! I have a crush on someone… I bet you’re like me, you want to be just like that person, don’t you?”I frowned. “...elaborate?”Tsu and Ochaco were mumbling logistics beside me, so I scooted forward, sitting down and leaning closer to Toga’s face.“Well, first, you start modeling yourself after them… you start dressing like them, but that’s not enough! You realize that you want to become that person! And once you get to that point, there’s no going back! That’s how love works, right?”I frowned. “I disagree.”The smile fell from Toga’s face. “Oh?”“Yeah. I think that, yeah, you want to have things in common with your crush, but I think it’s much more important that your interests or ideals align, rather than your appearance. Besides, I wouldn’t want to become just like my boyfriend. Our differences make us better as a couple, I think. Is that cheesy to say?”“A little.” Toga bit her lip. She had fangs (so cool!). “But that’s how love works for me. I want to become just like the person I love, and I do that by drinking their blood!”“A transformation quirk or a kink?”“A quirk!!”“Look I didn’t know it could be anything I’m sorry-”“It’s fine!” Toga laughed. “You’re really funny.”“Thanks. And, hey, if you find a guy- or girl, or individual, who’s into that kind of thing… good for you. Just don’t force it on anybody who doesn’t want it.”“Mmm. You’re interesting. You talk a lot.”“Yeah, sorry-”“No, you’re really smart. I wanna keep you.”“What does that-”Tsu and Ochaco screamed, Tsu bouncing back with a suction needle sticking out of her leg.“HEY!” I shouted, leaping up and yanking it out of Tsu’s leg before more than a short stream could be suctioned.“Uraraka!” I looked up at the sound of Shoto’s voice. And he’d brought reinforcements- Shouji, who was carrying a roughed-up Midoriya, and Tokoyami. “Shoto!” He smiled slightly at me, before his eyes cut back to Toga as Ochaco yelled.“Get this thing out of me!” Ochaco pulled one hand away to get the suction needle out of her leg, and Toga sprung out from under her like a rabbit fleeing its trap and disappeared into the bushes, but I could still hear her.“Too many people. I don’t wanna get killed. But you’ll be coming with us, Y/n, right? Please?”She wasn’t aiming the plea at me anymore, but… somewhere else. I tried to follow her gaze. Who was that man in the bright coat that wasSomething felt wrong- deeply wrong, but there wasn’t any time to investigate.“Who was that girl just now?” Shoto frowned, adjusting his grip on the 1-B boy’s leg.Midoriya still looked on the verge of passing out, but he noticed a nasty cut on Uraraka’s arm. Classic Midoriya, but there wasn’t any time. Shoto hated this. He couldn’t possibly keep an eye on everything he needed to like this.“We can’t stand here and talk, let’s move.”“You’re right. We’re protecting Kacchan and making our way back to camp, we could use your help.”Asui blinked, setting a finger on her chin. “If you’re protecting Bakugou, then shouldn’t he be standing here with you guys?”There was a pause, and Midoriya’s breath picked up. Shoto blinked. Where was Bakugou? And…“Where’s Y/n?”“She isn’t here with-?” Ochaco cut off, going pale, and Shoto felt his heart plummet.“Nice trick, eh?”Shoto whirled around to see a villain in a yellow coat and white mask, standing balanced on a tree branch above them. No. No- they didn’t-“I took those two you’re talking about with my magic. A talent like young Bakugou’s would be squandered if he were to be cast as a hero.”“What did you do with Y/n?!” Shoto’s voice sounded foreign to him- he hadn’t been this openly angry- no, murderous, in years. “Give her back!”“Give her back? Who, the lass? What an odd thing to say. No, Miss L/n has such a talent for wisdom that we really must bring her with us. Besides, the two don’t belong to anyone.”“She doesn’t belong to you, either!” A glacier of ice shot towards the villain- he leapt out of the way with ease.“Why the aggression? We’re merely trying to show them other options than the fanatical world of heroism they’re drowning in.”Tokoyami snarled. “What right do you have to lay your hands on them?!”“If you’re monologuing because you think you’ve beaten us, you’re mistaken!” Shoto grit his teeth, keeping his eyes firmly on the marbles in the villain’s hand. That must’ve been Y/n and Bakugou.“A bad habit of mine, I used to be an entertainer, you know. Taking L/n was a bit of… improv, on my part, but it will serve us well. Toga was quite fond of her, and when I saw her logic and quick thinking, I must say, I understood my dear colleague’s passion as well. She’s wise beyond her years, and I am quite envious.”“Take this guy for me.” Shoving the 1-B boy off his shoulders, ice burst into the air, ricocheting off of trees and blasting forward- just catch the goddamn villain and get Y/n back. Shoto wasn’t going let anything happen to her.“Apologies!”He dodged that?!“But slight-of-hand and escapism are my specialties, not combat, so I must be taking my leave. Vanguard action squad, I’ve acquired our target-”Shouting with frustration, Shoto sent out another glacier, breaking through the spikes and tendrils of the first. Frost crawled across his skin, and his legs started to tremble as Shouji stepped closer, creating another limb to steady him on his left.“Ngh-” The villain’s voice was muffled from a distance, but it sounded like he was still moving. “Just get to the exit point. It’s time to take our bows.”“Don’t let him get away!” Shoto shouted- though it sounded more like a scream as flames burst from his side, melting the ice within a few seconds.“Todoroki, calm down, let us catch up!” Midoriya shouted, as Shouji lunged forward to match Shoto’s pace. “Uraraka…”Shoto listened closely to Midoriya’s plan, trying to drown out the pounding of his head. He had to protect her. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if they got away. Tsu launched Midoriya, him and Shouji through the air and onto the villain’s back. They landed hard in a clearing, unfamiliar voices barely registering, Shouji forcefully rooting through the villain’s pockets while Shoto held him down- until the others attacked.Blue fire and ice wall after ice wall- Shoto’s tunnel vision on the magician-villain tuned out the battle around him. “The hell is with this guy?!” He snarled to himself some some self-contradicting fool danced around his blasts. “Ugh- I can’t believe you wrecked my exit! Unrehearsed amateurs..”Shoto turned to see the kidnapper and another villain in a trench coat speaking. “You got Bakugou?””Of course! And a little bit of improv, too. Toga specially requested someone…” the marble villain stuck his hand in his pocket. “Midoriya, Todoroki, we’re done!”Shoto looked to Shouji, watching him pull a pair of bright blue marbles from his pocket.“I’m not sure what your quirk is..but it had to do with those little marbles, right? The ones you stashed in your pocket. So I’m guessing these are L/n and Bakugo.”Shouji got them. Shouji had them and she was safe.Shoto tuned out the marble villain’s congrats and threw up a wall of ice between him and the villains, joining the other two as they sprinted for the trees.“Right!” He couldn’t keep the relief from his voice. “Nice job, Shouji!”“A nomu?!” Midoriya stared into the trees at a new pale green monster- “Quick, this way!” Shoto pivoted, then slid to a stop as a new form rose in front of him- gaseous and dark, black and purple smoke ripping portals through the air.“Not this guy- he was at the USJ.”“The warp villain,” Midoriya murmured.“It’s been five minutes since the signal. Let’s go, Dabi,” a voice boomed over their heads.The villains were leaving. They- they had won?Distantly, Shoto heard the trench-coat villain protest leaving without Y/n and Bakugou. But then the marble man turned back.“Don’t worry, they were so proud of themselves for rooting through my pockets that I thought I’d let them gloat.”Shoto’s breath caught.“But allow me to explain a basic tenet of magic. If I’m flaunting something shiny…” The villain reached a hand up, shifting his mask off of his face to reveal his eyes and mouth, “..it’s because there’s something else I don’t want you to see.”Slowly, tauntingly, he stuck out his tongue, revealing two glowing blue marbles.“He’s got them.”The villain snapped- the marbles in Shouji’s hand turned into shards of Shoto’s own ice. A decoy. The villian grinned condescendingly and explained how he’d prepared dummies. “DAMMIT!” Midoriya screamed, turning and running for him. Shoto and Shouji were right on his heels.“A little bit of misdirection. Forgive me, I do so adore a twist ending.” The villain began backing into the portal and inclined his head in a bow as Midoriya shouted. “One last bow, and then the curtain fall-”A glittery beam of light shredded his hat slightly, blinding Shoto for a moment.”Aoyama?!” The villain, startled by the blast, coughed out the marbles. Shoto and Shouji dived for them. She was so close, he could do this- The masked villain reached back out and snatched one of the marbles from Shouji’s hand, and the trench coat guy grabbed the other even as it was centimeters from Shoto’s fingers.Shoto looked up and made eye contact with the scarred adult. He grinned at Shoto patronizingly. Purple scars and staples covered his face, and those bright blue eyes matched his fire. Something about those eyes felt off, but Shoto ignored the feeling as he made one last desperate grab. “Well, isn’t that a tragedy. Poor little Shoto Todoroki…”He stepped out of the way and let Shoto dive past him, slamming into the ground and rolling. “Confirm it now. Release them,” the scarred man muttered to his colleague. Shoto scrambled to his feet just in time as an affirmative was issued and the bright blue balls turned into Bakugou and Y/n. The scarred villain wasted no time wrapping his hands around their necks.Then he began to pull them through the portal. Bakugou stiffened, and only muttered, “Deku…” as his childhood friend screamed his nickname. And Y/n…Y/n looked around, shock keeping her otherwise frozen until she saw Shoto, sprinting in her direction. Their eyes met, and Shoto knew he had never seen her look so confused and afraid.“SHO-” The portal closed.They were gone.They were gone.Shoto vaguely registered the ground beneath his knees- Midoriya was screaming, wailing in despair. Bakugou was gone.They’d been tricked. The villains won.Y/n was gone.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Somebody was kicking my leg. Like, hard.
I groaned. My body felt like it had been squished, spaghettified, then reconstructed twice over.
I was sitting upright against the wall, hands in my lap, and that person was STILL kicking my leg.
I hissed at them. “Go away!”
“Wake! The! Fuck! Up! So! I! Know! You’re! Not! Fucking! Dead! GOD! DAMMIT!”
Weh?
I opened my eyes. “Fuckin… Bakugou?”
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” He snarled. I blinked again. The room was dark. Chills ran up and down my arms as I leaned further back against the concrete wall behind me, trying to stretch my arms. My wrists wouldn’t separate, no matter how hard I tugged.
“Ow!” I blinked again. “The hell?”
“Don’t even bother, I’ve been fighting these things for an hour.”
“These wha… oh, stars.”
I stared at my hands- well, the large metal box around my hands, ending at my wrists. A long chain connected it to the wall, pooled to the side of where I sat.
“We were kidnapped, weren’t we?”
“Yeah, we were kidnapped, obviously. League of Villains attacked the camp.”
My mind flitted immediately to Shoto, then Ochaco, Tsu and Midoriya. Were they alright?
“…How long was I out?” I asked instead. Bakugou shrugged.
“Hell if I know. There aren’t any windows down here.” He shifted against the wall, gritting his teeth. “My back fucking hurts, though, so at least a few hours.”
“Oh...” I swallowed, sliding against the wall and shivering. It was really cold. “Do you know what they want from us?”
“Not a clue. Can you- like- I dunno- get a lockpick with your quirk?”
“If I could, could I even use it, genius?”
“Shut up, I’m pressed for ideas here!”
I look down at my hands. “Even then, I need to move my hands in order to access it… I haven’t been able to do it mentally yet.”
“Well, keep trying! We need a way outta here.” Bakugou shifted, yanking his chain taught and pulling hard. “Think of something! A bomb if you have to!”
“Of course you would be the one to suggest a bomb.” I tried to force myself to focus, trying to envision a door in my mind connecting to Hammerspace. The door opened and I reached in to grab a- something, anything! I don’t even know! My pepper spray or something? The spray Shoto and I got, dark blue with the green label, anything! Just grab it!
…Shoto. Was he okay?
“Do you want something small and subtle, so you can wear it and be inconspicuous?”
“Do I seem like an inconspicuous individual?” I flicked a baseball bat out of Hammerspace and swung it around. A nearby customer eyed us warily.
“Okay, point taken- stop that, you’re going to decapitate the mannequins and get us kicked out.”
“I’m not going to-! Whatever. Anyway, I’m going for big and scary. I’m not subtle.”
“Noted. How about this one?”
“Looks great. D’you think Mineta will be put off?”
“I can’t imagine he’ll keep peeking up girls’ skirts if he goes blind.”
“This one, then!”
“Pockets? How’s it coming?”
“Ah- uh, I got distracted.”
“The fuck you mean you got distracted??”
“I have ADHD, it happens!”
“Just keep working!”
Bakugo’s arms were bleeding with how hard he was fighting. My stomach squirmed at the sight.
Just focus, Y/n. Get something useful, please…
Clank!
I opened my eyes, hope surging in my chest when I realized it worked, then immediately dropping when I saw what it was.
“A shovel? Really, Pockets?! Are we gonna dig our own graves with that?” Bakugou snarled. “Oh, wait. We can’t.”
I groaned. “You’re really helpful, you know that?”
I twisted my hands inside the box to see if I could at least touch them to one another or swipe open the menu, but all I succeeded in doing was making my wrists burn with pain as the tight metal pulled on my skin.
“Where do you think we are?” I asked, wincing and letting the weight of the box rest on the floor.
“How should I know?” Bakugo clicked his tongue, letting his hands down as well and breathing heavily. “I woke up here, same as you.”
“Great.”
Bakugou struggled to get to his feet, hunching over in his typical gremlin pose. His chain dragged along the floor. “Tch, this bastard is heavy.”
I nodded. “Yeah…” I crossed my legs as “Do you think that door is locked?”
“Door? What-“ Bakugou followed my gaze to the camouflaged concrete door hidden in the shadows of the wall behind him. The chains connecting us to the wall went just far enough so that we could reach it, but not go through if it opened.
Just enough to drive us mad.
“Probably. And even if it wasn’t, how’d we turn the knob, genius? Where would it even go?”
I shrugged, regretting it as the movement tugged my wrists’ skin again. “Maybe use your elbow? And- I dunno, it’s worth a shot!”
Bakugou scowled and tried to push against the side of the doorknob with his shoulder, then his back. “Nope. Any more brilliant ideas?”
“…”
I really wish I could get my phone, if only to take a picture of Bakugou biting a doorknob.
“Wha’re you lauhin ah, pohets!”
“Nothing-“
Bakugou twisted his neck, spine curled like a shrimp. The doorknob moved slightly, but a clicking noise announced it was locked.
“Shi’h-“ Bakugou took his mouth off of the doorknob so he could curse properly. “Shit!”
“Shit,” I agreed, with significantly less vitriol. “Bakugou?”
“What?”
I curled against the wall. “I- I wanna go home.”
“...Me too.”
“...Everyone’s probably so worried.”
“I guess.” Bakugou kicked the doorknob, muttering to himself. “Mom probably isn’t, though….”
I lifted my head. “Hmm?”
“Nothin’. But some people aren’t gonna be worried if they think we can handle ourselves.”
I frowned slightly at him, wondering. “You mean your mom?”
Bakugou scowled harder, since apparently that was possible. “Whatever.”
I bit my lip, wondering what to say. “Yeah… I can relate. My dad probably even know I’m gone. He left ages ago, I haven't seen him in years.”
Bakugou’s eyes shifted back to me. “Shitty.”
“Yeah.”
“You got people that care about you, though. IcyHot, Round Face, half the damn class actually. You’re fine.”
“You too.”
Bakugou shrugged slightly. “Nobody’s too worried about me.”
“Kirishima must be. And Denki, and Mina, and Sero.” I didn’t know what else to say.
Bakugou scowled at the door. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Remind me.”
“Why? I just-”
“Just stop talking!”
“What is your problem?” I raised my voice.
“Just SHUT UP! WE’RE BOTH GONNA MAKE IT OUTTA HERE SO DON’T EVEN BOTHER THINKING IT!”
“BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP DOWN THERE!”
Bakugou jerked, his head snapping up so fast it audibly cracked against the wall, as I choked on a scream. Shigaraki’s voice didn’t say anything else.
My vision blurred, every muscle freezing, not daring to breathe.
“Shit, Pockets-” Bakugou’s chains rattled as he moved closer, his knee barely brushing against mine. “C’mon- fuckin-”
I wiped my tears on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s whatever, don’t apologize. You’re gonna be fine, got it. Just- do your thing. Alright?” He slumped back down beside me, noticeably closer than last time. “We’re gonna be fine. These losers can’t hold two of the top three of the sports fest.”
I nodded, but I was still trembling from the shock of hearing Shigaraki’s pissed voice interrupt our bickering.
“Okay, so…if we can’t get out on our own, especially since…” a shudder ran through me as I realized, “Shigaraki’s out there, basically guarding us, and we can’t get these stupid boxes off our hands…what do we do, just wait for rescue?”
“Oh, I’m sure all those extras at UA are freaking out right now,” Bakugou muttered. “Teachers and students are probably planning clashing rescue missions.”
“Yeah…told ya people cared…” I sighed softly, tears drying on my face. “Mr. Aizawa’s probably killing himself with sleep-deprivation trying to organize something and keep his remaining problem children from rioting.”
“Course the fucker is. He’s Aizawa, that’s what he does.” Bakugou stared at his bleeding wrists.
We sat in silence for a while, both wondering what the hell was going to happen. I tried to curl into a tighter ball for warmth, but the metal on my hands was getting in the way. I shifted and shook it around until my skin felt like it was being sandpapered at any tiny movement.
“Learn from my mistakes, dumbass. Don’t keep doing that or it’ll bleed, and the last thing anybody wants right now is for you to get an infection and pass out or something.”
I sighed. “S’not my fault that this room is an icebox.” Stupid concrete walls.
“Dammit…” Bakugou closed his eyes. “You’re cold, just move closer. It’s not weird unless you make it weird, I know you and IcyHot are attached at the hip until one of you gets kidnapped.”
I blanched slightly, but shifted closer to him. He was warm, and I leaned into his side and put my head on his shoulder.
“See? You… you fuckin’ extras and your stupid preconceived notions of affection.”
I snorted. He was just an overly-aggressive big brother, wasn’t he?
My eyes closed.
“Oh, Y/n-chan! Y/n-chan, hi~! Are you awake?”
“The fuck?” Bakugou muttered, lifting his head. I lifted mine as well- faster, and our heads ended up banging together.
“OW! Pockets!”
“Sorry!!”
Toga giggled- because that was unmistakably Toga’s voice- and she soon emerged into sight, through a door at the other side of the room. It wasn’t even the door we were trying to open earlier. I hadn’t even seen it.
A fierce wave of hopelessness hit my chest, and my breath caught. It would be fine. Aizawa wouldn’t let us slip away like that. He would find us, somehow.
“Hi, Y/n-chan! I’m so glad you’re here, I can’t wait to get to know you better!”
Toga laughed, reaching the place where I sat and kneeling down to get on my level, a manic smile plastered across her face. I chuckled nervously.
“Uh- likewise! Though I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Ah, well, we didn’t have a choice. You wouldn’t have come with us anyway and I really didn’t feel like getting arrested.” Toga waved a hand- a hand holding a knife, lovely. “So~!”
“I mean- if I knew the alternative was kidnapping, I would have loved to come along for a chat, but that’s fine, that’s fine.” I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the panic in my chest. “How can I help you?”
If Bakugou could use his hands, he would have facepalmed. “I never took you as one to be a doormat, Pockets.”
“Shut up!” Toga scolded him, face pulled into a pout. “You may be cute but I’m not talking to you!”
“Don’t even THINK about-”
“Bakugou. It’s fine.” I smiled a little, trying to deescalate. “We’re all good.”
“I don’t like her.”
“I don’t recall asking you to.”
“Be quieeeeet! Shigaraki-kun was right about you being too noisy. Maybe he should separate you after all…” Toga frowned, setting a finger on her cheek, in a way reminiscent of Tsu.
“Ah, no, that’s okay- we can be quiet!” I fumbled. I couldn’t even imagine how much worse things would get if they separated me and Bakugou. “Don’t- don’t do that, there’s no need…”
“Oh, yay!” Toga looked me directly in the eyes. “But you don’t have to be quiet, you can say all you want! We’re gonna have so much fun!” Toga giggled. “C’mon, let’s go.”
“G-go? Where?”
Toga leaned over me, eyes wide with excitement. “To the special weapons room! Spinner makes his cool swords in there, and I have my knives!”
My eyes widened. She- oh. Oh hell- “Toga- um- you do know that isn’t exactly my idea of fun, right-!”
“Fuck off, freak, don’t touch her!” He yelled, stepping firmly in front of me. His shoulders were hunched with the weight of the box, it must‘ve been absolutely painful, but he stood firm, raising his foot and kicking at Toga’s shins to get her back away. Something murderous flickered in her eyes.
“Bakugou, wait-!”
“Hm. And here I thought you were cute.”
There was the sound of a knife being drawn, then a wet squelch, then another, and another, as Bakugou stumbled backwards, hitting the wall and sliding against it. A dark red streak ran down the wall as he hit the floor. “Agh-!”
“Bakugou!”
A scowl curled over Toga’s face as she glared down at her bloodied knife. “I have to go wash this off now. I don’t want your beautiful blood mixing with his.” Sticky, warm liquid seeped through Bakugou’s black t-shirt, not changing the color much.
“Oh my stars- Bakugou-” I stared in shock, immobile for a moment as Toga put away her knife.
“I’m fine, Pockets,” Bakugou grunted, telling me immediately that he was 100% not fine. He twisted to glare back at Toga. “Don’t fucking touch her, you freak! I’ll kill you!”
Toga clicked her tongue. “Whatever. Sorry Y/n, I’ll see you later, okay?” Toga skipped back upstairs. I barely heard her.
“Oh, stars- let me see.” I reached for his side, before remembering my encased hands. Blood started to stain his pants as well, flowing from just between his hip and his rib.
“No. It’s fine, Pockets,” he hissed.
“You just got stabbed- what, three times?!”
“I said it’s fine! Don’t worry about me, dammit!”
I grunted, feeling horribly useless. I couldn’t even use my hands! And neither could he. If we didn’t get pressure on the wound…
“You WHAT?!” Shigaraki’s voice shrieked from the floor above, just like last time, but this time it wasn’t directed at us. More clamoring, and a minute later the door opened again.
“Hello, captives!” Another villain greeted cheerfully. “Beg for mercy.”
I stared at him. Bakugou eyed him as well, but he was starting to seem out of it. His face was pale and his complexion was going lighter by the second. His breathing was picking up.
“I’m here to help!” Twice revealed his first-aid kit. “I’m actually quite skilled at patching people up! You’re going to die, kid.”
Bakugou groaned. “Fuckin’ lunatic…”
“Hey, that’s not very nice! I should leave you to die!”
I hissed out a breath of frustration and panic. This was so much harder when I couldn’t intervene, when I couldn’t fight back, or help, or be useful-! “You- I don’t know your name-, please, can you help? Or at least get this stupid box off my hands so I can do it?”
“Call me Twice, kid! You don’t need to know my name!” Twice sauntered over. “And no can do, you’re not doing anything unless you’ve taken quirk suppressants. Sure, that’s not a problem.”
He smacked himself in the head with his kit before kneeling beside Bakugou, who was now leaning against the wall, knees tucked against his chest.
“Fuckoff..”
“Bakugou, just let him help.”
“Don’t need help, ‘m fine. You worry too much.”
Twice shrugged and opened the first aid kit. “Your friend is in excellent hands! Yeah, he’s a goner.”
“Fuckoff!” Bakugou spat with more power. The villain frowned, and I felt my breathing pick up.
“Bakugou, please.” I turned to him, vision going blurry- no, stars above, I was not crying right now, that’s the last thing the situation needed. “Let him help, please.”
“...Stop crying, Pockets, fine. Fine.”
“Good choice. Atta’ boy!” Twice gently pushed Bakugou’s hands out of the way, peeling up the front of his bloody shirt. Three gaping stab wounds made their appearance, making my stomach squirm with anxiety. If those got infected...
Twice picked up a roll of gauze, coating it quickly in anti-bacterial and pressing it against the higher wound. “Breathe slowly, and scoot forward for me.”
Bakugou did, reluctantly uncurling to give Twice better access.
Twice, to his credit, did his work well and fast, before backing off and turning to me.
“Hey, the bandages will need changing at least once a day. We do have quirk suppressants, if you want to take those to free up your hands. But they’re expensive! We’ll never let you have them!”
Trying vaguely to figure out which part of this split personality was being serious, I gently raised my head to meet the spots where the mask covered his eyes.
“...You mean it?”
“Yeah! Of course not! I’ll go get it.” He stood up and jogged up the stairs.
I blew out a tense breath. “Alright…so…that happened,” I managed, voice cracking slightly.
Bakugou grunted. “Guess now I can tick getting stabbed by a psycho off my bucket list.”
“I don’t really think she’s a psycho, just….unstable,” I mumbled. “She wants to love but she can’t understand why the way she loves needs serious boundaries… but thank you for saving me from…whatever she wanted to do.”
Bakugou shook his head. “Leave it to your dumbass to defend someone who was preparing to torture you.”
Twice came back in, holding a slim black box. “Okay, so, Shigaraki wasn’t really happy, he wanted to save these, so the compromise is that only one of you can get these. ALL OR NOTHING, BABY!” He tugged on his mask. “It lasts twenty-four hours. Who’s it gonna be?”
I spoke up before Bakugou could contribute, standing up and stepping forward. “Me.” Bakugou would have trouble changing his own bandages, after all.
“Sure thing!”
Twice sat down in front of me and opened the box to reveal… needles. Sharp, long hypodermic needles.
Chills erupted up my arms.
“Oh. Oh, goodie.”
“This will only take a second.” Twice picked it up. “It’ll pinch so don’t be a pussy!”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Fine. Go.”
The pinch was quick.
The aftermath was worse.
As Twice gently applied a band-aid over my bleeding arm, something just… vanished. The steady, comforting weight on my shoulders, my connection to my own dimension, something I created with my own lifeforce, something I had known and kept all my life… was gone.
My quirk was gone. Hammerspace had been locked away from me.
Looking back on it, I think this was one of the few times in my life where I felt truly helpless. I wouldn’t wish this feeling on my worst enemy- something you had felt your entire life suddenly being ripped away.
Twice took the boxes off of my arms, and I curled into a ball, grabbing at my shoulders.
“It’s gone. I- it’s gone. I want it back-“
“What’s wrong? Suck it up!” Twice’s first voice almost sounded concerned.
“Pockets?” Bakugou scooted closer to me, and I curled further into myself, shaking.
“It’s too light.” I gasped- panic built in my chest, suffocating me. “Hammerspace isn’t there anymore, it isn’t heavy anymore! I want it back!!”
“Dammit, Pockets- I would have taken it, I can take care of myself-“
Bakugou grit his teeth, but Twice perked up. “I have an idea!”
He rushed off. Slowly, I closed my eyes and unfurled, leaning my head into Bakugou’s shoulder.
“It’s too light and too cold and I want to go home.”
“I know. I want to go home too.” Bakugou looked away. “You better hold IcyHot tight when you get back, the idiot really cares about you.”
“Mmm. You better, too. With Kirishima.”
“You… ngh-” Fabric shifted against my shoulder, accompanied by Bakugou’s grunt of pain. “You really want me to get with Shitty-Hair that badly, huh?”
“Kirishima is gay, right?”
“Are you blind? Of course he is.”
“Wasn’t sure. But you would be a really amazing couple…”
Bakugou turned pink, but whatever he was going to say was quickly cut off. “I’m back!” The door flew open. “With a solution!”
Twice raced into the room, pulling an object off of his shoulder. A…
“Weighted blanket!” He announced, dropping it into my lap. I stared at it, then at him. He looked rather proud of himself. “I have, like, eight. They stop me from making clones of myself in my sleep by accident. You can borrow one! Don’t destroy it or I’ll destroy you!”
I picked it up gingerly, lifting it over my shoulders. It wasn’t the same, but… it felt so much better.
“Thank you.” I whispered, holding it tight. “Thank you so much.”
“Not a problem kid. Be thankful!”
The door swung shut behind him, and with a slightly better mindset, I got up to look at Bakugou’s wounds.
“I’m fine, Pockets.”
“You keep saying that word, I do not think it means what you think it means- I think I have some painkillers that won’t thin your blood out in Hammerspace-”
…
…
“Right. I… I guess we’ll just… have to work with what we got.”
Bakugou drifted off eventually, after what seemed like… forever. He was shivering.
I moved the blanket off of my shoulder- the loss was awful, but he needed it more than I did.
I missed Shoto. He was warm.
What if I died here?
Inky black darkness, then a flash of teal blue, and suddenly, the world came into view again. A dark forest, a sky full of smoke, a flash of red hair, a hand around my neck-
“Y/n!”
Shoto.
I reached out for him- I didn’t know where I was going and I didn’t want to know, I wanted to be with him- “Sho-!”
And he was gone.
I didn’t want that to be my last memory of him. I… I didn’t want to leave him so early. I wanted to have him be my first kiss, I wanted to bring him home and introduce him to Mom. I wanted to become a hero with him, and love him, and be his.
Premature? Maybe. Maybe I just have attachment issues. Whatever it was, I just…I wanted him.
I missed him.
I cried myself to sleep, that night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Okay- stop moving-““Don’t tell me what to do! And why do I have the damn heavy blanket again? It was meant for you!”“You need it right now, I’m getting used to the lightness, I guess.”Bakugou huffed, shrugging the blanket into his arms and managing to chuck it at me, wincing at the motion. It flopped over my thigh, and he glared at it, like he’d wanted it to go farther. I tossed it over my shoulder, sighing. “Whatever. Just- we need to check your wounds.” I looked around and saw the first-aid kit that Twice had left in the room. Retrieving it, I kneeled down by Bakugou, who sat against the side.“Okay, let’s-let’s hope it’s not infected..”
Bakugou raised his arm and let me pull his shirt, which was stiff with dried blood, up enough to glimpse the bandaged stab wound.“I…it doesn’t look infected,” I mumbled. “But we should change the bandages on it..”I opened the kit and cleaned my hands with the hand sanitizer and carefully measured out some bandages. I had the passing thought that if I still had access to Hammerspace, I could put us in the void while I did this and not have to worry about the dirty floor and wall. I flexed my shoulders at the reminder, still missing the weight, but it was slowly getting easier. Bakugou grit his teeth while I changed his bandages. “Thank God you have a nurse for a mom, huh, Pockets..?”I nodded, wishing she was here to make sure I was doing this right. If this got infected… “Yeah.” I pulled my hands away. “Okay, done. Don’t move around too much.”“Unfortunately, he’s going to have to.”I flinched hard so hard I almost crashed into the wall, and Bakugou glared at the pale, skinny figure standing in the doorway. “Fuck off, Hands.”Shigaraki ignored him, and the body of purple mist standing next to him stepped forward, unboxing Bakugou’s hands. Immediately, explosions popped to life and he leaped up, but the mist stepped back before they could phase him.“Um. Bakugou?”“What?!”“Look down.”A hazy pit slowly yawned open under our feet. Bakugou yelped, grabbing my arm and stumbling back against the wall.
Shigaraki didn’t react. Instead, he only turned around. “Go ahead, Kurogiri.”I grabbed Bakugou’s shoulder as the swirling, black-and-purple portal consumed my vision. I felt Bakugou reach up and grab my elbow in return, and I held my breath as we were teleported to….A bar?There was a flash of green in my peripheral, and Bakugou’s hand was pulled away from my arm as someone else hooked their arms under my shoulders and dragged me backwards. The movement instantly set off my alarms.“Hey hey hey hey wait a minute-!”“Be quiet,” Shigaraki’s raspy voice snapped. “Tomura Shigaraki, perhaps you should be gentler with our guests,” a deep, barely familiar voice said. As my vision cleared, I saw the same wispy man- the teleporty guy, what was he called? Kurogiri? “We do have a goal here.”“Right. Whatever. Be nice to the girl, Magne.”“I am, I am.” The villain holding me back loosened their grip, just a little. Noise chattered in the background- some sort of news broadcast was playing on the TV.There was no point in struggling- I tried for a few seconds, then gave up. They were too strong.I watched as Bakugou was wrestled into a chair by the green villain I saw earlier, one with some kind of lizard mutation quirk- much more high-grade and obvious than mutations like Tsu’s. Toga watched me with a dreamy expression on her face from behind the bar countertop, Twice standing next to her with a hand on her shoulder.Bakugou swore at Spinner, popping one explosion after another until he was finally forced down with boxes clamped back over his hands.The villain pulled away, hissing and nursing a few nicely sized burn wounds across his arms. “Ugh… where’s the butter, now I have to take care of this…”“No, don’t put butter on it, it’ll trap the heat.”“STOP TELLING VILLAINS HOW TO HEAL THEMSELVES!”“FUCK YOU KATSUKI I DO WHAT I WANT! You’re going to run that over cool water- not cold- then put petroleum jelly on it about three times a day. If you wrap it, don’t use anything that sticks.”“SHADDUP POCKETS!”“YOU SHUT UP, BAKUGOU!”“SHUT UPPPP!” Shigaraki screamed, stamping his foot like a child. “SHUT UP! I’M DOING VERY IMPORTANT THINGS HERE AND YOU ALL ARE RUINING IT!”There was a deep inhale.“Anyway. Bakugou.”“Forget about him, can I stab Y/n-chan yet? We kidnapped her so I could stab her!”“For the love of God P L E A S E do not let her stab me.”“No. You had your chance, and then you stabbed Bakugou, so you don’t get to.” The villain behind me huffed, almost like a mother scolding her child. Toga whined.“I’m sorryyyyyy! Please, Big Sis, I just want a little bit of blood!”Big Sis? I would have guessed they were male by their build. Her build. Pronouns are important.“Toga, you might have blown this entire operation for everyone, nobody wants to hear it.” Another villain groaned. He had black hair and scars running up his face, worse than Shoto’s. Like he had burned them multiple times.Those eyes, too.I tilted my head, so I could just see one of the villain’s eyes out of my peripheral vision.They were definitely the same shade as Shoto’s. I knew that stunning blue didn’t come from just anywhere. That color was rare.Why were they the same color?“Here’s a clip of the public apology issued by UA academy.”“What?” Bakugou and I both whipped our heads around to look at the TV screen mounted on the wall as Shigaraki clicked a remote. “Aizawa-sensei...he hates the media.”“Dammit, teach.”“Oh, my God, he shaved.” Bakugou snorted, but silence resettled over the room as the news continued. There wasn’t a lot to be deciphered- the public opinion was fairly obvious. Nobody trusted UA. They thought UA failed us.“It didn’t..the…” My voice sounded fragile, and I hated it.“Would you look at that?” Shigaraki’s voice carried mirth in it, and I would bet a significant amount of money that he was grinning under the hand. “The heroes are being criticized. Heroes sure are under some pretty strict standards these days.”Leaning against the wall, the lizard villain, having treated his burns by now, spoke up. “The moment that protecting people began to merit some compensation, heroes were no longer heroes. That was Stain’s teaching.”“Yeah, I agree with that to an extent,” I frowned, “but if we treated heroism as volunteer work instead of an actual job, fewer would be able to do it, because they would need another job to support themselves. In this economy, people can’t hold two jobs, one of which is extremly dangerous, and only get paid for one. Have you even thought about health insurance?” Spinner frowned. “Well, still-”“And do those who are in it for the fame really deserve to die? Who are you to decide that anyway? Wouldn’t a reconsideration of hero priorities and convincing the government and media to cut coverage make so much more of an impact on hero motivations than murdering people? Heroes who were only in it for fame would leave to pursue other industries. That would make a massive dent in the collection of ‘false heroes’.”There was a pause.“...I like this kid. She’s not an idiot like the rest of you.” The villain with with the blue eyes sniggered. Even his voice was weird, too low. Like a murmur, or like it was hard for him to talk louder than that kind of deep, hoarse rumble.He stalked up to me and leaned down to look me in the eyes. “Forget Blasty, we could use someone like you on our side.”“Like hell.” I turned my head, turning my face away from his as Magne’s grip on my arms tightened. “You guys aren’t actually making an impact, you have no aim and every single one of you has different ideals. At least as a hero I can carry out my ideas for a better world with a clear goal.”Another pause.“I changed my mind, I really like this kid.” The villain took a step back, holding out a hand. “The name’s Dabi.”“You’re introducing yourself to me now?” I raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t ya have done this before you kidnapped me?”
“I didn’t like you before I kidnapped you.”“Valid.”I reached out my hand, Magne shifting her grip to my shoulders to let me shake Dabi’s hand. His hand was warm. “Your only motivation to not become a villain is because we suck at it?” Toga giggled. “I’m falling more in love with you every minute!”“Hey, if I thought it would really help people to do…whatever you’re planning to do, I still don’t understand your motivations yet- I wouldn’t hesitate to become a vigilante or villain. But I can help people the most by becoming a hero, so I’m going to be one.”“A noble attitude.” Spinner huffed. “I would like to see what kind of hero you grow into.”Bakugou rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Will you all SHUT UP?! I’M TRYING TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW!”“YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO BE MAKING DEMANDS!” Twice shouted. “Sure thing little man! Everybody be quiet!”“Where were we going with this? I had a point.” Shigaraki muttered to himself. “Gotta get back on track…”Well, the longer we kept the apparent ‘leader’ of this distracted, the longer we could probably delay the inevitable torture or whatever they wanted…“I dunno, man. Hey, you mentioned you were going to replay Kirby, how was it?”“What? How did you know about that?”“I met you at the mall.”“WHAT?!”“Yeah, I met you in a Gamestop. We talked about Nintendo.”“THAT was YOU?!”The situation was becoming more laughable by the moment, and I could feel my stress melting away little by little.“O-okay, ENOUGH!” Shigaraki slammed his fist on the table. “Enough! No more lighthearted chatter or I’ll unleash Toga on you after all!”I tensed as the other villains sighed or rolled their eyes. “Shutting up, shutting up!”“What, are you scared of me?” Toga frowned. “Don’t be scared…”“I’m not scared of you, I just don’t want to be stabbed, please.”Bakugou started messing with his chains and box again. “You BETTER-”“Look… you two.” Shigaraki hissed, rubbing at his forehead. “Hero society… it’s a mess. Converting human life into money and selfish pursuits…a society that pushes down the losers, who should instead be cheered on. Is this society really j-?”I sighed at him. “It was like this before the pre-quirk era, I’ve done research. Even before quirks were a thing, discrimination was a major problem. Mental disorders, skin tone, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, it was all a massive problem back then. Since the rise of adaptive education to accommodate quirks the stigma around neurodiversity has faded significantly, but that’s obviously been replaced with quirk bias. It’s been an issue even before the hero system, removing the hero system won’t change anything, it will just cause the crime rate to rise.” I took a breath. “So what’s the point?”More silence.Bakugou burst out laughing.“SHUT UP! STOP LAUGHING! Sensei, help me, they aren’t listening!”“Sensei? So you’re not the boss?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow. So that’s why they don’t seem to have a mission. They were being directed by someone with an ulterior motive.“You’re not the boss, Hands? What a joke.” Bakugou laughed. “You guys really are pathetic, huh? No mission, no aim, no coordination, no impact. You might as well be punks on a playground.”“Kid brings up a good point, Shiggy.” Dabi snorted, flopping down on a couch in the corner of the room. “What have you got to say to that?”“Wha- we want to destroy hero society! Tear them down for how they failed us!”“I’m in it for revenge.” Dabi shrugged.“I wanna talk about liking blood and not have people look at me weird!” Toga perked up.Spinner shook his head. “I desire to transform hero society into what Stain envisioned it as: A place of selflessness with no compensation for good deeds.”“I want equality for all genders and sexualities,” Magne huffed.“I’m only here to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps as a great villain.” The guy in the yellow jacket sat down next to Dabi.“Imma be honest, guys,” Twice murmured, twisting his fingers, “I was kinda lonely and you were the only people I ran into that didn’t get freaked out at my split personalities. I don’t really need all the other stuff. YOU GUYS ARE LOSERS! IMAGINE-”“W-what?” Shigaraki spluttered for a minute, before his shoulders slumped. He looked… defeated. “I- Sensei- what… what do I do… I’m not a bad leader, right?” He asked the monitor beside the bar. I glanced at Bakugou, who shrugged, looking as annoyed as ever.Then there was a knock on the door.“Pizza Delivery!”There was a beat of silence. “Alright, which one of you chucklefucks ordered a pizza,” Dabi deadpanned, before the wall was smashed in.I screamed and ducked as stone shrapnel went flying past my head, running to Bakugou’s side when Magne let go of me in surprise. “Holy shit-”“LACQUERED CHAIN PRISON!” Someone shouted, and hard, wooden branches spread throughout the room, wrapping around each villain in turn.A blur of yellow flew through the air, and Dabi fell unconscious. The flame user, so they couldn’t burn the wood…
We were being rescued.
All Might stopped in front of us, reaching both hands down and tearing the boxes around Bakugou’s hands in half.“We’re here. You’re safe now.”“What time is it? All Might, what time is it?” I tugged on his arm, and he blinked.
“Um…around midnight.”“The quirk suppressors…” My eyes closed. The door of Hammerspace formed in my mind and I focused as much as possible. I reached…There.It had worn off.Painkillers, disinfectant, and bandages fell into my hands. “YES!” I dropped to Bakugou’s side, ignoring the chatter around me.“Lass, why do you need that?” A grizzled voice asked from somewhere behind me. An older man in yellow stepped behind me as I began to undo Bakugou’s bandages, giving him the disinfectant to hold.“Stabbed. Three times to the side.”“You’re injured?” The tiny man stepped beside me to look at Bakugou, who was rubbing his wrists and looking somewhat grumpy, but his eyes were glazed with relief. “We have to get you kids out of here!”“Pockets, we’re in the middle of a battle, this is not the time to be worried about stab wounds!”I applied the disinfectant as quickly as I could, soaking the bandages well before re-wrapping the wounds. “Okay, okay, hang on-”A foul smell enveloped the room, and the earth seemed to shake.Nomu spilled into the room like a tidal wave, and I felt something sludge-like creeping around my shoulders.“Ugh- what-?”“The hell is this?”Bakugou grabbed my arm again, just in time for the ground under our feet to give way, throwing us into darkness.
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Technically, there are three official Y/n's: Author Gremlin Y/n, Author Supergirl Y/n, and the Y/n with no physical features that our lovely readers customize in their own brains. THis is the Y/n that looks like IRL Supergirl, and SHE LOOKS AMAZING!HUGE thanks to WelcomeToAbbys on Wattpad for taking my commission and doing such a great job!