Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I remember the first time it happened.

I was 8 years old when my quirk appeared. Blinded by my delight of that fact I had a quirk, I ignored the aching pain of my broken finger. I drowned out the worried yelling my parents called out as I watched the swing float in mid air. The chains bent and slack as the wooden plank hovered, twisting and turning clumsily in the air.

I was filled with a warm happiness, even as I sat in the doctor's chair, even with the pain shooting up my arm as they stilted and bandaged my broken index finger.

I was filled with a warm happiness even when they brought in a specialist to talk to me, to try and figure out what my quirk was. I had spent the next few years thinking it was telekinesis.

Staring at a piece of paper in front of me I tried desperately to get it to float, to move, to do something. But the piece of paper remained still, unmoving, inanimate. I grit my teeth at 12 years old, sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the piece of paper that seems to mock me.

It didn't move, it didn't do anything, it sat there, taunting me in my failure.

Doubts were beginning to swarm my head at this point, whether that incident with the swing had been a dream, whether I actually had a quirk or not. But the miniscule scar on the tip of my finger by my first knuckle where the broken bone had protruded my skin.

 

I clenched my jaw, hands balling as they sat rested on the table "come on, do something" I let out a frustrated huff under my breath as I glared down at the paper. 

I sat there for two hours, glaring at the paper, daring it to move, hoping that it would do something, anything at all. 2 hours wasted. The paper didn't make a single move, sitting there completely oblivious to my desperate attempts at manipulating it.

In a fit of frustration, my hands surged forward and grasped the paper tightly, it crumpled beneath my anger fuelled fingertips. Crisp sheet collapsing into a ball underneath the pressure of my balled fists. I gave a pained hiss at the feeling of the thin edge of the paper cutting into the skin of the pad of my thumb.

Releasing the paper, I glanced down at the injured appendage, just a small separation of skin, barely bubbling up with blood. Slipping my thumb into my mouth I attempted soothing the stinging cut.

Flitting my eyes from my hand to the table, my jaw dropped at the sight before me, floating, like the swing from my childhood, was the ball of crumbled paper. I ignored the pain in my thumb, pulling it out of mouth I sat up and shuffled towards the edge of the seat.

 

"Okay (Y/n), you can do this"

I exhaled deeply and held out my hand, holding it adjacent to the floating ball of paper, hand balled into a fist, slowly I uncurled my fingers. There was no movement for a moment before the crinkling sound of paper brushing against paper echoed in the empty room, the paper was slowly uncrumpling itself.

As my fingers spread out, the paper opened up until it laid flat, open, and almost brand new had it not been for the wrinkles where the paper had been folded on itself.

 

I let out an elated breath of disbelief, lips turning up into a wide smile as my other hand lifted, fingers spread I held it next to my right hand and slowly, I spread the two apart and gradually, all of the wrinkles in the paper had soon been pushed out. The paper was wrinkle free and brand new, lowering my hand, the paper followed until it was laying on the table where it had been, almost untouched.

Slowly, the delighted smile began to slip from my face as I gaze lowered from the paper to my injured thumb, mind wandering back to the swing, how I had broken my finger after falling off of it and was suddenly able to control it.

 

"Oh you've got to be kidding me" 

...

The trip back to the specialist was filled with excitement and dread, now knowing the real powers that I possessed but also knowing the consequences that came with it.

"I've never even heard of a quirk like this before" the specialist says as he looked over the small bump on my head where a book had fallen on me and subsequently flown out the window.

 

"So what you're saying is that whatever injures my daughter is then under her control?" my father mumbled in disbelief, arm wrapping around me securely. When the specialist's nod followed my mother let out a shaky breath and gripped my hand tightly.

 

Both my parents being quirkless themselves, I could see how worrying it must be for them, how scary knowing with the future I wanted, with the road I wanted to take, that I was have to injure myself every single day, every single time I wanted to use my quirk.

"I hope you're both aware the extent that this quirk could reach, if she could control people with this quirk of use, she could be a good hero, a really good hero. And I am hoping that's the direction you'd prefer to take" his gaze settled back on me, words clear in his irises 'don't choose villainy'.

 

"I don't know doctor, if it's really so dangerous maybe she shouldn't commit to a life where she would need to use it on a daily basis" my mother mumbled quietly, a worried glance shooting towards me as she tightened her trembling grip on my hand. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance, smiling up at her.

 


"I'm well aware of that Mrs. (L/n)" the specialist sighed and leaned back in his seat, hands entwining with one another and settling on his lap as he settled his focused gaze on my form.

"That's why I'm willing to offer my help, run a few experiments, safe I assure you - and make sure that she knows her limits, know the extent of the things that she can control doesn't just limit her to inanimate. I'll make sure she's alright, I assure you".

Leaning forward he pushed a slip of paper that had been seated in front of him towards us, pulling a pen out of the pocket of his lab coat, he placed it down atop the paper "just--" a smile turned up the corner of his lips "sign here".

My father reached forward and picked up the pen, signing along the dotted side to the left and placed the pen down, sliding it over to my mother. She gaped at him "you didn't consult us!" she hissed angrily, "(M/n) please, this is the only person who can help (Y/n) find out who she is, we don't have quirks to even think of what she's going through".

The specialist's smile only seemed to widen "he's right, I'll only guide (Y/n) in the direction that will benefit her most".

My mother's trembling fingers reached out, slowly brushing the plastic of the pen before slipping it through her hesitant fingers. The tip of the pen trembled as she slowly signed her name down on the dotted line on the right side.

 

She dropped the pen back onto the paper with a shaky breath, the hand that confirmed the testing lifted to cover her mouth to hide the trembling of her lower lip.

"Perfect! Pleasure doing business with you. You'll get your daughter back every single day, save for a few hours each day, you'll barely notice, I swear"

 

The specialist reached forward to grasp my wrist, pulling me onto my feet and leading me away from my parents, as he pulled me from their grasp I glanced over my shoulder at them.

 

My father's arms wrapped tightly around his wife and they watched me leave with dread, hope and regret, and as I was being dragged through the door the corners of my lips turned up into a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, I want this, I want to be a hero".

Chapter Text

The uniform clung to my skin unfamiliarly, the green, grey and red colour scheme was an unusual combination that I had never worn before, still I could feel the corners of my lips turning up in an excited glee. 

I pushed the knot in the tie up towards my neck to fit the collar of my button up shirt around my throat securely. My eyes ran over my nervous form in the mirror, and I inhaled deeply, reaching down to grab the book bag by my feet.

"(Y/n)! Hurry up or you'll be late!" my mother's muffled voice called from downstairs, biting into my lower lip I rushed towards the door, down the stairs and to the front door.

"What about breakfast?" she poked her head out of the kitchen door way as I grabbed the handle "no time! Gotta hurry" I mumbled rushed, pulling the door open and quickly stepping outside. I welcomed the breeze on my heated skin, nerves causing it to warm.

"Have fun!"

"I will! Love you!"

The door closed behind me and soon I wasted no time to rush out of my drive way and down the street.

With the frequent visits to my specialist, Dr. Ennoyama, he provided a donation for us to move closer to him. And thanks to that, closer to my new school.

UA High.

A high school famous for it's Hero training program, I hadn't even applied for the school when Dr. Ennoyama slipped me the acceptance letter. An unknown person had recommended me to the school, I could only assume it was the specialist himself.

My parents, overjoyed that I had gotten into the best hero school in the world, didn't decline the offer. Eagerly spending as much as they could afford on my uniform and school supplies, bragging to neighbours and posting the news all over social media with extra exclamation points. 

I carelessly pulled the strap of my leather book bag onto my shoulder as I could hear the sound of the bell going off in the distance. Making a sharp left, I suddenly found myself staring down the open gates of UA high.

The grey, brick pathway was filled with students with uniforms akin to my own, a few looked like ordinary, everyday people - other's had quirks that affected their outward appearance.

Subconsciously, I pulled the sleeves of my jacket down to cover the scars that littered my arms from the years of hard training and self exploration. Slowing my sprint to a fast paced walk, I made my way down the pathway towards the open doors of the large UA academy.

--

I stared down at the piece of paper in my hand, on it was a small printed map of the layout of the school. And above in a small lettering, was my name and my designated classroom for the teacher to see.

I glanced down at the map and bit my lip, the school was too big for it's own good, rather inconvenient; but I supposed that was the point, it wouldn't be easy for intruders to find their way around had they managed to get in.

Class 1-A

I paused by the closed sliding door, tilting my head back to look up at the small sign above the door, in bold black lettering held the name and numbering of my class.

I bit into my lip harder in hesitation, the loud yet muffled voices of the class just behind the door was rather off putting.

"Come on (Y/n), you don't have a choice, swallow your stupid fear and go in already" I whispered to myself.

Trembling fingers reached forward to hook in the handle of the door and slowly slide it open, immediately I could tell just how good the room was at sound proofing when the muffled yells revealed to actually be loud screaming. The class was in chaos, tables knocked over, some students floating mid air to avoid the scene on the ground.

Slowly, I could feel the strap of my heavy leather book bag slip off my shoulder and land on the ground at my side with a semi loud bang.

Immediately, all eyes snapped in my direction, eyes wide and lips in fear they had been caught by a teacher. In the centre of the chaos, I could see a rather furious looking blond boy with a green haired kid's collar grasped tightly in his hand. His fist raised ready for a punch, and it was clear if I hadn't stepped in, blondie might have actually knocked the rather frail looking freckled boy out.

"I'm not a teacher or anything, but I passed a few on the way here so if you're worried about getting caught, then you should probably do something about that mess" I spoke up after the drawn out silence.

"She's right" came a low pitched voice from behind me, clearly male, syllables drawn out in laziness. Slowly I glanced over my shoulder, half lidded eyes met my gaze, the vile smell of a cigarette hitting my nose - the smoke he blew out into my face stinging at my eyes.

The man's hair was in a horribly messy state, a long and loose stream of bandages wrapped around his neck hidden under-- was that a sleeping bag?

If I hadn't known any better, I would've assumed a homeless man had just wandered in. Turning to face him, I took a hesitant step away from him "...sensei?" I mumbled hesitantly as I leaned down to reach for my bag.

His eyes watched my every movement, slow as it was, he tilted his head as he watched me slowly, I reached down to grab my bag and pull it onto my shoulder once again. Clicking his tongue he brushed passed me, hopping in his sleeping bag towards the teacher's desk, grunting in effort at the step up he had to take, jumping higher and wobbling slightly.

Settling himself in front of his 'podium' he glared over the students, and it was very clear he had no interest in being here yet held clear authority "looks like at least one of you has a slither of common sense" he sighed with a grumbled, obviously unimpressed despite my deduction and his very own words.

"Get to your seats, class begins as of now"

It was a split second before all the tables and seats had been arranged like they were supposed to be, students sitting down properly in their seats, save for a select few who rested back against the backs of their chairs lazily.

I made my way down the aisles of seats towards the only empty one left, right in the back row, 2 seats away from the window. And by the window sat a girl with a high pony tail and rather spiky hair sat. To her right sat a male, obviously not very interested in starting a conversation.

His hair split down the middle, red on the left and white on the right. On his right side was a distinct burn scar stretching from his hair line to touch the tip of his cheek bones. His scar held one blue eye, the other untouched side a deep hazel shade - heterochromia.

His expression was serious, as serious as the girl by his side, it seemed that the back row works the same as primary school and the most serious students sit in the back and the troublesome students sit in the front.

Setting my bag down at my side, I faced front, not wanting to disturb the serious and stiff atmosphere by starting up a conversation.

"My name's Aizawa, I'll be your homeroom teacher for the time being, not my decision, you're just going to have to deal with it."

Faintly I could hear an excited whisper from the front "Eraser head!", they whispered, voice hushed but the excitement in his voice carried across the classroom. Aizawa's eyes flicked down towards the student that produced the whisper, before turning his attention away, uncaring.

"I'll take attendance and we'll begin with today's lesson"

There was a series of groans from a majority of the students, obviously not wanting to partake in learning on the first day.

"First, you'll be designing your costumes, have fun with that I'm gonna nap"

Without any explanation, he disappeared beneath the podium, only his face and feet poking out either end as he fell asleep in an instant.

Confusion was the first and foremost emotion to come forth, the other was excitement, the room quickly bustling with whispers as the students eagerly grabbed for papers and pencils to sketch out the ideas that they already had in mind.

I was hesitant as I reached into my bag, drawing out a clean piece of paper from my folder and a perfectly sharpened pencil from my pencil case, staring down at the paper. I had never given a costume much thought as I hadn't expected to actually get into UA high.

Tapping the rubber on the end of the pencil against my lower lip I paused, gently, so as not to break the tip off the pencil, wrote down my name and class on the edge of the paper before I began to sketch a rough outline of a female body.

I needed something that showed just enough skin that I'd be able to injure myself easily to utilize my quirk, but not so revealing that I'd be vulnerable to attacks.

With a deep breath and a furrowed brow, I got to work. 

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Pain ripped through my arm, nerves shooting up to my brain and back down towards my fingertips when the hard ball came into contact with fragile skin. I let out a shaky breath through my nose, jaw clenched tight and eyes prickling with the tears that threatened to grow. Luckily, I hadn't hit myself hard enough to break a bone, but I could practically feel the small blood vessels break and pool underneath the skin to form a nasty bruise.

I ignored the shocked and worried yells from my class along the sidelines, the sound of gravel shifting as Aizawa threatened to take a step towards me, to ask just what I was doing, but trusting my judgement and knowledge of my own body, he kept his ground. I could feel the rush of power tingling my finger tips, the ball felt lighter in my hand - rolling from my fingers to my wrist without the slightest movement of my hand.

After the many years of training myself and honing my abilities with the help of Dr. Ennoyama, with the smaller items I didn't have to use unnecessary hand movements to manipulate them. This would make it harder for any opponents to tell what exactly I was controlling, but the bigger the object or the bigger the action, the use of my hands and complete focus was needed.

Taking position, I angled myself to the side, tip of my left shoe touching the line as I reeled my dominant arm behind my head and with a deep breath, I threw my arm forward. The uninjured arm propelled the ball forward and into the distance, first, I let the momentum of my throw carry the ball before keeping my arm outstretched, eyes narrowed as before it began to descend, I triggered my control over the ball and continued it's journey as far as I could take it.

I pushed it as far as I deemed necessary, knowing that I could never get an infinite continuance like Uraraka had, I settled for second best, stopping only when the ball had successfully left the prefecture.

Dropping my arm, I dropped control over the ball, uninjured hand coming up to rest over the bruise blooming on my forearm. The class around me was silent, Aizawa's eyes narrowed in a serious concentration. I bowed to him politely as I made my way back to the group, joining Uraraka and Yaoyorozu's side.

"(Y/n), that was amazing!" Uraraka whispered in bewilderment, I could feel a smile tug at my lips, rubbing at the dull ache in my arm nervously "it was nothing compared to what you did, that ball will circle back to earth in a billion years" I joked, leaning over to gently bump my shoulder against hers.

"(Y/n)" Aizawa barked, immediately I straightened my form, ignoring the sound of my adrenaline fueled heart pumping in my ears. Gulping thickly, I stepped forward "yes sensei?" I spoke hesitantly.

"Show me your arm" came his only reply.

Biting my lip, I held up my arm, my hand falling away to reveal the nasty bruise, the reddened area was slowly turning an ugly shade of purple. He sighed and shook his head "what's with the kids this year with painful quirks?" he grumbled under his breath. Nudging his head towards the building he crossed his arms over his chest "go see Recovery Girl, tell Midoriya to get changed and head back to class if he's finished, we'll all be meeting up there once we're done".

I bit my tongue to prevent from protesting his order and nodded with a bow, sending a sheepish smile to the girls behind me before jogging towards the building. With the map mostly memorized, I found the infirmary with minimal trouble. Knocking quietly, I slowly slid the door open; Midoriya was sitting on the closest bed, blinking up at me in surprise, by his feet was a woman, old and small, Recovery Girl.

"Another one?" she mumbled in surprise before sighing and shaking her head "take a seat, young Midoriya is already finished". I glanced down to his hand, noticing the thin layer of bandage around it, obviously mostly healed.

"Ah-- Midoriya, Sensei said to change back into your uniform and head to class" I spoke up, obviously flustered by the infirmary visit on the first day, he grinned sheepishly, freckle dotted cheeks heating up "thank you (L/n)" he mumbled politely, hopping off of the bed.

As he walked past, I could see his eyes drift down towards the nasty bruise darkening on my arm, brows furrowing in confusion and eyes gleaming with a child like curiosity, he said nothing about it as he stepped out of the room and slid the door shut behind him.

--

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I extended my injured arm for her to see "that's quite a bad bruise, how did you get it?" her voice croaked with age, she glanced up at me with a smile that told me she already knew.

"My quirk has-- eh...consequences?" I mumbled under my breath, sighing once again, she shook her head and leaned down, lips puckered almost comically. With a loud smack of her lips, she pressed a loud kiss onto the bruise on my arm. I watched in awe as the colour began to fade from the wound, purple blue and red receding under my skin, pain dwindling away.

It took only a few minutes for the bruise to disappear completely "that's amazing, thank you" I breathed out in wonder, brushing exploring fingertips over the recently damaged area.

Chuckling quietly, she turned on her heel, opening up a drawer to the side and pulling out a plaster despite the lack of wounds. She gently slapped it onto my skin, the design was childish, coloured in a rather obnoxious pink, bows and tiaras printed onto the plastic like material.

"Um-- I don't need this do I?" I mumbled curiously, running the pad of my index finger back and forth over the childish design. Shifting the goggles on her face, she let out a rather joyous laugh "healing for the soul" was her only explanation.

"Run along now, Aizawa won't wait up for you" she warned, slowly slipping off of the bed, my curious eyes were trained on her before I slowly made me way out of the room, door closing behind me.

--

When I had returned to the classroom, it appeared that Recovery Girl was right, during my absence Aizawa had been babbling on about what we would go through tomorrow. I bowed my head slightly in an apologetic motion, stepping inside and taking my seat in the back of the class. As I lowered myself into my seat, I felt the familiar tingle of goosebumps raising on my skin, hairs lifting to stand on end and a shiver tingling down my spine.

The feeling on being watched, and as I glanced to the side to catch my observer, heterochromatic eyes flitted away swiftly. Settling myself back into the seat, my brows furrowed in confusion at the boy to my left, the boy who had shown outstanding talent in the trials we had faced so far and yet shown so little interest in myself.

Why now was he suddenly watching me? Why now was I suddenly of interest?

I refused to let the thought distract me from the lesson despite the nagging curiosity, instead focusing on Aizawa's voice that I had previously drowned out. Shifting nervously in my seat as the feeling of eyes on me soon returned, I tried to pay it no mind, keeping my eyes glued on the black board behind sensei's head.

"Your designs have been submitted and your costumes have been made, you'll find them in the compartment below your desk" Aizawa spoke up loudly enough for us all to hear. There was a bumble of whispers as everyone reached their arms into the lidless drawers under our desk tops. I blinked in surprise and awe at the soft material I was met with, slowly drawing the outfit out of the drawers and placed it atop my desk.

"The designers have been informed of which materials to use to withstand your powers, Midoriya, (Y/n), Lida, Uraraka and other's, since your outfits require the least amount of augmentation, it's simple stretch and wear proof, while it does withstand temperatures and basic defense, which means you'll have to be more careful than other's, since some  of your powers seem to require pain, I'd be more on guard of yourself".

We nodded to the teacher, my thumbs brushing over the odd material in my hands, glancing down at it, I bit my lip - eager to try the outfit for the first time.

"Alright, the girls will head to the bathroom, boys remain here to change, any problems will be addressed and handed back to the designing squad to fix, don't keep quiet about them, tomorrow you'll be using those"

Immediately the room became boisterous, whispers and excited yells of what was to come rang out. Whether we'd be out in the field on the second day, fighting villains and saving people even without any training.

Aizawa gave us no further explanation, simply ushering us outside of the room. Clutching the costume close to my chest, we made our way to the closest bathroom, locking the main door to keep the other classes out while we changed.

The material was stretchy, easily accommodating the curves and grooves of my body, it was soft and thick yet thin enough to let my skin breathe. I was one of the lucky few to slip into one of the stalls to change, uncomfortable with the idea of stripping to my underwear in front of people I had only just met. The feeling of the many open slits of the costume was rather unusual, my skin warm in places and cold in others.

I ignored this small detail as the costume was very well made, the fabric obviously only accessible to those planning to use it for clothes that would need to withstand a great deal. I ran my hand over my exposed stomach in an insecure manner, biting my lip as I began to doubt my choice, leaving this much skin meant I was leaving myself open for more attacks, but I would need this expanse of skin, easy to reach means easy to injure, not just for my opponent but for myself as well.

Sitting myself down on the closed toilet lid, I slipped the boots on and fastened the zip to keep the leather strapped tightly to my calves. With the hairband I keep on my wrist at all times, I pulled my hair back and into a relatively high pony tail to keep it out of the way. My breath came out in shallow, trembling breaths at the nervousness of revealing myself to the others.

I quickly shook of the emotion, I would be in front of the world at some point, wearing this very costume for everyone to see. I couldn't let myself stray just because of a little self doubt and insecurity. Gathering my uniform in my arms, I unlocked the stall and stepped out. The bathroom was significantly emptier than before, the girls who had finished changing already headed back to the classroom.

I heard a teasing cat call from Mina, ignoring the heat pinching at my cheeks in response to her whistle "nice (Y/n)! Almost as sexy as Yaoyorozu" she winked, tongue peaking from her lips. As I glanced to said female, I let out a breath of relief, knowing that I wouldn't be the only girl showing a tad more skin was incredibly reassuring.

Mina bumped her shoulder against mine with a beaming grin before skipping her way outside of the room, Uraraka's wrist clutched tightly despite the brunette's garbled protests at the quick pace.

I found myself letting out an amused chuckle before glancing to Yaoyorozu for her signal, with a nod signifying that she was ready, we headed off to the classroom. The girls were only just allowed in when we got there, the boys having only just finished changing.

There were multiple excited whispers at the unique array of costumes, along with Mineta's not so quiet quips about the revealing clothing a few of us adorned.

"Alright! That's enough chit chat, take your seats" Aizawa rose his voice to be heard over the loud chatter amongst us. Students rushed to their seats, not wanting to enrage our teacher; sliding into my seat, I folded my uniform neatly, laying it atop of my desk.

"Any complaints about the costumes?" the room was silent, Aizawa crossed his arms over his chest and nodded "good, take the costumes home or not, do whatever you want just bear in mind that you'll need to use them tomorrow, the explanation will be given then, go home for today".

It was only a second later that the bell rang out loudly, I flinched at the sudden shrill noise before students easily began rushing out of the classroom. Eager to show their parents of their developed costumes and to share the events of the day passed.

Standing up slowly, I tucked my uniform in my book bag and swung it over my shoulder, stepping through the now empty rows of seats towards the door.

"Wait".

I stopped.

Chapter Text

"Wait"

I stopped.

The voice was familiar, but one that had never been directed to me, sounding rather odd in my ears. I turned slowly, facing the person who had prevented my exit, the familiar duo tone hair caught my attention right, red overlapping white down the middle and stone cold heterochromic eyes bore into mine. For a reason unbeknownst to me, I felt a twinge of fear pinch at my nerves, perhaps from the serious furrow in his brows, or the lack of emotion that swam in his eyes.

"Todoroki?" I mumbled under my breath "did you need something?" my hands moved to clutch the strap of my book bag tightly, my throat tightening as I struggled to gulp out of nervousness.

His eyes lingered on mine for a moment, scanning my face for something I couldn't name, before lowering to my left arm, the pink plaster visible through the open half of my sleeve.

"Why are you here?" his words shocked me, brows furrowing I clutched my bag tighter "I don't und--"

"Is it worth it?" he cut me off "to be here at the cost of your own skin? You can't tell me that it's worth it" Todoroki's brows were furrowed and it was then I knew he wasn't asking out of spite, not asking to harm me in any way, but out of pure curiosity.

At the discovery, I could feel my tense muscles relax and a breath I didn't even know I had been holding slipped from my lips heavily. The corners of my lips tugged up in amusement and I let a quiet, breath filled laugh escape my lips "it is worth it" I spoke up, shoulders dropping as I relaxed. Stepping towards him, I ripped the plaster off of my unmarked skin, barely flinching as I felt the pain of hairs pulling away along with the sticker.

Holding out my hand, I watched as the plaster rose, floating perfectly still in the air, slowly folding on itself my smile grew. The plaster had folded and stuck to itself until it had managed to form a minuscule origami crane.

My eyes flickered up from the origami crane to the male in front of me, his eyes were glued onto the crane as the small folded wings began to flap slowly and with a gentle push of my finger it was slowly, gracefully flying around the room, spinning in circles, gliding up and down and circling the room.

"If my pain means someone can be saved then it will always be worth it" I spoke up, Todoroki tore his eyes away from the crane to look towards me. Reaching out, I took hold of his right hand and held it out, palm up, the crane flew over, landing on his palm and going limp as I dropped all control on it.

I released his hand, pushing his fingertips to push the plaster closer to his person before stepping back "I'm doing this for the people who can't do it for themselves, and if that hurts me, then so be it, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to become a hero". Pulling the strap higher on my shoulder, I flashed the male a brief smile "well I have to get home, was that all?".

Todoroki's expression was somewhat confused, obviously still going over my words in his head, different pigmented eyes glaring down at the ground in hard thought "then..." I trailed off to catch his attention. Shoulders jumping the slightest inch at my voice, he rose his head to stare up at me "I'll see you tomorrow?" I offered, head tilting to the side as I waited for his response.

"Yeah, tomorrow" he agreed, bowing his head. Smile widening, I mirrored the action, bowing my head, turning on my heel and jogging out of the room.

--

Chop sticks in hand, I pushed and prodded and the food on my plate as my parents chatted on happily about their day, their pride over my first day and their excitement for the day to come. My explanation of the day passed was brief, lacking in details, not because I found my day uninteresting, nor because I didn't trust my parents, simply because I wished the excitement drumming through me over my first day to stay my own.

Arranging the peas on my plate one my one, I gripped them gently between the thin wooden ends of my chopsticks until it formed a small but rather adorable smiley face. I could feel my lips pulling into a smile which mirrored the vegetable doodle.

"(Y/n)? Darling?" I could hear my mother's concerned voice wafting into my ears, "huh? What?" eyes widened, I lifting my head off of it's rest on the heel of my palm. "Are you okay? You've hardly touched your food, did something happen today?".

The smile on my face widened and I leaned back, pushing the plate away with my fingers "I'm okay, just got a lot on my mind, I think I'll skip dinner tonight and just head to bed, we did P.E all day". Running fingers through my hair, I cringed at the dried traces of sweat left at the roots, my parents cast a brief glance at one another before caring smiles spread across their faces and a nod of permission followed suit.

Standing up slowly, I pushed the chair away with the back of my knees, the legs of the chair emitting a quiet squeak at the friction of wood on tile. Bidding my parents goodnight, I quickly made my way up the stairs to my room, door closing behind me a deep breath escaped my lips. Leaning back against the door, my eyes fell closed and I could feel a hard rush of excitement and dread run through me at the day to come.

--

 The next day came almost alarmingly fast, from the exhaustion of the day before I had fallen asleep as soon as my head had hit the pillow. Rising in the morning was far more difficult than necessary, slipping on my uniform, I folded and neatly tucked my costume into my book bag.

Rushing down the stairs before my mother had even called for me, I dished a mouthful of steaming rice into my mouth, pressing a kiss against my mother's cheek, minding her shocked expression. Giving my father a brief sideways hug and leaning down for him to place a kiss of his own on my cheek. Muffling out a goodbye, I rushed out of the door and slammed it behind me before my parents could even utter a word.

I took the walk to school far more leisurely than the day prior, reassured by the time I had saved in the morning. Turning down the plant lined walk way, I turned into the enterring walk way of UA high and quickly spotted a familiar brunette.

Swallowing down the last bit of rice, I tightened my grip on the strap of my book bag, racing towards her "Uraraka!" I called, to which she paused, turned, and grinned in my direction.

Standing either side of her, was Lida and Midoriya, who both paused in their tracks as they waited for their friend to catch up. Jogging up to her side, we bade our good mornings and began our trek towards the main entrance.

Filing into the classroom, we took our respective seats and kept our conversations hushed, not wanting another repeat of the day before as we awaited Aizawa. when my eyes drifted towards the male sitting to my left, I struggled to stifle my laugh, his brow was set hard and furrowed, glaring down hard at the table in front of him. The same expression I had left him with the day before, that of utter confusion and concentration.

As I was about to lean into the isle between us, lips parted in preparation of forming a word, the sliding door slammed open and I immediately straightened out, facing the board. I prepared myself to see the lazy dragging of Aizawa's feet as he staggered inside, hair messy from his hourly nap, eyes drooping with detest for the idea of teaching.

But instead, instead there was a loud booming laughter that nearly shook the room, familiarly obnoxious as it echoed around the room. I restrained my urge to cover my ears at the loud sound before a heavy foot slammed itself down inside the room, and soon a body followed. Towering over us, latex of his costume bulging with well trained muscles. Hair that seemed to defy gravity, a bold golden colour. Grin so wide and so pleased that it seemed to be drawn on. 

"All might?!"

Midoriya slapped his hands down on the desk, standing up so quickly that the back of his knees hit the edge of the chair, legs scraping against the floor with a loud screach. Cheeks flushing in realization of his outburts, he gave a nervous trembling laugh, slowly sinking himself back down in his seat, hands clasping tightly in his lap and head down to hide his features.

I felt a flash of sympathy as he cowered further at the quiet laughs that followed throughout the classroom "Good morning students!" All Might's voice boomed over us, easily drowning out any noise in the classroom "today, let's have some fun".

I could hear myself audibly gulp when he angled his head down, shadow casted over his forever determined eyes, grin coiling at the edges to a smile far more sinister than I had ever expected on the face of everyone's favourite hero.

--

My arms wrapped around my body, holding itself as close as it could as my veins thrummed with self consciousness. Standing out in the open, at one of the outside practice areas with our newly formed constumes.

I stood towards the back, listenin vaguely to the explanation All Might washed over us, I was filled with even more uncertainty. Nervous and afraid of what was to come, I would never have imagined that we would be fighting with each other on the second day of school.

I gripped my hands nervously, fingers tingling as I listened closely for my name as All Might called out groups. I clenched and unclenched my jaw nervously "Team B! Mashirao Ojiro and (Y/n) (L/n)" I steeled at the mention of my name, hurriedly turning to look at my classmate. Ojiro blinked in surprise as he looked over at me, corners of his lips pulling into a gentle a reassuring smile at the sight of my obvious distress.

Though small, I could feel myelf relax slightly at the smile and shot my own back at him "vs. Team I! Mazo Shoji" I tensed at the name of my opponent, wide eyes dragigng over the different faces in the crowd to land on the masked hero in training, towering over the other students, strong and intimidating. Gulping nervously, I willed myself to focus my attention back on our teacher for today.

"And Todoroki Shouto!"

Eyes widening in horror, I turned to look at my seat neighbour, and took a reflexive step back. The idea of fighting these two, two who were so obviously strong, so obviously in their comfort zone, sent a harsh rush of dread running through me.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me"

Chapter Text

Anxiety shot to my fingertips like veins filled with burning ice, my lungs quivered with fear, breaths leaving my lips in stuttered pants. Walking through the halls of the test building, I gulped in fear at the sight of the left over damage from Bakugo and Midoriya's one-on-one fight.

As Team B, Ojiro and I were tasked with guarding the bomb, given a head start to locate and secure the bomb, we hurriedly made our way inside the mostly recovered building. Our job was to guard and defend the bomb under any circumstances, the only thing out of the window was death. All Might had granted us permition to pull all stops as long as it didn't lead to fatality.

The prospect that maybe, just maybe, one of us could be put in the position where being a hero would become a fate unreachable due to severe injuries, set a deep nagging fear through my body.

I dreaded reaching the room tht held the bomb, I dreaded calling to All Might through the comms to tell him we were ready. But backing out now meant that I could never get to where I wanted to be, backing out now meant all of the effort, and the training, and the tests, it would all be for nothing. And I wasn't ready to just throw that all away, with a deep breath to steel my nerves, I paused behind Ojiro.

In front of us, was the door to the bomb room, Ojiro's hand positioned over the door knob. Casting a glance at me from over his shoulder, eyebrows pinched together and furrowed, asking for silent assurement of whether or not I was prepared to begin.

--

It felt like we had been standing there for hours, when truthfully, it couldn't have been more than a minute. My hand pressed against the bomb, so even with my eyes glued to the door, I would know if they had somehow snuck in some other way and moved the bomb.

Ojiro stood ahead of me, tail lifted over his head defensively. His stance protective of not only me, but the bomb. It was completely silent, the air still with inactivity; tension was growing thicker by the second. I didn't dare close my eyes for a second, eyes burning with the desperate urge to blink, to rest.

What was that quote again? Falling in love is like falling asleep, slowly and then all at once. Well, this wasn't quite falling in love, more like-- the door flying off of it's hinges with a sudden rush of overflowing ice.

It started with a quiet rumbling from underneath us, a miniscule shaking in the floor beneath our feet. Heart rate sky rocketting, I stepped back and closer to the bomb "what is that?" Ojiro breathed out under his breath "what kind of qui--"

The doors burst open, flying off of their hinges with splinters of wood, the temperature in the room dropped instantly. Ojiro released a pained cry, his body from the neck down encased in ice within the blink of an eye. I wasn't given the slightest second to react, moments after the ice had carried Ojiro to the side of the room and pinned him to the wall. I felt the freezing stiff of the ice at my feet, eyes wide with horror I watched as Todoroki, on his own, made his way into the room slowly, calm as the eye of a storm.

The ice was up to my chest in a matter of seconds, my left arm pinned to my side, tips of the ice reaching up towards the fingertips of my left arm "I won't lose that easily" my voice trembled; though it was hard to tell whether it was from the fear of what might come, or the chill seeping into my skin through the ice.

Jaw clenched tight, with my neck the only joint provided with movement, I leaned down towards the ice encasing my torso, squeezing my eyes closed. My cheeks pressed to the jagged edge of the icicle, with a jerk of my head and pained hiss, the sharp edge of the ice cut into the soft skin of my cheek leaving a drop of blood on the very tip, which froze instantly.

"No" I could faintly hear Todoroki whisper, I could feel my chest expand with pride and admiration, it wasn't too much of a surprise that one of the best students in class had figured out my quirk already.

Raising eyes steeled with determination to glare at the heterochromatic male in front of me, I took a shuddering breath. Focusing all of my attention on the ice that encased me, the corners of my lips tugged up into a wide smile as I found myself taking deeper breaths as the ice fell away, grumbling into a pile around my feet.

"Oh now this? This is fun" I whispered, breath escaping my lips in a cloud of frozen mist. With my left hand still pressed to the hard metal of the bomb at my side. It took a single thought, a split second decision, before the bomb was immediately taken over with a large shield of ice, jagged and threatening.

--

Todoroki's eyes were wide with shock and an emotion I could only pin point to be fear, something I hadn't been expecting to see in his eyes. I could feel my teeth chattering, goosebumps rising on my skin, hair standing on edge. My body convulsed into a hard shiver and my lips parted in surprise "so this is it..." I whispered in surprise, eyes narrowing on his right arm, on the thin layers of ice that covered his skin every here and there.

His own breath was leaving him in visible puffs "you asked me if it was worth it, when you found out about my quirk" I spoke up, stepping towards him. Todoroki stood his ground "is this worth it?", his breath hitched in his throat, brows furrowing as he turned his head down, right arm extended in front of his face.

"Why are you even here Todoroki?" I continued to step towards him, my voice held no malice, no pity, only curiosity. His eyes continued to bore into his hand, his expression even more troubled than the day before. I only stopped in my tracks when I stood before him, a breath's away from his hand.

"Why do you never look like you want this? Why do you never look like you want to be a hero?" his eyes immediately flicked up to meet mine. The look in his eyes caused the air to up and leave my body, he was scared, terrified, vulnerable and child like. And it was clear in that moment, that he didn't have an answer, and that I wasn't the one who was going to give it to him.

The corners of my lips twitched up into a smile as I turned my head to look at Ojiro's, his jaw slack and eyes wide as he watched the scene go down "sorry about this Ojiro". With a sympathetic grimace, I stepped to the side, patting a gentle and reassuring hand down on Todoroki's shoulder "take the win today, I'm happy with the progress I made, you would've won anyways".

Hand dropping from his shoulder, I stepped towards the open door way, slipping out before either of them could stop me, and I was sure that the duo coloured hair male would have.

--

The loss was bittersweet, Ojiro wasn't happy, but held no grudge. He knew himself had I gone into a one-on-one fight with Todoroki I wouldn't have won. Even if I had, it would have left some pretty nasty scars. The cut on my cheeks landed me a large kiss from Recovery Girl and a gentle scolding, but I was relieved that the visit to the infirmary meant that I had to miss the review of the fight, or lack there of.

The rest of the day passed slower than I would have preferred, as soon as I had rejoined the class, I was quickly bombarded with questions. Why I gave up so easily? What I had said to Todoroki?

When Todoroki had burst through the doors, ice surged through the room and formed a film over the microphone, blocking out the majority of sound. What was said was kept between, Ojiro, Todoroki and I, and none of us felt like divulging the other's in the conversation.

Questions and worries were brushed aside with nervous laughs and reassuring smiles, and soon enough, the topic was dropped.

--

All Might had lead us back to our class rooms, allowing us to change back into our school uniforms along the way. Sitting ourselves down in our seats, silence quickly washed over us as gazes settled on the hero standing in front of the black board, broad grin still on his face.

"I'm proud to call you my students, with how far you've come and how strong you have been even in these past few days", gleeful whispers soon spread through the classroom, elated from being praised by the number 1 hero.

"But to be heroes, we still have a long way to go, classes will be swapped between Aizawa, myself, and a few teachers that will help you with ordinary subjects. For now I'll hand you over to your math teacher". The happy cries quickly silenced to be followed by a sequence of displeased groans.

All Might tilted his head back, chest reverberating with a loud, booming laughter "always learn with a smile!", his palms slapped together with a loud clap.

"Say it with me now!" raising one hand, he clenched his hand into a fist, raising his arm above his head.

"Plus Ultra!"

Chapter Text

This morning was like any other or, at least, it should have been. Normal, was waking up at least 5 minutes before my alarm would begin to sound; it was finding my mind drifting as submit myself to my usual routine. Normal, was grabbing a piece of fruit from the bowl in the centre of the dining table, kissing my parents on the cheek and leaving a good few minutes before the bell for school would sound.

The walk to the school gates is where things started to get, for the lack of a better word, odd. The usually quiet pavement was abuzz with chatter, at the gates, blocked off by security guards were a multitude of reporters. Each speaking over one another, cameras and microphones were thrust in the faces of the passing students, a flurry of questions bombarding them before teachers and guards ushered the students to the safety of the entrance.

Dread filled me from the soles of my feet to the tips of hair, trembling hands clutching for purchase onto the strap of my book bag, which suddenly felt all too heavy. I gulped so loud I feared it would alert the crowd of reporters, hesitant feet shuffled along the pavement, heels scraping against the cement. I could hear the loud, yet somehow far away, beating of my heart drumming in my ears before it stopped, jumping over a beat as eyes locked on me.

Eyes hungry for information searched over my form, narrowing in on the familiar UA colours that decorated my body, the crowd rushed over, leaving the security gaurd in the dust as they swarmed towards me, fighting over one another, heavy duty cameras held above their heads to zone in on me above the bombard of people.

I found myself encased in a swarm of people, microphones held a little too close for comfort, questions burst out over one another in an unintelligable garble of noise. I did my best to shrink down, praying to make myself invisible, breath hitching in anxiety. I breathed too hard yet not enough, sweat seeping through my palms I gripped the leather strap of my book bag so tightly, I could have sworn I heard the material squeak under pressure.

"P-please let me get to class"

I barely recognized my own voice as it left my lips, meek and pathetic. Unheard over the bustling crowd and the distant ring of the tardy bell going off in the background, ignoring the fear that had thrummed through me, above all, I was disappointed. Disappointed in myself at my reaction, and my nervousness and overwhelmed display, knowing that when I become a hero; if I become a hero this would be my reality. The reporters and the cameras, the questions and the people, this is something I would have to subject myself to and it was something I had no choice over, not if this was the path I wanted to take.

My breath was picking up, lungs burning at the short gasps of air, not carrying nearly enough oxygen to my lungs. Knees trembling and threatening to buckle under my weight, my eyes clenching shut as I lowered my head to the ground. The last thing I wanted was to show such a weak version of myself on live television across the nation, I wanted to be remembered, seen as a symbol of hope, someone other people could trust, not a trembling student cowering in front of a camera.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing harrassing a student, do you want to get arrested?"

The voice wasn't particularly loud, nor did it sound very concerned, yet the overbearing questions came to an abrupt stop, reporters spreading in a clear path to the person who had come to my rescue.

"Sensei" I breathed out, eyes opening to look upon none other than my home room teacher. Lazy eyes stared down at me "you're late, get to class before I mark you as late", back stiffening, I stood straight. Fear and anxiety that had once filled me to the brim seeped away, with a shaky smile, I bowed politely "yes, sensei".

Jogging towards him and through the clear path the reporters had made, I bit my lip, pausing at his side "I'm sorry Sensei, I couldn't even handle a few reporters" I whispered under my breath. Head down in shame, I felt the familiar prick of pain as my nails embedded themselves in my palms. One hand lifted out of his pockets, he dropped the hand onto my head, not quite ruffling my hair, practically using my head as a rest.

"Just get to class"

Despite the lack of comfort one would expect from this miniscule display of affection, I could feel the shame replace itself with glee, excited to be reassured by such a distant teacher. Back arching to stand straight, and stand proud, I set my jaw confidently "yes, sensei! It won't happen again". With a quick, brief bow of my head, I raced towards the doors, guard allowing me to slip pass with no hassle.

--

When I had reached the classroom, it was in almost complete disarray, students gathered in circles chattering excitedly, crowding around the windows to stare down at the crowd of reporters curiously.

Uraraka, who stood by the window joined by Midoriya and Iida, perked up as I stepped into the class room, arm raised above her head, she smiled kindly and waved me over. With a gentle smile in return, I made my way towards.

"We saw you get crowded by those reporters, are you okay?" Uraraka mumbled gently, voice thick with concern. An affectionate smile tugged at my lips as I turned to face my friends "thanks for worrying, but I'm alright, it was a little scary but Aizawa-sensei got me out of i-"

A loud siren blared, windows slamming closed, students barely given the time to draw their fingers away. Stumbling away from the wall that held the windows, the pane trembled, a loud rattling sound ringing out as the vibration caused the windows to shift in their hold. From the top of the pane, extended thick metal shutters, slowly and with a mechanical whir, they lowered.

And as they sealed, blocking off the windows, the banged against the metal of the frame, a bang loud enough for us to know that the weight of the shutter must have been extensive.

"Lock down?" Midoriya whispered to my right, eyes burrowed in confusion and worry, teeth gently nipping at the skin on the tip of his thumb.

"One of the reporters must have stepped into the grounds" Iida reasoned, arms crossing over his chest as he made sure to appear as calm as he could, despite the anxiety I could see swirling in his irises.

--

"Everyone sit down"

The shutters on the windows had lifted up, tucking themselves into the wall just above the window pane. From the window, we could see the large, almost intimidating protective barrier surrounding the grounds, high and practically impenetrable.

Aizawa's casual stroll into the classroom came as a big relief to all of us, knowing that the situation had to have been under control if the hero showed no worry. The class, now in order, as we took our seats were silent.

"You're probably wondering what that was all about, why the reporters were crowding and why the protective barrier activated" he sighed, hands stretching across the table to grip either side of the surface, tired eyes glazing over our heards.

"News that All Might is a teacher has leaked, and well-- reporters are some of the worst villains, I swear" he grumbled, hand lifting to scratch at the back of his head.

"Reporters stepped over the line and tired to follw me in, and that's that, so relax, we have more important things to do".

The tense atmosphere that had hung heavy in the air dissipated with the teacher's words, trusting that the multitude of heroes and security would keep us safe had anything slipped through the barrier.

"As for your assignments today, you'll be picking out a class representative and a deputy representative"

Kaminari's hand rose above his head, and with a brief nod from Aizawa, he was given permission to speak "is that it, sensei? Isn't that kinda boring" he mumbled, a series of agreeing grumbles ran out throughout the room.

"Quiet" the class silenced immediately at the teacher's simple order "this position will give you a lot of credit, especially once you graduate, you should be fighting for the position, not ready to throw the idea out the window"

The loud groans were replaced with a hushed whispers of consideration, the idea itself wasn't a bad one even if we didn't consider the benefits it would have on our careers. Our class was a disorderly one, more often than not, out of control when a teacher wasn't around. A class representative to keep everything in order and to make decisions whilst Aizawa was taking a nap.

"Alright, have a vote, wake me up in 15 minutes" he waved his hand dismissively, reaching under the desk to pull out his all too familiar sleeping bag, laying himself down, he slipped the yellow waterproof fabric up to his neck, zipping the side closed; he was asleep before his head touched the floor.

Immediately everyone was talking across each other, knowing that sensei would drown out their voices. Pulling out our notebookes, the sound of almost simultaneous ripping resounded, followed by the quiet scritching of pencil lead dragging over paper as everyone rushed to jot down their vote.

Sitting in the middle of the teacher's desk was a rather shabbily made box, small with a single, thin recutangular slit cut into the top; in which we slipped in our papers. Once all votes had been submitted, the class swarmed around the desk, opening up the voting box at the bottom, allowing the folded pile of paper to slip out into a small pile on the table.

Voting box placed aside, all papers were unfolded and laid out in piles of dedicated names, almost everyone had at least one vote, save for myself and Midoriya. The reason being everyone had decided to vote for themselves and hope that they would win depending on another class mate's vote.

It didn't suprise me much, the decision to vote based on selfish desires, everyone's a little selfish sometimes, hero or not. Iida's hand slammed down on the table, gentle, but dramatic all the same. His action quiet to assure that Aizawa would not be deserved "this is unacceptable, we must vote on the person we think would benefit the class the most, not ourselves just because we want all the glory at the end of the day. We'll do another vote, this time, consider your answers seriously".

There was a displeased grumble from the others but no arguments, surprisingly, not even from Bakugou. Returning to our desks in a somewhat orderly fashion. The sound of pencils on paper came at an out of sunc pace this time, eraser ends of pencils tapping against lower lips in thoughtful actions before a conclusion was made and an answer was written. 

--

The vote this time, was not drastically different, it appeared many had still voted for themselves, or truly considered they were the best option, however - with the most votes, including my own, was none other than Midoriya. Followed closely by Yaoyoruzu.

"Who the fuck picked Deku?"

Chapter Text

The day was one filled with panic, heavy decisions and a dash of chaos. The press had overstepped their boundaries and sent the students into disarray when the heavy steel boarders surrounded the grounds and sent an ear ringing alarm into the air. Iida had quickly come to a solution, and with a strong act of leadership informed the student body of the real reason the security had been set off. Which lead to Midoriya resigning from his newly appointed position of Class Representative, handing the title to a deserving Iida with little to no disagreement from the class.

Aizawa had been quick to step up to the plate, offering minimal explanation over the Hero class of the day. Our only instruction was to quickly change into our hero costumes of P.E uniforms and meet outside where we would board buses to a building on the grounds. I found myself pressed comfortably against Tsuyu's side on the rather cramped bus seat. Midoriya sat to my right, the only student clad in a gym uniform.

"You know, Midoriya's power really reminds me of All Might" Kirishima's comment had been plenty innocent, and yet I felt Deku tense at my side, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "I can't actually see why" Tsu added. Midoriya was growing incresingly uncomfortable at my side, shifting every so often, but it was to be expected. It must take a strike to the pride to have your Quirk compared to someone elses, Number 1 hero or not.

"Don't be silly, no offense Midoriya, but All Might's way stronger. The only thing that's similar is Deku's superhuman strength" I piped in, Izuku shot a grateful glance my way, his tense shoulders dropping as the other's didn't hesitate to agree.

--

When the buses pulled up, we walked single file out of the bus, due to Iida's strict instruction. In front of us was a large dome, the size of a large sport stadium, perhaps larger. In front of us, was Aizawa, standing by his side a much shorter figure, clad in an astronaut , visor black to hide their features.

"Thirteen!" I could hear Midoriya's delighted gasp, followed by a string of agreeing hums from students of our class just as happy to see the Pro Hero. Aizawa called out a loud "oi!" and quickly the class silenced, focusing on the two teachers.

"Originally, we were supposed to be joined my All Might, but he's running a little late" our homeroom teacher sighed, exhasperated, leaning down to whisper into the side of Thirteen's helmet. His voice was stooped low, and barely I managed to pick up a few hushed words. Something along the lines of "...saved too many..." and "...time's up", the few phrases were unintelligable on their own. And despite the nagging itch of curiosity picking at the back of my mind, I brushed it off.

We were soon lead inside, up the stairs and forced to stop by the entrance pathway whilst the teachers explained. The dome was larger on the inside somehow, the glass half sphere roof radiated warmth throughout the arena, even so I could see the swirling of hard winds and snow in the distance on one side of the building. According to the Pro's explanation, the idea of today's task was to test our resistance to different extreme climates. From what I could guess, an area would be selected that opposed the student's quirk, for examply, Tsu would be based in the fire zone. And someone like Ashido in the water where her acid would have no use.

"You will be supervised by Aizawa and I, if things get too far sim--"

Thirteen's sentence was cut short by a sudden chill in the air, the kind of chill that sent the hairs on your arms standing on end. The kind of chill that caused your blood to tingle under your skin and you muscles to stiffen. It wasn't the chill of the atmosphere, it wasn't the chill of a sudden breeze brushing past and catching you of guard. But the chill of impending danger, the thick shiver inducing cold of murderous intent.

"Uh...Sensei?" Yaoyorozu rose a hand, shaky finger pointing in the distance, towards the middle of the arena behind the two teachers in front of us. Behind them, there was a split in the air, edges coloured a menacing purple. Almost as though someone had taken a jam covoured knife and cut straight through the air. The split was spreading, purple stretching until a deep black could be seen in the centre, ominous and forboding.

Aizawa and Thirteen turned on heir heels "students! Get back!" the space suit clad hero called out, the hope that this had just been part of the exercise, or perhaps a simple prank pulled by the teacher dissipated in that instant. And from the purpled edged abyss came something, something moving, something I couldn't quite make out at this distance, through the foginess of the split in the universe.

It was a hand.

A hand that gripped the edge of the split in the air, a hand that pushed clawed itself forward using the edge of the split. Following the hand was another, this one with no arm attached to the wrist, the glove covering a face like a mask, sitting atop the head was a messy head of greasy white hair. The whispy strands fell to his neck in a messy bob, following his head was the rest of the body, and it could be seen that more of those inanimate hands clung to different parts of his body.

"Is this part of the class sensei?" Denki asked hesitantly, his voice trembling in fear, of course he knew that wasn't the case. We all knew, the tense atmosphere in the air was enough to go by.

"No" Aizawa's voice was grim, rumbling with a low undertone of intimidation, it shot through my core, hints of fear fluttering through me at the thought of that tone of voice being directed at me.

Once the hand covered male had stepped out, dozens upon dozens of other people followes, some with visible quirks, others with weapons, and a few simply wearing normal clothes.

"Those are villains" Aizawa finished.

--

We knew, of course we knew what they where, who they were. But to hear it put into words, by a professionly who had come across so many villains that a simple glance he could easily identify them.

There were so many standing below us, glaring at their surroundings as they seeped with evil intent. But oddly enough, they continued like this, turning in circles as though they were searching for something, or rather, someone.

"Students, hurry outside" Thirteen rushed, and we wasted no time in turning heel towards the door. Despite the stubborn cries of Bakugo and Kirishima, we knew we were way out of our league with a band of villains so large. With the door in sight, lungs burned with desperation, we had to leave, we had to get back to the main building and alert the other teachers of the infiltrators.

It's a funny thing, how long it can take for hope to build and yet how quickly it can be wrenched away from oneself. Not a few feet away from the door, away from our escape was that all too familiar purple rip in the atmosphere. The ugly purple mass only growing, stretching high above us and yet remaining relatively slim, it grew until it came to an abrupt stop at around 7 feet.

From the purple fog glowed to bright, yellow slanted eyes, the mass of purple was not just a quirk, but the owner of the quirk themselves. Edges of the purple guirk whisping off into the air like smoke, it was ominous, fear inducing and heart clenching, the sight of those narrowed eyes glaring at us in disdain.

"I don't think so"

The mass' voice was low, a kind of deep that ran shivers over the base of one's hair on the back of your neck. The tense, fear filled atmosphere was broke by a loud bang, a familiar popping of explosions bottled betwen clenched fingers "get out of our way!" Bakugo's voice was booming, a voice that suited him well. It was easily heard over the comotion, and all eyes were drawn to him.

By his side was Kirishima, where the redhead was usually found, sharp teeth glinting through the smug grin on his face. His narrowed eyes holding a sharp contest with pupil lacking yellow.

With his hands raised defensively in front of his face, skin hardening with a soundly cracking "whilst your bravery would be admirable in any other situation, here, it is misguided and unwise" the deep voice echoing from the purple mass in front of us stopped the two head strong boys in their tracks. "My name is Kurogiri, I am a member of the League of Villains and our mission today is to kill All Might".

A cold hard shudder ran down my spine at the thought, it was impossible, it had to be. For a simple band of villains to be able to bring down the symbol of hope. For thme to take down someone so strong, they couldn't, could they?

"Bastard! "

Bakugo's voice once again acted as a loud shock to the system, the doubts that had began clawing at my mind snapping away in an instant "you think pathetic little nobodies like you could take down someone like All Might? That's my job, shithead". His confident growl was almost comical, how he was so sure that he could take All Might down, how he was so sure of himself and his goal.

"That's right! All Might can't be taken down by the likes of you! Bakugo?" Kirishima sent a questioning glance to the blonde at his side, and for a moment, it was silent and tense as they held an unspoken conversation with their eyes. Katsuki's only answer was the sly, almost conniving grin, bright bursts of light and smoke and loud pops sounded from his palms.

Mouths opened wide to release a loud, obnoxious battle cry. Strong calves used to kick hard off of the ground, they leapt at the villain standing in our path "Katsuki! Kirishima! Don't!" Thirteen's loud cry went unheard by the two overly eager students. Thick gloved hand outstretched, the metal tip of the glove quickly popped off, suction immediately followed, powerful and overbearing.

It was too late.

The thick purple tinted black mass stretched over head, it happened too quickly for my eyes to register and yet everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. The shadow as the light from the dome was blocked out, the sounds of people around me muffled and distant, the cold tingling sensation as the quirk surrounded me. It happened in a flash, all too quickly and yet far too slowly.

In a second, what once surrounded me had shifted, changed completely and the warm sensation of the sun streaming through the dome, amplified by the glass, had disappeared. What surrounded me was a thick air, clouded with dust and dirt. The soles of my feet sinking thick into the mud below my feet, wth shaky breath, I dared to scan my surroundings.

Around me, the tips of buildings peeked from slanted ground, I bent my knees as I found myself slowly slipping upon the hill. I glanced around in confusion, and faintly in the distance I could see Aizawa, standing in the middle the arena, in the centre off all the different areas where the villains had first appeared. His long hair stood up, ad straight, the bandages around his neck floating as though defying gravity.

"(Y/n)?"

I tensed hard, spinning on my heel in what should have been one swift movement, but in that moment I had forgotten the thick mud surrounded the soles of my boots. As my torso turned, my feet stayed in place, my heart rose to my throat and my head felt light as I found myself staring down at the descent below, teetering towards it.

A strong hand gripping the crook of my elbow, my slow fall was brought to an abrupt stop. Panting shakily, I blinked, head swimming and eyesight wavering in fear. I turned my head slowly, knees lifting to slowly dislodge my feet from the thickened mud I was standing in. Turning to face my saviour I found my heart, which had once risen to my throat, drop down to my stomach.

My eyes widening and my lips partening in surprise, I glanced around to see if anyone else had joined us on this landslide simulated area. The area, as far as I could tell at this point, was empty, and standing on the slowly sliding mud was just the two of us. Myself and -

"Todoroki?"

Chapter Text

With the thick mud caking the soles of my boots, the only thing keeping me from sinking or slipping and colliding into one of the protruding roofs was the tight grip on my upper arm. His left hand radiated with warmth as he clutched onto me tightly.

"Todoroki?"

Dual coloured eyes rested upon my own before quickly darting away, cool and calculating, he scanned the area behind me. "We're not alone" he whispered, strong hands gentle in their movements as he tugged me up and towards him, my feet finding semi solid ground, enough for me to stand without slipping.

"It seems that villain's quirk is a warp of some kind" his voice had stooped to a quiet whisper, eyes never coming to a stop as he observed our surroundings. No doubt he could feel the presence of the various enemies stationed around the land slide area, hiding themselves behind protruding buildings and other such rubble. "My guess is he separated us in order to take us out easier, no doubt he thought one of these climates would work against us somehow", Todoroki's quick overview on the situation and all too serious tone wasn't too surprising to me.

The male was known as one of the more serious of the class, perhaps it was because he had yet to open up to us, or perhaps this was just how he was. Brushing the theories towards the back of my mind, I implored myself to focus on the seriousness of the situation.

"Are we the only students in this area?" I whispered.

"I landed on the other side of the area, I haven't come across anyone else as of yet so I can only assume" he mumbled in response "we can't converse like this, or else they'll suspect that we have caught on". He cleared his throat before speaking up "I'm so glad to see you're okay" his voice echoed slightly as he elevated his voice loud enough that the various villains dotted around us would be able to hear with ease.

"I was so worried" his eyes that had not stopped scanning the area around us finally settled on my form, intense and focused, urging me to play along. l was quick to follow "I was so scared" my voice came out choked, trembling in fear that our lie might be easily uncovered. Raising my arms, I slowly looped them around his neck, urging him to lean down slightly to meet my height.

His form tensed beneath my touch, muscles going rigid, it was clear then that this was a type of physical contact that was estranged to him. With my head resting on his shoulder, this allowed an even quieter conversation, guaranteeing the fact that the villains surrounding us wouldn't hear, "play along" I whispered, voice barely audible. Realization flashed actoss his face, disappearing as quickly as it came. Surprisingly gentle arms came to wrap around my waist, clothed limbs barely brushing against the bare skin of my back, as though he was afraid to touch me.

"They're getting closer, they must think they're going to catch us off guard" Todoroki whispered, warm breath brushing the short hairs by the back of my neck, "how can you tell?" was my reply, eyes glanced to the side, catching sight of the short red locks, tapering off behind the male's ear. "They keep peeking out behind the buildings, they're not very smart".

I resisted giving a snort of amusement, hiding a chortle against his shoulder "they're coming, don't move" I kept myself steeled against him. His gentle arms tightened around my midriff, holding me against him protectively, his left hand radiating warmth as it pressed to the small of my back, his right arm uncoiling itself from around my form. A sudden blast of cold air swirled itself around me, air turning a misty white as it shifted to freezing temperatures. Pressed against his right side, warmth permeated my skin, protecting me from the biting cold that expelled from his right hand.

The sounds of pained yelps and the crackling of hardening ice echoed around me, only when Todoroki's left arm loosened around me, did I turn around. Trailing from Todoroki's right foot was a plane of ice, the lower half of the mud slide taken over my solid water, dotting the trail were half a dozen villains, frozen in mid action, some caught in a running pose, other mid attack.

Only one person, the villain closest to us was partly revealed, ice slowly inching up towards his face, expression pained and fear filled. Stepping around me, Todoroki walked slow, and intimidatingly to the victim of his capture. The villain struggled, grunting as he attempted to break free of the ice, the coating over his skin too thick to crack. Toe to toe with the villain in question, thin eyebrows furrowed in anger and distaste, Todoroki's eyes narrowed as he cast his gaze upon the man opposing us.

"What is your plan? Why have you come here?" his voice was rough, demanding answers, even standing behind his defensive stance, I found the small hairs on my arms raise to stand on end.

"I'm--" the villain grunted in pain, chin tilting back as the ice inched closer towards his face "I'm not telling you anything, kid" he huffed, his voice was strained, the veins in his neck visible under the cloudy ice. That clearly wasn't a good idea, Todoroki's reaction was less than positive, his right hand raising, icy mist rolling from his palm in waves. The villain's eyes widened in horror as the sudent's hand grew ever closer towards his face.

"I'll give you another chance to tell me before the ice encases you entirely, and I hope you understand that the ice constricting the rest of your body is slowly cutting off your circulation, I will give you another chance and decrease the amount of ice enough for you to be able to feel your limbs on the condition that you tell us what you know"

Todoroki's threat was chilling, a hard shadder rolling down my spine at the thought of something so fear inducing being directed towards myself. The villain's eyes widened, fluttering due to the pain that was taking over his numbing body, he ground his teeth, jaw muscles flexing before the expression on his fell into one of defeat. His eyes fell closed and he took a deep breath, coming out in a puff of white mist "okay, I'll tell you, I didn't sign up for this kind of thing" he grumbled.

--

The villain took his time spilling the plan, at any note of deceit, a simple swipe of the hand from Todoroki had the older male flinching back in fear. He was quick to retell all the details that would assist us in taking down the head of this group. Todoroki held true to his promise, right palm pressing to the ice that coated the male's chest, steam poured out of the small gap between his hand and the ice, the villain's feet surrounded by a small puddle in a matter of minutes.

However Todoroki stopped once the ice had thinned roughly an inch, providing enough space for the villain's blood to flow at a slightly more regular rate, but less than the villain had been expecting. Enough to keep his toes in tact, but little enough to provide a dull ache.

Once Todoroki lowered his hand and moved to step around the villain, fear and anger became apparent on his face "h-hey! Get back here kid! This wasn't the deal!" he stammered shakily, a deep sigh left the hero in training, turning his body half way, right foot sliding behind him to send an icy glare the villain's way.

"The deal was that I would allow the blood to reach your extremities, not to release you, cooperative or not, you are still a villain"

The dual coloured male's steps as he walked away were strong and determined, calculating as he scaled his way down the ice with ease. The villain's eyes turned to me, wide with desperation as he knew there was no hope in convincing boy to release him.

"Come on little lady, help a guy out? I won't attack you, I won't attack anyone! I'll quit being a villain! Just get me out of here" he sputtered, voice chatching in his throat as he called out to me eagerly. Todoroki stopped in his tracks, turning to look over his shoulder at me, obviously having heard despite the hushed whispers.

As Todoroki took a step towards us, I rose my hand, pausing him in his trek, I turned to look at the villain "don't think for a second that just because I'm not the one that put you there, means I'm weak willed enough to let you out". The villain's eyebrows shot up towards his hair line at the harsh tone in my voice "the fact you even considered committing yourself to this kind of cause and attempted to attack and bunch of teens whose only crime is wishing for a better life for the general population, only proves how much of a detestable person you are".

The spaces between my words grew shorter, and before I knew it, I was approaching the villain, brows furrowed in anger and determination. I found my breath leaving me in short pants, clouding at the drop in temperature "you may have a little light at the end of the tunnel for spilling the info, but I'll be damned if I let you think that you deserve the slightest bit of pity from me or anyone else for that matter. You will wait there and you will be thankful that you didn't end up like your comrades".

Marking the end of my sentence, I stepped towards Todoroki, taking his offered hand as I struggled to keep my footing on the ice beneath my feet. I blocked out the loud curses the villain threw at us as we made our way down the mud slide, passing various frozen bodies before finally reaching the stable ground.

--

It was only when we were on the gorund did we see the extent of the damage caused, an inumerable amount of lower level villains lie unconscious on the floor, the few that were conscious simply groaned in agony. In the centre of all the chaos, was Aizawa Sensei, his hair defying gravity as the long scruffy strands rose to stand atop his head, irises glowing red, his body was battered and bruised, coated in blood, it was hard to discern whether it was his or not.

Surrounding him were a hoard of villains, anger soaring to avenge their fallen comrades, quirks were activated and quickly blocked by Aizawa's own. But from the sight of the Pro Hero, it was clear that he was growing more tired as the villains continued coming for him. Barely getting a moment to rest as more and more of them threw themselves at him. Even from the distance Todoroki and I stood from him, we could see the twitch of his eyelids through the fight, how they begged to close for a simple second - yet he knew that if he relaxed for even a moment, the villain's would take advantage of his fatigue and pounce.

"Sensei" I breathed out, stomach turning with pity as he forced to take on multiple villains at once, "we have to hel--" from the corner of my eye, at the furthest distance from us, was a flash of blue and green.

Brows furrowed in confusion, I turned my gaze to focus on the figure "is that...?" Todoroki started, not a few moments later a flash of red and black rushed to the scene of the fight to stand by the green and blue figure. Midoriya, Bakugo and Kirishima stood by a weak Aizawa, his hair finally falling down to his shoulders as the appearance of the students caught the villains off guard, enough to give him a moment to relax.

"Let's join them, shall we?"

--

We had sprinted as quick as we could towards the scene, Todoroki ran ahead of me, taking out any villains that turned to fight us along the way. It was only when we skidded to a stop by Aizawa's side could we really see how bad the damage to his body was. The skin on one of his forearms had appeared to have hardened and peeled away to reveal the muscle beneath in the flesh.

Blood poured from a gash by his hair line, his nose and mouth also seeping with the red fluid. He panted shakily, body hunched over in a vain attempt to soften the pain "get back to Thirteen" his voice was quiet, strained but desperate. "This isn't the place for wannabe heroes to try and prove themselves!" as his volume increased, he keeled over slightly, a mouthful of blood was spewed onto the floor.

Midoriya placed a gentle hand on his back to coax the fluid out of his lungs, only for his hand to be slapped away "this isn't a drill, these guys are the real deal and I will not allow you to put your lives on the line like this"

"Sorry Sensei" Kirishima spoke up, "but at this point I don't think we really have a choice".

Our conversation was cut short as a loud, intimidatingly deep cackle rang over our heads "as touching as this reunion is, there are more pressing matters at hand, no?". Our attention was drawn away from Aizawa, and to a villain standing in middle of the pile of his group members' bodies. I quickly recognized the male as the first villain to step out of the 'portal'. He was most likely the brains behind this attack, as far as I could tell, behind him stood a creature I had never seen before. 

Towering over the rest of us, muscles bulging and skin tinted a deep blue, lines of blood red patterned down his skin. Around the lower half of his face was a beak like mouth guard, jaws open to reveal sharp pointed teeth and a tongue, long and incessantly shifting. In place of a scalp, was a glass like dome, the clear view of the pinkened flesh of it's brain almost made bile rise to my throat in disgust.

"Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!" Midoriya called out, voice strained as he pushed through his obvious fear. The villain with many hands, placed them on his hips, head tilting slightly as he let out a quiet sigh "Kurogiri, what are these students doing here?".

It was a mere second before the purple fog of a figure appeared behind him "it appears they defeated those low level villains after I was forced to separate them" glowing yellow eyes narrowed upon our forms as the mass spoke low, pausing slightly between each word to add an emphasis on his frustration.

The white haired male clicked his tongue behind the palm of his 'mask' in clear distaste "and All Might isn't here yet?" the tone in his voice was that of boredom and exasperation, clearly unhappy that All Might wasn't here as they had planned. "We should get Nomu to kill them, and draw All Might out of hiding" he broke off into a cackle. Insanity lined the bubbles of his laughter, eyes wide through the fingers of his mask.

"That would be unwise, Shigaraki, he would not be happy if we used Nomu for anything unnecessary"

At Kurogiri's scolding words, Shigaraki let out a frustrated grunt, huffing as he straightened himself up "fine, I'll just kill them off myself". The villain stepped towards us slowly, but I found myself frozen in my boots. The eyes peering through the shadows behind the fingers of his mask met mine, wide in a maniacal manner, no trace of what left him human remained. The air around us grew cold with an unfamiliar chill, different to that of Todoroki's quirk. It was the chill and spine shuddering atmosphere of blood thirsty intent.

"No!"

Aizawa, even in his fatigued state, cried out. Dark, blood shot eyes glowing a bright red, his hair rising quickly to stand above his head. The bandages around his neck lifted and separated, floating and moving as though it had a mind of it's own.

"Ah" Shigaraki paused, hand falling limp to his side, his eyes narrowed and I felt a sudden shoot of fear spike through me at his obvious anger. He clicked his tongue "Nomu" he called out, voice scratching in his throat as his hands balled up at his sides, twitching as though he was desperately holding himself back.

"Shigaraki" Kurogiri's tone was threatening, as if warning him of something that I couldn't quite place.

"Shut up! I know!"

"Oi, you sure do have balls to talk among yourselves in front of us like that" I could hear the anger dripping from Bakugo's voice.

"Bakugo don't" Aizawa's voice was just as threatening.

"Get rid of the pests Nomu".

The dark blue beast behind the villain's perked up from his slouched position, jaw parting slightly as though the order had brought it to attention. A single step had the floor beneath us vibrating, long tongue unfolding form the creature's mouth, wide, bulging eyes rolling back into it's head as it reared his head and let out an ugly, ear piercing cry. I slapped my hands over my ears, eyes squeezing closed.

The wind that rushed forward from behind me caused my hair to blow into my face, the unexpected gust of wind causing my eyes to peek open. Aizawa sprinted forward, slower than he had been in the beginning, his exhaustion showing in his performance.

The events that passed happened in the blink of an eye and yet felt agonizingly slow. Aizawa, even with his quirk activated, was grasped by Nomu. Large, claw tipped fingers wrapping around his head, Aizawa dangled in his grip as though weightless, the mindless beast lifted his arm, our teacher's feet slipping off of the ground. I could feel my stomach contents rising to my throat as I watched, with a strong hand and a heavy grip, Aizawa was slammed back into the ground.

The cement beneath him cracked, breaking off into a multitude of fragments, the loud sound of cracking permeated the gaps between my fingers and into my ears. I was scared to determine whether it was the crack of the cement, or the crack of Aizawa's bones as Nomu cotinued to slam the hero's face into the ground, even as he went limp.

"Stop Nomu"

The beast stopped on command, hand still pressed to the back of the raven haired male's skull. The thought that this was the simple, sheer strength of the creature was enough to make me gag in itself. Shigaraki waved the beast aside, it obeyed, stepping back and slouching over once more. The villain's vein covered hand reached down to slip through the messy tresses of black hair, gripping tightly. Slowly, the villain pulled the teacher's head up.

I turned on my heel, reaching out to grip Kirishima's arm for support as I doubled over, taking hard jagged breaths as I struggled to keep the bile down. A gentle hand pressed to my back in an attempt to soothe me, I didn't care to find out who it was.

The person that lay in a small pool of their own blood and a pile of rubble was hardly identifiable, not an inch of unharmed skin, not a hint of flesh not stained with blood. It was hard to believe that was our teacher, that that was a Pro Hero.

A loud boom and an erruption of smoke from the entrance of the dome was the only thing that could distract me from the sound of Aizawa's blood dripping from his broken face onto the broken floor.

"There's no need to fear"

I could feel the hair on my arms raise to stand on end, nausea forgotten in that moment as my head turned quick enough for me to feel the familiar twinge of whiplash in the back of my neck.

"Why?"

I almost dared to let out a breath of relief, and yet the uncomfortable coiling in the base of my spine didn't go away.

"Because I am here!"

Chapter Text

Hope was a strange feeling to describe.

The tingling of pin pricks that rushed from the tips of your toes to the folicles of your hair, the feeling of your stomach dropping and your heart rising. Staring up at the Number 1 Hero on the platform by the entrance, guarding and blocking sight of the students that surrounded an injured Thirteen, All Might's smile was forever unwavering. His sudden entrance sent of rush of relief rocketing through my system, knowing that even for a moment, Aizawa could rest.

"All Might"

My voice sounded foreign in my ears, the breathy whisper of fear fueled hope, the crack in the syllables out of weakness. And despite the distance, despite the stooped volume of my call, his head turned towards us. Body tensing as his shadow cast eyes landed on the limp figure of a beaten Aizawa laying in a pile of his own blood and rubble. Amidst the chaos, the sight of the dried pale hand belonging to that of Shigaraki was outstretched towards Midoriya, fingertips mere inches away from his face.

Strong thighs flexed as All Might lowered himself into a squatting position, and with a quiet "hup!" he flung himself up and forward, time seemed to slow as he soared above us, arms outstretched at his sides before he began to descend. When he landed, I could feel the ground beneath my feet vibrate, small flecks and chunks of rubble and dust flying up when confident feet planted themselves in the ground.

"I hear you're after me, why don't you leave those students alone?"

All Might's voice resonated over my head, strong and determined, I felt my tense muscles deflate, pure relief washing over me when Shigaraki's hand dropped back to his side and away frm Midoriya's face. I subsequently reached for the sleeve of his P.E uniform, tugging him closer towards us and further away frm the villain. He sent me a tight lipped, but grateful smile, fear still evident in his eyes.

"Nomu"

It's equally difficult to discribe the fear induced by a single word uttered from the villain's mouth. The chilling shuddering coiling itself around your spine, and the unfathomable dread the builds itself up inside your head.

Adrenaline and fear spiked through my system at the slightest twitch of movement from the large humanoid creature, his wild eyes, bulging out of his head turned to gaze at the Number 1 hero. I wasn't sure whether to be more afraid of the insanity in it's eyes, or the blank expression featured on the rest of it's face. Waves of murderous intent poured from the chimera like creature, enough that had me wishing I could sprint in the other direction. Yet my feet stayed planted, glancing down at the limp body of Eraser Head and praying for the right moment to arrive for us to move him to a safer spot.

It happened in a flash, the rush of air after the movement delayed by the sheer speed. All Might had pounced at Nomu, and in the blink of an eye, the creature noticed and retaliated. Dust and rubble from the destruction the villains had caused lifted into the air, our arms lifting to shield our eyes from the small specs of dust and concrete. Only when the smoke cleared could we see what exactly caused such a violent reaction of the area around us.

All Might's fist pressed firm against Nomu, it seemed as though their punches had cancelled one another out. The surprise was evident on All Might's face, the shock of being so evenly matched for the first time. His eyes narrowed, muscles in his jaw flecing and he clenched his teeth.

All Might worked his best at drawing the beast as far away from us as possible and towards the furthest end of the dome. And yet our troubles weren't over, not given a spare moment to check on Aizawa, Shagaraki had turned to us. Narrowed eyes dark as he stared at us through the fingers of the glove covering his face. I could feel the muscles throughout my body tensing, fight or flight mode coming to the forefront of my mind.

I knew this man was stronger than me, I knew that if I didn't get away from the first taste of his quirk I would lose. The only way for a person with a quirk like mine to win against one like his, is to purposefully thrust myself into harms way, and miraculously manage to get myself out of it before he killed me. The sound of shifting gravel sounded to my left, and it was then that I was reminded that I wasn't alone.

Todoroki, Midoriya, Bakugo and Kirishima were standing around me, Tsu standing off to the side attending to a bleeding Mineta. It was then that the fear that had welled inside me began to ebb away. Brows that were once pinched together and fear and worry hardened, eyes narrowing and filling with a steeling determination as they set on what seemed to be the leader of this little band of villains.

"What should I do with you?"

Shigaraki's pale hand stretched out towards us "let you watch as your last hope foolishly sacrifices himself? Or kill you now to spare you the agony?". I couldn't quite tell whether his tone was mocking or merely demented.

"How about you call off that ugly bastard over there before you turn out to be a stain on the floor" Bakugo's ever confident voice spoke up, laced with irritation, small pops of miniature explosions going off in the palms of his hands. The villain's head tilted back, peering down at us in a condescending manner.

"Oh?" the white haired male's crazed eyes narrowed upon us "those are brave words coming from nothing but a student" he scoffed.

Bakugo's anger radiated off of him, Midoriya and Kirishima hurrying to whisper calming words to ensure that he wouldn't step out of line and put our well being in jeopardy.

Blood was steadily pooling in the dent in the ground that Nomu had creatured, in a few minutes the blood would be high enough to block Aizawa's breathing. I twitched in anxiety as he stared down at him, worry flooding into my system as I tried to shuffle forward without being noticed.

Unfortunately, my subtle movements hadn't been quite subtle enough and Shidaraki's hand snatched my wrist, muddle finger lifted and away from my skin. A jagged gasp tored through my throat at the rough skin contact, Immediately I could hear the cries of the others for him to unhand me.

"Please..." I held up a hand in a surrender like motion "he's going to drown, please let me treat him" I gestured towards the body of our homeroom teacher. The villain's eyes darted towards the fallen hero for a moment before quickly directing itself back to me.

"What makes you think I'll let you heal an enemy of mine?" his head tilted slowly, my mind raced swimming for and excuse to save my teachers life. With a shaky breath and a racing heart, my eyes fell closed.

"Because you don't know my quirk" the whisper slipped from my lips quickly, and there was no turning back from that point. With no quirk activated, I thrust my hand towards his face, yet unaware of my quirk and that I couldn't have done anything to hurt him at that time. His free hand came up to snatch at my wrist, all five fingers curling around my arm.

The pain that shot through my arm burned like electricity all the way to my heart, despite preparing myself from the pain I knew I would have to experience, my lips fell open and a gut wrenching scream tore itself through my throat. I could feel the skin on my arm, beneath the cold scratchiness of his calloused fingers, peel away. I could feel each individual cell die in unavoidable agony.

"Let go of (Y/n)!"

A white haze had clouded over me at the pain, my senses blurring to the point I couldn't quite distinguish whose voice it was that had spoken up.

"You heroes are all the same, pathetic little match sticks, who give up at the slightest hint of a breeze".

Shigaraki's words cut like a blade through the haze of a white hot pain, consciousness regaining my tear filled eyes lifted to meet his "that's where your wrong" my voice was hoarse, words catching on the rough insides of my throat. Screamed raw from the pain that had befallen me.

In the corner of my eye I could see the others gearing themselves up for attack, my uninjured wrist turned in his incomplete grasp. Thrusting my hand forward I pushed up his sleeve in a fluid motion and clutched the pale, scratch coated skin of his arm, beneath my palm, I could feel his skin hardening, screams pouring from his lips as the skin peeled away, dead and rotten.

His hands reeled back from my grasp, a pained yelping wrenching itself from my throat as his skin briefly tugged at the wound he had created on my forearm. I hugged my arm to my chest as he fell to his knees, staring down at the wound on his arm that mirrored my own.

His fingers trembled as his brain swam with possible reasons as to why my quirk was the same as his.

"You're wrong about heroes" I gulped, voice trembling and breath expelling from my lips in shaking pants as I blocked out the pain radiating through my arm.

"Sure, some people are like matches, sure their flame goes out when a wind of doubt brushes over them but heroes? Heroes aren't like that" my eyes briefly flitted over to the unconscious body of Aizawa sensei, mind flashing back to the sight of him getting up, over and over, growing increasingly injured - and yet he still fought.

"Heroes are like bonfires, all it takes it a match the light them, and the winds of doubt and negativity, the wind that represents you only fuels their flame. That's who they are, they're strong and that's what we're growing to become. We may be matches right now, but you? You don't stand a chance against the raging wild fire that we will become".

Hands settled themselves on my upper arms, dragging me away from the villain and into the secure nest between the few male students. "I'll check on sensei, just-- don't do any more reckless things".

It was then that I noticed the person that had brought me out of the danger zone was in fact, none other than Todoroki. His gaze stern and warning, daring me to step into another dangerous situation.

"You did good injuring him (Y/n), let us handle this now" Kirishima placed a reassuring hand on my back, an affirming grunt leaving Bakugo's throat, followed quickly by a bright but worried smile from Midoriya.

"Kirishima is right, he injured you really badly, we can handle this, please leave it to us" Deku's words sent a warm rush of safety through my system, silently and pridefully, I resigned myself and allowed them to take control in my place.

--

 The U.S.J building was unrecognizable by the time the battle had ended.

Part of the rood collapsed in on itself at the force All Might used to expel Nomu from the building, the cement flooring ripped up and dispersed in multiple pieces ranging in size. Police and Pro Heroe's swarmed the sight, Aizawa was carried off in a stretcher and before I knew it I was sitting in the back of an ambulance, my injured arm being inspected.

The events that passed had happened all too quickly and yet went on for far too long. The villains had made their escape once Nomu had been defeated, the unconscious majority taken into custody and speedily taken down to the police station, that including Nomu.

Recovery Girl had arrived to the scene to tend to the bigger emergencies, planting a kiss of Aizawa's forehead to keep him stable enough for the surgery he would need later. It was approximately half an hour before she made her way around to me, a grimace on her face as she inspected the injury on my arm "just like Shota's injury" she sighed and shook her head.

"Such a terrifying quirk" she mumbled, voice kind and warming as she planted a gentle kiss to the revealed muscle. A cooling relief flushed through my system as the pain ebbed away, though the severe wound could not be completely healed by the kiss alone, the slightest removal of pain was more than welcomed.

My arm was quickly sanitized and wrapped with gauze and safety pinned into place. Recovery Girl's touch lingered, my hand settled in her much smaller once, the expression on her usually bubbly face was grim and somewhat unreadable.

"Midoriya told me what you did while I was healing him" she mumbled.

I snagged my lower lip between my teeth, gaze glaring into my lap as  I awaited the scolding of a lifetime.

"What you did was very brave, but please, never do it again. At least not until you're a pro"

My gaze lifted to the eyes behind her goggles, it was clear she had seen this a lot, injuried not fit for a young teen. And it was clear that it grew harder and harder for her to cope seeing kids in pain.

"...I can't promise that" my whisper left my lips before I had a moment to consider them.

The was a moment's pause, before a low chuckle escaped her and her free, glove covered hand, gently pat the palm of mine.

"I wouldn't expect any less from a hero in training" she sighed as she released my hand and allowed me to inspect the tight bandage.

"Just--"

My gaze returned to her once more.

"Be careful".

Chapter Text

Going home after the attack was dreaded more than the attack itself.

Quelling my mother's leaking eyes was a feat upon itself, calming my father's rage upon seeing the bandages and injuries lining my body was just as difficult. And yet the hardest part was convincing them not to pull me out of school, hours were spent reminding them of all the benefits of the school and to forget about the dangers it held. After a few hours of arguments and reasoning, my parents finally agreed to allow me to continue in U.A.

Laying in bed that night, I could feel the injuries covering my body itching and aching uncomfortably. Despite the comfort of being in my childhood bed, and despite the cool of my pillow and the warmth of my blankets, I found myself unable to reach the sleep I so desperately desired. I stared, restless, up at the ceiling above my head. Bandaged arm up and pressing against my forehead as I admired the multitude of glow in the dark stars my father had glued to my ceiling since birth.

With a groan of irritation, I rolled over onto my side, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot through my joints. Reaching over to my bedside table, I took my phone into my hands, narrowing my eyes as I switched it on to try and prevent some of the sudden shock the brightness would cause.

Surprisingly, I found a multitude of notifications piled up from the class group chat, switching off sleep mode, I enterred the chat, absent mindedly scrolling through the many messages.

Ignoring those questioning about homework, Mineta's usual crudeness, and the extensive use to caps and swear words from Bakugo, I found myself smiling as I went through the most recent of texts.

The small group of the class that had been protected by Thirteen congratulating and worrying over those of us who had to face the brunt of the villains. A flood of warmth spread to my chest at the many get well wishes over those who had been injured, specifically Aizawa-sensei, despite the fact he had left the chat the instant he was added, claiming the many 'pings' gave him a head ache.

Chuckling quietly to myself, I switched my phone off and placed it back down on the bedside table, with a deep breath and closed eyes, sleep greeted me with open arms.

--

When the next day came, I brushed off my mother's not so subtle attempts to make me stay just a day longer. The condition to their approval, was that at least for today, my father would drive me to the front gate, despite the short distance. Albeit begrudgingly, I agreed to the deal, for the sake of my dreams to become a pro hero.

The car slowed to a stop along the pavement just outside the gate, the window of the driver's seat perfectly aligning to the front door, no doubt my dad wanted to see me walk in to assure that no villain could possibly grab me along the way. The idea was a bit far fetched, what with the raised security after the attack, but to ease his inevitable worry, I said nothing and simply unbuckled my seat belt.

Grabbing my school bag from the foot well, I pulled one strap around my shoulder and reached for the door handle.

"(Y/n)"

I paused, glancing over at my dad, glancing out the window next to his head, slightly anxious that the bell might ring and the gates might close while we were talking.

His hands fell off the steering wheel and onto his lap, he was uncharacteristically fidgetty "I know that this may seem like some kind of punishment after what you've been through, but-- for us this is..." he trailed off quietly.

"Your mother and I being quirkless and for you to have a quirk like this-- and to be in a school filled with nothing but danger it's just so-"

"Weird?"

He broke off into a light chuckle "to put it lightly" he mumbled, leaning back against the seat with a deep sigh "we're just worried, you're our only child, we don't want you to go before us".

My upper teeth rested themselves on my lower lip "dad", his warm eyes lifted to meet your own "I understand, I'm not mad or anything, I know why you and mum are doing this" I assured.

"But I also know the consequences of the path that I chose and I came to terms with it the moment Dr. Ennoyama told me that it could happen. I don't want anything more than I want this, I'm careful, and I'm surrounded by people who will protect me at the drop of a hat if it came to that. I'm more safe in that school than I am anywhere else right now, daddy".

The look in his eyes told me, that despite himself, he knew this.

"I just wish the safest place for you to be would be with us".

--

Stepping into class that morning was rather surreal in a way, knowing that had the events of the last class gone slightly differently, I might have never stepped inside this classroom again.

Surprisingly, it was as though nothing had happened, my classmates were bustling, laughing and yelling at each other just like they usually would. Upon catching sight of me, Uraraka, standing in a group with the other girls waved me over.

With a warm smile, I accepted her offer.

Dumping my bag down on the floor by my desk, I took Mina's hand as she helped me sit up atop it. Gently as is gentle for Mina, she pulled my arm out so they could inspect the bandage wrapped securely around my arm.

"What exactly happened?" Momo mumbled, eyebrows pinched in sympathy at the wound.

"That villain, Shigaraki, has some kind of rotting quirk, the skin on my arm just kind of- died" I mumbled, wincing as my mind flashed back to the pain the injury and attack had caused.

"I can't believe you went up face first to that creep guy!" Hagakure gushed, voice filled with fear and an excitable tinge of awe.

"That was very brave, (Y/n)-chan" Tsu added, index finger tapping against her lower lip.

"Please never do it again" Jirou's eyes fell closed with a quiet sigh.

"She's right, (Y/n) won't have to do it again, because we're going to be there next time and we're going to fight together so no one person will get attacked like that again!" Ochako's fist gently slapped at her chest in an act of determination.

I blinked in surprise at the girls that surrounded me, unbeknownst to myself, a smile had crept up onto my face. With a breath filled giggle, I sat up straight and nodded my head "yeah, next time we'll be together".

--

 As the events of the attack was pushed to the back of our minds, the news of the up and coming sports festival spread like wild fire. Excitement and urgency alike was a common feeling amongst the many students of U.A.

 The sports festival was an important event, where pro heroes and sponsors alike could scout the students and choose those that would benefit their companies. Heroes could pick their side kicks, and sponsors could pick those who could represent their brand. To become a succesful pro, making a name for yourself during the sports festival was vital.

 The pressure to do well for the sake of our future weighed heavy in the minds of the entire student body, especially for class 1-A deemed as the 'better class' among the other students in the hero program. That is why I was only midly surprised at the blockade that had formed outside out classroom once the school day had ended.

I let a sigh slip as I heard the enthusiastic yelling of Kirishima followed by a familiar angy yelling from Bakugou. Pulling my bag over my shoulder, I stepped towards the crowded door, and winced out apologies as I tried my best to squeeze through.

"Excu-"

"You class 1-A students think you're so great just because the title of your class!"

My words were cut short with the bickering of the classes that had gathered outside.

"Could I just ge-"

"Who do you think you are?! Shitty b class!"

"Please allow me to get throu--"

"What did you just say?!"

My heart jumped at the irritation quickly spreading throughout my system, gritting my teeth I took a deep breath, my parents were worried enough as it was, if I went home later than usual, no doubt they would panic themselves into a stupor.

"Excuse me"

My tone was sharp and stern, volume risen to speak above angered yelling, eyes turned towards me, shocked at my obviously angered tone.

"I hate to interrupt the friendly conversation but I really need to go home and you're standing in the way"

I sighed out my response, voice laced with exasperation. Blinking at each other, a small gap was created through the crowd and I let a quiet huff of relief pass my lips.

"Thank you"

Stepping through the gap, I paused and turned to look at them "and if you're as fired up as you say you are, then show us when you're competing, save it for the festival"

--

When I got home, Dr. Ennoyama was waiting for me.

I paused and glanced to my parents in surprise "Doctor! What-- what are you doing here? My next appointment isn't for another few weeks" I mumbled in surprise, sitting myself in the arm chair opposite to him.

"Ah don't worry about that" he smiled brightly, hand waving absent mindedly "I'm not here about your next appointment, rather-- I hear that the sport festival is coming up".

I perked up "yeah actually, in a few weeks time, why?" my brows furrowed in confusion at the topic.

"I've kept the indentity for the person that recommended you hidden as per their request, but I want you to know that you don't need to win thier festival, they're more than willing to sponsor you" his smile was bright, encouraging.

My lips parted in surprise "are you-- are you serious?" I whipered, heart light and excitement quickly spreading, he hummed and nodded "but there is a catch" he held up an index finger.

I found myself biting at the inside of my cheek, sinking back into the seat "...go on" I mumbled hesitantly.

"You need to make an impression, go through the festival with a bang, tell the world that you are there" he clenched a fist and shook it enthusiastically.

I rose a brow "that's it? All you want is for me to make an impression on people?"

Ennoyama straightened his back and nodded "your sponsor's only condition is that you make a name for yourself before they make a name for you. Your quirk is amazing, (Y/n), the most exceptional I've had the opportunity to witness up close, I have no doubt that this will be easy for you"

My hand came up to rub the back of my neck sheepishly "well I don't know about that...my class mates are amazing, a little impulsive but their quirks are incredible, it's not going to be as easy as it seems". I found myself sighing for the upteenth time.

Dr. Ennoyama simply smiled, standing up off of the couch, he approached me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder "try not to worry, you'll do great, I know you will. Our next appointment falls just before the sports festival, so I'll take it upon myself to help you train. The sports festival is where you make your name".

I bit my lip at the inevitable pressure I had felt upon the news that much depended on my success in the sports festival.

"Don't look so nervous (Y/n)" the doctor laughed.

"I'll make you great"

Chapter Text

The weeks that passed were filled with trianing and anticipation, the sports festival arriving sooner than any of us could have expected. Before I knew it, the date of my next appointment with Dr. Ennoyama was due. With a deep breath, I slung my bag of clothes over my shoulder and met my parents by the door.

Parked by the side of the road, the specialist smiled brightly in greeting from the drivers seat of his car. My mother's gentle fingers brushed the hairs away from my face, and a loving kiss adorned my forehead as they saw me off.

-

 The car ride was for the most part silent, and the distance short. Whilst we had moved to our current house for the proximity to the school, we were also moved with the distance of the lab in mind. The lab, which was quickly approaching, was a tall building, coated in white tiled with large windows, it appeared much like a hospital, the only difference were the things that went on inside.

Only those who had been scouted were allowed to enter, and within the individual rooms, quirk dedicated tests were performed. As Dr. Ennoyama pulled into his parking space, he gently slapped the steering wheel and with a smile he turned to face me "ready?" he questioned, unbuckling his seat belt.

Following suit, I took a deep breath and sent a small smile of my own "you know it".

With a brief greeting to the secretary at the reception desk, Dr. Ennoyama guided me through to his office and testing room. Much like a doctor's office, there was a small medical issue bed, knowing the protocol - I laid myself down upon it. Bag hanging on the hook fastened to the door, I took a deep breath as I laid back on the paper laid down for sanitary purposes.

Donning his pristine white lab coat, he stepped towards the drawers filled with medical supplies on the left hand side of the room. He fished out a new, packeted syringe and reached up into the glass cabinets to pull out a small fluid filled bottle. Unpackaging the syringe, he pushed the needle into the thin metal cap of the bottle. Filling the syringe, he placed the bottle back in its place, tapped and squirted the air bubbles out of it and made his way over to me.

During his walk over, he grabbed the small medical table on wheels, placing the syringe down with his cap on as he grabbed a cotton ball from the small metal tray, soaking it in rubbing alcohol.

Wordlessly, I pushed up the sleeve of my right arm to give him access, the wet ball of cotton swiped and disinfected a small area on the inside of my elbow. Taking hold of the syringe and uncapping it, he glanced up at my face, and gave a reassuring smile.

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, flinching with a quiet grunt as the needle pressed into my skin, it was something that I couldn't quite get used to. The painful pressure of the fluid being pushed into my veins and the prick of the break of the skin.

 In a fluid, painless motion, the needle was removed and an iodine soaked cotton ball was pressed to the small wound to stop any bleeding and rid of any bacteria that may cause infection.

It was within moments that I had begun to feel drowsy, eyelids heavy and head turning to look at the doctor with a loll. This happened with each of my appointments, Dr. Ennoyama's reasoning, was whether my quirk was activated by pain, or by damage. It was something I couldn't quite understand, for how was I supposed to use my quick unconscious? But I learnt quickly not to question his teachings.

Nimble fingers clutched my hand, gently patting the back in a reassuring action. My tired eyes lifted to stare up at the doctor, his face growing blurrier by the second "there, there, (Y/n). Just relax and go to sleep, everything will be fine, like always".

********

He couldn't believe his luck. How he, Kensuke Ennoyama, a simple quirkless scientist and managed to catch sight of the exciting quirk out of the blue. It was an opportunity he just couldn't pass up. A part of him knew this was wrong, as he stared down at her unconscious body laying on the hard medical bed, but all that was easily overpowered by the desperate need to be relevant. To not have his worth judged by his lack of quirk, but rather, the discoveries he's made and the advancements he could make in his field.

 Desperately, he wished for recognition, to stop being looked down on as an unadvanced, quirkless nobody. His colleagues, all suited with powers that helped them further their research.

Clutching the edge of the bed, he grit his teeth "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he whispered, shaking his head he reached onto the medical tray by his side, gripping the metal scalpel in hand, he clenched the thin handle in hand and turned to her.

"But this is for me"

********

When I awoke the next morning, I was laying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling of my room.  Vaguely, I registered the fog in the back of my mind, memories of the day before hazy. The topic on the forefront of my mind, was the burning ache in the centre of my chest. With a clenched jaw, I hurriedly pulled my shirt over my head, ignoring the stinging back that the hard movement caused.

Looking down at myself, I saw clearly, a deep red line down the centre of my chest, like a freshly healed scar. My brows furrowed in confusion before I slumped back against the bed, this happened more often than I liked. Coming back from my monthly appointment with  Dr. Ennoyama with fresh scars that I could not explain, I was nervous to ask why, in case the answer was something I wouldn't be all too happy with.

There were times that I wished I could tell my parents, but I knew it would do more harm than good, probably send them into a distress harmful for their body. With Dr. Ennoyama being in the profession that he is, the government would much more easily cover up the story, leaving us struggling and in a damaged societal position.

Wordlessly and without complaint, I grabbed the my uniform with hung from the handle of my wardrobe. Each movement was pain as I slipped my arms into the sleeves, bending down hurt as I pulled my skirt over my thighs. My school bag was an uncomfortably heavy weight on my shoulder, my steps slow and calculate as I descended the stair case.

I brushed off my parents' worried glances with reassuring smiles and calming words, not trusting my turning stomach, I decided to skip breakfast and opted for quickly leaving, knowing that at the pace the pain forced me to walk at, I would reach the school just about on time.

For once, the excitement in the classroom didn't bring me joy, watching with dread as my classmates flailed their arms and knocked each other about. I worried they might accidentally knock into the burning wound on my chest.

"Yo (Y/n), why are you standing in the door way foor?" came Kirishima's cheery voice from behind me, with a friendly grin and innocent intentions, his hand clapped the centre of my back between my shoulder blades. The shock delayed the initial sensation, a slow spark travelling up my spine, before a sudden, explosion like bloom of pain shot across my torso.

I staggered forward, vision blanked white momentarily, lungs burning with the air knocked out of them. The room around me spun, stomach bubbling and turning uncomfortaly, doubling over, I vaguely recognized the stinging in my throat as the acid of the bile spilling out of my mouth washed over the surface. The comotion in the room was like an incessant buzz, aiding the thunderclap headache clouding my brain.

Somewhere in the reach of my subconscious, I registered hands, gentle as they rubbed my back. Soothing words whispered from kind lips, Uraraka? No, it was cold, a calming chill resting on my boiling skin.

Hazy eyes glanced over to the person attempting to aid my ails, red and white flashed over my line of sight, before suddenly, my knees crippled beneath me. Collapsing into the awaiting arms, my heavy eyes fell closed with a quiet whisper.

"Todoroki"

********

Recovery girl was at odds with herself, she knew that scars were to be expected, old wounds and fresh wounds that came with the quirk the girl possessed. Much like with young Midoriya, the result of this student's quirk greatly saddened her.

The thing that caught her off guard, was the scar down the centre of her chest, straight and pristine with medical professionalism. Driven by concern and curiousity, well trained fingers pressed lightly against the scar on the unconscious girls chest. For a moment, her confusion on deepened, before quickly replaced with shock and horror. Embedded underneath her skin, was a smal square lump, size comparable to that of a sim card.

Without a guardian's permission, Recovery Girl would not be permitted to cut the device out to examine it, she would have to take this to the higher ups. But there was always the worry that they would believe the girl was doing something villainous, and even if that wasn't the case, she could always run the risk of being expelled. Biting at her lower lip, Recovery Girl pulled the covers back over (Y/n)'s chest, allowing her to continue a peaceful rest.

It took a quick message to the teachers to gather them for an emergency meeting, knowing Nezumi, he would search for an answer before taking any action. She prayed that the chip resting in the chest of one of Aizawa's students was there for completely innocent purposes.

--

When she got the message that all teachers had gathered, Recovery Girl made the decision to lock the nurse's office door, keeping (Y/n) sleeping inside, from the state of her, she wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

 Each step towards the conference room was filled with a greater dread, a mental war raging on inside her head. Should she do the right thing and tell the school board? Or try to see things on the bright side and give her the benefit of the doubt. As a nurse, her responsibility and loyalty lied with the school board, but as a caretaker of the children, her protection was drawn towards them.

Recovery Girl stared up at the large, double wooden doors, calculating eyes narrowing, he took a deep breath and pushed the heavy barricade open. With the sound of the door unclicking, all eyes fell upon her. With a deep breath, the doors closed once again, behind her and she looked up, facing the pro heroes surrounding the lengthened table.

"Everyone" she cleared her throat.

Arms tucked behind her back, a serious expression took over her usually kind features. With a clenched jaw and gritted teeth, she took a deep inhale.

"We have something very important to discuss"

Chapter Text

It wasn't a common occurance to be called to the principal's office, in fact it was usually for something rather alarming. So when I was summoned after waking up in the nurses office, I was more than a little worried, afraid I had done something wrong without realizing. Recovery Girl walked at my side, the atmosphere between us was tense, thick and silent, with each step closer the nervousness inside me continued to grow.

"Reocvery Girl?" I spoke up, clearing my throat worriedly, I glanced down at her when she gave an acknowledging hum "am I in trouble? Why are we going to see the principal?" the hesitance was clear in my voice.

With her usual carefree smile on her face, she kept her gaze forward "don't panic dear, the principal only want to ask you a few questions and then you can go home, you're excused from classes this evening due to your fainting spell, alright?".

Put at ease by her nonchalant reply, I took a deep breath and felt my muscles loosen slightly, walking at her pace, I nodded.

I had never expected a simple door to be quite as intimidating as it was. And yet I found my heart racing at the sight of the oak wood double doors. Recovery lifted a small hand and tapped a quiet knock, it was only a moment before the principal's high pitched voice called out a cheerful "come in!".

I reached for the handle, knowing that Recovery Girl might have trouble reaching, and pushed one side of the doors open, waiting for the nurse to step in first, I followed her inside. Closing the door behind me as we were usually supposed to do when visiting Principal Nezu's office. He sat at his wide wooden desk, his fur coated fingers entwined as he rested them atop the table surface.

"(Y/n)" he smiled upon seeing me "you're probably nervous about being called here all of a sudden, take a seat" he held out his hand to gesture to the seat opposite his table. I bowed my head with a nervous smile and sat myself down as requested. He shifted himself forward in his leather seat and took a deep breath, small black eyes meeting my own, I could see the smile on his lips were attempted to seem reassuring, but it didn't ease my nerves in the slightest"

"I hear you had a fainting spell, are you feeling alright?" he asked gently.

I perked up in my seat "oh! Uh, yes sir I'm feeling okay, I guess it's because I didn't eat breakfast this morning, I must have gotten a little light headed, I'm sorry" I stammered.

"From your reaction, it appears you don't know" he sighed quietly, "I have a few questions for you, (Y/n), you're not in trouble, I just want to sort out this whole ordeal, alright?"

I bit my lip and shuffled back in my seat worriedly "of course, what did you want to ask?" I placed my hands in my lap, thumbs twiddling anxiously as I awaited his questions.

"Have you noticed the scar that Recovery girl found on your chest?"

His question surprised me, hand subconciously lifted to press to the dull ache in the centre of my chest "I remember feeling pain this morning right here but I never remembered having a scar here" I mumbled quietly, eyes glancing down at my uniform clad torso.

"I see, have you gotten random aches before? Do you think there's a common denominator?" he picked up the pen sitting neatly in a mug off his table and began scribbling something down on the paper in front of him.

"Well-- it usually happens after I visit my specialist"

Beady eyes lifted to meet mine, flitting up from the paper on his desk to meet my gaze "excuse me, you're what now?" whiskered brows furrowed as he lifted his chin to look at me properly.

"Well when I first presented my quirk, after I broke my arm on a swing and it floated, we went to a doctor who told us I had telepathy, and then a few months later I found out what my quirk really was, so my parents took me back to him to see if there was anyway I could use my quirk without injuring myself, he took interest in me and he's been observing my quirk and helping me develop it ever since" I explained.

He glanced over at Recovery Girl, and from the corner of my eye I could see the jerk of her head as she nodded "I see, I have one last question for you, and you can head home, alright?".

I let out a quiet sigh of relief, although Principal Nezu was kind, being in this tense atmosphere was rather stressful.

"What is this doctor's name?"

--

When I got home, I tried my best to calm my parent's frantic worrying after the phone call from Recovery Girl they received the morning I passed out. I was given a hefty plate of food and sent off to bed to catch up on some well needed rest.

Once I reached the safe security of my bedroom, I leaned back against the door frame as it closed and ran my hands down my face in exhasperation. Pushing off of the door, I made my way over to the full body mirror leaning against the wall next to my bed. My reflected surprised me, skin pale from fatigue, I looked rather sickly. My hands reached towards the button of my blazer, slipping the large buttons out of their dedicated slits, I slipped the fabric down my arms and dropped it onto the bed.

Reaching towards the hem of my skirt, I untucked my button up shirt and quickly flicked the buttons open. Dropping the shirt to join my blazer, as I stared at my reflecting the scar was quite apparent, the pain was duller, no doubt Recovery Girl tried to apply some pain relief. The straight line seen through the centre of my bra. I unclasped the uncomfortable undergarment and tossed it aside. I flinched at the sight of the healing wound on my chest, it had come out of nowhere, and I wasn't quite expected to have to make the connection between my randomly appearing injuries and Dr. Ennoyama.

Stepping closer to the mirror, I bit my lip, hand lifting to press to the wound on my chest, my brows furrowed in confusion, under the pad of my index finger, was a bumb. Or, perhaps it wasn't?

It was hard, and tiny enough that even under my finger I could feel the shape, square and slightly sharp at the corners. "What-- what the hell is that?" I breathed out shakily, stepping even closer to the mirror, my fingers pulled and pushed at the skin to try and get a clearer outline of the foreign object embedded in my skin.

"Oh god" I whispered in horror, stumbling away from the wall, I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest, hands grasping the opposite shoulder. Disgust settled deep in my stomach at the thought that he, the doctor I trusted and admired so much, violated me in such a way, pulled off my clothes, cut me open and stuffed and unknown object under my skin.

Hand slapping over my mouth, I rushed to the conected en suite bathroom, hurriedly pulling open the toilet, I fell to my knees. Trembling fingers gripped the nippingly cold ceramic bowl. Against my will, my stomach turned and the large meal I had eaten just before left my body.

--

It was not a feeling I was used to.

The vulnerability, humiliation and disgust. Lord knows how many times the Doctor had done such things to me, how many times I had been cut open, experimented on, and used.

What effect would this object implanted in my skin have on my body?

What effect had all of his experiments have on my body over the years?

Did he have pictures? Samples? Was he doing this for personal gain? Scientific research? For me?

Questions stormed through my brain, leaving a terrifying chill in its wake, my skin scrawled as thought I could still feel his hands, his scalpel. My head ringing like I could still hear his voice, his reassurances, his lies .

It was in that moment, that for the first time in my life, I wished only to sit back against the cold tile walls of my bathroom, to curl up into as small a ball as possible, and to stay there. For the first moment I wished that I was like my parents, that I had no quirk, then maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe I would have a happy, simple life, away from the villains and the stereotypical evil scientists.

A part of me wanted to run down to the kitchen, grab a knife from the block on the counter and cut out the object in my chest. But the other, more logical, hero part of me knew that Principal Nezu had a plan, that his questions and his wish to know Dr. Ennoyama's name meant that he was pursuing this case, it meant that he was going to catch him, help me, and fix this.

 Willing myself to stand up properly was harder than I had anticipated. The tremble in my knees worsened after I had vomited, blood sugar dropping with the flush of the food I had eaten. With my hand braced against the wall, I pushed off the rest of my uniform, dropping it onto the floor with little care, I climbed under the blankets, pulling them up to my nose, knees tucking against my chest.

Accepting this, what had happened to me, and accepting the knowledge that Ennoyama will not be the only person who might violate me in such a way during my hero career, it was hard, almost so hard that it wavered my will to continue my days at U.A.

But for now, for today and the day to come, the hardest part would be willing myself to get out of bed in the morning.

Chapter Text

By the time my confidence to return had restored itself, preparations for the sports festival were already in the making. Putting on the uniform I had once been so excited to wear, was almost foreign to my skin. The knowledge that the person outside of my family that my parents trusted most, had been lying the entire time we had known each other was a hard blow. I could barely bring myself to look in the mirror, the phantom of his wretched touch on my skin made bile raise to my throat. That morning, I dressed up with my back turned to the full body length mirror, making sure to take my time.

Bag hanging from my fingertips, I stared down at the plate of food my mother had made for me, memories of me grabbing an item or two and running out the door sent waves of guilt running through my system. Placing my bag down on the floor beside one of the seats at the table, I sat myself down and picked up my untensils. I glanced up at my parents as I spooned some rice into my mouth, they glanced at each other, and then down at me in confusion "(Y/n) sweetie, aren't you scared you're gonna be late?" my mother asked hesitantly.

My gaze lifted to the clock hanging over the sink and shook my head "I have plenty of time, I usually get there super quickly anyways". It was clear to them that I was stalling, trying to find it within myself to leave the safety of my home.

"You know you dont have to go honey, you can take another few days if you're still feeling unwell" my mother's concerned voice said gently.

The only information given to my parents was that I had a stomach bug and needed to take a few days off of school, the news of the chip found inside was kept a secret from them for the sake of their mental and emotional health. Pausing, I placed the spoon down, took a deep breath before I smiled brightly at the both "it's fine, the sports festival is starting this week so I have to get back to prepare for it". Pushing myself away from the table and lifting off of the chair I grabbed my bag from where it rested against the leg of my chair.

"I should probably get going, thanks for the food mum, love you both" I spoke up cheerfully as I jogged lightly towards the door, slipping out before they could utter another word and closed it behind me. Pressing my back to the door, my trembling hands ran down my face in an attempt to compose myself. Being outside and feeling the sun on my skin, the wind through my hair and all those other cliché things after locking myself inside for days was a surreal feeling. As I walked further from my door and closer to the street, the more vulnerable I felt, as though someone was always watching, waiting, and lord knows what.

I gripped the straps of my school bag tighter in my hands, feeling the fabric scrunch up in my palms as I walked with a hurried pace down the block towards the gates of my school where I would feel a little safer. Only when I saw the crowd of students wearing identical uniforms did I feel more at peace, and as my eyes settled upon a mop of dual coloured hair, a deep breath of relief slipped out of my mouth.

 "Todoroki!" I called out, much to my gratitude, he paused in his steps and turned around, a perplexed expression on his face,  curious as to who had called on him when most were usually too intimidated to. To see me practically sprinting towards him must've come as a surprise, judging by his expression, he glanced in the direction I came from and then back at me.

"Is something the matter, (L/n)?" he mumbled curiously.

"Oh! No I just um, saw you so I thought we could walk to class together?" I didnt speak of my fear, of the fact I felt as though I was being watched, worrying him or raising concern was the last thing I wanted to do. He was wary to say the least, glancing at our surroundings one more times before slowly, he dipped his head and turned back towards the gate, resuming his stride. Hands clutching onto the strap of my bag tightly, I followed after him, quickening my pace to meet his.

Noticing my momentary struggle, a small smile tugged at my lips as Todoroki's pace slowed in the slightest to make things easier for me. Any of the paranoia or fear which had clouded my system was quickly wafted away by the mere presence of a trusted friend. As we turned into the gates of UA, familiar faces began to pop up, a mop of messy green curls, vibrant red spikes among other noticeable physical qualities belonging to our various class mates.

Upon spotting me, Uraraka's expression brightened, a bubbly smile curling at her lips, round cheeks puffing up in the slightest as she rushed over, followed by a sheepish Midoriya and a worried Iida who sputtered about the dangers of running in a crowded area. Her arm looped in mine she released her delighted giggled and chipper greetings, I tipped my head, pressing our temples together briefly with a happy giggle of my own.

As we walked towards the front door of the large academy, our small group grew until we were comprised of most of our class, save for Bakugou, who stalked ahead, back hunched and hands stuffed in pockets - followed closely by Kaminari and Kirishima he refused to let the blond go left out.

--

 The chaos of morning greetings between roudy teens had dispersed, students seating themselves in their assigned seats, mostly quiet save for the select few who were determined to repeat the same routine day by day. As soon as the door to the classroom slid open and a familiarly shaggy looking Aizawa stepped in, silence washed over the room. Backs straight and eyes ahead, each student watched as he stepped up behind his desk and placed his documents down.

"Alright" he spoke up, voice cutting through the silence.

"The sports festival is next week, and while some of you weren't present to go over the training" his eyes met mine, but there was no judgement, if anything a hint of sympathy "there is nothing else we can do except going in to the sports festival with confidence".

 "You've been prepped, advised and vaguely informed of what is to happen at the sports festival, rest up as much as you can, practice your quirks but don't you dare overdo it, you're going to need as much strength as you can muster to find yourself a sponsor. Rest over the weekend, do you hear me? Absolutely no use of quirks until then, I'll know" he narrowed his eyes at the sea of students before he nodded towards us.

"Alright then, let class begin"

--

 The weekend past faster than I would have liked, and before I knew I was standing in the locker room below the stadium we would be competing in. Heart racing in my chest, breath shallow and rapid, fingers tingling with nerves I placed my bag in the locker and gulped as it closed with a click. I tuned into the excited chirps of Mina , hoping her overall cheeriness would help me get through the day despite my desperate nerves.

The speaker overhead sounded, Present Mic's over the top voice calling out to tell us it was time to gather in the stadium, with those simple words my heart leaped to my throat. And with baited breath, I followed the other girls out into the hall. The boys had already stepped out, peering down either side of the long hall curiously, and once the whole class had congregated once again, we were lead back up into the stadium.

The difference between the dim artificial lighting that decorated the halls and changing rooms underneath the stadium was a stark difference compared to the sun, which bombarded us as we stepped out of the shadows. I flinched at the sudden brightness, arm lifting of my head to block out the sun, jumping at the sound of a microphone screech briefly.

"HERO COURSE CLASS 1-A!!"

Present Mic called out loudly, and with excitement, the crowd returned his enthusiasm. Their cheers were almost deafening, and while encouraging as it were to hear the receptiveness of the general public, it was a bit daunting to shoot for acting our best with so many eyes watching - not to mention the added crowds watching from behind the screens of their televisions.

I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes, huddling closer to the crowd of students, hoping the nerves would ebb away being surrounded by familiar faces. A gentle arm wrapped itself around mine, and I paused, blinked in surprise at the warm action, I turned my head to the side to peer up at whoever had joined arms with me. A bright smile was what I was met with, a broad display of white teeth, hair an electrifying shade of yellow. I hadn't expected, of all people to pick up on my discomfort, that it would be Denki.

"Crowds can be pretty scary" he whispered as he lined up next to the other classes participating "but try not to think about it okay? What's most important is that you do your best for now, this is a super important opportunity for us, and with a quirk like yours, you're easily going to find a sponsor, so deep breaths yeah?".

My lips parted in shock at the males gentle words of encouragement, the tingling in the tips of my fingers simmered away, the rapid palpitating in my chest slowed to an average pumping. I took a deep breath before I returned his bright smile "thanks Kaminari" I said gently, giving his arm a gentle squeeze of gratitude. We separated, lining up into rows of 5, I took a shaky breath as I shifted to the side, looking up at the stage before us where Midnight stood, a smirk playing on her gloss painted lips.

"Alrighty everyone!" she called out eagerly into the microphone, her voice bouncing off of the stadium and back to us twice as loud "welcome back to the annual U.A Sports festival!", echoing her enthusiasm, the crowd cheered in response, parents, fans and heroes alike sitting in the seats overhead. "We have some very interesting first years this year, so I hope you all enjoy the show as much as we will" Midnight chuckled into the mic, laugh underlined with something sadistic, clearly wishing to see us work hard.

"We're going to be calling up the student to represent class 1-A firstly"

I blinked in surprise as I stared up the pro hero, and around to my equally as confused; logically speaking, the best member of our class to go up their would be Yao-Momo, knowing that she would be kind but straightforward with the delivery and introduction. Both Yaoyorozu and Iida stood straight, chin's raised as they prepared to be called on. Midnight grinned as she scanned the crowd of students, her expression was one of her usual mischief.

"Bakugou Katsuki!"

Surprised gasps and murmurs echoed throughout the mock colloseum, of all people to announce for the day, Bakugou was the least expected. My shoulders slumped, head dropping I pinched the bridge of my nose, this, this was going to be a disaster.

Hands stuffed in his pockets, the males back was hunched, head angled downwards, clearly not excited about the idea of talking in front of the entire nation. He turned towards the microphone, an unimpressed expression he wore often on his face. Crimson eyes grazed over the multiple faces below him, he leaned towards the mic, his lips parting, course voice slipping out, quieter than his usual tone.

"I..."

The microphone squeaked for a moment before he spoke, the rows of Class 1-A were tense, staring up at the figure with baited breath. Please god, I hoped that he wouldn't cuase unnecessary spit fire for the other classes.

"....Will win it all"

There was silence, the eyes of the public widened in shock at the ambitious words grumbled by the 15 year old.

"Oh good lord" I ducked my head deeper, the crowd of students bursted into loud shouts, boos and cries of displeasure. There were loud insults thrown, offended shouts of defensive self boasting from the students around us. Katsuki took no notice, instead he made his way back down the steps of the stage and took his place back in row, an almost accomplished smile on his face.

My brows pinched in the inner corner, furrowing in confusion, I leaned to the side to get a sight of the blonde. The boos were quickly quieted down but Midnight, but in place of the tense atmosphere, it was replaced with the burning heat of ambition. Students who were previously apprehensive about the obstacles they would need to overcome to proceed now stood with their backs straight, their chins raised, hands balled into fists, a fire in their eyes. Tearing my eyes away from the pumped up students around us, I glanced back to my explosive class mate.

Red eyes met mine, though clearly confused by my glancing around, his expression remained passive. I glanced between his eyes, searching for something I wasn't quite sure I'd find. A twitch at the corner of my lips had his brows raising, with a breathless laugh, I nodded towards him. His thick, pale lashes closed part way over his eyes, narrowing them in pensiveness before a wide, proud smirk spread across his lips in understanding.

Perhaps it was a bad idea for making him take notice of me, or perhaps it wasn't.

But now the male knew I accepted his challenge, and now he was going to come after me, and despite the fact that I knew that had we fought one on one, I would lose to someone like him. I couldn't help but grin, a fight with Bakugou? Now that would be fun.

Chapter Text

Phase 1 came quicker than I found myself ready for.

The description of the challenge sounded, with respect, much easier than I had anticipated. Though of course knowing priniciple Nezu and his rather sadistic tendencies, I knew it had bound to be rougher than it seemed.

An obstacle course was the first challenge, who ever reached the finish line first, wins. Quirks were allows, whatever means to get you to the finish line so long as no one was purposefully injured for personal gain. A mix of the many classes which had applied to the sports festival stood at in the corridor underneath the stadium, staring out into the arena, waiting for when the horn would sound and the race would start.

It was stuffy, tight packed and very uncomfortable, the sounds of the overlapping conversations echoing through the hallway. I took a deep breath, shifting as I tried to avoid skin contact with the sweaty students around me. It felt like thousands of ants biting at my skin right under the epidermis, my throat and chest tightening and squeezing around my airways.

I took slow and steady breaths, willing myself to stay calm, this wasn't a dangerous situation, these were people who wouldn't hurt me, they're only kids. As I was lost inside my own head, a brief wash of blissful cold air wifted towards him, I took a shuddering breath, the fire ants under my skin freezing and melting away. I looked to the source of my saving cold breeze, heterochromatic eyes were locked on mine.

"Are you okay?"

Todoroki whispered, voice low and calm, a stark relief compared to the loud buzzing of the student body around us.

My lips parted to answer, but as of yet, I found myself unable to trust my voice.

"You looked like you were panicking"

I took a shaky breath and looked towards the male "thank you Todoroki" I whispered "you really saved me" I smiled sheepishly up at the males face. Ash brown and blue glanced between my eyes, taking in my anxious appearance before he nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

There were no more chances for words to be exchanged, the sound of the microphone screeching through the speakers as it began broadcasted, sounded over head. The hurried chatting of the student body silencing within moments, Present Mic's voice coming through loud and clear.

 "Alright, alriiiiight!" he spoke loud into his microphone, voice laced with excitement about the events that were about to go down.

"Section 1 of Phase 1, here we goooo! READY?!"

I steeled my nerves, taking deep, controlled breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. This wasn't going to be as easy as it looked, not at UA high, I needed to think of a game plan and quick. With my quirk, slowing down to get hurt would cost me a place in the final, I'd need to be careful and strategic with things or it would have an effect on my all out score. For now, I'd trust the other many students, roaring to go to clear a path for me, and then, I'd step up to the plate.

"STAAAAAAART!!"

Immediately students were rushing forward, the small opening to the arena too narrow to fit all of us rushing at once. I let out a grunt as I was squished between bustling students. The dense air grew a chilling cold within seconds, the sounds of crackling ice drawing my attention to the front. Todoroki was in the lead, coating the ground in a thick layer of ice of which he easily slid upon to put him in first place.

There were grunts and frustrated cries of other students as their feet were locked in Todoroki's ice, unable to move, and therefore wasting too much time trying to free themselves. There was only a light sprinkling of ice debris over my trainer clad feet, other students in my class pushing past our frozen comrades to stick close to Todoroki's back and follow his lead.

I followed, rushing forward and skidding upon the ice, knees bent and arms outstretched to keep hold of my balance. Use the people around you to thrive, that's what Dr Ennoyama always taught me. I pushed it to the back of my mind, thinking of him in this moment would only slow me down and hinder my performance.

 I followed the others' lead, gliding across the ice, I took a shaky breath until I finally hopped off of the glass, landing safely on the floor below. I had to no time to celebrate my short victory of coming before the majority of the student body, as a hard ground shattering rumble tore through the arena. A rush of relief washed over me, had I been on the ice, I surely would have fell and cracked my head open.

Cries of shock echoed throughout hallway that the other students were trapped in, I turned to the source of the earth quake. Towering over us, small electric eyes glowing an intimidating shade of bright red, we a robot. Or rather should I say, a giant robot, behind it, were more - carbon copies of itself among different models. They charged at us, slowed by their weight and size.

Todoroki moved first, with a clench of the teeth and arm raised up, ice encased the robotic beast within seconds, climbing from its feet to its head, locking it in place with no hope of escape.

My powers would do little for me here, I couldn't risk allowing one of these things to injure me, even forcing an injury upon myself by hitting the beast was risky, I didn't want to get stepped on or caught up in someone elses quirk. For now, I would continue to use the path that was cleared for me, sticking close enough to my peers that I could let them guide me through, but far enough away that I wouldn't get wrapped up in the chaos.

Part of me felt like a coward, but I didn't have a long range attack like Todoroki or Sero, or an outrageously powerful quirk like Midoriya and Bakugou. My quirk was dangerous, more to myself than to anyone else, it wasn't something I could use against the robots safely.

I ducked, dodged and skidded across the dirt in order to avoid the attackers and the student body, adrenaline ran high, pumping through my veins so hard I could hear the palpitating of my heart in my ears. It was miarculous that I had made it to the next stage without so much of a scratch, the fallen bodies of the robots and a handful of students behind us, we had no time to turn back, our futures might stand on this.

Once we were sure we wouldn't have to look over our shoulders to check for our own safety, we lined up once more. It was a waiting game from there, as the students that had collapsed behind us were hurried onto stretchers and carted away to the infirmary to be checked and healed by Recovery Girl. Once the field was clear of students and robots, a loud horn blared over head to signify the end of the first round and the beginning of the next.

In front of us, was a large plane of freshly disturbed dirt. I could hear the loud chattering of conversations colliding with other conversations as the student body tried their best to figure out just why exactly the dirt had been so clearly messed with, or rather, why it seemed so easy so far.

The loud screech of the microphone turning on sounded over head, Present Mic's voice breaking through with loud waves of enthusiasm "alriiiight!" he called out, the smile ever present in his voice.

"Second section of Phase 1!"

The chattering of the students around me died down, the air was tense, thick with seriousness, winning this meant a lot in the beginning of our careers as pro heroes, to be recognized by sponsors and hero agencies alike. We listened closely, it was undetermined whether there would be more to this, possible clues in his voice or his words that would tell us the easiest way to beat this challenge.

"Don't be deceived by how easy the patch of mud looks!" the pro hero snickered into the microphone.

"Buried underneath this area of dirt--" he paused for suspense.

"Are hundreds of land mines waiting to be set off!"

Gasps rang out through the stadium, cries of parents worried about their childs safety, students gossiping whether or not this could be true; whether or not UA would really be so bold as to put the life of a student at risk.

"Now, now, settle down! The explosions aren't deadly-- however! If you don't watch you're footing you could be injured or slowed down! Watch where you step but try to reach the finish line as soon as you can! READY?!"

I could feel my muscles tense under my skin, we were right, this would never be as simple as it seemed. Slowing down to carefully avoid the purposefully poorly hidden mines would slow me down far too much. Just going for it and running could possibly hurt my legs and make the rest of the festival unbearable. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and breathed in deeply through my nose, and slowly, exhaled through my mouth.

"STAAAAAAART!!"

The sound of a horn blared through the speakers, I was instantly being shoved from all angles as the students clambered towards the mud plains, Todoroki was in the lead, easily avoiding all of the mines by sliding over head on a path of ice, much like he had done in the first round. Bakugou was close behind him, I could hear his distinct yelling from all the way back here, hands held out behind him, propelling himself forward with small bursts of explosions in his palms.

I had no time to waste, already behind the others. I rushed towards the edge of the dirt, the clear circle of disrupted mud at my toes, that was the first mine, and I needed a game plan immediately. I took a shaky breath and glanced around me hurriedly for a hint, a clue, to my left, was Midoriya, in his arms, a large chuck of crumbled green metal. It was unmistakable, part of one of the robots we had just stormed through.

He was knelt on the floor, his jaw clenched and teeth on full display in an eager grimace, he dug the metal into the fresh dirt and hurriedly unearthed it, revealing mine after mine. A look of astonishment crossed my face, so that was his plan, use the force of the explosions to propel himself ahead. Without any tools to help me, should I try to use the same tactic no doubt I would end up injured, or worse.

An idea sprung into the forefront of my mind, it was risky, it was beyond risky, and it would take every single ounce of my concentration, whether or not I had the control to pull something like this off was the real question. I had no other choice, Todoroki and Bakugou were already growing so close to the finish line and Midoriya had gathered a big enough pile of mines to easy blast himself into first place and knock me miles out of the arena. I took a deep breath and nodded, with no other choice, I took a shaky step backwards. A running start wouldn't hurt.

"God (Y/n) you better not screw this up, idiot" I whispered quietly to myself under my breath.

Here goes nothing.

School issued trainers digging into the dirt, I sprung forward, squeezing my eyes closed as I landed straight for the mine, my foot planting in the centre of the freshly buried pressure activated bomb.

Focus, be patient, wait, wait, wait.

At the first hint of pain, my powers had activated, and with a desperate cry for my quirk to obey, I forced the explosion down, collapsing it in on itself until there was no hint of destruction left.

That was my plan, at the first sting of the explosion from the mine, I would take control of the blast and deactivate the bomb. It would have to be done in a split second, with each touch to the mines, I would have to take control and completely deactivate them, all without getting seriously injured, and while sprinting, fun.

It took all of my concentration, and more energy than I had hoped it would take. I had no time to think it over, no time to think of another plan, I had to get to the front of the group and make my name.

Springing off of the deactivated mine, I sprinted across the field. One mine, one sting, deactivate. Another mine, another twinge of pain, another mine deactivated. My lungs ached as greatly as my legs as the burns from the explosions singed at the hairs and the clothes on my legs. The damage was miniscule compared to what it could be, but it was all building up. I had to have stepped on around 25 mines at this point, but I could barely spare a thought on the pain, or the astonished cries of the students around me, confused as to why the mines weren't going off under my feet. The one thing on my mind was how close the two in the front were growing, and Midoriya, flying over head with a battle cry.

Adreniline rushed through my veins, it was exhilirating, and despite the pain, despite the desperate aching in my legs for a break. I smiled, I smiled so bright my cheeks ached, a laugh tearing out of my breathless lungs, to think, I could stand toe to toe with the best in our class. To think that my hard work and that my hardships had brought me to the front lines. I thought for a moment, who should I be thanking here? Dr. Ennoyama? For training me? Or for what he had done to my body? Should I thank Aizawa? Or All Might? My class mates? My parents? No, no only one person to thank came to mind in this moment.

Me.

I am standing where I am standing with my own strength, with my own control over my quirk. I had made it here with my hardwork, and my dedication.

Thinking back to all those times in which I had doubted my strength, or spent days wondering if it was worth it for me to be in a class with so many strong quirk holders. I pinched myself, I am worth it. I am strong enough to stand by their side on my own two feet. I deserve this, I deserve a chance to be a hero and help other people realise these qualities in themselves.

The finish line was in sight, my heart beat so loudly in my ears that I couldn't even comprehend the sound of the three arguing from beside me. When had I caught up to them? I couldn't think of that now.

Just a little more.

Just one more stretch towards the checkered line painted on the ground.

Just a little more proof to show that I was worthy of being here.

I stretched out my hand.

And then...

Chapter Text

okay so- before you guys yell at me i have a reasonable explanation for not updating.

okay maybe i don't-

but hear me out, im here now and things are about to changeeee.

so this story really hasn't gotten anywhere but i love the quirk i came up with and i love bnha with my whole ass heart but honestly when i first started this i had no idea where i was going with it and i kinda took a break from my bnha fantacism. 

and honestly im not really sure why i made this a todoroki fic? I mean dont get me wrong, i adore our aloof angel but he's not my all time favourite character so i guess thats why i was having trouble churning chapters out bc i wasn't really feeling the end goal.

but if he is your favourite don't panic, im not getting rid of him as a love interest, i just decided that im gonna turn this into kind of a reader x everyone kind of fic like my others on Quotev. im a multishipper anyway so this works best for me. im still undecided as of right now whether it'll be a multiple endings sorta thing, or if i'll leave you guys high and dry with a cliffhanger at the end lmao but we'll see.

anyways.

before i continue adding chapters again im just gonna go through end edit the chapters to refine them bc reading my old writing makes me cringe big time. im also probably gonna turn this from first person to second person bc its easier to express the emotions of other characters and all that, and keep it genderneutral. there's quite a few chapters to go through but it shouldn't take me too long so i won't keep you waiting and i'll add the finished chapters in a list at the bottom of this page so both you and i can keep track

i think thats it?

thank you for being so patient and checking in every now and then to show this crappy ol' fic some love, ily guys

anyway- hope you guys are as excited as i am for the shit show thats about to take place