Chapter Text
My screams are filled with the rage of the ocean. Dig my hands into the dirt and find the secrets I hid long ago. Am I dreaming?
My laughter is filled with the beauty of the night. Reach my hands into the void and find the memories I lost long ago. Am I dreaming?
My whispers are filled with the peacefulness of the summer sky. Put my hands in the sea and find the stories I imagined long ago. Am I dreaming?
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I've been looking forward to this trip ever since it was announced. Ignoring the fact that it is a camp and that the last one didn't exactly go to plan but this one is a UA tradition. A week out in the country learning survival skills from some of the best rescue heros available. It is a dream, I'd already looked up all the heros who would be there and analysisd their quirks. One of my favourites from when I was younger would be there and I had pages of questions in my notebook.
There isn't a better time for this trip. After such a hard few weeks of training with the provisional exams we all needed a break. Especially with the underworld and League in shambles after All for Ones arrest, it is highly unlikely the League would have the resources for an attack. But now, standing before the buses with my classmates talking filling my ears I'm not so sure. A strange pressure is in my chest seeming to weigh me down.
Iida had been on my case all morning about taking care of myself but I couldn't focus on him, something was wrong. Like a fog in my brain cutting me off from everyone else. Something is still wrong but I don't know what. It is probably just the lack of sleep and hunger that no amount of food can quench. Hopefully this week in fresh air would do wonders for me if not I'll just have to go to Recovery Girl.
Finally the teachers arrive, five for just 40 students plus the pros we are meeting. It seems they aren't slacking on security. Everyone is tense after the last camp so this isn't unexpected. Leading the teachers is Aizawa-sensei holding his rolled up sleeping bag and a rucksack. Behind him stands Yagi otherwise known as All Might, Vald King, Midnight, and Present Mic.
"Everyone on the bus," rings out Aizawa's voice cutting through one of Bakugo's yells. While class 1-A and 1-B line up to give their bags to Present Mic who is loading them Yagi pulls me aside.
"My boy," he begins, worry overtaking his features "are you ok? You look like you haven't been sleeping."
"I'm fine, just a bit nervous," I reply trying to play it off. "I stayed up late last night to finish an essay and I can sleep on the bus. I think that's what everyone is planning." I gesture to the smart half of 1-A carrying pillows.
"As long as you're ok my boy." He squeezes my shoulder before slipping away to rejoin the teachers. I watch him go wishing I could explain everything but I don't even understand it. All this guilt and worry that appeared after Kamino ward. I rejoin the line and hand my bag over to Present Mic before joining my friends. I wish I was one of the smart ones who had thought to bring a pillow. A heavy fog tries to overwhelm my brain again and I fight against sinking into it, my body tense and my nails digging into my palms hard enough to leave indents.
"Everything is going to be ok." I tell myself "there is no need to worry anyone." I'm certain this will all just fix itself. After all, what good am I as All Might's successor if I can't even hold myself together.
-----
As soon as everyone is settled on the bus it's as I imagined. Pillows come out and friends put their heads on shoulders or against the window. Luckily I'm next to Todoroki, my own personal heater. Not that he needs to know that. The heat coming off him slightly helps to ease the panic in my chest and the rocking off the bus and slight snores quickly lull me to sleep.
---
"You're next"
My eyes open and I'm back in the streets of Kamino ward just outside the evacuation area. The surrounding people are unaware of what's happening inside me as I feel a tug on my soul. A dark laugh echos through my head, and my quirk starts buzzing through my body. All Might stands on screen but it is not him. Not the symbol of piece known by the public.
He's still pointing at the camera and I hear wild cheering and confused mutters around me. None of that matters, not while my heart is breaking into shards. My heart is breaking, power flooding through my veins. All for One is subdued and One for All is coursing through me. No longer is Yagi the one with control of the quirk. His embers have gone out. I sink to the floor of this grimy street ignoring my friend's reaction to the news. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. Yagi is without a quirk and I am here with barely a scratch. There is blood on my hands and blood on my face and it's not mine.
I am here with the weight of the world on my shoulders. I am here being pushed into a police car as my mentor is being pushed into an ambulance. All I can think is how this is all my fault. How useless I was. How I froze when it mattered. How I could of helped him. How Yagi is now suffering from my mistake. I never should of accepted his quirk. He should of found someone better for it. Someone stronger. Someone faster. Someone who could fight beside him.
An ache settles in my chest and I scream. The world explodes in a flurry of bright light
---
I startle awake the nightmare already fading and I don't try to hold onto it. It's always the same. As I gasp in deep breaths trying to calm my racing heart I check to make sure no one noticed. No one around me is awake yet to see this. I'm fine, I tell myself. It was just a nightmare. Just a memory. The fog settles back over me as I look out the window at the sun just peeking over the mountain tops. Why did we have to leave so early? If it was later I wouldn't have a chance to close my eyes. The mayhem of both classes together would of kept me awake.
Near the front of the bus a few pairs are stirring, soon everyone will be awake and I can forget about what just happened. Against my wishes I drift back off to sleep.
---
This time I awaken to soft laughs and someone, likely Todoroki, shaking my shoulder. I groan stretching out before feeling my cheeks heat up.
"Why am I friends with you?" I say trying to hide behind Todoroki as he pokes me.
"Just admit that you love us!" Uraraka exclaims somehow wide awake at such an early hour. "Plus I got some pretty good shots." I groan knowing this isn't going to end well. She holds up her phone showing a photo of me drooling against the window. She's lucky Iida is sat at the front of the bus like the responsible guy he is. Meaning I have to deal with Tsui and her exclamations of "so cute," and "can I send this to my family?" Todoroki laughs, that traitor.
I smile and laugh along with them. This is what it's like to have friends and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
---
"Once you collect your bags use this board to find your rooms then come to your assigned teacher for your keycard. Please don't make me regret your room placements or I'll expell you." That's Aizawa-sensei for you. He never misses the chance to threaten us. The only one he's expelled so far this year was Mineta and he had it coming with so many complaints from the girls and some guys. The incident with Koda at the training camp was the last straw.
I collect my bag and head over to the list seeing that it's shared rooms. I hope I'm not with anyone who snores. I'm surprised but relieved to be in a room with Tokoyami, Sero, and Ojiro. Our teacher is Aizawa-sensei so I head over to him to find my group.
"Problem child." Sensei calls out "you better not get into any trouble this week." I nod and stumble along to join the others in my group. Ojiro holds our envelope up and hands me a card.
"I call top bunk." Sero says before running off to find our room. "We had better catch up," I say. Picking my bag up and we follow him up the stairs.
Our room is small, with peeling paint and an old door but it reminds me of home. Not perfect but comfortable enough. "This place is a dump." I hear a few people say and resolve myself not to mention anything about my house. When I drag myself into the room I find Sero and Ojiro already set up both claiming the top bunks. "Hope you guys don't mind." Ojiro says. I just shrug my clumsiness and a top bunk definitely not a good idea.
I put my bag down on the bunk next to the window knowing that Tokoyami would want the one closest to the hallway lights. We can always switch later if need be. He enters the room and puts his bag down, Dark Shadow pops out and gives us a thumbs up. Everything is fine. I'm here with friends and I'm learning from pros in the field. Everything will be fine, I tell myself before looking out the window.
"Let's head back down." I suggest. "I really want to meet Soerro and ask her about her quirk."
"Nerd." Sero calls out but without the malice of Kacchan.
"We'll meet you down there." I hear as I rush out of the room and back down three flights of stairs towards where the teachers and pros have set up. On the way I meet Iida and slow to a walk. He's gotten better with rules but running in the halls is a definate no. We make small talk, mostly about the rooms and what activities we might be doing.
I see Soerro and brighten, Iida just nods as I rush off a million questions swirling around my head. Her quirk is unique and rare. A type of time manipulation so she can rewind time to see an image of what happened earlier in a 24 hour time period. She uses it mostly in rescue situations to track down missing people.
"You must be Midoriya," she says holding out a hand. I shake it and nod.
"I'm a huge fan of yours!" I say before I can stop myself. Words spilling out of my mouth. "I've been following your career for years and I've written on your blog a few times. Is it true that you helped in the Mysterio case when he caused that avalanche? And that time quirk smugglers tried a route through the mountains? Can you please sign my book?" I stop and flush red.
"Woah kid, your sensei's warned me but you really do fire at a mile per minute don't you." She laughs. "I think I remember you from my blog your username was Small Might wasn't it." She teases glancing at Yagi. I flush again and nod. She ruffles my hair. "Tell you what, at the fair tonight come find me and I'll answer all your questions. Now I have to greet the rest of your classmates." She wanders off towards the growing group of 1A and 1B students.
"Smooth." Uraraka says and I shove her off still trying to calm myself. "Definitely not coming off as a stalker, and Small Might? That's so cute!"
Luckily I'm saved by Present Mic screaching as Midnight tries to put a spider down his top. Aizawa-sensei just sighs and instructs us to gather around.
"Hi everyone! I'm Soerro and I'm in charge of Utra the hero agency in these parts. I'd like to officially welcome you all to the town of Himyaka, as you can see it's a small town in the country so my job as a hero is very different from what happens in the city. For the next five days you'll be split into groups to learn more about this aspect of heros and learning survival skills for out here in the country. Later this afternoon you'll get to meet some heros from my agency for a tour. Plus Ultra!"
The classes cheer, excited for this camp to begin and Uraraka and Tsui gush about getting to learn from rescue heros and about how cool Soerro is. I can't help but join in.
Aizawa-sensei steps forward "I'll be putting you into groups then you can go finish unpacking and rest for an hour. You'll need it." He smirks and I don't like the look of our chances. The rest of the class doesn't either.
I'm sorted into a group with Mina, Sero, and Saito. I'm lucky to be with my class and friends as Tsui has Monoma in her group and Uraraka has Kacchan.
With all this I haven't felt the pressure in my chest all afternoon since we got off the bus. I wonder how long it will last.