Work Text:
She was the only thing keeping the entire structure from crumbling to the ground. The longer she strained, the more her stomach churned before she finally puked. Her small frame trembled, she felt like she was drowning. The scene around her was a flurry of fire and screams, and it wasn’t until she heard a distant explosion and saw a flash of black and orange that she could breathe again.
As his ice prison melted around him, he couldn’t help but notice the strange look in his opponents eyes. Eyes that were swimming with a hundred different emotions and yet the rest of his expression remained closed off from the world. Not many words were exchanged between them, but the tension in the air was thick and surprisingly hot.
Her close range combat was something she desperately wanted to improve, especially after the crushing, and frankly embarrassing, defeat their entire class faced against their upperclassman. She quietly made her way to the gym, surprised to find her classmate was already there waiting for her. He shot her a sharp, toothy smile as she made her way over to the speakers and plugged in her music, a playlist he had put together for her titled “Punk In Action.”
The more he learned about what life for a pro hero was actually like, the more he learned how much he hated the paparazzi. The slander, the damage control, the unfair bias of every journalist, the fakeness of it all, it made him sick. After this particular emotionally taxing mission, for him and his dark companion, the last thing he wanted to do was answer to cameras being shoved in his face. He would be eternally grateful that his former schoolmate showed up, taking the brunt of the interviewers questions with a dazzling smile and a wave of his hand like it was second nature.
It hurt, it stung, it burned, every part of his body was in pain and no way in hell did he want to move right now but he had to, had to just get up, stupid Quirk backlash. He struggled to push himself off the ground, grave mistake… He only twitched harder and started ticking like a damn clock, he was probably going insane. Finally after what seemed like hours of agony, he felt nothing. He did however, hear what sounded like a gentle croak. It gradually grew louder and helped him feel grounded against all the white noise in his head.
He doesn’t mind being observed. Given the nature of his Quirk, it’s obvious he would stand out in a crowd. He knows this, but that doesn’t stop his heart from sinking when people look at him like he’s a monster, some going as far to actually call him a freak to his face. Needless to say, it’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t look at him like a science experiment gone wrong, but with eyes full of curiosity and admiration. Said boy’s hair bounces with excitement as he exclaims “So cool!”
He doesn’t know much about his new classmate, other than the fact that his Quick is wicked cool (in a Hero way!) and that he looks like he needs a few more days, or even weeks, of sleep. But he does know that baked goods are a great way to break the ice, and who would say no to friendship and free food? He greets the purple haired boy at his door with a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies and a warm introduction his first night in the dorm, and he’s there in the morning to shout “Surprise!” with the rest of the class as they welcome their newest member and indulge themselves in some delicious cake.
The villain alliance known as the Order of Chaos had finally collapsed. Their reported criminal activities were random and unpredictable, on purpose as to live up to their on-the-nose name. Once their leader had made themselves known to the public, it only took the calculated stealth of one invisible hero to follow them and track down the hideout. In the Order’s mind, their secrets were secure away from prying eyes, but the group never considered that the rats scuttling across the floor day after day would finally be their undoing.
If you asked any of their classmates, they would probably tell you those two are polar opposites. His disciplined and straight forward approach to everything would only clash with her rambunctious antics and spontaneity in battle, and their other conflicting traits might get in the way if they were ever on a team together. One thing they do agree on though… No matter how much he trains, no matter how much muscle he gains, they both know she will forever remain the undefeated arm wrestling champion of 1-A.
It’s finally her day off, and it just so happens the mall she chooses to do her shopping at gets attacked by villains. She may not be in costume, but she’s always been a quick thinker, and she tries to calm as many citizens as she can until more pros arrive. Amidst the chaos, she notices a familiar face, a hero, catching a little girl with his tail before her body smashes into a glass display case. He notices the woman and offers a soft smile, and she ndos back in hello and understanding and continues to escort citizens, creating as much space between them and the villains as possible.
He’s by no means a genius, but he does consider himself a decent judge of character. He’s doing the best he can against near impossible odds, and he knows that soon, his best isn’t going to be enough. These students are wild and reckless, or maybe, he thinks, he’s just getting too old. And one day in the future when he’s retired, he’ll look out the window at a desperate, hopeless world, knowing that those kids, his class 1-A, will be there, leading the way to a bright tomorrow.