Chapter Text
All the chatter and noise on the surrounding streets did nothing to calm my buzzing nerves as I stared up at the UA building. I clenched my gloved hands into tight fists, feeling the energy crackle between my knuckles as they flexed. All this commotion over the new UA students — even the news agencies were here, trying to catch photos of us from outside the heavily armed walls. It was like a circus, and we were the main attraction.
"I-Is it your first day, too?"
I turned my head to find the source of the nervous, stammering voice, all thoughts of the outside world forgotten. There stood a boy with wild green hair, standing nervously and rigidly beside me. I blinked slowly at him, watching his expression morph from anxious to shocked as his green eyes took in the scars marring my face. He tried to mask his surprise behind another stuttered conversation starter, but I was already turning away wordlessly and walking towards the building.
"H-Hey!" the boy called after me, jogging to keep up. "I-I don't know if you heard me, but it's my first day at UA, too! My name's Izuku Midoriya—"
I grimaced and glanced over, not slowing my quick strides. "Would you stop following me?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm not following you! Just looking for my classroom. I'm in Class 1-A; which class are you in?"
Annoyance started to prickle across my skin like electricity, and I ground my teeth in frustration. That's exactly where I was headed as well; it seemed like I wasn't going to get rid of him without more effort on my part. Icy cruelty flowed from my lips as I said, "Look— Midoriya, is it? I don't know what your issue is, but I'm not here to make friends, so I would move along before you get your feelings hurt."
"B-But—"
That seemed to stun him enough for his steps to falter, giving me the opportunity to stalk away before he could catch up again. This wasn't exactly how I'd wanted to start my UA career, but I couldn't go getting attached, not when my entire reason for applying was to get the hell out of this city. To me, the kindest students posed the biggest threat to my future of freedom.
I made my way through the expansive hallways, navigating my way through the groups of students and finding the 1-A classroom. I slid inside and wordlessly found my seat towards the back of the room, ignoring the buzzing conversation as the other students introduced themselves. A few, the most outgoing of the bunch, tried to say hello, but I simply rested my cheek in my hand and averted my eyes. Eventually, they stopped trying. The green haired kid from outside — Midoriya — soon wandered in, seemingly already recovered from my unkind words. He already made friends with another girl; good, he wouldn't bother me again.
Then, as the rest of the students found their seats, our instructor arrived, emerging from a bright yellow sleeping bag. His eyelids drooped, as if he hadn't gotten a full night of sleep in years. I blinked at him and watched as he entered the room.
"It took eight seconds before you all shut up," the teacher said as he walked into the classroom. "That's not gonna work. Time is precious; rational students would understand that." Then, with poorly feigned enthusiasm, he continued, "Hello, I'm Shota Aizawa, your teacher." A low rumble passed through the students, but no one said a word. "Right, let's get to it. Put these on—" He brandished colorful PE uniforms, "and head outside."
So we all did as told, evidently making our way outside for a "Quirk assessment test." Complaints drifted through the surrounding students, but soon enough we were all lined up for familiar physical tests, only this time our Quirks were allowed. Aizawa then threatened that the student in last place at the end of the physical exam would be expelled immediately.
That did catch my attention. Expelled? Could he even do that on the first day of classes? Determination set deep in my chest; regardless of if he could, I wouldn't give him a reason for my name to even cross his mind. I refused to be sent home, not when I'd just gotten my chance at escaping that hell hole. So I clenched my fists, stretched my arms and legs, and prepared myself for the eight tests.
The first was a 50 meter sprint. My Quirk wasn't exactly useful for a sprint in the traditional sense, but I'd had enough time alone with my powers to figure out a way to adapt them to almost any test. So, I deftly tugged the gloves off my hands and waited at the starting line, bouncing on my toes as we waited for the starting buzzer to sound.
When it did, I was springing into action, launching myself off my feet, head over heels, and into a handstand, pressing my bare palms into the track below us. Then, as soon as my skin came in contact with the hard ground, static electricity crackled across my hands, and the blast of energy propelled me back into the air and flying towards the end of the track.
"5.21 seconds," the automated voice read out as I passed the finish line.
I stumbled on my feet but caught myself before I fell, and it was deathly silent as I fought to catch my breath. I straightened my back, chest heaving as I panted, and slipped my gloves back onto my hands. Then, the field broke into sudden indiscernible noise.
"Wow!" a girl with pink hair and skin cheered. "That was awesome!"
"What a wild use of a Quirk!" said a boy with black hair.
"Hey!" A classmate with red spiky hair and a sharp-toothed grin clapped me on the shoulder. "That was amazing! What's your Quirk called, anyway?"
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I had to concentrate to fight it. I wasn't sure I'd ever received so much praise, especially for using my powers. But I had to remember my one goal for being here, and it was not to make friends on the field. "Propulsion," I replied quietly.
"H-Hey, that was super amazing!" came a familiar, anxious voice, and I turned to see Midoriya meekly smiling at me.
Part of me wanted to smile back, wanted to assure him that my earlier hostility was nothing more than nerves. But I couldn't do that, not when so much was at stake. So I simply inclined my head politely and murmured, "Thank you."
The physical exams continued much like that. I used my powers every chance I could, propelling the softball nearly 700 kilometers and clearing the sandpit in the long jump. Each event slowly ensured a safe distance from last place. By the end of the eight trials, I was safely in the top five, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. All that effort, just to ensure I wouldn't be expelled by a crazy teacher—
"And, I was lying. No one is going home." I blanched, staring at Aizawa from the back of the group. He can't be serious. "That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all in your tests."
Loud shouts of shock and indignation rang through the students, and for the first time, I didn't disagree. But Aizawa ignored us and simply started making his way off the field. "We're done for the day. Pick up a syllabus in the classroom; read it over before tomorrow morning."
So, with a smirk of respect and disbelief on my face, I followed the others back inside to do just as Aizawa instructed.
~~~
The train ride home was quiet, uneventful. I saw a few faces I recognized from class at the station; a few even waved as I avoided eye contact. But no one took the train when I did; I doubted anyone in an elite hero course like the one at UA would live out in the slums like I did.
I took my time walking from the station, meandering through the streets as I prepared myself for what I was sure would meet me when I walked through the door. All the questions, the pestering, pointless worrying, and — God forbid — the brawl that would surely ensue if Kanaye found me.
All throughout the streets, signs of petty crime could be seen if you looked hard enough. This part of town was far enough from UA that amateur villains could run free without much worry of running into a pro hero; the only heroes who patrolled these streets were new and inexperienced. So crime ran rampant through my neighborhood, minor thefts and street fights and the occasional assault barely turned heads anymore.
Then, finally and with a sigh, I came to the front doorstep of my destination, and I slid my key into the lock and swung the door open.
"Hotaru!"
A soft oof fell from my lips as a small child launched themselves at me, running full speed into my stomach and making me stumble backwards, almost out the door. Then I couldn't help but laugh as the child wrapped her arms around my hips and grinned up at me, violet eyes shining up at me.
"Hotaru!" Aiko cried again, practically vibrating with excitement. "How was school? Tell me all about it!"
"Aiko," Osamu's voice came floating through the building to the entryway, "let the girl inside."
Aiko's excitement immediately deflated, and I sighed as I took her hand in mine, threading my gloved fingers through hers. Then I stepped inside, shut the door behind us, and walked into the kitchen to meet Osamu.
"Good afternoon," I said, bowing my head respectfully.
"Hello, Hotaru." Our caretaker's voice was cold, flat, just as it normally was. "Was your new school how you expected it to be?"
What a question. "It came with its own surprises," I conceded, calculating how much truth I could give away. "I do have homework, though. Is it alright if I take Aiko upstairs and show her my courses?"
"Don't take too long; dinner is almost ready."
With another bow, I led Aiko away and up the stairs. The farther we got from the kitchen, the more I could feel anticipation welling back inside her little body. Once I shut my bedroom door behind me, Aiko was bouncing up and down, gripping my fingers so tightly I almost wondered if they would bruise.
"Hotaru, tell me what happened! How was school? Did you make any friends? How were classes? Did you see any famous heroes? Was it—"
"Aiko," I laughed, bending down to smooth her unruly purple hair, "slow down. I can't answer questions that fast."
"Sorry," she giggled, another toothy grin breaking across her lovely little face. "I'm just so excited to hear about it!"
So I dove into the story of my day, adding theatrical details for her benefit. It had been her dream for years to go to a prestigious school like UA, but in an orphanage of Quirkless children, that dream only led to disappointment for so many. So I let her live vicariously through my experience, imagining what it would be like if she attended the school, if she had my Quirk and didn't have to worry about being stuck in this God-forsaken place until she could manage on her own.
"Wow," she whispered, eyes holding more light than the stars. "You're so lucky, Hotaru."
A tight knot formed in my chest, and I cupped her cheek in my gloved hand. "Don't forget what I promised you, Aiko," I reminded her gently. "When I get out of here for good, I'll take you with me."
The hope in her eyes loosened the knot. This is what I had worked so hard for; everything I'd done over the past several years was to make this one little girl's life more bearable. Each calculated step, each aced exam and each time I used my Quirk, was for her. If I could offer her everything I had — my opportunities, my Quirk, my lifeblood — I would.
"Do you want to look through my syllabus with me?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Her eyebrows creased. "What's a silly-bus?"
I just laughed, pulled her into my lap, and dug through my backpack to find my first assignment at UA High.