The different pitches, timbres and tones made it immensely difficult for Koe to keep up with who was saying what. It was a small class of twenty some odd students all of different colors and mutation quirks- some more obvious than others. Her right lower eyelid twitched a little as she tried to calm the amount of vibrations coming at her at once.
'Aizawa? Is she related to Sensei?'
'Ahh~ She's so cute!'
'Why's she joining the class late? Maybe she got into trouble…'
'I didn't see her at the entrance exams and she didn't get in through recommendations…did she?'
She squeezed her amethyst eyes shut, trying to tune out the buzzing around her. There were too many voices at once and they were all shouting at her- it was almost maddening.
'Koe.'
His timbre rang clear, causing the students to settle down, all eyes now glued to her. Hesitantly she opened eyes to the quieter students before her. She scanned the crowd, stopping as her gaze met nostalgic bloody red orbs.
'Go sit next to Bakugo.'
She stepped forward without hesitation through the forest of desks to sit next to Bakugo Katsuki by the windows, near the center-side of the classroom. The rows were divided into four rows of five desks, obviously on meant for twenty students but another desk and chair were awkwardly added, probably rather hastily by her guardian. It stood alone in the aisle right next to somebody she already knew…he was very transparent, wasn't he? The ash blonde briefly glanced in her direction as she sat, their eyes locking momentarily before he averted his gaze back out the window without blinking. Her amethyst gaze lingered on him a while longer before she paid attention to her mentor in the front of the room. He'd matured quite a bit since she'd last seen him- he was taller and tanner and with a deeper-than-usual scowl on his face that wasn't always there before. Her expression softened at her former acquaintance as she settled into her chair. Acquaintance…? Or friend…
Koe stared, unimpressed at the playground that the two pro heroes brought her to. In their normal attire, it didn't seem like anybody could tell who they were. Aizawa Shota wore an equally apathetic expression at the view in front of him, his hands shoved into his dark jeans. Next to him, a skinny blonde with glasses stood, donning a large smile on his face and showing off his pearly white teeth. Hisashi Yamada, otherwise known by his hero name, Voice, seemed elated to be there with them, eagerly urging the young girl to play with the other children.
Two years had passed since the accident that cost her everything. At the tender age of four, she was much less capricious and much more taciturn, often contemplating her decisions before reacting. She stood shorter than most toddlers her age, giving her the appearance of being younger but trauma and grief gave her eyes a hardened gaze. The child gripped the side of Shota's black pants with her small hands, not wanting to be separated from him. She pressed her lips together as Voice tried to convince her otherwise.
'Koe-chan, see those other kids playing over there? Don't you want to go join them? Look at how fun the slides look!'
She had to watch his lip movement to fully understand his words. The pale child was mostly a shut in at Eraser Head's house, choosing to watch television or read books instead. Every time he'd asked her if she wanted to go out, she would almost always decline and he never bothered her about it. The only thing she ever asked for was help with her quirk, which was quite tricky to tame. Voice's persistence was something she was unaccustomed to- it was annoying. She frowned back at him, furrowing her eyebrows together, her hair curtaining over her deep purple eyes.
'Come on, Eraser Head! Get your kid to go play! It ain't healthy for her to be so alone all the time!' He whispered viciously at the other adult.
She pretended not to understand, instead choosing to look up at her guardian with her large eyes. He peered down at her, sighing as he ruffled dark, unkempt shoulder length hair. His bloodshot eyes softened as their eyes met, his left hand automatically coming down to pat her on top of her head.
'Koe, maybe it would be good for you to try to play with the other kids.' He didn't sound too convincing.
She must have whimpered unintentionally as both adults were brought down to their knees to check her. His hands engulfed her small shoulders as he crouched at eye level with her.
'How about we try for a little bit today? We'll be back in thirty minutes and I'll take you to your favorite snack place.' He smiled ever-so-slightly his thumb brushing her cheek.
Koe pressed her lip together a second time, unable to deny his request. She knew that Shota wasn't the type to display any type of affection in public- perhaps it meant a lot to him that she do this? She wasn't sure but for him, she would do anything. Stiffly, she nodded her head, allowing him to guide her towards the mess of metal jungle that was the playground. He gave her a gentle nudge as she looked back at him.
'Remember: thirty minutes.' His voice was stern with concern and patience tied in to it.
'Aye, good job!' Voice cheered, clapping her savior on his back, 'Thirty minutes is pretty short but I'll work with what I got! We're only kids too y'know and we ain't gonna be young forever! Gotta introduce you to some ladies!'
He continued to drone on as the pair disappeared into the stream of people and noises. The scent of dust that was kicked up caused her to crinkle her nose in discomfort. She wandered around the playground, staring at the giant metal structures of slides, swings, monkey bars and other strange statue-like items that seemed all too strange for her. Odd vibrations in the air directed her attention towards the back of the public area, near the woods where her small feet led her. Indistinct tones of other children talking rang through the air, all of them obviously excited about something. She counted several heads of children huddled around one spiky ash blond head in the middle. In his hands were what appeared to be tiny explosions that were erupting out of nowhere, causing small sparks and the strange ringing she picked up on.
'Kacchan that's so cool! You already got your quirk!' A shy timbre spoke.
'Hehe! I know it's cool!' The one referred to as "Kacchan" swiped beneath his nose with his free hand, puffing his chest out in pride.
Without thinking she approached the large group, her purple eyes glued to his small hand. She'd only ever seen her guardian's quirk or quirks on television. Seeing one in person was so…mesmerizing, she couldn't stop herself. Her mind brimmed with curiosity as the other children saw her coming and not so eagerly made room for her as she squeezed herself into the circle of bodies.
'H-hey! This girl…!' Someone exclaimed but she brushed it off, matching eyes with a pair of bloody red orbs.
She pointed at his hands, gesturing at the small explosions he could produce. She wanted to know more! How he made them and how big he could produce them!
'Oh, yeah. I got my quirk not long ago, isn't it cool?' He grinned facetiously, the tiny bombs seemingly glowing brighter in his hands, 'Have you gotten your quirk? Nobody else here has.'
He pointed to the group around them, all of their eyes fixed on the pair in the center. She became acutely aware of how close everybody was in proximity to each other and how uncomfortable she felt being so closely analyzed by people she didn't know. It made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Gulping, she nodded timidly, taking one step back towards wherever she could to get some space.
'Ohh? Show us!' The blond demanded, pointing his index finger at her. His tone seemed to be laced with something she wasn't entirely sure of- it didn't have a good ring to it.
Narrowing her eyes at her fellow youth, she looked down at the floor before deciding on a small, tattered leaf off of the ground, allowing it to rest on her tiny palms. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, feeling the leaf on her hands, the vibrations it gave off. She focused on replicating that vibration through her hands. She could feel her power humming to life, tickling the palms of her hands as it exuded vibrations that nobody else could feel or hear. Exhaling slowly, she opened her violet gaze at the small piece of vegetation. At first, nothing happened as the small crowd of children all just stared intently at the greenery in her grasp. The leaf quivered every so slightly before it levitated between the palms of her hand, almost shaking in fear at what was to come before it quickly disintegrated in a flash, leaving behind only the dust of what was left of it. Several gasps exploded around her as many pairs of eyes stared at her in amazement.
'Wow…that was…what did you do? Did you like…melt the leaf?' Kacchan stepped closer to her, inspecting her hands.
Koe smiled shyly, motioning towards her throat and then opening her mouth slightly. Most people seemed to understand when she used that gesture.
'That was so cool!'
'What happened?!'
'She made the leaf disappear!'
The children all buzzed to each other, trying to dissect what had just happened with her ability. The ash blonde scooted closer to her, a rather impish grin adorning his lips.
'What's your name?'
Peering around, she grabbed a short stick, digging it into the dirt beneath them, messily writing out her name in hiragana.
'K-….Ko…e? Koe? The blonde squinted, wracking his brain to try to read the Japanese.
The silver haired girl nodded, smiling at her peer.
'My name is Bakugo Katsuki!' He exclaimed, pointing a thumb into his chest pridefully, 'And I'm going to be the best pro-hero one day!'
Her daydream was cut short by her guardian's voice- no matter who was speaking, his deep timbre always got her attention.
'Sorry about the late notice but today, I'll have you…' The educator began.
The tension in the room was palpable as all the students snapped their attentions back to the front, most wide-eyed at her father figure nervously. She squirmed a little in her seat, unsure about the sudden change in the air.
'…decide on a class representative.'
The silver haired girl stared at her home-room teacher with an almost indecipherable gaze. The abrupt tense atmosphere was shattered like glass, leaving only sighs of relief flickering all around her like blinking lights. She wasn't entirely sure what kind of a teacher Shota was but it seems he'd already built a reputation among these new batch of students. Koe smiled inwardly at his behavior, it was very much like him to be such a teacher.
A loud, spiky, red head suddenly jumped up, both arms in the air as his tone rang clear, 'I want to be class rep! Pick me!'
His sudden outburst set the stage
'Me too!' Another student yelled.
And a third, calmer voice called out, 'I want to do it too.'
And more, 'It's a job made for m-'
'I'll be leader!'
'My manifesto is for all girls' skirts to be thirty centimeters above the knee!' A rather lewd voice shouted.
'—Let me do it! Me!' Bakugo was also yelling at the top of his lungs, a competitive look plastered on top of his scowl.
Koe resisted the temptation to covered her ears as best she could, flinching from the wild movements of most of her other peers. They were jumping out of their seats and yelling at each other with proclamations of what they would do- it was too many vibrations for her to want to handle- she was already stressed…
'Silence please.' A clear ringing vibration reverberated through the air, muting the others; 'It is a job with the serious responsibility of leading others. It is not a job just for anyone who wants to do it. It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you. If we want to use democracy to decide on a true leader, then we should hold an election to choose one.' His tone was direct and clearly enunciated, even Koe could tell that this individual was someone learned.
Her purple gaze trailed over to where the main source of the noise had been coming from to discover that his right arm was shakily raised all the way. He very much looked like a well raised Japanese boy. The most prominent feature that Koe first noticed was his very square glasses and his strong jaw. He stood some inches much taller than her with a wide build to match everything else about him. His dark hair was perfectly shaped and combed out painstakingly.
She smiled a tiny bit at the irony of these people's eagerness. From the corner of her gaze, she could see her father figure slowly inching downwards to grab at something puffy and yellow, lazily watching the students yell at each other as he brought the material around himself. She narrowed her eyes at him, eyeing the item.
'Why did you suggest that?' The same vibration as the first one she'd felt said aloud.
'We haven't known each other for that long, so how can we have trust or anything?' An odd ring came.
'If that's the case, and everyone votes for themselves…'
'Don't you think that is precisely why whoever receives multiple votes here can be truly considered the most suitable person?' The glassed individual whipped over to Shota, 'What do you think Sensei?'
His eager, blazing face wasn't deterred by the teacher's tired and apathetic response, 'I don't care as long as you decide before homeroom is over.'
At this point he'd fully wrapped himself up in the sleeping bag and just finished zippering up. Her eyes trailed over his disgustingly colored caterpillar blanket as she crinkled her nose. This is what he'd sleep in when he too tired to come home. She made a mental note to buy him a new one…or perhaps a cot. By the time she'd finished her thought, he was already on the floor behind the teacher's desk, probably already out like a light. Koe rested her chin on her two hands, unabashedly staring at Shota on the floor, her eyes curiously trailing over his messy hair. Is this how he behaved as a teacher? She knew he wasn't good at interacting but this was a side of him she'd never seen. The silver haired teen stared at her savior curiously, curbing her need to go and take a closer look at how he was bundled up.
The glassed individual diplomatically handed out a small bag, allowing it to be passed between everyone to tally the votes of the election. Koe hadn't even bothered filling one out as she just palmed hers and crinkled the paper up in her hand. She idly stared at her fingers, almost not noticing another student speaking in her general direction. Her attention snapped upwards, not wanting to be rude.
'Hey!' The shortest person in the class waved to her, 'I'm Minoru Mineta! Nice to meet you.'
The expression he donned wasn't entirely a trustworthy one but she couldn't ignore him…could she? Koe smiled politely at him, giving a quick nod in his direction.
'Mineta! Don't bother her!' A dark haired, Japanese girl with uneven bangs chided.
She looked completely normal save the physical abnormality of her hanging earlobes which she seemed to have complete control over.
'You'll have to excuse him. He's not such a smooth talker.' The girl smiled at her, ' I'm Kyoka Jiro. Nice to meet you, Aizawa-san.'
Koe smiled, speaking barely above a whisper, 'Likewise.'
The next several minutes felt much more like an eternity from the excited chatters amongst her new classmates. Most of them seemed to be conversing about things she wasn't interested in so she chose to tune them out, listening to the more visceral vibrations instead. While she wasn't keen to communicate with the other teenagers, she was interested in their quirks and what made them tick. Some of them had the most unusual vibrations of any citizens she'd ever felt- she bit her lip to stop her from turning to stare at her new found specimens.
It didn't take long before it was electronically posted on the board with the results as follows:
"Izuku Midoriya – 3"
"Momo Yaoyorozu – 2"
'I got three votes?!' A shrill note nearly screeched through the air, making Koe flinch internally.
'Why Deku?! Who voted for him?!' Bakugo abruptly stood, just as shocked as the first voice.
'Well, it's better than voting for you.' A calmer, almost teasing teen behind him replied.
'What did you say?!' The explosion quirked student stood, riling for an argument.
Several murmurs echoed throughout the classroom about the results from nearly all the different students. Koe merely closed her eyes and focused on the birds chirping outside, her chin still resting on her hands. Deku…huh? This Deku person looked very familiar. She only opened her eyes when she'd recognized her favorite person's "noise."
'Then, the class representative is Midoriya and the deputy class representative is Yaoyoruzu.' His expression matched his tone in indifferent and borderline bored.
Koe smiled a little to herself knowing that his wasn't actually how he usually handled himself around her.
The freckled, green headed male known as "Midoriya" was quivering in front of the class alongside a much taller, obviously well refined Japanese girl who stood starkly contrasted to him. Her stance was respectful but confident and demure but still strong. It was apparent by the look on her face that she wasn't all too thrilled with this individual becoming the class representative. Staring at the two figures at the front for a moment longer, Koe turned her attention back outside to the two birds singing to each other. The tone was pleasing, drowning out the cacophony of students.
Another soft bell rang throughout the buildings, signifying a change in class- this much she picked up. She just had to follow the students around, be last into the room and take the only few seats that were still vacant. The studies were just as easy, nearly to the point of boredom- they were all things that she and Shota would discuss or things he would teach her because he deemed it important. English class in the morning was especially bad with pro-hero Voice. She eyed him almost indignantly before she closed her eyes, focusing on sensing the vibrations around her. She loved just "listening" to the things around her. Even though she technically couldn't hear anything, feeling and processing the tunes, pitches and tones around her were fascinating and no location could provide the same symphony of noises…although in the classroom was more of a cacophony than a symphony. The tapping of pens and pencils on desks, the sighing of students as they scribbled on their pages or the shaking of legs with the occasional bump in with the leg desk was all she could feel throughout the entire day. She didn't feel entirely guilty with ignoring Voice's class. She knew that he knew that she knew everything he was teaching- having him visit so frequently was a huge asset in her picking up the English language. Many times they would go out for lunch and have conversations entirely in English just so that he could test her skills and pronunciations.
Some classes later, she was trailing behind her fellow classmates when she noticed that everybody was heading in the same direction. Eyes narrowing suspiciously, she continued her leisurely pace, as hundreds of feet pattered down the stairs of the huge building that was her new school. The massive halls were flooded with students wearing the same colors all chatting excitedly amongst themselves.
It didn't take long to figure out where all the flocking students were eagerly heading. The cafeteria on campus offered affordable, gourmet meals that would leave any student happy and full at a reasonable price. Pursing her lips together, Koe diverged from the crowed, wandering around the steps to find the highest point on the building. Many flights and some cramped muscles later, she'd opened the door to the top floor; it was the apex of the building that housed the cafeteria. The edges were fenced off and some mechanical fans were not so quietly whirring to keep up the circulation in the buildings. Producing a sandwich from her bag, she nibbled on it, staring out into the grounds that UA rested on. The veggies in her meal still retained some crunch as she took a second bite, creating a pleasurable sensation in her head. Her gaze idly drifted over the area around the busy school that stood in equal height to the other office buildings around them. The buildings were further away from the school as the property extended to the entire block but she could still see people scurrying around inside the structures. Why did he enroll her in this academy anyways?
She was seven when it happened again. She distinctly remembered because she had a late birthday and almost everybody had already celebrated their eighth birthdays already. Eight was also a special number for her…it looked like the infinity sign which she very much loved at the time. Many children seemed to tower over her at the playground that she had become so accustomed to being dropped off at but she didn't mind- she had acknowledged that she was the smallest one there but she was well known among the small circle of children so it didn't bother her as much. Each time she arrived at the playground, that spikey blond haired boy with ruby eyes was there, eagerly waiting for her. Most of the new children that had begun to come play there were always skeptical about her- she didn't speak and she never used her abilities in a flaunting act; as such, many came to the conclusion that she was quirkless but Bakugo knew better than that even though he became far better known as he was vocal and unabashed in the use of his abilities. The pair would always have at it with competing with their quirks to see how many of a certain item they could destroy. It took more time to look for the objects themselves than to actually blast through them. The only real time she went all out was when the two were challenging each other.
'KOEEEEEEEEEEE!' Her friend's pitch rang high and strong through the entire playground after her guardian had left.
She didn't need to look around to know where the vibrations were coming from- he always preferred the back of the playground near the woods. Bakugo consistently showed up after Shota had left- her friend seemed wary after they met once while she was being dropped off. She didn't understand why though- her guardian was so kind! The silver haired child quickly shook her train of thought out of her head as she ran over toward the one person that treated her as an equal. Bakugo didn't judge her based on how she spoke or what she looked like but instead judged her based on her quirk. He loved competitions he could have with her on who could destroy the most leaves or break apart the most pebbles and she loved each clash as much as he did; perhaps that's why she was so drawn to him. The explosion child always defended her when others picked on or questioned her.
'You're amazing. You shouldn't need to take people like that! They'll see! I'll stick up for you until they do!'
Feeling him say that made her so happy, words couldn't describe how she felt. Only that she felt the need to cry in that very moment. It was around that time during one of their little competitions did everything go wrong. She wasn't sure what happened or why it did but it all went so wrong so fast…
'Koe!' He smiled cheekily at her, running his index finger beneath his nose in an almost arrogant manner, 'Lets go for something a little bigger today!'
The young girl blinked her amethyst eyes uncertainly, following him back through the forest. She usually never questioned his antics and went along with whatever her playmate suggested but his tone seemed a little…strange today. Or perhaps it was just in retrospect? She couldn't quite place it. It didn't take long before they were in front of a giant boulder that was broken cleanly down the middle. She couldn't tell if it was an actual rock or a cement block with fragments of other rocks in it. She stared at it in awe- it was at least one and a half times their height and many times wider. There were clumps of other shades: red, green and brown bits jutting out all over it as though they were trying to escape their gray prison- something she could later learn as a "conglomerate" rock.
'You take one side and I'll take the other! Let's see who can break this first!' He puffed excitedly.
She eyed him conservatively, unsure of this endeavor. At first glance, it seemed daunting in itself to even attempt to break the rock and she wasn't keen on getting in trouble.
'Come on! It'll be fine!' He insisted, watching her intently as his eyes drilled into hers.
Koe pursed her lips in defeat, shrugging her shoulders as she motioned towards the large rock, allowing him the first move. Grinning, an almost manic glow glinted in his gaze as he drew his arms back, small fire cracker like explosions erupting from the palms of his hands. Grunting loudly, he jerked both of his hands forward, his hands making contact with the rock before a loud explosion reverberated throughout the surrounding area causing frightened birds to fly away. Smoke arose from between his hands and the rock and at first, it seemed like he had just scorched the surface of the oversized rock. At first, nothing happened- just more wisps of soot trailing through the air. Several seconds passed before a bone shaking vibration shook the air and earth around them as his side of the boulder split in two and then three, only being held together by the force of gravity.
'Heh, heh!' He placed his hands on his hips pridefully, turning to her, 'Beat that!'
Narrowing her amethyst eyes at him, she took a step competitive step forward to rest her hand on rock before closing her eyes. It was cool and slightly damp beneath her small fingers and the area around her smelled of the earth. Koe could feel the vibration of the rock beneath her palm, it shook with a frequency she wasn't familiar with- there was more than one. Furrowing her eyebrows together, she focused on all the different vibrations, slowly resonating with one part of the rock and then another and another until she felt synchronized with the object that she felt from her right hand. It didn't take much more effort than a slight push on her quirk for the object to begin splintering off into dust and it was then she dared to open her eyes. She gawked at the magnificent sight before her as the boulder began to disintegrate right before her eyes. The symphony of vibrations was all she could feel as it shook her to the very core and it was mesmerizing in its harmony. She didn't realize the fear etched into her friend's face as she finally took notice to her surroundings- everything around her, on the playground, the earth beneath them was quaking under her might like a mini earthquake. Panicked yells and children's screams entwined with the vibrations of the moaning of the Earth itself as it shook violently as it nearly knocked her down. Gasping, she tried to let go of her grasp on her quirk but it was entangled into her like an orchestra beginning to descend into chaos. An icy grip enveloped her heart as she and Bakugo fell over from the tremors produced by her inability to control her powers. A faint smell of fire caught her nose as her eyes immediately widened even more in fear- it was as though she could make out the ring of fire she was once encased in when she was younger, causing her to hyperventilate. It was so hot...she could still feel the pain on her hands and knees from the heat of the asphalt from that night. She could feel the vibrations of the fire from the car that was burning from the crash that she had somehow escaped. She could feel the sounds of herself screaming into the night, remembering her the horrible reality that she was about to face. Despair settled into her mind, seeping through her thoughts like poison as she choked on her own breath, unable to see through the unshed tears in her eyes. Her pupils constricted as cold beads of sweat began to form all over her.
'KOE!'
His perfect, deep pitch cut through her destructive spiral like a sharp knife, the earth beneath their feet coming to a slow stop as she turned her tear-stained gaze backwards to see Aizawa Shoto lithely approaching the two children. He wove through fallen branches and numerous holes that had given out from the might of her quirk. She stared as him incredulously, his blood-shot eyes assessing the situation as he continued his way toward them.
He could stop her. He could stop her but he didn't! Why didn't he stop her?! Why was he letting this happen?!
The ground quaked again violently shaking the nature around them once more. Numerous terrified cries could be heard once again from the parents and children near the park they were situated in.
'Koe!' His warm arms enveloped her in a welcome embrace as her wide eyes finally closed to relax at the scent of coffee that overtook her senses.
All of the destruction abruptly came to a halt, leaving the three in the middle of a ruined mess. Koe was a shivering ball of fear, swallowing hard at the damage she had caused. She didn't dare turn to see Bakugo's face, keeping her own buried in Shota's jumper. She could feel him saying something to the blond but she couldn't make it out past her own shivers. She was gingerly lifted off of the ground, a strong arm hooking under her rear to learn her on his chest. Koe whimpered, her cheek resting on the pro-hero's shoulder as he carried her off, leaving an incredulously expressioned Bakugo alone in the middle of a small catastrophe.
'I'm so sorry.'
Her whisper carried over to him in the faintest of winds, his confused demeanor forming into a solemn stare as she was carried away from him.
She never went back to the playground after that and she never saw Bakugo again.