All Might POV
Oh dear, I sincerely hope that this does not end poorly. Another maimed student on the first day wouldn't look very good... I hope the boys don't give her too rough of a time.
Akira POV
The boys are getting into place now, and in a few more minutes the exercise will begin. I have to think of a strategy. Todoroki will likely freeze the building again... Or will he refrain since he knows I've seen that trick? No, he likely realizes that while I may see it coming, I don't have the physical skills necessary to avoid or maneuver through it. If he knows my quirk is ink he's likely to assume that it's just going to freeze it, but the printer inks I have don't freeze until -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Courtesy of all the 'empty' ink cartridges over the last few years at work. On the other hand, Bakugo is likely to get angry and set off a couple of blasts. The smartest thing to do would be to use Ink Camera, send some ink into scout the building until I find their location, where the ink in front of me will mirror their movements and subtitle any discussion. I could also...
The wicked grin that spreads across my face probably makes it look like I'm going to be the one playing the villain. I hope the boys enjoy spiders.
All Might began the exam a few moments ago, and just like I'd thought, Todoroki froze the building once again. One trick ponies never win the saddle show. Forming my ink into cartoon characters, I send it down the halls, linking each of them to the ball of ink in front of me. It takes a few moments, but one of the finds the room the boys are hiding in. I call the rest of the cartoons back to me and let their ink float around me as the scene playing out in the room with the bomb is acted out. I foresee an explosion from Bakugo in five, four, three, two... There it is. My cartoon splits up into two images to follow Bakugo and to keep an eye on Todoroki as well.
Bakugo rounds and corner, and Todoroki looks up at the ceiling to be greeted with thousands of tiny little ink spiders. They're pretty convincing because of their size. For their sake, we'll say the noises they made were manly. Bakugo tries to blast them, and I wince as I feel some of them get fried, but more keep coming and eventually, he's put on the run while trying to blast them. Todoroki tries to freeze them, and when it doesn't work and they cover the bomb he decides the better course of action is to cut them off a the source. Slowly I drive both to the door that I'm waiting outside of. Through the spiders and ink blobs meant to look like shadows turning the corner, I succeed.
The first one through is Bakugo, and as he barrels through the door I reach my hand out and clamp the cuff on his wrist. He's furious but quiets down when I tell him I will gag him with ink if he doesn't behave himself. A few minutes later, following an icy breeze, Todoroki emerges and meets the same fate. I ignore the frost that coats my hand when I touch his skin, and I grin as I see them both realize their defeat. A few moments of silence follow before my victory is announced. The boys and I head back after I call all of my ink back into its cartridges.
X
"ALL RIGHT! Now, who shined the brightest in this exercise?" Yaoyorozu speaks up once again.
"Obviously, Akira was both the winner and the most impressive participant. Not only did she neutralize both threats without violence, but she also avoided causing a scene in the suburban area, and didn't even move from her start position. She played off of the knowledge of their personalities well and somehow seemed to have inside knowledge of what they were doing. Without knowing exactly what her quirk is I cannot say how she did it. Nonetheless, Bakugo and Todoroki not only failed in their objective as villains but as teammates in this excercise they proved that their skills in that area need improvements. -" All Might cuts her off.
"RIGHT! However, Akira could have taken a more aggressive stance in the matter and taken it more seriously-" This time, it's me who interrupts all might.
"You're suggesting that I engaged to heavy combat fighters head on in the middle of a heavily populated suburban area? Not only is there the possibility that any police officers or other heroes that were present in real life could have been injured, what if the civilian population hadn't been evacuated? Hero battles in suburban areas often take place with civilians standing within reach, and due to the violent nature of these fights civilians and property can be heavily damaged. As someone who knows first hand what happens when heroes engage in a combat level they can't handle themselves in a heavily populated civilian area, I have to disagree. While with more training and specially synthesized inks my quirk may be able to manage heavy combat, it's unlikely my body will be able to handle it on a regular basis. The goal of a hero is to save lives, not recklessly endanger people and property by 'taking a more aggressive stance'. In reality, I took this exercise more seriously than anyone else here. I didn't give the villains the opportunity to do any more damage than they'd already done. By using ink cartoons to spy on them, and ink spiders and shadows to alter their movements, I neutralized them both without any damage to anything other than some scorch marks on the walls of a frozen solid building. Don't tell me an aggressive stance is the only way to get things done well." All Might smiles brightly, giving me a thumbs up.
"Brilliant deduction! Such an explanation easily validates the methods you used. Now, everyone is dismissed for the day!" All Might runs off, leaving us all standing there.
Aizawa POV
I had been secretly watching All Might's class on one of the viewing screens, and I was appalled at the way he was tiptoeing around Akira. She had gotten into the hero program with the top score, and obviously showed a lot of potential. Yet he was acting like she was completely invalid, and then his statement on how she needed to take a more 'aggressive stance' was absolutely infuriating. Other teams had taken out their opponents without any head-on confrontation, and he had said nothing. Her deductive reasoning skils and prioritization of the safety of her fellow heroes, law enforcement personnel, civilians and property were all trademarks of an excellent hero. While her quirk needed work to be able to actually be combat rather than stealth effective, and able to defend her from physical attacks, and her own physical capabilities needed to be improved as much as possible, to assume she was incapable or to downplay her current skill levels is appalling, to say the least.
Akira POV, Heading Home
I was heading down the school stairs, slowly so as not to upset the damage to my leg, when Kirishima ran up beside me.
"HEY! Akira, what're you doing after school?" Stiffening, I turn and look at Kirishima suspiciously.
"I, uh, have to babysit my siblings. Why?" He shrugs and waits a few steps ahead for me as I make my way down.
"I thought maybe you'd want to finish up our homework together, you know I help you with the questions you help me with the answers? You're really smart and I figure that if we help each other we'll both be top students! I could come over and help with your siblings while we do our homework?" Shaking my head I sigh.
"Oh, uh, I'm not allowed to have friends over when my parents are gone... But uh, I try to get to school early? I can help you in the morning if there are any answers you couldn't find? I just, I uh..., really have to get going." Kirishima nods.
"Yeah! I get it, it's not a problem. Parents, huh? Well, what direction are you going, I'll walk you to the train." I shake my head, only one train goes out my way and anyone with half a brain would be able to figure out what part of town I live in. I don't care, but I also don't like questions.
"No, it's uh, it's fine. I like my alone time, you know?" Looking a little defeated Kirishima nods, wishing me a good afternoon and running off. Thank goodness, I'm not actually in the mood to be around people right now. I feel like my senses and my quirk are just on complete overload right now. However, it seems like I won't be getting my peace yet.
"HEY, YOU!" Bakugo. What does he want? Turning as I hear him running up beside me, I shake my head at his furious look. He needs to work on that.
"Hey, what the fuck is up with you?"
"Um... What- what do you mean?" His eye twitches briefly, and he gets kind of into my face.
"Fucking hell, we both know you can talk without doing that. So whatever mindset you have to be in not to do it, keep yourself in it. You're so confident when you're lecturing somebody or today when you were using your quirk you were too. The rest of the damn time, you're all kinds of fucking quiet and shy. It's bullshit. Anyway, what type of fucking quirk do you have?" Oh, so that's what he actually wanted. He could have said that in the first place.
"It's a psychokinetic connection with ink and dye particles, it's called Ink Master. I have to go now, or I'll miss my train." As I start to walk off, Bakugo follows me.
"So, what's the fucking deal with you and Kirishima?" Please, please, please go away Bakugo.
"He's just trying to be my friend, he asked to walk me to the train and I said I wanted to be alone. The same goes to you." Bakugo lets out a laugh, louder than necessary.
"I'm not fucking asking. I do whatever the hell I want. So, what was up at lunch today with you having him read you the questions?" Groaning I give him a look.
"Look, Bakugo, what do you really want? Because we both know you're not exactly a friendly person." He shrugs.
"You shut me down this morning, takes guts to do that. I've kind of got a reputation you know." Rolling my eyes I tuck my hair behind my ear.
"Not really, I just told you the facts of the matter. You shut yourself down after hearing them. Are you just gonna keep following me?" Nodding he grins.
"Yep. I said I do what I fucking want. Now, do your parents actually not let you have people over?" He was eavesdropping on my conversation? Not cool.
"They don't care, I just want to be alone. I'm not used to dealing with so many people or using my quirk so much, I was homeschooled after all. Plus, I found some stuff out with my quirk today that I didn't know before and it took a lot out of me. Not to mention the blood loss from this morning."
"Hmm. You'll be alone when I decide to leave unless you decide to make me leave you alone. What the hell did you find out that you didn't know before?"
"It hurts when my ink is damaged by fire, I knew that slicing and stuff didn't hurt, but apparently sudden forced evaporation snaps the connection hard enough for it to hurt and be disorienting. Also, my link gets weaker with distance and it takes my breath away when the connection breaks. Unrelated, I learned you're pushy." Bakugo laughs, slapping me on the shoulder, and nearly knocking me over when he does.
"THERE IT IS! Fucking ballsy like you were this morning! Now, what the hell do you mean it hurts?" Groaning again I shush him with my shoulder.
"I mean it hurts. If my connection with my ink is broken, it's physically painful and disorienting." Bakugo gives me a weird look, and doesn't say anything else as we approach my station. I see him take in the station number and destination of the train, and as I present my boarding pass he walks off. Giving me a brief wave over his shoulder. If this kind of things keeps up, school is going to be very interesting.