A/N: Honestly, this chapter was a blast to write and NOT just because I really loved the content. Special thanks to my new Beta Reader Wakacchi for helping me improve the content and just being incredibly pleasant to work with!
This chapter was super fun to work with! I had a blast with this one and I think you guys will like it quite a bit – the longest chapter yet!
HaPPy2901 – lololol you think he'd turn down the chance to fight with the girl who tussled with him earlier? He was actually attending that dojo beforehand though – it's a special dojo designed for explosive and heat based quirks! I figured they would have specialized dojos depending on the quirk! Katsuki just happened to be the top student at that one.
Skidney – Thank you !
Wanderstar – Yes, I figured it was long overdo! Plenty of drama along with it hehe!
Guest #1 – We'll have to wait and see! Trauma is a difficult thing to overcome for some!
In Brightest Day – aha well I'm glad it wasn't too obvious? Haha! And that pun, lolololololol
Guest #2 – Ya, poor boy. One day, one day he'll be better. But not until we all have our fill of drama.
In my past life, you wouldn't even consider trying to wake me up before nine in the morning, or in some cases even ten. Even if you somehow managed to rouse me from my slumber, let alone in a good mood, the likelihood of me making it the first few steps without falling was not something I would bet on. Here and now, however, was an incredibly different story.
My back arched slightly and pulled as I leant forward, the tips of my fingers grazing my foot as I sat in the training hall before the sun had even rise. Beads of sweat formed at the tip of my forehead as I ran through my morning drills, stretching my muscles and waking me up for the big day ahead. At the start of my intense training years ago, I had practically bawled at the beginning of every ungodly early session. Now, however, I couldn't go through the day without properly stretching and taking care of my well-toned body. It was crazy how over ten years of hell would eventually benefit me in the long run, no matter how scarred and torn apart my fragile mind was.
"Todoroki-Sama!" I frowned slightly at the honorific, blowing the strands of red and white hair out of my face as I glanced over at the approaching servant. I cracked my neck slightly, the red and white braid that had been resting over my shoulder falling back out of view as I diverted my attention.
"Ah, you don't have to be that formal while Oto-san isn't around. Homura-chan is fine!" I smiled sheepishly, running my hand through my hair awkwardly as the servant smiled slightly and giggled just a bit. She composed herself quickly, however, and returned to the calm and professional employee speaking with her employer.
"My apologies Homura-chan. Todoroki-sama asked me to inform you that he will be watching your performance today closely. He won't be able to meet with you though, unfortunately." she seemed apologetic, but I just snorted.
"Trust me, there's nothing unfortunate about it. Thanks though, is anybody else up?" My eyes flickered to the window as I spoke, taking note of the darkness that still lingered outside.
"Todo- Shoto-kun is up I believe. I believe he is currently on his morning run around the estate." I scowled slightly, the annoyance burning a bit as I rose to my feet steadily. Of course, he would do this - I knew he didn't care enough to at least try to make it easy for me. I reached inside carefully, tugging hard on the ice, rolling my eyes at the immediate resistant. I was obviously going to have to track him down.
"Ah, thanks. I better go find him before I take a shower and get ready. If Nee-san gets up before I've got all my morning things done, let her know I'll see her before she leaves. Or well, hopefully anyways." I added as an afterthought, not wanting to promise anything. The servant nodded and bowed slightly before walking away, though my attention was hardly on her. I glanced out the window again before sighing, feeling a slight headache forming as I weakly tugged on the ice again. If I focused closely enough, I could figure out what direction he was in when he responded. It was annoying and childish of him to make everything harder for me considering our ages at this point, but I would have to work with it for now.
At the prime age of sixteen years, I had spent this entire morning and the weeks previous preparing for the biggest exam of my life—the U.A. entrance exam. Shoto, the lucky and deserving bastard, had easily gotten in under father's recommendation while I was forced to prove myself through this test. I didn't know the exact circumstances the tests were held under, but I did know there was both a written test and a practical test. Endurant had at least remembered enough about his years at U.A. to give me a few tips during my training when Katsuki wasn't around to clash with.
"Ah, you're entering U.A.? Oh, wait, silly me, of course Endeavor's kid would be going to the top school. I'm an alumnus myself you know? I wasn't top of the class or anything, but I ended up a pro hero so who cares? Haha!" Endurant's booming laugh rattled the bones in my body as I sat on the mat, performing a few warm-up stretches before we began for the day.
"Was the exam hard?" He quirked an eyebrow at her before snorting, nearly knocking me flat on my face when his large hand clapped my back a little harder than intended. I simply winced, rubbing my back while Endurant laughed obliviously.
"Hard? Homura-chan, there's a reason U.A. is the best of the best. If you think it's going to be easy there, then you better give it up now. If I remember correctly…there was this one teacher who expelled and entire group of first years...Can't remember who though!" Endurant rubbed his chin thoughtfully as I finished my exercise, slowly standing up and stretching a bit more as I waited for him.
"If I ever say I want an easy life I give you permission to expel me yourself." I deadpanned, Endurant snorting as his massive form rose from the ground and easily slid in to a stance. His darker skin seemed to crack and shift under my gaze, as if knew our quirk by heart.
"What, and have to explain that to your father? Have mercy Homura-chan."
I grinned cheekily, fire engulfing my fist and I swung forward, meeting the hard flesh of his arm as expected.
"No can-do Sensei – I've got to make it to the top where there's no such thing as mercy!"
Blue eyes met gold and soon we were in our own world, oblivious to anything that was not in the ring.
Of course, I didn't believe than then and certainly not now, the thought of constantly competing with my twin for the next few years unnerving. He had closed himself off from me for good some few years ago, but there was still that lingering hesitation when I met his eyes and say that one boy who hugged me and babbled on about his dreams. There had been times when I wondered if he even cared anymore or even thought about me, but I had decided long ago how unproductive and fruitless those thoughts would be.
I quietly slid open the screen doors and peeked outside, looking for that familiar mop of red and white that was sure to be around somewhere. I squinted in the darkness before I caught sight of my target, pushing down the instinctive anger and calmly sliding the door shut behind me as I crossed the field. Shoto began to slow a bit when he noticed he was no longer alone, his breathing a bit ragged from his rather intense run around the household. Ice clung to the back of his simple white shirt as he cooled himself, his hands resting on his black cargo shorts as he crouched for a moment. I jogged up to him at an easy pace, quirking an eyebrow.
"You know what I'm here for. Stop avoiding it." I spoke curtly, keeping my emotions well out of reach of my words. He simply stared at the ground for a moment before rising, his eyes sliding over to me without a hint of emotion. The tension in the air thickened considerably as we made eye contact, neither of us willing to back down from this intense standoff. Shoto finally broke the silence after a few seconds, closing his eyes and sighing.
"I'm not avoiding anything. The exams aren't until later – you don't need it now," I felt my smile twitch slightly, threatening to break.
"So? I shouldn't have to come out here and ask. You're not doing anything today, so just give it to me now. I can practice with it before I leave," my tone was eerily level, Shoto simply glancing away.
"Later. Go away, I don't have time for you right now. I'll give it to you before you leave," Shoto spared me a single second of pure anger before he took off jogging again, my fists curling as I trembled and prodded at the ice. He held it tightly, unrelenting despite my increased pressure. Fire stirred within me slightly at the boiling emotions, but years of training had allowed me to restrain both myself and our quirk. It simply simmered down once more, lying in wait for whatever I had in store.
My brother was stubborn, and at this point seemed like he wanted to remain miserable for the rest of his days. Technically our relationship had improved a bit, but it was due to our mutual acknowledgement that we simply couldn't ignore each other forever. It was redundant and stupid and while I had hoped we could have resolved more of our problems, I was secretly grateful he at least acknowledged and spoke to me. It didn't stop him from being an insufferable and inconsiderate brat, however, and I found myself immersing my body in an ice-cold bath to soothe the raging emotions within me as I prepared myself.
I wandered out in to the kitchen roughly twenty minutes later, my hair bound up with a towel as I sauntered over to Fuyumi. She snorted a bit, cocking an eyebrow.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready Homura-chan? I thought you'd go for something cuter." she admitted, reaching out to mess with the towel guarding my hair before I gently slapped her hand away. I glanced down at my outfit, a simple white form-fitting long sleeved black shirt adorning my chest with a pair of reasonable length black shorts to match. They were simple, practical, and heat resistant as well. As for my boots, well, I had easily stolen them out of Shoto's room since he didn't really need them now. I hadn't thought of it before, but the small spikes on the bottom were incredibly useful when forming ice beneath my feet and I could see myself incorporating it in to my future hero costume. Personally, I thought it was a cute outfit.
"Eh, you don't think it's cute? I mean I'd rather not get hurt instead of look good, but I thought I compromised pretty well this time. Besides, I'm going to be wearing a uniform for the next three years Nee-san." I pointed out logically, Fuyumi chuckling. I gave her a look over myself, nodding in approval moments later.
"If anything, you look cute Fuyumi-sensei." I teased, dodging back a bit to avoid her retaliation slap. She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly before glancing at a small watch on her arm.
"Homura-chan…Oh, I have to go. Make sure you eat enough, I'm sure you'll be pretty winded after an exam like that. I'll see you later." she patted the towel carefully, though it fell apart anyways much to my overdramatic horror. I even held my hand to my chest for emphasis, trying to manage my unruly hair as it burst out of the towel. Fuyumi simply laughed before leaving the room, though my attention was now on my hair as I began to rein it back in.
I ended up letting my hair flow as it pleased as I sat down to eat a quick bowl of cereal, idly twirling a strand through my fingers as I ate. Shoto had always looked like an exact split between our parents while I leaned more towards father, though there were at least a few traces of mother in my hair. Red hair all but dominated my head, only a few locks of white sticking out on my right side. My father's genetic had laid claim to both of my eyes, and sometimes I wondered if that was who he saw when Shoto met my gaze. He tried to hide it, but I was his twin – I could tell when he was looking at something else in my eyes. It hurt a bit, but after sixteen years of this life, it was only a dull pain that throbbed from time to time.
I eventually cleaned up my meal, clearing away my thoughts as I walked back to my room, nearly colliding with Shoto as I turned a corner. We both stared at each other, shaken from whatever thoughts were plaguing us both. Shoto recovered first, straightening up a bit and give me a quick look over. I was about to say something, which probably would have been petty and uncalled for, when I felt the sudden pressure within. I blinked, glancing down at my hands as the ice nestled its way in to my core. Fire and Ice merged peacefully, and though I felt a dull sense of despair, there was an odd calmness to the ice. My eyes flickered over to Shoto and for the first time, I could see a sense of weariness in his eyes.
"Take it, but if I were you, I wouldn't try too hard Homura-chan." Our eyes locked, the tenseness rising once more as my mind turned over his words. I frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean, Shoto-kun?" He seemed to study me, and though he did not mention it, I could tell he was sizing himself up against me. I could tell he assumed he was better, and if I were to be honest, he probably was. I didn't have to admit it though.
"I don't want you in my class. You're better off in a lesser class." I'm better off without you, went unsaid but I could easily read between the lines. I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists, giving him a look over myself before I finally crossed my arms over my chest.
"Yeah, Shoto-kun? I guess you're going to be really disappointed then, because I'm going to be the best. Maybe you're the one who needs to be knocked down a few pegs." I snapped, bristling with anger before roughly shoving past him. Shoto flinched a bit, but made no attempt to appeal to me whatsoever. He simply started walking again, his footsteps disappearing as we both wandered off to opposites sides of the house. I eventually found myself in my room, fixing up my hair as I glared at myself in the mirror.
I couldn't let him get to me, not today of all days.
The school itself was incredible to behold with your own eyes rather than images on a computer. From the modern aesthetic to the intimidating wall surrounding the grounds, it was easy to tell this was a school worth attending. If I hadn't been training practically all my life for this school, I might have stood there gaping like an idiot for well over an hour. The same could not be said for Izuku, who against all my expectations, was farther ahead of my gaping like an idiot. I blinked, staring at my very quirkless idiot of a friend as he seemed to stumble forward on his own, avoiding an embarrassing faceplant with the help of another potential student. I quirked an eyebrow at their interaction, initially making a move to join them until I noticed Izuku's plain as day meltdown, opting to wait until the girl left and his awkwardness finally subsided. As she bounced along ahead, I meandered over to Izuku and snorted.
"Izuku-kun, you good there? How are you going to take this test if you pass out on the steps?" I teased, his face flushing in response as he glanced over at me.
"A-ah, Homura-chan! I-im fine…I just…she…a girl...a girl talked to me..!" he finally squealed, nearly bursting my eardrum with the sudden increase in pitch.
"What, am I not a girl? I think I'm offended," I joked, Izuku's panic suddenly increasing tenfold as he began bumbling around like an idiot. I simply ruffled his hair, trying to guide him up the steps before he fell. He laughed nervously, bowing his head a bit.
"Ah, sorry Homura-chan! I just…Kaachan was here earlier and then I talked to a girl. I guess everything's different at U.A. huh?" he smiled softly, tugging at my heart just a bit.
"Kaachan, huh? That bastard already got here before me? That's a shame, I had a few choice words from Sensei, but I guess they'll have to wait till later. Just…stay safe alright Izuku-kun?" I felt a bit guilty for doubting him, but just between Katsuki and my quirk, he was clearly outmatched. To think that my quirkless friend might be facing off against even more dangerous quirks, or even my brother, was unsettling and disturbing to say the least. An odd expression passed over his face as he glanced down at his hand, clenching his fist and breathing evenly.
"Don't worry Homura-chan, I'll be okay. We're going to get in to the heroics course together!"
It was an old feeling, one I hadn't experienced in a long while, but the slight pinching between my eyes seemed to ease away my worry.
All Might. One for all. Hero.
For all my logic and assumptions, I couldn't find it within me to worry too much for Izuku.
He would do just fine.
At least, I was convinced Izuku would absolutely ace the written portion of the exam. Despite his condition, Izuku's intellect and analyzing skills were practically unrivalled even by some quirks. I practically vibrated in my seat out of sheer nerves as we all lounged around in a large auditorium, waiting with bated breath for the practical portion of the exam to begin. It was insane how many applicants there were, with different physical quirks of all kinds visible from my vantage point. I had been assigned to a seat at the very top, which was just fine with me as I scoped out my potential classmates. It was a bit difficult to see without a vision-enhancing quirk, but I caught sight of a familiar green mop somewhere within the crowd. I leaned forward a bit in my seat, trying to get a better glimpse of my competition, before someone interrupted my investigating.
"Hey, you, you got some kind of eye quirk going on there?" I jolted a bit at the sudden intrusion, having not expected anybody to pay much attention to me. In fact, I nearly fell forward from the shock, only to have strong arms grab my wrist and yank me back before I made a fool of myself. I stared blankly above me for a second, dazed, before my attention was drawn towards the owner of the voice. His bright red hair caught my gaze immediately, and for a second I could have sworn I was looking at Sora.
"Oh man, my bad, I didn't mean to startle you? Shit, you okay?" The red-haired boy tilted his head, looking downright concerned and somewhat guilty. I blinked a few more times before I laughed a bit, absentmindedly pulling on the ponytail I had set up for today's practical.
"Oh man, sorry you totally startled me. I thought most people didn't want to talk to their competition here. Sorry about that, but no I don't have a vision quirk. I'd show you, but it's not safe in here." I gestured towards our cramped surroundings and he nodded, crossing his arms for a moment before suddenly puffing out his chest. I almost laughed. I caught myself just in time, simply staring.
"Nah, I get it. Sorry I was just curious. I mean I guess we should ignore each other since we're competition, but it doesn't hurt to meet a few people. Speaking of, I'm Kirishima Eijiro! Nice to meet you!" he grinned and I instantly felt any caution fly away with the wind. He held up his fist in a familiar gesture and I returned his smile, responding to his odd but friendly demeanor with a fist bump.
"Yeah, it's not bad at all. I'm Todoroki Homura. It's nice to meet you Kirishima-kun. Maybe we'll both pass and end up in the same, yeah?" he seemed to approve of the thought, smirking before he connected the dots with my name. His eyes widened, and he looked me over not once, but twice, before nodding his head in approval. I felt a bit of my caution return.
"Oh, you're Endeavor's kid! Man, that's so cool! Your quirk must be really something! You know, I'd really like to fight you someday. A friendly spar of sorts" he added hastily, hoping to not come off as rude. I simply snorted and rolled my eyes slightly. How in the world did I end up knowing almost every boy whose bonding activity involves fighting?
"I guess so. My family name doesn't mean anything though honestly. I'm sitting here taking the exam after all instead of just getting in. I have to prove my worth too." I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Kirishima grinned, his slightly sharpened teeth catching my eye for a moment.
"Yeah, the only thing that means anything is how manly you are" That was about the point he lost me, and though I quietly listened to his ramblings, his words were soon drowned out by the loudest voice I had ever heard. I almost had to cover my ears, jolted out of my daze by the appearance of another famous figure.
"~WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!~" his voice rattled the very foundations of the building and I could have sworn I saw a few kids topple out of their seats. "~EVERYBODY SAY HEEEEEEY!~"
Dead silence. I had been tempted to join along, but the sheer amount of silence choked the courage right out of me. I simply sat there meekly, twiddling and thumbs and staring at the desk as the awkward silence seemed to continue forever. Luckily, Present Mic seemed immune to any form of social standards or mistakes.
"I'VE GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE TOO LISTENERS! ALL RIGHT EXAMINEES, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LOW DOWN ON HOW THIS'LL GO DOWN! ARE YOU READY?"
Prior to Present mic finishing his sentence, Kirishima nudged me quietly. "Hey, tell you what, you prove your manliness and shout with him and I'll give you this." I noticed a tiny wad of cash peeking out of his pocket and I snorted, staring him down.
"You're trying to bribe a rich kid with money. Do you know how silly that sounds?" He grinned, nodding. I almost bust a gut keeping myself from laughing at the sheer oddness of it, but I could admire his boldness. I glanced over at Present Mic before sighing, sucking in every bit of sheer nerves and awkwardness and hugging it tight within me. This was probably the boldest, stupidest, and silliest thing I had ever done, and father would be sure to hear about it. His face would probably be priceless. I carefully stood up and climbed on my chair, already gathering attention from those around me as Present Mic called for a response.
"I'M READY, YEAAAH!" I practically screamed, nearly knocking myself over. Kirishima steadied my chair with difficulty, trembling from the effort of containing his laughter. I felt myself flush slightly as I felt hundreds of eyes, including the people I knew personally, stare at me with judgment. I breathed n carefully, hardening my resolve and staring right over at Present Mic, who looked absolutely delighted.
"YEEEEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, LISTENER. SHOUT OUT TO THIS EXAMINEE!" I felt mortified, humiliated and absolutely awkward, but raised a fist in the air nonetheless and lowered myself back in to my seat. Kirishima slapped my back as he howled with laughter, practically tearing up with mirth.
"Holy crap, that was amazing. You're practically my hero now, wow! I can't believe you did that for money and you're rich!" I wasn't sure how he managed to speak so coherently giving his inability to breath, but I simply gave him a weak smile in return as my nerves rattled.
"I'm not thinking about money. Thinking about what Endeavor is going to think when he hears about this."
"Oh my god! Ha, ha, ha!" Eventually Kirishima settled down after a few glares from surrounding candidates, though how they heard him over Present's Mic voice was beyond me.
"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT! NOW PAY ATTENTION, LISTENERS! WE'LL BE TESTING YOUR METTLE BY RUNNING A TEN-MINUTE PRACTICE RUN AT OUR REPLICA CITY-DISTRICT!"
"If anything, you already tested your mettle by standing up and shouting like that" Kirishima snickered, and I resisted the urge to smack him.
"YOU CAN TAKE WHATEVER YOU LIKE! EVERYBODY GATHER AT THE DESIGNATED MEETING AREAS AFTER THE PRESENTATION, YA DIG?"
I glanced down at the card I had been given after the written portion of the exam, praying I would be with someone I knew. After that little stunt, if I didn't have somebody to talk to I wasn't sure if my nerves would fail me or not. Kirishima glanced at his own card before peeking at mine, frowning.
"Ah, dang, looks like we're separate. Now I can't test my strength against yours," he grimaced, and I snorted, turning my attention back to Present Mic's theatrics.
"WE'LL BE SPRINKLING A LARGE NUMBER OF 'VILLIANS' ALL OVER THE BATTLEFIELD! AND THEY'LL APPEAR IN THREE DIFFERENT VARITIES, WITH POINT VALUES SCALED ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY"
"You couldn't even if you wanted to. We're fighting robots, not each other," I pointed out and Kirishima simply shook his head. "I could have measured my points against yours! There's always a way to test manliness!"
"USING EACH OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL QUIRKS, DISPATCH AS MANY 'VILLIANS' AS YOU CAN! YOUR GOAL, LISTENERS, IS TO RACK UP AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN! AND DON'T THINK ABOUT ATTACKING OTHER COMPETITORS OR ANY NASTY ANTI-HERO STUFF, BECAUSE THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES, CAPICHE?"
I felt a bit of my worry regarding Izuku dissipate after hearing that – if anything, other competitors would destroy the robots before they could harm him. He would probably end up disappointed and dejected, but he would be safe. I glanced over at the familiar mop of hair, narrowing my eyes at the other familiar head next to him, before my thoughts were derailed by an incredibly strange boy. He ranted about the specifics of everything, and I found myself labelling him as a rich kid before I could blink an eye. As soon as he began to yell at Izuku, however, I felt my anger began to boil. It took all my strength to rein back our quirk, ignoring the scattered laughter at my friend's expense.
After that, I dozed off slightly as Present Mic went over the last remaining rules before shoving all of us out. Clutching my card carefully, I found myself wandering around until I spotted a familiar blonde-haired kid growling and practically biting anybody who came in to range. I scowled, cursing my luck as I approached the group carefully. Their eyes practically attacked me as I approached, suddenly feeling incredibly small in the overwhelming face of attention. I swallowed quietly.
"You…you fucking freak I had to get you here?!" Katsuki scowled, jabbing his finger practically in my face as I approached the gathering of kids. Ignoring the temptation to bite his finger, I simply shoved it out of the way, grinning.
"Looks like I'm just as unlucky. Or maybe I'm lucky, we know who has the higher record at the dojo." I grinned, figurative steam blowing out of the boy's ears. He grasped the front of my shirt carefully, my hand immediately snagging his wrist, and we stared each other down for a good thirty seconds before the announcements broke us up. We both stumbled a bit, still glaring, but unwilling to compromise our exam as the alarms sounded and everything broke in to chaos.
It was incredibly easy fighting these robots after years of sparring with real people. They were laughably weak and easy to predict, my fire melting through their circuits and my ice breaking through every nook and cranny. I dodged the insane crowd of kids, weaving my way through bodies as I maneuvered our quirk around them, trying to avoid hitting anybody. I could have easily let loose and set fire to a good chunk of the district, but not without possibly harming somebody in the process. If I wanted to be a hero, I couldn't always take the easy way out.
I caught sight of Katsuki in my vicinity and he was vicious. Our training had paid off for both of us—our quirks shredding everything that can within three feet that wasn't a fellow competitor. His technique as especially clever, using his quirk to blow other robots in to each other to minimize his quirk use. I had seen the damage it could do to his hand before – compensating by using them to annihilate each other was clever and practical.
For our quirk, most of the side effects were negated by the fact that I was currently duel wielding. I had to concentrate to keep them both in line as I guided my wave of destruction through robots, but I was mostly okay. I could feel my body trembling from the effort I was putting in, fully determined to grab the top slot if only to irritate my brother. It probably wasn't the most heroic reason for entering the academy, but I had every intention of graduating to save people as a pro hero. Showing up my brother and eventually breaking through his ice just happened to be a bonus of this arrangement.
There was roughly two minutes left in the practical when the entire ground shook, causing my to nearly lose control and accidentally strike a fellow student. I quickly used my ice to shove them out of the way, apologizing profusely as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. I could hear distant similar explosions sounding off from various locations and I knew this was happening in the other sections as well.
"Run, get out of the way!" I practically screamed as the buildings around us seemed to explode from the power of the massive robot that had entered the arena, sending debris flying everywhere. I cursed, pulling on my ice as hard as I could to bring up massive walls. They were not incredibly sturdy, but they would hold long enough for people to move. I caught sight of Katsuki and an idea formed in my head, regardless of how hard it was to think with everything blowing up around me.
"Hey bastard, come help me with this! We take this beast down, then nobody can get hurt!" I shouted, dodging large chunks of debris as the robot tore through the district. I quickly abandoned my makeshift ice wall, running towards the other boy who was still somehow fighting for points despite the behemoth towering over us. He sneered at me, baring his fangs.
"Why the fuck should I care about all of you extras? I only need to worry about my fucking self! Get lost, bitch!" he snarled, a robot exploding between his palms as he eyed him warily. I half expected him to grow aggressively territorial as I edged closer to the robot, scowling and trembling from all the running and fighting earlier. I didn't have the firepower necessary to take down something that big without losing control, and I couldn't risk that with people still around. However, if Katsuki and I combined our quirks, I was sure we could knock this thing down. I just had to knock some sense in to his thick skull first.
"You don't have to care about shit, for all I care! But you think they're really going to put something that big in the middle of everything for no worth at all? Why don't you put your brain to work instead of your palms and help me take this thing down!" I snapped, my ice disappearing as the fire burst out from my side. Katsuki looked positively murderous, eyes glinting dangerously as he stared me down. He snarled, rubbing his face for a moment before clenching his fists and storming over.
"Fine! But if you're fucking wrong, I'll kill you myself! Got it?" he snapped, clenching his fists as he stormed over to my position. I rolled my eyes at the empty threat, instead readying the fire within as I suddenly took his wrist, the boy flinching for a second before relaxing.
It had been an accident that we discovered the rather…violate and devastating effects of our quirks combined when we utilized them correctly. Endurant had been in a rather snappy mood after we nearly blew up the entire dojo, but thankfully father had paid for the damages. I think he was rather pleased with my sudden talent , but there was no time to think about past shenanigans. The two of us narrowed our eyes, our palms eventually meeting together as we fired off our quirks at once, a massively controlled explosion firing towards the robot in front of us. We were both blasted back by the intense recoil, my ice snaking out quickly to form a barrier behind us before we flew too far. I hit the ice with a sickening crack, jolting from the sudden shock before I slumped to the ground. I gritted my teeth, glancing over at Katsuki who cradled his severely burned hand to his chest, practically radiating anger as we waited for the smoke to clear form our combined attack.
The smoke cleared slowly, the robot's mechanical body slowly coming in to view as it teetered forwards. With a sudden burst of panic, I brought a dome of ice over the two of us, knowing we were a bit too injured to make it out of the crash zone. The ice was still weak despite my training and would likely crumble under the weight, but I had to do something to keep us alive. As the shadow of the robot fell over us, my eyes began to practically burn as another image seemed to overlap over the current reality.
A girl, crushed un the debris, unable to move as the robot edged dangerously close. A hero flew forward, his will to save her overriding his will to pass, his fist flying forward and destroying the robot.
Pain.
All he felt was pain as he fell back, accepting his fate knowing he had saved the girl. Karma. She saved his life, slapped him silly but saved him from dying. He was a hero, but so severely disadvantaged. He would be a true hero.
I blinked, vaguely aware of the boy next to me bristling with fury, opening his palm and reaching upwards towards the approaching debris of the robot.
"I'm not dying here you fucker! DIE!" he snarled, an explosion blasting out of his undamaged hand, shredding through the ice and blasting through the parts of the robot that would have otherwise landed on the two of us. I covered my face with my arm, the ground shaking dangerously around us as piece seemed to land everywhere but on top of us. I carefully brought my hand up, blasting flame myself to help Katsuki clear the debris threatening to crush us.
"Oh my god, holy shit, oh my god." I wheezed as the dust settled around us, my back practically burning from the fall I had taken earlier. I was lucky my body was mostly immune to fire, though the sleeves of my shirt could not resist the sheer power from Katsuki and my explosion. The boy was trembling, his fists clenched as he stared at the sky. His head whipped around at me suddenly, eyes narrowing in disgust.
"Y-you fucking b-bitch. This better have not been a waste of my fucking time." he snarled, though his anger was somewhat dulled by his own weakness. His hands were practically burned raw from the power, and I felt a little guilty considering I mostly got away scot free. I carefully scooted over to him, the boy automatically recoiling as if repulsed. I scowled.
"Chill bastard, I can ease your burns with my ice. Unless you want to keep looking like you're about to die? Not the best image of a hero, eh?" He was immediately triggered by my jibe, his figurative hackles rising for a moment before he eventually relented, looking away. I snorted, raising my hand to cover his burns with a thin ice. The ice would cling for a little bit, but if he didn't see medical attention soon they would simply melt, and the pain would return.
I could hear people muttering around us, approaching the devastation cautiously as the alarms sounded the end of the exam. A few even approached me to help me up, an offer I gladly took as I held my hand to my back. Katsuki, the brat that he was, snarled at anybody who tried to get near him, preferring to walk with his own two feet. I was not stupid and prideful, however, and happily accepted the help of a fellow candidate as we limped out of the wreckage.
"Ah, more injured students! Please come here, I'll heal your wounds!" I blinked at the incredibly small young woman before me as I was carted towards her, stunned in to silence when she gave me a little kiss. I nearly toppled over out of exhaustion, completely dazed but free from the pain.
"Oh wow, what an amazing quirk, but I'm so damn tired…" I muttered weakly.
The old woman chuckled lightly.
"Yes, my quirk speeds up the regeneration of your body, but it uses your stamina. You're lucky you weren't hurt like that poor green-haired boy from the other district. Passed out cold." she muttered, shaking her head.
"Green-haired…, is he okay? Oh my god!" My eyes bulged at the thought of Izuku's battered body, my panic overwriting any exhaustion I felt. I nearly toppled over again, silently thanking the student who was still somehow putting up with my antics. She merely grinned awkwardly, helping me sit down before I panicked anymore.
"Oh, he's fine now, my quirk healed his entire body. But with that much damage, it takes a lot of stamina. He'll be fine." She assured me. And while the worry lingered, I was relieved to know he would live.
"Serves that stupid fucking Deku right, entering an exam like this. He should have been fucking killed," Katsuki snorted and I scowled, glaring at him. He simply smirked at me, unfazed as he tried to walk past the woman. She took one look at his arm and instantly kissed his elbow, Katsuki shrieking out obscenities out of shock. I couldn't help but laugh wearily, falling backwards on my newly healed back.
Damn, what an exam that had been. I didn't even know if I passed yet.
A week later found me lying on my bed after a rigorous workout, my body splayed out like a starfish as I stared at the ceiling and evened out my breathing. My hair was unbounded and wild, a few strands plastered to my sweat-stained face as I relaxed.
The night I returned from the exam, I had practically passed out on the doorsteps. I had been healed of course, but the exhaustion was strong, and I barely fended off Fuyumi's concerns as I stumbled towards my room. Father had visited me before I slept of course, surprisingly pleased with my performance. He had been a bit disgruntled by my outburst in the auditorium – I start giggling deliriously when he brought it up – but I had met his standards and more. At that point, I knew I was guaranteed a spot in U.A. and promptly passed out.
Yet, it wasn't official until I got a notice from the school with my acceptance letter. I pulled my pillow carefully over my head, closing my eyes and breathing softly as I willed my body to cool down. I could have maybe swiped Ice back, but Shoto had been particularly stubborn since hearing about my exam results. Both he and I knew we were likely to end up in the same class, a fact he absolutely hated. He had also been upset about the shoe theft, but it had been a necessity and I merely shrugged him off when he cornered me about it.
That was only a few days ago, however, and now I simply waited in anticipation. My thoughts wandered back to Izuku, who I hadn't seen since the exam ended. I wanted to visit him when I heard he was in the nurse's, but Recovery Girl had insisted he simply needed rest at this point. I occasionally checked my phone, hoping he might text at some point, but I knew that he was likely hurting. There was no way he would have made enough points, let alone a single point, to pass with the rest of us. Katsuki and I, to my utter disappointment, were likely battling for first place if my observations were correct. Kirishima might have passed, but he had never mentioned his quirk when we spoke. There had been a few potentials in my group as well, but between gathering my own points and fighting that behemoth, I never really got around to scoping out the others. I would have to wait until classes began to find out.
"Homura-chan, you have a mail!" Fuyumi's excitement had me off the bed in an instant, pillow sent flying as I nearly fell out of bed in my rush. I hopped out of my room, momentarily blinded by my wild hair as I dashed in to the kitchen.
"Is it here? My letter? Did I get in?!" I babbled, my eyes practically shining with stars as I caught sight of the official letter. Fuyumi held it out to me and I narrowly avoided scratching her hand in my haste, silently apologizing as I ripped open the letter. I glanced over it carefully, my eyes scanning the words repeatedly before I threw the letter in the air.
"I made it! I'm going to U.A.!" I cheered, throwing my arms up in the air. Fuyumi clapped her hands, beaming brightly before pulling me in to a warm sisterly embrace.
"You had doubts Homura-chan? You, of all people, had doubts?" she teased, and I snorted, pushing her away before she could mess my hair up any further.
"You should have seen some of the people there Ne-san! Some of their quirks were really something. Oh, I didn't check my ranking!" I flushed slightly at my mistake, Fuyumi giggling as I glanced longer at the letter.
Between Katsuki and I, we had both tied for first place with a whopping 90 points each. "Oh man, that bastard is going to be so angry, ha ha!" I cackled at the thought, holding the letter to my chest as though it were a family heirloom.
"Oh, we should see if Sora-kun and Kaito-kun are available Homura-chan. They'd love to hear about your acceptance!" Fuyumi suggested, and I nodded, immediately dashing to my room before she could even blink. She laughed softly before followed me to my room, sitting on the bed carefully as I brought out my laptop.
Kaito and Sora had both left for college together ages ago, but they still rang from time to time. They had been particularly interested in my schooling themselves, so I had no doubt they would be thrilled to hear about my acceptance. I had missed them desperately over the years, longing for that soothing hug from Sora from time to time. I even occasionally wanted Kaito's hug, the stress and hurt from torn relationships too much to bear on my own. At the very least, I could video chat with them when they were available.
"Homura-chan~ It's been a while, I thought you'd forgotten about me!" Sora's voice was slightly distorted through the video chat but coherent nonetheless, and I swore I could hear Kaito snort in the background somewhere. Fuyumi and I crowded around the screen, though with Sora's face way too close, it was hard to see much of anything.
"Nii-san, you're too close back up. Where's Kaito? Is he not there? I'm going to be really mad it's been a long time." I muttered, slightly annoyed when Sora chuckled mischievously before pulling back and allowing the other brother room.
"Sorry, Sora-kun's head is sometimes a little too warm for him to think. He's lucky he's passing his classes as it is." Kaito teased, dodging back a bit as Sora went to punch him. The brothers seemed close to a brawl for a moment before I coughed, interrupting the impending battle.
"Hey, wait till the video is over before you do that. I need attention first. I have some really good news." my voice rose a bit towards the end, excitement bleeding in against my will. My brothers exchanged glances before focusing on me, Sora narrowing his eyes.
"…You didn't get a boyfriend already did you?" I frowned, rolling my eyes.
"No, I didn't, and you promised you wouldn't interfere if I did!" I added, pouting slightly. Sora laughed while Kaito snorted.
"Homura-chan we're therapists in training, I think we'll be fine analyzing your boyfriends to make sure they're sane without weirding them out." I stared at him blankly.
"That entire sentence soun—ack, wait no we're getting off topic! I got in to U.A. officially, top of the scores!" I exclaimed, Sora and Kaito blinking before large smiles appeared on their faces. Sora looked ecstatic while Kaito simply beamed with pride.
"Oh my god, you did it! You're going to be an amazing hero Homura-chan!"
"Congratulations Homura-chan, I bet I'll be seeing you on the news soon then?"
I beamed with pride, greedily taking in all the compliments I could get. Fuyumi laughed at my obviousness, covering my ears quickly.
"Careful, you'll inflate her ego even more. Besides, I've got to get to work and I think she has a few friends to call." Fuyumi reminded me gently and I sighed dramatically before relenting.
"I don't have an ego, I think I deserve a bit of praise for that exam. It was difficult. But yeah, I gotta talk to my sparring partner and friend. I'll talk to you guys later. Don't do anything dumb Nii-san." I teased, giggling at Sora's outraged expression as the feed cut.
I nearly dropped the laptop when I caught sight of Shoto standing outside the door, looking very much like a deer in headlights. Fuyumi and I exchanged glances before she approached Shoto while I maintained a blank expression.
"If you wanted to talk to Sora-kun and Kaito-kun, you could have said something," she spoke gently and cautiously, as if unsure how to approach the teen. He simply shook his head at the older woman, his gaze falling on me instead.
"I don't want to talk to them. I'm here to talk to Homura-chan," I quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, simply nodding to Fuyumi. She looked a bit uneasy, but left us to ourselves. I stared at my twin, crossing my arms over my chest after setting the laptop aside.
"Alright, what do you want? You don't usually need me so…" my voice trailed off, shuddering slightly but otherwise giving no indication of my thoughts. If Shoto picked up on it, he simply ignored it. He looked away for a moment, as if unable to decide on how to speak.
"I wanted to congratulate you, actually. But…" Of course, there was always something else to add along with anything decent he had to say. There was always a catch and it was frustrating. He wouldn't explain or even try to communicate with me. I simply scowled, waiting for him to continue. He seemed to catch the hint, sighing.
"I know we're sibling, twins." I raised an eyebrow, having assumed that by this point he had forgotten that detail. I didn't interrupt though. "But I know we will end up in the same class. I didn't want you there and I still don't, but you did good. I just want you to know…I won't hold back even if you are my sister Homura-chan. I'm not going to let you become a hero if I have any say." I narrowed my eyes viciously in an instant, standing up immediately. I bit back on the fire, holding it tightly.
"Oh no, you don't get to tell me we're twins and then tell me you won't let me have a dream. You don't get to have a say in this Shoto-kun." I spat, fists clenched as I continued without letting him speak. "I know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work. I won't stop trying to be the top, but I'm not going to fight you. I'm not going to crush my twin over some stupid ranking. That will never change." Shoto flinched at my words, backing up slightly before taking a deep breath.
"That's fine Homura-chan. It will only make you easier to beat," With that, he left before I could retaliate, my scowl deepening. My brother was just such a prideful and arrogant idiot! He couldn't just be happy for me, he had to go and ruin everything.
I threw myself on to my bed, burying my head in my arms for a moment before the sound of my phone's ringtone caught my attention. I left it there for a few seconds longer before I finally reached for it, checking my messages. I blinked, staring wide-eyed at the message from Izuku.
He had passed.
A/N: I had to sprinkle a little drama here and there, but this was definitely one of the more chiller chapters. I still don't know who, if I even want to, I'd end up shipping her with. There's a lot of different characters I could see her forming a strong bond with based on certain things. I might put it up to vote later, but for now this will be shipless. Let her adjust to her new environment and classmates.
I beat you'd all boo me off the site if I chose Mineta though LOL