The wind whipped past her cheeks, leaving a stinging red in its wake. Strands of ivory were pulled from the tight braid flopping against her back from the quick, harsh movements she was making as she darted from tree branch to tree branch to outmaneuver her opponent. Natsumi tried her best to focus and steady her breathing in a way that wouldn't give away her location, but she couldn't deny the burning in her lungs or the stitch forming in her abdomen that begged her to stop and take a break.
They had been running around for almost an hour now, her taking to the treetops pretty early on in their game of cat and mouse in an attempt to throw him off her trail. But he was so fast, much more so than when they had first started training together and she was impressed by his personal growth in stamina, endurance, and strength.
"Did I give you permission to train on school grounds without supervision, Kurosawa?" The sound of her homeroom teacher's disappointed and stern drawl took her by surprise and she slowed her pace, angling her head over her shoulder with a confused 'huh?'
Suddenly, she felt a tight grip wrap around her ankles, yanking them together and causing her to lose her balance. A startled yelp escaped her as she tumbled off the side of the branch she had been running along, the ground was coming up fast and she did the only thing she could think of to break her fall without the use of her legs—she held her arms out in front of herself, knowing full well that she'd likely break them.
But the impact never came.
She opened her eyes, unaware of when she had even closed them to begin with, and realized with an annoyed groan that she was strung upside down, dangling precariously in the air with her ankles tied together by a very familiar grey scarf.
"That was low." She growled out as Shinsou lowered his artificial vocal cord mask and sauntered towards her with a satisfied smirk, reaching forward and allowing his fingers to curl around the bells hooked to her waistband before yanking them away. He dangled them triumphantly in front of her face.
"You're just mad that you fell for it." A teasing chuckle escaped his parted lips as he leaned forward, admiring his handiwork with his capture weapon and how Natsumi was perfectly strung up and swaying back and forth in the breeze.
She groaned irritably, "I am, I should know better by now." She was beginning to feel lightheaded from hanging upside down for an extended period of time, blinking back the involuntary tears that formed at the corners of her eyes from the discomfort, "Alright, you win, now let me down."
"You sure you want down? This is such a good look for you." Shinsou's face was mere inches away from her's now, amusement dancing across his indigo stare as he watched her expression go from annoyed to flustered in record time.
"I—w-what?" She stuttered, eyes wide.
"Relax," He laughed, fingers gripping a loose strand of sturdy material of his weapon and yanking on it, immediately it began to unravel from the tree branch above, sending Natsumi plummeting the final three feet to the earth below her. She let out an 'oof' from the impact, landing unceremoniously in a pile of tangled limbs loosely woven together with his capture weapon.
Class 1-A had spent the previous three days slumped over their desks with fingers cramped from continuously writing essays and working out long mathematical equations. They were finally finished taking their written exams and were feeling much lighter and optimistic now that they were so much closer to summer vacation. All that stood in their way was their practical, which they had heard from Class 1-B would be a fight against the same robots from the entrance exam. All in all, Class 1-A was feeling pretty confident about their upcoming fights.
Natsumi felt a vibration from within her jacket, curious, she dipped her fingers into her pocket and pulled out her phone to see who had texted her. An eyebrow rose at the name that appeared on her screen and she scrunched up her nose in confusion, she hadn't heard from her mentor since internships had concluded.
Big Bird
Heard your final exam practical was today, good luck, chickadee!
"Everything alright, Kurosawa?" To her right, Todoroki tilted his head as he noticed her expression change into one of bewilderment as soon as she pulled out her cellphone.
She blinked, tearing her eyes away from the text message from Hawks and meeting the curiously concerned eyes of her seatmate. A light tinge of pink dusted over her cheeks and she nodded her head, shoving her phone into the bag beside her desk instead of back into her pocket, "Yeah, everything's fine. Just Hawks wishing me good luck today for some reason."
Tokoyami's head perked up from the other side of the room as he caught what she had said and turned in her direction, "He sent you a message as well?"
Natsumi nodded in affirmation, shrugging her shoulders to show that she was just was confused as he was about the entire thing.
"And that's concerning to you?" Todoroki asked slowly, observing her carefully.
She propped her elbow against her desk top and plopped her chin against her fist boredly as she angled herself to look at the boy beside her, "Well, yeah. I haven't heard from him since the end of our internship. Why would he even care about our final exam anyway?"
He seemed to think it over for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, unsure of what to say as he didn't know much about the Winged Hero or his personality to know whether it really was as strange for him to text out of the blue like that as she was making it out to be.
Before any further conversation could be had, Aizawa slid open the door and shuffled inside, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his dark trousers, "With the written portion of the exam out of the way, that just leaves the practical for you to complete. I hope you have taken every constructive criticism given to you to heart and have learned from every mistake pointed out to you because today's test won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Now, go change into your Hero Costumes and meet me out at the Center Plaza."
Upon arriving at the Center Plaza as their homeroom teacher had instructed, they were met by a group of Pro Heroes, most of which taught a class or two at Yūei, however there were two anomalies that stirred up even more confusion than what was already being felt. Hawks teetered back and forth on the balls of his feet, brilliant crimson wings tucked neatly against his back, his lips painted with his signature cocky smirk as he surveyed the group of students gathered before him. Beside him, stood Endeavor, flames ablaze in an intimidating fashion, though he looked just as miserable as ever as if he questioned why he was even there to begin with.
Todoroki was glaring holes into the side of his father's head, fists clenched at his sides.
From the corner of her eye, Natsumi spotted a familiar head of lilac locks and turned fully to the boy making his way towards her class. She furrowed her brows in confusion, tilting her head slightly, "Shinsou? What're you doing here?"
Indigo met crimson as he sidled up beside her with a smirk, but before he could give her an answer Aizawa cleared his throat and drew their attention to him.
Aizawa stood at the forefront of the group of assembled pros, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trousers, "We will begin the practical exam momentarily. Keep in mind that it is possible to fail this exam, so if you are interested in attending the training camp this summer then don't make any stupid mistakes."
Jirou raised an eyebrow, "There are a lot of teachers here…"
"I expect that you all have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you'll be up against today." Aizawa continued, lips drawn into a tight line as he surveyed his class and Shinsou.
Kaminari grinned, leaning back and clenching his fists in excitement, "We're fighting robot warriors, just like during our entrance exam, right?"
Ashido joined in, pumping her fists in the air, "Fireworks! Smores! Test of courage! Here we come!"
"Too bad!" The voice of Principal Nezu immediately silenced Kaminari and Ashido's excited cheering, all eyes were suddenly on Aizawa, or more specifically the capture weapon loosely wrapped around his neck as it began to wiggle. Suddenly, out popped their furry principal, "For various reasons, the exam will be different this year!"
Various sounds of surprise escaped the students of class 1-A as they watched their principal pop out of the thick scarf around their homeroom teacher's neck. Once out of his hiding place, Nezu maneuvered himself so that he was sitting on the tired Erasure Hero's shoulder.
"Has he been in there this whole time…?" Natsumi wondered out loud.
"Different?" Yaoyorozu questioned, lips pursed together.
"How so?" Tokoyami was just as puzzled as the rest of the class.
Nezu went on to explain his point as he slowly slid down Aizawa's shoulder by using one end of his capture weapon, as he neared the ground Thirteen reached out and helped him steady himself on his feet, "Well, from now on we want to focus primarily on person-to-person combat and hero work, this will give you a better representation of what a real fight will be like. So," He leaned forward, a shadow falling over her face as his little lips pulled back into a devious smirk, "we will have you form teams of two and fight against one of the Pro Heroes you see here."
Natsumi's eyes widened at the revelation and she involuntarily swallowed the nervous pooling of saliva that had gathered on the tip of her tongue. Anyone but Hawks or Endeavor, please, please. She desperately pleaded in her head, hoping that her thoughts would somehow speak her wish into existence. The thought of fighting against the Winged Hero, aptly dubbed the fastest man in all of Japan, sent her stomach churning…though not as much as the thought of being pitted against the man who had destroyed her family.
"The pairs and their opponents have been chosen ahead of time and were determined at my discretion based on various factors including, but not limited to; fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships." Aizawa explained, slouching forward and scrutinizing the panicked expressions his students donned, "Furthermore, I'm sure you may have noticed the addition of class 1-C's Shinsou Hitoshi amongst your ranks today."
Several murmurs rose from the gathered students, all eyes turning to the lilac haired boy who kept his head forward and gaze locked on Aizawa's, doing his best to ignore the uncomfortable attention he was receiving.
Their homeroom teacher continued, "The other teachers and I carefully considered every variable when deciding how today's exam should be executed. As it stands, there is an odd number of students in your class which would mean that either one of you would take the exam alone or there would need to be a team of three—both options are unfair and irrational. Shinsou will be placed on one of your teams, I urge you to not underestimate him because he isn't in the Hero Course as he has been working around the clock to train and better himself over the past month and a half."
Natsumi lips curled back into a lopsided smirk and she playfully nudged the indigo eyed boy in the side with her elbow, his hand shot up, fingers tangling into the lilac strands at the base of his neck in a sheepish manner.
"We realize that the Heroes standing before you have years of experience under their belts and are leagues ahead of you in strength and strategic thinking. Now, to combat this severe disadvantage that you are facing being pitted against them, each Hero will be handicapped by Quirk suppressing weights that will more or less slow them down and weaken their Quirks to an extent." Nezu tilted his head, his paws gesturing towards the thick metallic anklets and bracelets that each of the Heroes wore. He bounced on the balls of his feet, pulling out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, "In order to pass, you'll need to either reach the exit or get these handcuffs on your Hero within the allotted time."
Aizawa noticed how several of his students sent uneasy glances in Shinsou's direction, he had an inkling that it wasn't because they were nervous about his Quirk, but were worried about his lack of training coming from the General Studies course. He was quick to dispel their worries, "The team that Shinsou joins will have an added handicap, keep in mind that this is also doubling as his final exam for the semester as well so he will be working just as hard to pass as the rest of you. Now, on to the matchups."
The Erasure Hero pulled out a piece of crinkled notebook paper, unfolded it and smoothed it out to the best of his ability before reading through the pairings.
Aoyama and Uraraka vs. Thirteen
Koda and Jirou vs. Present Mic
Kaminari and Ashido vs. Nezu
Mineta and Sero vs. Midnight
Mineta let out an appreciative howl, his eyes bugging out of his head and a long string of saliva spilling from the corners of his lips as he elbowed Sero in the side and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while staring pointedly at the 18+ Hero.
Ojirou and Iida vs. Powerloader
Satou and Kirishima vs. Cementoss
Hagakure and Shoji vs. Hawks
Natsumi breathed a sigh of relief, ecstatic that she wasn't going up against the Winged Hero, there was no way she could keep up against him. Though, with the list of Heroes left available quickly dwindling, a new knot began to form in the pit of her stomach in anticipation of who she might be paired with. Her crimson gaze warily danced across the remaining heroes that had yet to be called and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.
Shinsou and Tokoyami vs. Ectoplasm
Bakugou and Midoriya vs. All Might
She could literally see Midoriya's soul leave his body as his matchup was announced, his body trembling from anticipation and fear of the beating that was surely to come—not only from All Might, but from his teammate as well. The ash blonde had a dangerous smirk plastered across his face, his fists clenched in excitement at his side.
Todoroki and Yaoyorozu vs. Aizawa
Kurosawa and Asui vs. Endeavor
There it was.
Natsumi suddenly found herself unable to breathe, eyes locked on to cold, narrowed turquoise. The only sound that she could register was the beating of her heart against her eardrums, she didn't even realize that she was shaking until she felt a warm hand grip her shoulder tightly and lead her away.
Todoroki's brows were tightly knit together, his lips parted and she found herself focusing on the way they moved, forming words that she couldn't comprehend in her mind's hazy state.
"…sawa…hear…me…?" His voice sounded disjointed, almost staticky as only fragments of what he was trying to say to her actually reached her ears.
Natsumi was stuck in her own head, visions of flames hot enough to melt flesh from bones in seconds, her parents faces, and their collective screams and pleas for mercy flashed through her mind. Of course, she hadn't been there or even seen the actual event on the television, but over the years her imagination had created a very detailed visual representation of what she thought had happened during their final moments.
Is he going to finish the job? She found herself wondering. This is a school proctored event but…even with those Quirk suppressing bindings I'm sure his power is still unmatched in intensity and sheer heat, he could easily…
The boy standing before her now had both hands on her shoulders, tightly gripping her and shaking none too gently, his brow pinched in concern as his eyes searched her vacant ones for any sign that she was there with him. Physically she was, but mentally she was far away.
"Snap out of it!" His voice was low and gravelly, the harsh timbre snapping her out of her own head though it took her a few seconds to get her bearings.
Natsumi blinked wearily, "S-sorry, what were you saying?"
Todoroki squinted his eyes, scrutinizing her for a moment before removing his hands from her shoulders, "I know you're nervous about your fight, and you have every right to be. He won't hesitate to use his abilities at max power regardless of the fact that this is a school mandated event and not an actual fight against villains."
She frowned, "Trust me, I know."
He bit the inside of his cheek, realizing he was still close enough to smell the vanilla and lavender scent of her shampoo, Todoroki swallowed hard and took a step back to put some space between them. He still couldn't believe that they had asked his father to take part in this exercise, out of all of the heroes and especially the ones employed at Yūei…they had to ask him.
"Kurosawa."
"Hm?"
"Be careful." He knew that that went without saying, she of all people knew how dangerous Endeavor was, but he felt the need to reiterate and emphasize his need for her to stay safe.
Her lips twitched into a lopsided grin, but he noticed quickly that it didn't reach her eyes, "I will."
Todoroki's gaze hardened, his mind reeling with all sorts of worse case scenarios that could come of her upcoming fight, "He's not the type of person to take into consideration the lives on the other end of his flames when he's all fired up and the cameras are off."
Natsumi bit her lip, raising a hand so that she could absently play with the end of her braid, twirling the loose ivory wisps between her fingers, "I'll be careful, I promise. I think my best strategy is going to be to make it to the exit and not engage, as much as I want to punch him in his stupid face, I don't think I could get close enough to land a hit on him."
"Don't even entertain the thought of fighting him, just get yourself to that exit as quickly as you can."
She blinked, somewhat startled by the seriousness in his tone of voice coupled with the way he was staring her down, expectantly and awaiting her confirmation that she would refrain from any sort of attempt at fighting Endeavor.
"Todoroki are you…worried about me?" Her lips pulled back into a cheeky grin, though she couldn't deny the way her heart stuttered in her chest at the thought.
He knew that she was capable of taking care of herself, that wasn't the issue, and had they chosen any other Hero for her to go up against he wouldn't have been making such a big deal out of it. But they had chosen his old man; a man who had no qualms about destroying his own family let alone someone elses, someone who had difficulties reigning in his own temper and often let it flare out of control when provoked, the very man who she had vowed to take revenge upon all those years ago. So, yes, he was worried about her and the outcome of her fight against his old man.
"I'm more worried that he won't be able to control himself or differentiate between this being a mock fight for educational purposes as opposed to a real fight where it's appropriate for him to go all out." Todoroki answered honestly with a frown.
"Yo! There you are, chickadee!" The sound of Hawks' exuberant trill had both teens turning their heads in the direction his voice had come from, Natsumi tilting her head in confusion and Todoroki staring impassively at the Winged Hero.
"You were looking for me?" She asked curiously, raising a brow as he sauntered up to the two teens, a bright grin plastered on his face as he stopped a foot or so away from her.
Bright red wings were stretched out behind him in an impressive display, his feathers fluffed up and twitched slightly in the passing breeze. He planted his hands firmly against his hips and leaned forward, "I figured that part was obvious, little bird." Hawks chuckled, his piercing golden gaze sliding over to Todoroki briefly before meeting her stare head on, "I wanted to wish you good luck against Endeavor and to remind you of your training, kid."
"My…" She paused, squinting her eyes in contemplation over his words. Why would she need to be reminded of her training? She'd been training at Yūei for an entire semester already, all of that progress wasn't just going to be forgotten in the matter of—oh. Her lips tugged into a lopsided smile, "Of course, I can't wait to show you how much I've improved."
He smirked, golden eyes sharp and focused solely on his former intern, noting the surge of confidence that she suddenly exuded as she figured out the meaning behind his words. Hawks was looking forward to watching her fight the most, curious to see how much stronger her newfound abilities had become since he'd last seen her over a month ago. He ran a hand through his wind-swept blonde locks, all the while maintaining eye contact with Natsumi, "I'm looking forward to it. Douse those flames, little bird."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed at the Pro Hero's choice of words, his mismatched gaze jumping back and forth between Hawks and Natsumi as they seemed to be referring to an unspoken secret. He quickly picked up on the change in her demeanor that had been brought on by the short conversation between her and the Winged Hero. A knot was quickly forming in the pit of his stomach as he took in her confident stance, the grin on her face, and the way flames danced behind her crimson stare. Did she forget our entire conversation that easily? He wondered with a frown.
Hawks' eyes flickered over to Todoroki and the boy rose an unimpressed eyebrow at him, causing the Winged Hero to chuckle, "The first match is about to start, better head over to the viewing area, kiddos."
The blonde ended up walking with the pair back to the rest of their class, much to Todoroki's chagrin because that meant that he was unable to ask Natsumi about her conversation with the pro hero. He had a feeling that Hawks had done that on purpose, which left a sour taste in the peppermint haired boy's mouth.
"Alright, see ya, chickadee! Kick some ass, yeah?" Hawks gave her a two fingered salute before flapping his wings and taking off to get ready for his match which would be taking place soon.
First up was Satou and Kirishima against Cementoss. Their strategy was to face the Pro Hero head on, activating their quirks and rushing at the walls of cement that were blocking their path. They had a strong start, bursting through every obstacle with ease, but it soon became apparent that they were reaching their limits and their opponent wasn't even close to breaking a sweat yet.
In their exhaustion, they were unable to fight their way out of the cement dome that Cementoss encased them in and promptly passed out, thus failing their practical.
"What? No way! It's already over?!" Kaminari cried out in shock, eyes glued to the television screens that broadcasted the match.
"Oh dear, it's only the first match and I already have work to do." Recovery Girl let out a tired sigh, jumping down from her perch in the corner of the room as soon as the match ended, shuffling towards the exit to go to the arena where Kirishima and Satou were.
The television screens flickered to the next arena which appeared as a two tiered coliseum of sorts with stone pillars encircling the area, Ectoplasm stood at the center of the open arena facing off against Tokoyami and Shinsou.
In the blink of an eye, the duo was surrounded by a over a dozen of Ectoplasm's clones. Shinsou hardened his stare, indigo eyes bouncing across each enemy as his mind worked overtime to come up with a strategy. Tokoyami stood beside him, Dark Shadow raising up behind his host and pounding a shadowy fist into his palm threateningly.
"You're pretty close with Shinsou-kun, right?" Midoriya didn't dare to tear his eyes away from the television screen, afraid that he'd miss a pivotal moment in the battle.
Natsumi shrugged her shoulders, hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket, "I suppose you could say that, why?"
"I was just curious to know your prediction for the battle, based on your knowledge of his Quirk and his fighting abilities." The boy angled his chin so that he could give her his attention while still keeping an eye on the screen in front of him, his messy curls falling into his eyes from the motion.
She didn't even have to think about her answer for long, "I think he's got a good shot at victory; he's been training hard since the Sports Festival so naturally he's a lot stronger and much more confident in his actions now. Plus, he's got a better handle over his support items too."
Todoroki shifted his weight, standing on the other side of Natsumi and listening to her conversation with Midoriya. His lips downturned into a small frown as she complimented the lilac haired Brainwasher, he turned his attention back to the screen just as multiple clones pushed forward with the intent to attack the two teens.
Dark Shadow let out an ear-piercing screech, surging forward with his shadowy claws outstretched and slashing wildly at several of the clones that dared to get close enough. He was able to dispel several enemies in one fell swoop, but was disappointed when more appeared in their place.
Shinsou narrowly dodged a double attack from two clones, before swinging his leg around and connecting it with the chest of one of his attackers. The clone dissipated, leaving behind a fine mist that soon evaporated as well.
The fight continued like this for a few minutes before it seemed as if Shinsou and Tokoyami both realized that they needed to work together if they wanted to pass. The class gathered in the viewing area watched as Shinsou swung himself up towards the second level of the arena using his capture weapon while Dark Shadow lifted Tokoyami off the ground so that he may join his teammate.
"They should have an advantage now that they're on higher ground." Midoriya mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.
They couldn't hear what was being said on screen, but Tokoyami and Shinsou both looked as if they were having a serious discussion, huddled next to each other while keeping a close eye on the figures below them. The two teens nodded at each other, their signal to begin whatever plan they had come up with.
Dark Shadow swelled in size, swooping over the precipice they were perched on and weaving in and out of the space in between the clones below. It was hard to tell which one was the real Ectoplasm, so Dark Shadow made his way to the center of the arena before swinging his wide, sharp claws in a circular motion in rapid succession, destroying many of the clones in the process.
Shinsou's sharp eyes watched the scene from above, calculating his next move with skilled precision, just waiting for the slightest change in movement from the enemy down below.
Suddenly, his lips curled into a smirk and he swung himself over the ledge, fingers gripping his capture weapon tightly before swinging it towards his target. The thick fibers of the weapon wrapped around Ectoplasm, while Tokoyami darted around the second level of the arena before dropping down behind the Pro Hero, digging the handcuffs out of his pocket and slapping them against the wrists of their captive.
"I knew you could do it." She breathed out quietly, feeling an immense wave of pride surge through her as Shinsou and Tokoyami's victory was announced and they worked to unwrap Ectoplasm from his bindings.
The next couple of matches passed by without much incident; Aoyama and Uraraka winning against Thirteen, Jirou and Kouda outsmarting Present Mic by sending a hoard of insects after him, Kaminari and Ashido unfortunately failing against principal Nezu who took the whole scenario far too seriously, Shoji and Hagakure were both captured by Hawks' feathers in under 5 minutes, thus failing their exam.
Natsumi knew that her match was fast approaching and made the decision to slip out of the viewing room and to go prepare herself for her upcoming fight.
"Are you ready, kero?" Tsuyu tipped her chin back, the tip of her tongue poking out from between her lips, a habit that she seemed to not even realize that she had.
After leaving the viewing room Natsumi had run into her partner for the exam and they had decided to strategize, agreeing that it was in their best interest to aim for making it to the exit as opposed to going up against Endeavor. They were not only outmatched in strength, but his flames put both girls at a severe disadvantage and would dry Tsu's amphibious skin out as well as melt any ice attack that Natsumi might throw his way.
The ivory haired teen smiled wryly, "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."
They stood at the entrance to their arena which was essentially a desert wasteland; sand for as far as the eye could see, peppered with dilapidated buildings and crumbling concrete walls here and there. The heat was dry and intense and Natsumi could already feel her skin prickle with beads of sweat.
We're in trouble. She thought in a panic, realizing that the air was too dry to be able to pull any significant amount of moisture from it, I'll need to use my Quirk sparingly…
Kurosawa and Asui vs. Endeavor START! A robotic voice sounded over an intercom, echoing across the barren wasteland before them.
The two girls exchanged a glance before skirting along a crumbling stone wall, keeping their bodies low to avoid potentially being seen by their opponent. They kept quiet, bodies pressed as close to the stone as possible, sand crunching beneath their feet.
After several minutes of staying out of sight by dodging around the back side of buildings, they found themselves staring out at a large open area with nothing to hide behind.
"We've been walking straight for the last five minutes but…we don't actually know if this is the direction that the exit is in." Natsumi frowned, crimson eyes scanning their surroundings, narrowing in suspicion, "Also…there's been no sign of Endeavor and that doesn't bode well with me."
Tsuyu nodded sagely beside her, peeking her head around the ice-wielder to take a look at the desert that stretched out before them, "I think we should get to higher ground, or at least one of us should to have a better vantage point to see where the exit is, kero."
"Good idea, how about you go high and I'll go low and cover you." Natsumi was thankful to her Quirk for keeping her body cool despite the dry heat, though her skin still felt sticky with a thin layer of sweat and she mentally cursed herself for wearing her full Hero Costume, winter coat and all.
Tsuyu nodded before turning to face the stone wall that had been to their backs, she planted her palms against the building and used the sticky secretions from her skin to safely climb up the face of the wall. She perched herself at the top, using a hand to shield her eyes from the unforgiving sun like a visor, peering out at the vast landscape before her. Dark eyes landed on a clearly labeled exit on the far side of the arena, she tilted her head down to let Natsumi know when a low whoosh sound caught her attention, followed by an intense blaze of heat at her back.
Natsumi barely had time to react, erecting a large wall of ice to block the flames from enveloping her teammate. The dark-haired girl quickly jumped off the ledge and joined Natsumi down below as a spray of melted ice rained down upon them, cooling their flushed skin.
"That was a close call." Tsuyu swallowed hard, dragging the other girl along behind her as they skirted along the edge of the broken-down building. They could hear Endeavor's heavy footfalls as he searched the area for the two girls, occasionally letting out a low grumble of frustration when he'd turn a corner and they were nowhere to be seen.
"Did you see where the exit was located?" Natsumi whispered to her partner while glancing around the surrounding area in search of their enemy.
Tsuyu bobbed her head, tapping her index finger to her chin, "It's straight that way, but the field is completely open between here and there. We'll have to make a run for it and I'm concerned that Endeavor will be able to catch us quickly if we do that."
"Fuck." Natsumi growled, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, the thought of having to engage in battle with the Number Two Hero was terrifying but was starting to feel like it was the only way for them to make it out of this mess.
Tsuyu frowned, watching the girl beside her clench and unclench her fists at her side while gnawing on her lip nervously. It was no secret that Endeavor had been the Pro Hero who had ended the terrifying reign of Hydra and Spectre nearly three years prior. And while all of Japan had breathed a sigh of relief at the untimely demise of the two villains, Tsuyu knew that, villains or not, it must not have been easy for Natsumi to lose her parents in such a horrific way. Being paired against the very man who had changed her life so drastically must have sent her mind reeling, Tsuyu couldn't even imagine what sort of thoughts must've been bouncing around the inside of her head.
"Natsu-chan, we need to come up with a plan." She spoke evenly, placing a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder to pull her out of her thoughts.
The soft gesture startled Natsumi to the point where she bit down too hard on her lip, instantly tasting bitter copper coating her tongue. Crimson eyes slid to rest on her teammate, "Sorry. You're right, I'm just not seeing a way out that doesn't involve going head to head with Endeavor."
As Tsuyu opened her mouth to respond, her partner's eyes widened a fraction before she moved into action and shoved the dark-haired teen roughly out of the way.
Tsuyu grunted but was able to correct her balance and hop away as a wall of flames scorched the earth before her. Her eyes widened as she watched Natsumi narrowly dodge a flaming fist that connected with the stone wall at her back, mere inches from where her head had previously been.
Natsumi stumbled forward ungracefully before taking off in a sprint in the direction that Tsuyu had indicated where the exit was earlier. The amphibious teen felt her feet move before her mind had time to process what was happening, leaping in the opposite direction of her partner but still making her way towards the exit. Maybe it was best that they took different paths with the same end goal in mind, Endeavor wouldn't be able to focus on both of them that way.
Of course the Pro Hero went after the ivory haired teen as if he had some sort of score to settle, flames burst forth around him in a dangerous medley of orange and red that brought with it such an intense heat that Natsumi could feel her costume sticking to her body from the amount of sweat that was pouring down her back.
"Running away like a coward, I see." Endeavor's low baritone voice hit her ears and she felt her anger spike at his words, she had to remind herself that he was merely trying to get a rise out of her so that she'd screw up.
"Even a seasoned Pro should know that it's okay to fall back and regroup when you're outmatched." She answered easily, glancing over her shoulder at him. Big mistake.
In her moment of distraction, he was able to send a wall of flames out to encircle the two of them, trapping her in an instant.
"That is very true, too bad your partner left you behind. Poor little mouse, you have nowhere else to go, admit your defeat and maybe I'll allow you to walk out of this unscathed." He chuckled, slowing his pace down to a walk, his entire demeanor feeling like a threat on her life and in that moment, she forgot that this was a school exam—she felt trapped, frightened by the thought of being burned alive by his Hellfire.
She clenched her teeth, eyes narrowed at the man before her as he stared her down with cold, taunting turquoise eyes. Natsumi was afraid, but despite that fear she wanted to win, above all else, and show him that she was nothing like her parents regardless of how he viewed her to be the spitting image of them.
"I'll give you until the count of three to forfeit before I end this." His voice rumbled from deep within his chest, lips twisted into a smirk as he took in her frightened appearance. She looked like a meek little lamb, cowering in fear before him, which gave him great pleasure. At least she finally knows her place.
"One."
Natsumi grit her teeth, eyes darting wildly around her in an attempt to come up with an exit strategy. Tall flames blazed all around her, creating a circular wall that went well over her head, effectively fencing her in the small area with her enemy.
"Two."
She was drenched in sweat; the heat was becoming too much for her and she was beginning to feel the familiar grip of nausea and fatigue from it. Her fingers rose from her sides, hesitantly she gripped the bottom of her coat, ripping it from her body and tossing it to the sand beneath her feet. She was left wearing her crimson long sleeved undershirt, black thermal leggings, and her combat boots. The outfit was still inappropriate for the intense heat baring down on her but it was a little more bearable without her thick coat curling around her body.
"Three. Say your prayers, kid."
He thrust his palm forward and a wide blast of red and orange shot through the air towards her, the flames crackling loudly. The moment he released his attack was when she jumped into action, rolling forward towards the attack and hoping to whatever deity above that what she was about to attempt would work in her favor.
The air was dry and void of any moisture that was usable so in an act of desperation, Natsumi focused on the water within her body, pushing the molecules out through her pores and coating her entire being in a layer of it. It was a strange sensation, essentially being encased in a bubble, but it did effectively cool her scorched skin and somewhat protect her from the incoming attack.
Natsumi's movements were much quicker than they had been when she had been wearing her bulky cropped winter coat, she rolled right through the flames being spat at her. Her protective layer of water quickly began to sizzle and evaporate under the heat being inflicted upon it and she had to work quickly to replenish what was lost to keep herself from being burned.
She popped up on the other side of him, sweeping her leg out and striking at the back of his knees. Endeavor was a large, sturdy man which unfortunately meant that her attack did little to no damage to his burly body, it only furthered to anger the already short-tempered man.
"That was ill-advised, child." He scowled, eyes narrowed as he stalked forward, wildly swinging his arm.
She ducked under his arm, springing up once more at his back. She needed a way out of the tiny space that she was trapped in, it wasn't big enough to fight him in, not that she really wanted to fight him head on.
The body is roughly made up of 60% water, I still have enough left within me to attack a few more times but if I'm not careful I could use up too much and dehydrate myself. That would slow me down too much, I can't afford to allow that to happen. This heat isn't helping either, I've already lost enough from sweating. She grimaced, warily watching the man as he readied his next attack. She could see the beads of sweat forming along his brow which meant that the heat was starting to take its toll on him as well.
Fuck it, I need to get out of here and get to that exit. She clenched her fists at her side, pulling forth as much water from her body as she could, it manifested before her in the form of a tiny barrier, constantly wavering and sloshing about as she did her best to keep it contained. At the last moment, right before Endeavor was on her once more she thrust her palms forward and willed the tiny wall of water to burst forward. She ran along behind the barrier and as it reached one side of the wall of flames, momentarily extinguishing a small portion, she was able to break through the flames and make it to the other side safely.
Out of breath and feeling heat exhaustion beginning to grip her, Natsumi let out a cough as the dry air invaded her lungs. She didn't have the luxury to being able to stand around and rest, however, Endeavor had diminished his fiery prison that she had previously been trapped in and was starting to stalk towards her once more.
"Did you see that?!" Ochako cheered excitedly as she watched Natsumi clear a path through the wall of flames. She knew that her friend was nowhere near safe and out of the danger zone yet, but that small feat of escaping the fiery confines had been impressive enough to warrant an eager shout.
"Since when could she manipulate water? I thought she could only control ice?" Kaminari scratched his cheek in confusion, eyes glued to the screen.
Todoroki had returned from his own match not long after her match had begun and he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the screen either. His heart racing in his chest, threatening to burst out of his ribcage, the amount of anxiety he felt secondhand from watching her fight was becoming almost unbearable. He was scared for her safety. He had half the mind to go find Aizawa and demand that he stop the fight, as irrational as that thought was.
"She's been practicing." Hawks spoke up from the back of the room, a hint of pride evident in his voice, "Though, after that last move she's gotta be feelin' the exhaustion and dehydration taking effect. She won't last much longer at this rate."
Todoroki glanced over his shoulder at the Winged Hero and narrowed his eyes, "Don't count her out just yet."
The blonde hero chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, piercing golden eyes meeting an unwavering heterochromatic stare, "Wouldn't dream of it, kid. I'm just stating the facts here, she's in an area with little to no moisture in the air so she's obviously using up what's stored within her own body. The heat itself is enough to deplete her reserves through her sweat, after using only two water based moves she's gotta be running low. The body can only lose so much water before it gives out."
Hawks leaned back on his heels, rocking back and forth, "Though, I am impressed with how much control she's managed to get over it since I've last seen her."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes a fraction at the Winged Hero before returning his attention back to the fight on the television screen in the viewing area.
"That was a neat little trick, girl." Endeavor rose a brow, lips upturned in a smirk as he watched her eyes widen at his reappearance, "However, your water manipulation is no match for the heat of my Hellfire."
Natsumi took a step back, her fists clenched at her sides as she watched the flames enveloping his own fists grow with a burning hot intensity that could rival that of a supernova. Even from several yards away, she could feel the heat from his flames caress her flushed cheeks.
As a form of protection against the heat being hurled at her, she coated her body in another layer of water, she knew that she couldn't take his attack head on, even with her liquid barrier encasing her. The water would boil and evaporate, leaving her raw and exposed to the elements.
I hope Tsu-chan at least made it to the exit, at least one of us should pass. She bit her lip as he let loose a flurry of dancing flames that barreled towards her.
"Look out!" Tsuyu called out, her tongue darting past her lips and extending to wrap around her partner's midsection, yanking her out of the way before Endeavor's hellfire swallowed her.
Natsumi let out a startled grunt as she was flung through the air, landing unsteadily on her feet beside Tsuyu some distance away. The two teens quickly took off in the direction of the exit, well aware that Endeavor was seething and quickly gaining on them once more.
The exit was in sight, though the distance between them still felt vast and intimidatingly far with how close their enemy was, flames licking against their heels as they kept themselves ahead of his attacks by inches.
"This has gone on long enough." His baritone voice rumbled past their ears and in a split second a wall of flames was erected before them, making the two girls stumble over their feet in an abrupt halt to prevent themselves from barreling headfirst into the fire.
Tsuyu choked as smoke entered her lungs, her body visibly shaking as the heat began to dry out the moisture in her own skin. Natsumi cast a sideways glance over to her partner who was having trouble handling the scorching heat that berated their already flushed and worn out bodies. She knew that Tsuyu wouldn't be able to make a quick escape like this, she was too dehydrated, her movements would be too slow and would make her an easy target for Endeavor.
Natsumi could feel her own fatigue steadily growing within her, making her own actions and movements appear more sluggish. They needed to end this quickly or else neither of them would have the energy to make it the rest of the way to the exit.
I don't have much left in me but I have to do something…
She brought a hand up and rested her palm on Tsuyu's shoulder, eyebrows pinched together in concentration as she focused her energy on willing the water molecules escaping her pores to sweep up her extended arm and to coat her friend's body. The dark-haired girl let out an involuntary sigh of relief as her body absorbed the moisture through her breathable costume material.
"Thank you, Na—" Tsuyu let out a startled croak as Natsumi removed her palm from her partner's shoulders, crimson eyes hardened as she held out her hand and outstretched her fingers. Droplets of water gathered at the tips of her fingers, slowly pulling together and forming a liquid whip that Natsumi wrapped around Tsuyu's waist. With a flick of her wrist the shorter girl was sent flying over the wall of flames and closer towards the exist.
"How very heroic of you," He sneered, looming over her with dangerous intent sparking in his narrowed, turquoise eyes.
"It's about time you noticed." She shot back, lips pulled back into a snarky smirk, despite the fear forming a knot in her stomach she met his gaze with a defiant, unwavering stare.
Endeavor scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Brats like you need to learn their place in society. Your fight ends here, girl."
"I have a name," She growled out, "It's Kurosawa Natsumi, but you'll come to know me by my Hero name, Hisame. Remember it, because I'll be taking your place in the Hero rankings before you know it."
He grit his teeth at her statement, reaching out with a flaming hand to grasp her shoulder tightly, reveling in the way the girl tried her best to keep herself from uttering a hiss of pain, "Why you insolent little—"
"Natsu!" Tsuyu's voice called out over the roar of the crackling flames at her back.
Natsumi shot him a cheeky grin, giving him a two-fingered salute before using the last of her stored up water reserves to form a weak wall of liquid, breaking out of his grasp during his brief moment of surprise and pushing her way through the wall of flames one last time. Once on the other side she was relieved to find her partner close to the exit, tongue extending to wrap around the ivory haired teen's wrist, yanking her forward with such force that when Natsumi landed beside Tsuyu she immediately tumbled to her knees.
"We have to go!" Tsuyu urged frantically, her gloved fingers wrapping around her friend's shoulders and pulling her to her feet, though she didn't miss how Natsumi visibly winced at the touch.
Natsumi stumbled to her feet but was able to muster up enough adrenalin fueled energy to push herself through the exit, collapsing immediately on the other side with a heavy exhale.
Team Kurosawa and Asui pass!
"Are you alright, kero?" Tsuyu knelt beside her, dark eyes shining with concern as her gaze landed on the scorch mark in the shape of a hand print burned through the crimson fabric of Natsumi's right shoulder.
"'m fine." Natsumi breathed out, a lopsided smile pulling at the corners of her lips, "Guess who's going to the training camp in the woods?"
Tsuyu blinked at the sudden change in attitude, letting out a small sigh at the obvious deflection before ultimately settling her eyes on her friend's face, "We are."
"That's right, we are." A stuttered breath left her lips.
"We should get you to Recovery Girl." Tsuyu insisted, moving to help Natsumi to her feet.
"I'm fine, it's really not that bad, just stings." Natsumi argued back weakly in an attempt to reassure her friend.
Tsuyu rose a skeptical eyebrow, "…your costume is literally still sizzling."
"Psh, I'm fine. Just let me take a quick nap, so tired." She mumbled towards the end, eyes closing as she slowly shifted her body until she was fully lying down against the warm sand.
Tsuyu frowned, darting forward to gently shake her friend awake, "You can sleep once you're back at Recovery Girl's tent, get up, Natsu-chan."
"Mm five more minutes."
After a quick visit to Recovery Girl and having the burn on her shoulder tended to, Natsumi found her way back to the viewing area to catch the last battle, the one that she was most looking forward to; the one between Bakugou and Midoriya against All Might. She wasn't sure how they would fare considering Bakugou's unpredictable personality and quick temper when it came to the boy that he was partnered up with.
As she made it across the threshold and into the viewing room she immediately felt several pairs of eyes land on her, glancing up she met Shinsou's imploring indigo stare from across the room. His eyes raked over her form for any injuries before landing on the burnt hole in the shoulder of her costume, his brows furrowed and he shifted his weight, moving towards her. However, another body appeared within her line of sight, which prompted Shinsou to halt his movements and remain where he was, though she could feel his eyes on her the entire time.
"Are you okay?" Todoroki frowned, his eyes trained on the raw pink flesh peeking out from the hole in her costume. Recovery Girl had been able to heal the worst part of the injury, but it would be a day or two before the irritation of her skin dissipated.
A light laugh escaped her, though his concern was endearing, "I'm fine, seriously. It could've been worse than it was, it was just a small burn."
His lips were drawn into a thin line, fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides, she could practically feel the anger and hatred towards his father seeping off of him in waves.
"Really, don't worry about it, I appreciate the concern, Todoroki." She tilted her head, a small smile present on her face as she met his unwavering gaze.
"Congrats on the win." He finally said after a beat of silence fell between them.
"Thanks, for a moment there I wasn't sure if I'd make it out of there." Natsumi laughed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly at the admission.
"Oi, little bird." Hawks sauntered over to her, a bright grin lighting up his face as her attention fell on him, "I gotta say, super impressed by the level of control you've managed to obtain over your water manipulation. I was not expecting you to be able to do so much with it already, I could really tell that you've been training hard."
Natsumi blinked, her lips slowly splitting apart to form a wide grin at his praise, she rocked back on the balls of her feet absently, "I've been training every chance I get, though I'll admit that some of those things I did were thought of on the spot, I wasn't even sure they'd work out, haha."
"Well, luckily for you they did, so good job, kid." He chuckled, crimson plumage twitching behind him, "I've gotta head out, I look forward to seeing where you are with your training next time I see you."
She nodded, raising a hand to wave goodbye as he left the room and took flight. With the distraction of her mentor now gone, she was able to focus her attention on the battle raging on the screens at the front of the room.
"What the fuck did I just miss?" A confused whine left her as she watched Midoriya leap into action right as the ash blonde lost consciousness in the streets of their exam area. The curly haired boy wrapped an arm around his childhood friend and bolted towards the exit.
A good portion of her class had passed their exams, those who did not sulked in the corner, depressed over the fact that they would not be allowed to attend the training camp in the woods with the rest of their classmates. Natsumi bit her lip, feeling a rush of sympathy towards her downtrodden friends, but knowing there was nothing she could do to change the outcome of their final exams, she stayed quiet.
After all the battles had ended the students made it back to the Center Plaza per Aizawa's instruction, waiting for their official dismissal.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I elected to have you all meet back here as opposed to simply dismissing you to go home after the completion of your practicals." The group of pro heroes parted to allow Aizawa through to the front of the pack, facing his bewildered students who nodded their heads and mumbles various words of confusion, "Earlier, you questioned the presence of Shinsou Hitoshi and his participation in today's activities and I gave you an answer, however, what I told you was only half of the truth."
Shinsou tilted his head, feeling all eyes on him once more, which only furthered the growing pit of anxiety that bubbled up within his stomach. When he had been asked originally to even out the numbers for class 1-A he had put two and two together rather quickly, "This test also doubled as my entrance exam into the Hero course, didn't it?"
"How did he know?" Cementoss blinked.
"Bright kid." Midnight grinned.
Aizawa's lips twitched into a small smirk, "I had no doubt in my mind that you'd come to that conclusion all on your own, and you would be correct in that assumption. Despite the fact that you've only been officially training for a little over a month you were still able to keep up and put up a good fight. You've taken every painful lesson that I've taught you to heart and applied it to not only your training with me, but your extracurricular training with Kurosawa—"
Shinsou and Natsumi both exchanged panicked looks at being called out, most of the class shot them curious glances, Kaminari wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Todoroki frowned.
"—oh? You thought I wasn't aware of that fact?" Aizawa's voice hitched at the end in an amused lilt, raising an eyebrow at the two teens who seemed nervous under his intense stare, "I am not here to punish you for going behind my back so relax. I am here, however, to officially welcome you to the Hero Course, Shinsou."
Time seemingly stopped in that moment, the only sound Shinsou registered was that of his heartbeat pulsing loudly against his eardrums. His body stiffened, eyes wide in disbelief. Slowly, he brought a hand up and covered his mouth to hide his trembling bottom lip.
I can't believe it. This has to be a joke. He couldn't help the thought though.
In a beat, Natsumi was in front of him, blocking his view of Aizawa and smiling brightly up at him, "I knew you'd make it."
He blinked, glassy eyed, tearing his gaze away from his mentor and meeting the eager crimson stare of the tiny girl in front of him. Slowly, he lowered his hand, dropping it back to his side, his eyes softened, "You never doubted me once, huh?"
She shook her head, ivory bangs swaying from the movement, "Not for a single second."
Their moment was interrupted seconds later as everyone else chimed in with their congratulations and well wishes for Shinsou, making the lilac haired boy shift uncomfortably from the attention.
"Your fight was amazing; I can really tell how much you've improved since the Sports Festival." Midoriya grinned, "You deserve this, I look forward to training alongside you in the future!"
Shinsou bit the inside of his cheek, his hand absently rising to rub at the nape of his neck awkwardly, "Thank you, Midoriya."
Kaminari jumped forward, clapping the taller boy on his beck, donning a cheeky grin, "Now you'll be able to show me all your tips and tricks to getting girls attention."
Shinsou rose a brow at that, "I really don't have a particular method…"
The electric blonde frowned, "Guess I'm not all that surprised, they must just flock to you because of your looks…"
Natsumi doubled over from her laughter, palms pressed against her knees, "Kaminari-kun, stop flirting with him."
Golden eyes widened at the implication and he immediately shook his head, "That's not it at all and you know it, Natsu-chan!"
The wild lilac haired boy chuckled at the interaction, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as the ivory haired teen and the blonde began to bicker back and forth.
"Deliberations are still being made as to which class Shinsou will officially be a part of." Aizawa's voice demanded his students attention once more before his dark eyes landed on the newly appointed hero course student, "You will be notified within the next 24 hours which classroom you are to report to Monday morning. Class dismissed."
I am such an indecisive little shit. My original chapter draft had her fighting against Endeavor with Todoroki as her partner. And then when I wrote the part where Hawks texted her I started playing with the thought of her actually fighting against him-but then I was like "There's no way she could win against him, he'd just fuck her up with his feathers"—so back to Endeavor we went! And at the veryyy last minute I decided not to have her and Todoroki partnered together because I figured it would make more sense for her and Tsuyu to be partnered with the logic that they both had the biggest disadvantage against Endeavor.
I've been planning on having Shinsou join the Hero Course earlier than he does canonly for a while now and I'm so excited that it's finally happening. My favorite sleepy boy deserved the world T_T
Thank you for everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed! I love and appreciate all of you and hope you're all staying healthy and safe out there! Please don't forget to leave a comment on what you think of this chapter 3
Otakugirl1996 – Thank you for your review, Im happy that you enjoyed that Shoto snack I left you guys last chapter :P! I absolutely had to include Touya in some way. I will say that I am a firm believer that Dabi is Touya, so I wanted to go ahead and start leaving little breadcrumbs leading to his existence .
inesskrn – I'm so happy that you're enjoying the story and Natsumi as a character! It's easy to dislike the twins knowing that their views on Hero society are so skewed and how manipulative they can be, but they really do care about her they just…well I guess all three of them are stuck in the past when it comes to their relationship with each other. Natsumi knows that she shouldn't trust them but it's so easy to ignore the red flags when all she can think of are the good times she's shared with them in the past.
Alora Lawson – I had a feeling you'd like all those tasty Todoroki crumbs :P! Sometimes it's just so easy to fall back into messy relationships with toxic people, cutting people out completely can be so difficult Dx
Lapis Laguna – I headcanon that Fuyumi is a dork who is totally into the TodoMi ship. I mean, she's his older sister so she'll see pretty quickly just how differently he acts around Natsumi as opposed to how he is around anyone else. Lol
Ahh, I cannot wait for the summer camp arc haha. Lots of angst and drama ahead that's for sure 😉
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried not to make it too long but a lot happened. Also, I always feel like Endeavor is kind of hard to write for and I hate doing it but for the sake of the story I need to have him make appearances here and there lolol