JuggernautJJ: Your patrpatriarchal theory of women suppressing their powers still has me intrigued! Yes, when you mentioned it, Captain Marvel immediately came up to me, but Wonder Woman as well! Especially in the comics once she found out that her bracelets of submission were actually holding her back instead of aiding her in combat.
And regarding the League of villians, I think Jean would recognize where they were coming from and the pain that led them down this path. But she wouldn't think it would justify their violence, I think?
S0128Yuki: Yeah, in my opinion, Aoyama is an animated Alex Summers with slightly better hair
Phoenix Targaryen: I don't think Charles was intentionally holding her back because she was more powerful than him, but he tried to teach her control so she wouldn't have another 'incident' like she did with her parents. I think he was more concerned of what she might do to others and how she could hurt them that he failed to notice that he was hurting her instead. He made her fear herself (although that wasn't his intention), but I think it was a better outcome than in the original horrible timeline (the one before Wolverine went back in time and showed him the future) Since in the original timeline, he completely played with her mind, caging all of her powerful emotions and her strengths, creating an alter ego, while the normal Jean was ignorant as to how strong she could be. So, choosing to make Jean fear herself and always move with caution vs. a ticking time bomb with a dual personality was the better of two evils I suppose.
Lol, sorry for ranting...
And yes, you can expect a love triangle soon
riachuelo: Your review made me laugh so much I almost choked! So thank you!
Earl John Diawatan: Oooooh I never really thought about it that way... I mean, I thought of Colossus the moment I saw Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and Kirishima was akin to it, too... I like Emma, too, but I came to dislike her when she stole Jean's man (Scott) in the comics
starshadow122: Yeah she's so lovable LMAO!
For a telepath she's surprisingly dense lol But for realz, she may or may not notice her effect on guys later on in the upcoming chapters, but she would most likely dismiss them as "boys being boys" In my opinion, Yumi is most likely too "mature"? to reciprocate any sort of romantic feelings at first. And if she does develop them, she would go out of her way to deny those feelings. Let's not forget that she's mentally older than her peers and that she always viewed Scott as her one true love. But I'm excited to write her path down emotional maturity :D
~
"Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it."
-The Secret History
~
"YAHOO! Players get ready for the third match of the second round!" Present Mic's announcement overhead was loud as Midoriya carefully jogged his way into the 1-A section.
"Ah, Deku-kun!" Uraraka suddenly called in surprise. Her classmates turned to the mentioned male and took in his form that was bandaged from the waist up. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that he was out so early; but at least he didn't look like he was in pain anymore.
"Midoriya-chan, your surgery went well?" Tsuyu eagerly asked.
"Yeah." The green haired teen nodded and took the seat next to Uraraka.
"Shouldn't you be resting...?" Uraraka asked, eyes brimming over with worry. And Midoriya was quick to dedicate her a firm shake of his head. "I bumped into Iida-kun right before this. His match is right after Akano-san's. I want to properly watch the efforts of everyone who wants to become a hero."
His words prompted not only Uraraka, but the rest of them to nod and pay attention. He was absolutely right about everyone trying their best, so they couldn't fault him for trying to come watch and support his classmates.
After the two contestants made their entrance and got on the tournament stage, the crowds began to cheer. "Who will be the victor, one of the top hero course students, Tokoyami Fumikage, or the dark horse that is Akano Yumi, who'd won her previous fight in an instant?! Just who will it be?!"
"May the best win." Yumi declared with a stoic and respectful look to the Raven-headed boy who was standing within a reasonable distance from her. Red eyes flashed with silent determination, and Tokoyami reciprocated with a polite nod. "Affirmative."
Unlike the previous fight that featured both Midoriya and Todoroki, the stage lacked the palpable tension that used to seep into the air. But anyone could tell that the two parties now involved were also in it for the win, just to show that no one was actually deceived by the calmness both Tokoyami and Akano radiated.
"Who do you guys think will win?" Ashido ended up asking her classmates who had their eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"My money's on Tokoyami." Sero answered almost all too quickly, a bright grin plastered on his flat face that showed his confidence in his classmate's abilities. And Kaminari nodded boisterously in return.
"Same! But Akano-chan needn't worry, I'll comfort her." He said, eliciting a scowl from Jiro.
It seemed that the bunch were free to discuss the match as loud as they wanted, especially since Bakugou wasn't in their midst, already gone off to prepare for his upcoming match against Iida Tenya.
Mina hummed thoughtfully at the two boys' words, and then turned to the girl who had actually faced the Dark Shadow-user in the previous round. "What about you, Yaomomo?"
"Yes, Tokoyami-san has a huge advantage. If not by the weeks of rigorous hero combat training he has on her, then by his display of sheer aggressive offense and defense..." Yaoyorozu calmly said, thinking back to Tokoyami's incredible proficiency with his Quirk, using it for both attack and defense, boosting his mobility. Her hands gave off the slightest tremble and she quickly clenched them into fists to hide her discomfort. Tokoyami Fumikage was frighteningly quiet during their bout, and his eyes revealed an unwavering strength. A look of total serenity. She, herself, didn't stand a chance against him...
Uraraka, having heard the discouraging talk about the outcome of her friend's match, fidgeted nervously. "Th-that's not completely true! Yu-chan easily won against Aoyama-kun. If she could do the same in this fight-"
"-I don't know about that..."
"Deku-kun?"
Midoriya frowned, a calculative look blinking onto his features. "I don't know much about Akano-san's Quirk, but assuming that she can alter the perception of her opponent by affecting their brain somehow, then I don't think that will work on Tokoyami-kun in particular."
Ochako's nervousness shifted into confusion at the green haired male's words. "How come?"
"Because-" He began, just as Present Mic announced the beginning of the match.
"START!"
On cue, the Shadow attached to Tokoyami started to grow larger and stronger, and it was headed straight towards Yumi. Anticipating this, she was quick on her feet and dodged the oncoming attacks while her hand flew to her temple.
With a heavy sigh, she made her way into Tokoyami's mind in a rush but still minding her precision as she hoped for a similar outcome to her earlier match as she tapped into his mind. Akano watched in relief as Dark Shadow retracted back to the blinded boy, and she wasted no time to advance forward.
Tokoyami's eyes shot wide open, only to be met with nothing but jet black darkness. Yumi's approach may have been a bit extreme, not only distorting his perception of where she was, but completely wiping out the landscape before him until all of his vision was blinded. She wasn't taking any chances during this round, especially with how strong her opponent was.
"Akano advances forward! Could she emerge as the victor to this match?!" Present Mic's announcement was all Tokoyami needed to confirm his suspicion that Akano was lunging towards him, attempting to do the same to him as she did Aoyama.
Unfortunately for Akano, she had missed one tiny detail once she reveled inside Tokoyami's head, but one that shifted the entire match in an instant.
"Dark Shadow! Don't let her get close!" Gritting his teeth indignantly, Tokoyami shouted out the command to his Quirk.
"You got it!" Uncrossing its shadowy arms, the being huffed before complying.
"Because Dark Shadow is its own separate entity." Midoriya's words echoed throughout the seating area, and Ochako gasped in realization.
It was that Fumikage's Quirk allowed him to manifest -manifest, and not control- a sentient shadow monster from his body that can materialize and contract freely.
"Wha-?!" Air was knocked out of Yumi's lungs mid-run when Dark Shadow's powerful claw of a hand struck her across the midriff with undoubted precision. The shock and the force of the attack made her eyes peel open, bewilderment flashing across her face. 'That shouldn't... He can't see me... Can he?'
She winced from the impact when she stood up straight, and she was sure that if she hadn't taken the right stance and crossed her arms protectively in front her that she could have fractured a rib or something. 'I'm sure he can't see me. Not with that dazed look in his eyes. Wait-!'
Before her mind was able to link up a conclusion, another blow was dealt her way without her being able to comprehend where it was coming from, and this one ended up with her toppling onto the floor with a loud thud. Tokoyami didn't need his eyes to win, he didn't even have to move as his companion did all of his work for him. This was what Yaoyorozu must've felt during her bout with the stoic boy...
'He's fast' She wheezed, brow cinched and perspiration glistening along the side of her face. 'I thought he had conscious control over that thing, but it's acting on its own.' Hands supporting her crouching form against the cold cement, Yumi swallowed thickly, hearing the multiple gasps of disappointment that erupted from the crowds, but she didn't mind them.
Akano took off and started sprinting, as Dark Shadow shot towards her again, pouncing onto her as if she were its prey. With her telepathy still in action, she was able to dodge the attacks with difficulty while trying to close in her opponent. Seeing that she was getting closer, Tokoyami expelled Dark Shadow at a more forceful pace. The blur of black was causing chaos around the ring.
WHOOSH!BAM!
'He keeps attacking so quick, I can't collect my thoughts' She panted heavily trying to calm her heart rate down, almost not catching enough oxygen. And with a snap, Yumi's hold on Tokoyami's mind vanished after she lost focus, her minor injuries and the constant fear and evasion of Dark Shadow's attacks had done the trick. Said boy's scarlet eyes widened, grateful that his vision returned and he wasted no time into taking in his surroundings once more.
Tokoyami took a few steps forward to move away from the out of bounds line, although he knew he was fully in control now. And he stared at Yumi's slight slouched form with a frown, however still commanding his Quirk to restrain her or push her out, whichever came first.
In the midst of the attacks, the entity shot one of its claws up from below Yumi's feet and made a move to restrain her. However, she quickly maneuvered her hands above her head to lift herself off from the ground before flipping her body over the attacking mass. However, that move only caused her to get even closer to the out of bounds line.
"Akano is in a pinch! With Tokoyami's relentless attacks, it looks like she's got nowhere to go but out!" Overhead, Present Mic's excited voice boomed as he commented on Dark Shadow's impressive attacks against Akano. "Will Akano Yumi be alright?!"
"Y-Yu-chan!" Uraraka's voice came out in a desperately squeak, and she held her hands together tightly in a praying fashion. She still seemed to have hope that her friend would still make it, but her positive thinking fully differed from the disappointed murmurs the crowds of Pro Heroes released.
"Is she gonna lose?"
"And here I thought she was gonna make it to the finals..."
"Their difference in ability is just too great!"
Tokoyami scrutinized the heaving, tired girl. And he figured that she was at her wit's end once he began walking closer to her.
"I admire your tenacity. However-" He halted in his steps, maintaining a calm expression as he instructed his Quirk to go for one final push that would surely be the last one he needed. "Dark Shadow, drive her out."
"You got it!"
"Tokoyami closes in on Akano!" Present Mic howled excitedly. "Will he deliver his final attack now?!"
Like a furious wave, impotence rose to Jean's chest and ran through her entire body, and she shook her head frantically.
'Not yet,' She furrowed her brows as she shuffled and switched to stand over to her other foot. Dark Shadow came at her once again, and this time although she could tell that the attack was stronger and more vicious than its predecessors, it seemed like she could see it in slow motion. The sounds that the horde of spectators made were echoey, as if she were under water and she just stared at the oncoming attack with unwavering pupils.
"We're just really proud of you! We love you, Yumi/Mi-chan!""Just as well, don't you lose. Show 'em what we general ed students are made of.""When we first met.. On that train, I was really scared, and you saved me. You were my hero back then, Yu-chan!"
As those supportive words echoed through her mind, she willed herself to focus harder. Her parents, Shinsou, Ochako, and even the liberated form of Todoroki's back as flames erupted from his left side all flashed before her all at once. 'I have to use it!'
She had taken a huge gamble with this because she wasn't sure if she would still be fully conscious of the limit of her powers, but now she knew, it was now or never. She needed to make this work because the out of bounds line was just a few feet behind her. 'I'm scared... I'm afraid of hurting someone again. But-!'
"Jean," Charles Xavier's smooth and softly accented voice was still fresh within Jean's memories, as was the wisdom of his words that never failed to guide her in times of need. "A person's heart is made up of two sides of the same coin. Just as happiness shines in the shadows of sorrow, only the darkest depths of fear, does courage truly shine."
With a ragged breath, Yumi weakly shook her head, eyes slamming shut underneath her furrowed brow. 'I have no other choice...'
"Like I'll let you push me out!" Akano yelled spiritedly, her heightened senses fully focused. Aching, sour muscles were already prepared to react just as well as her telekinesis.
Yumi took notice that the attack was only a few feet away from, so she raised her arm gracefully albeit in a rushed manner, and thus created a protective force field out of psychokinetic energy to protect herself from the strike with the wave of her hand.
And then the shadowy figure collided against her invisible shield. It was a wave of a strong force crashing against an immovable object, but Dark Shadow ended up curving to the side from the impact.
"What-?!"
Green eyes locked on Tokoyami in a predatory gaze that sent shivers down his spine. He stepped back to decipher what was going on, but he commanded Dark Shadow to remain on guard.
Witnesses and spectators stared in shock at the intense scene before them, wondering how the red haired female was able to nullify Tokoyami's vicious blow.
"It was completely blocked?!" The voice hero gapped, but his natural curiosity quickly overwhelmed his excited narration. "...But how?"
"Don't ask me." Aizawa grumbled, but he, too, was intrigued by the new display of abilities.
Down below, Yumi's mind had never been clearer after she took care of Tokoyami's sentient Quirk. She maintained a solid grip on the energy within her, holding back any ounce of herself that could lose control and attempted to keep the balance on all of her emotions.
One wrong slip and she'd be regretting it.
The crowd cheered as the girl stood up straight with a wince, she rotated her right shoulder slightly to make sure nothing was broken. It hurt like hell, but everything seemed to be in the right place.
Tokoyami took a cautious step back as she moved away from the out bounds line. Her eyes shone with determination. But he wasn't ready to lose yet, either.
And with that notion, Dark shadow came lunging at her once again, this time at maximum speed, almost taking up all of the darkness Tokoyami had stored for Dark Shadow's offensive attacks. It seemed like it would work, the animated quirk of his was growing substantially in size to an almost terrifying extent, and Dark Shadow bared both of its claws at Akano. However-
Another surge of energy began to flow through her, and Yumi poured all of her attention to creating an even stronger blow that would render his attack useless.
The entity had no time to react once Jean projected her telekinetic energy as a purely concussive force. And it was simply pushed back, unable to resist her power.
Tokoyami's eyes blew wide open, panic seeping into his blood making him shudder in response to the invisible force that had negated his own powerful attack. 'How is she doing this?' The tranquil air he carried vanished as did the brief confidence that he was going to win this fight, while Akano just coolly observed him from afar, winds rushing past her cascading silky hair. It seemed like the roles have been reversed, and the spectators cheered in excitement.
"Did you see that?!"
"W-what in the world was that?!"
"I've never seen anything like this before!"
"B-but a shocking ability about Akano has just been revealed!" Present Mic briefly stammered in shock from the announcement cube.
"I see..." Aizawa noted with a gruff tone as he looked down at Akano Yumi's information sheet, inspecting it for the second time around. The Voice hero also turned to look at the sheet with a raised brow, letting out a confused mumble. "Huh? What is it?"
The Erasure hero huffed when he came to a conclusion, and his brief curiosity of the girl's abilities was finally satiated. "What with such a vague Quirk naming, of course there'd be confusion as to what it exactly is."
When Akano's Quirk was only named as 'ESP' in her registry, and when she only displayed telepathic feats in her previous match, he had come to assume that she only possessed that specific set of ability. Until now that is.
This new piece of information that has come to light only drove Aizawa to wonder why she didn't apply to the hero course in the first place, and why she was applying for a transfer only now.
"Well, what is her Quirk?" Present Mic mumbled, pouting as he tried to look at the paper for himself, squishing his face next to Eraser's to sneak a peak.
Aizawa pushed the blonde hero out his way with his arm cast. His black eyes focused on the unmoving girl in the ring. It seemed that she really knew what she was doing.
"'Drive her out' is what you said, right?" The red haired esper repeated to Tokoyami, and she smirked when she saw the visible tremor of his hands. She lifted her arm once again, and faced her open palm towards him.
"DARK SHADOW!-" Before the crow-headed boy could shout out another command to his shadowy companion, something interrupted. Tokoyami gasped a ragged breath when he felt something, an energy of some sort looming over him before wrapping around his form.
"You get out!" Yumi continued to scream as she strongly, almost disdainfully, lifted Tokoyami's body including the shadowy extension of him with her telekinetic abilities, and tossed his body across the arena.
And the crow of a boy landed meters away from the tournament stage with a loud thud, his body almost bouncing off of the cement from the sudden impact as he coughed a big gulp of air.
[Akano Yumi, Quirk: ESP!Akano possesses and can harness psychic powers. This includes a wide range of abilities such as Telepathy, Tele-empathy, Retrocognition, and Pyschokinesis.In other words; she's weird!]
After pausing, a short stutter came out of Midnight's half-open mouth before speaking correctly. "... To-Tokoyami-kun is out of bounds! Akano-san wins!"
"Yu-chan!" Uraraka cried out in relief, body shooting up to a standing position the moment the announcement was made. The rest of her classmates were equally as surprised at the events that just transpired, their jaws slacking in shock. It was only Midoriya who hadn't given the exact reaction at the same time, looking a bit thoughtful for a while before gasping in realization.
"Could it be...?!" He said to himself, trying to go through his own notebook with one hand as the other was stuck in a cast and suspended from his shoulder.
"What is it Deku-kun?"
"That was Psychokinesis without a doubt." He asserted, lips forming a tight line as he looked up from the slightly burnt book. His jittery statement drew the whole lot of attention to him.
"Huh?"
"I think you've mentioned something like that before, but I didn't really get it." Jiro remarked, remembering Midoriya's ramble after she asked him what the red haired girl's was.
The One-For-All user did a double take and winced once his aching muscles protested, noticing that the majority of his class were awaiting for his explanation. "Psychokinesis, or telekinesis, is the ability of one's mind to have a direct effect on another object without the use of any physical energy."
"Isn't that an insanely strong Quirk then, Midoriya?" Kirishima asked with a tone underlying anxiety, since he figured that if he were to win his second match against Mina, he'd be facing the fellow redhead up next.
"Yeah..." Midoriya mumbled.
Mina, surprisingly, then voiced out the thought that had crossed the green haired boy's mind at this instant. "Th-then, why hasn't she used it before?"
"I don't know..." He trailed off, his curious eyes shifting to gaze down at the girl in question.
"WONDERFUL!" Up in the announcement booth, Present Mic was absolutely enthralled by the new display of Yumi's abilities. "WHAT INCREDIBLE POWER! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THAT, AKANO?!"
'What did I...?' The wild and incredibly loud cheers prompted Yumi's owlish blinking after stood up straight, her arm falling by her side. She, herself, was surprised at what happened, just now realizing it as she wiped a cold sweat off her forhead. Her once dimmed eyes sparkling once she looked up to the large screen that displayed her victorious form, digital confetti surrounding her in it with the words 'WINNER' sprawled across it.
She could hear the outrageous questions emerging from the multitude of Pro Heroes, asking and wondering if she really were a student of the general department, and she would have been proud to know that she's started to prove herself if she weren't overcome with worry for Tokoyami who was still sprawled on the floor.
But a sigh of relief left her lips once she saw him lift himself up and dusting off his gym uniform before making his way back to the arena.
"Seriously what just happened?!"
"As expected of our Akano-sama!"
Shinsou had been quietly supportive of Akano throughout her entire match, wincing every time she was knocked down by the so called "superior" hero student, but still hoping she'd pull through. However, just when it seemed that she was going to lose, the genius redhead turned the tables by showcasing an new, hidden, ability and it rendered him speechless. "What... Was that?" He muttered, voice portraying a mixture of disbelief and something yet to identify.
"What an absolutely stunning upset! The one who defeated Tokoyami Fumikage who was one of those favored to win this tournament, was Akano Yumi, a general Ed student!"
Simultaneously, over at the class B seating section, Monoma Neito clicked his tongue in annoyance, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he saw his former classmate bowing in front of her defeated opponent. "Tch, she's too competent."