SideStory #11

"The Nameless Fear"

The very moment Izumi unleashed her plan towards everyone inside the situation room, a feeling of surprise and amazement filled the air. Particularly those closest to Izumi as they triumphantly saw what Mina and her did in the fight's final moments. Toshinori was rather impressed as well when they managed to pull off a last minute surprise given how much time was left in the simulation. A few cheers among the class was heard, mostly cheers of joy coupled with impressed looks and soft claps.

However, tensions and worries rose the moment Izumi didn't release Shoto Todoroki from her grip. It lasted only a few seconds but the entire room went silent. A sudden feeling of concern enveloped Class 1-A and this only worsened once Izumi collapsed on spot. Toshinori didn't know what to think as three of Izumi's friends along with Tenya rushed to help her from the situation room. Those of the likes that remained were left in shock and confusion. Most of them had never seen the drawback of her quirk yet, so seeing her bleed right there on the spot made everyone surprised. Most of them drew concern for her, even Katsuki was relatively silent seeing Izumi like this for the first time.

He had heard about the Entrance Exam.

But seeing it like this was different.

He grumbled in response as he frowned at what happened. This day allowed him to collect so many questions in regards to Izumi. Seeing her cry earlier at lunch and now this… it made him ask what exactly was the girl's quirk in the first place. And what the hell was happening to her that day?

He would find out soon, even if he needed to confront her in a less than friendly way.

But for what reason exactly that he cared for her, he didn't know.

Meanwhile, as Toshinori rushed over to Izumi's position, her friends and the companions she shared within the battle trials accompanied her to the infirmary for Recovery Girl's care. When he was left to his own musings, he decided to call Inko through his phone.

Sparing a few minutes to tell her wouldn't hurt.

Besides, the class was too occupied right now to directly move into the next simulation.

He waited for someone to answer the call as he stood there. Thankfully it didn't take long and Inko's voice was heard on the other end of the line.

"Hey, I'm surprised you called. What's the occasion?" Inko happily asked.

"Young Izumi collapsed just now." he said.

Inko took a few seconds before replying back with a concerned tone.

"Tell me what happened."

"Well for starters, the simulation was fairly okay up until it ended. Her team won the fight with her rather impressive tactic, but as soon as I announced that they won, she froze in place."

"She froze? In place?"

"Yes… do you remember what I told you with what Kaguya and I saw on the very first day of her training?"

Inko sighed in worry.

"I do."

"Well this wasn't anything different. Except that she froze… and nearly strangled her classmate to death with how strong her grip on him was."

"What? S-She did that?" Toshinori felt that Inko's concern doubled, and through the background noise he heard on the call, he discerned that she was doubling her pace to get to Izumi as quickly as possible.

"Yes. What I noticed clearly was the expression on her face, like she was trying so hard to control her quirk. I've never seen that before, and I thought she already had a good grasp at controlling it with the dampener on her head."

"Shit. Where did they take her again? To the infirmary?" Inko's voice was noticeably panicking. Her footsteps were heard through the call and he swore that he could hear another set behind her. Probably Kaguya. But to what reason she was panicking was unknown to her. He knew that this was an occurrence that happened when the girl overtaxed her quirk, but he didn't know why Inko harbored such sudden concern hearing what he just said.

"Tell me… were her eyes switching from glowing red to normal?"

"Not that I could remember… but maybe?"

"Damn it! I knew something was wrong last night and early this morning she didn't even talk to me! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she accused herself as her desperation was heard loud and clear.

"Calm down… tell me what's bothering you."

"Listen, do you remember the details I all told you about Izumi's quirk?"

Toshinori recalled that night in full detail, specifically because it changed what came after for the girl's situation. All of those noted observations of what the quirk does made him concerned greatly for the girl and what it meant for the world in general. No one was going to be ready for this once this came out to everyone. It was impossible for no one to take advantage of this knowledge.

Least of all the enemies he encountered in the past.

"I do. What of it?"

"I think this has to do with her quirk's need to consume other quirks within her vicinity. The whole reason it exists is to locate and hunt quirks for its own volition right? I'm concerned that this is what she's experiencing right now."

The thought made him shudder.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know, it's just a gut feeling… because last night the way she talked to me and how silent she was… that wasn't normal. I know how Izumi acts most of the time and even with the fiasco yesterday with those thieves, I know for a fact that she can handle her emotions well enough for herself. But today, she's been quiet. A bit too quiet. Like she was hiding something from us."

Thankfully if that was the case, then handling it this early on would prove to be beneficial.

"Alright, you talk to her. I still got a class to finish. I wish the best of luck for both of you."

"We still need to talk to her later. I need your help, because if what I'm thinking right now is true… then Izumi might be in trouble." Inko firmly said.

The prospect about that made him fear for the worst. He hoped that it wasn't the case.

Still…

"I'll see you later then."

"Likewise." Inko said as she turned the call down. Toshinori put his phone away as he wondered what to do with the girl next. With everything that was coming to play, it seemed the worst really was ahead of them and he hoped that there was enough time for the girl to be ready.

He walked back to situation room in a hurry as his thoughts returned to his class. Izumi was safe for now, so he had to make sure to complete the tasks given to him at that moment. Opening the door to the situation room, immediately most of Class 1-A rushed to his position.

Most of them asking if she was alright and what exactly happened down there.

A flurry of questions continued to pile up as he saw Uraraka, Toru, Tokoyami, even Kaminari and Mineta asking about Izumi's wellbeing along with what happened with Shoto and the others. Toshinori was overwhelmed but rather felt comfort seeing that they cared about her.

"All Might… is she okay?" Katsuki gruffly asked.

Toshinori and the class looked at the blonde boy's direction.

"She is, and don't worry about her. Recovery Girl will make sure she's alright." He explained.

Katsuki turned away as footage of Izumi still littered the screens. The way All Might sounded felt like he was keeping something from them. He frowned in response to that, knowing that something else was wrong with her. He knew it. He did see her crying earlier alone.

But for what it was exactly, he couldn't say for certain.

"Dude, what a way to start this day though! Did you see how cool their fight was?" Sero said, sparking a conversation amongst the class about doing better than what Izumi started. This in turn made everyone more so determined and excited to start their own simulations together. Making it easier for Toshinori to make this lesson all the more enjoyable for them.

He smiled at them with one of his famous poses and declared the continuation of the class.

While also thanking that Izumi wasn't alone in her endeavor towards her situation.

She had her classmates to back her up, and he was happy enough to know that.

She nearly lost control there… were it not my assistance, I believe something terrible may have happened. Nana Shimura said, as joining her were seven other entities. Her hair and white cape flowed behind her as they watched everything as it transpired through the girl's eyes.

Does your successor even know the real danger this girl possesses? Because we've all felt it. I'm sure you all know what this means once she does lose control in the future. 'One for All' must not be made a tool of destruction, yet this girl's native quirk makes me fear the worst of our situation. A bald man in a black jacket said as he looked at Nana.

Nana herself was not convinced by this.

She was the closest one to the girl in terms of how much she interacted with her. She guided her subtly too in some cases, and even when the transfer was abrupt and sudden… she never saw a person that would one day replace the great enemy that killed all of them in the past.

She knew for sure that this girl was in fact the right choice.

Yet it seemed most of the companions she shared space with, did not agree to her assessment.

I think we should wait before we decide. The girl is far too young for us to say that she's unworthy. Look at us, all of those who passed on 'One for All' to the next person knows that the choice was not a thing we were all sure of. But look at us now… a failure we may be in our own lifetimes, yet here we stand, knowing full well that the choice was never wrong in the slightest.

She needs time to learn… and only then can we say that she is worthy.

Nana smiled, she never knew this holder of One for All back in her day but seeing that he made point of which the others agreed to made her thoughts on the girl justified. Toshinori was in fact quirkless, and look what he turned out.

She couldn't be prouder with what he became and she could see it well enough in her successor's eyes that he had belief in the girl's ability.

Belief to change the world that is.

We still need to prepare for the worst. A darkness looms over her. A darkness that has power even over us. We may hold it back through the girl's connection to empathy and kindness, but at the end of the day it is up to her to make sure the monster inside her does not come out.

Nana looked at the owner of the voice…

She only knew him as the first and he did have a large point to consider. She has already seen this monstrosity. Dormant at most in the time they were with the girl, but now that its hunger is permeating the surface, she feared for the girl's self-control.

Hoping that she could pull through.

I believe in Toshinori. He is blunt and flawed but his judgement is astute. If he believes in this girl, then I am inclined to follow his views. Separated we all may be across generations, but if the best of us who survived and made the world a better place puts his stake on this girl then it has more merit than I care to assume. Nana said.

Silence came upon all of them.

They were unsure of the current events laid out at present. The girl's future was uncertain. Very uncertain to the point that tipping the balance will cause a tragedy that could harm and kill innocents. Worst of all, the girl's own misgivings getting the better of her and in the world seizing her for it.

They had seen it up close what the girl's quirk was.

They had seen the dangers and the darkness it contained.

Lost voices of the dead haunt her mind, only to be stopped by their intervention. They all wondered at the same time, whatever could have happened if 'One for All' was not assimilated into the girl's body.

Nana knew best not to think of that outcome.

For she knew that it could be fate that drew her to have 'One for All'. Because without it-

She may have turned into something this world had never seen…

A nameless fear that preyed upon everything.

A sigh came over them all. Luckily that outcome was far from turning into reality. With their guidance and help, they hoped that was the case. They hoped that this girl's future was not of the monster they all feared for her to turn into.

TO BE CONTINUED ON CHAPTER 14

AN: Hi guys! Here again we have finished another SideStory… and yes this does take place on that small time period before Izumi's awakening. As for the scene in the ending of this, I can confirm that it could have been a large possibility that without 'One for All' nothing would have stopped Izumi from turning into a monster. This was the reality that Juno was hoping for, but since 'One for All' was introduced into the mix, it acted as a counterbalance to her very vulnerable state. Allowing her to use her quirk without the fear of overextending the natural tendencies of 'Agony's Embrace'.

Without it, well I can morbidly say that things would have gotten different in the story. Haha.

Leave a review if possible and thanks for the continued support!

Oh… and if anyone's down for an Overlord fanfic, I have posted one in my profile. Care to check that out too and I hope you like it as well! This story will take priority over that, but I'm excited of the possibilities it entails!

That's all from me at this time, and I do hope you stay for what comes next and yes… it's a 2-parter that will lead to this story's version of the USJ incident. Stay safe til' then guys! Bye! :)