Did I write this right after I posted the other one? Possibly. I'm just so excited to get into these last final chapters and I couldn't wait! Hope you enjoy!
The moment ran though Amari's head over and over again, still not believing it to be true. She had made it past the first round, and he had finally beaten Todoroki in one of their battles. It was overwhelming, so much so that the girl didn't know how to take it.
Although she quickly interrupted out of her own thoughts when the sharp sting of Neosporin shocked her as the cold liquid touched her skin and Katsuki grumbled. "Idiot, you know you can't be healed. Why the hell did you go so far?"
Pushing her teeth together in order not to groan, the girl laughed nervously before the nurse began to wrap her arms in medical tape. "Oh please Katsuki, it's just a couple of burns. Don't be such a baby. The point is I passed, remember?"
Yet her brother wasn't pleased, staring at the scars that littered her cheeks and face before flicking her nose in annoyance. "That doesn't mean you have to pick a fight with icy hot. That bastard didn't go easy on you.."
Rubbing the sore spot on her nose, the girl frowned. "I'm glad he didn't. It meant Shoto was taking me seriously, and besides aren't battle scars kinda cool in their own way?"
She beamed in happily as Katsuki's eyes saddened, not wanting to see his sister so beat and scratched up. "Only you would say that stupid. Just try not to kill yourself on the next round. Getting your license doesn't mean anything if you're dead."
Laughing to herself, Amari ignored the hard reality of his words before thanking the nurse and touching her now bandaged arm. "Yeah, you got a point there…"
Just then the door opened beside them as Endeavor stomped in wordlessly, causing the girl to wear a lopsided grin. "Endeavor! What brings you here? Were you worried about your favorite trainee, or did you wanna congratulate me on kicking some serious ass back there?"
Although her playful tone was slowly deflated when the man huffed back. "First of all, you're my only trainee, something I regret far too often, and second of all you almost failed the exam by picking a fight with my son. Did you forget what the goal was?"
To be completely honest, Endeavor was insanely tense the entire fight, mostly because those two stupid kids were only focusing on themselves and not the ultimate goal. Any more time messing around and both Todoroki and Amari would've failed.
Amari blinked in surprise at his tone before leaning back in her chair lazily. "Aww come on old man, give me some props. Yeah we did get a little carried away but it was all in good fun. No one forgot about passing or anything like that. You know I'm not that stupid."
Although Endeavor only sighed in response, placing an exhausted hand to his head in order to quell an oncoming headache. "That's to be decided. Just focus on what matters. Don't forget, you represent my agency."
Nodding back silently, Amari replied. "You know I don't intend to fail Endeavor, no matter what. Your agency's pride is safe with me."
The man could only look at her scars though, sighing heavily at the amount of faith he had put in this reckless girl. He cared for her yes, but even Endeavor knew just how carried away she could get sometimes when she really wanted something.
Just then, Amari looked over her shoulder only to sadden just slightly. "Hey, where's Hawks? He said he would sneak in to see us after the first round. I wanna tell him that his plan worked.."
Yet just as she finished her words Endeavor crossed his arms over his chest. "That idiot bird is still with those commission dogs. The president wanted him to stay for the intermission, I imagine on purpose so that he couldn't see you two."
Hearing about his treatment made the girl's eyes fall, balling her fists in the process. That president really was doing everything to take Hawks' freedom from him. "Oh, okay.."
The man then noticed her saddened expression before narrowing his eyes as well. "Bakugo, I already know what you're thinking and don't do it. You've already caught the eye of that bitch, don't make it worse. Hawks is a grown adult, he can handle his own problems."
By bitch, she knew he meant the president, causing Amari to look down at her hands.
He must have known she was trying to help him, Endeavor was able to pick up on her habit easier than she thought. "It's just, he's who I used to be. Sure he may be an adult but if anyone knows how hopeless those people can make you feel, then it's me. I don't know, it makes me want to save him. But that's stupid, right?"
Although at her words, Endeavor only scoffed, forcing her to look up at him. "Absolutely."
Nodding her head sadly, Amari was about to agree when the man continued roughly, thinking about how she was the only one that took a chance on him. "But then again, you are full of a lot of stupid ideas that seemingly work sometimes."
Amari couldn't help but widen her eyes at that before Endeavor turned away from her. "Although you don't have time to focus on that right now. Get ready for the next round, and don't fail me Bakugo."
His tone was rough but Bakugo couldn't help but curve her lips up at it, knowing that he was showing his support in his own way. "Wouldn't dream of it old man."
Grumbling to himself, the man left as Amari thought about his words. He came to give her some encouragement, didn't he? That was the reason he showed up on their break. That tsundere man.
Just then the bell began to ring, signaling the start of the second round as Katsuki and Amari turned to each other silently and all at once, almost like they had sensed each other.
Gazing for a couple more moments, both of their lips then twisted into a confident smirk as Amari spoke proudly. "Alright, let's go get our licenses."
Moving out into the crowds once more, Amari felt the eyes on her as she tried to ignore their piercing stares. Yes the first round had shown that she wasn't some kind of weak girl with a quirk defect but now that meant that all the students were looking at her and her brother now more than ever. Lucky her.
The small touch of her brother's hand seemed to calm her down enough to make it to the center of the arena as Mera and the president appeared once again on the screens. "Now we move to the final round of the provisional exam test. It's something that some of all may be familiar with, but it is still the most important part of being a hero."
Just then the screen blinked to life as everyone's names surrounded the two people. "The category is rescue. Find and save as many lives as you can while looking out for impending obstacles. You will be scored on your progress and how you handle the situation."
Katsuki couldn't help but turn his head at this. The final test was almost the same as the one from last year, the one that the boy had failed so miserably at and what caused him to lose his chance. Why would they have the same exact test? It seemed strange.
Although Amari was determined, balling her fists before narrowing her eyes with a serious nature. This was it, their last test, their last chance to show the judges that they deserve their license. She couldn't mess this up.
Suddenly, the bell rang signally the start of the exam as the room folded in on itself to reveal a large ruined city landscape, complete with fire, destroyed buildings and plenty of people screaming. It seemed real, too real actually. The commission wasn't fooling around.
Given her experience with the setting, Amari headed off immediately with Katsuki at her side, quickly looking around for the source of the nearest scream when they found an old man seemingly trapped under a large pile of debris.
As he pretended to be hurt in order to fit the scene of the exam the man called out brokenly. "M-My leg, I can't move it…!"
Quickly looking over to his leg, Amari reached her hand under the debris before calling out to her brother roughly. "Katsuki help me, I can't move it on my own!"
Her brother compiled before grabbing the other side of the beam and lifting it up with his sister's help as the man crawled out from the wreckage.
That's when Amari pointed to Katsuki before gesturing to the man. "Take him to the medical bay, I'll look for more survivors."
He knew why she had asked him to do this, is because the boy was ultimately faster, although that didn't ease the distress in his chest at the idea of her going off on her own. "Don't do anything stupid!"
Amari couldn't help but laugh at that, already readying her hands with sparks and heading in the opposite discretion. "No promises."
Hawks watched the screens as Amari quickly hurried away from the scene, a small smile on his face. This is where Amari would surely thrive, given that she had actually been in multiple real life attacks before.
Where other kids would be intimidated by the wreckage, Bakugo would know exactly what to do. Her numerous amounts of field work would really help her here. It should be an easy pass.
Although that's when he heard the president chuckle next to him, causing the man's face to lose his joy immediately. If she was laughing then he knew it couldn't be good. "What's so funny prez, you surprised that she's doing so well?"
The woman's eyes flicked to Hawks before answering smoothly. "Not at all. In fact, this test will show us exactly who Bakugo Amari is. I'm sure of it."
The ominous sense to her tone immediately alarmed the bird before the president spoke again, her voice cruel and calculating. "You see, I don't believe you've been telling me the full truth, Hawks."
Widening his eyes slightly, the hero quickly covered up his fear with a small laugh. "Hmm? What are you talking about? I've always been honest with ya."
Yet it seemed the woman wasn't pleased, her eyes narrowing. "I think you've gotten attached to that girl, so much so that you want to protect her. It's touching, really."
That's when her voice turned cold almost immediately, staring at the girl on the screen with malice. "Although, there would be no reason to protect her if she really was just an "innocent girl" as you claim. That means there's more, more you're not telling me…"
Clapping her hands together once, the woman smirked back. "No matter though, the truth will be revealed soon enough. I've made sure of it."
Hawks felt his body run cold all at once before aggressively turning his head to look at the president. He didn't care if it looked suspicious, he needed to know. W-What did you do?"
Turning her head, the woman answered coldly. "This is what happens when you are dishonest Hawks. Now others have to suffer for your mistakes. Whatever happens next, you only have yourself to blame for it…"
The hero felt his heart rip in half at her words before glueing his eyes back towards the little girl that trusted him. What kind of terrible things was this woman going to do to her, and what had he just allowed to happen?
This was his fault, just like the president said. Why did he even lie in the first place, now she was going to suffer for his rebellion, someone always suffered in his place.
He was supposed to suffer, he was supposed to sacrifice himself for the good of society, not her. Stupid Keigo, stupid little boy, stupid, stupid stupid!
Feeling his own fingers turn white as they gripped the sides of the rail, Keigo then silently prayed that she'd be alright, that she could make it through whatever hell approached.
Rushing through the crash site, Amari gazed around the area before hearing a large group of voices call out in a rushed tone. They seemed to be other students from the looks of it and at a loss at what they were seeing.
The girl quickly turned on her heels before running up to the kids before speaking. "What's wrong?"
One of them pointed to a crumbling warehouse building to the left hand side as one of the girls put a hand to her head to cover a spot of blood. "There's someone inside but the building is going to come down at any minute! I tried but there is debris falling everywhere and it's impossible to get close. I don't have a defensive quirk so I'd just bring the whole building down with me."
The girl seemed to be in shock, rushing out her sentences as Amari looked at the tattered building. It really did look like it was about to fall apart at any minute. She needed to get them out of there and fast.
Placing a reassuring hand to the girl, Amari smiled. "It's okay, I can go in. My quirk can be used for defense. Just get ready to grab them when I come back through the entrance, okay?"
The girl nodded as Bakugo turned towards the crumbling building before taking a shaky breath and rushing in head first with her gold coating covering her body. She needed to get this done quickly.
Although when that girl said there was debris, she really wasn't kidding, Amari now having to dodge large chunks of plaster and glass as they rained down onto her. Although she was lucky enough to have them jump right off given her quirk.
Calling out into the space, Amari shouted. "Hello, is anyone there?"
She waited for a moment before a weak voice answered back, shaky and scared. "I-I'm here.."
Quickly following the voice, the girl nearly avoided a large piece of glass before seeing a clearing in the center of the building with a boy about her age lying on the ground with his eyes closed.
Rushing towards the scared boy, Amari quickly threw up a shield to entrap both of them before touching the kid carefully. "Hey hey, it's okay. I'm here to help you. Can you walk?"
The boy then opened his eyes before shaking his head, causing Amari's eyes to crumble as he gasped in pain. "You can't? That's okay, I'm gonna get you out of here. What's your name? Mine's Ember…"
Touching his arm in order to pick him up, the boy then said something that made her completely freeze in fear. "M-My name is Kazumi…"
She widened her eyes as her fingers touched something wet and sticky, only pulling away to find blood on her fingers while she tried to lift him up.
Suddenly, the room began to spin as the red blood began to mock her into remembering the lifeless eyes of the first year that she murdered by the same name, causing Amari's hands to begin to shake. "N-No…"
All of those suppressed feelings that Amari had worked had to forget about came rushing towards her all at once as she suddenly felt the desire to gasp with no air available, now doubling over in an intense amount of panic. No no not now, please not now, everyone was watching!
Suddenly her eyesight grew blurry as she lost control of herself, now seeing the black veins of her Nomu blood starting to snake through the sleeves of her shirt as the girl quickly struggled to cover them up, hopefully the camera wasn't seeing them.
The cameras, that's right everyone was watching her, she couldn't freak out, she couldn't lose control like this. They would think she was a monster, they would call her a villain and lock her away again.
She knew she was having a panic attack, although it wasn't enough to stop it as all of the unpleasant feelings and experiences smashed into her all at once as the building crumbled around her unknowingly as her gold matter flickered in distress.
Amari didn't even realize the building coming down on top of her before the boy named Kazumi called out to her roughly. "Look out!"
Hawks immediately raised out of his seat as the building fell apart around Amari, now seeing the distress and torture as it consumed her completely, just like the president had wanted. She must've planted that boy for her. "Kid.."
Seeing his sudden movement, the president only called back to him plainly, obviously not bothered that Amari could be seriously hurt right now . "Sit back down Hawks. You are making a scene."
Although the bird couldn't sit down, now watching the feed of the building as he balled his fists. None of this would've happened if he wasn't so disobedient. That kid, he just wanted her to succeed, and now looked at what happened.
Groaning loudly, Amari felt the blood pour down her head before feeling the strain of her quirk immediately as it lifted up a large amount of debris in order to protect her and the high school boy all at once.
The boy gasped in surprise as he watched Bakugo's muscles strain, fighting the Nomu blood from coming up to the surface. She couldn't use that as it would surely disprove everything she'd ever worked for in convincing the public she wasn't a villain.
She gritted her teeth as the debris weighted down on her quirk, the girl wondering what she could possibly do next. If she stayed like this then they would both be severely hurt as her quirk could only hold so much. Soon it would cave like the rest of the building.
Cursing to herself, she then looked down at the boy before roughly speaking. "W-Who gave you that name? You aren't really named Kazumi, right?"
The boy was about to lie when some of Amari's blood dripped onto him, causing his eyes to hollow in real fear. "The commission president, she gave me some money to call myself that. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Shaking her head, Amari narrowed her eyes before scoffing internally. Of course it was that president. She probably suspected her of Kazumi's death and set this whole thing up.
She knew her game well. That president wanted Amari to use her Nomu blood to get out of this in order to show the entire world that she was a monster. It was a smart plan, a terrible smart plan.
And it seemed that was the only way to get out of this situation as any other method would just cause a cave in. She was sure that woman had a camera on her even now, that bitch.
Feeling the beginning's of her own quirk over usage, Amari gasped in panic before focusing her energy in order to keep her shield up for as long as possible. This wouldn't last long, she had to think of something, and fast.
Hearing the loud rumble, Katsuki gazed up from the old man before a group of kids rushed over to the medical bay, terror in their eyes. "There's been a cave in! The blonde short girl, she's stuck inside!"
Without even hearing her name, Bakugo immediately knew who they were talking about, his heart dropping into his chest heavily. That idiot, he told her not to do anything stupid!
Racing over to the crash, he caught Todoroki on the way before quickly grabbing him by the collar, knowing that Amari would need both of them. "Icyhot, get your damn ass moving! Amari was part of a cave-in!"
Widening his eyes in horror, Todoroki immediately rushed after Bakugo before the two laid frozen in front of the destroyed building, the rumble piled onto each other in a heavy lump. Amari was in there? No, please no..
Almost immediately, Katsuki lit up his palms with explosions before Todoroki immediately silenced him. "Bakugo, wait, if you move something wrong then it could crush Amari. We have to be more careful."
Cursing to himself, the blonde boy stopped before pointing roughly at the wreckage. "Then what do you expect we do?! That idiot could be hurt. I'm not waiting…"
Todoroki's eyes seemed to sadden as well before looking at the large wreckage. He wanted nothing more than to drop everything and save her but he also knew Amari extremely well.
She wouldn't want them to fail their exams for her. In fact if she was here then Todoroki was sure the girl would've just scoffed and said she could handle this cave in herself.
And because of that, the boy remained strong. "I know how you feel but we need to put our faith in her. We can't rush and risk her or that other child's life. She went in there for a reason so I'm sure she's protecting that civilian right now."
Staring up at the screens, Todoroki then saw the image flip to a live feed of Amari as she held up the wreckage with her quirk. She was already doing her part, now it was time to do theirs. "What we need to do is get rid of some of the weight carefully so that she can break through with the civilian. I know she can, we just have to do our part here..."
Todoroki then looked around as the sound of other distressed citizens filled the air before turning to Katsuki. "Bakugo, go and evacuate the rest of the people in this area. That way when Amari blows through the debris there will be minimum damage and she doesn't have to worry about other lives being at risk."
His words echoed an unsaid faith in the girl, causing Katsuki to turn his head away roughly. He knew that Amari was stubborn and strong but pushing her away through all that wreckage was no easy task. But if anyone could do it, it would be her.
As much as it hated it, icyhot was right. Amari wasn't a weak kid, so he needed to put his faith in her as well, even though the very thought terrified him to his core.
Nodding once, Bakugo then wordlessly began to follow Todoroki's plan and run towards the other panicked citizens, silently hoping that the boy was right. "You better be right icy hot."
Hawks gripped onto the railing in front of him with so much force as he forcibly watched Amari grow weaker by the moment. It was obvious her quirk could only take so much. Soon that weight would crush both her and that boy that was acting like a civilian.
Turning the president, the man gave a little more unhinged than usual. "You do know that Bakugo could be seriously hurt like this right? Her quirk isn't going to last forever."
The woman only took a sip of her tea before answering plainly. "No, it won't, so she better decide to reveal herself or not."
Widening his eyes in confusion, the bird turned his head. "What does that mean?"
Smirking under her breath, the president replied. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that All for One's creation doesn't exist? Right after you were so adamant that Bakugo was a spy, you suddenly changed your mind? Oh please Hawks, that's not how you are.."
Feeling his head start to spin, the hero turned back to the struggling Amari before his eyes. She knew, she knew that she was All for One's masterpiece didn't she? That's why she was doing this in front of the entire world, so that she could have proof.
So much so that a hot ball of rage entered his throat at the very thought. "She's just a kid, a sixteen year old kid.."
Noticing his sharp tone, the woman raised an eye. "And? Problems like these need to be disposed of quickly. You would know a lot about that though, wouldn't you little boy?"
At the sound of his trigger, Hawks flinched before shutting his mouth on command, just like she had conditioned him to do over and over again.
She was right, any imperfection he had was wiped clear by the commission many years ago. That's just how they worked, how they always worked.
The woman seemed to realize this as well, commanding him low. "Now sit down Hawks. Your rebellion is unbecoming, not something the public will want to see."
That small voice of disgust for himself crept in her words, causing the hero to walk back towards his seat silently.
That was until he saw Amari's gold shield start to crack around her, a sign that she was running out of hope and energy.
The girl gritted her teeth on the screen as Hawks watched helplessly. He was supposed to her trainer, he was supposed to be there for her just like she was for him. But if that was the case, why was he acting like such a coward, like such a little boy?
Seeing that he hadn't taken a seat yet, the president called back to him smoothly. "Hawks, what are you doing? I told you to take a seat."
Although the boy could only stare ahead towards the screen silently, thinking about how utterly alone he was when he suddenly recalled Amari's words as they crashed into him all at once.
"I think it's time you realize that no one is ever alone Keigo, not even you."
Shaking his head silently, Hawks tried to brush away the thought, the brief moment of kindness as his eyes stayed glued to the screen. It wasn't possible, someone like him was meant to be alone, right?
Wait a minute, why was he even thinking about these kinds of things? The commission was his home, it's where he grew up, learned to be a hero, they gave him everything he ever needed. He should've been grateful for the kindness of a homeless boy like him.
I don't know about that. Sounds to me like they are doing the same thing All for One did. They build you up, make you dependent on them and then whenever you step out of line, they punish you.."
Shaking his head Keigo closed his eyes before internally knowing that what he just said were lies. But what other choice did he even have? He was nothing without the commission, this was the only chance he had..
"Do you really think there's only one chance out there for people like us? That's just what they want us to believe, and if you ask me I think even without the commission you'd still be an amazing hero."
Hearing Amari's words inside his own head, Hawks then watched as the girl struggled under the weight of everything before making the decision before he could even think. He wanted to be a hero, he wanted to be her hero.
He quickly began to turn on his heels as the president called back to him, rough and cruel. "What do you think you're doing Hawks? I told you to sit."
Feeling his feathers twitch at the command, Keigo then did something he thought he'd never be able to do, he disobeyed. "No."
Raising an eye, the woman scoffed. "No? What do you mean no?"
Although the man remained strong, balling his fists before taking another step towards the girl. "I'm not going to let you do that same thing to Bakugo that you did me. She deserves so much better, and I want to give it to her."
Keigo then moved towards the exit as the president raised out of her seat in anger. "Keigo Takami, if you leave this room then you are finished with the commission, you hear me!? You will be nothing again. Do you really want to do that, little boy?"
This caused the man to stop in his steps for a moment as the woman smiled. Of course Hawks wouldn't want to lose his connection with the hero world. That much was obvious.
Although her expression changed when Keigo turned back around before lifting his wings up proudly and staring into the eyes of his abuser for the very first time. "I'm not a little boy."
Then she watched as the hero slipped right through her grasp and out the door without another word, towards Amari.
Coughing at the feeling of her own blood touching her tongue, Amari continued to struggle as she felt her own limps starting to give out. There were only two choices now, let the weight crush them or use her Nomu blood just like that president wanted and then be put away for the rest of her life as a villain..
Both options didn't seem overly great, the girl gritting her teeth as the weight grew even heavier by the minute, scaring the boy beneath her even more.
Of course she could always try to use her Nomu blood without going crazy but she already knew that was a lost cause as well. The only time she had beaten his influence was with Hawks and even then, it was only for a fleeting moment.
To put it plainly, she didn't trust herself, too scared to even try that option as one wrong move would show the entire word that she was indeed All for One's pet, a monster that needed to be contained.
Lowering her eyes, Amari fought exhaustion before sighing roughly. Maybe this was all a joke to begin with. It was obvious that the hero society and the commission didn't want her to succeed. Maybe this test was fixed from the beginning with no chance of winning.
Sure she made it through the first round but it seemed that's as far as she'd ever get, now feeling her gold matter shrink even more. She should just take the loss, just like Dabi and everyone else had expected since the beginning.
Break the cycle? How comical, she couldn't do that, she couldn't even save this high school boy, just like with Kazumi. Mistake after mistake, that's all she was..
Although that's when she heard a loud voice through the speakers of the arena, Amari recognized the voice immediately and widening her eyes. "Sissy…!"
Twisting her head around just slightly, Bakugo looked up only to hear Eri's small voice calling to her through the microphone next to her. "Sissy, you can do it! You're a hero to me, you saved me from all the bad guys! Shin-Shin even made me a hero costume so I can be just like you and protect people from bad guys also!"
Her small voice brought a warmth that Amari never knew she needed, now taking in her words before slight tears appeared in her eyes. She didn't know how Eri was calling to her but she was thankful for it.
Just then, Eri's small voice grumbled to the person next her as the microphone bumped against her chest. "Come on Shin-Shin, say something about Sissy..!"
Amari couldn't help but smile to herself as a familiar voice came through the speakers all at once, now seemingly taking the microphone from Eri. "Hey short stuff, what do you think you're doing? I thought you were supposed to be impressive. Did you train me for nothing or what?"
Laughing to herself, Bakugo shook her head as someone else seemingly took the microphone, his rough voice full of annoyance and distaste. "What do you want me to say Hawks? This is ridiculous…"
She recognized Endeavor's voice immediately before hearing Hawks trying to coax him for a minute before a heavy sigh echoed through the speaker. "I thought you said you weren't going to fail me Bakugo. I trained you for a reason, so you better pass. Use that annoying spark of a hero already."
His words were rough but they couldn't help but make Amari smile to herself as heavy tears made their way to her eyes before she heard another familiar voice fill the air. "Ember, it's Ember, your twin! I hope you liked that pretty flower I gave you. The bird man told me to call to you so here I am..!"
Widening her eyes once more, Amari immediately recognized the voice as that young girl that gave her the hero name Ember. She was here also? There was no way everyone was supporting her like this, it was too sweet.
And if that wasn't enough, the girl heard Hawks' voice carry over the cowards a moment later, desperation in his rushed tone. "Come on chickadee, remember what I said, remember what you're here for!"
As her own tears poured down her cheeks, Bakugo let out a shaky breath before remembering Hawks' vague words. He was right, maybe these crowds weren't such a bad thing if they were filled with people that loved her.
Feeling heat in her finger, Amari then turned to see Toya's old ring staring back at her as she widening her eyes. It was like he was silently supporting her as well, coaxing her to push forward like he had wanted as a child.
Just then, a newfound realization crossed her face. If those two kids were watching her then that meant there could've been others that supported her, that looked to her in order to break the cycle that plagued their entire lives since they were born.
That's when she realized that this wasn't about her, it never was. She was just the spark that started a new movement for the quirkless and the weak hearted just like her. They were counting on her, looking at her to change the world.
The letters that Hawks had brought her had proved enough. There were others out there, other kids and people that looked to her for her success just so they could get a chance at their own dreams. As crazy as it was, the girl had read those experiences first hand.
Those that were silenced, those that were shunned because they didn't fit a certain mold, all of those people were supporting her, silently from behind the television screen or in those crowds. They needed hope, they needed a hero...
So that's exactly what she was going to be for them.
Closing her eyes, Amari then tried to focus on the voices around her along with those that were listening, now feeling her Nomu blood make its way across her arms and under her long sleeved shirt. This was it, she could control it. She had to, for her family and everyone that believed in her.
As her palms began to spark underneath her, Bakugo felt the Nomu blood push it's way into her system as All for One's voice began to enter her mind, trying to corrupt her and force her to kill and destroy.
That's right, by using this power it means you belong to me
Little One, follow my Orders.
What a disappointment you are. If only your brother could see
Although this time, Amari fought the voice, she fought the desire and the mantra that had tainted her for years. That villain wasn't going to control her, not anymore. His words, his lies and his conditioning, they weren't going to hold her back anymore. "No, no it's not true. I won't let you control me..."
Blinking in surprise, the boy named Kazumi looked up in fear as the girl's body started to glow in that same shimmery gold color, now watching her eyes squeezed shut. She looked to be in pain. "Hey, are you okay?"
Although Amari couldn't hear, too busy fighting her own demons as her hands twitched in an attempt of her Nomu blood to take control. Yet she forced herself to remain still, feeling the burning gold matter start to fill her insides with a gasp.
Did you forget? Your life is mine. No matter how you struggle, you will always be my pet.
They are lying to you, you know. They don't really love you. I'm the only one that loves you.
What are you doing? You know what happens when you disobey, don't you?
Seeing the black veins start to uncontrollably make their way to her hand, Amari twisted her lips shut as a low growl echoed in her throat before fighting the voice and his demands even harder.
You're the only one that's lied to me. My life is mine to control, not yours!
And as scared as she was, the girl continued to focus, continued to struggle as All For One's voice began to lessen before drowning away into a dull mummer, leaving only her own heartbeat and the voices of encouragement around her.
Yes All for One gave her the power, the desire and the reasons to continue fighting, but for the first time since in her life, Amari chose to use it on her own accord, for the people she loved.
Just then, she felt a string in her mind snap as a newfound clarity overtook her, feeling her body heat up in unexplained warmth and power as Bakugo Amari couldn't help but smile to herself, now sensing that All For One's influence was nowhere to be found.
That's right, she had won.
Outside of the destroyed building, Katsuki and Todoroki had just finished unloading as much debris as they could without causing a cave-in when the ground began to shake all at once, causing the boy to step back in confusion.
Suddenly, the building lit up in a bright explosion as Katsuki gasped, taking in the giant light as it filled the entire space and rained small bits of ash and plaster on top of them.
Blinking in surprise, they then watched as someone rose from the smoke, their legs shaky as they cradled the boy in their arms lovingly and silently, now taking a step forward.
As the area cleared of smoke, they realized the figure to be Amari, the two gazing at her in awe as the ash continued to rain down from the sky, falling around her as her gold energy protected both her and the boy.
Katsuki couldn't help back gawk and the scene, knowing Amari to not be strong with her explosion quirk. Had she made that large of an explosion? No, that was impossible. That kind of impact would've killed her. So how the hell did she do it?
Taking a step towards them, the girl quirky unloaded the boy named Kazumi into the arms of other students before turning to Katsuki and Todoroki with a slight smile, her irises shimmering with the same color as her quirk. "What are you standing around for? We have a test to pass."
The amount of confidence that radiated from her was something that both boys had never seen before, it was like she had found some kind of peace or understanding from something. Standing here, she looked like a real hero.
Blinking for a moment both boys then exchanged a look before nodding their heads and taking one of her hands before rushing off to save as many civilians as they could before the timer was up.
Katsuki and Amari raced beside each other as they quickly rescued and cared for seven other survivors, using their newfound teamwork and quirk use technique that Hawks had taught them as Todoroki gathered up the injured before treating them in the medical bay.
Between the three of them, the group had finished saving over fourteen people before the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the exam and their chances at a license.
It was up to the judges now.
Pacing back and forth, Amari tried to calm her nerves as Todoroki and Katsuki watched her with confusion, now tapping her foot in an anxious manner. It was all down to this, no matter if it was good or bad, this was the moment that would change her life.
She felt proud of herself for overcoming All for One's influence but there was always the fear that wouldn't have been enough to pass. The president did hate her after all, what if she purposely made up some kind of deductions so the girl failed. That sounded like something she would try.
Feeling her breath turn shaky, Katsuki and Todoroki looked between each other before the two toned boy moved up to her slowly. "Amari, if you keep walking like that you're going to put a hole in the floor."
This caused the girl to immediately stop, looking down at the ground in fear that she had actually in fact burned a hole in the ground. Lucky for her though that wasn't the case. "O-Oh, sorry Shoto. I guess I'm just really nervous. What if what I did wasn't good enough? What if the president tries to sabotage my results, what if they saw my Nomu blood and throw me in prison forever, what if Endeavor disowns me as his trainee if I fail, what if..…"
Although she was stopped when Todoroki a hand up in order to stop her. "Amari.."
Nodding her head, the girl replied. "Yes?"
Todoroki then turned his head to the side before finishing. "You're rambling again."
And that certainly caused the girl to stop speaking, Amari screwing her lips shut in an embarrassed reply. "Am I? Sorry, Things kinda spiral in my mind sometimes. But you knew that already.."
Nodding his head Todoroki then reached down before grabbing one of her shaking hands. "Amari, no matter what happens with the results I want you to know that I'm proud of you…"
Although just as he said that, Katsuki made a fake gagging sound in the corner, obviously disgusted by his sweet words. "Ugh, I'm gonna be sick with all your mushy talk. Cut it out while I'm in the room would you? It's so obvious that we passed, we are the best after all."
Yet that only caused Todoroki to turn at his cocky behavior. "But Bakugo, you and I both failed our first exams. You know firsthand that it's not that easy."
Grumbling to himself, Katsuki quickly crossed his arms over his chest, not liking the idea of losing. "Yeah? Well last time didn't count because those judges were bastards. Besides, with two Bakugo's they have no choice but to pass both of us, right Amari?"
Although the girl was too preoccupied with all the possible solutions that the next couple minutes would hold. "Yeah, but what if some of us pass and some of us don't?"
The room became quiet before Katsuki saddened his eyes just slightly. "If you don't pass then I don't want my damn license. They are obviously idiots if they are gonna fail you."
Amari couldn't help but smile sadly in response before lifting her arms out in exasperation. "Katsuki, you know you can't do that. I don't want you to."
The girl then turned to Todoroki before continuing. "Same with you Shoto. If you two get your license and I don't, then you can't feel bad. This is what you've always wanted and I want to be happy for you."
It was sad that the girl was already setting herself up for failure but unfortunately that was usually how her life went. Things never came easy to Amari and she understood that.
Bakugo and Todoroki then exchanged a look before her brother roughly grabbed her left hand before giving it a squeeze. "If that happens, then you better be damn ready cause I'll make sure you get it next year. Us Bakugo's were born to be heroes, don't ever forget that."
Hearing his words of encouragement brought a lump of emotion to her throat before Todoroki reached down and grabbed her opposite hand before speaking lightly, just like her brother had done. "Yes, we will make sure you get your license, no matter what. That is a promise."
Their declarations made Amari smile softly before squeezing her left and right hand in agreement to the two boys that loved her. She was so lucky to be supported by them, it was almost like this test didn't even matter.
Yeah, that's right. No matter what happened, she knew they believed in her.
Just then the door next to them flew open as Hawks and Endeavor stepped into the room, the bird beaming at his students. "Hey, if it isn't my favorite Bakugo twins! Sorry I couldn't come see you during intermission, but I'm here now! I heard you really missed me chickadee.."
Moving up to the bird, Amari laid her eyes on the hero before speaking lightly. "Hawks, those people that called out me during the last round, that was you. You did that, didn't you?"
The hero couldn't help soften his eyes at that, recalling just how crazy he flew across the crowds in order to bring that kind of encouragement to the girl. "Guilty. But I really didn't do much, that was all you chickadee."
Although he was quickly stopped when Amari raced up to her trainer before wrapping her arms around his middle in a tight hug as her voice filled with emotion. "Thank you Keigo."
She said it quiet enough so that only he could hear, causing the pro to smile softly. Sure he may have just ruined his own career but seeing her this happy somehow made it all worth it. "Aww you don't have to thank me. I was just trying to repay back some of your kindness, kid. I know it wasn't much though.."
Yet to that, the girl only shook her head as her nose tickled his stomach. "It was more than enough to me. You helped me break through All for One's influence, you showed me so much. Thank you."
Patting her back a couple times, Hawks folded his wings behind him before softening his eyes. "No, you got it backwards. I should be thanking you. You're crazy kid, you know that? I don't even know how but you saved me, you showed me that you were right all along."
Not really understanding, the girl then pulled away before wiping her eyes of stray tears. "Well I don't know about that, but you got the crazy part right, that's for sure. I even freaked out on national TV…"
Laughing to herself, Amari recalled her panic attack before sighing. This was supposed to be an endorsement for Katsuki and her upcoming agency, a chance to show the world that they were reliable. Look how that backfired.
Now she looked even more like a scared little girl but couldn't handle herself. Proving herself was going to be even harder now. "Looks like our agency dream just got even harder…"
Although to that, Katsuki only scoffed. "If they think that then they obviously missed the part where you kicked icyhot's ass and saved all those kids. Screw them if they wanna idiots."
Yet he was stopped when Hawks lifted his hands up, a serious expression on his face. "Sadly Bakugo is right. Starting your own agency is going to be the hardest thing you two have ever done. There's going to be people who will always doubt you, people that will purposely drive you down and use your mistakes for their own gain. You're going to need to give it everything you have…"
Amari's expression started to fall after every word as her stance faltered at the challenge ahead. Without her license their dream seemed even further away.
Although that's when Hawks reached into his pocket before taking out two cards and showing them to the twins. "So, you might as well start with these."
The two twins stared blankly at the card before taking in every detail, every word before Amari shakily grabbed the plastic out of his hand, now reading Provisional License: Hero Name: Ember. as it shined on the surface.
Blinking in disbelief, she then looked over her shoulder before reading the same words of her brother's card as hot tears began to pool in her eyes. "I passed...we passed…"
Hawks couldn't help but grin wildly at the words before lifting his wings out in an excited manner. "Congratulations chickadee! They were going to just show you the scores in a couple minutes but my good ol buddy Endeavor and I wanted to deliver them personally!"
Yet Amari didn't process any of their words, only staring at the license with disbelief. "I passed…"
Just then she quickly turned to her brother before holding the card up to his face as she quickly shouted back with tears clouding her vision. "K-Katsuki, we passed! We can be real heroes together, just like we dreamed about as kids. I can't believe it…"
Watching her shakily hold the card, Katsuki's eyes couldn't help but soften before shoving his own tears down. After such a long road of misunderstanding, hardship and arguments, the two were finally heroes together. "Come here you idiot."
Katsuki then brought Amari into a hug before crushing his strong arms around her as the tears silently poured down his cheeks without warning. This was everything he'd ever dreamed about, everything he's ever wanted since the beginning.
His desire to be number one may have stemmed from his own guilt of wanting to protect his sister but looking at her now, the boy fully realized that his desire was clouded from the very beginning.
No, Bakugo didn't want to be number one alone, he had always wanted his sister to stand beside him in her own strength, and now she was. The two were complete, just like how they were always meant to be. The unstoppable Bakugo twins.
Looking over at her happiness, Todoroki smiled to himself when his father quickly interrupted the atmosphere with his usual rough tone. "Shoto.."
The boy couldn't help but drop his smile at that, turning only to find Endeavor staring at him with an unreadable expression. "There are a lot of things that need to be said but I'm glad you asked me to train you again, despite everything."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes at that before staring back at his crying girlfriend. "It was Amari. She taught me not to run from the past, to move forward even despite my obstacles. I wanted to show her that I could do it also"
Nodding his head, Endeavor turned to the two twins before sighing. "That child really knows how to get involved with everything, doesn't she? No matter the reason, I'm glad to have gotten the chance to talk with you again son."
The boy cringed at the word son but stayed silent as the man continued. "There have been a lot of mistakes I've made, things I don't want your forgiveness for. But even so, I want you to know that I'm proud of you Shoto."
His words certainly made Todoroki turn his head, now seeing Endeavor struggle with his words with slight regret. "I'm proud of who you've become, even if it was without me. That regardless of the past and my blind eyes to our family you continued to care for those around you, refusing to become as I was…"
Pulling a card out of his pocket, Endeavor then lifted it out for Todoroki with a gentle expression. "That's why I want you to become the hero you want to be. Not because of me or anyone else. Do it for yourself."
Widening his eyes at Endeavor's words, the boy quickly grabbed his license before staring at the contents in silence. He had never expected his father to say such kind words.
In fact, since the beginning Todoroki only knew the man to be obsessed with his own desires and needs, forcing a quirk marriage on his mother in order to create a perfect child.
All throughout his life, Endeavor never really cared about what he wanted, until now.
He then looked up at Endeavor before tightening his grip on the card before speaking back lightly. "Thank you father."
The man couldn't help but freeze at his words, now hearing his son call him father for the first time, so genuine and kind. It was the smallest step but it meant the word to Endeavor, his eyes softening at them. "Of course son."
*Cries in character development*
Next Chapter: Hope you like those happy times because they are going away real quick. All For One coming back as we reach the final section of the arc.
