Hey guys, so I am back again with another fairly quick update to Hunter.

This chapter is a fairly large one and there will be a big section of author's notes afterward.

As always I really hope you all enjoy, and I own only my characters and plot, the rest belongs to their respective owners!

Chapter 5

Hunter held back a chuckle as he handed the paper boat to the pouting girl beside him. "Come on, making it to fourth place is still really impressive." Slowly her pout turned to a grin as she plucked one of the takoyaki balls from the boat. Tossing it into her mouth with a small flourish, she leaned back against the branch she was sitting on and looked out at the big screen on the outside of the sports complex.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, if not Tokoyami, then Bakugou would have crushed me."

Hunter did chuckle at that as he took the boat back and took one of the takoyaki balls for himself. He had been eliminated in the obstacle course after misjudging a jump instead of chancing the tightropes. Even still, as he watched the closing ceremony, and saw Katsuki chained to the podium, he felt a small feeling of regret that he hadn't made it far enough to try fighting him. He didn't know what he could have done that would have really counted against someone like Bakugou but he still wished he had gotten the chance. A glance at Mina made that small wish fade though. To get to Bakugou, he likely would have had to go through Kirishima, and that wouldn't end well for anyone. Leaning back against his own branch, he noticed the look that crossed her face as the ceremony ended and a pang of guilt drowned out everything else. "You know, you could have stayed with your friends." She turned towards him so quick he stumbled over his next words. "I-I would-wouldn't have held it against you."

Mina tilted her head for a moment before sighing and taking the boat back. "One of these days you're gonna have to believe me when I say that you are one of my friends too." She went to toss another takoyaki ball into her mouth only to stop and turn back to him with a grin. "And next year, I'll bring you some earplugs!"

As Hunter threaded his way through the slightly muted crowd, he felt himself smile, despite knowing that he should be hating this. But he didn't, and a glance ahead reminded him why. Mina was stopped once again by someone eagerly holding something for her to sign and Jirou was rolling her eyes in mock annoyance. Momo said something to Jirou that Hunter knew was probably the most graceful reproach he'd have ever heard, had her makeshift earplugs not filtered out most of the sound around him. He had almost had to catch Mina from falling out of their perch in one of the larger trees outside of the stadium when the idea that sent her fingers blazing across the screen of her phone struck her. Then, as soon as her phone dinged with a response, she had all but scrambled down and yelled at him to hurry up and follow her.

Moments after making it down himself, he found himself being led towards the outskirts of the festival where Momo, Jirou, and Asui were waiting. Momo had apologized at her lack of preparation for such an occasion before handing him a set of makeshift earplugs. They seemed to be a cross between cotton balls and foam, but as he put them in the growing cacophony dulled until he only just registered it as slightly louder than comfortable, and he had assured her that they were perfect and thanked her for them. Mina had stared at him as if to ask if he was okay with this, and his nod had her smiling from ear to ear as she led her new group through the festivities. They stopped to try some of the different foods until none of them could eat anymore save for Momo. When they weren't on their way to the next stand, they were stopped so that Momo and Mina could sign autographs.

Hunter had noticed quickly though that most people hesitated before asking once they saw him and had silently taken his place at the back of the group. Even still his smile never fell. This was already more than he had ever thought he'd get to experience and it was all thanks to Mina Ashido. He also enjoyed being able to get a better look around by being in the back. He had already seen Kendo and a few others from his class and had even pretended not to notice the thumbs up she tried to secretly give Mina. Tetsutetsu and Kirishima had been competing at one of the games when Tetsutetsu saw him and had to do a double-take. A double-take that cost him whatever the game was and led to demands for a rematch that Hunter could hear even through the makeshift earplugs.

Asui tapping his shoulder snapped him back to the present. A man and woman had made their way to the group, but rather than going towards Mina, they had made their way towards him. Taking one of the earplugs out and trying not to wince at the sudden increase of sound, Hunter gave them a quick look-over. The man was slightly taller than him. His brown hair kept too neat to be anything other than styled that way, though it wasn't showy or flashy. Instead, the most striking features were the red-lensed sunglasses he wore. The woman next to him, however, was striking in that she was only a few inches shorter than the man. Her brilliant red hair almost made them even closer in height and contrasted starkly with her forest-green eyes. Eyes that twinkled with mischief when she caught him. Hunter was thankful once again for his thick fur as he felt his face flush.

The man seemed to notice anyways however and chuckled. "My wife and I just wanted to thank you all for a wonderful festival, not embarrass anyone." The woman's smile never wavered but she did apologize as well.

Hunter waved the apologies away before giving a small bow. "The fault is mine. You both simply caught me off guard. I also thank you for your kind words, it was our honor." The woman started to say something, but Hunter didn't register a word, instead, he felt his heart clench at the sight beyond her shoulder. Another man and woman were making their way towards the group. However, this couple was advancing slowly, almost tentatively, and Hunter knew exactly who they were. Memories flashed through his mind as his heart raced. Memories of the man waiting for him outside of a large house. Memories of the woman's scornful dismissal of his mother. A stabbing pain in his chest made him take a shaky breath in, a breath that brought a scent that carried dozens of memories. Memories of long afternoons just talking in the park. Memories of cram sessions behind the library to prepare for a test. Memories of playing video games on his couch with his best friend. Memories of a bubbly, always smiling, blonde-haired girl named Elaine.

The stabbing pain intensified and suddenly his throat was tight. So tight that he couldn't breathe. Collapsing to his knees, he clutched at his throat as he gasped for air. His vision began to blur as air refused to come and he closed his eyes.

I'm so sorry….

Mina was frozen in place as Hunter collapsed to the ground. He was gasping for air and she didn't know why. She didn't know what to do. Looking around for help, her eyes briefly lingered on a couple that was staring at Hunter with growing horror, though she didn't know why. Her attention immediately snapped to the couple that had been talking with Hunter when the man grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey! You're his closest friend here, correct?" His voice was firm, though not rushed, or panicked. Shaking her head to clear the fog, she then gave him a nod, and he pulled her over to where Hunter was being helped by the woman. "Good. I need you over here by his head. When he comes out of this he is going to need scents he knows." He then turned to the rest of the group. "You three, clear the area, try to get as much space for him as possible." Wordlessly they went to carry out his commands without a moment's hesitation. Not that Mina noticed. Her attention was focused on her friend that lay in front of her, gasping for air even as the woman removed his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his uniform.

"He is going to be alright." The woman's voice carried that same calm certainty as the man's had and Mina felt a small bit of relief at their certainty. As the woman placed her hand on the top of Hunter's head all Mina could think about was how much she hoped they were right since this was all her fault.

As the world went dark around Hunter he knew that this was how he died. Gasping for air after the best day of his life. There was a small bit of peace in that, but the stabbing pain in his chest, his lungs that burned for air, and the guilt over what this would do to Mina killed that peace. He hoped that she wouldn't blame herself for this. This was his fault. It was all his fault. He was going to die and-

You are not going to die.

His eyes snapped back open and his sight filled with green.

That's right, focus on me. You are not going to die. Your throat is fine. Take a breath.

The green was determined he knew and slowly he tried to breathe in through his nose. A familiar smell filtered in and he felt his throat loosen slightly.

You are doing great! Keep breathing. Keep focusing on m-that smell.

The green faded to a different color in his mind and he breathed in slightly deeper. Bringing the ever-familiar, fruity scent, even deeper.

That's right. Keep focusing on that smell. Stay right here with us. Stay here and breathe.

The pain in his chest started to lessen as his throat released further. Fighting the urge to try and suck in as much air as he could, he took another breath through his nose and held it briefly as muscle memory began to take over. The pink morphed from just a color into a person and Hunter took another, deeper breath.

Perfect. Stay right here. Stay with Mina and breathe.

Hunter took another breath and then blinked. He looked over towards where the green had been and instead saw the red-haired woman smiling at him. Green-eyes still twinkling, though reassuringly this time.

Breathe. All of this can be explained later. Just...breathe….

Hunter's confusion only grew as he took another breath. This time he was sure. Her lips hadn't moved, and he hadn't heard her. She had said that in his mind.

Leaving Hound-Dog's office always felt like removing a weight to Hunter, but this time, as Mina made her way over to him the weight didn't leave. Hunter's head had a dull pounding at the base of his skull and he knew that he wouldn't be good company for the rest of the night. Then he saw her smile at him and he had to look away. "I'm sorry for ruining the festival. I know we had plans, but I think I'm just gonna head home." Mina's smile only fell a little bit, but it was enough for him to notice, and for the guilt to grow.

"What are you talking about?" Confusion filled her voice as she put a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "That wasn't your fault, and besides, I had a blast! Well, at least until you scared me half to death!"

Hunter shook his head. "I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I should have been past-"

"Hunter! It's okay." Mina's smile was full of reassurances that seemed to chip away at his guilt. "You went along with what I wanted, so if this is anyone's fault, it's mine." Hunter opened her mouth but she continued before he could say anything. "So that is why I will walk YOU home this evening!" That froze Hunter in place. Her fault? If he had just remembered what his therapist and he had practiced then none of this would have happened. If he had just insisted that she go and have fun without him-

His thoughts were interrupted by Mina's faux march turning down the sidewalk. Shaking his head, he felt the pounding in the back of his head lessen slightly as a small smile found its way back onto his face. "Mina?" She paused mid-march and he laughed.

"My house is the other way."

Unfortunately, the smile didn't last. Despite Mina every attempt to amuse or at least engage him fell on mostly deaf ears. All of his thoughts kept circling inwards despite his efforts to avoid them. He was certain that he had answered her once or twice, though if it had been anything more than grunts or nods, he couldn't remember. What he did know was that they had made the last part of the walk home in silence. It wasn't until he caught sight of his front steps that he was finally snapped out of his thoughts. The sun was almost down but the long shadows it cast couldn't hide the strain behind Mina's smile. A smile that was barely there as it was. She turned towards him as he opened his mouth to apologize again. Nothing came out though as he felt her arms wrap around him. Her hug stopped the train of thoughts that had been rumbling through his mind dead in its tracks. All he could do was weakly wrap his own arms around her and murmur a weak thank you.

When she pulled away, the wetness in her eyes stabbed at his heart, though she cut him off before he could try to apologize again. "I'm not going anywhere, Hunter. What happened today sucked, but not because of our plans, it sucked cause I didn't know if you were going to be okay." She blinked the wetness away before smiling. "So instead of apologizing all the time, I propose that we play a game that has been in my family for a while. Every time you would normally try to apologize for something that isn't your fault, instead tell me something about yourself. Then, I'll tell you something about myself. It's called 'Quid pro quo'."

Hunter felt his head tilt at the change in the conversation before she finished, and after he was silent for a long moment as he processed the offer. "Since….since when do you know Latin?"

Mina's jaw dropped at the grin he flashed her and she put her hands on her hips in mock indignation. "Well, if that's how it's going to be, then you can go first!" Hunter's grin started to fall at the anger in her tone until she winked and stuck her tongue out at him. "Besides, only my parents call it that. Makoto and I always called it 'tit for tat'."

Hunter's grin had started to return until he realized that she was actually waiting for him to go first. Everything that had happened flew through his mind, until it settled on Mina's hug, and brought back the memory of a similar hug years ago. As he remembered that alleyway his grin fell into a sad smile. "The only other person I could ever call my best friend was a girl I met after stopping another student from robbing her. Her name was Elaine Okama."

Mina fought back the wave of questions and instead allowed herself to smile at 'the only OTHER person'. Ignoring every question that came she instead gave a small laugh. "My favorite movie is the original 'Alien'. Which my dad showed me when I was eight to try and get me to stop spying on him and my mom when they would stay up late to watch horror movies. It didn't work." Hunter opened his mouth but Mina raised a hand. "To keep the game going, you only ever do one at a time. But it was fun, right?" Hunter looked back at the steps to his house before slowly nodding. Turning to head home she almost didn't hear the quiet words Hunter said over his shoulder as started up the steps.

"Thank you, Mina."

Hunter let out a loud sigh as he stepped into the small building and the fatigue of the day fully caught up to him. He didn't know how someone could feel both numb and raw at the same time, but not understanding it didn't seem to change the feeling, so he shuffled further inside. He could…. The breath in filled his nose with all of the scents he was expecting. His mother's herbal soaps. His father's distinct scent. Various foods that they had recently. What was new was an acrid and burning stink that seemed to be layered over another distinct scent. Following that scent to the living room, he was shocked to find his parents sitting across from three others, and that they were all staring at him as if they had been waiting for him. A faint tingle in his head snapped his attention to one of three that he recognized.

The redheaded woman smiled. "Hello again, Hunter." As if the verbal acknowledgment of his presence had made him appear, his mother was instantly right next to him, checking him for injuries and asking if he was alright. The clear worry in her voice left him no doubt exactly why these three were talking to his parents. A small chuckle from the woman brought his attention back to her and she continued. "You had started to worry us when you didn't come home shortly after we arrived."

The man who carried the acrid scent then stepped forwards as his nostrils flared. "Though I don't think we should have worried at all. A man will be late to a great many things when he is with a woman." His rough voice was undercut by his grin, though Hunter was struck more by how he had to look down to meet the man's gaze. Despite that, Hunter noticed the man's thicker build, noting that even at that height the man looking up at him was almost just as wide as he was. The man his examination and crossed his arms with a chuckle as the other stranger in the room also stepped towards him.

"Despite Logan's….lack of sensitivity… it is good to see that you are alright." As he had stepped closer Hunter had first noticed the red-tinted sunglasses were still on even though his house was kept fairly dim due to him and his father's stronger senses. That oddity though was buried behind the shock that came in on his next breath in. Briefly, he wondered if his father had noticed it, but a second breath made him doubt it. The scent that seemed to strike him was just faint enough that he doubted many with lower sensitivities would even notice. The third inhale confirmed it though. In the far closer space, a space where he knew every normal smell, the faint trace he had smelled from the two at the sports festival was undeniable. All three of the strangers had scents so intermingled that they were almost inseparable. His father, however, noticed Hunter's nostrils flare for the fourth time.

"Hunter!" He admonished.

Before Hunter could apologize, the short and gruff man raised a hand. "It's quite alright." He examined Hunter's face before his grin turned into something almost predatory. "When you have a nose as good as we do, it's instinct." A small jerk of his head towards the two Hunter had already met seemed more like a question than a gesture, and Hunter slowly nodded, which turned his expression into one of satisfaction. "And your boy has a damn good nose." The man in sunglasses turned to give him an admonishing look that the gruff man ignored as he kept eye contact with Hunter. "Apologies for the cigars. I don't notice the smell anymore."

Hunter's mind was spinning as the man's words registered. "It-it's fine. It just struck me was all."

The man nodded as the man in sunglasses sighed before turning back towards where Marina had rejoined her husband on the couch. "I apologize for this. We did not come to cause any issues."

The woman nodded as well. "Though before we continue our conversation, now that Hunter is here, perhaps introductions are now in order?"

Mind still spinning Hunter caught his mother's gesture and went to sit beside her as the strangers took their chairs across from the couch. The man in sunglasses sat in the center chair as the woman took her seat to his right. The gruff man didn't take a seat and instead stood just behind the woman as the man in glasses leaned forward. "My name is Scott Summers," placing his hand over the woman's he continued "and this is my wife Jean, and our colleague Logan Howlett. We wanted to talk with you Hunter, and your parents, about what comes after the sports festival."

Hunter's mouth worked on its own accord, his voice cutting through his muddled thoughts. "What comes after?"

Scott nodded and Jean now leaned forward. "Yes. After most of the larger hero schools have their respective festivals, there is a one-week period of workplace training, where students get a much better feel for what they are exactly signing up for. This training is where you can see whether you really want to be a hero and what that is like."

She leaned back and Scott took back over the conversation. "Now normally, students receive offers or nominations sent to their school, and the choice is entirely theirs who they choose to learn under for this week. However, due to our own unique circumstances, we prefer to make the offer when the entire family is present as well as giving them time to think it over."

Marina rubbed Hunter's back to get his attention, and she and his father each smiled reassuringly at him, giving their support as openly as if they had said it out loud. Hunter's mind still swirled as his mouth again worked on its own. "But why me? I didn't even make it past the first stage."

Logan chuckled. "You're not the only one we are gonna talk to, kid. Scott and Jeanie just decided to start here since they already had your information."

Scott cleared his throat pointedly and Logan rolled his eyes. "Besides all of that, we are geared more towards quirks like yours, and your principal had already reached out to us as he believed that you might benefit from training with us."

Jean looked up at Logan before turning back to Hunter. "We have quite a few people who have similar gifts to you, Hunter. But of course, the choice is yours. The decision doesn't have to be made for a few more days, we just wanted you to have time to think about it."

Scott nodded. "The choice is yours and you might get an offer you really want to take, in which case we wish you the best." He stood up and Jean followed in quick succession as he pulled out a card. "But I do feel that you might just learn a new thing or two about your gifts should you take our offer."

He handed the card to Hunter before he and Jean said their goodbyes to Hunter's parents. Hunter only looked up from the card when he felt Logan's gaze still on him. A look to the door showed Scott turning to say something to Logan before Jean's hand stopped him. Logan's snort grabbed his attention again as the man shook his head. "Think about it, Kid. At least if you want to climb instead of fall next year." With that, he bowed to Hunter's parents, gave Hunter a two-fingered salute, and made his way out with the other two. He watched the door for a few moments after it had closed before looking down at the card in his hand. A card that read:

Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Mutatis Mustandis (Change only those things which need to be changed.)

So yeah. Let just jump into the author notes before addressing this chapter:

1: Crossover. This story has always been planned to be a crossover. While there will be no scenes at Xaviers School in Book One: Hunter, books two and three will predominantly take place there.

2: Workplace study. Yeah, that's not gonna be in this story. If there is enough interest and enough ideas strike me, then there might be either a 1-3 chapter side story, or maybe it will be included in book two since that one will be posted in the crossover section.

3: Skipping the Sports Festival. Something I have always tried to avoid is shoving my OC's into the main plot. I try to avoid this to keep the story from revolving around them. Hunter would be an exceptionally minor character if he was in the show, so even though this is his story, I am trying to avoid rewriting major events.

4: Tone. I promise we are nearing the upswing! It will probably be a more reserved chapter at least at the beginning of the next chapter, but things are starting to look up!

5: X-Men. So for those in the know, the X-Men have recently undergone massive changes in the comics. Comics that I am becoming more familiar with. However, most of my knowledge comes from the movies, most of which I love. I will be using a combination of character elements from the movies, comics, and traces of my own touches to smooth them into the story. As a result the bit about Logan, Scott, and Jean's scents? That is based on the comics where they are in a poly-ship. I thought that was a super interesting idea so that is what they are in this story.

6: Time skips. The next few chapters will have little to none until we reach the work-study.

I hope that answers most questions you might have and that you enjoyed this chapter! Please, please, please let me know what you think about where this story is going! Good or bad, it all helps this story and myself grow!

All stories may end, but Hunter and Mina are just now getting ready to take their first steps, and I hope you will all join me to see where those steps may take them!