Summer camp was off to a pretty rough start as far as I was concerned. We trudged through the trees - battered, exhausted, and starving - and upon finally reaching the camp I'm sure we look like a bunch of natural disaster victims. For the most part, I was less roughed up compared to my classmates, but really it was only thanks to my experience and trained quirk that I didn't collapse like several of the others did. The day had steadily gone downhill since I woke up.
When my alarm had gone off to wake me before the sunrise this morning, a sleepy groan at my back was the first thing I heard over the annoying trill, and a long arm reached across to slap the snooze button. Toshinori settled back into me, wrapping his arm around my still bare torso and pulling me further under the covers.
I yawned, and chuckled. "You're adorable when you're sleepy, did you know?" I giggled scrubbing at my eyes with the back of my hand and wishing more than anything I could just stay right here all day. Warm with sleep and nestled against my naked skin, the man holding me made the outside world feel a lot less important.
"No," he grumbled, voice rough and groggy against the nape of my neck.
It had taken a bit of coaxing (and a whole lot of willpower) before I finally got him to let go, and he rolled over, watching me with hooded eyes as I retrieved my shirt off the floor. Despite our recent ventures into more intimate areas, I couldn't help but cross my arm across my chest self-consciously. "Are you going to get up too?" I asked.
Toshinori cleared his throat and sat up finally. He scrubbed a hand through his tousled hair as he looked away towards the corner of the room. "You seem to be under the assumption that I'm going to the summer camp with the first years - I'm not. I'm teaching some extra courses for the second years this week," he said, almost sounding apologetic.
For a moment I only blinked at him as I felt irritation overtake the tranquil mood I'd woken up with. "I was only under that assumption since you didn't tell me any differently and, in fact, you have refused to tell me about the camp at all!" I said, not meaning to sound as snippy as I did. Seriously though, what the hell? It wasn't like my assuming he was going to be one of the teachers present was completely off the wall, and with the way I'd talked to him about it before, he had to have known I thought he would be there.
The hero sighed, but it sounded closer to a growl of frustration. "I don't actually know where the camp is or what the plans are, if you must know. It's been very hush-hush as a security measure."
"Kept secret even from the Symbol of Peace?" I asked incredulously, slipping my shirt back over my head.
When I looked back at him again his eyes held a hint of annoyance. "Yes, even from me. Remember the USJ incident and how I was a target as well? Think about it - it makes more sense to stay away from the students most at risk when there's less security."
"Bull," I argued, frowning. "The students stand an even better chance if you're around to protect them."
Toshinori sighed and stood up, and even while I was teetering on the edge of annoyed and angry it was hard not to be distracted by the man approaching me in his boxers and t-shirt. It was especially distracting considering said boxers were his own merch, and if that wasn't the funniest, cutest thing ever, I didn't know what was.
"Hey," he said softly, grabbing my hands and holding them in his larger ones between us, "Remember what this is all about. I know there have been some detours from the original plan, but the kids and the mission come first. You know it's better if I'm not there."
A lump had formed in my throat at his words, and I chastised myself for feeling hurt, because of course he was right. Despite this, the next words out of my mouth were bitter as I looked away. "Detours, huh? So, this is just a distraction then?"
"Mei, that's not what I meant. I-"
I pulled my hands back, ducking my head so that my hair blocked my face from the hero's keen eyes. "No, I get it," I said, cutting him off, "And you're right; the students come first. The job comes first."
"Mei..."
"I've got to get ready; at this rate I'll be late," I said, hastily exiting the room and leaving the tall man standing alone in the middle of the floor. When I re-emerged from the guest room a while later dressed, packed, and definitely running late, Toshinori was in the kitchen and I felt my annoyance melt away into guilt as he awkwardly held out a neatly wrapped pastry and a travel mug of coffee - a peace offering.
I was already running behind on time, but even so I couldn't leave it like this. As I sheepishly took the offered breakfast, I bit my lip and looked down. "I know you keep asking to talk, and I think this morning was a good example of why we should. I... I think we should really make sure we're on the same page about... us." Toshinori remained silent, and I continued after a deep breath, "And there's some things you should know about me - that way you can make an informed decision at least."
The blonde still didn't say a word, and I wondered if I'd misinterpreted and overstepped. I looked up at him worriedly and was unnerved by the almost pained look in his eye. He opened his mouth as if about to speak, then closed it before trying again. This time he said, "I haven't told you everything either. If there's going to be an..." he paused, swallowed and practically whispered the word, "us," as if it took a great deal to force the two letters out, "then there's something you should know. It wouldn't be fair to you otherwise."
I nodded, feeling my heart hammer with the anxiety of whatever that could mean. "Then when I come back in a week, let's talk, okay?"
Toshinori looked paler than normal, but bowed his head in agreement. "Okay," he replied hoarsely.
Aizawa was going to have my head if I arrived any later than I was already going to - at this rate I might have to use my quirk (illegally) to make it there at all - and yet I hesitated still, not ready to go. I reached out and held the side of the hero's face, smoothing my thumb across his cheekbone and feeling the slight stubble on his jaw indicating he hadn't had time to shave yet. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch a moment before turning his head and gently kissing the inside of my wrist.
"Go. You're going to be late," he reminded me.
Standing on the tips of my toes and guiding his face down I kissed him goodbye, and it had a finality to it that I didn't want to dwell on. One way or the other, things were going to be different after the Yūei summer camp concluded, and I was scared stiff.
Now as I washed up in preparation for dinner, I wondered what the rest of summer camp would have in store. If the first trial was anything to go off of, they were going to work us to the bone for the next six days. Honestly, it was probably exactly the distraction I needed. It wouldn't do me any good to brood over the Pillar of Justice all week.
After what could only be described as a king's feast the students were all chattering excitedly about the onsen the Wild, Wild Pussycats had told us about. Everyone headed off to the cabins we were staying in to change, and I tried to mill about and avoid attention while the other girls got ready.
"This makes the Beast's Forrest feel a lot more worth it!" Mina cheered. While a hot soak sounded heavenly, I knew there was no way in hell I'd be going in there.
As if she could read the tone of my thoughts, Uraraka waved at me cheerfully from across the room. "Mei! You're coming with us to the hot springs, right?"
"No, I'm actually feeling kind of tired. I'll probably stay here," I replied, and the brunette girl frowned in disappointment.
"Aw, you never hang out with us, Hara!" Hagakure complained.
"Come with us, it will be nice after all our hard work today," Tsu chimed in.
It was sweet of my classmates to care enough to want me to join them, but I could barely stand to have Toshinori look at me exposed, much less a bunch of teenage girls. "Guys, my MO is literally fire and electricity - two things that don't go well with water. I'm going to sit this one out, but you all enjoy it without me, kay?" They grumbled some more but quickly got over it as they began chattering again, and as the students made their way out, I noticed Uraraka seemed to be hanging behind.
"Aren't you going too, Ochaco?" I asked, and the girl smiled warmly at me.
"You've seemed off today, like something is bothering you," she said, approaching and sitting cross legged beside me on the floor. I sat folding my legs under me and leaning against the wall at the head of the bedroll. "I wanted to ask if you were okay."
"It's nothing, really," I lied easily, aiming for a nonchalant tone.
She nodded, not believing me but also not trying to pry. "Well, just know you can talk to me if you ever want. Us girls have to stick together, right?" she replied kindly.
"I appreciate that," I told her honestly. She was a sweet girl, and I couldn't help but think had situations been different and if we were closer in age, we might have been able to be friends for real. My problems were adult matters though, and it would be pretty pitiful of me to lay my burdens on a fifteen year old. However, as she stood to leave I found myself blurting, "Ochaco, have you ever liked someone?"
The teen instantly turned bright red. "Ah- me? No! I definitely don't have a crush on anyone!" she exclaimed, completely flustered. Her use of present tense and the glowing red cheeks did a poor job of convincing me, and I chuckled as I shook my head.
"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me who it is," I assured her. I only needed two guesses as to who it might be anyway. "I just... well, I like this guy you see. And I guess I just keep thinking about him, that's all. Silly, huh?" I said, twisting a strand of hair around my hand and staring at my lap.
"Oh yeah?" she said softly, sitting back down and looking less panicked now that we weren't talking about her. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that, right?" she asked.
I shrugged, tangling my hair between my fingers even further. "There is if it's keeping me from doing what I'm here to do," I said in a subdued voice.
"Is it... someone in our class?" she asked and I shook my head.
"No, he's not a student at Yūei," which wasn't a lie. Uraraka seemed to relax slightly at that, and I wondered if for a moment she'd been worried if I liked her 'mystery' crush. No worries, kiddo, I wasn't that kind of villain, I thought in amusement. I sighed and looked up at the girl, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I guess I just wanted to feel like I wasn't alone," I said, feeling quite pathetic.
"You're not," she said seriously, looking straight ahead. "If... if I did like someone - which I don't - I think I'd think about them all the time too. But, that wouldn't stop me from becoming the hero I want to be, you know? If anything, it would just make me work even harder to try and live up to how great he is! I would do my best to succeed and be just like him!" she said with both passion and determination, before gaining a sheepish look and hastily adding, "All hypothetically, of course."
"Of course," I replied, smiling softly.
After she left to join the others, I sat there staring at the wall, thinking. Be just like him, huh? I thought.
I guess there was some truth to that. After all, I did want to be like All Might - to save people and offer others that same sense of comfort and safety. What he'd said this morning was haunting me though, and I couldn't break past the difficult truth.
'The kids and the mission come first.'
Of course the students had to be my top priority - and they were - but it was impossible to ignore the fact that this exact reason was a big part of why I'd tried to resist my feelings for so long. It was hard not to want to put the number one hero first instead. Whether he had meant it the way it sounded or not, he was also right about another thing: this was a potentially dangerous distraction. That thought alone gave me much more pain than I even wanted to acknowledge, and I scooted under the covers, curling up in a ball on my side. A couple of tears slid silently down my cheeks, and I wiped them away almost angrily.
Get a grip, I scolded myself. I faked sleep when my roommates returned an hour later and laid awake most of the night feeling quite numb.
The early start the following morning was even more agonizing than it normally would have been, given my piss-poor attempt at rest the previous night, but I still gave it my all in the quirk strength training. It was impressive all the ways they'd thought of the train each individual, and my own personal trial was no joke. Two slabs of metal posted about 3 meters apart and rising another 3 meters in height was all the equipment necessary for the insanely simple and difficult plan Aizawa had concocted.
"You'll use your magnetism and hold yourself in the air between the two metal pillars. To do that you'll have to exhibit two opposing forces at the same time and keep them consistent to keep from being forced one way or the other. While you're doing that, ignite your flames and hold that as well," the eraser hero instructed. "Your biggest weakness is the strain continued exposure to magnetic fields puts on your body. If we can increase your body's sensitivity and stamina, you'll be able to hold those fields for longer without making yourself sick."
I wasn't all that surprised he knew about the iron poisoning - after my fainting spell with Toshinori, he'd made me update my medical record with Recovery Girl to reflect the complication should something ever occur while I was at school. It made sense that Aizawa would have pulled all the student's records before camp.
Following instruction, I trained my quirk the whole day - and holy shit was it difficult. Interestingly enough, I'd actually done a similar exercise when being trained under All for One, but that had involved the magnets from an MRI machine and had left me sick as a dog for a whole week afterwards. By dinner time I definitely felt like garbage, but at the same time I felt accomplished as well. Smelling of smoke from my continued flames and with my skin both irritated and ashen, I kneeled next to Todoroki to assist with starting the cook fires. The other students chatted tiredly around us as everyone worked, and I chuckled as the number two hero's son ignited his palm and pressed it to the wood under the grill.
"What's so funny?" he asked, cool as ever.
"Just the thought that if the whole hero thing doesn't work out, we might have a career in culinary at least," I joked. Todoroki snorted, only mildly amused by my lame witticisms.
"I'm sure my old man would be thrilled," he drawled, and I snickered. It had taken a while to get the hot and cold boy to warm up to me (only a little pun intended), and while he still was distant and cold usually, I was glad to see a small sense of humor from time to time.
The following day consisted of much of the same as the day before, and I was certainly excited by the idea of this 'reward' our trainers teased. A scare competition sounded a little juvenile, but honestly that was probably exactly the sort of thing these teenagers would enjoy most - they had to grow up so fast on the track they pursued, and the chance to do something like this afforded them at least a few moments to feel like kids again.
Class 1B was first to do the scaring, and while the Pussycats explained the rules, 1A divided out into our teams of two. When Midoriya held up the card matching my own, I grinned widely. "No one will stand a chance against the dream team!" I crowed cheerfully, making the boy laugh.
Hardly ten minutes had passed and already high-pitched screams echoed through the woods from the groups ahead, and as we waited for our turn I stretched my limbs, feeling both tired from training but energized by the mood of the night. I had to agree with Tokoyami on this one: "Revelry in the dark." As a vigilante, night had always been my time, and I planned to enjoy this exercise even more once it was class 1A's turn to do the scaring. The ghostly glow of Saint Elmo's Fire would create some awesome effects.
Speaking of fires, a breath of wind blew through the clearing we waited in, carrying with it the stinging smell of smoke. One of the Pussycats, Pixie-Bob, raised her nose to the air and inhaled, catching the scent as well. Midoriya's eyes went wide as he looked over my shoulder before pointing at the trees. "Do you see that?" he asked, and I turned to see an electric blue glow against a rising blanket of smoke.
"Black smoke," Pixie-Bob muttered.
"Has something been set ablaze?" Iida wondered aloud.
"Maybe a fire in the mountain?" speculated Ojiro.
A horrible feeling settled into my gut, and I knew with the way the blaze glowed in the distance, this was not a natural flame. Suddenly, Pixie-Bob screamed, and I whipped around just in time to see her yanked away from the group, enveloped in a red vortex of energy. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as my quirk sensed the strange and unnatural magnetic field, and with horror I saw where her trajectory was taking her.
Villains had found the camp.
Instantly I shot a hand out across Midoriya's chest and stepped forward into a ready stance. Of the students here right now, he was the one I was most worried about.
Two villains stepped from the tree line, and the large muscular villain whose quirk seemed to be the strange magnetic force pulled the pro hero towards him (her?) faster than any of us could really react to save her. In her hands she held what looked like a large slab of metal, and she slammed her skull into the ground mercilessly with the end of it. Blood flowed from her temple, and the woman didn't move.
"First let's get rid of these feral cats," the villain said mockingly to the lizard-like man beside her. Chillingly, the mutation quirk villain was head to toe dressed just like the Hero Killer.
"What?! No way!" Mineta said fearfully and I heard fearful exclamations from several of the others as well.
It's going to be okay, I thought desperately, I will protect you. As soon as I heard the first villain speak, I knew with all the dread and horror my body could feel that this was it. This was the final attack.
The League of Villains had come to claim their prey.
"This is bad," the hero Mandalay muttered and both her and Tiger stepped between the students and the villains.
"Oh no, where's Kota?" Midoriya said, whipping around and staring off towards the mountain on the other side of the fire. I wasn't certain, but I seemed to recall that was the name of the young boy Mandalay took care of.
"Stay calm," I muttered to him, hand still extended as I prayed the boy wouldn't do anything too rash. If my assessments over the first semester had been right, the strongest students and the ones most likely to be targeted were Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Iida, and myself. My knowledge of 1B was limited, but I thought there was a chance a few of them would be on the list as well, especially the beast boy named Shishida Jurota and the girl I'd done my internship with, Shiozaki. I swallowed down the all too familiar feel of panic rising in my chest - I only knew the whereabouts of a couple of those students. The rest were out there in the woods.
This is bad, my thoughts echoed Mandalay.
"How are you this evening, Yūei High School? We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains," the Hero Killer copycat said in a raspy, yet almost charismatic voice. He smiled at the students grouped together as he took note of each face. His eyes seemed to linger longer on Midoriya, Iida, and me.
"I could crush this kitty's head so easily," the other villain drawled lazily. "How about it, dears, should I?"
"You get away from her!" Tiger yelled.
"Now, now. Hold on Big Sis Mag," the lizard man said. "You too, Tiger. Calm down. When deciding if someone should live or die, we must be careful that we're abiding by Stain's principles."
That got a rise out of Iida, and I shot my other arm out in front of him as he stepped forward, clenching his fists and shouting angrily at the villain, "So you're the ones the Hero Killer ended up inspiring!"
The villain chuckled. "At your service! That's us! And you, four-eyes, I know who you are. Even if you weren't on the list, I'd know you as one of those self-righteous brats who attacked Stain in Hosu City. And you too, broccoli-hair," he grinned, eyes flitting next to Midoriya. "Since we're going to be getting more acquainted soon, let me introduce myself. Call me Spinner!" he crowed while unsheathing a monstrous weapon that had been slung over his back. A bundle of swords and knives all tethered to one sword hilt feathered like the branch of a pine tree, and the sheer size and reach alone made it a daunting weapon to behold.
"I don't care who you are! You're criminals!" Tiger growled. "The woman lying there is named Pixie-Bob. She's a pro hero who's saved countless lives, and she's giving her all for these young heroes," he said, and I realized that the man was trying to appeal to the villain's humanity. It was a tactic I had used myself plenty of times as a vigilante, but here I felt it was misguided. The League wasn't here for the pro heroes, after all. "What gives you the right to cut her happy life short?!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not a hero's job to be happy?!" Spinner yelled, raising his sword in preparation to strike.
Mandalay began formulating a quick plan of action with Tiger before turning to the students behind her. "You all return to camp - Tiger and I will hold the villains off. Class Rep, you're in charge of the way back. Don't engage anyone," she instructed. Her last order made me frown angrily. These students may have to fight for their lives by the end of this.
"Leave it to me," Iida said, nodding and I lowered my hand as he stepped back. Midoriya still hadn't moved. "Let's go."
Suddenly the boy ducked around my outstretched arm. "Midoriya!" Iida and I both yelled at the same time.
"I know where Kota is! I have to make sure he's safe!" he yelled, running for the tree line.
"Don't!" I started to yell, but in a burst of green lightning he was already gone.
Fuck, fuck, FUCK! I screamed internally. "Iida, get the others to camp! I'm going after him!" I yelled, sprinting off towards the direction he'd gone, praying to whoever would listen that I was making the right choice. Behind me I heard shouts of protest from the Pussycats and other students, but I ignored it. I had a job to do.
I knew it was a risk, and I tried to tell myself that my running after Midoriya instead of sticking with the other students wasn't the favoritism that it probably was. It made more logical sense that the group would be safer though, right? Spinner had admitted both Iida and Midoriya were on this 'list' that I'd already suspected existed, but Iida had other students with him. If it came to an altercation, there was safety in numbers. The newest holder of One for All was on his own, and strong as he may be, the boy had a bad track record for keeping out of trouble.
Speaking of damn was he fast! Almost as fast as All Might, which really shouldn't have been as surprising as it was considering I'd seen him keep up with Toshinori in their fight against Wolfram. With growing despair and anger at the situation in general, I realized I'd lost the trail.
"Shit!" I yelled before using my quirk to launch above the treeline. I hovered there for a moment (not without difficulty, due to fatigue from the day's training) and scanned the area. With the dense vegetation and the shadows cast by the night, however, my vision was rather limited.
"Midoriya!" I yelled, knowing he wouldn't answer, but still hoping he would. I was losing precious time, and as the minutes stretched on I wanted to cry in frustration. "Izuku, where are you!?" I yelled one last time, but it was no use. He was long gone.
"Mei!" a voice yelled, but it was high and feminine and not the one I was listening for. Somewhere nearby, another student must have heard me scream.
I had to make a decision, and I felt my heart splinter as I knew in this moment, I had to put my faith in the green-haired boy's ability to take care of himself. Izuku, please be careful, I begged silently as I dove back below the trees towards where I'd heard the disembodied voice of Uraraka call to me. I had a duty to all the students, and I couldn't fail them now.
'I would do my best to succeed and be just like him!' echoed in my head somewhat suddenly, and as my feet hit the ground, I felt myself pull on an uncharacteristic smile. "Don't worry. I am here," I said determinedly.