A/N:
A bit teensy, weensy, disappointed. Nope. I accept my fate now, haha. Not going to admit that I did (again) check my emails tons of times. Nuff' said.
I feel like I can't finish this fic and would lose interest or something, even though I do want to. It takes too long, it might even take me four years to finish this if I post a chapter every month. But I'm going to keep on trying.
Anyway, I was hoping that I would be able to post last week Thursday (We went to a creek for my birthday, YEE XD), but again, life got in the way (and another ER visit, gosh), and this chapter had a lot of parts that needed polishing.
After the next week, I would be going to school, and crap, I'm not ready. I do not want to go to school. I wish that I could study without any hard emotions against it but it's still hard. Ugh, I wish that I had eidetic memory or something. (It's when you can memorize everything you read. That would be awesome, T-T)
Disclaimer: My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi! My sister and I only own the plot and our OCs!
*Heads Up*: Noona is the word for "older sister" in Korean. It's used by younger male siblings to their older female siblings. Could be used between friends, couples, or friendly acquaintances, but with the same circumstances I've written above, minus the 'siblings' parts.
*Another Heads Up*: The reason why the numbers on.. um, the hate meter (snicker) is going up so slow is because each number had this.. significant amount of hate. 360 is the prime amount of hatred that Lady Imagination thinks that Shigaraki would have in order to put Aera on his hit list. Definitely not as much as Deku. (It's like the right amount, just enough to be on the list. Barely. Y'all know that the title of 'nemesis' belongs to Deku and All Might, haha)
Except that after this incident... I think she might be on the same level as Deku. Or more. Or less. Maybe. Idk. I'll let you guys decide.
:)
.
.
The sight was horrifying. The cyclopean purple Nomu, sank midway into the ground, with All Might holding on to it while also being in Warpgate's teleportation hole. To our right, Deku sprinted forward as he reached out to All Might, crying out desperately as Warpgate teleported to face him.
Now!
As all three of us lunged at the same time, Bakugou vaulted forward and blasted Kurogiri with a huge dynamic explosion, snarling, "Get the fuck outta here, Deku!"
Leaping forward along with Kirishima, my katana cleaved through the air blindly at Shigaraki's face as I used all the glitches in the moment. Seeing my blade swinging toward him, Shigaraki's blood-red eyes narrowed sinisterly as he deflected both of our attacks by leaning back. DANG IT!
Breathing harshly, I skidded backward to a stop with Kirishima, who cursed under his breath. "Crap, I almost had him!"
"It's fine!" I scanned my hate meter furiously, and was met with the puny number of ▲34. Thank goodness! It went up!
But it has to be 360!
13:39
Aaaa, 13 minutes!
What should I do now?! What!?
Holding out my katana protectively in front of me and Kirishima, I glanced at Bakugou and found that he was holding Warpgate down, a smoking hand on top of Warpgate's metal device that was around his main body. "You're not all that, you misty fucker!"
"Scum like you could never kill the Symbol of Peace." I heard Shōto from my left, ice crunching under his feet as he walked forward toward us. "Kacchan..! You guys..!" Deku's wavering voice was heard. I flashed him a reassuring, bloodstained smile as the green-haired boy's eyes watered visibly with grateful tears.
"...You've pinned down our way out…. Well… This is a problem…." Shigaraki quietly spoke, but I could hear the irascibility in his creeping voice. Again, I wished with my whole heart that his irritation at Bakugou was transferred to me at that moment.
..Think of this as a competition, Aera! And… Mr. Crusty's the judge! I need to get his ATTENTION!
Let's be more flashy! More noticeable!
Like an attention-seeking crab, I scuttled a bit forward, settling myself to be in front of Deku and the others. Notice me, Shigaraki! See my extreme efforts in trying to annoy you!
..Gosh, I sound like a bubbly airhead, trying to catch her crush's attention or something!
Pft. Why'd I make that comparison?!
12:41
?!
Focus, Aera, FOCUS!
"You slipped up, you fucking bastard! Don't move! If I decide you're doing anything fishy, I'll fucking explode you straight to hell!" Bakugou leered down at Kurogiri triumphantly, as Kirishima commented quietly, "That's not very hero-like, dude.."
Shigaraki clasped his hands together, his multiple hands gray and decayed-looking. I inwardly shivered at the sight of those hands, remembering the pieces of information that were etched in my memories. "Not only have you beaten our level, but you're all at full health… except that girl. Today's kids really are something… our league of villains should be ashamed..!"
That girl?! Eh?
...Does he mean me? Why does he think I got injured?
Ah. The blood on my mouth and my costume. Whoops.
Shigaraki's brittle eyes hardened as his demeanor suddenly changed. "Nomu. Take out the explosive brat. We need our escape route back."
Roaring like a monstrous T-rex, the Nomu strained his arms out of the teleportation hole, his frozen-solid arm cracking and shattering to multiple blocky pieces of ice as he tried to stand back up. His leg and arm smashed and caved in, the Nomu wobbly stood up successfully and roared again as his muscle cords grew alarmingly fast.
"His body's falling apart, but he's still moving..?!" Deku gasped out as we all watched the Nomu regenerate his limbs with only a few howls of pain. Outstretching his arms as if to shield my classmates and I from the Nomu, All Might warned us severely, "Get back everyone! What the..?! I thought his quirk was shock absorption..!"
Everyone went a few steps back, but I stubbornly stayed where I was. "Yukimisaka..!"
I half-heartedly went a few steps back to where the others were, cursing panickedly in my head. 11:58.
As the Nomu reared back his ugly-brained head in triumph, his limbs almost all reborn with fresh muscle, Shigaraki vaingloriously said, "I don't remember saying that's all he can do. This is hyper-regeneration."
A spark of inspiration was awoken in my brain at Shigaraki's words. In a small millisecond, I debated just holding out my hand… but I decided to make it as dramatic and eye-catching as I could.
After slicing my katana to my left as I summoned my viruses, I swung my katana behind my back to my other hand while agilely making my sword spin through the air with my dexterous fingers. Moonbeam… Penumbra Cut. Angling it over my head with both of my hands, I raised the katana high and slashed it downward toward the Nomu, my viruses spiraling around me and my sword before shooting toward my target with blue-luminescent, glimmering trails. Malfunction.
Tiny blue circuit-board patterns streaked throughout the Nomu, and stopped at the stump of his leg and arm. I gritted my teeth as I felt a weird sensation entering my mind, something foreign and harmful, slamming down on my mind, smothering my thoughts almost entirely.
My mind in total alarm, I squeezed my eyes shut and wrestled for control over the foreign invader, my mind bracing itself against its brawny and herculean attempts to get free. Managing to secure it as much as I could with all my mental strength and concentration, I opened my eyes and watched shakingly as a small seizure-like spasm rippled through the Nomu.. and like a miracle, the regeneration stopped.
With only half a hand and foot to complete.
My eyes widened in surprise and relief, sparking with fireworks of hope. YES! I DID IT!
For the first time on another.. Um, person!
The Nomu howled in rage and confusion as Shigaraki stated menacingly as his blood-red eyes shifted to me, glaring at me with razor-sharp daggers, "...What? It stopped..?"
▲153.
Cursing in my head, I took a trembling step back as I lost control over the regeneration, and the Nomu roared again in triumph as the remaining parts of his limbs were restored. ▼152. No! It went down!
The air blasted and whirled by me as I put up my arms to shield my face against the hurricane-like gust of wind, holding my katana so I didn't gut myself and my classmates. Suddenly, Bakugou was with us, having slid backwards when All Might had pushed him away from the Nomu. Like what originally happened, All Might skidded back from us, his two crossed arms braced to take the brunt of the Nomu's attack.
"You dodged that?! Wow..!" Deku exclaimed breathlessly to Bakugou, who responded stiffly while clenching his teeth. "I didn't. Shut up, you."
With a tiny bang, something went shooting across the air toward All Might suddenly, and a flashing, bright gold wave erupted without warning, enveloping the air around him with a strong invigorating glow.
?!
Stunned, we turned to see Seinare, who was standing on top of the staircase as she lowered her glowing, humming pistol and gave us an uncharacteristic shit-eating grin. "What's up, you guys? Get your heads in the game!" Drenched with rainwater, Seinare lowered her pistol and reloaded a few other pills into her pistol while muttering with an air of chaotic instability. "Just in time for Mr. Hands and that weird-looking.." She murmured something unaudible but I thought I caught a few cuss words.
Seinare aimed her pistols again at us, her right eye narrowed in concentration as she opened fire on us triumphantly with a barrage of colorful pills while having a crazy grin on her face. "Anyway, here's a gift!"
As she cackled like a lunatic, her pills went whistling through the air and smashed onto us on contact, and surrounded us with the same golden glow. I blinked, surprised as I felt my stamina slowly return to the full brim, my tiredness and the ache in my muscles disappearing. AOE! The thing that she did during the missile battle!
9:01.
Why's it so HARD to get the meter up!
Shigaraki sneered as Seinare's pills smashed unto the Nomu, a sickly shade of glowing blue washing over the Nomu as it growled angrily. It must be some kind of drug!
Hardening his arms with resounding sparks, Kirishima expressed strongly, "These are some brutal dudes, but with us supporting All Might… we can beat em' back!" My eyes narrowed at Shigaraki as I let my katana hit the ground while trying fiercely to dig out the fuzzy memories of what had happened. I.. remember that All Might fights the Nomu and punches him outside USJ..!
"It's three-on-seven." Shōto said quietly as he stood beside Deku, who also exclaimed with his fists in front of him, "And Kacchan showed us the mist man's weak point..!"
"No! Get out of here." The number one hero held out an arm to stop us from going forward. Shōto lowered his hand when he was about to release his ice and muttered, "Things wouldn't have gone so well if I hadn't stepped in."
"Right you are, so thanks for that, Todoroki! But fear not! Sit back and watch a pro get serious!" As All Might clenched his fists as he prepared to fight the Nomu. Steam slightly arose from my teacher as I remembered that he only had minutes left.
"All Might, you're bleeding..! And I think your time's u-." Deku clapped his hand to his mouth, forgetting that he was not supposed to spill his mentor's secret.
7:13
Shit, 7 minutes!
Oh no. The Panic Monster's coming!
As streams of panic broke through my fortress and began to leak into my mind, I again lifted my katana again once we had gone back a few more meters, and performed another sword 'form' while summoning my butterflies again. But this time… to destroy.
Astral Mist Stab.
Destroy.
As All Might propelled himself forward to meet fists with the Nomu, I summoned my butterflies, who had regenerated again in my body. Glowing brightly as ever, they caught the eye of Shigaraki as they melded into the Nomu silently, dynamic arcs of air crashing into us with the ultimate power of All Might's blows.
While holding my blade out, I began my most hardest operation of all: ripping and slashing away with mental commands at the invincible muscle system of the Nomu.
The Nomu's regeneration fought my destroyance, almost to the point of winning.. even though he was also receiving all of All Might's '100% One For All' blows. 300 of them. I could almost hear Shigaraki's teeth cracking as he ground his teeth together silently when All Might committed a ferocious uppercut on the Nomu. It crashed out of USj's glass-covered dome, with a booming 'dakoom!' as it sailed through the outside air.
▲190.
4:27
Fudgemallow Sticks!
So close!
Need more time!
As I lowered my katana again, my hand trembled on the hilt. More time! I need more time!
"He just smashed his way past the absorption…! Like straight outta the comics…!" Kirishima exclaimed as all of us stood there, immensely stupefied at what had happened. Except for me.
More time. I need more time. More time! Biting my lower lip so hard that it started to bleed, I watched the timer tick down, second by second with horror.
4:19
4:18
4:17
Timer, STOP! NOW!
Smoke arising from his form, All Might faced Shigaraki. "Well, villain. How about we hurry up and finish this?"
In response, Shigaraki began to scratch madly at his neck, muttering almost panickedly, "You cheated..! How dare you do that to my Nomu…! ...We're completely outmatched! You've weakened?" The gray-haired villain crouched low, with rage and panic combined. "He's not weak at all! They… They lied to me?!"
Cue Shigaraki's meltdown!
...Oh, wait, MY TIME! AAAA!
"Well? What happened to 'coming to get me'! If you can take me, then bring it on!" All Might glowered intimidatingly at Shigaraki as he misled the villain with his words. A shudder went through Shigaraki as he mumbled something to himself, Kurogiri faithfully being at his side.
3:13
Kirishima began to hesitantly back away, along with Bakugou, but stopped when he saw that the rest of us were not moving. "You guys! We oughta just hang back for now. Rush in and they might take you hostage or something..!" I stood there, frozen to the ground next to Deku.
Shōto began to turn as he said to us calmly, "Right.. We're not ready for this level yet.."
WHY DOES IT GO UP SO SLOW!
It shouldn't be a problem, considering how childish Shigaraki is!
Smoke and the dust clouds filled the air more, along with the 'steam' that All Might had when he was about to transform back. "Well, what's keeping you?!"
As All Might challenged Shigaraki, I numbly watched Shigaraki agitatedly itch at his neck as he heard the number one hero's words. Kurogiri pressed closer to the gray-haired villain in an attempt to calm him down. "The kids are holding back for some reason.. And reinforcements from the school are bound to arrive in a few minutes.. But if the two of us attack him simultaneously, we still have a chance…"
?!
My eyes widened as I heard what Warpgate was saying to Shigaraki. When the two were a bunch of meters away from us. His words were supposed to be unhearable. To no one. But I heard their words clearly.
What the-?! How come I hear something that is supposed to be unhearable! I'm far away from both of them!
WHAT?! HOW?!
1:05
?!
"More time..! Please, more time…!" My immense desperation was expressed by my voice. Shocked by what I had said, I clammed up, extremely horrified at my outward muttering.
Thankfully, no one noticed.. except for a certain green-haired main character, who turned to me with both horror and shock. I didn't dare look at him, gazing at Shigaraki as if I was in a horror-filled trance.
WHAT DO I DO NOW!? IT'S NOT 360!
"Midoriya. Ainiru." Shōto called out to both of us, who were still frozen for two very different reasons. While both were leaving, Kirishima said to Bakugou, "Let's go see if we can help the others…! All Might is going to take care of them anyway..!"
I heard Shoto's voice again, through the rush of thoughts that overwhelmed me. "Ainiru."
Please, Lady Imagination! Please give me more time!
Please!
There was no answer.
Tears of panic stinging in my eyes, I took a step forward. Another faltering step forward. Everything else blurred in my vision, with my vision tunneling toward Shigaraki.
0:35
In my extreme panic, I did something that I never did before. I activated a myriad of glitches while staying in place, frozen. Like a saving grace, Kurogiri was passing by Shigaraki, covering his view of us. Of me.
Now.
Suddenly my body stumbled forward, my limbs blindly racing on the ground as I sprinted desperately through the frozen time. DO ANYTHING! ANYTHING!
("It's funny to see what humans do when they're desperate. Especially when they backed into a corner with only one way out." The pale-haired lady smirked at me as she sat down.
Her painted lips curled into a cruel smile.
"It's entertaining.")
0:26
A few meters away from me, Shigaraki walked through Warpgate's teleport hole and appeared in front of All Might as I got closer and closer to them, glitches zipping throughout my whole body every fraction of a second as my katana cut through the air behind me.
Fuck it, I'm going to use my katana!
Something dark blue streaked by me in a flash, as I realized that Midoriya had also leaped forward, swinging his arm in a punch at Warpgate. A few seconds later, I too lunged toward Shigaraki with twin desperation. "Get away from All Might!" Deku yelled as I swung my katana at Shigaraki in extreme despair and hope. PLEASE.
His blood-red eyes flaring in immense fury, Shigaraki clung onto my katana with an outstretched hand, blood streaming down his arm from his heavily cut palm and fingers. The well-worn blade began to disintegrate into dust as I immediately let go of it, time slowing down in the heat of the moment.
▲265.
NO, GO UP MORE!
Immensely enraged that I had dared to interfere, Shigaraki lunged toward me blisteringly fast with his other uninjured hand.
"Misaka-San!" I heard Deku cry out with alarm as both of my lives flashed before my eyes.
Using my best hypersonic glitches, my neck snapped back as I leaned back as far as I could without falling. His fingers outstretched, Shigaraki's hand barely missed my neck. With only a centimeter to spare.
0:19
▲290
Alarmed by the timer, I instinctively pushed off the ground with a foot, using every fragment of adrenaline and energy I had in me. A guttural cry tore itself from my throat as I swung my right fist wildly at Shigaraki with fervent glitches, drowning in a fit of despair.
HIT HIM!
...Or should I slap him?!
Livid beyond belief, Shigaraki's blood-red eyes flashed with tremendous rage as he again reached for my head, deflecting my arm significantly from its path as his fingers splayed out to press on my face.
NO! He's too FAST!
My fist somehow opened up as my arm went closer toward Shigaraki's face. Barely dodging his outstretched hand with every one of my electrifying glitches, my mind scrambled on what to do, my attack horrifyingly botched-up.
In a moment of panic, desperation, and the overwhelming, crushing will to live, my hand unknowingly acted out the crazy order that my panicked mind flashed before my eyes.
Before I knew it, I snatched it off his face.
...
The hand.
The hand that was attached onto Shigaraki's face.
?!
WHAT THE-?!
My shock, added with my momentum, made my balance tilt precariously, making my knees give out under my weight as I glitched away desperately.
I landed on my bum a yard away from Shigaraki, my body slamming down onto the ground, my legs and arms suffering severe road burn as my body skidded back harshly on the ground. Dust filled the air around me as I began to cough violently.
Panting out severe breaths that were filled with dirt, I tried to prop myself up with an alert glitch, in total disbelief at my situation.
I looked up.
All I could see was the deadly, unstable expression of pure, demented rage on Shigaraki's face.
I never felt so horrified in my life.
But at the same time, I felt a terror-filled, laughter-inducing sense of sickening success.
"Father.." Shigaraki whispered quietly, so quietly that I knew that I was the only one who heard it. He reached out to me slowly. "You're tainted…"
All the blood on my face drained from my complexion, as immobilising shock rang throughout my body.
▲562.
?!
0:09
"Open fire!" I heard one of the teachers, Snipe, yell out in warning and immediately rolled back with glitches as a volley of bullets shot right before me, a rain of both death and life. They tore into Shigaraki when he tried to advance toward me, blood spurting from his bulleted flesh. The teachers! They're here!
As I tried to steady my trembling body, I felt something cold and stiff in my hand, feeling weirdly like flesh. Looking down, I gawked at the hand, feeling its stony veins, bones, and gray flesh. It's the actual thing! The actual HAND!
I-I GOT A SOUVENIR!
WHAT THE HECK!?
As Warpgate appeared in a flash next to Shigaraki and opened his teleportation hole hurriedly, Shigaraki almost collapsed from his wounds as he tried to stagger towards me. A huge, sound-sucking vacuum appeared behind the teleportation portal.
Thirteen's black hole…!
Looking back up, I stared at Shigaraki as he enunciated a threat to All Might with extreme fury while being pulled into the teleportation hole. "I may have failed here, Symbol of Peace… but the next time we meet, you're dead, All Might."
His bloodshot crimson eyes turned to me. "You too."
0:01
With a fwoop, the teleportation hole disappeared.
0:00
All the strength in my body vanished, and I collapsed on the ground, extremely shocked and exhausted. The dust swept over me, making my eyes water as I gazed up deadenedly at the dome sky of USJ.
I did it.
I'm alive.
And I've got.. A little unexpected.. thing…!
I shut my eyes, feeling as if a huge, suffocating burden was lifted from my shoulders.
Oh gosh.
I'm dead.
...Don't think about.. how much Shigaraki.. must hate me right now!
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Suddenly, a glowing message from Lady Imagination flashed brightly in the darkness that my closed eyelids had produced. Even though… I had closed my eyes, it had still appeared.
?!
Fufufu. I wasn't expecting this…! Humans always do surprise me. That's the thrill, after all! ^^
Enjoy your extended life, Aera Kim. Until it lasts. Your performance was… satisfactory today. To an extent. See you on the next mission..!
Toodles~
:)
"Misaka-san! Are you okay?!" I turned my head to look at Deku, who was a few feet away from me. Painstakingly pushing himself up, he was breathing out strangled gasps of pain because of his broken legs.
In response, I managed to stand up shakily, holding the gray, stony hand gingerly in one of my hands. "..I'm fine, Midoriya…! I-"
My eyes widened in alarm as I saw All Might in his gaunt, skeletal form, half covered by the clouds and his transforming mist. As I blinked in both horror and surprise, my equally petrified teacher's hollow sky-blue eyes met mine in shock.
?!
FUDGEMALLOW STICKS! I completely forgot about All Might!
He definitely knows that I saw him!
.
.
"20.. 21… 22… and 23. Besides the one who had messed-up legs.. Looks like all of them are unharmed." I stood in the crowd of my classmates, as Detective Tsukauchi surveyed us as he spoke. "And you. With the wine-colored hair. Come forward."
I pointed toward myself hesitantly as my classmates swiveled around to look at me. "Uh.. me, sir?"
"Yes, you. Bring me the thing that you have taken from the villain." As my classmates parted to let me through, I swallowed nervously as I walked forward, the cold stiffened hand in my grasp. "Please give it to me."
I handed it over to the detective without a word.
I.. was planning to give the hand a burial but..!
Guess the police need it. Obviously.
The detective studied the hand carefully with a gloved hand before putting it carefully inside a see-through bag. He handed it to the cat police officer, who put it inside a classified case and walked away. "What is your name?"
"...My name is Yukimisaka Ainiru, sir."
The detective looked down at me, his face crinkling with a warm smile. "I see. You have some great nerve, taking this from a villain while risking your own life."
My face sticky from sweat, blood, dust, I gave a sheepish smile as I tried not to grimace outwardly. "It was by an accident. I was just trying to... help."
Lies.
Detective Tsukauchi chuckled as he tilted his hat. "If there is some DNA left over from its contact with the villain, we might have a lead on who coordinated this villain attack. It was on his face, correct?"
..Fudgemallow sticks, they're going to know about Shigaraki faster than usual..! And if.. They do another DNA test…!
Gulp.
I nodded, steadily hiding my panic and worry. "Yes, sir. My classmates can confirm it for you also."
"All right…" The detective turned away from me, our conversation done. "We're going to get your kids back to the classroom for now. This is no time to take your statements."
.
.
Two Days after the USJ Attack
The bell chimed happily, signifying the end of fourth period, which was Modern Literature by Cementoss. After stretching while sitting down, I energetically jumped out of my seat to join my classmates in going to the cafeteria. They were excitedly jumping about, prepped up to the highest at the thought of competing at the UA Sports Festival.
"This got me so freakin' pumped!" Kirishima announced with a lively gleam in his eyes as Sero remarked happily, "If we show our stuff in the festival, that's one big step towards going pro!" Tokoyami and Sato nodded in complete agreement.
"The Sports Festival is sooo exciting! I can't wait for it to come already, Umihaku!" Hagakure exclaimed to Heiakira while walking to the door, who responded with a grin. "I'm sure that even the Olympics from long ago can't compare with it! I've watched the Sports Festival every year!"
While talking with Momo and Jirou, I paused to remark to Heiakira, "What do you mean? The Olympics are so exciting! Especially the Taekwondo competitions from a year ago!"
Heiakira gave me a confused look as some of my classmates paused and turned to listen to our exchange. "...Misaka, the Olympics have been gone for a few centuries. Why are you saying as if they're still continuing?"
?!
Fudgemallow stick, did I just shoot myself in the foot?! WHY DID I SAY THAT?!
Curse my overwhelming life-long adoration of the Olympics! ...I did watch the sparring battles of my favorite Taekwondo champions over and over again like how Deku watched All Might's debut video..!
I should REALLY watch what I say!
My mind stumbled for an excuse as my classmates gave me weird looks. Radiating awkwardness, I gave them an abashed smile. "Oh, I.. I watched a few clips of the Olympics a few years ago..! You know... The very old ones with the very bad video quality..!"
Please don't think I'm weird! Please!
Technically, I'm not lying..! I did watch and obsess over the Olympics in my old world!
"Oh, I see!" Heiakira smiled at me, her cognac eyes sparkling. "I should watch the old clips of the Olympics too, sometime! If I could find it on the Internet…! That's going to be really hard, though…"
"I'm not sure if you could find them… I just happened to come upon them while surfing through the Internet, Umihaku." I answered falteringly with a smile.
A bit self-conscious, I walked out of the door and into the hallway with Momo and Jirou. "Ainiru, are you okay?" Momo asked me concernedly. "Even in Modern Art History, you were acting as if you lost your memories or something…"
Jirou nodded as she looped together her ear appendages in thought. "You must have gotten quite a concussion to forget that, Misaka."
Reminded, I cringed inwardly at the memory of the incident in the morning, in which I had stood up in extreme bafflement when Midnight-Sensei had taught us that the Cold War had happened after World War 3.
("We do not know much about the earlier, closer details of history in between the Prehistoric beginnings and the Modern Era sadly..." Midnight-Sensei announced as she strolled in front of the blackboard in her clacking heels. "For example, the specifics of the Middle Ages…. or the Revolutions in Europe, the Americas and in Haiti. Can someone tell me why we do not have such information at hand as our quirkless ancestors did?"
Her spiky, dark blue hair dipped forward as she nodded to someone behind me. "Yes, Yaoyorozu?"
My best friend answered in her cool, intelligent way, "It is because of the burning of books and erasing of information in the dark ages of our society, which was crumbling under the overwhelming stress of sudden quirks. It was fortunate that we had some copies and PDFs online, but the older textbooks were lost because of the dark regimes that controlled the world in those days and sought to rewrite history as they wanted, Midnight-Sensei."
I blinked. And stared down at my history book again, cursing the two versions of history that were clashing together in my head.
Midnight-Sensei nodded happily at Momo's perfect answer, clapping her perfectly manicured hands. "Correct, Yaoyorozu..! So continuing with our Unit 1 concepts, this week we will start off with World War 3, which later on influenced the start of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and Americ-"
?!
"Wait, Midnight-Sensei..!" I stood up in my seat as I raised my hand in complete bewilderment. Everyone stopped looking at our teacher and swiveled around to face me.
"Midnight-Sensei, I'm sorry for the interruption but there was.. There was no such war like that! There's only WW1 and WW2, which later influenced the Cold War! There's no 'WW3'! Perhaps it will happen in the future, maybe, but-"
At my sputtering outburst and waving hands, Midnight-Sensei frowned deeply at my statement as my classmates murmured in confusion and disbelief at my 'stupid-sounding' question. "Yukimisaka, what are you talking about? World War 3 happened a few centuries ago, which many international experts had managed to scavenge and piece together by using the bits of evidence left…!"
I persisted stubbornly. "No, the experts are wrong, Midnight-Sensei! They're extremely wrong..! There's no such war! It's been literally 80 years since WW2 end-" Pausing in my sentence midway, I clapped a hand to my mouth in absolute shock.
WHAT AM I SAYING?!
Shootie Pie, what was I THINKING?!
Words dying in my throat, I swallowed a cold hard lump in my throat as I met everyone's eyes with a rising flush in my cheeks.
DO SOMETHING!
Damage Control, Aera! Act as if you suddenly forgot!
"...Um, Midnight-Sensei.." Sweat dropped from my temple as I faced my history teacher and classmates with a mortified smile. "I'm sorry.. I.. seem to have a sudden.. memory loss about the said event.."
My classmates stared at me in perplexity and concern as I winced at my implausible excuse. "... I slipped and fell on my head on the stairs a few years ago and I've been whacky ever since.. So please, just... Carry on." Chagrined, I immediately sat back down, my cheeks burning furiously with my butterflies released and fluttering around me.
Midnight-Sensei slowly gave me a nod and began her lecture again as I stared down at my textbook in suppressed embarrassment and frustration, with my classmates giving me concerned looks.)
"Oh... I was really out of it, wasn't I?" I nervously laughed it off as I walked through the hallway. Suddenly, Kaminari came barreling out of nowhere and started hiding behind us, using us as a makeshift shield. "You guys, help me!"
Surprisingly, Momo did not give a disapproving sniff at Kaminari's behavior but instead pursed her lips into a half-smile. That's a first…! It must be because of what happened in USJ..!
Tsking, Jirou whacked Kaminari lightly with one of her ear appendages. The electric blonde gave an 'ow' as he rubbed his head while laughing. "You dummy, why'd you tease Bakugou and come running to us when he gets mad at you?!"
In the background, I heard booming noises behind us, with our fellow students' irritated mutters. I whirled around to see Kirishima, howling with laughter as he blocked Bakugou's exploding fist with his hardened arm.
The temperous blonde snarled as he stalked toward us, where Kaminari shook behind us, snickering. "Outta the way, Insect Bitch! C'mere, you electric fucktard! I'm going to give you that pounding you deserve!"
"Woah there, Bakugou!" I said laughing as I stopped Bakugou's exploding blows with a glitching hand. I grinned cheekily as he snarled at my audacity to stop him. "Take it easy, will you? It's just good-minded teasing!"
Shaking off my light clasp on his arm violently, Bakugou barked out, "Who the fuck cares?! Now get the fuck outta my way before I explode you too!" He lunged at Kaminari, who dodged away with a playful 'Ha!'. Kirishima caught up with us, guffawing heartily as Kaminari kept on using Jirou and I as a shield.
"How much did you tease him for him to be in such a rage?!" I asked loudly to my red-haired friend while laughing, getting angled around with Jirou by Kaminari, who was surprisingly strong.
Kirishima sputtered out in between laughter, "I just compared him to those.. What are they called again, Kaminari?!"
"Pomeranians!"
"Yea, those! And he started yelling!"
Remembering the Bakugou memes from my old world, I chortled at the comparison as Jirou also smothered a snicker. Immediately seeing our heavily suppressed laughter, Bakugou aimed for us also with a furious roar. "The fuck are you two laughin' at!"
"What? You do act like one!" I narrowly avoided another explosion up my nose with a glitch while trying to stifle back my overwhelming laughter. The blonde glared at me as if promising me death with his demonically narrowed eyes. I sniggered even harder, my ears lightly suffering under the explosions he detonated viciously at me in revenge.
"Bakugou, control yourself!" I heard All Might announce behind us imposingly as Kaminari let go of Jirou and I with amusement. Some of my butterflies swirled upward after emerging from my hair, chittering blithely at the amusing scene that met them.
Hissing insults under his breath, Bakugou glowered at me hotly as All Might placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bakugou, you mustn't use your quirk in the hallway..! For this one time, I will let you go but next time, I will have no choice but to report it!"
A few seconds later, the blonde muttered something angrily in reply and shoved All Might's hand off his shoulder before storming away, Kirishima and Kaminari flying ahead joyfully to tag along on their new best friend's warpath toward the cafeteria.
Smirking whimsically, I waved a peace sign at Bakugou goodbye and he flipped me the bird, sneering.
One of my butterflies, B1, blew a raspberry loudly at Bakugou in response when he went past me, and he snapped a fiery insult at it before lashing out at Kaminari and Kirishima to fuck off.
Jirou began to crack up, her arms hugging her stomach as she laughed, her dark purple bob haircut fluttering with the motion. "Did your butterfly just blow a raspberry at Bakugou?!"
I giggled in response as Momo suppressed a giggle too, smiling happily. "It's as if they have a mind of their own!"
"Yukimisaka?" I didn't notice that All Might was still standing behind me, and spun around to face my charismatic teacher. "Oh, yes, sir?"
The number one hero put his hands on his hips proudly and grinned down at me. "I was looking for you everywhere! Now come with me! We need to have.. a very important discussion..! Midoriya will be joining us!" All Might gave me a meaningful look, which literally was printed on his forehead, 'We need to talk about the state you saw me in a few days ago!'
I smiled at him knowingly. "Ah, yes, sir..!" I tilted my head in compliance and turned to Momo and Jirou. "Momo, Jirou, I'll see you at the cafeteria later..!"
.
.
Few Days after the USJ Incident.
The sunset reminded me of my mom, with its beautiful pink and creamy orange streaked skies. No, Ainiru's mom. I corrected my thoughts as I stopped running and began to do stretches again. The grass rustled underneath my feet by the wind as I gazed at the nearby ice rink stadium while stretching in my chosen glade.
The glade that I was in was secluded, shielded by a circle of trees and blanketed with soft, plushy grass. The place made me feel safe and less vulnerable, considering that I did not want anyone seeing me fall on my butt on the first, easy kicks that I did. It was very embarrassing. Don't ask.
This park was the place of my tears. Literally. I had to squish 10 years of experience into almost 2 and ½ years, and it didn't count that I was a grandmaster in Taekwondo and Hapkido and had learned all the moves already. With Ainiru's physical body, I barely managed to complete the deadly combinations of attacks that I had accumulated over the years as myself. But.. it was still something that I had from my world that helped me and gave me an edge.
Especially when the UA Sports Festival is next week.
I breathed heavily as I reached out to grasp my ankle and hold my leg tight as I stretched it over my head. Feeling my muscles tightening under the strong strain, I relished the feeling. It felt weirdly pleasing to feel the burn.
The UA Sports Festival is my chance. My only chance.
After a few minutes, I let go of my leg, and it went swooshing down to join my other leg in its role of helping me stand.
Otousan.. and my whole family will know that I will attend UA. For sure.
Because Otousan always cuts work to go attend it along with my uncles, and they always take Tsuiniko too. I remember that Ainiru was extremely envious when she was a kid, but she later didn't care.
I couldn't just let myself flop there, looking like an absolute fool in front of my father and uncles, becoming exactly what they had told me for years.
You can't become a hero. UA is too hard, too brutal for you. Leave it for your brothers instead, who are more capable.
You will just shatter under the pressure.
I narrowed my eyes while leaning down into my splits, spreading myself over the grass as far as I could go. Bullshit.
You couldn't even do the things that I did. Get into UA, check..! Fight villains and survive, check…! Meet All Might, check…!
I snickered at the thought, imagining almost all of my male family members' faces when they realized that I met All Might, their ultimate idol, and was even getting taught by him. Even more when they realize that I was attending UA, their ultimate dream school from childhood. And that I had defied their unshakeable expectations and beliefs, proven specially by the villain attack.
Right. Serves them for treating me as if I was inferior….!
And if they got extremely mad at me, and wanted to make me pull out of the school just for the sin of defiling the sacred grounds of UA with my presence, well… I just needed to make a big, big, big splash at the festival, so that wherever they went, people would compliment them on their talented daughter/niece/sister.
And.. I cackled to myself as I did an impressive side kick, the wind whooshing by my ears. People are going to ask questions when I suddenly pull out of school for no apparent reason. What's going to be their excuse?
...It will be entertaining to see them squirm.
"Onee-chan, why are you cackling like that? It's creepy."
"Gah!" I almost lost my balance, but managed to swing down my leg, almost hitting poor Tsuiniko. He ducked with a yell. "Onee-chan, I never thought that you would try to kill me today!"
"I didn't! You shouldn't have scared me like that!"
"Ainiru? Tsuiniko?" Keitomo emerged from the trees that covered my view of the path and stopped when he saw both of us sprawled out on the grass. "Oniisan?" I asked out dumbly. "W-Why are you guys here?! How'd you guys find me?!"
My rose golden-haired brother responded cheerfully as he walked up toward both of us. "We searched the whole place. Thought that we should visit you while you trained, since we weren't here these past years."
Tsuiniko bounced back up, muttering curse words. I shot him a look as I stood up and brushed off the dirt and grass off my leggings. He gave a deep, mock-sorrowful sigh. "Yes, Onee-chan, I will not curse. Even though you do..." He muttered the last sentence as I glared at him. He gave me an innocent smile.
Who knew that Tsuiniko would turn out like that when we grew older?!
He was such a cute, caring cinnamon roll! How come I find out now that under all that soft dough and sweet, cinnamony goodness, is an imp-like creature?!
Tsuiniko's eyes grew big as he surveyed our surroundings. "Wow! How did you sneak all of these equipment here?! How come Himura-san didn't notice you taking these out of the car?!"
Over the months of training, I had bought my training necessities off the Internet and from the rare, tracked down martial arts stores. A tall human-like rubber dummy stood a few feet away from me, with some dumbbells and stretching equipment. A worn-out, wooden sword was lying away in the grass innocently, with some strips of used fighting tape strewn over some bushes like Christmas tinsel.
My overflowing pack of supplies and gear was right by my side, with my smaller ice-skating duffel bag. I wasn't going to risk someone stealing them. They were too expensive. No, I wasn't going to think about their prices. I almost had a seizure when I handed over my credit card to buy them.
I scoffed as I rearranged my yoga mat on the grass. "I didn't load all of these into the car, Tsuiniko. It will be suicide if I did."
"Then how?!"
I grinned at my brothers as Keitomo seated himself a bit awkwardly on the edge of my yoga-mat's edge. "I always take them in and out from the ice stadium. Himura-san is too.. engrossed with his phone after he switches off the car engine, if I should say. Bless his good heart."
And his shōjo manga-loving self. I snickered lightly in my brain.
"Anyway.. What do you guys want to do? See my awesome moves? Hear another thrilling rendition of my awe-inspiring fight against the villains? Saving All Might? My classmates?" I dramatically lifted up my hands theatrically, striking a heroic pose as my words gave my heart a sharp prickle. I ignored it.
"Onee-chan, I'm sure that you didn't save All Might..! He's too good! He didn't need your help, probably!" Tsuiniko jumped up, his fists pumping in the air. You never know how close he was to losing, dear peachling.
"Onee-chan, I was thinking about this yesterday but.. I want to fight you! Right now!"
Keitomo interjected in quietly, his voice alarmed. "No, absolutely not..! Tsuiniko, you're not supposed to fight your sister..! What if she gets hurt by you..?!"
"Oniisan, who said that I was going to get hurt by this 12 year-old pip-squeak!" Ignoring his double-toned reason, I ruffled Tsuiniko's peach-pink hair as he glowered up at me childishly.
"Onee-chan, I'm really good! Haven't you seen me? I'm better than you, probably!" He puffed up his chest, looking so blindingly confident that I had to smother a chuckle.
"Sure. Have a go at your own sis, will you? You only have 6 years of experience, plus you never fought anyone for real. See how I will magnificently squash you like a bug…!" I looked down at him chirpily with a mirthful grin.
"Oneechan, you only trained for almost 3 years! That's half of my 'experience'!"
Nope, haha, peachling! I have 10 years, no, 13 years actually! If.. I add the years here, even though it was technically 'Review'!
"Seriously you peachling, I told you to call me 'Noona' when Otousan isn't here."
"Ah, yes, Noona. And please stop calling me 'peachling'! We are in public here, I do not want anyone to overhear that mortifying nickname!"
"You dare call my carefully-crafted nicknames mortifying?! Listen here, you little shit, you are forever 'The Peachling' to me, even if you're freakin' eighty years-old!"
"Fuck, who's being so fucking loud on our turf?" I heard a gruff voice say out as Keitomo and Tsuiniko stiffened at the voice. I narrowed my eyes. A few seconds later, a brutish, gray-haired guy stuck his head out through the wall of trees and sneered at us.
"Some fucking brats." The gray-haired guy blustered as he pushed through, his toadies following through. They looked as if they just graduated from high-school. A few years younger than my real age, 21.
A sleazy, white-haired brute in front of the group leered at me, sizing me up and down. I imagined him as a more hostile and older Mineta, who was taking every chance to ogle Momo and I before I threatened him severely enough for him to flee whenever I glared at him. "A pretty-faced brat with nice legs, huh? What's this, you brats? Your shitty fighting gear?"
He chortled as he pushed through his gang members and picked up my wooden sword, swinging it around mockingly. "Having fun sword fighting? That's so fucking old! It wouldn't even stand this!" He smirked as his hand turned into an albino crocodile and snapped my practice sword into bits with one chop of its jaws. "If you brats want a taste of fighting, come with us! We'll teach you a lesson for messin' around in our turf!"
?!
That's it, you motherfucker. You break my stuff, I break yours!
"Ainiru, stay back and get behind me. You are going to get hurt." Keitomo pushed himself up to face the gangsters and stretched out his arms, as if to guard Tsuiniko and I with himself. Elbowing his older brother's arm out of his way, Tsuiniko broke out to help with no objection from my older brother. But when I tried to do that also, my rose golden-haired brother shook his head firmly at me and strengthened his arms to shield me back.
The heck?! He's freakin' treating me as if I'm some delicate glass flower or something!
Keitomo looked at the gang steadily while trembling slightly. "Please.. We don't want to fight. We will just leave quietly."
"Too late for that, you brats." The gray-haired brute suddenly pushed forward. "You've got our attention this evening. We don't leave any rock unturned in our territory."
Oo, let's fight too! Y'all got caught on my radar today!
Come on, Aera! Radiate your own 'Bakugou' energy!
I started to laugh. Hard. So much that I was sure that I looked like a cackling banshee. "Seriously? Is this real? A group of guys just walk up to three kids, threatening to beat their asses just because they have fucking vocal cords like any other human being?"
"Noona. Please stay quiet…" Tsuiniko whispered out as he tried to stop me with Keitomo but I pushed forward, righteously pissed-off. "You want to fight? Let's fight then. One on one, or is that too scary for you? To face a girl like a man?"
I think I've been around Kirishima too much. Whoops.
"I'm going to crush that little-" One of the gang members stepped out snarling but the white-haired guy stopped him. "I'm going to do it. Easy-peezy."
He smirked at me, cockily sidling forward. "After I win in seconds, I'm going to make you kneel at my feet, you mouthy bitch. You can do other things-"
"What other things?"
?!
Wait, I know this voice?! I turned to see a very familiar, purple-haired boy entering the glade with a heavy shove at the trees, dark bags under his eyes as he blearily stared at the scene. It's Shinso!
The white-haired thug whirled around and sneered at my fellow student. "You can fuck off and mind your own business, you-." Suddenly his body stiffened, and I could only imagine that his eyes had glazed over opaque as Shinso said out, "Mind what?"
"Tensuda, what's happened to you?!" The magenta-haired gang member that had snarled out at me, yelled out. Realizing that the culprit was Shinso, the thug threatened with furor at Shinso, "You motherfucker, we fucking told you to mind you own-" He too suddenly became rigid, his green eyes becoming translucent.
Using quite clever and articulated words, Shinso managed to brainwash all of them within seconds, turning them all to translucent-eyed while staring blankly into space, inanimate while stiffly standing. Tsuiniko and Keitomo were stunned speechless as Shinso turned to us. "You should go now before I break it."
Immediately formulating a friendly response that I knew he would be open to, I smiled at him excitedly as he blinked at me, taken aback at my exploding enthusiasm. I swore that he was about to give me a weird look but decided not to. "Thanks..! I could have taken care of it myself, though. Like how I kicked ass at USJ, as you might have heard..!" I said to him with a playful, grandiose air.
"..You know me?" Shinso asked as he tiredly yawned, impressively never breaking his concentration on his brainwashing.
"Oh yeah, I do. I sincerely apologize for how my classmate treated you a few days ago. He can be quite aggressive! Calling others cannon fodder, gosh, the nerve of him…." I muttered to myself before grinning again.
The purple-haired boy lifted an eyebrow to survey me with a somewhat surprised look. "You're… in Class 1-A? In the Hero Course?"
"Yep! Pleased to meet you! Formally I mean!" I held out my hand, hoping that he wouldn't reject it. "I'm Yukimisaka Ainiru. And you?"
After studying my outstretched hand for a few seconds, Shinso shook it, as if accepting how extremely perky I was. "..Shinso Hitoshi."
"Ainiru, you know this person?" Keitomo asked me hesitantly as Tsuiniko inched forward.
"Yeah, I do. We both attend UA..!" I turned to face Shinso again. "Thanks again for helping us even though you might have gotten caught using your quirk… I owe you one…!"
"It's nothing." After scratching his head a bit shyly, the purple-haired boy gave me an amicable nod. "I think you should really go now. I feel like.. my brain-washing of them is going to end soon."
As he spoke, I noticed a small note of bitterness tinging his voice. I imagined that he expected me to comment on his villainous-sounding quirk. "Brain-washing? Is that your quirk? It sounds villainy just like mine..!"
"Yes.. it is." Feeling Shinso's questioning look radiating towards me, I added happily as I moved to collect all my things that were scattered on the ground, "Mine's what computer viruses do to other computers...! People often comment how villainy it is, but I don't exactly care. It's not like it was going to stop me from entering UA and its hero course...!"
Being helped by my siblings, I finished packing all of my training equipment and grinned at him again as my siblings and I were able to exit the secluded glade. "Anyway, I can't say that I'm rooting for you at the Sports Festival because my classmates and I are taking your declaration of war seriously, but for friendly sportsmanship, good luck..! May the best person win! See ya!"
.
.
One Day before the Sports Festival.
"Finally, break time!" I sang out as I pranced out of my seat, delighted that my joyful break period had arrived, saving me from the dreadful math class that Ectoplasm taught. My classmates began to stand, talking and laughing as they moved about their seats.
"You hate math class that much, Misaka?" Sero laughed as I stretched out my arms loftily while floating through the seats, my butterflies released and twirling around in ecstasy.
"Yeah! Ectoplasm's great at teaching but formulas just bore my mind..!" Especially when I'm learning them again! As I was about to slide the classroom door shut, I suddenly remembered what I was planning to do.
I stuck my head through the opening again. "Wait, who wants to get giggle-water from the vending machine with me?! Free drinks for everyone, for luck at the Sports Festival! I'm spilling my allowance today!"
"Ooh, me! I love free stuff! Wait, what's giggle-water? Is that a new brand? Do the vending machines even have it?" Mina jumped from her seat eagerly and skipped over to me. I grinned at her as I shuffled my fingers through my wallet's money pocket. "It's just a nickname for soft drinks! I made it up!"
"Oh no. Ainiru, you cannot drink them this early in the morning..!" Momo expressed as she stood up from her seat. I grinned at her from far away. "What? It's not like you're going to come and get drinks with me too."
Her ebony-black ponytail swishing, she walked up to me and sighed. "Here we go again. You, buying as much as drinks you can carry and chugging them all up excessively. I can not allow you to go through.. that episode again." I snickered at the memory of soda shooting out of my nose when I burst out laughing with a full mouthful of the said drink. "Momo, I won't do that, I promise!"
I turned to my classmates, grinning happily at them. "If you guys are too lazy to go with me, just place your orders then! I need someone to help me carry all of them though." Seeing everyone's hesitance, I reassured them. "...C'mon you guys, it's okay! Everyone needs luck for tomorrow!"
"..Pocari Sweat for me then!" Sero called out bravely with a raised hand. "Calpico Lychee is the best! Do get one for me, please!" Heiakira exclaimed to me as she looked down at her sketch.
Kirishima grinned at me as he zipped shut his backpack. "I want a Mitsuya Cider! Oi, Bakugou! Want a drink? Misaka's spendin'!"
"I don't want shit this fucking early, you spike-head." The irritated blonde said crassly as he leaned back in his seat, his dirty sneakers on his desk. Kirishima laughed aloud at his answer, unfazed by Bakugou's rudeness. I took his answer as a no. "Okay! Any more orders, you guys?"
"Strawberry Milkis, please!" Hagakure excitedly called out as Mineta and Kaminari placed their orders right after. "Qoo, the grape one!" "I want Yakult, Misaka!"
"Jirou? You guys? Want anything? " I addressed the group that Jirou was talking with. Sato, Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Koda turned to face me. One of Jirou's ear appendages whirled around as she answered me pleasantly, "Oh, brown sugar milk tea would be great."
"I… will just have black coffee. The hot type…" Tokoyami muttered out self-consciously when I had given him an expectant smile.
"No sugars or milk? How do you drink such stuff?" Impressed, I looked at him in awe.
"… I just do. Out of habit."
"Oh, I see. Any other drinks, you guys?"
"A Black Sesame Latte, if possible Misaka." Sato replied as Ojiro said to me awkwardly, "Amazake Sweet Rice would be fine.."
"What about you, Koda?" I asked kindly to my shy classmate, who waved his hands hastily as a no. "Okay, got it..!" I moved on, inscribing the names of the latest drinks on a piece of paper hurriedly.
"Shūzenji-chan, what about you? Iida?"
Seinare waved her hand at me as she stopped her conversation with Iida. "C.C. Lemon for me. Iida, you want a drink? Misaka's offering." The bespectacled boy gave a start as he looked up from his respective agenda for the class.
"Ah, I have forgotten to drink my daily cup of orange juice..! How irresponsible of me! What if a villain had attacked us in the morning..?!" Seinare dryly looked at him and deadpanned, "You can just drink it right now, you know?"
Iida bowed his head to me as he was sitting in his seat. "I would absolutely be grateful, Yukimisaka-san, if you would pick up some orange juice for me..! 100% please..! Seems like I have forgotten to bring some money. I assure you that I will compensate you for the drink tomorrow!"
I grinned at him. "Sure! But you don't have to, Iida."
"I do insist!"
Seinare arched an eyebrow at Iida. "I thought that you liked canned coffee, not orange juice."
"Yes, but we never know when we'll spring into action! Especially when orange juice is like gasoline for my engines! It is better to be safe than sorry, Shūzenji-san!"
"I'll just get both of them for you, Iida! I'm feeling very generous today!" I exclaimed as I turned to Tsuyu, whom I had gotten closer to after she and I went to the restroom together when I had come to school late. "Tsuyu-chan, do you want anything?"
Tsuyu put a webbed finger to her lips. "Hmm, green tea. You don't have to get it if it's too much, Misaka-chan, kero."
"It's fine, Tsuyu-chan! I have enough money! I've counted!" Seeing Deku muttering over his notes, I called out to him comfortably, feeling as if he and I began to have a strong friendship after we had both dived at Warpgate and Shigaraki with desperation. "Midoriya-kun, want me to buy you a drink?"
We both shared All Might's 'quirk limit' secret after all, when All Might had talked to us both at lunch the week before. I had fun acting as if I didn't know anything, but after the conversation, they were too nice to ask me to leave outright; shifting awkwardly in their seats and looking at the walls before I excused myself, almost laughing at how All Might and Midoriya's mentor-protégé relationship was so noticeable to me.
"Uh…. Melon Soda, if you want to buy it for me, Misaka-san!" Midoriya answered me sheepishly with a sweat drop as he was broken out of his mutterings, ironically choosing a green drink. Calling out playfully to him, I joked out, "Is it that hard to call me Misaka-chan like I asked you to?"
"Ah, Misaka-chan!" He smiled at me like the cute cinnamon roll, a.k.a the ball of sunshine he was. Ack, my heart!
"What about you, Uraraka-chan? Do you want anything?" Hearing my question, Ochako responded while scratching her head shyly, ".. I'll just get Mugicha (roasted barley tea), Misaka-chan..!" Ah, isn't that the most least expensive drink?
"Ah, okay!" ...She kind of reminds me of myself. My old self. Hmm. Should I just say that I accidentally 'forgot' her order and chose something more tastier? Maybe the Calpico Mango one?
.. I should also get Shōto a milk-beverage! I think he likes strawberry milk? Or another milk-based drink? Eh, I will just choose from whatever's there. He's probably not going to complain and would wordlessly accept.
As I was going toward the door, I stopped in my tracks, realizing that I completely forgot to ask Aoyama, who was currently gazing at me intently with his 'sparkle effects' on. "Aoyama, how can I forget you?! What drink do you want?"
With a flip of his golden locks, Aoyama batted his eyelashes at me as I grinned at him. I realized that he was waiting for me to ask him this whole time. "I.. would like the wonderful white grape flavored sparkling water..! The one with the best quality..!"
I wrote it down on my list while smiling. "Of course..! Anyone else? ..Okay, I'm going!"
As Mina, Momo and I stepped through the door, something pulled on my shoulder. I turned around to see one of Minho's tendons tugging on my uniform. "Yukimisaka, wait."
I whirled around to see him approaching us and grinned at him. "What, Minho? You want a drink too?"
"You three need to carry almost 20 drinks right now. I rather not see money wasted if you drop any, considering your bad luck." He lightheartedly bumped his sharp elbow into mine as his lips quirked up jokingly at me. As I looked up at him with a twin grin, my eyes flickered to the flash of mottled purple-green that bruised his collarbone when his uniform had jerked with his movement. I hesitated, wondering in split-seconds if I should say something.
Figuring that he wouldn't like the unwanted attention, I decided to not to say anything because of our friends that were currently in hearing distance.
...I should text him about that later.
But he would probably play it off. Again! I don't know what the heck is happening to him, but he refuses to say anything! Like a closed up clam!
...I thought that the bullying stopped because we're at UA, but he still winces whenever he walks sometimes, gosh!
I can't just shamelessly pry.. If I just go and tell Aizawa-Sensei and the teachers without telling him, Minho's going to be furious at me..!
But who cares?!
I'm going to tell him that I'm going to tell Aizawa-Sensei after the Sports Festival! Who cares if he gets mad at me?!
Dramatically placing a hand to my chest in mock hurt, I jokingly gave him a shocked expression. "What do you mean, Minho?! I have the best luck in the world! How dare you think that I'm clumsy enough to drop my precious drinks!"
"Remember, Ainiru. Just one..!" Momo reminded me lightly as we moved down the staircase to the first floor.
"Yeah, Momo. I promise..! Anyway, I have everyone's drinks on paper. But if I get something wrong, I'm counting on your fabulous memorization, Momo..!"
"I do have it memorized, Ainiru."
"Thank goodness. I do write the weirdest stuff…!"
.
.
It seemed that Minho was unneeded, because Momo provided us handily with a small bag to put our classmate's drinks in. Minho still wanted a drink though, and had carefully chosen a healthy blackberry drink after moments of long silent debating.
"What are you gonna get?" Mina asked me happily before opening and slurping her drink joyfully with a 'yippee!'. Pulling another few yen bills from my wallet, I gave a happy sigh. "Oh, I usually get an aloe drink but I was thinking.. I should get something new for once! I mean, we are participating in the Sports Festival tomorrow!"
Aloe... The taste always reminds me of home. My childhood. My world.
Even though we are in a fictional world… aloe still tastes the same…! Sweet, chunky with aloe bits. Before, it tasted like comfort and happiness to me. All I could taste now is home.
Wait, no, it tastes like homesickness and the good old days.
...Whenever I close my eyes, block my ears while taking a swallow of it, it feels like I'm back in my world.
At home.
As I studied the rows of drinks, my eyes lingered on the aloe. I hesitated, wondering if I should just go ahead and buy it, continuing my 'drink-relishing' habit.
But… I want to start anew.
I can't dwell on my first life too much. If I keep on doing that, I can't enjoy the present fully!
I'm going to be participating at the Sports Festival! THE FREAKIN' SPORTS FESTIVAL! Aaa!
Finally, after years of being on hiatus, I'm finally in a competition!
Ah, old memories.
...Nope, think about how excited you are, Aera! Focus on the present!
"Your taste buds changed again..? To what? You liked coffee a few years ago, and then you suddenly changed to aloe, which you said before was too sweet.. I do not get how your tastes changed so adruptively over the years, as if you're another person..." Momo hesitantly opened her Jasmine Tea drink, and sniffed at it before taking a sip.
She almost grimaced at the taste, but refrained from doing so, seeing everyone was looking at her as I almost had a heart attack at her words. "Hmm.. A bit passable."
Nervously laughing in my head, I bent down to look at a drink that had caught my eye. "...Hmm, I think I want to try.. This one."
I fed the machine my yen bill and soon the drink dropped to the bottom of the vending machine with a clang. I hurriedly collected it, reading its name. Hatasan Apple Soda.
Opening it with a hiss of gas, I happily drank from it and brandished it up in the air after an unembarrassed belch, recklessly forming my words in front of my friends.
"To a new start, you guys! To the glorious Sports Festival! And onward to Season 2 of My Hero Academia!"
With a shake of her pink hair and golden horns, Mina gave a surprised giggle as Minho gave a snort of amused laughter at my words. "You sound like we're in an anime or something."
With a joking air, I gave them all a wide grin, but hidden inside my smile was a strong, pervading irony and piercing nostalgia. "You never know if we are anime characters to people in another world..! I want to break the fourth wall at least once! Plus Ultra!"
"Eh? You pronounced it wrong..?!" Mina commented surprisedly as I laughed. "Ah, it's the actual pronunciation! In English!"
"Oh really?!"
"Or I don't know, maybe I'm pronouncing it wrong in Latin or something!"
.
.
I've crossed 100,000 words, YAY! I didn't know that I could write that much (EVER); it's 5 times my last record, which was 20,000!
Seinare's AOE is an acronym of 'Area of Effect'. Those of you guys who play games may know this, but basically whenever Seinare explodes her AOE pills at will or at impact, the pill's radius or area is affected by the chosen pill's effects.
Her regular, ingestible pills only affect living beings if swallowed, while her AOE pills affect both inorganic and organic matter. Which is pretty awesome in my opinion XD.
Aera's 'debuffs' is a part of her quirk that computer viruses also do; computer viruses disrupt the computer's system, make it malfunction and do other wonky, wacky stuff. It only can be used on organisms with quirks.
Once her virus is in a person, only the person's quirk 'malfunctions'. Just like how computer viruses disrupt how computers shut down and behave, it makes the person's quirk react wonkily in a variety of ways that's contained by that quirk's limits.
For example, their 'malfunctioning' quirk would sometimes turn on and off without their own owners' will controlling them, or could do some 'wonky stuff' that even their own owners would be hella surprised at. XD.
In this case, the regeneration of the Nomu stopped, because it was only 'malfunctioning' that it could do.
When Aera's opponents' quirks malfunction, it will usually be advantageous for her, but it can also be dangerous to her. The malfunction would only stop when the person manages to expel Aera's virus with all their willpower (which is combated by Aera's will also) or when Aera's battle to contain the quirk in her mind ends like how it is shown in this chapter.
And I swear that's it. That's it for Ainiru's abilities; I hope that I didn't make her too OP, instead of the right mixture of power and weaknesses that I was looking for.
Mainly the reason why Ainiru's abilities are a variety unlike the others, are because of the far-reaching effects that computer viruses have on the computers that they infected.
I could have totally went for 'Trojan Horse' or 'Scams' or 'Computer Malware', (The last option was what I was trying to do, but changed because I thought it had too much types of viruses and abilities that it covered), but I chose computer viruses, because it was more specific than the others and had the right amount of applications that I could choose from.
And also regarding the um, the 'hand-snatching', yes. I know what I did.
Manga-readers out there, I know exactly what that… hand is and the cost of doing this. But I don't know, isn't this the main point? To make my MC face things that are so hostile to her? To make her go 'Plus Ultra'? *long bouts of nervous laughter and severe wincing/grimacing/smiling*
Honestly, I'm hoping that you guys think that I didn't go too far. I'm very nervous about your reactions. I'm trying to juggle the hatred that Shigaraki has right now for Aera, enough to make him not charge into her house and kill her in the middle of the night or something. Judging by Shigaraki's past, I also know that All for One is going to be hella pissed, but he's the type to wait for the best timing to get the hand back. IDK. Ugh. I really don't know.
I was like ½ laughing my ass off, and ½ in ultimate horror at the idea when my sister first offered her crack thought. I know for sure that no OC has ever done this before. Ever. Maybe there is…. but I digress. :T (Idk what this symbol is but I just made it up right now. It's a grimace.)
Anyway, isn't it just a fantastic coincidence that I'm writing about the UA Sports Festival when the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are occurring? I didn't plan for this to happen, hehe. I like to think that Aera could have competed and won in the Tokyo Olympics, or the next one in Beijing. In.. um, another parallel universe where the coronavirus pandemic never happened.
Thanks to Rosemaine, Ydhra, kpop makes life and , for following and favoriting! Thank you so much! I LOVE YOU GUYS!
To magnificent eyes of wonder:
I'm so glad and relieved that you think this story is wonderful! This story has been my baby for months; I'm so GLAD that one person (you) loves this story and wishes to see it go on! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, THANK YOU!
I'm so relieved that none of the canon characters feel ooc to you (Gosh, I was panicking all this time, worrying if they sounded like themselves or not..) I hope that this opinion of yours didn't change because of what happened in this chapter..! Idk about Shinso; what's your opinion?
I'm thinking of going further in the blood-vomiting part or not. Idk, but I have the option of making it more dramatic or let it slide in the background. I think in the first part it would be (dramatic or what), but later it might fade away as the plot goes deeper into AU. Maybe. HAH.
About the MomoxAera pairing, I don't think Aera wouldn't fall for Momo. She thinks of Momo as her BESTEST friend in the world and I think she would like to keep it that way. From what I analyse of Aera and her characterisation/background, I think that she would probably be straight, so I would have to keep in line with that also.
Plus I SIMP for platonic, best-friends/bromance relationships that later are not turned into loving relationships in the end. It's just so wholesome to me, ack! It's mainly probably because I never had a bestie except for my sister, T-T.
I hope that you don't think that the 'hand-snatching' was too excessive though. I worked so hard.. I hope that this chapter doesn't flop in your liking…!
And.. that's it! I think.
To the readers, any thoughts? Say your mind in the reviews please! PLEASE REVIEW! I LOVE REVIEWS SO MUCH, PLEASE!