Bonum et Malum: Quatervois

by FlightoftheStorm777

Two sides of the same coin, sisters Sora and Rikka fight to forge their own paths in a broken hero society, discovering redemption, family, friendship, and love along the way. Every story has two sides. This is Sora's.

23. Embers

Embers

Trigger Warning: anxiety, angst, bakugou's potty mouth, hero training so violence

Shouto: [typing: No one has been able to get ahold of you. Are you alright?]

Shouto's thumb hovered over the "send" button. Raijin's last message, the one she sent prior to the bus ride to the training camp, stung his eyes.

Raijin: sounds good! I'll see you there ?

Before, when he and the others went to rescue Raijin and Bakugou, fire burned his blood, urging him onward. The only way to escape the fire and smoke clogging his own veins was to do something. He couldn't sit at home and wait for news about Raijin. Aside from Midoriya, she was the only one who continuously reached out to him and made him feel less like an outsider in their class. Endeavor told Shouto that friendships—and down the line, romantic relationships (but Shouto couldn't imagine anything like that happening for a long time, as he was still figuring out the whole friendship part)—were just a distraction. They would offer nothing for him, and would only serve as obstacles to Shouto's climb to success. But in those moments where Raijin had been gone, Shouto had never burned so fiercely to save someone.

Now, the where fire once raged through him, ice chilled his blood. His insides felt like the aftermath of a forest fire in winter. Ash and snow collected in a swirl inside his chest. As soon as the police let him return home, he closed himself in his room and researched Vortex. The numerous articles about her destroying entire towns left a sick feeling that gnawed on Shouto's stomach. No one was sure of Vortex's true identity—she wore a mask whenever she was out—and according to those who managed to get out of her clutches, she never uttered her own name. To know Raijin looked upon this villain's face—and probably looked similar to her, too—wrenched the breath out of Shouto's lungs.

Still, Raijin's hurt look kept him awake at night.

He toyed back and forth with the idea that Raijin lied to him and betrayal stung the most broken parts of him. He didn't want to believe that Raijin lied to him just to get close to Class 1-A—besides, why would the League of Villains kidnap her, and why would Mr. Aizawa defend her name?—but part of him still soured with bitterness. But he couldn't figure out why. He'd already decided to trust Mr. Aizawa, UA, and Raijin.

So, why did he still feel like this?

"SHOUTO!" Endeavor's boom from the other room caused Shouto to flinch. He nearly hit the "send" button on accident. With a sharp sigh that froze the walls of his lungs until it burned, Shouto deleted the message to Raijin. It was probably better to talk in person, anyway. He pushed himself off his bed and exited his room. He entered the living room, and stopped with a raise of his eyebrows.

Mr. Aizawa sat in one of the low chairs across from Endeavor, who seemed too large for his chair. Endeavor seemed to have regained control of his rage since becoming the Number One Hero, though flickers of flames curled off his body occasionally. Perhaps he was barely holding it together, too.

Good.

Shouto kept a wide berth of his father as he entered the room. "What's going on?"

The hairs on his arms lifted. Of course. He was in grave trouble for going out and rescuing Raijin and Bakugou. It wasn't a secret what they'd done, after all. Perhaps Mr. Aizawa was here to suspend him.

The thought churned Shouto's stomach.

"UA is implementing a dorm system," said Endeavor.

A dorm system? Shouto turned to Mr. Aizawa in askance, ignoring Endeavor.

Mr. Aizawa stared at Shouto through half-lidded eyes. The past few days had hit him hard, leaving the dark circles under his eyes much more prominent than before. "For your protection, and to keep watch on problem children."

Shouto tensed. Crap.

"Yes, your teacher told me of your heroics, Shouto," said Endeavor in a low voice. "As did the police."

Realistically, Shouto had known that he would not fool Endeavor for long, especially after he gave an official statement to the police. Still, some part of him had hoped that Endeavor would never learn of Shouto's participation in the rescue of Raijin and Bakugou.

Mr. Aizawa's face shadowed as he dipped his chin. "I do hope you won't be a recurring problem."

Shouto remained still. Somehow, the disappointment of his teacher knotted his stomach more than the glare of his father. "I intend to have a talk with my son about his rebellious behavior as of late."

Rebellious? How was saving people rebellious?

"Right…" Mr. Aizawa stood. "Well, if you agree to let Todoroki reside in the dorms, then that's all."

"Very well." Endeavor nodded, and Mr. Aizawa bowed his head in farewell. Then, he trekked to the front door. Moving to follow his teacher, Shouto frowned at himself.

What was he doing? What could he possibly ask Mr. Aizawa?

"Shouto, where are you going?" Endeavor called.

Endeavor's protest to Shouto's movement spurred him to follow Mr. Aizawa outside. A question burned the tip of Shouto's tongue, but the words lodged in his brain, too fuzzy to articulate.

"Shouto, don't ignore me!"

The door clicked shut behind Shouto, muffling Endeavor's yell. He'd deal with Endeavor's anger later.

"Mr. Aizawa," Shouto called quietly; his hands clenched at his side.

When Mr. Aizawa stopped and turned, Shouto blinked at himself. What the hell propelled him to follow his teacher outside?

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. A breeze billowed, fluttering the hem of Shouto's shirt and his hair. It tickled his eyes. Finally, Shouto managed a short but loaded, "Raijin."

Mr. Aizawa's brow puckered and turned more fully to face Shouto. "Whatever questions you have about her identity, you should wait until you hear her out. She's already had her identity broadcasted without consent. We should give her the courtesy of clarifying things herself."

With a bow of his head, Shouto's chest burned with shame. Of course. He should let Raijin explain herself.

Mr. Aizawa sighed and when he spoke, it was with a softer tone. "I know the two of you are close. I'm sure this all came as a shock to you, but don't lose faith in her. Don't question her character."

Brow pinching and stomach clenching, Shouto frowned at Mr. Aizawa. He shouldn't be questioning Raijin's character. But… She'd been something solid and steady in his life lately, and now suddenly, their friendship didn't seem quite so steady.

Was that what Mr. Aizawa meant by them being close? What did that really mean, to be close with someone? Shouto knew the definition, but… The concept remained fuzzy.

Sure, he spent a lot of time with Raijin by training together, and they sat next to each other on the bus, and Shouto enjoyed being within close proximity of her, but was that all it took to be close?

"Yes sir," Shouto bowed low before returning to the house.

Endeavor stood in the center of the living room with his large arms folded across his chest, a glower deepening the lines of his face. For a brief moment, Shouto considered ignoring his father completely and walking straight past the living room and into the hallway toward his bedroom. Before Shouto could decide, however, Endeavor cleared his throat.

Sucking in a short, quiet breath, Shouto paused in his march toward the hallway. This wasn't a conversation he could avoid. With stiff legs, he entered the living room—but remained on the threshold—and held his father's glare.

"Shouto," Endeavor grumbled in a trembling voice, "your disobedience as of late has gotten out of hand. First Hosu, now this. Not to mention your horrible attitude."

Shouto couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth peeled back into a frown. "I don't care what you think."

"Don't you still want to be a hero, boy?"

"Yes, but the kind I want to be, not you," snapped Shouto.

Endeavor's eyes narrowed, and Shouto tensed while his heart shrank back like a scared little boy. Why did his father still have this effect on him?

"Then let me offer some advice. Be careful of the kind of people you allow to hang around you."

Confusion washed over Shouto and his anger evaporated. "What?"

"I mean that Raijin girl. I'm sure you know that her mother is a villain," explained Endeavor.

Clenching his teeth and fists, Shouto glared at his father. Mr. Aizawa had just reassured Shouto that he shouldn't doubt Raijin, despite the secret she kept. Although he still harbored doubts and hurts concerning Raijin, hearing his father speak of her with a negative tone flared underneath Shouto's skin. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you even know who her mother is, Shouto?"

Shouto pursed his lips instead of offering an answer. In truth, he'd nearly forgotten the name of Raijin's mother. He'd been too focused on Raijin's lie, and the hurt that stung him no matter how many times he reassured himself that Raijin probably hadn't wanted to lie, but it still felt like a betrayal—

Sighing, Endeavor relaxed his stance and sat on the low couch. "Her mother is Vortex, a villain who operates primarily in the United States. Things are different in the States than they are here, in terms of heroes and villains. Not much different, but… different. Anyway, Vortex is one of the top villains there. She's got the highest kill count of any major villain I've encountered. She's got an insanely powerful Quirk—powerful enough to level a town in France on her own."

Endeavor took a moment of silence to stare into space before meeting Shouto's gaze. "Regardless of what Raijin's character is, her parentage will always be a bad mark on her record. It could tarnish your reputation one day, too."

Shouto's heart thrashed against his ribs like flames licking the walls of a chimney. That's what Endeavor's concern was? That Raijin's reputation didn't blemish Shouto's? Endeavor dragging Raijin's name through the mud without even knowing her boiled Shouto's blood. "I'll decide that for myself, thanks."

Fuming, Shouto charged toward the hallway.

"Where do you think you're going?" Endeavor called.

"To pack." Shouto barely raised his voice. He didn't really care if Endeavor heard him or not.

A strong hand gripped Shouto's elbow. He froze, his heart stuttering in his chest as he waited for the strike that never came. He felt Endeavor's glare on his back, but dared not look at him, nor did Shouto dare pull away from his father's grasp.

"You'll never reach the Number One spot by not sacrificing friendships, son. The climb to the top is hard and gritty, and you'll have to crawl over others to get there."

"Funny, you did that, and you still didn't become number one until All Might stepped down. Seems like your tactic didn't work for you," Shouto shot back.

Endeavor released Shouto, who fought to run to his room for safety. Closing the door, Shouto didn't release the breath clenched in his lungs until he was sure Endeavor had left the hallway. He wasn't sure what kind of hero he wanted to be, nor was he really sure of who he was. But he did know that if being Number One meant being anything like his father, then he didn't want that. He'd rather be a good hero than a great one.

The next morning, Shouto visited his mother. His room bothered him, covered in boxes and stripped of his belongings. It waited to move to UA, and the anticipation of the move left Shouto's ribs feeling too tight. He needed out of the house for a bit, anyway. It'd only been a few days since the rescue of Raijin and Bakugou, and it felt like weeks.

No one had heard anything from Raijin. At least Kirishima confirmed that Bakugou seemed okay, as the two had talked briefly the morning after the rescue. But no one had managed to contact Raijin. Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Tsu, Jirou, Ashido, and Hagakure all said that they'd tried texting her, but none of their texts went through. Iida suggested that perhaps Raijin turned her phone off to avoid the media. Iida also quickly shut down any conversations about Raijin's leaked identity, restating Mr. Aizawa's sentiments, that they should wait to hear from Raijin before they passed any sort of judgment on her.

It was a nice sentiment, but it left a bad taste in Shouto's mouth. A fresh ache welled in Shouto's chest as he checked in at the hospital. He'd told Raijin about his father—not everything, of course—but he mentioned the Quirk breeding, and Raijin had acted like she was the product of Quirk breeding, too. Did she just copy his backstory to cover for her own? Why didn't she just make something up? Was his past just a game to her?

When Shouto entered his mother's room, Rei looked at him with a tired but relieved smile. She let out a breath and held a hand over her heart. Sitting across from her, Shouto offered her a half-hearted smile.

"Fuyumi told me what you did," Rei gasped. "That was very reckless of you!"

"You shouldn't worry," Shouto scolded gently. "Fuyumi shouldn't have told you."

"I would've found out eventually, Shouto." Rei's face darkened as she tucked her chin. "I know you'll be in danger no matter what, because you're studying to become a hero. But you're still a student, son. I don't want you getting into things that are way above your head."

Shouto looked away from his mother, his chest cracking at the hurt tone of her voice. He hadn't meant to worry her. "I couldn't sit by while my friends were in danger."

"That's admirable of you, Shouto," said Rei, reaching over to place her hand over his. She trembled slightly, and didn't let the touch linger. Some days were better than others in terms of Rei showing affection. Today seemed to be a day where it caused her some anxiety. "But please, no more reckless things like this."

"Okay," Shouto said. He would try, at least. So far, his first year at UA might not allow him to keep that promise.

Rei squared her shoulders. "I am glad that you've made friends worth doing something so reckless for, though."

Shouto bowed his head as his chest tightened painfully. "Yeah…"

Tilting her head, Rei furrowed her brow, accentuating the tiredness of her eyes. "Shouto? What's wrong?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"No, not lately."

"One of my friends…" Shouto paused. How did he even say this? He hadn't really spoken aloud about Raijin's identity, and articulating it seemed almost like it would make it all more real. "One of the friends that I helped rescue is the daughter of a villain."

Rei's eyes stretched. "Oh."

Everything that Shouto kept locked inside for the past few days jumped to his lips. "Someone leaked her identity to the press. None of us knew about it. Raijin didn't tell anyone."

"Raijin… This is the same girl who made the cookies? The one you went to the museum with?"

"Yeah."

"I see." Rei's comment ended in a higher octave, prompting Shouto to continue.

"Mr. Aizawa assured me not to question Raijin's character," he muttered. "So, I don't understand why I still feel this way."

"Aside from Midoriya, Raijin's the only other friend you've talked about hanging out with," said Rei. "I'm sure you feel a little betrayed. I'm sure you'll feel better when you talk to her about it. She's the only one with answers."

"Yeah," Shouto sighed, his heart sinking a little. It wasn't really what he wanted to hear, but Rei's words settled in his bones. It was the same sentiment that Mr. Aizawa and Iida had expressed: Let Raijin explain herself.

But that only left Shouto to ruminate on the turmoil that sloshed in his chest like a stormy sea. He felt shoved around, like when Raijin managed to catch him off guard with a blast of wind and knocked him clean off his feet.

"She must be special enough for you to risk a lot in going to rescue her," said Rei.

Shouto widened his eyes. A ghost of that burning instinct to do something to help sparked in his blood. He would never forget the way the ground seemed to quake under his feet and swallow him as the news that Raijin had been taken by the League of Villains ate at his skin like frostbite. There had been no hesitation when it became clear that he and Kirishima could do something to save Raijin and Bakugou.

With a small jolt, Shouto managed a small smile—the first in a few days—as instinct told him he'd do it all again, even knowing Raijin's identity.

"Yeah. She is."

Rei smiled knowingly. "Then let that carry you until you can hear an explanation from her."

"I will. Thanks, Mom."

The next day, Shouto's insides crackled and popped like wood in a bonfire. His eyes flitted to the faces of his classmates without him ever deciding to look for Raijin, but when his ribs tightened around his heart, he forced himself to stop. Raijin wasn't with the rest of the class as they gathered in front of the new dorm building. Ignoring the way his chest felt too tight at the thought that maybe Raijin wasn't coming back, and he'd never get an explanation, Shouto tried to pay attention to Mr. Aizawa's speech about the dorms.

But Shouto's eyes glazed over as his thoughts drifted, untethered. Why wasn't Raijin here? Was she afraid to face Class 1-A? Were they never going to get to see her again? Had she decided to leave UA after all, without a goodbye? Was she afraid to face them, because her lies were too much to untangle?

Mr. Aizawa calling Shouto's name snapped him out of his daze, but it was just another scolding for going to rescue Raijin and Bakugou. It wasn't anything Shouto hadn't heard in the past few days. After a moment, Mr. Aizawa closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose I should address what is no doubt on your minds. UA was aware of Raijin's true identity prior to all of this. We all chose to keep it a secret, as it would help protect her. I won't explain everything to you, because Raijin wanted to be the one to tell everyone the truth, but I want to make something very clear: If any of you have doubts or skepticism about Raijin, you can bring them directly to me."

Eyes flashing dangerously as he glared at them, Mr. Aizawa dared anyone to challenge him.

Uraraka looked around. "Speaking of Raijin… Where is she?"

"She's meeting with Principal Nezu and Detective Tsukauchi currently. They're trying to list suspects who might've leaked Raijin's identity to the press. She'll explain more when she returns tonight. Come on, let's start with the tour."

Shouto's classmates expressed more interest in Heights Alliance than he did. He peered around at their new living space, only half-listening to Mr. Aizawa as he explained their kitchen and bathroom situation. Maybe he should've texted Raijin to check on her. If she was still talking to police about her situation, then it was graver than Shouto originally thought. But the girls had said none of their texts went through, which meant that Raijin probably turned her phone off. Besides, Shouto wanted to talk to Raijin in person. But maybe he should've sent her a text, so that she could've seen it when she did finally turn her phone on. She was like Midoriya, practically fizzing with anxiety like a shaken-up soda bottle. No doubt all of this overwhelmed her. That was probably why she kept her phone off in the first place.

Despite the softness blossoming in Shouto's chest, he couldn't help the resurgence of anger that burned the petals of tenderness in him. There was still so much they didn't know about Raijin's situation. Mr. Aizawa seemed adamant that they'd learn everything, that Raijin wanted them to know. While Shouto itched to learn everything, what stung him the most was that she said she was the result of a Quirk marriage, too. He had to know if she'd been honest about that, or if she had just used him.

On each floor, Mr. Aizawa pointed out their dorm rooms and clarified their setup. Despite Shouto's thoughts feeling fuzzy and confused like a tangled ball of yarn, he couldn't help the surge of excitement. He might like not going home every night.

On the fourth floor, where Bakugou's, Uraraka's, and Ashido's rooms were located, stood a door with a wooden sign upon it that read, Raijin Sora. Little painted flowers, trees, and clouds decorated the sign. Shouto tilted his head. "Raijin already moved in?"

"Yes. We thought it necessary, given her circumstances," said Mr. Aizawa. "Come on, we have one more floor left."

For the rest of the day, Shouto focused on setting up his room. It kept him distracted from his thoughts about Raijin, Endeavor, and the knot in his stomach. By the end of the day, exhaustion settled into his body like dust on furniture. His eyelids fought to remain open. Raijin still hadn't returned to the dorms, and Shouto wanted nothing more than to sleep. However, his classmates had other ideas. They put on a contest for who had the best dorm, but Shouto wanted to sleep. It looked like Raijin wasn't even going to return, so there was no point in staying awake.

Uraraka and Tsu pulled Shouto, Midoriya, Kirishima, Iida, and Yaoyorozu outside to apologize for her behavior at the hospital and for calling them villains. When she started crying, Shouto widened his eyes. It wasn't that big of a deal. He understood his classmates' reservations about going after Raijin and Bakugou, but that wouldn't have stopped him.

Just when Shouto started feeling awkward as Tsu continued to cry, even with Kirishima gripping her by the shoulders and assuring her that they weren't angry with her, Sero stepped outside. "Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but… Raijin's here."

Electricity jolted through Shouto's body. Raijin.

She'd finally returned, and suddenly, Shouto's sleepiness vanished. Exchanging

a glance with the others, Shouto led the way up the steps and back into the

lounge area of Heights Alliance. Most of the seats on the couch and chairs were

taken. Raijin stood in front of the TV, looking as though she might flee or

vomit. Shouto tried to catch her eye as he stood behind the couch with

Midoriya, but Raijin refused to meet anyone's eyes. Instead, she flicked her

gaze to Mr. Aizawa, who leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

Despite having spent two days with villains, Raijin looked mostly okay. A couple of Band-Aids covered her arms and knees. A bandage wrapped around her ankle told Shouto that it still hadn't fully healed, and Raijin kept most of her weight off that foot. It was a good sign that she didn't need crutches, at least. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Pieces and chunks of hair stuck out of her signature braid. The reason quickly became clear as Raijin ran her hands over her braid—an anxious tic of hers that always left her braid looking messy and greasy.

"Um… Hi," Raijin greeted them awkwardly.

"Raijin, you're okay! We've been texting you like crazy!" Ashido cried.

Raijin widened her eyes. "Oh. Um, I took the battery out of my phone for a while."

"Should I wake Bakugou?" asked Kirishima, breaking the silence.

Raijin jerked her head. "No, that's okay. I'm sure he's tired of seeing my face lately."

Her joke fell flat, and Kirishima settled into his seat with a short nod. Raijin dragged her hands over

her braid again, avoiding everyone's eyes on her as she flitted her gaze to Mr. Aizawa, who offered her an almost imperceptible nod. For a moment, the tension in the room curled and thickened like gathering storm clouds. When Raijin spoke, it was in a mutter, a quiet wind fluttering tree branches as the storm cooled overhead. "So… You guys saw the news."

"Is it true?" whispered Hagakure, leaning forward. "That your mom's a… a villain?"

Raijin winced, but nodded. "Yeah. It's true."

They'd already known, of course. Still, Raijin's confirmation felt like a punch to the chest. While his

classmates exchanged looks, almost telepathically sharing their feelings about the situation, Shouto focused on Raijin, who avoided looking at him. Well, she avoided looking at anyone directly, but the way she seemed to look everywhere except Shouto's general direction stung. What was going through her head?

"Just tell them what you told Principal Nezu and me before you started here," said Mr. Aizawa from the shadowed edge of the room.

"I guess I should start at the beginning." Raijin's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and squared

her shoulders, finally lifting her head to meet some of her classmates' gazes. "I'm the middle child of five. My mother started training my siblings and me at an early age to push our Quirks beyond their limits. She wanted us to be powerful villains like her." Raijin squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and Shouto's heart clenched for her.

Endeavor's fist slammed into Shouto's gut, and the force brought him to his already-scabbed knees. His stomach roiled, and with a wretch, he vomited all over the floor. His mother was at his side in an instant, all while Endeavor glowered at them with his arms folded across his broad chest.

"Stop, please! He's only five years old!"

Shouto shivered the memory away. Why was he thinking about that now, anyway?

"It got… bad. With my mom. I mean, obviously. She's a villain and not above child abuse."

Raijin laughed wryly at herself, but no one else even fractured a smile. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she continued. "It was dangerous with her. My oldest sister, Asiaq, knew we couldn't stay there. So, she… She planned an escape. She got me and my younger siblings-the twins-out. My other sister, Rikka…" Raijin trailed off, and her brow pinched. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at something no one else could see. Whatever happened that night haunted her. "Rikka got left behind."

Yaoyorozu let out a soft gasp that split the air like thunder. The world flinched around Shouto. Asi was

the daughter of a villain, too. Right. Of course, it made sense, but… Since hearing the news about Raijin's mother, it had never occurred to Shouto that Asi was a villain's daughter, too. A normal citizen, working at a florist's… It felt surreal.

Raijin curled her hands into fists and held them at her sides. "Asi, the twins, and I were on the run for a while. We never stayed in one place too long, and focused on tracking down any family we might have, or anyone who might help us. We found some people who took in the twins. We're still in contact with them, but it's rare. I haven't really spoken to or seen my younger siblings in a year."

"Hey, Shouto… I know we haven't gotten a lot of time together to hang out." Natsuo rubbed the back of his neck. "But… I'd like to get to know my little brother, if that's alright with you."

Shouto held Natsuo's gaze for several seconds before replying, "Yeah. Sure." It was such a simple

response, and frankly, Shouto wasn't sure why it was such a big deal, but Natsuo's grin warmed him from the inside out.

Raijin cleared her throat, withdrawing Shouto from his memories once more. "Sorry. This is… about as difficult as I imagined it'd be."

"It's okay," assured Uraraka in a small voice, "take your time."

Raijin flashed her a brief smile before continuing. "We reunited with my father, and he decided to

help Asi and me as much as he could. But my mother never stopped trying to

track us down. She's… She's obsessed with finding me and taking me back to the States with her. I'm important to her, and she hates that I escaped."

"So, uh, no offense, but why did you come to UA?" Sero pointed out. "You're not exactly hidden here."

Raijin hugged herself, and a dry smile twisted her lips. She still smiled and even joked, despite the tension and torment in the room. It was that warmth she possessed radiating through the darkness around her, that warmth that always reached for others like sun rays, touching even Shouto, gently melting away the ice around him. It made sense that the warmth Raijin had would carry her through this, too.

"UA wasn't my first choice. I wanted to enroll in a school that would help me train my Quirk. Training my Quirk with my mother wasn't really training. You see, she only ever wanted me to use it at its most powerful and uncontrolled. She put me in situations in hopes of triggering what she called Evolutionary Events. She never wanted me to exercise control. She wanted me to unleash it all."

Ice slammed through Shouto's body with each heartbeat. Once, his father explained how Quirks can become stronger—even Mr. Aizawa explained this at the training camp—that by pushing them past their limits, Quirks could grow in strength and power. How much stress would someone have to endure in order for their Quirk to completely unleash? And what would Raijin's Quirk look like unhinged? The corners of Shouto's mouth dragged into an appalled grimace. What had Raijin suffered at the hands of her mother?

The more intelligent ones in class realized the implication of Raijin's story and drew a collective breath. Yaoyorozu clutched at her chest, Iida trembled with his fists clenched at his sides, Tokoyami bowed his head, Midoriya's face shadowed with a frown, Jirou hugged her knees to her chest, and Tsu covered her mouth. Even Mineta had the decency to gape at Raijin without objectifying her.

Raijin looked at the floor and stroked her braid. "When Asi and I were on the run, I tried to not use my Quirk, and when I did, it was only in spurts. Eventually, I avoided using it altogether, except in emergencies. At first, it was so triggering that I nearly lost control every time I used it, but Asi helped me gather enough control over it that it was safe as long as I only used certain aspects of it. I was terrified of pushing it any further, and I was terrified that if I did, I'd lose control."

"That's why you've held back so much," realized Uraraka.

"Partly," Raijin allowed. "I wanted to learn to control it, but the only schools that offer Quirk

training are schools with hero programs. To be honest, I had never considered being a hero at first. My mom taught me to hate them, or think of them as corporate mascots. But Asi and my dad told me more about them, and the more I learned, the more I realized that I might want to try to be a hero. My mother wanted me to be a villain, but I never wanted that. My Quirk is destructive and dangerous, but I never wanted to use it the way Vortex did. My becoming a hero doesn't fix all the terrible things my mother has done, but it's a start."

Rubbing her arms, Raijin took another breath. A squeeze in Shouto's chest hitched his breath. He

couldn't imagine her being a villain or doing anything villainous. It seemed unnatural.

"So, Asi and I tried to find a hero program that would take me. But most schools turned me down. No one wanted to take the risk of enrolling me, either because I threatened their safety, or their reputation. Shiketsu was close to accepting me. I even took their entrance exam and passed, but they backed out at the last minute. They decided that if my identity ever got leaked, my reputation would tarnish theirs. UA was my last hope. They offered me protection and the promise of training, and I swore I'd do my best."

"When Raijin got enrolled, she met with the UA staff and we all decided it was best for her to keep her identity a secret, at least for the time being. Realistically, we knew it wouldn't be forever. If you want someone to blame for her keeping this secret, blame us," Mr. Aizawa chimed in.

"I picked my family name Raijin and did my best to disguise my true Quirk as much as possible," Raijin added.

Shouto's mouth dried. Her family name wasn't even really Raijin. He'd picked up on that, since Asi had a different one, and her father did. But still… He never would have guessed this.

"That's why you backed out of the Sports Festival, huh?" Ojirou asked, a mild edge in his voice.

Raijin nodded. "I couldn't risk blasting my face all over the media. But by then, it was already too late. Vortex knew I was here. She's just been biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. I helped lead the villains to the training camp."

"Whoa, are you saying you're the reason they attacked us?" Mineta cried.

Raijin's eyes widened and she held her hands up, palms forward in surrender. "No, that's not it at all! I

meant that I put a target on our backs. Unintentionally, but I still endangered everyone. For that, I… I am so sorry."

"Stop apologizing," drawled Mr. Aizawa. "We've talked about this, Sora."

Raijin cringed but dipped her head.

Mr. Aizawa let out a sigh, and in an almost single movement, the class looked at him. "In hindsight, I should've demanded that you not participate in the Sports Festival at all, especially since we know that's how your mother found you. But I didn't want to hinder your opportunities as a hero in training, either. Perhaps there was a better way of handling it, but there's no use in wishing for things to be different. We can only better prepare for the future."

No one said anything. No one offered condolences or sympathy. Shouto's tongue itched to say something, but the words clogged in his throat like smoke. Perhaps shock prevented everyone from speaking.

Raijin bowed her head. Shouto wasn't always the best at reading others' emotions, but he had never seen her look quite so sad and defeated. "I wanted to tell everyone the truth sooner. I was planning to before the villains attacked. I didn't mean to keep the secret for so long. Honestly, I was kind of bad at it. I let a lot of things slip. But… That choice got taken away from me."

"You totally could've told us," said Ashido.

"Yeah, why didn't you?" Tsu added.

Raijin shrugged, her browcreasing with distress. "I guess a part of me liked hiding my power and

who I was. Growing up, my mother told me I was special, that I was born for greatness, and that being a powerful villain was my destiny. She told me I was a goddess, even. But when I came to UA, I was nobody. I wasn't special, and I didn't stand out. I liked being in the background because for once, I

felt almost normal. I know I can't separate those parts of me anymore. I have to face who I am, who I was, and my power. But… That also means facing you guys." A sad smile twisted Raijin's mouth as she lifted her gaze, allowing her eyes to settle on each of her classmates. At last, her eyes found Shouto's, and he tensed.

Stomach lurching, he tried to push away the realization that Raijin's backstory mirrored his. Yet, Raijin turned out so different from him. She craved the background, whereas he climbed for the top—though sometimes he wasn't even sure why, but that was a thought he didn't want to dwell on—and Raijin wanted to flee the expectations people had for her and her powerful Quirk. She strived to be a hero because she possessed a tender heart and genuinely cared for others. Why else would she have relied so heavily on her healing abilities that were clearly not meant to be used on anyone but herself? Why pursue becoming a hero?

"This secret doesn't just affect me," Raijin continued in a trembling voice. "My mother is still hunting

me down, and we have proof she's working with the League of Villains. So, having me around… It can be dangerous. I know I'm not really responsible for what my mother does, but… That doesn't change the fact that she's after me, and just being here puts you in danger, so I feel responsible."

Shouto's heart rattled against his ribs. Why did she keep shouldering all of this responsibility for her mother's behavior? This wasn't her fault. The look on Raijin's face clawed at Shouto's heartstrings, leaving him feeling raw. Why the hell did he feel this way?

"Wait, how do you know she's working with the League?" queried Kirishima.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Raijin grimaced. "Oh. Um, the villain who kidnapped me… one of the ones working with the League… is my sister, Rikka."

The sister who got left behind. Oh.

"Oh, man," muttered Sero, "I'd hate to go to your family reunions."

Raijin giggled and lifted a brow. "Oh, yeah? Me too."

Kaminari snorted, and some of the tension in the room alleviated. Even Shouto managed a twitch of his lips. But Raijin's smile faltered as she met their gazes once more. "I know that it'll take a while for me to regain your trust, and you don't have to ever trust me again. But I promise that I'll work hard to prove myself. You guys can ask me anything you want; I'll tell you. And if I think it's too dangerous, I'll leave UA. I won't put you guys in danger. I'd… I'd never forgive myself."

Lightning charged in Shouto's blood, frying his synapses and burning the words he wanted to say into

ash. Leave UA? Raijin still considered that an option? And why was she acting like she was the only reason they were ever in any danger? It wasn't like she controlled the League or her mother. They were Japan's next generation of heroes. Constant mortal peril was inevitable, and not exactly new to them. Of course, all this information might take a while to digest, but she didn't need to remove herself if things got too dangerous. It wasn't like it would keep them from danger in general, anyway.

"Raijin," Midoriya said quietly, "I know you'll do your best."

"If UA and Mr. Aizawa trust you, then so do I," said Iida, puffing out his chest. "And the rest of class

should as well." Iida's face shadowed as some of his boisterousness faltered. "I think it's a very noble thing you're doing, Raijin. Going against your own family would be difficult for anybody, let alone a villain like Vortex."

Raijin's eyes welled with tears, and she pursed her lips for a moment. "Thank you guys."

"Yeah, we've got your back," said Uraraka. She sounded a little shaky, but a determined frown puckered her face.

Jirou twirled one of her earjacks around her finger like a loop of hair, almost lazily. "Yeah, this may be a lot to process, but we're not gonna ditch you."

"It's good that you've told us," said Tsu, "because now we can prepare the future."

"And you shouldn't leave UA, even if we are in more danger because of your mother," said Yaoyorozu. "It would just put you in more danger, and we don't want that."

"Yeah, no way!" agreed Kirishima.

Raijin's face crumpled and she turned away to hide her face. Ashido jumped up and threw her arms around Raijin. "Aw, don't cry!"

Clutching Ashido, Raijin managed a small smile. Her eyes fell on Shouto, and he managed to send her a twitch of his lips. "Thank you guys."

Mr. Aizawa pushed off the wall. "Alright. Get to bed; it's late. I expect everyone to be well-rested for training tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!"

After Mr. Aizawa left the dorm, most of the class drifted toward bed. Before Shouto could decide if he wanted to go upstairs to his room or linger in the lounge to say something to Raijin, she called his name, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Iida, and Midoriya, too. Can you guys hang on a second?" Raijin picked at her fingernails awkwardly.

Shouto and the others gathered around her. "What is it?"

Raijin tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear and avoided their gazes for a moment. "I know Bakugou won't, but I wanted to thank you guys. For rescuing us. I know you guys put yourselves at risk to come after Bakugou and me, and…" She paused, tears welling in her eyes once more as she looked up. "You don't know how much it means to me. I can't thank you guys enough."

"You don't have to thank us," said Midoriya, placing a hand on Raijin's shoulder. "You'd have done the same."

"Well, yeah," said Raijin, wiping her eyes, "but I've never had… I really thought Vortex had won, and I would never see any of you again. So, yeah. It means a lot."

Shouto offered her a small twitch of his lips. Her gratitude warmed him, and he wanted to tell her that she didn't have to thank him, that he'd do it again in a heartbeat, but the words locked in his throat. Instead, he said, "Don't mention it."

Kirishima slung an arm over Raijin's shoulders, and her eyes widened at the contact. Placing a hand over his heart, Kirishima said, "You don't have to thank us! We're heroes!"

Iida bowed to Raijin. "Raijin, I feel I must apologize. I failed you as class representative when you ran off after Midoriya. If I had done more to stop you, you never would've been taken by the League of Villains!"

Raijin waved her hands. "No, no, Iida, please don't blame yourself. I was the stupid one who ran into the woods. And I'm not so sure Rikka would've given up so easily, anyway."

Yaoyorozu beamed. "I'll always stand with my classmates. So, you don't have to worry!"

Raijin looked like she might tear up again, but she merely smiled. "Thank you."

Shouto turned to Raijin. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Of course," she giggled, "sorry for keeping you up!"

"It's no problem," Shouto replied, though his drooping eyelids screamed otherwise. A million different questions lingered in the back of his mind, but they could wait until morning, or even another day. Now that they shared a living space, Shouto had plenty of time to talk to Raijin.

Katsuki bolted upright, chest heaving with panicked breaths. Sweat slicked strands of hair to his forehead, and his tank top clung to his damp skin. He tugged on it, trying to allow a bit of air flow to dry the moisture on his body. Each shuddering inhale burned his parched throat. Already, his nightmare slipped away, leaving fragments of horrible images.

All Might, gaunt, bloodied, and no longer the Number One Hero.

All For One's eyeless face turned in Katsuki's direction, as if he could see straight through him.

Raijin's ankle, twisted and purple underneath her makeshift splint.

The League of Villains, surrounding Katsuki and Raijin.

A single chant that sent chills rocketing down his spine: "Your fault, your fault, your fault!"

With a growl, Katsuki kicked off the covers. No way was he going back to sleep right now. Not with that damn chant echoing in his skull. He tried to tell himself it wasn't his fault. He wasn't to blame for All Might losing his power. It was All For One's fault.

But no matter how many times he thought that, he couldn't help but remind himself: If he'd been stronger and hadn't gotten captured in the first place, then All Might never would have faced All For One.

If he'd just been stronger, none of this would've happened.

Without deciding to, Katsuki left his room and ventured downstairs into the lounge area. His throat still ached with ragged breaths, so he grabbed a water bottle from the fully-stocked fridge. UA really wanted the students to settle in and not go out, huh?

Downing most of the bottle in one gulp, Katsuki padded toward the sofa. He could watch TV, or just sit in the dark until he felt tired again. Maybe it would be better to go to his dorm room, but somehow, that room seemed too stuffy for the moment. Damn it, why couldn't he just shove the nightmare from his brain? This was bullshit-weak-of him to hide from his room like a little boy. To have nightmares that made him scared to close his eyes.

The soft glow of blue light gave him pause on the way to the couch. Sitting with her back to him, a headset covering her ears, was Raijin. She scrolled through her phone, bobbing her head slightly to whatever music played-Katsuki stood too far away to make out what she listened to, but the telltale green and black scheme told him she used Spotify.

What the hell was she doing here?

Suppressing a groan, Katsuki's shoulders sagged. He'd bet money it was the same reason he was awake, too.

He told himself to leave. Just get out of there, ignore that he ever saw Raijin in the lounge. It would be easy, since she hadn't noticed him.

But something rooted him in place.

Raijin was possibly the only person who understood what it was like to be kidnapped by villains. It would be a cold day in hell before he ever admitted that to her, or talked to her about how he felt, but…

For the second time that evening (or morning, as Katsuki had no idea what time it was), he moved without making a decision. Leaning over the couch, Katsuki scowled at Raijin's music selection, which was loud enough for him to hear. Lo-fi? As he entered Raijin's field of view, he expected her to greet him with her annoying-ass smile. But she continued bobbing her head, scrolling through Spotify for her next song. Damn. How loud was her music?

Nudging her foot with his, Katsuki made no effort to quell the amusement that bubbled in his chest when Raijin jumped, her eyes wide as she yanked her headphones off. "What the hell, Bakugou? You scared the crap out of me!"

Katsuki shrugged and sat across from her. "Not my fault you listen to your music so loud that I can hear it. Who listens to lo-fi that loud, anyway?"

"Someone trying to drown out their thoughts, obviously."

Quirking a brow, Katsuki sneered at her. "With lo-fi? You need rock or metal to do that."

"I don't need to be more emo than I already am."

"You're the furthest thing from emo, Sugar Queen."

"Maybe not on the outside, but I am on the inside."

"Tch." Katsuki snorted softly. He might be too, if he had her family.

"Why are you awake?" Raijin's tone shifted to one that was much gentler, and it set Katsuki's teeth on edge. No way was he about to tell her about his nightmare, even if she could understand him. She'd just look at him with pity, and Katsuki would rather throw himself out of a window than receive Raijin's pity.

"Why are you?" he shot back.

"You missed it earlier," said Raijin, grimacing. "I told everyone my tragic backstory."

The bite in her tone raised Katsuki's eyebrows. It mixed sarcasm and bitterness, like she was trying to play everything off like it didn't bother her. Yet here she was, sitting alone in the dark blaring lofi as if she wanted her ears to bleed. Obviously, it did bother her. There was a certain strength to her that he hadn't really noticed before, or hadn't cared about until now. Pity was probably the last thing she wanted. It would be the last thing he wanted, anyway.

"I don't need to hear your dumb life story, anyway. I heard enough of your family drama at that damn hideout." Katsuki meant his words to land a hard punch, but they sounded flat, like a light tap of knuckles on bare skin. Awkward.

For a moment, Katsuki tensed when Raijin remained quiet. Shit. He didn't necessarily want to tear her apart. She'd proven she was capable, strong, and worthy of respect, even if she didn't believe it herself. Maybe that was why Katsuki was so harsh with her. Someone needed to push her to her potential, not baby her.

Still, she'd been through a lot, as much as he had. On top of being kidnapped by the League, she'd been reunited with her sister, who apparently had a lot of unbridled rage bottled up inside. He'd only caught snippets of Raijin's English conversation with Rikka, but what he did catch told him that Raijin tried to appeal to her sister's humanity. Both sisters spoke with such raw conviction that it had left the room humming, and Katsuki had clenched his jaw so tightly he feared he might crack his teeth. Even now, gooseflesh pimpled down his arms.

On top of that, Raijin's true identity had been exposed. Katsuki had been close to guessing, and Raijin had told him at the training camp she planned on telling everyone the truth. Whether she had terrible luck or timing, he didn't know. Either way, her situation did prod a weird feeling in him. He couldn't quite place what it was. Maybe pity, but that didn't feel entirely accurate. Katsuki probably wasn't the best person for her to be around at the moment. Raijin definitely wasn't frail, but… Anyone would feel vulnerable after all that, and he wasn't exactly soft.

However, Raijin giggled, which sprouted into a full-blown laugh. Her shoulders shook with her mirth, which she tried to hide by covering her mouth.

"Huh? What's so funny, dumbass?"

After a few moments, Raijin lowered her hand. "Sorry. Just… hearing my situation dumbed down to family drama makes it all seem more manageable, I guess."

Tension leached from his muscles, and one corner of his mouth twitched. Maybe Raijin wasn't so soft, either. "So, what was so bad about telling everyone about your past that you're here?"

Raijin sighed and leaned her head back. "Well, it's not easy to talk about."

"Why not?"

Raijin scowled at him. "Really, Bakugou? Why do you think?"

Katsuki worked his jaw, rolling Raijin's bitter tone in his mind, like passing a hot object from one hand to the other to keep from scalding his skin. He hadn't meant to come across as dense as fuckin' Icy Hot. He just wasn't good at this kind of stuff. "Fine, whatever."

Raijin folded her arms and lifted a brow at him. Katsuki vaguely felt like a child being scolded. It set his teeth on edge. Yet, he didn't leave or snap at her. Part of him wanted to see her stick up for herself, he supposed.

"Maybe it was the fact that I had to relive all of my trauma twice in the past few days, or maybe it was because I had to face the class and tell everyone I lied to them." Raijin's eyes glinted when they caught the dim light of the moon streaming through the many windows of the common area. Whenever she looked at him like that, it reminded Katsuki that beneath her skin, she possessed the power to generate lightning bolts. She wasn't just semi-healing hands.

"Did anyone give you trouble?"

Raijin shook her head, pulling her legs up and crossing them. "I think the rest of class was too shocked to react right then. Plus, Mr. Aizawa was there, so I think that helped. I'm sure that's why I didn't get a lot of questions. Everyone was pretty supportive, or they seemed that way. If they didn't say anything at all, then they just looked shocked."

"So, what's the problem?"

Raijin's brow pinched. "I guess I feel like it's not… over, if that makes sense. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop and for everyone to… I don't know. Decide they hate me, I guess."

"Why would that matter, anyway?"

Raijin glowered at him. "Have you met me, Bakugou? I'm a terrible people pleaser. I need everyone to like me and say that I'm doing a good job. Not sure if that's mommy issues or daddy issues related. Or sister issues? I'm not sure anymore."

"Let's just assume it's your whole screwed-up family causing you issues," Katsuki allowed, the corners of his mouth twitching. At least Raijin knew her weaknesses. "Seriously though, who gives a shit how everyone in class orUA, or the whole damn country feels about you? You're not here to make friends with everyone. You're here to become a hero."

"I don't think you'd understand."

"Try me, extra."

Raijin toyed with a lock of hair. "It's going to sound… stupid."

"You say a lot of stupid shit and you've never been ashamed before."

"Because this is cheesy. Really mushy stuff."

"Just spit it out, you're giving me a headache."

Raijin huffed and stroked her lock of hair more vigorously. She looked different with her hair down, but Katsuki couldn't quite place what looked different. Maybe she looked older with her hair down? It was… nice, he supposed.

"I care what everyone thinks because Class 1-A is the closest thing I've had to a real family," Raijin admitted quietly. Katsuki raised his eyebrows. Raijin looked away from him, running her hands over that same damn lock of hair. "I know I have Asi, and my dad was in and out of the picture, but… Nothing in my life has been more stable than my time with 1-A. No one knew my background. I was just me. Maybe that's why I tried so hard to be friends with you, too. Maybe if everyone liked me, then when the truth came out, it would be enough."

A strange feeling tightened in Katsuki's chest, like burning charcoal sending smoke into his throat. He cleared his throat softly. Somehow, the way she said it would be enough sounded more like I would be enough. Katsuki knew that feeling all too well. Raijin pushed herself to be likable and friendly as hard as Katsuki clawed his way to be the unquestionable best. Where his ambitions pushed him, Raijin's desire for friendship motivated her. He wasn't sure if he liked sharing that drive to succeed in common with Raijin or not.

"See? I told you it was stupid," Raijin muttered, pulling her knees to her chest. Katsuki lifted his head, dragging himself from his thoughts.

"It's not stupid," he muttered.

Raijin widened her eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done with Bakugou?"

Katsuki curled his lip and narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, shithead?"

"There you are," Raijin grinned. "I'm just surprised you're being… almost nice."

"Whatever, I just don't want to wake anyone up."

Raijin hummed, and Katsuki scowled at her.

"You tell anyone about this, and I'll kill you."

"Your secret's safe with me," Raijin promised. Katsuki snorted his acknowledgement, but didn't offer anything else. She ruined whatever he wanted to say about her people-pleasing by being sarcastic. He was content to stay quiet. Apparently, Raijin really wanted to voice her thoughts or drown them out, because she didn't let the comfortable silence linger. "I just don't want anyone to look at or treat me differently because of all of this. I know some of them probably feel betrayed or at least a little mistrustful of me, and I know others might even suspect me of being involved with the villains, but…"

"If they do, then that's their problem, not yours," Katsuki replied. "You were going to tell us, and I was there. I saw how you and your sister interacted. There's no way you have anything to do with the villains. Just keep being your annoying self, and things'll go back to normal."

Raijin tilted her head. "You really think it'll be that easy?"

"No," Katsuki said flatly. "You'll have to work hard. But you're already a terrible people pleaser, so it should come naturally, huh?"

"Maybe," Raijin allowed, resting her chin on her knee. She gazed ahead, her eyelids drooping a little. "Can I confess something?"

"You've already been laying it all out there, so go ahead, I guess."

"I think part of me would be angry if anyone did get upset with me for lying. I didn't really have a choice. I was trying to protect everyone else by keeping my identity a secret, and it wasn't just my decision. And even if it were, what was I supposed to do, like, walk into school on day one and introduce myself as Vortex's daughter? No, thanks."

"Good," said Katsuki. "Get angry. Don't let people walk over you, even your friends."

"I won't," Raijin assured him. "Yeah, I feel guilty about lying to the class, but… I have enough guilt from my past. I don't need this added to the very extensive list of messed-up things that are on my mind a lot anyway."

Katsuki furrowed his brow. Just what kind of things tormented her on a daily basis? Shit, what was it like, growing up with a villain for a mother? It didn't feel like a good time to ask, so he stayed silent. Still, the questions burned on his tongue like embers.

With a sigh, Raijin unfolded her legs and leaned back. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"It's your turn to share."

"Eh? Share what?"

"Why are you down here? I told you my reason. It's your turn."

"I don't have to tell you shit. This isn't therapy."

"Fair enough," Raijin held up her hands in surrender. "Just thought I'd return the favor, since you know, I've dumped everything onto you."

Katsuki shrugged. "Just couldn't sleep. No need to make a big deal out of it."

The lie tasted metallic, and the air felt hollower. If Raijin suspected the lie, she didn't say anything or push him to tell the truth. Katsuki allowed himself to relax a little in silent gratitude to her. Even if she were the only person in Class 1-A to understand what being kidnapped by villains felt like and the nightmares, she probably didn't understand his feelings about All Might. Besides, her problems overshadowed his and chased away his thoughts (for the time being, anyway), and talking about it would only let everything resurface.

Raijin tried to hide her yawn from him, but Katsuki rolled his eyes and stood. "Go to bed, dumbass. You've kept the both of us awake long enough."

Grinning, Raijin grabbed her headphones and stood. "You're right. I'll go ahead and send you two thousand yen for my therapy session. Venmo or ?"

That actually earned her a short huff of amusement. Not quite a laugh or chuckle, but more than a snort. "Only two thousand yen?"

"You didn't really offer me much guidance this session," said Raijin, leading the way to the elevator.

"You didn't give me a chance to fuckin' breathe while you were sitting there yapping away, pouring your entire fuckin' heart out," snapped Katsuki, though there was no real bite in his tone.

Raijin giggled, and her eyes squinted shut with her amusement. Then, she looked up at him, her expression soft. "Thank you. For listening to me."

A strange feeling stirred in Katsuki's chest, and he tore his eyes away from her, focusing on looking ahead, but he still felt Raijin's eyes on him. "Tch. No need to get all mushy on me, you damn toothache."

For the first time, he actually felt like Raijin was his friend, or something close to that.

In the morning, Katsuki paid for his late-night conversation with Raijin. His head throbbed behind his eyes, which prickled each time he blinked. When Raijin entered the classroom, dressed in her mildly-oversized uniform, her usual braid draped over her shoulder, a wide smile on her face, Katsuki wanted to bang his head into the desk. She walked past him and settled in her desk, looking so cheerful it physically pained him.

Twisting in his seat, Katsuki glowered at her. "How the fuck are you so bright and happy right now?"

Still smiling, Raijin said, "It's all a facade!"

Katsuki pushed a hot breath through his nostrils. What a goddamn ray of sunshine.

Normally, Katsuki paid attention in class. He wanted to be the best, and that meant earning excellent grades. Today, however, he barely kept his eyes open. Damn it. He didn't blame Raijin, but Katsuki did relish that despite her peppy attitude earlier that morning, Raijin's lack of sleep seemed to catch up with her the closer they got to lunch. If he had to suffer, it was only fair she did, too.

At lunch, Katsuki sat at his usual table with Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero. Today, Ashido and Hagakure joined them. Usually, the girls from Class 1-A sat together, though sometimes, Ashido joined them because of her friendship with Kaminari. Still, Katsuki twisted around and narrowed his eyes at the girls' table when Raijin wasn't visible among them. Had they excluded her? That didn't seem like something they'd do, but…

"Oi, why are you sitting here?" Katsuki barked, interrupting Ashido as she talked about something unimportant with Hagakure.

Ashido frowned at him. "Uh, rude, Bakugou. Kaminari asked me to. Why?"

Shit. How could he answer that? Katsuki shrugged and pushed his food around in its bowl. "You usually sit over with the girls."

"We have other friends in class," Hagakure pouted.

Katsuki grunted. "Where's Raijin?"

"I think she's still in the classroom," said Ashido. "She went to ask Mr. Aizawa something."

"I wonder if they found who leaked her identity," said Kirishima, his brow creasing.

Kaminari's shoulders sagged as a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah… That's so… It's crazy."

"The whole situation is just messed up," added Sero. He slurped up some ramen and then frowned. "What do you guys think about it all?"

"It's crazy!" exclaimed Hagakure, her shirt sleeves waving as she waved her invisible arms. "Raijin just doesn't seem the type-"

"Keep your voice down," snapped Katsuki.

Hagakure's shirt sleeves lowered, indicating that she lowered her arms. "Sorry. Raijin just doesn't seem like the type to come from villains, you know?"

"Yeah," said Kaminari, looking a little sick. "I looked Vortex up last night, and… It's insane."

"Well, it's not like we choose our parents," added Sero.

"I didn't even think about looking it up," Hagakure gasped. "I was still processing everything. I feel like Raijin told us a lot, but also not, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, I feel like she was kinda vague in some parts," said Kirishima. "But I'm sure the whole story is really long and complicated. Anyways, we probably shouldn't gossip about her."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and a thick silence enveloped them.

Then, Ashido huffed sadly. "I just feel bad for her. She told me that she needed to ask Mr. Aizawa something, but I have a feeling she's eating lunch by herself."

Katsuki stiffened. "What? Why the hell would she do that?"

"Well, everyone would be staring at her!" Hagakure's cry drew the attention of a few people a table away, and Sero shushed her.

"Oh, man, and no one offered to stay with her?" Kirishima queried.

"Well, I don't know for sure that's what she's doing," said Ashido. "I wouldn't have left her if I knew for sure!"

Frowning, Katsuki tuned out the others as the conversation shifted awkwardly to what training might entail later. Several people walked in and out of the cafeteria, but none of them were Raijin. If that idiot was isolating herself because she feared facing Class 1-A, then he'd have to smack her upside the head. If she really wanted to show everyone she wasn't her mother, then she couldn't hide from them.

After lunch, the class dressed in their hero gear and met at one of the training buildings. Mr. Aizawa announced that they would do partner training today, and to prepare for a big announcement at the end of the week.

Raijin stood off to the side, her arms folded. Marching toward her, Katsuki jerked his head to indicate for her to follow him. "You're with me, Sunshine."

Raijin perked up and followed him, jogging to match his pace. "You know that's not really an insult, right?"

"Who says I'm trying to insult you? If I really wanted to insult you, you'd know."

Raijin snorted. "I'm just glad you're using something more creative than extra."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes as he stalked past plenty of open areas for them to practice. "I can call you dumbass. That better?"

"Sure," Raijin chuckled. "What happened to Sugar Queen?"

Katsuki blanched for a moment. Shit. He had already given her a nickname. Now she had two? "That was just a placeholder until I got a better one. Here."

They stopped at one of the more secluded combat areas of the facility. Raijin faced him from one side of the combat circle while he stood on the other. She wore a grin, like she was eager to get her ass whooped. A smirk slanted Katsuki's mouth as he crouched. He'd be happy to absolutely body her.

"Don't hold back on me, got it?"

Raijin's grin vanished. "Bakugou, I can't completely control it—"

"And you're never gonna learn if you keep wussing out. I'm going to be the best, and that means I need you to be at your best so when I beat you, it's unquestionable that I'm the winner."

He wasn't about to have all of UA whispering about Class 1-A behind their backs because Raijin was the Vortex's daughter, and he especially wouldn't tolerate any suggestions that they might be weak.

Quirking a brow, Raijin lowered herself into a fighting stance. Already, sounds of fighting filled the facility as others in class started training together. He and Raijin wasted time by talking. "You're strangely motivating. And who says I won't beat you?"

"You can try, Sunshine!" Katsuki yelled. With a blast from his palms, he burst forward, launching himself directly at her. Raijin was a timid person, so a direct attack might cause her to retreat.

Instead, Raijin lifted her hands, and a gust of wind threw Katsuki's trajectory off, and he landed—on his feet—on the right side of the combat circle. Raijin turned, her brow shadowing with a determined frown. Huh. So, she refused to retreat or scamper away. Fine. He could work with that.

Since this was their first time really engaging in one-on-one combat, the best way for Katsuki to beat Raijin was to examine her fighting style. He could use any of his signature moves, as she had never trained to fight him. Perhaps overwhelming her would give him a good sense of Raijin's abilities.

Flinging a few explosions at Raijin—neither were particularly powerful or impressive—Katsuki tried to gauge how she responded to his normal attacks. She dodged one of them and used a gust of wind to misdirect and weaken the other. Of course, Raijin was most comfortable using her wind abilities, which was her disadvantage.

Katsuki's disadvantage was that Raijin had seen him in combat, whereas he had not really viewed the full range of her abilities. She probably had a better idea of how to counter his attacks. While he knew how to fight Raijin as long as she relied on her wind abilities, he would have a harder time if she decided to deflect with another one of her weather aspects.

With a yowl, Katsuki leaped forward and aimed at Raijin, shooting a particularly powerful explosion at her. She met his attack with an even stronger gust of wind. This one was strong enough to dissipate the flames and smoke in the air, and sent Katsuki flying back. He somersaulted and skidded on the floor, using one hand to steady himself. Lifting his head, Katsuki bared his teeth at her.

Raijin's narrow shoulders rose and fell with her pants. Using strong winds tired her out or made her short of breath. Of course. If he could lean into that weakness, he could easily beat her. Unless she switched to a different tactic, which would make the feat more difficult. Jumping to his feet, Katsuki charged with another attack, but his explosions stuttered.

Fuck. He wasn't sweating enough.

Gritting his teeth, Katsuki shot rapid-fire explosions from the left and then the right. The crackle of his Quirk sounded like a fireworks show. Above him, a storm cloud hovered. Hard rain pelted his skin and obscured his vision. His hair flattened and hung in his face. Blinking rainwater out of his eyes, Katsuki couldn't help the grin toying with the corners of his mouth. Raijin was learning.

Still, she remained on the defensive, never leaving her spot. She always let him attack first, and she never followed up with an offensive attack. It left them in this combative limbo. And she still hadn't used her lightning. He would have to push her—which would be difficult now that he was soaked—and invade her space. If he could get close to her, then he could win.

The rain obscured Raijin's vision, too. Charging toward her once more, Katsuki didn't back off this time when Raijin blasted wind toward him. He ducked and weaved, eyeing the lift of her hands. If she moved her right, then the wind came from the right. If she moved her left, then wind assaulted him from the left. He circled her, forcing her closer to the middle of the combat circle. Because he couldn't rely on his own sweat, he had to use one of his gauntlets. Whelp, she asked for it.

Soaring through the air toward Raijin, Katsuki pulled the pin on one of his gauntlets and activated his Quirk, a grin sharp on his face. Raijin saw him coming, widened her eyes, and did nothing to shield herself from the blast. The explosion shook the walls near them, and Raijin disappeared in the smoke. Ears ringing, Katsuki pushed through the thick smoke. Raijin had been hurtled off her feet and landed several feet away in a heap at the foot of the wall. Katsuki swiped his face free of water and smoke with his arm. The rain vanished as soon as Raijin got hit with the explosion, and she had yet to move.

It took Katsuki a moment to realize that his ears had stopped ringing, and that the gym was mostly quiet because the nearest groups had stopped training to stare at him. Gritting his teeth, Katsuki ignored them.

"Dang, Bakugou! Hold back a little!" called Kaminari.

Raijin stirred and shakily pushed herself to her feet, coughing a little. Her hair had come loose from its braid and now looked quite frizzy. The ends smoked a little, too. Black ash smudged her face. In a choked voice, Raijin called, "'M'kay!"

Then she swayed and collapsed onto the floor. Shit. Katsuki marched over to where Raijin lay in a crumpled heap, parts of her hair smoking from the blast. Slack-jawed and covered in soot, Raijin appeared unconscious. Crouching beside her, Katsuki shook her roughly. "Oi, Sunshine. Wake up."

Raijin's eyes fluttered open. Up this close, the flecks of grey in her eyes seemed more pronounced. It unnerved Katsuki, as if Raijin stared straight through him.

"Get up, idiot."

Raijin pushed herself into a sitting position and coughed. "Everything's… dizzy."

"Eh? You hit your head or somethin'?"

Raijin rubbed the back of her head, her face scrunching with a small pout. "Mhm… The wall…"

Sighing, Katsuki pushed Raijin forward-not gently, but significantly less rough than usual-and examined the back of her head. There were no open wounds, but that didn't mean much if she had a concussion. With a huff, Katsuki faced her. "Can you stand?"

Raijin nodded and unfolded from her pretzeled position. Katsuki let her do it on her own, though his hands hovered near her in case she fell over. On wobbly legs, Raijin teetered. "My head's… fuzzy."

"I should get you to the old lady," Katsuki muttered, guiding Raijin toward the front. Deku and Icy Hot stopped their training for a moment as Katsuki hobbled past them, Raijin leaning more and more heavily against him with every step. "Come on, dumbass. You're making me look bad. Learn to take a hit."

"Is she okay?" Deku's whiny-ass voice made Katsuki bare his teeth.

"She's fine!"

"You should take her to Recovery Girl," called Icy Hot, his face darkening with a frown.

Rage exploded in Katsuki's chest. "What the hell do you think I'm doing, Icy Hot bastard!"

Raijin peered around Katsuki and waved. "Hey Todoro-roki! Hi Midor-i-yuh!"

The bemused look on that idiot Half and Half's face prompted an eye-roll from Katsuki. Hadn't he gotten used to Raijin's weirdness yet?

Without waiting for those two morons to respond, Katsuki left them and approached Mr. Aizawa. "She hit her head. I'm gonna take her to the old woman."

Mr. Aizawa frowned at Raijin, but nodded his consent. Shouldering much of Raijin's weight because it was easier than letting her walk by herself, Katsuki headed for Recovery Girl. Raijin snorted to herself, and her head lolled back. "Ow."

"Why didn't you fucking block, idiot?" Katsuki gritted out, more to himself than her.

"I thought you were my sister," Raijin giggled.

Katsuki nearly stopped in his tracks. "Huh? How hard did you hit your head?"

"Pretty hard," snickered Raijin.

"Oi, you're annoying."

"Aw, don't be mean." Raijin poked Katsuki's cheek.

"Don't touch me, extra!"

Raijin fell silent, and Katsuki suppressed a groan. She couldn't help that she was acting weird. But why the hell did she freeze up, and why did she fucking say she thought he was her sister? The fuck did that mean?

At last, they reached the infirmary, where Recovery Girl hobbled from her desk and squinted up at them. "Have her sit down over there."

Katsuki led Raijin over to the nearest bed and sat her down. Raijin closed her eyes, looking like she might be sick. "Don't you throw up on me."

"'M not." Raijin rubbed her temples as Recovery Girl bounced over to them.

"I think she has a concussion," said Katsuki, eyeing Raijin as she swayed on the spot, looking nauseous and dazed.

"Slurred speech? Dizziness? Nausea, confusion, headache, imbalance?" Recovery Girl asked, preparing an alcohol wipe and swiping Raijin's forehead clean of soot.

"Yeah," Katsuki confirmed.

Recovery Girl kissed the clean spot on Raijin's forehead. "You should lie down, dear. It'll take a little bit for your body to react to my Quirk."

"Thank you…" Raijin muttered, lying back on the bed.

"You can go back to class, dear," said Recovery Girl. "She can make it back on her own."

Katsuki hesitated. Then, he snorted at himself. He didn't care about Raijin and her freaking concussion. They weren't friends, even if last night it felt like things shifted. He'd been tired and they shared a traumatic experience together, and really, the only reason he hesitated was because he didn't want Mr. Aizawa on his ass for leaving Raijin behind.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Raijin assured him tiredly. She looked like she could barely keep her eyes open. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks for holding onto me. On the way here."

Heat washed up Katsuki's neck, and his upper lip curled a bit. Why the hell would she word it like that? "What was I supposed to do, dumbass? Make you crawl?"

Raijin hummed a tired laugh and closed her eyes. With a frown, Katsuki left Raijin to recover.

Why the hell did she freeze up? She could have softened the blow with some wind, or caught herself as she flew back, or… What had she meant by she thought he was her sister? That made no sense. And why the hell had her regenerative abilities not kicked in? They'd been slow when they were kidnapped by the League, too…

Katsuki shrugged it off. It all just boiled down to Raijin was weird. No need to give himself a headache trying to figure her out.

Despite telling himself that, he gave himself a headache trying to figure her out. Running over the fight in his head over and over again, analyzing every detail until his head hurt, Katsuki never found an answer for why Raijin got so injured. She could've blocked. She could've cushioned her fall. She had time to dodge—she still would've been blasted, but it wouldn't have been as direct—but she didn't. She just… froze.

While he walked back to the dorms, dressed in his school uniform, someone caught up to him.

"Bakugou."

Icy Hot. Already irritated, Katsuki didn't even spare the Canadian flag-lookin' fucker a glance. "What do you want, you Half and Half bastard?"

"Was Raijin okay?"

Anger swelled in Katsuki's chest, hot and scratchy like inhaling smoke. "She's fine. She's not fragile."

"Oh," said Icy Hot. "I know."

"Then what the hell are you botherin' me for?" Katsuki growled.

"Raijin never returned to class, and I assumed that the combination of her regenerative ability and Recovery Girl's Quirk would result in a quick recovery."

It was weird that Raijin never returned to class. Lately, though, everything with Raijin had been weird. "I dunno, Icy Hot. She's your friend, not mine. Ask her when you see her."

"Sure," Icy Hot replied, and he fell back in step with some of the others in class.

When they arrived at the dorm, everyone split up to either shower, change, nap, or whatever the hell they did in their spare time. Katsuki settled on getting ahead on some homework, and then showered off the grime from training. Iida went by everyone's dorms and knocked on their doors, announcing a class meeting. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki sighed and headed for the common area, where he stood on the outskirts of the room.

"Thank you all for coming," said Iida, bowing to the class. "Yaoyorozu and I discussed this, and we believe it would be a good idea to assign chores to everyone."

A collective groan rose up from the general area of Kaminari, Ashido, Hagakure, and Mineta.

Yaoyorozu clutched a clipboard to her chest. "Mr. Aizawa said we'd be responsible for dinner and breakfast, just like we would be at home! So, we need to structure a schedule and rotate everyone to different chores, that way we don't slack off on our cleanliness or health!"

"We spent all of lunch organizing rotations and assigning duties to people," said Iida, passing out copies of schedules to everyone. Katsuki glowered at his. Great. Tomorrow, he was on trash duty with Kaminari. At least next week, he was on breakfast duty with Kirishima. There were so many combinations of people that they never got the same chore twice in one week or even month. The chore calendar was doable.

"Dinner will be self-serve tonight, since no one would have time to make something," said Yaoyorozu. "But please remember to clean up after yourselves, as we all share this space!"

With that, most of the class dispersed.

A flash of red and white hair pushed through the crowd of students to Raijin, who sat on the couch, looking tired. Katsuki suppressed another roll of his eyes. Those two were painful to listen to, and painful to watch. It was mostly Icy Hot's fault. The bastard was just so dense and blunt. And an idiot. Icy Hot was a paradox in that he was generally intelligent when it came to school, but also completely stupid when it came to people.

Raijin nodded in response to whatever Half and Half said, a soft smile gracing her lips. Orange light from the sunset outside streamed through the windows like honeyed beams. Raijin's skin was made for sunlight.

Raijin's sparkly blue gown had seen better days, but it still shimmered as she turned toward him, catching the light of leftover fires that no one put out yet. Frizz and snarls jumbled her hair, which appeared to have been curled previously. It framed her face nicely when it wasn't in the usual braid. Soot, grime, and even blood spotted Raijin's face, bare arms, and collarbones. Some of her makeup smudged, and the blackened skin of her hands from her burns made Katsuki's stomach churn a little. He supposed she was pretty, for someone who looked like an absolute trainwreck.

Still, she flashed him a moon-glinted smile, at which he glowered. Why the fuck was she so smiley?

Why the fuck had that popped into his head? The night they fought together on I-Island wasn't anything special, and it certainly wasn't related to the current moment of Raijin smiling at Half and Half, the sunlight glossing her dark hair, revealing undertones of auburn in those strands.

Suddenly, Katsuki itched to do something. Anything. He wanted something to explode, metaphorically, physically, whatever. Smirking at himself, he marched over to Raijin and Icy Hot.

"Well, it took so much energy for my ankle to heal that-"

Katsuki kicked Raijin's healthy foot, interrupting her lame-ass explanation for why her regeneration Quirk didn't fix her concussion. "Oi. You wanna explain what happened out there?"

Raijin frowned at him. "Okay, jerk, I was in the middle of—"

"Explaining why your healing Quirk is useless, yeah, whatever. You froze up out there, and then you said you thought I was your sister. The fuck does that mean, Sunshine?"

Raijin cringed, and her eyes cut to Icy Hot, who stood next to Katsuki, his hands at his sides.

"What're you still doing here?"

"Raijin and I were having a conversation until you interrupted us," said Icy Hot; his eyebrows pulled together in a disapproving frown.

"Tch," Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I've seen the two of you have conversations, and they're painful. I'm doing Sunshine here a favor."

Raijin pushed up from the couch; her eyes flashed as a subtle reminder that lightning crackled beneath her skin. "You know what, Bakugou? Next time you want to talk to me, wait your turn."

Pushing past both Icy Hot and Katsuki, Raijin left the common area. Katsuki lifted a brow, not sure whether to be pissed off or impressed. "The hell is her problem?"

Sorry it's been a while, guys! I'm trying to balance out the fics I work on so I don't abandon any of them. Also, I got a new job! It's full time, so I'm still working on finding a good writing schedule, so bear with me please!

We're about to start the Provisional License Exam arc, but I'm kind of extending the timeline a bit to include more training (especially since the Training Camp got cut short).

Thank you all for your patience and support! What did you think of this chapter? 3

(also, sorry if the formatting is off. I switched to Google Docs and copied/pasted what I had from Word, and it looks kinda wonky but I tried so many things and it didn't help).