For a change of pace, Principal Nezu was sending some of the year 1 students on a field trip. It was all the kids had been able to talk about. There would be rock climbing walls, water tubing, a ropes course, dune buggy racing, an Olympic-sized pool, and more. We took two buses, class 1-A in one with Eraser and myself, and class 1-B in the other.

The kids pressed up against the windows as we pulled in. Before us was a pristine lake, with a huge, modern-looking cabin facing the water. As soon as the buses stopped, the students poured out and ran up the steps into the building, with the adults following behind. There were two teachers with the 1-B kids; Midnight, plus a man with glasses and long blond hair.

Inside the front doors was a beautiful foyer with a fireplace and several overstuffed couches. Further back, I could see a game room with arcade machines.

The blond teacher stood on a chair and called everyone to the middle of the foyer. The students were practically bouncing with energy, ready to take off. He explained our room assignments, and told us what time to meet back for lunch. After that, everyone was free to go.

I carried my bag up the wide staircase. The bedrooms were on the second level, with the boys on one side and the girls on the opposite. I found the room for the 1-A girls, and Midnight playfully bumped her elbow against mine as she headed to the next door with a handful of her students.

Our room was clean and spacious, way nicer than any camp I'd ever seen. There were eight sets of bunk beds arranged around the space, with another door leading to a bathroom. I chose a bed next to the door and tossed my bag on the lower bunk. A few of the girls were already changing clothes to go swim or try the outdoor activities.

"Miss Marie, would you go ziplining with us?"

They ended up talking me into it, so I changed into something more practical, put my hair in a ponytail, and pulled on my longest gloves. They were too warm, but without them it was always a risk.

We picked up our harness gear at the beach, and headed up a hill to the tower. At the top, the instructor paired us off. I ended up with a pink-colored girl. A few other pairs went before us, and we watched them sail off down the zipline, whooping or screaming.

Once we were hooked in, her nerves got the better of her. "I think I want to go back down," she said, holding on to the railing with a death grip.

I was feeling a little shaky myself, standing at the edge of the platform. "You better not make me go down alone."

"You can do it, Mina," one of the others encouraged.

She looked torn.

"Here," I reached for her. "Grab my hand."

"This is really high up! What if I pee my pants?"

"If you pee, I promise I will too. They'll think it's raining!"

That got her to laugh. She joined me at the edge and took my hand. "Don't let go of me."

"As long as you don't either."

The instructor counted off.

"Wait," she cried. "I changed my mind!"

"Too late," I said, and stepped off, gripping her hand tightly. At the last second, she went for it, and we both went flying over the trees, squealing and shrieking.

We landed in the soft sand beside the lake, laughing and stumbling to our feet. Once we were unhooked, she turned to me with a bright smile. "That was awesome, let's do it again!"

Everyone gathered back at the main cabin for lunch, a buffet that was fit for royalty. The kids chattered and stuffed their faces, making plans for the afternoon. "Marie, over here," someone called. It was Midnight.

"Thanks, I said, taking the seat across from her.

"Of course. Sorry we didn't talk sooner! I was hoping to get some time with you, but these students haven't given me a moment's peace."

It was hard to hear over the din. "Yeah, it's been hectic!"

"You know, it's really a shame you can't show more skin. I know it's for everyone's safety, but they don't know what they're missing!"

I blushed, and smiled down at my plate. When Midnight had taken me shopping, she had flooded me with compliments about my figure. At her urging, I had caved and bought a green and yellow two-piece, though I had no idea when I might possibly wear it.

There was a small commotion further down the table, followed by raucous laughter. Midnight got to her feet. "Pardon me, I have to go strangle some teenagers. Let's catch up later."

After lunch, the girls tried to talk me into horseback riding, but I declined, already worn out from our morning activities. I ended up in the game room, where I got drawn into an air hockey tournament. The boys argued over whether quirks should be allowed or not, and the matter never got completely settled.

I still had sand in my shoes from earlier, so I headed upstairs to freshen up. Each bedroom had its own spacious bathroom, with a row of sinks and multiple stalls for toilets and showers. It was just as fancy as the rest of the place. I wiped down my arms and legs, splashed some water on my face, and tightened my ponytail. When I came back out, a few of the girls were lounging around, some sitting on the floor. "Miss Marie?"

I dug a fresh pair of gloves from my bag. "Yes?"

Ochako looked at me shyly. "You can't turn off your quirk, right?"

"That's right." I sat on my bunk and waited for the rest of the question.

Another girl spoke up. "So how do you kiss?"

I laughed in surprise. "Wow, okay." They were all looking at me expectantly. "Well, mostly I don't."

Momo fidgeted as she asked, "so have you ever kissed a boy?"

"Or a girl?" another chimed in.

"I have, but it's risky." I thought back, and smiled sadly. They were still waiting, so I continued. "When I was about your age, there was this boy I liked. And he liked me. But the first time we kissed… I almost killed him. He ended up in a coma for three weeks."

"That's so sad."

"But did he still like you after he woke up?"

Momo spoke again. "What if you found someone with the right quirk so you couldn't hurt them?"

"I have tried that, but…" They were really aiming straight for my heart.

"You broke up?" asked Tsu, the girl with green hair. I nodded.

Toru sat up straighter. "Wait, can't Mister Aizawa erase your quirk?"

"He can," I said, a little concerned.

"Well… you could kiss him."

Another girl groaned. "Ew, he's old!"

"Miss Marie is old, too!"

"Besides, it stops working when he blinks."

"He could kiss her with his eyes open."

"Gross, who would want to kiss with their eyes open?"

"Who would even want to kiss Mister Aizawa!"

"Are you supposed to close your eyes?"

The conversation had descended into chaos, and I could only sit there with my mouth hanging open.

"Wait, I've got it! Mister Aizawa could erase her quirk while she kissed somebody else!"

"Oh sure, he'd just have to stare at them the whole time."

"That's even worse!"

"Can you imagine kissing somebody with Mister Aizawa staring at you?"

"Stop, I'm gonna hurl."

"He could wear his goggles so it wouldn't be obvious!"

"Come on, we don't even know if she wants to kiss anybody."

"Miss Marie, is there somebody you would kiss, if you could?"

"One of the other teachers, maybe?"

"Miss Kayama is pretty. I bet she'd do it, too."

All eyes were on me. I laughed nervously. "Um, I'm gonna go grab a drink." I pushed myself off the bed and hurried out of the room.

Downstairs, the kitchen was behind the dining area. I pushed open the door and looked around. The room was small, obviously not where they made the big meals. There was a large, steel fridge along one wall, where I found an assortment of bottled water, juice, several types of soda and other drinks I did not recognize. I grabbed something in a red can and shut the door. The blond teacher was there, and I jumped, not expecting him.

"Whoops, sorry!" He smiled, holding his hands up as if he was in trouble. "Didn't mean to scare you."

I couldn't help but smile back. "It's alright."

"You must be Marie; I've heard a lot about you. I'm Hizashi Yamada, but you can call me Present Mic." He held out his hand toward me.

Of course I had left my gloves upstairs. I drew my hands back against myself. "Sorry…"

"Shoot, I forgot. My bad!"

"No big deal, it happens a lot."

He made a fist and held it towards me. After a brief hesitation, I gently bumped my fist against his. A slight tremor shot up my arm, but it wasn't bad. He mimicked his hand exploding, and I grinned.

He opened the fridge and peered inside. "Those kids putting you through the ringer?"

I laughed as I cracked open my soda. "Are they ever! Right now they're plotting who to set me up with."

"Are they now?" He grabbed a bottle of lemonade, and turned to eyeball me. "Maybe I should help; I'm pretty good at matchmaking."

"I don't know," I joked, "they seem to have it all figured out."

"I bet they do!" Mic laughed as he shut the fridge. Then he glanced around the room, leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Hey, after the students are in bed, we're all gonna hit the hot tub. You should join us."

"Okay," I said, as I tried very hard not to think about him, Eraser, and Midnight in swimwear. "A hot tub sounds amazing right now. I lost count of how many times the girls dragged me to the zipline."

"Tell me about it. Mine forced me to go tubing on the lake! You wouldn't believe how bad I wiped out!"

I laughed with him. He was so warm and welcoming.

"Well, I gotta run. Those little monsters want me to do the Ninja course with them!" He tapped his lemonade against my soda as if we were making a toast. "Catch you on the flip side!"

Once he left, I took a moment to soak in the stillness. It had been a fun day, but a wild one, and it was far from over. I was glad the girls were getting more comfortable around me, but I wasn't used to so many awkward questions. I took another sip of my soda. Footsteps thundered overhead, and I glared up at the ceiling. Of course I could not enjoy a minute of quiet.

Then I heard raised voices, and more pounding footsteps. Something felt off. I left the kitchen, where I almost collided with two boys running by. Kids were shouting and rushing about. I spotted Midnight and hurried over. "What's going on?"

"Villains." She looked past me, towards the entry.

Outside, I could see an assortment of threatening figures. I glanced around the cabin's foyer; the entire place was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. We were sitting ducks. "We need to cover these windows," I shouted.

"There's not enough time," Present Mic called back. "Let's get everyone upstairs, it's more protected."

Eraser was heading towards the front door. I grabbed him by the sleeve. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find out what they want." He pulled his goggles over his eyes. "Take care of the kids."

"On it," Midnight answered. She joined Present Mic in herding the students towards the stairs.

Eraser was already out the door. I helped gather the kids and get everyone to their rooms. I stopped to check on the boys from 1-A, then went to my girls. They were clustered together, looking worried. I remembered that this wasn't their first time being targeted, and my heart ached for them.

"Hey," I said. "We're gonna get through this." I wrapped my arms around two of them as I addressed the group. "It's going to be fine. Your teachers and I… we won't let anything happen to you."

"Marie!" someone called from the hallway.

I forced a smile. "I'll be right back."

The teachers were gathered on the landing, and I was relieved to see Eraser was back. Midnight had changed into a revealing leotard that I almost couldn't look at directly. Present Mic was in black leather with some kind of speaker on his chest, and his hair slicked back into a spike. Eraser looked the same as always.

They all turned and looked at me with grave expressions.

"What?" I asked. They glanced at one another, not answering. "What is it? Tell me!"

Eraser finally spoke. "It's the League of Villains, and they're looking for Rogue." My chest went cold. I looked down at the floor, feeling unsteady. Present Mic and Midnight were already hashing out a plan: Create a flashy distraction out front, and sneak the kids out a side door to the buses. Someone would have to stay behind to cover their escape.

People were going to get hurt. The kids were scared. Everyone was in danger because of me. Again. I turned and walked back to my room.

The girls swarmed me as I entered, and I held up my hands to quiet them. "We are getting you all out of here safely. I just need to change, give me a second." I grabbed my bag and headed to the bathroom. Since the teachers had put on their battle gear, I should too.

I needed to feel like Rogue. I quickly put on a yellow tee and faded black cargo pants, then my long green jacket with the sleeves rolled up. I found my old logo patch, an X inside a circle, and fastened it to my chest. I took out my ponytail and ruffled up my hair. Completing the look with a deep red lipstick, I was ready. I hoisted my bag over my shoulders.

When I came out, the girls stared. "Whoa, cool outfit," one of them said.

"I need you all to go to the boys room, and stay there." No one objected. I led the way, and they quickly filed across the landing. Midnight and Present Mic were still there.

"Hey there, hot stuff," Midnight said with a sultry smile.

Present Mic lowered his sunglasses. "Looking good! Ready to kick some villain booty?"

I took a deep breath. "I can't let you do this. It's me they want, so I'm gonna let them have me. Please don't argue." They both stared at me in stunned silence. I raised my chin. "Where's Eraser?"

Present Mic pointed, and I turned and walked away before they could say anything.

All of class 1-A were now together. Eraser was leaning against the wall by the door, his goggles loose at his neck. A few of the kids noticed me come in, and quickly hushed the others. All eyes were on me.

I gave the kids what I hoped was a reassuring look. "There won't be a fight. The villains are here for me, so I'm going with them." They all started arguing at once. Despite being terrified, they were so ready to defend me.

I glanced at Eraser, but he didn't meet my eyes. "Quiet," his voice boomed. He nodded for me to continue.

"I need you to let me do this. Listen; they won't kill me, they want me for some reason. Maybe I can find out what their plan is. The pros can handle this after you're all safe." I looked around. Some of the students appeared sad or resigned, while others looked angry.

Deku stepped forward. "Miss Marie, you don't have to do this." A few others murmured their agreement.

I smiled. "Yes, I do. Please don't try to come after me. If any of you got hurt… I can't have that."

"I don't want you to go!" Momo started to cry, wrapped me in a hug. A few others joined in, and then even more piled on. I guessed that Eraser must be preventing me from draining them, and I was grateful.

After a moment, I stepped back from the group. I adjusted the straps of my bag and put on a brave face. I could not bear to tell them goodbye. "I'll see you again soon." With that, I turned and headed to the door. Eraser had not budged. As I walked by, I gave him a curt nod.

His hand shot out and caught my wrist, pulling me to a halt. I felt a tingle spreading up my arm. Confused, I stepped back to look at his face. Was he trying to stop me? He was staring straight at me, but not using his quirk. He was letting me drain him. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that he was doing it on purpose.

With my free hand, I reached up and touched his cheek, and his energy rushed into me faster. My gaze dropped to his mouth, and I knew if I didn't act, I would regret it. I raised up on my toes and pressed my lips to his. Then I pulled my arm from his grip and rushed out the door.

Before the door swung shut, I could still hear their voices. "We didn't know you and Miss Marie-"

"We're not," Eraser cut in. "Get your mind out of the gutter. She was using her quirk."

"That's not how she did it on us." If I wasn't so scared, I would have laughed.

Midnight and Present Mic were waiting for me in the center of the landing. I wondered if they would try to change my mind.

Before I could say a word, Midnight cupped her hand under my chin, smiling softly at me. Then Mic took both my hands, squeezing them gently in his. Midnight leaned in, her mouth close to my ear. "I hope this can help you." I let my eyes shut as their abilities poured into me. Then, they released me.

I let out a shaky breath. If nothing else, they had taken the edge off my fear. "It does," I said, before heading down the staircase.

When I stepped outside, the villains all perked up. I spread my arms. "Well, here I am," I shouted.

None of them made a move. Maybe they were waiting on orders, or perhaps I had confused them.

The mixture of borrowed quirks gave me confidence and swagger. I paced, looking down my nose at them. "Who here has the authority to make a deal?" My eyes stopped on a man who raised his chin to match my glare. He looked more human than most of them, but his face appeared damaged, like he'd been patched back together too hastily.

A black cloud of smoke appeared, hovering above the ground. It was as large as a person. The patched man strode forward to stand beside the smoke. "What's your offer?"

"I will go, without a struggle, if you leave everyone else unharmed. Take it or leave it."

He looked toward the smoke. A strained voice came from within it. "I accept."

"Let's go," the patched guy ordered the group. He looked at me, seeming almost bored. "If you try anything heroic, all those kids are fair game."

"If any of them get hurt, I will personally make you regret it."

He smirked, then gestured for me to come down.

I descended the steps to join him on the grass. A few of the villains helped tie me up with rope, then led me towards the dark cloud. Even as they pulled me closer, I felt strangely calm. I looked back at the cabin, and through the second floor windows I could see the kids peeking through the blinds. Then someone shoved me, and I stumbled into the blackness.