Chapter 2: Rules of Engagement Pt 2
Word Count: 30,560
Kieran lingered for a moment before getting up from his seat, he wasn't intending to be the last one by any means, but he wasn't about to be the over-eager ones to walk with Present Mic, he was all too aware that he'd put his foot in his mouth with the guy, but to be fair, he had played his cards the way he needed to. There had been no other option to ensure things didn't get to where people were labeling him as the weakest link in this little link of the chain that they had. I wonder how pissed Lex is gonna be about that little fiasco with Present Mic? He growled to himself as he stood up and pushed his chair in with his foot, well aware that thankfully those next to him from before had left while he'd been taking his sweet ass time getting his thoughts together. "Probably pretty pissed, dumbass," he muttered to himself as he answered his own thoughts.
He shoved his hands through his raven-colored locks and debated his options as he cast a quick glance noticing most of the students had up and left, the only one who seemed to linger was the chick he'd noticed only because she'd come in so late, but she wasn't any of his business and preferred to avoid her if he could. Whatever she had going on was a level of problems he had no intention of getting involved in. He curled his fingers around the backpack he'd left under his feet and made his way out of the auditorium. He was already busy fishing around for his earpods intent to enjoy this walk to their destination in what would be to the sounds of blissful music and god willing silence from those around him. Something he couldn't wait for.
As he hit the exit he frowned seeing the white-haired girl from before who was talking in a whisper that wasn't exactly as low as it could be to keep people from hearing her. She was mentioning something to the other boy who was around his age, who was her friend. "Why don't you ask him? Clearly, you want to, so hurry up before you lose him...besides-" she let the words trail off there for an effect. "He looks a little lonely," she said softly, her lips pulling back in a soft smile.
The 16-year-old couldn't say that he was very surprised by this turn of events, but he took a little pride in the fact that he was no one's errand boy and despite what the crimson-haired boy with his messy, unkempt hair wanted to do, he didn't deny what she said and instead curled his hands looking ready to say no to her, but instead he turned and called out the name of the other boy. "Genki! Wait up - we gotta talk!" These little introductions while meaning little to others did allow him to connect some names and faces together, so he couldn't say what he happened to be witnessing was too much of an annoyance.
As he shoved one of his ear pods in his ear and was just in the process of pressing the other one into his ear. He was going to ignore the world so help him. All he wanted was just a few minutes of some music to get him ready for the exam. All they had was a few minutes as they walked. It was going to be great, he had even managed to slip past the girl before she felt obligated to drag him into their little circle of weird niceness. His thumb was hovering over the play button all he had to do was press down and his playlist would start singing in his ears. If only he had been three seconds faster. Those if-onlys were going to be the death of him it would seem. Too late.
"Kieran!" His name from the girl had him jerking his gaze over to her and at that moment he knew he was fucked, why had looked at her, he might have been able to play stupid, act like he was deaf, or had been listening to his music as he'd never heard her at all, but his head jerked upward on a swivel and met those bright blue eyes of hers. "I thought she'd been kidding when she said that was your name," Koemi muttered to herself, but it wasn't low enough that he couldn't hear her. His eyebrows arched at her words and he watched her cheeks flush with color.
Koemi pressed her fingers together and at his intense look, she was quick to babble out an explanation. "Sorry, that sounded weird I bet. There was a young lady who caught us as we were leaving, she said her little brother was too shy to ask for anyone to walk with. So she was curious if my friends and I wouldn't mind having you tag along with us." She said with a bright smile. "It's no trouble you know, so don't worry at all. She said you were a little on the special side...so did everything Present Mic say make sense? I can explain anything if you need."
Kieran felt his eye begin to twitch and even as he ground his teeth together he knew he couldn't take his rising anger out on her. It wasn't fair to her and if he said anything all he'd be doing was digging himself a bigger grave and placing a larger target on his back, but to say the least, he knew exactly who was going to pay for this once he finished this exam. His hand curled tightly along his side and he was careful to hide the fist he'd made. "No thanks Koemi, I was able to follow it. It doesn't seem so bad we just have to get a set number of flags to pass, it seems simple enough from the standpoint of what they want,"
Those deep blue eyes didn't miss the expression on his face at first and it made her wince wondering if she'd done something wrong, but it didn't last long as the foreign exchange student was quick to point out that the event didn't seem so bad. It left her wondering if she was overthinking it a bit. She held out her hand as they walked together, realizing they hadn't exchanged names officially yet. "My name is Koemi Kousaki," she told him cheerfully.
Lexi, when this is all over. I'm going to get you back for this, just you wait! You know I want my time to myself before an event like this! Why?! Why are you doing this to me? It's because of the crap with that Loudmouth Professor of yours, isn't it? You just had to make my life more complicated!
While Kieran was busy internally dialoguing what he was going to do to his dear older Sister once this was all over. It didn't mean that he wasn't listening to the girl in front of him. He carefully reached out a hand and curled his fingers gently and yet firmly on her hand. "Kieran Walker," he told her politely as he gave her a small smile. "You mentioned friends earlier, where are they?" he questioned glancing around for a moment, unable to quite help himself with his own curiosity.
With a frown, the pale-skinned girl looked around at the other students from the various schools that were around them. "Well one of them in Mori-kun, he was the one sitting next to me. The other isn't someone I know personally but Moritsu seemed to be interested in having him walk with us. He was by himself," came her casual reply. "I doubt they got very far though, so they should be back in just a little bit."
Is this some sort of dysfunctional charity group? Kieran couldn't help but wonder to himself. It was certainly beginning to feel like it was. "It's no big," he said quickly, wanting to avoid her feeling like he wasn't paying attention. "So what school do you go to?" he questioned as he pulled out his earbuds and placed them in their charging case. He knew half listening to her was something his dad would kill him for, whether the guy was here or not, it wasn't something he felt like having to deal with from his old man. Besides he was pretty adamant on how a lady should be treated, even if he was just friends with her or an acquaintance.
As the two of them conversed together, there was a very different conversation taking place away from the main walkway the other kids were taking.
Genki tapped his wooden fingers against his thigh as he watched Moritsu from where they were hidden behind a cluster of trees off the beaten path from where the others were passing them. He could tell by the others' serious expression that whatever he wanted to talk about was something serious. It didn't exactly help him be all that excited about it. He'd been feeling a little lonely being one of the few at this exam that was walking by themselves.
At first, he had been hopeful that he might have been about to invite him to walk with him and his friends. He was so used to having Kozue around... even after the accident. She was still around, just not as often and those times were getting a little hard for him, reminding him that he was really alone, it was one of the reasons he flocked to his friends when she wasn't around, a way of coping with her loss, without actually doing such a thing.
"Why so serious man?" he questioned feeling like he was trying too hard, that the joke was going to fall a little flat coming from him and his lips quirked up in a pitiful attempt at a smirk that fell more into a frown.
Moritsu shifted his amber eyes to regard him from where he was watching the other examines continue on their way. His fingers curled at his side. At the other kid's attempt at a joke, it caused him to quirk his lips into an almost smile anyway despite the situation. "This probably does seem a little weird," he agreed, as he held his hands up to him. "While I was curious if you wanted to walk with my friend and me. I had to make sure of something first," he said as he worried his lower lip.
The crimson-haired young man curled his fist hating the emotion that he still couldn't get a hold of when he thought about what happened earlier. "My friend, she can't know about what happened in the hallway earlier. It would just make things awkward before the exam starts...so would you, you know-" he frowned as he ran his hands through his hair and blew out his next breath. "Just not mention it? I'll tell her after the exams are all over."
At his request, Genki felt his own tension that he'd been building up over, lessened. "Oh, is that all?" he questioned realizing a little too late that he probably should have just not let that comment slip out that he'd been thinking. "I wasn't going to, so yeah sure."
As their agreement was made it was like the two of them were in some sort of weird awkward state. Neither seemed for a moment to know how to pull them back into less weird waters. Finally, it was Moritsu who seemed to come up with a really good ice breaker. "Oh uh, we may also have that one kid who called out Present Mic with us too. He looks like he might be one of those hardcore loner types though," he said with a wide grin as he began to walk away to begin catching up with the others on the right walking path.
"He did sort of give off that vibe," Genki agreed as the two fell into step beginning to talk about the few others in the exam who had seemed to draw their attention.
Kieran was realizing his conversation skills weren't the best, but maybe it was because he was running out of things that were rather neutral topics. His hobbies would probably be boring to a girl like Koemi anyway. One thing his dad drilled into him though and Lex was no better it was that he had to be an active listener and even while all this was going on, he had to make sure he paid attention to whoever he was talking to because it was the polite thing to do.
A lot of people wanted to talk to him when he got older and his Dad kept up his Hero Agency in the US. It didn't mean he had to like being more or less a celebrity's kid. Anything he did wrong was splashed over the magazines when they had little to talk about. It was in a few of these instances that well Alexis would sic her dog at the magazines. When he said her dog, he really meant her Dad, their relationship was a strange one for sure, but it wasn't one he could say that he understood. His family life was a shit show too really, but it wasn't anyone's business at the same time. It was one of the reasons Kieran really enjoyed his privacy.
"Sorry, we're late. We got distracted helping someone find their case they left in the room," Moritsu called from where he and another boy were jogging to catch up to them.
Koemi's bright ocean blue eyes lit up upon seeing Moritsu and the boy he'd said he'd met earlier and had pointed out during their time at the Auditorium. "Oh, that was really nice of you both. Hi my name is Koemi, Kousaki and it's nice to meet you, your name is Genki, right? Sorry, I can't remember your surname. What was it again?" she questioned excitedly as she held out a hand to Genki as the two of them caught up with the two of them.
Genki felt color rush to his cheeks for a couple of different reasons, he sheepishly rubbed at the base of his neck. "Oh you know," he mumbled as he closed his eyes and gave a nervous smile. He didn't like to be in the middle of this lie exactly, but what else could he do really? "It's totally ok Kousaki," he told her quickly as he waved his hands. "You can call me Genki, but it's Hayashi," he explained.
With a bright smile, Koemi was quick to fill him in on a few things. "Oh that's great, it will make things easier for Kieran. He's from America, I know it's hard to believe we've got a real-life foreigner here for our exam!" She was quick to share her surprise and it was Genki's turn to look at the dark-haired male they were with and give him an awe-filled look as he took in the other male's eyebrow piercing and the multiple piercings in his ear with a new appreciation. "You can call me Koemi though please, no need to be so formal, we're all friends here!"
Those violet eyes of his regarded the red-haired boy and frowned slightly, all too aware he had lied earlier, just a gut feeling and well some hard facts. His excuse was too long, but it was definitely none of his business and he kept to his own and it kept him out of a lot of trouble. He let his gaze move to those ahead of him, he couldn't help but look for Lexi out of habit now that she was around more often.
"Who are you looking for?" The black-haired boy questioned his hair styled in a loose bun at the base of his neck.
Kieran glanced at the other boy and then looked to see that Moritsu and Koemi were discussing something together as well, the conversation had lulled for the moment with him thankfully not the center of attention as much as before. To be fair he'd been surprised the boy was able to utter anything to him at all given how tongue-tied he'd seemed about seeing a real red-blooded American Asshole or something. "No one, in particular, just my old hag of a sister," he said carelessly.
"That's code for his sister's hot, don't let him fool you."
His frown only deepened as he turned his gaze to regard the redhead who said that. Even if that might be true, that was pretty gross in his opinion. Alexis would always be like an older sister to him and he'd never thought about her as anything else...well his puberty days didn't count. He was well past that stage in his life.
"What if she is, why's that any of your business?" Kieran questioned icily.
"It's not, but one's gotta make an observation," came his cheeky reply. "What's your sister doing here anyway, no one else was allowed to bring anyone. Did you get special treatment or need a babysitter?" he questioned his grin widening as he couldn't help but goad the guy a little more.
Genki looked nervous for a moment as things seemed to be escalating in a direction he wasn't sure how to handle. He cast a glance at Koemi who didn't seem concerned exactly, but she was watching as it progressed, her hands freely swinging at her sides as even as this conversation continued everyone was still moving with the group of other kids without issue. "It won't go anywhere," she whispered to him, but even as she said, she wondered about that. I hope.
Kieran only widened his smirk a little more. It was a dig he'd used on Lex at the airport earlier. "You know how us Rich Asshole Americans are, we get whatever we want," he assured him with a casual shrug of his shoulders as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept moving, not about to entertain anymore. He wasn't sure what he was gonna do about this kid if he was taken into the class too. He wanted to learn something, not have some young wannabe hitting on his teacher the whole time.
Thankfully the conversation between the two boys couldn't escalate to anything further really as Present Mic's voice caused them both to listen in. As many heeded the call of the instructor. The four of them were no different. Each slipping away to get ready. This was the sort of wake-up call the two hotheads needed to ignore each other.
Kieran slipped into his hero costume without issue and paid most of the others around him no mind at all. As they'd slipped into the room though, he'd finally pulled out his earpods as he dressed, drowning out the world for the last ten minutes before things would get really interesting.
His costume was a long-sleeved black under armor shirt and pants, with a white armored half cape that slips over his head and covers his neck while it rests on his shoulders and over his chest. He has gloves that are black on the back with white palms and fingers, a white utility belt and black boots. As he didn't see the others from before he took this opportunity to slip out and head for the starting gate, and his luck only intensified as he moved from the starting position to one of the other locations.
Koemi watched as the other girl left before she moved over to her things. She changed into her costume, which was a light blue sleeveless turtleneck bodysuit with white highlights on the edges of her suit that exposes her skin, a circular magnifying glass on her chest. It was able to enhance her ability. With a sigh, she sank down onto the bench and pulled on her custom-made white gloves that hold the same logo on her chest, but also on the tip of her fingers and in her palm. She always saved her boots for last a weird habit, as she should probably put on her gloves last. Her white knee-high boots completed her outfit. Standing she began to fix her hair to ensure it was in place before she slipped on the silver utility belt she always wore. She tucked her light blue helmet with its tinted visor against her hip as she walked out of the room, looking around for Moritsu, Genki, and Kieran, but she didn't see either of them yet. With a soft sigh, she began to wait, trying to be patient.
To say things were a little awkward would be the understatement of the year as far as Genki was concerned. While he'd walked in with Moritsu it wasn't a secret the other was still a little fired up about his exchange with Kieran from earlier, for the most part, he thought things were going at least decent, a little weird yeah, but who in this day and age wasn't weird? Everyone was weird...but it hadn't just stayed weird it had gotten real awkward, real quick as what had started as a joke escalated into some sort of defense mission to the extreme from Kieran. Not that Mori had done any better either with how he'd gone about things.
He couldn't help but try and shake it off and get his head in the game as he got dressed in his tight, dark green, sleeveless tank top that exposes his wooden arms. Next came his baggy dark blue pants, that he was quick to add his wooden belt that would keep his pants up, following it up with his wooden knee pads and matching wooden shoes. The jaw guard he used to complete his look that covered his cheeks and to his chin was also a win considering it was wood too.
The black-haired male slipped out of the dressing room and looked around for any of the people he knew so far. He sighed in relief as he saw Koemi and was quick to go over to her. "Not to be that guy, but things are awkward right now, what do we need to do to fix it?" he couldn't help but question.
Koemi merely shrugged. "These sorts of things sorta have ways of working themselves out….so for now, I wouldn't worry besides our exam is about to start soon. Are you excited?" She wondered doing her best to change the subject for him. He was more worried than she was, but then again the two had been friends for quite some time. So it was a little easier for her to read and understand what Mori was doing when it wasn't always the same with new people.
"If by excited you mean filled with nerves sure," Genki couldn't help but agree with a laugh.
Moritsu joined them not long after Koemi and Genki had been talking waiting for the exam to begin. He was dressed in his dark green polyester muscle tank with dark blue jeans outfitted to withstand some blows. He had a utility belt that housed some of his seeds he would use to activate his abilities. He also had on lime green elbow and knee pads. His face was covered by a pair of tinted goggles and a crimson face mask. He was very much one of those Combat Gardners.
"You feeling better oh Mr. Gardner?" Koemi questioned with a tease as she poked him in the side with her fingers and when that didn't get a response from him she kept going driving her fingers more forcefully into his unprotected sides causing the redhead to begin laughing as he swatted at her hands to get her away from him.
"Yes- yes geez stop!" he cried out as he moved closer to Genki and looped his arm around his shoulders. "Great outfit, great minds do think alike!" He told him with a grin, clearly in his own way apologizing for his earlier mood without going out and saying it. The easy-going nature of the group wasn't lost too many. No one brought up Kieran because it was clear he'd decided to leave them, so for now they would enjoy what they had going before the exam would begin. They still had a few minutes left before things had to get into the 'Why so Serious mode'.
Masa pulled the phone away from his ear and frowned at his reflection staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. He'd dipped to the bathroom when everyone else had begun to make their way to Ground Beta, he was one of the first people out of the room so he was positive he wouldn't be the last one there. You may be wondering why he was in the bathroom if it wasn't for the reason of using it. With a sigh, he hung his head and placed the phone back to his ear. "Chill out Nii-san," he muttered sounding tired and exhausted and the call had only just started.
"You're on another sugar slash caffeine rush again aren't you?" He accused as he rubbed at the tension heading he could feel himself getting already and he hadn't even started the exam yet. Why was all the weird stuff happening to him? Why couldn't someone else deal with all this crap, why did it have to be him!
"A little bit, but what's up Cuz, why are you calling me?" Yuji questioned as he leaned back in his leather chair his current work put on hold as he waited to hear him out. "You can't tell me the Exam is already over and you lost," he added when he took too long to explain.
"It hasn't yet, it's going too soon though," he muttered as he tapped his fingers against the porcelain sink. "Yuji-nii...what would you do if you heard about something that was going to happen to someone else, something unfair?" He questioned as he frowned at the young boy staring back at him, and seeing for a moment his father in the mirror. The man he was doing everything in his power to run away from, to be everything but who he was. Masaki never wanted to be like his father. He couldn't even stand to look at him after everything he'd put them through.
This indecision was partially his fault Masa was terrified of making a mistake and being looked at in the same judgemental light that destroyed their lives when their happy family had been ripped into the spotlight of his father's scandals. He was needing reassurance he was doing the right thing, that he was going in the right direction. He knew he needed to trust himself more, but it was hard.
Yuji frowned as he listened to his cousin, the two were close enough they were more like brothers than anything else. "Listen, Masaki, " he told him seriously as he rested his elbows on the table. "What I would do doesn't matter. I'm not the one in this situation. You can't base your choices off anyone else, we've talked about this." he didn't sound put out by this, but rather his tone had gentled.
"You need to decide how you want to act, what you want to do. You can make those decisions, and no matter what you decide, you aren't your father." Yuji told him with conviction, his tone harsher now, but it was the only way the kid ever listened to him sometimes.
"What did you hear anyway?" the engineer questioned, his gaze traveling to the cigarette he left in the ashtray, he really needed to find another way to activate his quirk that was a tad bit on the healthier side of things.
"I overheard some kids talking about ganging up on some kid named Inazuma...apparently he's a shithead or something, so they want to take him out to ensure he can't move on to the next round,"
"Sucks to be that kid, " he muttered before he sat up straighter as the name registered. "Wait! You said Inazuma?" Yuji questioned, trying to keep his voice more controlled.
"Yeah, I did. Why do you sound like that?" he demanded as he began his walk to Ground Beta he could finish his call on the way.
"It's - uh nothing you need to worry about, " he said quickly, trying to get him to drop it.
"You know him don't you, or at least of him, " The long-haired male said unable to just ignore what he knew was something that was going to make things more complicated.
"I did an internship there just a few weeks ago, it's no big deal. It just sounds like it could be the Director's son is all, " he said with a groan as he twirled his pen between his fingers as they talked.
"But could this come back on you?" he questioned knowing already it wasn't likely. Yuji's laughter was answer enough. "Nah not even a little bit. It might do him so good to get knocked down a few pegs, the kids a pompous ass...but his dad has had a rough go of it after the incident that shook the Hero society of Japan about six years ago, he lost his arm and his leg in the Musutafu High Rise attack, but he wasn't the only injured hero. Many died trying to evacuate the building before it collapsed. The rescue effort was extensive and if I remember correctly UA had some losses too," he muttered trying to remember why this event was giving him the feeling like he was forgetting something really important.
"Damn, " Masa whispered, the shock clear in his voice. He knew he shouldn't feel bad for the kid, but he couldn't help but feel empathy for what someone had to live through. It sounded hard on everyone in that family.
"Masa-chan, tell me what you want to do about what you heard? You aren't obligated to do anything, it really isn't any of your business anyway." Yuji pressed aware he'd have to get off the phone soon.
"I haven't fully decided, but if I can find this Inazuma kid I'll mention it to him, if I can't, I'll worry about my exam and go on my way. I think it's the best course of action at the moment besides I haven't seen him any-" he trailed off mid-sentence, his attention on the blonde with cat ears that moved past him on her own. He'd seen her sitting next to the Inazuma boy when the others had pointed him out to each other.
"Yuji-nii I gotta go talk to you later!" he said abruptly before he hung up and found himself running after her to catch up.
He didn't know her name, and he wasn't sure what possessed him to go up to her like she would be able to help him at all. Still, though she was currently the only one he'd seen. Maybe it was pity that pushed him to make this much effort or maybe he just wanted to step out of his father's shadow and do something he wanted, something he could feel better about.
Masa placed his hand on her shoulder as he called out the universal wait that tended to get people's attention. He should have known better, it was one of those times where he wished for a rewind button.
One second he was just behind her about to open his mouth and explain himself to her and the next he was flat on his back so fast he hadn't had time to track exactly what had happened.
The blonde, green-eyed angel was looming over him with a scowl on her lips and her ears were lying flat on her head, another sign she was pissed and so not thrilled to see him.
"You better have a good reason for touching me sunshine before I make you eat your teeth." she threatened, her hands balled into fists at her side.
Masa raised his hands up to show he meant no harm and didn't bother to make a move to get up from his position on the ground. "I was actually hoping for your help," he told her honestly as he waited to see how she would receive what he said.
Her large green eyes widened slightly, a small sign that he'd caught her off guard, that hadn't been something she'd been expecting him to say. In fact, it was dead last. She wasn't someone people went to for help, no that was usually Shu back at her old school or one of the others in charge of the dorm. She was often the one causing the problems for them in the first place. She'd have accused him of lying to her, but she could smell the truth coming from him, when people lied their body tended to give off a certain sour smell to it, that just couldn't be hidden from those with keen senses of smell. "What could I possibly help you with?" she couldn't help but to question as she stepped back a sign it was time for him to get up off the ground, but he'd get no help from her.
He pressed his right hand against the ground and stood up, something that caught Orinda's attention was the fact that his ring finger on that hand was missing half of it. It was a curious injury that left her staring at his hand a little too long even after he'd stood up. He couldn't say that he cared for the staring, he didn't like it but it wasn't something he could do anything about. "I need to find someone and it's really important and before you ask no I'm not friends with the guy," he couldn't help but add as he ran his fingers over the top of his head in a sort of exasperated gesture.
"Seriously?" she muttered as she rolled her eyes and cast a glance at those moving on ahead of them, everyone eager to get to the starting gate at Ground Beta, she couldn't say she felt the same, all she currently felt was more nausea tightening her stomach the closer and closer they got, but then again she had a lot riding on the exam. "What's in it for me to help you?" she couldn't help but toss out the hypothetical at him.
"Dinner after this is all over? No strings attached of course."
Orinda gave him a sharp-eyed stare not only reading his body language for any lies but it seemed as though she were looking into his very soul looking for anything from him that would give her a reason to deny a rather generous offer. With her quirk and incredibly fast metabolism, he was going to be out a pretty penny indeed. "I suppose that could suffice," she agreed after a moment as she held out her hand for him to shake. "Orinda Liondell," she introduced herself.
"Masaki Chinen and thanks I really appreciate it," he told her as his right hand clasped her own hand, he tried not to flinch away, at the contact but his hand made people uncomfortable sometimes, many hesitated to shake his hand, but she was one of the few who didn't bat an eye, it was something he really appreciated.
"So who are you looking for?" she questioned as she dropped his hand and they began to walk toward the area that everyone else was headed to.
"Tora Inazuma," he told her with a heavy sigh.
"Fuck, you seriously want to find that asshole! Why?"
"Oh I've heard stories about him," he couldn't help but agree. Masa glanced around them before he stepped a little closer to her and ensured their conversation was private. "I overheard something that I feel he should know before the exam starts."
Orinda hummed in response for a moment as she took another look at those around them. "Well alright, we better hurry," she told him before she picked up the pace following the unique scent of Tora Inazuma.
Simone Wilson shifted her gaze to the boy who walked beside her, she hadn't said anything during the time at the Auditorium, but what he could do was pretty impressive. She didn't know exactly what he'd done, but it had stopped her fight with Iruji stealing the words right out of his mouth. While she was curious what his quirk was, and what he could do. It was one of the grey areas. Some didn't mind the questions, and others got very offended. It was hard to say what he would do.
"I can feel you staring," Zion told her, finally unable to take the feeling of being watched as he had been. He just couldn't ignore it. He didn't have that level of control to ignore someone else. He brushed back his strands of brown hair and held his case in his hand. "What can I do for someone like you?" He winced as the words hung between them, that hadn't quite been what he'd meant to say. There was no way he could take them back either.
Her lips twisted and she huffed out a breath as she began to put her long black hair up in a ponytail. "Nothing really, I just wanted to say thanks for earlier with Iruji. He's not very subtle and he's had a stick up his ass since I knocked him on his ass last week. It was a fluke really, but he's been more annoying than usual."
Zion shrugged in reality he knew he couldn't have ignored that anyway. His dad was always telling him how to treat a woman, and talking down to her, threatening her was a no-go. He glanced toward her. "You're welcome, but I'd have done it for anyone, my dad's not a fan of picking on others, " as those words hung between them he held out his hand for her.
Simone regarded the hand held out to her before she shook his own. "Simone Wilson, it's nice to meet you…" "Zion- '' he told her as he squeezed her hand "Zion Sawada," he gave an easy smile. Nice to see that his perception of Shiketsu high wasn't exactly accurate. Not everyone thought they were better than others.
Their conversation could have ended there, but instead, they discussed their families. Swapping funny stories of their loved ones as a way to pass the time on their walk from the Auditorium to the battleground of the first phase of their exam.
Between the two of them, they had quite the stories to tell. There was one where Trey, her older brother had hypnotized their younger sister Aislin into believing she was a cat for a day. That hadn't been as funny as they were expecting it to be. They wound up cleaning up more broken items as she'd jumped on the dresser and knocked things over. Needless to say, it hadn't been something they had done again.
They could still share a laugh about it though. Zion told her about the time his older brother Naofumi had been going to help with taking out the garbage but hadn't realized the screen door was locked and had hit it with his quirk and went right through it and If that wasn't worse the bag of trash had ripped and had gotten all over him. It had taken him several washes to get the smell off him.
The two laughed and easily fell into the conversations of their families. Simone opened up about her adopted siblings and wasn't worried about Zion picking on them or seeing them as less, they were still loved, still special. What she and her family did was something to be proud of. They give love and acceptance to those who needed it most. They gave scared, lonely kids a loving home.
The more they talked, the more that Zion was beginning to realize there was more to the girl who walked beside him than the name of the school that she went to. In a way, she opened his eyes to how things were in their world, what it was like for kids who lost their parents and were put in the system. It was a horrifying thought, but her family helped the kids that they could.
As they neared Ground Beta, they heard Present Mic tell them exactly how things were going to work. Both of them split from the other to change.
Zion frowned as he set the case down that he was holding, he hadn't really put much stock in what Professor Midnight had given him as he just assumed it was his PE uniform that he used for the Sports Festival. To his surprise when he opened it he was very much mistaken, it was the hero costume that he had designed when he'd first put in his application for the Entrance Exam a few months back. It was something in his file, but after his failure to get into the course he hadn't expected to see it unless he could get into the course.
The gift was unexpected and one that showed that even as a General Studies Student...the school cared about someone like him, they thought he had a shot at making it into their Hero Course Program, into the new class they were opening up. His fingers trembled slightly as they grazed over the material for a moment he was overwhelmed with emotion and determination. He had to do his best here, he had to prove their trust, their belief in him wasn't wasted.
He got dressed quickly feeling a little uncomfortable no matter how much he tried to shake the feeling. He lingered outside the area waiting for Simone to come out. It was strange to think of someone he just met as a friend, but there was no better way to explain it really.
Simone came out of the room, her gaze searching for Zion. Her hero costume was an armored bodysuit that held extra padding along her outer arms and various areas that needed it. The color scheme was black and maroon red, the shoulders, the chest was black with red accents in the chest that would glow when she activated her powers. The gloves protecting her hands were maroon, as the suit went to black along her elbows where extra armor sat. Her boots were steel-plated and black, with extra armor around her heels too. They were special because of the small holes that seemed insignificant, but they allowed her to use her quirk without any feedback problems. Everything about her costume was fireproof. She had tied her hair in a loose messy low ponytail away from her face and ignored her, black visor glasses that she had perched on top of her head, the lenses were a lighter red than her suit, but it was clear once things got going, she'd be putting them on. She couldn't help but glanced around at the others gathered; they were about to start soon. She couldn't help the pounding of her heart as she took a breath to try and center herself, to not get too nervous before they had even started.
As she caught sight of Zion, she tried to hide her grin as gave him a once overtaking in the black gi that was on his form over a black long-sleeved shirt, and the white gloves on his hands followed by the black pants he wore with the same boots that matched the color of his gloves, the look was completed by a red cape that he had clipped to his shoulders and as he stopped before her, she walked around him giving his hero suit her full attention as she noticed the music quarter note in white on the back. "Not bad Sawada," she told him, hoping her voice was as firm as she wanted it to be. She tried to look confident as they gathered with the others at the starting line.
"Thanks," he said softly and rubbed at the back of his neck, clearly a little embarrassed about what he was wearing, but he thought it suited him. "You look good too," he told her and felt his cheeks heat with color. "I mean, not like that! B-But I mean not that you aren't- uh. You get what I mean!" he said hastily as he waved his hands in front of himself as though that would somehow stop his embarrassing display.
As laughter bubbled past her lips, Simone grabbed her sides and bowed her head as she felt her tension leave her body. That was probably one of the most inappropriate things she could have done given the situation but she couldn't help it. The hilariousness of it was just what she needed to hear. As she wiped at her eyes, those amber eyes met his dark brown eyes. "It's all good. Honest, I totally get it."
"Oh, that's great," he muttered to himself as he watched her from the corner of his eye as they approached the starting line that the others were all lining across. He watched as a few of the other students were called over to begin the exam at other entrances to Ground Beta, it was probably smarter to split them up a bit to make it as fair as possible.
"Are you nervous?" Zion wondered softly as they stood next to each other on the line in front of the closed gate. "Absolutely." her honestly was surprising and caused him to fully glance toward her, taking in her body language. "But they want to see what we can do...we have to prove we deserve to be here. If we do our best, we can't be disappointed in ourselves right?" she questioned her gaze meeting his own.
The brown-haired boy could only nod in her direction, she was right. It was all they could do. If they hesitated, doubted themselves, how would they make it in the hero world. People would be counting on them. "No, and there is always next time," he tried to be positive. "Damn right," she told him with a grin. "Good luck Zion," she told him as she held out her hand toward him. "Good luck to you too Simone," he encouraged as his hand folded against her own. With a single nod, the two of them shifted their attention to the starting gate, mentally preparing themselves as the countdown began.
"Did you come to forfeit our wager already?"
Orinda curled her hand into a fist and snarled at him. "Of course not!" she raged as she pointed her finger at him. "Why would I quit when I'm going to win?" she countered back.
Tora Inazuma only flicked his gaze toward her from where he was lounging against one of the trees, he was already dressed in a long-sleeved, black body armor that fades to blue as it goes down the biceps and to his wrists. His fingerless gloves reach mid-arm and match the blue of his suit's arms. His body armor pants are teal in color with a black utility belt around the waist and black boots. To complete the look he wore a long tapered, dark navy blue cape that attaches to his shoulders and wears a hooded scarf around his neck that doubles as a mask that is the same color as his cape. "So you're here because?" He questioned, his golden eyes had lost their focus on the world around them, so he was careful to keep from moving at all. He was growing more irritated, usually, they weren't this frequent.
"This guy wanted to tell you something," she muttered as she shoved him forward with a hand on the other kid's back. She tried not to find it weird when the pompous ass didn't do many of the moves he'd done earlier, his stillness was a little unusual and it left her strangely uneasy around him, as the air around him seemed to be holding a sort of electric charge in the air. She wrinkled her nose trying to explain away the smell that lingered around him because it smelled like it was faintly masking something else.
As Masa was shoved forward, he nearly tripped kicking up a bit of dirt as he caught himself. The glare he shot the blonde was one she merely rolled her eyes at. He'd been going over in his head for a while now what he would say to him, but now that he was here well, he wasn't nearly as confident about it now. The guy sure did look intimidating too, he'd been expecting some sort of string bean or something. You know one of those guys who thought they were all that but couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. That sort of thinking did not in any way revolve around this guy who looked most definitely not like any of those. He was tall, worked out, and looked like he could give him a run for his money in a one-on-one fight and that wasn't including if they used their abilities or not.
"I know this is gonna sound a little weird Inazuma, but I couldn't let what I heard go. You need to be careful in this exam, a few of the other contestants are plotting to take you out," he told him his lips twisted into a frown.
Tora chuckled at the other's words, his gaze landing on him, while his visional distance was an issue, close up wasn't. It would even out after a bit, but it wasn't convenient not with this exam they were going to be dealing with right around the corner. It left him in a fouler mood than usual. But Masa seemed to have been entertaining in some ways. "Who isn't plotting to take me out?" he muttered as he shrugged his shoulders. "If that's all you had to tell me, you wasted your trip and I suggest you get yourself ready for what's to come," he offered him a warning. It was the bare minimum he could do after all. With that, he turned to ignore them placing his earpod back in his ear and closing his golden eyes.
The wind had been knocked out his sails at the moment and Masaki wasn't sure what to do about it. With a shake of his head, he turned to walk away from him. Present Mic's announcement having reached his ears anyway. He had an exam to get ready for. He didn't have time for this guy. "Whatever man, " he said more to himself than to anyone else.
Orinda regarded Tora for a moment from where she was standing watching the stiff way he held himself despite trying to act nonchalant. "What's wrong with you?" She asked him, not expecting an answer but the way his fingers tightened on his arms and became white told her something else altogether. Despite what he was trying to hide, something was wrong with him, something he wanted to keep hidden.
Frown twisting along her features she turned to leave him too. She found herself running the last bit of distance that separated her and Masa. Her fingers snagged his jacket. "Yo! Wait up Casanova," she called out. She wasn't sure why she was trying to cheer him up and yet here she was doing just that. "You tried, most would have just ignored what they heard and not done anything about it. Everyone is competing against each other for this new class."
Masaki looked over his shoulder at her surprised to see that she'd come after him. "It just wasn't something I could ignore, no big deal," he muttered as he dragged his attention away from her to look around those filtering in and out of the rooms already dressed and ready to go in their Hero Costumes.
Orinda made a sound in the back of her throat that sounded like a growl before she moved past him. "Tch, " she scuffed as she flicked her hair over her shoulder as she passed him. "And people say women are the emotional ones, " she said loudly clearly intending for him to hear every word. "When you pull your dick out of your ass let me know. Our deal still stands. You owe me dinner when this is all over Chinen." With those parting words, she left him in the dust to get changed.
She slipped into the dressing room and curled her lip at the sound of someone crying. She snarled at the noise and pressed her ears flat on her head. Is everyone an emotional ball of disgusting today? Jesus. Her fingers tightened on her costume case and she moved to be on the other side as far away from whatever the hell was going on that she wanted no part in. Comforting people was so not her thing. If you wanted to get angry and fight that was all her. She'd take on anyone, beating out one's emotions was all she knew how to do. Talking through things like a more civilized population, no thanks.
Her fingers flicked open the locks on her case and examined her suit for any damage, or wasn't much to it really, but what she needed was mobility over much else. She stripped out of her clothes and ran a small brush she kept in her bag through her long blonde and red highlighted hair. Being naked wasn't something that bothered Orinda; it wasn't like she wasn't comfortable with her looks.
She pulled on her sleeveless silver top that was shorter and exposed her midriff and stepped into her tight black shorts that stopped above her knees. One of the few things she could wear that her abilities wouldn't rip. Orinda was blessed with sun-kissed skin, a lovely tan that allowed her to wear other colors that would wash out those with fairer skin tones. As she sank down on the bench she pulled on her pair of long-sleeved black gloves that went up her arms. The gold bands followed sitting at each wrist and along had forearms. Next came her silver collar that she clipped into place after moving her long hair out of her way. Standing she moved to the mirror and applied the last thing she needed three whisker marks in gold on each cheek. Something that drew attention to her was the fact that she was barefoot.
If you could see me now Mom, I'm going to make it, despite the odds stacked against me. I'll make you proud of me, I'll live your dream.
She gave herself a quick once over before she exited the room and headed for the starting line, her head held high, no one was going to distract her now. She was ready for this, she was ready to win and bask in the glory that would be her victory.
Orinda had left so suddenly after her words that she'd missed hearing the short laugh that passed Masaki's lips. Her words were the wake-up call that he'd needed. He wasn't sure why he'd put so much stock into what he'd been going to do. One little good deed wasn't going to make or break him and it certainly wasn't going to wash away his father's stain that lingered all because of his last name. It was a start though, a mere step in the right direction that was going to be his life. With a deep breath, he felt just a little freer of his own chains that he'd allowed to bind him for so long.
Shaking his head the black-haired boy moved toward the changing area easily slipping inside and taking note of the fact that he was only one of the few in here that meant his time was running pretty short. He shrugged out of his black leather jacket tossing it on the empty bench before he pulled his white cotton shirt over his head dropping the fabric on top of his jacket before he began to fiddle with his belt that held up his dark blue jeans. He toed off his purple and black Adidas running shoes and kicked them out of his way as he shed his jeans.
He stood in his boxers and pulled out his suit beginning to slip into the black bodysuit that held white stitching, the suit was specially stitched with his hair that allowed the material to easily change into whatever form he used whether it be solid or gas without issue. Next, he ensured the dark purple armor plating was attached without issue as well. While those pieces wouldn't transform with him, they were made to easily be put back on without issue by either magnet along the sides for some of the larger pieces or a set of multi-use adhesive straps that attached to the arms, and legs. The armor was made of a special material, easily taking a hit, but it was also lightweight to not hinder his fighting in close quarters.
He was just finishing putting his clothes into his case and shoving it in a locker as the bell tolled signifying things were about to get interesting. He cleared his mind, took a deep breath, and released it. This was his own personal test for himself. He wanted to get into UA he wanted more of a challenge in his studies and his own hero courses. Ketsubutsu was great, but it was getting to the point that he was accelerating past what they could offer and if he knew he needed to get going to keep pushing himself and UA would be how he would do that. He'd already seen what just a few of the students were like, this was the level playing field he wanted to be on.
Masa slipped out of the dressing room and headed over to the starting gate, he spotted both Orinda at the front of the pack and Tora lingering at the back but paid neither of them any mind. This was an exam that wasn't about teams and honestly, they were all in it to make it into the spots available and it was time that everyone showed what they were made of and proved to those watching they deserved to be here.
At the sight of students parting ahead, her good mood soured and anxiety was quick to fill in through the cracks in her armor. Her mind flashed back to the scene at her house and just a moment the man from before was standing in front of her. One moment he was there and with the next beat of her heart he was gone, replaced. Large hands curled along her shoulders and a familiar face was staring down at her.
Yasei didn't miss the other boy coming forward. He had debated interfering but decided to let it go. It wasn't any of his business besides she could handle herself. As she didn't immediately move though, he frowned to himself and casually drifted closer curious in his own way. Despite what many would say about him, he wasn't a complete idiot.
The sound of flesh on flesh was loud as Airi knocked the hands that held her away, and put a little distance between them. Her eyes were hard, but her breathing was labored, before the mask was back in place and a wide smile was on her face, it was for just a moment, but there was no mistaking that look. All of it seemed to contradict itself. "Don't get handsy now Kiaki," she teased, but her green eyes were shrewd as they watched his movements.
Goro's eyes widened as she knocked his hands away. Usually, she didn't mind the contact. Today was bound to be different, though, he inwardly chastised himself. He wondered for a moment if he had made the right decision coming to find her. To interfere in what she might want. His mind replaying the words Rin had said to him as he had left. Maybe he was right. He thought dismayed. Her next words though gave him hope that perhaps he had made the right decision. He grinned at her taking the small olive branch she offered him in her own way. It wasn't an apology by any means, but it was something in the middle.
"Yeah, yeah" he muttered hands held up in front of him. He didn't miss the way her green eyes watched his every movement. He couldn't help but wonder if she always did it and he was just now noticing.
"Goro let me introduce you to my new friend. He looks like he'd have a stick up his ass, but he's entertaining, " Airi told him as she gave a wink to the redhead in the suit. Her easy banter was something he was worried would wean, but it appeared he didn't have to worry about it.
Yasei regarded the two with a slight hesitation, not because of anything they did but because of who they reminded him of. "Yasei Haruki meet Goro Kiaki, " she introduced them as she gestured to each of them and waited for the two boys to get a little closer.
She didn't let her grin leave her face even as she saw the two of them sizing each other up. Quit being pubescent twerps and shake hands already! Airi couldn't help but think as a vein pulsed on her forehead and she was struggling to keep her anger from rising up to explosive levels.
"We go to Isamu together with two of our other friends, who you will meet later if you want. I'm only throwing you at Goro because he decided to show up, " the brunette explained as though she was doing them a favor, but the way she said it, it was hard to tell if she was pleased, annoyed, or some variation of the fact that he had shown up.
The redhead was the first to hold out his scarred hand to the other. "You must be a good guy to hold this lovely lady's attention. It's nice to meet you Kiaki," he greeted with an easy smile on his lips, even as his gaze closed, there was no doubt he was paying attention to his surroundings.
Frowning slightly Goro tried not to be irritated with how easily the dude was flirting with Airi. He forced back the feelings though and shook his offered hand. He knew that stalling any longer would not look well to either party and he didn't want to rock the boat with the brunette before he'd gotten a chance to find out what was going on. "I try," he mumbled a little embarrassed at the others' words. He felt like he tried to be a stand-up guy, but that left him with more of his attention left to his computer skills than his social skills. He shook his hand though and released it when the other male did. "It's nice to meet you too. Are you guys ready for the exam? It was interesting to see this is a sort of capture the flag event. I don't think I've seen anything like this before. Have you?" He questioned curiously as he looked hopefully at the other two. Maybe they had picked up on something he had missed.
Yasei shook his head. He didn't keep up with the hero world all that much anymore. It had been something he and Haruki had grand dreams of being a hero. They had often used to geek out together over heroes and movies; they had both been interested in a lot of the same things, one of the reasons they had become such fast friends. "Nope, never seen it, but it looks pretty badass!" he boasted with a grin "It beats the robots, but maybe they will be in the next round, but who knows," he said with a shrug not worried about it in the slightest. Some tended to say he could be a little too lax in certain situations, in his opinion, it was a waste of time and energy to freak out.
He'd been training for this; well, actually, he'd just been trying to get all his mobility back from his injuries. He'd never been one to do things halfway, so after working with his quirk with Vlad, he was now standing on the stage with all these young hopefuls for spots at the prestigious UA talk about a weird set of events that landed him here, if you really thought about it.
Airi shoved them both forward with her hands on their backs. "Let's keep moving,' she told them as she walked ahead of them slightly before she twisted around to walk backward as she faced them and stretched her arms up over her head. "If you think about it, this capture the flag idea is pretty ingenious, you will always have those with quirks that allow them to get the flags quickly, but just because you have more, in the beginning, doesn't mean you will be able to keep them. This sort of free for all event allows them to see not just those with versatile abilities, but how those who may not have been as free-ranged to excel at first now have their shot to try and take what they need to pass."
"Present Mic also mentioned it wasn't the only way to get points, you both heard that right?" Goro questioned his hand rubbing over his buzzed black hair.
Airi looked away from him and muttered under her breath a curse. Clearly, she'd missed that. To be fair she was still dealing with a lot.
Yasei merely whistled as he kept walking a sign in itself that he'd missed that too. "As long as you're paying attention for the three of us I think we'll be just fine," he said with a chuckle as he flashed him a wide sharp-toothed smile.
Airi shifted her attention to those ahead of them watching as they all quickened their pace as the voice of Present Mic reached her ears. "Oh shit, " she muttered to herself as she took off ahead of the others. "We don't want to be late! We have to change too! Hurry up!" she called behind her duffle bag swinging in her run, as she turned back once to look at them both as she hopped forward to keep her footing. As she turned back around she nearly collided with a few of the slower students but she swiftly sidestepped them. She danced between the other students in her way, nimble on her feet as she headed for the changing room, waving over her head to them before she disappeared inside.
Yasei and Goro shared a look with each other and neither said anything as they gave into the humor of the girl they were with. Yasei's boisterous laugh easily drowned out Goro's more controlled chuckle as the two spent a moment gathering their own composure.
"Last one there has to buy dinner!" Yasei suddenly shouted to him as he was off and running for the changing room.
It took Goro a moment to register what he heard and that hesitation would cost him some money, but if he was honest with himself he couldn't say he minded all that much. That wasn't to say that he didn't run after them. The last thing he wanted was to be still changing when the exam actually started.
Yasei had already shrugged off his suit jacket and his dress shirt. He had his back turned to the others in the room who were still changing out of their civilian clothes into their costumes. His bareback was shown in his dress slacks and he was folding his dress shirt and his suit jacket.
Goro paused as he went to move past his eyes round at the sight of the scars he could see on the other's back and sides as they crisscrossed around his body and over his shoulders and were even on his arms. He just couldn't quite tear his eyes away.
Yasei flashed him a look over his shoulder, his brown eyes narrowed on him for a moment before a flamboyant smirk appeared on his lips. "Like what you see Kiaiki-chan?" He questioned teasingly, his grin only widening as the other younger man's cheeks flushed with color and he looked away with a stammered apology and quickly began getting his hero suit on as he wouldn't look at him again as he undressed and dressed in record time before muttering something hastily about seeing him outside.
The redhead only chuckled to himself as he lifted the black and purple pinstripe dress suit from his hero case he stood in his black boxer briefs, before he slipped on the armored suit pants, before the black dress shirt and suit jacket followed it was fashionable acceptable and made him look like a highly well dressed civil citizen, but this was in fact his hero costume, he slipped on the gold watch onto his wrist and cast a quick glance around the room noticing how a lot of people had already left and only a few were trickling in to quickly change.
Yasei Haruki hummed to himself as he debated his mask options. He was a little hesitant to use his quirk, but he wasn't afraid exactly. Just nervous his quirk wasn't exactly painless, it was a hard feeling to describe, but given his quirk, his pain tolerance was extremely high. His quirk was also a double-edged sword, no matter how he used it; the damage to his body was a thing. With prolonged use, it left problems. It was one of the reasons for the moment he opted to ignore his helmet for now. He'd prefer the shock value of it there as the fight advanced.
With his decision made he exited the room, easily able to spot Goro in his hero costume, he gave the other a once over regarding him in his dark gray bodysuit and the red sections of armor he could see on his chest, back, and shoulders and how it left his arms free for movement. The boots he noticed were the same red as the armor pieces he had that also seemed to cover his lower legs as well allowing him to hit his foes without fear of personal injury. Yasei strode over to the other and was quick to slap his hand on his back. "Just because I came out later than you doesn't mean you get out of dinner after this Kiaki-kun," he told him with a wide grin.
Goro turned to look at him, his eyes round and he gave a quick nod. "I know Haruki," he said quickly, his attention drifting to the sea of others around them. "Are you nervous about this?" he questioned softly, wondering to himself if he was the only one. The other two seemed so put together, so ready. It left him wondering if he was really cut out for this.
The other's grin lessened slightly and his gaze skirted away a moment. "Nah," he said quickly but Goro didn't miss the changes in his body language that would say otherwise. "I was born ready for this," he boasted loudly, hoping to push some of his confidence, even if it was forced onto the other next to him. If he didn't believe in himself who would? He'd have regrets if he didn't try his best here at least. Regrets were hard to live with, he knew all about them. The type of things that woke you up in the middle of the night and on certain days made sleep difficult.
"You've got this, besides you look awful snazzy in that hero costume. Dressed just like the real thing. You've even got the cape going for you too. So buck up!" he told him as he slapped his shoulder once more. His own gaze wandering the crowd.
Goro felt his cheeks flush with color and looked away, he really should have more confidence in himself. It was something he struggled with a bit. "Thanks," he muttered softly as he took a breath and gathered his courage. His new friend was right, after all, he did look the part. "I guess All Might has inspired quite a few with all that he's done," he said, his voice rising back to a normal level.
"Where is our third wheel?" he questioned with a wide grin clear that he was only teasing. "I dunno, but she needs to hurry up. We only have a few minutes left," the black-haired boy muttered his gaze sliding to the digital watch on his phone. "So let's go get her," The red-head suddenly decided as he moved toward the girls changing room.
"Wait- What?!" Goro called after him for a moment rooted to the spot where they stood. Before he suddenly moved after him. "Haruki, wait! Y-You can't just go into the girl's side!" he said as he grabbed his arm, but Yasei only moved him forward as he made his way over.
Airi spent less time changing than she did staring at her reflection and dark color along her cheek and around her eye. Her head was still pounding, the food helped...but it wasn't enough. She knew any prolonged use of her quick as an assault measure wouldn't go over well. She already felt like she was at a severe disadvantage. She flexed her fingers testing her own energy level, she knew exactly what she would have to do. Her goal was either to get the flags quickly and hang out, or she was going to need to hold one of those purple flags so she could move forward.
Get it together! Will you really let a little boo boo keep you from making it here? Don't get distracted and lose sight of what you need to do. Any means necessary. Do you want to be the reason Nao and Mei are stuck in that downtrodden piece of shit?
"No," she muttered to her reflection as she ran her hand down her face. Taking a quick glance at her reflection as the three-minute timer was called out. She made sure her costume was up to snuff. Her black crop top was half-sleeved and covered her chest and under her breasts along her midriff ran a fishnet mesh. Along her arms was her firm-fit camo jacket complete with a hood if she felt like using it, it was short though stopping at her midriff and left open to expose the skin there. Her black fingerless gloves on each hand and she could move her fingers without issue. The lower part of her outfit consisted of matching camo pants, but the right leg of her outfit was ripped exposing from the skin above her knee all the way to her black combat boots that held zipped up the side. Around her waist was a brown sash that doubled as a belt with its buckle. Along her neck was a black mask that she could pull up if she wanted. It was breathable and kept insects and other disgusting unmentionables from getting in her mouth if she used it to cover her mouth and nose.
"Yo, my little raccoon friend are you done yet?! The exam's about to start!"
At the sound of that voice, she ground her teeth together, her hands balling up to fists on the countertop. Her anger skyrocketed as she shot a glare in the direction of the curved wall that didn't allow for anyone passing by if the door was open to see inside you had to go around the bend first. There was no mistaking who that was and she was beginning to wonder about their friendship.
"You can't call her that!" Followed the quieter voice of the other young man she knew quite well. "She's going to kill you- no us, she's going to rope me in with you!" he continued with a groan, his hands covering his eyes.
With one final look past at her reflection, she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder and went outside. The correct mask was in place and she was the confident, sexy young woman who was ready to own this exam.
The look she flashed them as she came out was meant for murder even as the sexy smile on her lips said something else. "Goro how much time do we have left?" she questioned as she flexed her fingers and flicked her index finger in Yasei's direction shooting a small rock in his direction as it hit him in the arm. It wasn't enough to do any damage, but it stung a little.
Yasei only exposed his sharp teeth to her and laughed clearly not worried about her in the slightest. "Don't be mad Rover," he told her his voice cascading over her ear as he moved past her and grinning at Goro as he moved away from them. "Good luck on your exams, two! Don't forget we're grabbing dinner after this is over." With those parting words, he headed for the starting gate only to be told by one of the instructors that he'd be starting at another spot and followed one of the clones of Electoplasm to a different area.
"That Fucking asshole!" Airi raged her green eyes landing on Goro's as though expecting him to disagree with her. Her fellow Isamu student merely raised his hands in front of him and the two of them made their way to the starting point. "We have three minutes left," he told her casually, his hand raised to hide his grin. He was just happy to be by her side no matter what happened today, that wouldn't change anything. They were friends and to him, that was all that mattered.
As the time hit sixty seconds to the start of the event and began to count down every ten seconds the nervous energy filled those waiting at the six different starting points. There was a large red hot air balloon above Ground Beta and flashing across its screen was a timer and the feminine voice of Midnight began the count down so many were waiting for.
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Begin!
While many of the students charged into Ground Beta. A few lingered in no hurry to begin. After all, they needed the others to get all the flags first.
With a huff of breath, Kieran watched as the others charged ahead in a huge hurry, some using their abilities to hit the skies, others leaving the others in the dust with their speed. He ran his hand down his face before stuffing his hands into the pockets on his black pants as he made his way through the gates that had dropped open.
The exam had begun.
A/N: Hey Everyone! Sorry it's been a few months, I had high hopes for this chapter not taking nearly as long as it did, but...I feel the wait was worth it.
Many of you are probably wondering why this is another 1Z chapter...well if you've been following my Author profile, I leave updates to life, word count and other fun rambles, so some of you may already know why. Anyway. I had some scenes written after the Prologue 2 and I didn't want to lose what I had written, so I had to shift over Junishi and Shirai to this chapter to keep what I had written months and months ago to still be salvageable. It was a lengthy number so I certainly don't like to scrap any scenes I put a lot of time and effort in. If anyone has ever lost work before, the next go around of having to write anything is never as amazing as the first...and it's a huge pain in the butt.
Some personal things in life kept this chapter from evolving into a real chapter, but those have been evened out and life goes on.
So I appreciate your patience everyone! If you're new here and just catching up I hope you enjoy what you've seen so far.
Feel free to drop a line and let me know what you think.
Still taking ideas for Halloween Costumes if anyone from 1Z currently strikes your fancy to want to put in a certain outfit feel free to review and tell me all about it! Let's have fun with this.
Once again I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the words of encouragement I've received from you guys! It's a huge motivator for me to keep going and finish certain scenes as sometimes it can be a struggle.
Thanks for your patience with this chapter guys and I hope you have enjoyed this wild ride!
~AJ Aviary
