Chapter 1 - Yeah, Just Do Your Best, Emiko!

A/N: Sorry, replacing the first chapter after some wonky formatting made this, well, completely illegible. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Panic. That was the first sensation that raced through her body. The crush of reporters and cameras that inched forward, peppering her with questions about All-Might teaching at UA.

"What's it like to be learning from the #1 hero?" A reporter asked from the left.

"Is it daunting to have such a great hero grading your progress?" Another person, this time their voice deeper and from the right.

"Does he smell as dreamy as he looks?" A feminine voice inquired this time, their tone dreamy.

Emiko Komatsu's head spun trying to keep all the questions straight in her head. That last one especially threw her for a loop. Can't say I can really comment on that one, she thought sardonically. Her focus on the questions wasn't helped by her quirk working overtime thanks to the crowd.

Her quirk was called Sentiment. It allowed her to sense and manipulate the emotions of those around her. It made being in frenzied crowds like this difficult, and prolonged exposure tended to mean at best a nosebleed, which could lead to a migraine and- at the limits she'd tested so far- loss of sensation in her hands and feet.

She took a deep breath and remembered the advice of her guardian, her aunt Sakura, when it came to dealing with the media.

"When you go pro, the media is going to be what makes or breaks your career. You could be as powerful as All-Might, but one misstep and a dozen articles will reduce you to a glorified beat cop," her criminal prosecutor aunt had told her, her blue eyes looking into Emiko's, whereas her onyx hair was contrasted by Emiko's bright peach-red hair. "Measure every word you say to them, don't give hem any room to manipulate your words into something different."

As she exhaled, she found her nerves had vanished, and she confidently looked the reporters in the eye, one by one, as she systematically addressed their questions.

"We're fortunate at UA to have several exceptional heroes to learn from, who can all help us develop our Quirks, and shape our paths as heroes. All-Might is another example of that and my classmates and I are all excited to learn from him. It is a bit daunting to have a hero like him assessing us in classes, but his experiences give him a unique perspective on our development and any critique we get is coming from that perspective, so it's our job to take that on board and strive to improve. As for the last question, no comment. Now if you'll excuse me, I have classes to get to."

She spun on her heel without a further word and walked through the gate and down the main walkway of the campus. She took a deep breath of the crisp and sweet spring air, still mentally pinching herself that she was well, and truly here. It had only been a few weeks but she still wondered if the awe would ever fade. To walk these hallowed halls and to follow the curriculum so many famous heroes had in years gone by sent a thrill through her. The same one she felt every day she came to school.

She found herself walking into class with a reserved smile tugging at her lips as she nodded in greeting at her classmates before taking her place in the left-most row, second seat from the back.

"Good morning, Komatsu," the polite voice came from behind her, belonging to the demure Momo Yaoyorozu. "I hope you had a nice evening."

Emiko offered a wider smile to her classmate, who she'd known since she'd started living with her aunt Sakura. Aunt Sakura was an acquaintance of the Yaoyorozu family, so while not best friends, they'd still spent a lot of time together and enjoyed each other's company.

"It was good! Just worked on assignments, trained, and had a movie night with aunt Sakura," Emiko answered, the fondness for her aunt seeping into her voice. "How was yours?"

"It was-" Yaoyorozu began, but then the chime toned the moment Aizawa walked in, and Yaoyorozu quickly shut up and composed herself to pay attention, motioning to Emiko they'd talk later.

"I'm sure you all had fun with the circus outside," Aizawa drawled. "But the time for fun is over, it's time for one of the most important moments of your school career."

Panic pooled in her veins, a thick layer of it hanging in the air around her.

Is this another quirk test?!

Her mind wandered only a moment, remembering how annoying it had been to be forced into a quirk test. Her quirk allowed her to manipulate emotions, not to become incredibly strong or create objects from the fat in her body.

"You have to choose a class rep."

Emiko Komatsu had never felt fear or panic like she did at this moment. All around her, her fellow UA Students clustered together in groups as a loud siren blared through the air. The red flashing lights in the corners of the room bounced off of the large windows in the cafeteria. Her heart thundered wildly in her chest as her wide eyed gaze landed on the boy sitting across from her, his normally stoic gaze uncharacteristically clouded by fear.

"Warning, level 3 security breach! All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion! Please proceed to the exit!" A robotic sounding feminine voice echoed through the air as the students started to move.

In an instant the mood in the cafeteria shifted, from a calm and peaceful feeling to a gut wrenching panic.

"Shins-," she whispered, brushing a hand over the pulse hammering in her throat. Her long red hair slipped in front of her face, obscuring her vision. The loose tendrils blocked her view of the room and the students in it, who were all scrambling towards the exit.

"Come on, Emiko. Let's go." The purple haired boy stood up and wrapped his broad palm over Emiko's shaking hand. "We've gotta go."

Emiko allowed herself to be tugged from her seat, the panic broiling in her stomach making it near impossible for her legs to move. The students clustering around them began to move more quickly, their jittery whispers flooding her ears. Shinso's fingers threaded through hers, tugged her through the quickly emptying cafeteria.

"Shins, please. I can't…" she stammered, trying to slam her free hand against her ears to stop the noise. The pressure of her palm on her ear allowed her momentary reprieve from the noise of the crowd and the sirens, but it didn't touch the voice screaming in her head. Shinso released his grip on her fingers, allowing her to cover both ears with shaking hands. The urge to curl in on herself amplified with each passing second and she stood shaking in the hallway.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

Her head pounded with the strain of trying to filter out their voices and her quirk's natural desire to feel every emotion surrounding her.

Scared.

Fear.

Panic. Scared.

Fear.

Scared. Scared. Scaredscaredscared.

A silent voice in her head was screaming out, every emotion surrounding her slamming into her like a tidal wave. The emotions of all the students' raced through her head, repeating over and over again on an endless loop.

"I know, Emiko. Hold on." Shinso's grip on her forearm tightened as the crowd around them thickened with each passing second. He tugged her closer to him, wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders.

As she was tugged through the crowd the pain in her head worsened, and her eyesight began to blur. Silent tears streamed down her face, her cheeks burning red.

Please, no. No, no, no. Not like this.

Fear and terror rose like bile in her throat, burning it's way up. The tears rolling down her face sent a wave of embarrassment rolling through her, her weakness sitting heavy in her gut.

Looks like you didn't train hard enough, kid. You're a failure.

The feminine voice in her head rang out, cutting through her resolve like a hot knife through butter. She shook her head, so desperately trying to cling onto salvation.

"Emiko, are you with me?" Shinso asked, tugging her a little bit closer to his lean frame. Her long red hair shifted in front of her eyes and she sniffled, angrily swiping a hand under her nose.

She only nodded, the panic sitting in her throat blocking her from forming the words she so desperately wanted to shout.

I'm not okay. Too much, too much.

"Emiko, it's okay." She opened her eyes at the softened tone in his voice, his deep purple eyes scanning the panicked look on her face. "You're okay. I promise. We're gonna be fine."

The flashing light at the end of the hall drew her attention, and she watched as one of her classmates flew forward, floating through the air wildly. Tenya Iida flew, the engines on the back of his legs alight with sparks. His muscular legs shook with the strain of balancing on the edge, and his fingers were white from how tightly he grasped what little hand hold he had.

"Listen up! Everything is okay!" He shouted from his place above the crowd. "It's just the media outside! There is absolutely nothing to worry about!

"Everything is fine! We're UA students! We need to remain calm and prove that we're the best of the best!" His loud voice echoed through the hall, calming the nerves of all of the students clustered in the halls.

As soon as the words left the boy's mouth it was like a collective sigh was heaved, the fright surrounding the student dissipating like a heavy fog. As the emotions surrounding her shifted from panic and nauseating dread to flitting embarrassment, Emiko was finally able to breathe. The pain in her throat lessened until she was able to speak, and her vision cleared so that she could see the concerned look on Shinso's face.

"Thank… God." Emiko grumbled, wiping a few errant tears from her cheeks. Almost as quickly as the collective panic attack came, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"You good? That was the worst I've seen it…" Shinso whispered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Emiko knew he didn't know how to act after seeing her lose control like that, her fear and panic so tangible and visible. Embarrassment flooded through her at her lack of control, her weakness being on display for the whole world like that settling an uncomfortable weight in her stomach.

"Yeah, I'm good. I've never… felt anything like that. I could barely even stand, let alone focus long enough to maintain my composure." She grimaced, gritting her teeth and digging her fingers into the skin of her palms, leaving little red crescent moons scattered along the surface of her skin.

Should have trained harder.

The voice in her head taunted, so casually cruel in its delivery of a painful blow to her confidence it almost made her wince.

"Sorry, Shins. I didn't want you to-,"

"Shut up, Emiko. Don't you dare apologize. Not for anything like that." Shinso cut her off, flicking her forehead. She flinched at the impact, pain reverberating through her skull.

"Alright, fine. Whatever - no apologies. Got it." Emiko grinned, flashing her bright white teeth at the tall purple haired boy standing beside her. "Listen, I should… get back to class."

Shinso nodded, turning to head back towards the cafeteria to gather their things. As the pair parted ways, Emiko couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment from the boy, just a flicker of a wish for something more.

"Hey! Emiko, how're you doing after all of that?" Momo asked, settling into her place just behind Emiko. Her dark hair floated as if caught on a breeze, a whiff of lavender and linen breezing past Emiko's nose as she settled her skirt over her long and lean legs.

Emiko winced, her head still aching from her minor panic attack. "I'm good, yeah. Thanks, Momo." She tried to grin, though she was sure that it didn't quite meet her eyes.

I need more practice in stressful situations.

"I've just got to work on my control more, I think." She mumbled to herself, slipping lower into her desk. An irritated hum slipped from her lips as she berated herself, resting her head against the cool wood. "I'll get Sakura to take me to the mall so I can try and get used to it, maybe this weekend."

She tugged her phone out of her pocket and allowed her fingers to dance over the illuminated screen.

Emiko: Can we go to the mall tonight?

Sakura: … is that even a question?

Sakura: I'll grab you right after the final bell. Be ready.

Emiko knew that she would regret asking her shopaholic aunt to take her to the one place she shouldn't be allowed, but she smiled gratefully down at her phone. Lifting her head, Emiko placed her phone face down on her desk, grinning widely at the photo imprinted on the case. Smiling up at her from her desk was a photo of young Emiko and her Aunt Sakura. Emiko's wild red-ish hair was being blown by the wind, catching the light and glittering against the darker hair of her father's sister. Her teeth glinted in the sunlight as she laughed loudly at some joke her aunt had told, and the pair's heads were pressed close together.

Thankful.

That was the only word she could use to describe her relationship with the woman she viewed as her mother. Sakura had taken her in during a terrifyingly lonely point in Emiko's childhood. She'd put her successful career as a criminal attorney on hold to help pull her niece out of a dark, downward spiral.

The first 7 years of Emiko's life had been tumultuous at best, torturous at worst. Her mind reeled as she remembered her mothers face, at the hatred that had burned from behind her gold-green eyes at her young daughter. The feeling of terror and fear from earlier came back and lingered at the base of Emiko's throat. It burned like bile in her throat, the memories that came to the surface. Pain and anger and hatred had controlled her life for so long.

Her grip on her phone tightened as she tried to reign in her emotions.

The sound of an open palm across her cheek startled her more than the pain did. Emiko bit her lip to keep from crying out, knowing it would only make the terrifying woman in front of her more angry.

"Useless child. What good are you? I gave you one simple task." The woman taunted, her fiery red hair obscuring her face. Emiko could hear the cruelty in her voice, and knew the punishment was just beginning.

"One job, and the stupid child couldn't even do that. Stupid, stupid child." The woman cooed, bending down so she was eye level with the trembling girl in front of her. Her delicate fingers danced over her smooth chin, tugging her gaze up so that she was face to face with the cruel gaze of the woman.

"You're useless, Emiko. Absolutely useless." A stinging slap snapped her head backwards, so forceful it caused the young girl to bite her lip. Blood pooled in her mouth and dripped down her small chin, and the red headed devil in front of her smiled wickedly.

Later that evening, after spending a few hours wandering through the mall with her aunt Emiko was thoroughly exhausted. Her feet ached and her hands had small bruises from holding on to all of the bags. She sighed, settling into the soft cream sheets of her bed and plugged her earphones into her ears. She reached beside her, grabbing the worn wooden ukulele sitting up against her mountain of pillows. The music flowing through her inspired her, and Emiko settled the instrument in her lap. She smiled fondly down at the worn wood, covered in stickers from its time in her fathers possession.

He'd covered it with relics of his past, concert stickers and images from his travels coating the surface. Most of the ink had worn away, but Emiko found herself tracing them nonetheless.

Breathing deeply, she let her voice ring out loud and clear.

Music had always been an escape for her, a way to be free of her quirk and it's ramifications. Loneliness fit Emiko like a sweater, wrapped around her like the arms of an old friend. Her only reprieve from her Quirk was peace and quiet. Alone, she was free. Free from expectations, free to sort through her own thoughts and feelings without additional input from those around her. Emiko had no real interest in making friends, or at least that's what she continuously told herself. Her life was a series of sepia tinted photographs, each day blurring together into some sort of montage.

Using music as a tool to cope with the constant onslaught of emotions she felt on a daily basis allowed her to live a relatively normal life, one where she wasn't too heavily influenced by those around her.

As she played, Emiko thought back to the first time she had ever held the instrument. In her mind, she saw a 5 year old Emiko standing in the living room of her family home. Her red hair was wild around her as she laughed, watching as her father and mother danced around in the living room.

Her father had handed her the wooden instrument, and she'd immediately started strumming the strings. The sound was grating and loud in her memory, but her fathers face had lit up as she shook her tiny hips to her own melody.

She saw as her father grabbed her mothers waist and spun her around the room, her red hair flowing around her like a curtain. She stared up at her husband like he had hung the moon, her dedication to him evident in her gaze. Laughter radiated through the room, settling a golden warmth into her stomach.

She didn't know it then, but that was one of the last times she would ever see her mother's smile.

Only a few short months later her father, Hisato would go missing. Hisato was a pro hero, one who'd occupied his neighborhood since just before the birth of his daughter. He went by the name Suggestor, and he was able to implant thoughts into the minds of those around him.

Hisato wasn't the most famous pro, but he was one of the most dedicated. Both to his career, and to his family. Although the duties of his job took up most of his time, he never failed to make time for his wife, Mara and their young baby.

Pulling herself from her daydream, Emiko shook her head.

No point in thinking about that, Emiko. Snap out of it.

She grimaced, setting her instrument down on the bed. She groaned at the painful memory, one of the few where she saw her mother smiling.

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Irritated, Emiko stood from her bed and slipped out of her room. Her sock covered feet padded quietly through the halls of her home, leading her to the in-home training studio Sakura had built for Emiko. She flipped the lights on, stepping onto the padded floor, relishing in the familiar silence.

She stretched her arms up and over her head, loosening some of the tension she held in her shoulders. Bending down, Emiko pressed her palms flat against the floor, her hamstrings screaming out in protest. She continued her stretching routine, quickly sweating through the thick sweater she wore over her long sleeved workout top and leggings. She tugged it over her head as she stood, facing the long mirrored wall. She stared at her own reflection a moment, irritatedly swiping an errant lock of hair away from her sweat slicked skin. Her alabaster skin shone under the bright overhead lights, flushed from her rigorous stretching. Her green gold eyes shone brightly, framed by long dark lashes. She grimaced as she caught sight of the unsightly scar sitting above her left eye, its delicate sheen reminding her of more painful memories she wished to keep buried. She turned angrily away from the long mirrors, running her hand over the raised skin.

She spread her legs wide, settling into a sumo stance. She pushed her right arm out in a fist, repeating the motion with her left. She moved through a well rehearsed set of moves like a dance, flowing like liquid around the wide open room.

Her heart hammered in her chest as it did whenever she trained, her lungs screaming for air. Emiko gasped loudly as she finished her late night workout, resting her hands on her knees. Sweat dripped down her forehead and spilled into her eyes, causing them to water from the salty liquid.

The image of her mothers smile flashed through her mind again, the sound of her fathers laughter ringing in her ears like a gunshot.

Get out of my head. Get out. Get out, please.

Fighting back a strangled sob, she stood up again. She flung her hair over her shoulder before sliding open the glass door on the back of her gym. She slipped through it, breaking out into a full sprint. Her arms and legs pumped quickly, and in no time she'd ended up at the far end of her backyard, dodging in and around the mature trees that dotted their neighborhood.

Grimacing as she stepped on a particularly sharp rock, Emiko steeled her gaze on the moon as she ran. Her socks wore through quickly, and she could feel more and more gravel digging into the soft skin on the bottoms of her feet. Her heart hammered in her chest and unshed tears burned behind her green eyes, causing the frustration growing in her chest to tighten painfully.

Fuck you. Get out of my head, I don't want you here.

A strangled sob slipped through her tightly clenched teeth as she broke through the tree line along the back side of her aunt's property, turning onto the concrete sidewalk that led the way up to her home. As she got closer, Emiko winced as the bright light at the front of her house flicked on and Sakura stepped onto the front stoop, her grey eyes staring dully out at the poorly lit sidewalk.

"Do you know what time it is, Emiko?" She scolded, crossing her arms across her chest. Her long blue-black hair was braided tightly against her head, shining brightly under the LED lights.

"Yeah, I do." Emiko snapped, attempting to shove past her aunt's more slender frame. Emiko's muscular build and height allowed her to move past her more delicate aunt, but she paused as she felt Sakura grip her forearm tightly.

Her aunt's meticulously manicured fingernails dug into Emiko's sweat soaked skin, leaving small crescent moons on the pale surface. Emiko' heart hammered in her chest at the sudden contact and the bite of her skin being pinched.

"Don't do that, Emiko." Sakura bit, gripping Emiko's arm tightly. "Don't run away from me." She pleaded, loosening her grip as she saw the panic overtake Emiko's features.

"It's fine, Sakura. I'm gonna go to bed." She pushed past the concerned woman, entering into the house they both shared. All of the interior lights were on, glinting off of the large glass windows littering the home. The glow reflected off of the light wood floors and white walls, and if it wasn't for the dark evening sky glittering through the skylights, Emiko could have sworn it was the middle of the day. She wandered up the stairs, sliding back into her bedroom again. She stripped off her sweaty clothes and her newly torn socks and tossed them into the hamper. Sliding into her attached bathroom, Emiko turned on the shower water and stepped under the scalding hot water. She rinsed the sweat off of her body and hair, lathering herself with her citrus scented body wash, letting the burning water turn her fair skin into a blistering red. Exhaustion had taken over, and she found herself losing focus under the water. Shaking her head, she stepped from the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel before walking quietly over to her bed and climbing in, her body still dripping wet. With every step she took, a puddle of water formed on the hardwood, and Emiko knew she should wipe it away, but couldn't find the energy to care.

As soon as her head hit the pillow she started to cry, the tears that had been hiding behind her eyes pouring out and dampening the pillow her head rested on. She tugged the cotton blanket up and over her face, sobbing into the deep green fabric.

Heavy sobs wracked her body, tightening her core with a sharp pinch on every inhale. She sobbed for what felt like hours, but could have been minutes. The sound of her fathers laughter plagued her, echoing loudly around in her mind as she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Bright overhead lights burned into her eyes, blurring her vision. She tried to sit up, but her arms and legs were bound to the cold metal of the bed she lay on.

The cold metal soothed the aching around her joints, the plastic from the zip ties digging painfully into the smooth skin of her wrists. The raw and red skin tore as she struggled against her binds, blood dripping from her injured skin.

"You should stop struggling, you know. It won't get you anywhere. Just tell me what I want to know, and I can make all of this go away." A velvety voice rang out, though whether it was in her head or not Emiko couldn't tell.

"Just give in," the voice echoed, dancing around in her head. "Tell me what I want to know".

Before she knew what had happened, Emiko was shaking her head. It shook back and forth on the bed, her hair swishing and fanning out across the plastic coated bed.

She tried to speak, tried to tell the voice that she couldn't do what it wanted, but her tongue wouldn't move. It felt like it was super glued to the roof of her mouth, and it made her jaw ache.

"You should know by now that I don't like the answer no, my friend. You know what I have to do when you say no, don't you?" The voice taunted, moving closer to Emiko's ears.

The familiar sensation of panic flooded her veins, turning them ice cold in an instant. She writhed against the bed, throwing her body around wildly in an attempt to free herself.

The voice now standing behind her clicked it's tongue, a hint of a laugh dancing in its delivery of every sentence.

"Didn't we already discuss that struggling won't get you anywhere?" The voice taunted as a large hand moved near her side, flicking a switch that jolted the bed into motion.

"Since you said no, we're going to do this the hard way." The laugh had slipped from the bodiless voice, a harsh and disjointed tone taking over.

In an instant, her surroundings had changed. Gone were the bright overhead lights burning into her gaze, instead a pitch black ceiling stared back at her. Lights shone around the room, illuminating the black walls and casting an every glow around the large and wide open room.

A few drops of water dripped into the centre of her forehead, and Emiko fought the urge to swipe them away. Every breath she took caused her wrists and ankles to scream in pain, and she bit down quickly to hold in her screams.

As she struggled to hide her pain, Emiko was dunked into freezing cold water. It tugged the air from her lungs, the air disappearing in a cloud of bubbles in front of her.

Her lungs burned as she inhaled water, coughing painfully as she was yanked back up into the cool air.

"We don't have to do it this way, you know." The voice called, taunting.

A rush of air danced past her ears as she was thrown back under the freezing water. Again, she'd been unprepared and allowed liquid to flow into her mouth. She strained against her restraints, trying desperately to pull her head out of the water. She could see the lights just above her, and she tried with all of her strength to break free from the tight plastic binds holding her in her liquid prison.