Chapter 20 - Training Is Hard Work
Though they'd spent most of the morning chatting and getting acquainted with her quirk, Emiko was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day.
Mandalay had made her stand perfectly still as she'd moved around her, occasionally jabbing a fist in her direction while Emiko tugged at the strings connecting her to her classmates. Eventually, she'd been made to cover her eyes with a soft black bandana, and had plugged her earphones in as Mandalay played music softly through them.
"The more distractions you have, the weaker your quirk is. So - let's start there!"
She'd spent hours like that, dripping in sweat as the sun bore down on her. After, when Mandalay had finally removed the bandana and earphones, she'd brought Emiko's hidden senses back slowly so as not to overwhelm her.
They'd gulped down ice cold water, stuffed their mouth full of some of the most delicious rice Emiko had ever tasted, chatting animatedly between the two, discussing how the PussyCats came to be.
"I know Aizawa said that this was quirk training, but how would you feel about some one on one combat work?"
Of course Emiko had nodded eagerly, quickly tearing off the long sleeved top covering her arms and back, before tying it around her waist. Mandalay began to run, dashing towards the treeline. They must have run 15 kilometers before they stopped, both women pressing their backs against a tree in a desperate bid to catch their breath.
"I'm impressed you could keep up with me, well done!" Mandalay had cooed, splashing some water from a nearby creek on her face.
They'd made their way back to camp more slowly, still jogging - but taking breaks periodically. They spoke as they ran, and Emiko had found herself divulging some of what made her want to be a hero to begin with. As they stepped out of the cool, tree lined boundary, she felt it again.
"Mandalay?" she whispered, stopping suddenly. "I think I should tell you this, but please don't freak out, okay?"
She explained the barrier and how it worked, filled her new mentor in on the strange, lurking presence she felt nearby. Mandalay only sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Okay, kid. Thanks."
They spent the rest of the afternoon working on hand to hand combat, though occasionally she was blindfolded and forced to use her quirk. As the day wore on and a migraine formed behind her eyes, blood had begun to drip down her nose and chin, settled onto the gentle curve of her chest and collected on the edge of her sports bra.
"You look like shit, Komatsu!" Katsuki called, stomping over to her as she lay on the dusty ground with an arm slung over her eyes.
She only glared, still angry at the way he'd spoken to her before they went to their internships.
"What is that on your side, red?" His gaze was settled on the massive scar, "That wasn't there during the sports festival."
"Wow, Katsuki. I had no idea you gave a fuck about a nobody like me!" She cheerily retorted, pressing herself up off the ground and dusting herself off before turning to level him with a patented snarl. "It's none of your fucking business, Sparky. You and I are not friends, so don't go acting like you give a shit about me now."
She spat the words, not missing the way his eyes widened slightly as she cursed at him. Not many people stood up to him and she understood why, but the way he spoke to her infuriated her.
"Maybe if you'd pull your head out of your ass once in a while you'd know that already, though. See you around," she finished, turning her back on the blonde boy standing still in front of her. If she had looked closer, though, she would have noticed the way his hands were fisted at his sides.
She didn't.
She turned and walked away, slipping past him to the girls bunker, rolling her eyes with each step.
Who does he think he is, acting like he has the right to give a shit about me? Acting like after everything he said, he has any right to worry about what sort of trouble I get myself into.
She was fuming on the walk back to the bunker, and continued fuming the entire time she was stripping her sweat soaked clothes off of her back. She was so caught up in her own anger and resentment that she didn't even hear Kyouka's soft footsteps sneak in behind her, didn't notice the dark haired girl until she was letting out a strangled gasp at the sight of the gnarled scar on her side.
"What the fuck happened, Miko? That was not there during the sports festival!" Jirou cried out, stepping forwards and pressing her hands against the mangled skin there, as if she'd been possessed. "What the hell are you doing when you're at home? Do I have to tell Aizawa about this-"
"He knows, Kyouka."
"What? What do you mean, Miko? He knows what? That you got burnt in some sort of freak accident, or that you apparently have a side job as a human target?"
Emiko laughed a little, under her breath.
Of course she'd react this way.
"Kyouka, if I tell you… this has to be our secret, okay?"
Her classmate nodded vigorously, settling herself onto the floor in a heap. Her eyes were wide and scared, as though she was preparing to be told a horror story.
Sighing, Emiko settled down beside her after covering herself with a loose fitting t-shirt.
"You heard about the attack on Hosu during our internships, obviously. And you know that Shoto and I, along with Izuku and Iida were also there."
Again, Kyouka nodded, her earphone jacks bouncing around her face.
"But it wasn't Endeavour who brought Stain down. At least, not really. Somehow Iida tracked him and got caught, and Midoriya found out. When he fought Stain, he ended up calling for help from Shoto, and of course… I followed."
"Wait, what? So you four… fought Stain?"
Emiko only nodded, scratching the back of her neck. "Only, I got caught up and ended up getting really, really injured."
Just saying the words dropped her right back into that fucking place, that dingy alley that continuosly plagued her nightmares.
Jirou gasped, lowly, before reaching out and resting a hand on Emiko's knee.
"Shoto saved my life that night," she whispered, feeling the tears threatening to fall. "I almost died in a fucking alleyway and he saved my life."
Jirou wrapped her arms around Emiko, pulling her in for a bone crushing hug. Her delicate fingers brushed over the tangled curls at the base of her neck. She held Emiko tightly in her thing arms as the sobs finally won out, tears pouring from her eyes.
"I almost died, Jirou." she whispered against Kyouka's neck, wrapping her own arms around her friend, fisting her loose shirt in her hands. "I almost fucking died and my blood would have been on their hands."
"I know, Miko. I know. It's okay, though. You're okay."
She only shook her head, willing the trembling and the tears to stop.
"But I'm not. I'm not okay, and every time I close my eyes it's like I'm right back in the middle of it and I keep seeing myself almost dying over and over and over again and nobody knows. Nobody knows that I am so terrified to be here, because you all have to protect me."
She was rambling, now that the dam had been broken. Words she'd been holding onto for so long finally poured out of her, and she was baring her soul when she knew she should be trying to reign it back in.
"You all have to keep me safe because I am weak and I can't fucking do anything, Jirou. I can't keep any of you safe and I'm just dead weight."
God, you really are pathetic.
The voices in her mind were screaming at her, trying to make her stop talking if just for a moment. She was letting too much out - letting someone in meant putting them in danger and putting them in danger meant that she would, once again, let someone down.
"I'm sorry, Kyouka." She sniffled, pulling back slightly and smiling softly up at her friend. "I'm okay. Can we pretend this never happened?"
Bewildered, Kyouka only nodded, confusion and apprehension pooling around her in an intoxicating wave.
"Sure, I guess. Uh, you're good?"
Emiko nodded, pulling back fully. She swiped a hand under her eyes, sniffling as she did. "Yeah. Listen - I'm sorry. It wasn't cool of me to act like that…"
Awkwardly, she trailed off. Averting her gaze from the confused gaze of her friend, Emiko stood up.
"Alright, Kyouka. Let's go and enjoy the hot springs, 'kay?"
If she'd paused a moment longer, allowed Sentiment the freedom it had been begging for, she would have seen the panicked look flash across the dark haired girls face. If she'd have focused a little bit harder - she would have noticed the worry twinkling in Kyouka's eyes.
But she didn't.
Instead, she faked a smile. She turned her back, threw her hair over her shoulder and stuffed her feet into her sandals, tucking an oversized towel under her arms as she moved. She blinked brightly at her friend, flipping the switch in her chest. She pretended – she stuffed all of her sadness and apprehension down and lied to herself and her friend, again.
When will the lies stop?
