Last edited 15 December 2021
iii. draw me in red
There was blood pooling on the ground, drawing red lines that formed the most beautiful of shapes. It gleamed like liquid ruby, inching its way towards her feet—as if it were a slow-spreading fire that threatened to consume her whole.
But it didn't. This was all just in her head, and when Sesera looked up, a massive crowd was blocking her way to her destination.
A wireless microphone was shoved in her face, and a harassed-looking woman vehemently asked her, "What's it like having the number one hero All Might as your teacher?!"
Sesera tilted her head and plastered on a smile that was hidden by her face mask.
"He doesn't have any classes with the Department of Support."
It didn't answer the question posed to her, but it's not like she lied to them. Her statement was still a fact. All Might only taught Hero Basic Training after all.
The reporter lady blinked and pursed her lips. "Ah, well then…"
Assuming that they couldn't get what they wanted from her, the crowd parted without further ado. Sesera peacefully made her way across the gate and into the school.
She swept her gaze over the sea of reporters and curious bystanders until it rested on a pale man all in black, hovering by the edge of the crowd and aimlessly scratching away at his neck.
His eyes met hers, and suddenly, she was a wooden doll set on fire, crumbling to ashes under his gaze.
"Outta my way, Pasty Face!"
The delinquent quickly stalked past her with barely a glance. It looked like a few reporters were chasing after him, and he walked by so fast that a soft breeze blew a couple of strands of her hair forward.
Idly, she thought he smelled of ash.
He was clearly in a mood, so Sesera didn't bother with him. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she chanced another glance at the crowd of people.
The man in black was already nowhere to be found, and a different man also in black had walked up, making a shooing motion with his hand.
"All Might is off today. You're disrupting our classes, so please leave." Eraser Head made his request pithily. He grabbed her by the shoulder and steered her toward the main building. "Get going, Miyaka."
The reporters started shouting demands as they walked further into the campus, clamoring for them to bring out the number one hero.
Eraser Head asked her, "What is it?"
"Nothing. It's just…" Sesera gave one last look over her shoulder at the crowd by the gate.
One man was inconsequential in the great scheme of things. But the simple action of scratching his neck had been enough to remind her of the itch around her own throat—of the collar that she was forced to wear.
"You mustn't become like that."
The persistent reporter lady from before thrust out her wireless microphone as if it could get a comment out of them. "Come on! We'd just like to ask if—!"
The lights on the gate suddenly flashed red, and a shrill beeping echoed across the grounds. Several layers of thick metal doors slammed close to block off the entrance, and Sesera nearly jumped at the loud clang they made. More barricades came up over the high walls, completely sealing away the school.
She gaped. "Wha—?"
"The school's security system kicks in when someone without an authorized ID tries to get past the gate," said Eraser Head lazily. He glanced at her, and Sesera instinctively stiffened under his gaze. "Now, get to class. If I enter the room before you, I'm marking you down as tardy."
Eraser Head came sauntering in several minutes after Sesera arrived in a rush, and she couldn't help but be a bit irritated at his earlier threat. Even if she'd slowed down her usual walking pace, she still would've made it to the classroom well before him.
He dropped a thick folder onto the teacher's desk and spoke once everyone was settled into their seats.
"Good work on yesterday's battle training," said Eraser Head. "I took the liberty of looking over your grades and evaluations, and I have a few comments of my own to add."
Everyone waited for him to continue speaking with bated breaths.
Systematically, Eraser Head went through each student, praising their good work and critiquing their faults, giving concrete suggestions on what they should do to improve.
"Miyaka."
Sesera immediately straightened her back, sitting at attention as he called out her name.
"Out of everyone here, you're the one who needs the least work in the technical aspects of using your Quirk," said Eraser Head. "But just skill and power aren't enough to become a hero. Do you even understand what it means for you to be in this school?"
She did everything she could to not meet his gaze. "…It was previously explained."
"Then you should know what you need to do," said Eraser Head with finality, cementing her belief that him being her homeroom adviser was prearranged. "Have a little more awareness of your surroundings, especially of the people around you."
He moved onto the comments for the last person, and Sesera didn't even need to turn around to know that Ponytail was soaking up his words like a dry sponge.
Sesera let out a shallow breath, placing her elbows on her desk and intertwining her fingers in front of her face.
That manipulative old bat.
"Now, onto homeroom business," said Eraser Head.
He placed a hand on the folder on the table. At his serious gaze, everyone in the room began anticipating the worst.
Eraser Head leaned over the desk a bit. "Sorry for the sudden announcement, but today, you'll be picking a class representative."
The thick wall of tension that had built up suddenly collapsed, and everyone's relief poured out like water from a broken dam. A cacophony of variations of "Pick me!" filled the room, and several hands shot into the air to volunteer for the post.
"Quiet down, everyone!"
A shout from the back of the classroom put a stop to all the voices, and everyone turned their heads to stare at Glasses, who had his own hand raised high in the air.
"Leading the many is a task of heavy responsibility." He enunciated every word clearly, deliberately. "But ambition does not equate to ability. This sacred office demands the trust of its constituents. If this is to be a democracy, then I put forward the motion that our true leader be chosen through an election!"
Frog Girl, who sat in front of him, turned in her seat. "But Ida, we haven't known each other long enough to build any trust."
"And everyone'll just vote for themselves anyway!" added Spiky Hair #2.
"That is precisely why anyone who manages to earn multiple votes will be the one best suited for the job!" said Glasses as he gestured wildly with his hands. He turned to their homeroom teacher, who had transformed into a yellow caterpillar and was lounging by the far wall. "Will you allow it, sir?"
"Do whatever you want," mumbled Eraser Head. He squirmed inside his sleeping bag, trying to find a comfortable position. "Just make sure you decide before homeroom is over."
Out of everyone, Glasses fit the position the most, and he even had the spectacles to match. Ponytail also seemed like a reasonable choice, and the delinquent winning the spot might make for a good joke.
Sesera considered her options as they all agreed to write down their votes on a piece of paper and count out the ballots afterward.
Seaweed Head and Ponytail ended up in a tie with three votes each.
Considering Seaweed Head hung out a lot with Glasses and Gravity Girl, whose names were suspiciously absent from the tally list, it was too easy to see where he got his three votes from. That Endeavor Jr. would vote for someone else came somewhat as a surprise, but seeing that it was for Ponytail, she thought the choice fitted his cool and practical image.
The delinquent made quite the scene about Seaweed Head getting multiple votes, claiming everything from vote-buying to shoddy penmanship.
Just as they were about to do a tiebreaker, the bell signaling the end of morning homeroom rang. A disgruntled Eraser Head told them that they could make the final decision and delegate committee duties at the start of Hero Basic Training later in the afternoon.
Morning classes continued as usual, and they were soon let out for lunch.
"Today's lunch boxes look like they'll be pretty delicious yet again, don't they?" commented Invisible Girl as their group walked towards the cafeteria.
Sesera and Ponytail were two of the three people in their class who religiously brought packed lunches, and the rest of the girls were always impressed by the contents of the multitiered boxes they shared when they ate with them.
"The Yaoyorozu name is pretty famous in its own right, but Miyaka, I didn't expect your family to be that up-and-coming support company!" said Pink Girl.
"Hokuto only founded the support items department a year and a half ago after all," said Sesera. "The company still primarily caters to the scientific and medical community, so it's not surprising that it's not well-known among the general public."
"Miyaka Manufacturing, correct?" asked Ponytail. "Isn't it one of the groups involved with the Sun-Tokudome Foundation's collaborative research into quantum computing and artificial superintelligence?"
"Ooh, ooh! Even I've heard about that," said Invisible Girl, her sleeves waving in the air. "The S.T.F. Institute of Power Development is basically I-Island's only competition in Quirk research, but they have tons more conspiracy theories surrounding them! I still remember how everyone made a really big fuss in the news about that Project Shenshen thing that was shut down by the I.B.Q.R.'s Ethics Committee a few years back!"
"Shenxian." Sesera automatically corrected her mispronunciation. "But yeah, things got pretty hectic back then. It was all resolved neatly in the end though, so all's well that ends well, I guess."
"Well, we're gonna go line up for some food now," said Pink Girl as they entered the cafeteria. She hooked an arm around one of Invisible Girl's sleeves. "Can you two save us some seats?"
"Certainly," replied Ponytail with a smile.
"Great, thanks! See you in a few!" Pink Girl waved at them before skipping off to the lunch lines with Invisible Girl.
Ponytail turned to Sesera. "Shall we then, Miyaka?"
"Right behind you," she replied.
The two of them roamed around the cafeteria, looking for a table with enough empty seats. It was the height of the lunch period, and people were continuously streaming in and out of the hall.
"It truly gets quite crowded here, doesn't it?" Ponytail huffed as people kept bumping into her.
Sesera grasped onto her sleeve, pulling her to the side with less foot traffic. "Management needs to learn how to stagger lunch schedules."
"Agreed."
"Miyaka! Yaoyorozu!"
They looked up at the sound of their names and spotted Spiky Hair #2 waving at them from behind the bush covering one of the bench booths.
With a glance at each other, they simultaneously decided to approach him. They found him sitting with his usual group, and luckily enough, there were enough empty spots on their table for Pink Girl and Invisible Girl as well.
Ponytail slipped into the seat beside the other electric type, and Sesera took the one across her.
Right beside the delinquent.
"You are a lifesaver, Kirishima." Ponytail sent Spiky Hair #2 a grateful smile. "I was beginning to wonder if I had to make a table and chairs for us myself."
"It's no problem!" He waved it off. "It is kinda packed in here today."
"We're waiting for Ashido and Hagakure," she said. "I hope you don't mind."
"Nah, we're still waiting for Sero as well," he replied. "Got stuck in the line for the curry."
"Damn thing wasn't even spicy," muttered the delinquent.
Sesera's eyes drifted over to his tray. There were two bowls of rice, some pickled vegetable sides, and a plate of atrociously red something, along with a single bottle of mineral water.
Ponytail stared at the plate of peppers with furrowed brows. "Is that… edible?"
The other electric type finger-gunned her. "That's what I said!"
The delinquent sneered at them. "It's just fucking spicy chicken. Stop overreacting."
"So, it's chicken, huh?" muttered Spiky Hair #2 under his breath.
"Did you know that spiciness isn't a flavor but a pain reaction?" asked Sesera. It was one of the random facts that her cousin Hokuto spouted at her after forming an unhealthy obsession with Sichuan food while researching her family's roots.
The delinquent snapped his head towards her. "You callin' me a damn masochist?"
"That was the subtext, yes," she replied bluntly.
He slammed a hand down on the table and rose from his seat with a snarl. "Bitch—"
"Oh, there you are!"
Pink Girl and Invisible Girl bounced towards their table with full food trays and Tape Dispenser Elbows in tow.
Pink Girl slid into the seat beside Ponytail and Invisible Girl beside Sesera. Tape Dispenser Elbows walked around the booth to settle himself on the other electric type's other side, sitting right across Spiky Hair #2.
"We didn't know you two would be sitting with these guys, but good thing we picked Sero up along the way, huh?" Pink Girl tittered as she picked up her chopsticks.
Tape Dispenser Elbows wrinkled his nose. "I'm not an abandoned puppy…"
"Whatever, man. I'm starving." The other electric type rubbed his hands together. "Let's eat!"
They all started digging into their meals, and Sesera and Ponytail laid down the layers of their lunch boxes across the table.
"Everyone, please feel free to take what you like." Ponytail placed the layer of meat dishes from her lunch box in the middle of the table.
Sesera pushed the layer of desserts from her own lunch beside it. "Have as much as you want."
"Unexpectedly, the two young ladies eat quite a lot, huh?" commented the other electric type. He greedily eyed the various meat dishes before picking out a decently sized cube of marbled beef.
"My Quirk uses fat lipids as the base material to create various items," said Ponytail. "How much material I can create correlates directly to my body mass."
Tape Dispenser Elbows craned his neck at her. "So, it's like poop?"
Ponytail flushed red, and Pink Girl sent him a vicious glare from the other side of the table, making him shrink pitifully into his seat.
Spiky Hair #2 shook his head. "Bad joke, man."
"Sorry." Tape Dispenser Elbows apologized sincerely, but the damage had been done. The tension at their table shot up at the tasteless comment, and almost everyone found it hard to continue eating.
"So, what's your excuse?" suddenly asked the delinquent, head half-turned in Sesera's direction.
She swallowed her mouthful as the rest of the table's attention fixed onto her. Leave it to the delinquent to be strangely acute and mindful of the atmosphere, and yet shove the responsibility of defusing the situation off to someone else.
Sesera blinked twice. "I like sweets?"
A beat of silence.
"My Quirk converts potential energy from food into electricity," said the other electric type, "so it's kind of related to what and how much I eat as well. Though in general, that's how it is for most Emitter-types. Isn't it the same for you?"
"More or less," replied Sesera. "Sugars are the easiest to convert, but with my Quirk, it's more efficient for me to just produce the minimum amount of power needed to initially assimilate the particles in my environment. From there, as long as there's matter around me, I can control their electrons for my own purpose."
The other electric type gaped. "Aren't you basically talking unlimited energy conversion then?"
"Theoretically." Sesera conceded the point and took a small sip from her canned coffee. "Practically, it's limited by my mental concentration and physical stamina."
Theoretically, by assimilating the particles in her environment, her Quirk could supplement the necessary power needed to keep functioning forever by cycling energy. But because Sesera had been born with a weaker-than-normal constitution, the stress such continuous operation put on her body was considerable. It meant that while she could function better than the average person on consecutive all-nighters, the crash down at the end was much worse.
"Still, that's quite…" Ponytail couldn't seem to find the right words for it.
"Am I the only one more surprised by the fact that Kaminari, of all people, is keeping up with the conversation than the topic itself?" asked Invisible Girl idly.
Tape Dispenser Elbows raised his bottle of iced tea. "Hear, hear."
"Come on, you guys." The other electric type whined, scrunching up his face. "Give me a bit of credit here."
"So, basically," said the delinquent, side-eyeing Sesera as he put down his first finished rice bowl and picked up his second, "you're saying you're just a damn glutton."
"Returning to the original question"—she reached over and fished out a piece of fried chicken from Ponytail's potluck—"basically, yes."
"Wait." Pink Girl frowned, pressing the end of her chopsticks against her bottom lip. "What was the original question?"
Spiky Hair #2 shrugged. "Beats me."
"I believe it was about mine and Miyaka's food intake," said Ponytail. "I suppose we did deviate quite a bit from the original topic."
"Essentially, our takeaway from all this is that Miyaka is overpowered as hell," said the other electric type. He waggled his eyebrows, waving his chopsticks in her direction. "You clearly don't belong at this table. Shoo. Go sit with Todoroki or something."
Sesera raised a brow, throwing him a bemused look. "Keep pointing your chopsticks at me like that and maybe I will."
"He is pretty cute despite the frosty attitude," said Invisible Girl. "I'll go with you if you do, if you don't mind."
Pink Girl readily agreed. "He's made up of more boyfriend material than this entire table put together."
The other electric type took offense at her words. "I object to that statement!"
"Even I can tell this is a losing battle," muttered Spiky Hair #2.
"Yeah. Give up while you're ahead, Kaminari," said Tape Dispenser Elbows.
"How can you say that?" asked the other electric type with a scandalized face. "Our dignity as men is on the line here!"
The delinquent sneered at him. "What fucking dignity do you even have to speak of?"
The other electric type squared his shoulders. "And here I thought you'd be on my side!"
"Why the hell would I side with an idiot like you?"
The other electric type narrowed his eyes, pointing the end of his chopsticks at the delinquent. "So, you're saying you admit that Todoroki is better than you?"
Sesera paused midchew. That subtle manipulation disguised by ostentatious dramatics was beautifully executed.
This Denki Kaminari truly was an electric type.
The delinquent stiffened. "I didn't fucking say that."
Kaminari needled him. "But that was what your words were implying!"
"No, it wasn't." The delinquent growled. "Don't put fucking words in my mouth."
Kaminari grabbed his sports drink bottle and shoved the capped end at Ponytail's face. Her shoulders jumped in surprise as she turned to him with wide eyes.
He asked her seriously, "In your opinion as a perfectly normal, if slightly bourgeois, JK, who would you rather have as a boyfriend—Shoto Todoroki or Katsuki Bakugo?"
Ponytail looked like a cornered animal, eyes flitting. "Um… well…"
Sesera caught her helpless look and decided to throw her a bone. "Todoroki, of course."
The delinquent turned to her with furrowed brows. "The fuck?"
Reporter Kaminari stretched out his makeshift microphone across the table toward her. "Do expound."
"He's handsome, smart, has a powerful Quirk, comes from a good family"—Sesera enumerated her points on her fingers—"and he doesn't swear every other sentence."
"Fuck you—"
"A flawless argument if I ever heard one," said Invisible Girl with a trill, and Pink Girl bobbed her head in agreement.
Tape Dispenser Elbows grunted. "I told you to quit while you were ahead."
Kaminari turned to him with furrowed brows. "What's that supposed to—oh, shit."
"You were setting yourself up for a loss there, you know," said Spiky Hair #2 with a grimace.
"Hold on a sec." The delinquent slammed a hand down on the table. "I am ten times better than that freakin' half-and-half bastard."
"Didn't we just objectively prove otherwise?" asked Sesera flatly.
He turned to her with a snarl. "Nobody asked for your damn opinion, Pigtails."
"Kaminari did."
"He was asking Ponytail, not you."
Sesera opened her mouth to retort before realizing he was right.
"Touché," she said.
He scoffed at her before returning his gaze to the rest of the table. "Like I was fucking saying—"
"Security Level Three has been breached. Security Level Three has been breached."
There was a brief moment of silence that overtook the entire cafeteria as the message played out in full on the speaker system.
"All students evacuate in an orderly manner. Security Level Three has been breached."
All at once, everyone shot up from their seats and began rushing towards the exits. It didn't take long for the panic to spread, and the crowded cafeteria became a sea of dread.
"Miyaka!" Ponytail tried reaching out to her as she was swept up in the wave of students. "Miya—!"
Their fingers just barely missed each other when someone bumped into Sesera's shoulder, pushing her further back. She could deal with people well enough, but she'd never been much for skinship, and the dense crowd was forcing her out of her comfort zone.
She was starting to get claustrophobic, and the possibility of her doing something that was likely not socially or legally proper was getting higher and higher by the second.
Sesera gritted her teeth. "Tsk!"
She was two seconds away from letting out an electric shock to just stun everyone still, but something grabbed onto her sleeve and forcefully tugged her to the side.
"Oof!"
Her back hit something solid, and a tight grip wrapped around her upper arm.
A voice grumbled from behind her. "Idiots are frickin' panicking."
Angling her head, Sesera saw the delinquent staring out over the sea of students with a scowl on his face.
He let out an almost frustrated-sounding sigh and clicked his tongue. "Let's move back."
He pulled her along with him, pushing against the flow of the crowd while walking along the glass wall. She would've poked fun at the way he made an obviously considerate effort to keep others from bumping into her, but the swarm of bodies was already on her last nerve. The delinquent was the only thing keeping her from using her Quirk and getting slapped in the face with a one-way ticket to the guidance counselor's office.
"No, seriously, can I just use my Quirk?" Sesera grumbled when they stopped being able to make any progress. "Give me just two seconds to immobilize everyone."
He spared her an annoyed glance. "Are you fucking stupid?"
"If that's what it takes," she muttered under her breath.
The delinquent roughly pulled on her arm, making her stumble forward. She was pretty sure she had a centimeter or two on him, but tripping had caused her to lose balance, and her forehead knocked against his chin.
"Well, fuck you, that hurt," he said with a hiss, using his free hand to rub his chin.
Sesera retorted automatically. "You're the one who pulled me."
Someone bumped into his shoulder. A rush of students suddenly stumbled forward, and the two of them were pressed back tightly. The delinquent released his hold on her in surprise, grunting as he braced himself against the glass wall with both hands.
Sesera found herself caged between his arms, his body nearly pressing against hers with only a hair's breadth of space left between them.
They hadn't been this close since All Might's indoor battle training. But this time, they weren't on opposite sides of a fight nor was he trying to blow her head off.
She caught a whiff of the undertone of ash that seemed to be part of his natural scent. It was wrapped up in the familiar and pleasant aroma of Sichuan pepper from the diced chicken with chili he'd been eating, and for a moment, she almost felt comfortable.
Then the delinquent's eyes caught hers, and she pulled herself together. Thankfully, the glares they both donned scared away enough people so that they were able to gain a respectable amount of distance from each other quickly enough.
"That's it. I'm using my Quirk, and you can't stop me," said Sesera, blue-white strands of electricity flickering at her temples.
"Crazy bitch—"
"Ida!"
The shout of a familiar name in a familiar voice made them both pause.
He was a good ways away, but the boy clumsily tumbling about in the air was someone they recognized. He landed over the exit sign in an odd pose, having grabbed onto the exposed piping running across the wall to stabilize himself.
The delinquent inhaled sharply. "What the actual fuck?"
"Everyone!" Glasses' voice resonated throughout the hall, and the moving crowd slowed to a stop as he caught its attention. "Everyone! Everything is all right! It is just the press!"
The delinquent immediately growled. "Damn reporters."
Sesera side-eyed him, raising a brow at his obvious distaste.
"There is no need to panic! All is well!" Glasses continued shouting. "Let us act in a manner befitting our honorable institution!"
Murmurs erupted among the crowd, and before long, everyone came to an unspoken consensus. The masses began shifting, and there was suddenly a lot more space.
"OK, everyone!" A tall blond suddenly appeared under the exit sign Glasses was on. "Let's be organized! Upperclassmen, make way for the first years!"
His confidence and mannerisms betrayed his status as a third year, and when a couple of other people stepped up to help him give out orders, a system was soon established. Midnight and Snowdrop arrived not even a few minutes later and told everyone to return to their classrooms, where they should wait for their homeroom advisers for further instructions.
The first years were called forward by class. Since the two of them had been situated closer to the back of the hall, Sesera and the delinquent had to squeeze their way through a large part of the crowds to reach the rest of their classmates at the front.
"Miyaka! Bakugo!" Ponytail was counting heads when they finally got out of the sea of people. As soon as she caught sight of them, she rushed forward with a crease between her brows. "I'm so sorry we were separated."
"It's fine." Sesera waved a hand. "This guy found me instead."
"Are you both uninjured?" asked Ponytail, her dark eyes worriedly looking them over.
"Just peachy," answered Sesera.
Ponytail let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."
"OK. Then, with Kacchan and Miyaka, that makes twenty," said Seaweed Head as he walked up to them with a piece of paper clutched in his hand. "Let me just report to Ms. Snowdrop, and then we'll all head back to the classroom together."
"Ah, let's not take up any more space than necessary." Ponytail stretched out a hand as another class started to gather. "Please stand over here."
She ushered them over to where the rest of their classmates were waiting. Spiky Hair #2 raised a hand in greeting as soon as he saw them approaching.
"Hey! You two OK?" he asked.
The delinquent scoffed. "Like a mob of extras could hurt me."
"I'm just glad you're both safe," said Spiky Hair #2. The crease between his brows smoothened out once he was assured they were fine. "I got worried when we were all suddenly split up."
Kaminari approached them with a shit-eating grin on his face. Sesera easily noticed that it was directed right at her.
He leaned an elbow over Spiky Hair #2's shoulder.
"Hey, come on now, Miyaka. You just finished making your case about how Todoroki would be the perfect boyfriend, so how come you suddenly ran off with this guy instead?" He shook his head. "You gotta teach me your ways."
His words brought the attention of all their classmates to them.
The small boy who sat in front of Sesera in class stepped forward with bulging eyes before stomping a foot on the floor. "When did this conversation happen?!"
Sesera sent her fellow electric-type a bemused look and crossed her arms over her chest. "That comment didn't quite end the way I expected it to, but to answer your question: I had to compromise."
"Excuse me?" The delinquent threw her a vicious glare. "I fuckin' saved your useless life."
She raised her brows at him. "That's a bit of a stretch…"
"You were about to use your Quirk on the entire damn cafeteria!" he said.
Sesera threw him a flat look. "Doesn't that mean you saved everyone else instead?"
"Hold up. You were gonna use your Quirk on everyone?" asked Kaminari.
Sesera blinked. "I hate crowds?"
"Wooow." He whistled. "Remind me to never invite you out to a party."
She threw him a dry look. "Duly noted."
Seaweed Head and Ponytail returned at that point, and after Glasses had his way by making them line up by student number, they all marched back to their classroom in a single file.
Everyone converged into groups as they waited for Eraser Head to arrive. Pink Girl dragged her chair over to sit by Invisible Girl's desk, and the trio of Kaminari, Spiky Hair #2, and Tape Dispenser Elbows stood behind Ponytail's seat, leaning against the shelf of cubbyholes at the back of the room.
"But, man, that was seriously wild," commented Tape Dispenser Elbows. "Those reporters have been staking out the school gates for a couple of days now. I wonder how they finally got in."
He posed a valid concern.
Sesera sat sideways on her chair with crossed legs, one arm settled over the high back. "The security system heightened defenses earlier this morning when one of the reporters got too close, so the school should have been on high alert."
Ponytail frowned. "Put like that, even if it is just the press, this situation has become quite worrisome."
The shoulders of Invisible Girl's uniform rose in a shrug. "But like, All Might hasn't really been making as many public appearances the last few years, so I guess I see where their desperation comes from?"
"Yeah, but breaking in to the school and causing mass panic is a bit much, isn't it?" Spiky Hair #2 scratched the back of his head.
"You've got a point." Kaminari lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair away from his face. "Still, I wonder what's taking Mr. Aizawa so long. If it's really just the press, then it shouldn't take this long to kick them out, should it?"
"They're probably waiting for the police," said Pink Girl. "Trespassing isn't exactly considered a villainous offense unless there's illegal Quirk usage. It's not like heroes can just arbitrarily act against civilians."
Kaminari groaned, craning his neck upwards as he leaned back with his elbows over the top of the shelf. "Man, that must suck for whoever's dealing with them then."
"I get that you're all worried about the school being broken in to, but the teachers will take care of that."
Everyone in their little clique turned their gazes to the small boy who sat in front of Sesera. He was standing atop his chair to give himself some leverage, as little good that did him with all his height.
"We have much more important things to discuss," he said gravely.
"What's more important than the school being broken in to?" asked Spiky Hair #2 with genuine confusion.
The small boy slammed a hand down on Sesera's desk, pointing a finger from his other one at Junior. The boy to her right who'd been quietly minding his own business seemed to instinctively sense that he was getting dragged into something troublesome, and he threw the shorter boy a cold glare.
"Don't involve me in your stupidity," he said brusquely.
The short boy looked ready to tear off some of the balls on his head. "See?! Why is it always guys like him?!"
"I think the better question is: why would it ever be guys like you?" said Sesera as she crossed her arms over her chest.
He had the decency to look appalled. "Those pigtails and that Grade A zettai ryouiki already clued me in, but aren't you taking that tsun act of yours a little too far? Show me some dere here, dere!"
She shot him down bluntly. "That would require me liking you, and I'll tell you now that that's never going to happen."
Ponytail looked utterly confused. "I… I can't quite understand this conversation? 'Tsun'? 'Dere'? What is an 'absolute territory'?"
Sesera twisted around in her seat, placing a gloved hand over Ponytail's, which were neatly folded over her desk. "You're not quite ready for that yet. We can take it slow."
"That was way too smooth." Kaminari shook his head. "Did you go to an all-girls school?"
"St. Claudia's Private Academy for Girls," replied Sesera without pause and with a hint of shamelessness.
He looked suddenly enlightened. "Everything makes so much more sense now."
"This conversation is way too high-level for me." Invisible Girl leaned back into her chair. "I can barely keep up with all the connections and references."
"Yeah." Pink Girl sighed, stretching her arms out in front of her. "I consider myself pretty well educated in pop culture, but these three are in a different league entirely."
Spiky Hair #2 frowned. "I'm not sure I want to be in that particular league?"
"Kaminari's not a surprise," said Tape Dispenser Elbows as he scratched his chin, "but this is a bit unexpected coming from Miyaka."
"Eh, I've probably seen more of the Internet than what a minor is legally allowed," commented Sesera offhandedly.
Kaminari gaped. "No, seriously. Take me in as your disciple. I'll beg if you want."
"That actually lines up pretty well with my hobbies, so by all means, go ahead." She smiled demurely. "Who knows? I might say yes."
The small boy screeched, pointing an accusatory finger at her back. "I knew that lightning whip meant something!"
A small boom and a shrill "Eek!" suddenly sounded inside the classroom. The delinquent had turned around in his seat and slammed a smoking hand down on Seaweed Head's desk, sending their group a deadly scowl.
"You idiots need to shut the fuck up already." He growled. "No one wants to listen to your stupid-ass conversation."
The small boy threw Sesera a disgruntled look. "This is the kind of guy you let on top of you? Is this what brings out the M side of girls these days?"
"Fuck you, you piece of shit—"
"Apparently, he's the M."
"Fuck you, bitch—"
"You've already talked about roles?" The small boy threw his hands up in defeat. "Next, you're gonna tell me you already have a safe word!"
The delinquent put a foot on Seaweed Head's desk, making the latter scramble out of his chair. There was an explosion already sparking in the delinquent's palm, and he looked absolutely ready to launch himself at them.
He probably would've, if Eraser Head hadn't chosen that exact moment to slam the door open and throw them all a harsh glare.
"Sit down, Bakugo."
The way the fire in the delinquent's hand was abruptly smoked out told Sesera that his Quirk had been Erased. With minimal grumpy mumbling, he did as he was told.
"All of you return to your seats," said Eraser Head.
Everyone quickly settled down as their adviser walked to the front of the room. He stood behind the teacher's desk, his gaze sweeping over the class.
"Regarding the security breach, rest assured that the police have already taken the culpable parties into custody for trespassing on private property," he told them. "Despite the slight scare, we teachers are pleased to hear that no one was injured and that the matter in the cafeteria was resolved without the faculty needing to intervene. I was told Ida had a part to play in that, so good job."
Said boy straightened in his seat as his name was called out. Gravity Girl gave him a hearty thwack on the back, and there was a smattering of cheers and applause from the rest of their classmates. There were even a few whistles, as well as a hail of "Emergency Exit Ida!" from Kaminari.
"That said, the administration is still currently investigating how they got in," added Eraser Head, "but in the meantime, we'll be heightening security and taking the appropriate measures to ensure the students' safety. For now, classes will resume as per normal."
The statement elicited a few groans, but it allowed them a temporary sense of relief. While the press wasn't threatening in the same way villains were, it was still worrying that U.A. of all places had been broken in to.
"I'll be needing your committee assignments by the end of the day, so continue your discussion from where you left off this morning," said Eraser Head. "Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, you two take charge."
Seaweed Head and Ponytail stood up from their seats and approached the front of the room. Once behind the teacher's desk, the two of them just looked at each other for a few awkward moments, obviously unsure of how to proceed.
Seaweed Head took a deep breath before facing the rest of the class.
"Um, actually, I'd like to change my vote."
Absolute silence followed in the wake of his sudden announcement. Seaweed Head grew flustered, and he rapidly explained himself.
"I-I mean, it's just that with everything that happened earlier, I think Ida would be better suited to be the class representative!" he said quickly. "I'm sure we all saw how he led everyone in that crisis, so I believe that he's the best man for the job!"
"That's true! Ida showed his stuff back in the cafeteria!" exclaimed Spiky Hair #2. "I'll change my vote, too!"
With those words as the trigger, a few others changed their votes as well, and in the end, Glasses was proclaimed their class representative with Ponytail as his deputy. The two of them conducted the delegation of committee assignments, and Sesera joined the Student Activities Committee with Spiky Hair #2.
And for some inexplicable, otherworldly reason, the delinquent ended up in the Library Committee. With Seaweed Head, of all people.
"That's a disaster waiting to implode in on itself, I tell you."
Spiky Hair #2 laughed good-naturedly. "Apparently, they live in the same neighborhood and have even attended the same schools since daycare. They haven't killed each other yet, so."
He shrugged, the smile never leaving his face.
Sesera threw him a doubtful look. "Really? I find that hard to believe."
She'd reluctantly had a front-row seat to what was possibly one of, if not the most intense of their clashes. It was hard to imagine that kind of tension lasting for so long without breaking, let alone having to deal with it on an everyday basis. If she'd been in one of their shoes, she probably would've snapped long ago.
"Well, there's hope for them yet." Spiky Hair #2 grinned at her. He flattened out the paper with the committee meeting schedules, which Eraser Head had passed out, between them. "Ah, looks like our first committee meeting is tomorrow. Uh, Building 3, sixth floor, Huddle Room 7."
Sesera already had her phone out and was looking for the room in the school's map app.
"Oh, it's right above the Tea Ceremony Club's clubroom," she said. "Perfect."
"You're planning on joining the Tea Ceremony Club then?" asked Spiky Hair #2.
"Yeah. They hand out free sweets every meeting."
He chuckled. "You really like sweets, don't you, Miyaka?"
"It's for my Quirk," she replied primly, but judging by the grin on his face, he only half-believed her.
"Sure it is."
When their committees were all sorted out, Glasses and Ponytail also set up the cleaning rotations, and Sesera got Mondays with the six-armed guy, Bird Boy, and Sparkles. Once they wrapped up all the homeroom business, Eraser Head promptly proceeded with an introductory lesson to their new module of Hero Laws and Regulations, which did not fail to dampen their moods.
Classes still ended on a positive note though, and the rest of the week passed by without any further incident. The weekend came and went, and too soon, the press break-in became old news until it wasn't.
"We'll be having a special class today," said Eraser Head suddenly during Wednesday's Hero Basic Training. "Myself, All Might, and one other will be supervising."
Everybody perked up at the mention of a special class with All Might, but all Sesera could think was Uggghhh.
They'd only had a few classes with him here and there, but she always found herself unmotivated and underperforming during each one. For some reason, his presence was like a leech that sucked out all of her energy, and she had to consciously stop herself from overgenerating power to replace what she lost to his existence.
Tape Dispenser Elbows raised a hand. "Um, what will we be doing, exactly?"
"As a follow-up to the previous lecture series, you'll be enacting rescue maneuvers at a special facility," replied Eraser Head.
He pointed a remote at the far wall, and the shelves containing their hero costumes slid out with a soft whirring sound.
"It's up to each of you to decide whether or not you want to wear your full hero costume," he told them. "Some of your equipment might not be suited to today's activities after all. And since the training site is a bit remote, we'll be going by bus. Once you've changed, gather at the parking lot. That's all."
Eraser Head left them to it. Sesera walked over to the shelves to pick up her gear and followed the other girls to the locker rooms to change. She barely had any equipment in the first place, so she made sure to go fully armed just in case. She slipped her pillbox and phone into the spare pockets of the pouch holding her regulator's main unit.
While they were waiting in the parking lot as per Eraser Head's orders, Glasses was going full throttle. He was arranging everyone according to their student numbers, rhythmically blowing on a whistle he got from who even knows where whenever someone stepped a toe out of line.
Sesera hadn't thought it possible, but he became even more insufferable after the position of class representative was passed onto him.
"Miyaka, please put away your phone and line up properly!" shouted Glasses from the front.
"Fifteen seconds."
A friend from her online Endeavor fan group had just gotten his hands on insider information that a watch designed off the Flame Hero was in production, and he was bound by oath to inform her.
— Keigo Takami —
rep said it's gonna be officially announced in the summer n should be available for preorder by sept at the latest
pretty sure i can talk my way into getting it before the official release tho
i'll put in an order request for you as well
Consider it a late
彡(ノ)ノCongratulationsヘ(ヘ)彡
for getting into ua
(Read 1:44 PM)
This online friend, Keigo Takami, worked in admin for Hawks' agency. The Wing Hero Hawks was the latest addition to the ongoing hero-based line of Vintage Watches, and the company representative they were working with had let it slip.
It wasn't any sort of secret that Vintage was making its way up the rankings with the order of hero-based designs they'd been releasing, with Big Sis Rumi even sending her and Hokuto one each of hers.
Still, it was nice to finally get confirmation.
Sesera didn't particularly care for watches considering she essentially had an automatic clock function installed in her brain, but it was still big news since Endeavor rarely promoted anything. All the products he did speak for were essentially given his seal of approval. She hadn't drunk a single drop of coffee before she saw him in the ad for Burning.
Hokuto had been equal parts smug and pleasantly surprised about her sudden one-eighty in attitude towards his fuel, though he did deflate a bit after realizing she was literally only drinking that one brand.
Sesera was still firing off several choice stickers when Glasses shrilly blew his whistle at her exactly fifteen seconds later.
"Miyaka!" he shouted reproachingly.
She added a few short words in reply before powering off her screen and shoving her phone back into its pocket. She raised her hands in mock surrender, looking Glasses straight in the eye.
"Done and done," she said. "Lighten up, class rep."
He gave her an unsatisfied harrumph before turning to speak with Ponytail.
Seaweed Head looked over his shoulder to throw her a nervous yet curious glance.
After being ruthlessly torn apart in their last activity, his costume was apparently being upgraded and wasn't available for use yet. Instead, today he wore his gym uniform with some additional protective gear.
"Is everything… alright?" he asked haltingly. "You were on your phone for a while."
"Couldn't pass a game level," lied Sesera. "Got a bit obsessed, my bad."
He fiddled with the strap of the black elbow guard on his arm. "I-Is that so?"
"If there's anything for you to feel sorry about, it's the fact that you're a fuckin' shitty liar."
Seaweed Head turned to look at the back of the boy in front of him.
The delinquent hadn't even bothered turning around, but it was clear that those words were meant for her.
Sesera narrowed her eyes at the back of his head and tapped a finger on her chin.
"Since we're practicing rescue maneuvers," she said, "if I save your life, you owe me a slice of cake."
The delinquent scoffed and angled his head to reveal just the slightest bit of his profile. A bright red eye pierced into her.
"Like I'd need your shitty help."
Eraser Head soon arrived. A bus pulled out of the underground lot and parked itself in front of them. Glasses and Ponytail went in first, calling out each person's name once it was their turn to get on.
Without Ponytail, Sesera was the last person on the roster. By the time she climbed on, there were only a couple of seats left available. She could either take one of the free spots on the bench at the back and be near the small boy who sat in front of her in class, or she could take the empty seat beside the delinquent up front.
Lesser evil then.
The door automatically closed behind her with a hiss of pressurized air. Sesera took the aisle seat beside the delinquent, and he turned his head to her as she sat down. He let out a quiet scoff before returning his gaze out the window, completely ignoring her existence.
"Everyone here?" asked Eraser Head. He was positioned up front, in a slightly enclosed area diagonally behind and to the left of the driver.
Glasses answered him exuberantly.
"Good," said Eraser Head. He gave the driver a nod. "Let's go then."
The bus's engine revved up, and it hummed lightly as the vehicle rolled out onto the road. They exited the main campus and eased into a smooth drive along a tree-lined path.
They had an almost thirty-minute ride in front of them, so Sesera decided to catch up on some web novels.
An upperclassman from middle school had introduced her to a few series, and she found herself becoming inadvertently hooked, especially to the yakuza and cultivation categories. She was following more than a hundred stories at this point, and even with her Quirk, it was getting hard to keep up to date on all of them.
She was in the middle of reading where she'd left off with The Sweet Diet of a Fox Spirit when the delinquent suddenly shot up in his seat, bumping into her shoulder.
She had half a mind to snap at him for making her almost drop her phone, but before she could even so much as open her mouth, he slammed a hand down on the support bar in front of them and started screaming his head off.
"What'd you say, Frog Face?!"
Frog Girl guileless ly pointed a finger at him. "See?"
"We've only barely started socializing, and already, you've made abundantly clear to us the unpleasantness of your steamed turd of a personality," said Kaminari teasingly, and Sesera couldn't help but wonder what the hell they'd been talking about.
The delinquent snarled at him. "Yeah, OK, how 'bout I pound you instead, Mr. Vocabulary?"
Seeing as they were about to get out of hand, Eraser Head called them out from his position at the front of the bus.
"Settle down, you lot," he said with his head just barely peeking out from over the back of his seat because of how slumped into it he was. With the way his hair fell, not even a quarter of his face was visible, but it was enough of a look to make everyone zip their mouths.
Sesera could feel the rise and dip of their shared seat as the delinquent sat back down while grumbling to himself.
With the meaningless chatter put to a stop, she returned her attention to her web novels. She'd just finished reading the latest update to Sakazukigoto when Eraser Head announced that they'd arrived at their destination.
"Look sharp," he told them. "We're here."
Sesera closed the reading app, locked her phone screen, and shoved the device back into its pocket. Grabbing her pillbox from the other pocket, she picked out one of the blue-and-white gel capsules before throwing it into her mouth.
A large arena with stark white panels forming a domed roof stood beside a forested area. The bus came to a stop by its entrance, and Eraser Head got off first.
Glasses was once more going full throttle as he called out each student according to the roster. Once outside the bus, he lined them up into two columns to enter the facility.
The Space Hero Thirteen welcomed them as they entered. From the entrance lobby, the class had a full view of all the different areas that were meant to replicate disaster zones.
Hokuto had told Sesera that the Unforeseen Simulation Joint was a crazy place, and considering who the comment was coming from, she hadn't been able to help but be a bit terrified.
Thankfully, it was less intimidating than she expected. It wasn't really anything too out of the ordinary for a hero school, at any rate. A bit over the top, certainly, but this was U.A. after all. Plus ultra and all that.
There was a distinct lack of All Might though. Eraser Head addressed the issue immediately.
"About that," said Thirteen. "It seems he just about reached his limit during his morning commute. He's resting in the break room back at school right now."
Sesera found it hard to believe that a man that energetic would reach his limit in just getting to work. Not unless he was jumping back and forth all over the city saving people—
She closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. Admittedly, it did sound like something All Might would do. Still, after several classes with the man himself, it was weird to hear that someone like him would become worn out. He was always in such a rush to get somewhere that it seemed like he had boundless energy.
Maybe his age is getting to him?
In any case, Eraser Head did not look pleased.
"That man is the height of irrationality." Letting out a tired sigh, he turned to face the class. "So be it. Let's get started."
"Ah, before we do, I'd like to make one or two points," said Thirteen, holding up two fingers. Before long though, they added another finger. "Maybe three"—and another—"OK, four…"
There was a pregnant pause before Eraser Head waved them ahead, apparently not feeling up to arguing.
Thirteen nodded their thanks. They faced the class with a clap of their hands. "Now, as I'm sure many of you are aware, my Quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck in and tear apart anything."
"And you use it to save people from all sorts of disasters!" exclaimed Seaweed Head. Gravity Girl nodded eagerly beside him.
While Sesera couldn't deny that Thirteen made good use of their Quirk in their field of specialty, Seaweed Head's and Gravity Girl's reactions seemed off after the kind of description that was provided. It made her wonder if she was the weird one for going down a negative trail of thought after that kind of word choice, or if the two of them really were just that stupidly optimistic.
"Indeed," replied Thirteen. A somber sort of tone filled their voice, and Sesera let herself claim the small victory, petty as it was. "Yet this power is also one that can easily kill. And I do not doubt that some of you have similar abilities."
Oh.
Sesera knew this speech.
"In this society saturated with superpowers, the usage of extraordinary abilities is heavily regulated and monitored," she remembered someone telling someone else once before. The very memory of the words made her head throb. "It might seem that these rules have stabilized the chaos brought about by the appearance of Quirks, but far from it. It takes only one wrong move from a person with an otherwise good Quirk to take a life."
Thirteen continued speaking. "During Aizawa's appraisal test, you learned what your Quirks could do. During All Might's battle training, you experienced the dangers your respective Quirks could pose to others.
"And now, this class will provide you with a new perspective." They spread their arms out. "You will all be learning how to use your Quirks to save lives! So, make sure to always remember that your abilities do not exist to inflict harm on others!"
"God is dead. God remains dead," her mother had sung, lullabies to put her to sleep at night. "And we have killed him."
Sesera fought back the urge to puke.
"I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you are meant to help people." Thirteen concluded their speech, bowing at the waist. "That is all! I thank you for listening."
Resounding applause erupted from the class. Seaweed Head and Gravity Girl continued to gush over the hero, and Glasses enthusiastically clapped his hands, yelling out "Bravo! Bravooo!"
The din they were making only made the building ache in Sesera's head worse.
"OK then." Eraser Head raised his voice, garnering everyone's attention. "Let's start with the first activity—"
That thread of tension being stretched out in Sesera's head suddenly snapped when some foreign power encroached upon her mind, and she had to physically stop her defense mode from automatically kicking in. Instead, she forced herself to receive the jamming signal, faking the noise response and simultaneously taking control of the facility's security system.
She let out a breath and raised her hand.
"Sir? It seems we have intruders," said Sesera plainly. Eraser Head sharply looked back at her, his eyes demanding further explanation. "There's an electric type sending out jamming signals, but I've intercepted it and taken control of the facility's security system. It seems like they were trying for a surprise attack, but they shouldn't be aware that it's already failed.
"I've also taken the liberty of informing the school, and Ms. Snowdrop received the message. She's contacting the principal and the authorities right now, but what should we do in the meantime?"
Sesera got blank stares from her classmates and a narrowed gaze from Eraser Head.
"Numbers?" asked their teacher sharply.
Sesera counted heads in the video feed. "They have someone with what looks like a very high-level teleportation Quirk sending about ten to twenty people to each zone. It's likely that—"
"They're planning on scattering us," said Eraser Head, coming to the same conclusion as she did. He turned to the rest of the class, sharply barking out orders. "Buddy up! No one moves alone! Thirteen, the students' safety is your priority. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes for backup to arrive, but we're evacuating now. Start moving!"
"Huh? Wait, for real?"
Everyone started whispering and muttering as Thirteen calmly ushered them out of the facility.
Seaweed Head looked at her with wide eyes.
"M-Miyaka, is that true?" he asked.
She sent him a glance. "Why would I lie about something like this?"
His eyes widened even further if that was at all possible. He brought his hands up in front of him in a manner that could've been placating if he didn't look like a flailing fish out of water. "T-That wasn't what I m-meant! I-It's just, well—"
"You don't really seem all that bothered by this," said Kaminari.
"From what I can tell, they're all just thugs." Sesera shrugged. "We're at school, so we're allowed to use Quirks, and as long as we don't beat anyone up too badly, no one's going to have a problem with heroes-in-training taking down the bad guys attacking them."
"That's a very"—Ponytail paused diplomatically—"practical viewpoint."
"This place is far from the main campus, and they picked a time when there'd only be a few people here," suddenly said Junior. "They also brought someone who could block signals so we'd be isolated. They obviously have an objective they planned meticulously for. These aren't just your run-of-the-mill villains."
"That's true. They're probably the ones who were responsible for last week's break-in," said Sesera. "I suppose I could've just blocked the jamming signal, and it might've deterred them from proceeding with whatever plan they had, but there's no way to know for sure. I figured it would be better if we let them tell us what they want. Otherwise, they might just do something like this all over again."
"That's surprisingly straightforward of you," commented Tape Dispenser Elbows. "You're usually a bit more—"
He vaguely gestured at her, and Kaminari nodded sagely from beside him.
"The teleporter might be a bit troublesome to deal with, but the rest aren't really a problem," said Sesera, tossing back one of her pigtails. "All they've got is their numb—"
The lights overhead flickered, and unintentionally, blue-white sparks flared from Sesera's temples as she snapped her head around.
In the plaza below, the fountain sputtered. A veil of black mist spread out in front of it like a curtain of lace. Seeing it in person, she had to admit that this Quirk manifested with a rather delicate appearance. It was so vastly different from the one teleportation Quirk she was familiar with that it was a bit hard to associate the same abilities to them.
A leg and an arm appeared from somewhere beyond the veil, followed by a monstrous face with a mouth full of sharp teeth and—
An exposed brain.
A chilling coldness seeped into her bones as an inhuman screech echoed inside the entire arena.
An automatic jolt ran through Sesera's body as the long-forgotten order deeply ingrained into her subconscious flitted to the forefront of her mind once more.
"Don't look now," the machine that spoke her mother's thoughts with her mother's voice had whispered inside her head, "but it's all red."
There was blood pooling on the ground, drawing red lines that formed the most beautiful of shapes. It gleamed like liquid ruby, inching its way towards her feet—as if it were a slow-spreading fire that threatened to consume her whole.
Red. Pure red.
"You… mus— bec—e l—ke th—t."
And it was dripping from her hands.
