"Hey Oniisan~"
Aiko pushed the door open, and hallway light pooled into the dark room. Her elder brother cringed, but he didn't respond.
"I made you a snack! Milk and an apple, I hope that's ok."
"No, Aiko. I'm working,"
He tapped away at his computer, not bothering to give his sister a passing glance. Her eyes landed on his hands, both covered in a pair of black carpal tunnel braces. Her brows furrowed.
"Ok! Just take a break soon!" She knew he wouldn't, but she smiled and shut the door quietly.
Aiko walked to the kitchen next. The room was cramped and in bad condition, but her mother sat at the old wooden table silently.
"Aito wasn't in the mood, but maybe you'd like some!" She set the plate down on the counter. After receiving yet another silent response, she started to retreat to her room.
"Why don't you just stop trying?"
Aiko paused at the door.
"It's annoying. The way you keep on going like everything's alright."
The bouncy, feather-haired girl spun on her heel to face her mother. "Well, duh! If I gave up, then who'd make you snacks!" She turned back to the doorway, adding softly. "It's what Ohta would have done."
Aiko left and made her way back down the hall. On the way, she stopped in front of a family photo plastered on the wall. Aito had wanted to trash it, but she argued with him and won out. It was a beautiful portrait of her mother and father, smiling softly, surrounded by a grinning Aito and a calm Ohta. In the middle, a cheerful baby raised her chubby hands towards the cameraman. Aiko smiled at the photo, touched it, and moved on.
She entered her room and made a beeline for her desk. On the side, she unlocked the bottom drawer and pulled out a thin manila folder. The very top read:
UA Entrance Exam Application Forms
Aiko laid the papers on her desk and clicked a pen.
"I'm sorry, Aito," She said to herself, knowing her brother would kill her for this. "But it's what Ohta would have done to save this family."
The feather-haired teen snuck along the hallway. She was so close the front door, but there was only one obstacle in her way:
Aito stood in the kitchen, fixing a large coffee. It was sight to see, since he rarely left his room, and normally Aiko would be ecstatic, but today was probably the worst possible day for him to be there. If he caught her sneaking out with a different bag full of work out clothes and wearing her school uniform, he'd know right away.
She waited until he turned to pour the coffee beans, then dove for the doorknob. Her foot caught on a wrinkle in the carpet and she slipped, landing on the floor like a fish out of water.
Aito didn't even look up. "Where are you going?"
"Uh-" Aiko quickly gathered herself, praying he wouldn't decide to glance up at her this time. "I'm going on a run! Gotta get a good grade in gym or I won't get into a good high school! Haha..."
Aiko was a terrible liar, and Aito knew it.
He looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you in your school uniform? And what's with the duffel bag?"
"I...uh..."
Suddenly, a phone rung and his head snapped in the direction of the ringtone.
"Crap!" He darted into the other room and down the hall.
Aiko let out a well-deserved sigh of relief. No doubt he knew exactly what she was up to, but he wouldn't catch her.
She swung the door open and fled. She slid down the railing of her apartment and launched herself off the side, landing on the pavement below. One of her neighbors let out a shout and dropped her groceries in surprise.
Aiko dodged her and darted down the street, straightening her duffel bag over her shoulder.
"Sorry, Ms. Shido! I'll pay you back when I get the chance!"
"That's the third time you've said that, Aoki!" She called angrily, bending over to scoop up her soiled vegetables.
The teen continued her way down the street. She jogged past the beach, spotting a shirtless kid and the thinnest man alive standing in the hot morning sun.
I'd sure hate to be either of them. She thought, then took a turn towards the morning market.
It was busier than usual, and she dove over cars and children, and under carts and large mutants. She knocked more than a few people in her sprint.
Aiko checked her watch. She was nowhere near late, but her excitement got her out of bed three hours early that morning. She had energy to spare.
Finally, she sped around a Corning and laid eyes on her destination. High on the hill that towered over Musutafu, UA High School stood tall above her.
She grinned. "This is my chance!" She put her clenched fist in the air. "UA, here I come!"
"Would you quit it!?" A grumpy old man shouted from his window. "Some of us ain't got as much energy at you, kid!"
"Sorry!" She shouted. The man winced and slammed the glass shut.
Aiko adjusted her bag again and took off running towards the school of her dreams.
Three hours later, she was warming up in a lot full of like-minded students. She'd changed out of her uniform and into a pair of green shorts and an old, loose tank-top.
Her determined green eyes darted from student to student, scoping out the competition.
I can't rely on my test scores around here. She thought. I really should've payed more attention in class!
Her academic grades weren't anything special, but her physical abilities just might give her the boost she needed to make it into the school.
"You'll all be eating my dust by the end of this test!" A loud voice cut through the nervous crowd. Several glares shifted in the sound's direction and a small group of angry kids had surrounded the arrogant competitor.
One girl with pink skin and hair put her hands on her hips. "And what makes you think that! We've all got strong quirks! Otherwise we wouldn't be here!"
"Shut it, Pinkie! You don't know a thing!" The loud boy shot back. Now that Aiko could see clearly, she wasn't surprised. The boy had spiky blond hair that perfectly embodied the intimidating explosions that he created from his hands.
"Maybe we should all calm it down, kero." Aiko spotted another girl step in. She had big hands and feet and a long tongue sticking out of her mouth.
"Yeah! No use arguing with crazy!" The pink girl shouted.
"Right back at ya!" The boy glared in response.
Muffled by the shouting, no one had realized that a teacher's charismatic voice had been emanating form the speakers.
"-READY...GOOOO!!!"
Nobody reacted quick enough. Aiko was nearly trampled in the mad dash for the wide gates. Some kids flew over the crowds, while others hopped.
She was lucky enough to be near the edge of the crowd. Once she was in, she darted down the fake streets, separating herself from the rest of the examinees.
I've only got thirty minutes to take out as many of these robots as I can!
Her eyes darted every which way, searching for a 1 or 2-pointer. Finally, she caught sight of a big 1-pointer patrolling a block away.
Aiko switched directions, dashing straight towards the robot. She activated her quirk and threw her arms out. They got lighter and lighter and white feathers sprouted from her shoulders and spread to her hands. They transformed into a pair of medium-sized wings, which she flapped for a speed boost.
Once she was only meters away, she jumped and dove for it, feet first, hoping to get a good kick to the head.
"Gotcha!" There was a splash of pale green liquid. Aiko barely dodged the attack that came from her left.
The pink girl from before landed on top of the robot, and Aiko watched the liquid dissolve the metal with ease. The girl looked up and caught sight of Aiko.
"Sorry! Did I get you?"
"Huh?" Aiko felt a sharp stinging. She'd gotten splashed a bit on her wing. "Eep!"
She flapped it until the stinging went away, but once she relaxed, the pink girl was already gone.
Aiko got to her feet again and searched the area frantically.
I'm already three minutes in and I haven't had a chance to show off!
In total, Aiko had amassed thirty points in thirty minutes. Not too bad, but not good enough.
She left the changing rooms rolling her shoulders out. Her arms were sore and her face was red and dripping with sweat.
"I guess I'll have to rely on my written assessment to even out my score," She sighed.
"Hey, you! Feather girl!" A cheery voice called out to her.
Aiko turned. The pink girl she'd seen so often was running to catch up.
"You were great! Nice job!" She stopped beside her and keeled over for a second to catch her breath.
Aiko jumped excitedly. "You really think so!? Thank you! You looked so cool too! You were all like 'sploosh' and 'boom'!"
"Thanks! And your quirk is so fun! You went all 'bam' and 'whoosh'!"
The two girls smiled at each other.
"You're a real nice person! Name's Aiko Aoki!" Aiko held her hand out.
Pinkie took it. "Right back at you, Aoki! I'm Mina Ashido!"
They walked out of the school together and down the road. They hit it off immediately as well, talking and chatting fervently the whole way.
"Why are you aiming for UA, Aiko? I mean, you'd make a great hero, but I was just wondering-"
Aiko paused. "Well, I, uh-"
Honestly? She had two reasons, one of those being a bit more personal than the other, so she settled on the latter.
"I know that it takes a special kind of person to be hero," Aiko smiled. "Something about being that person makes my heart flutter. I can't describe it but I know that I've got something in here that's passionate enough to reach my goal. So all I've got to do is go for it!"
Mina clapped. "Whoa! That's so deep! I can tell you've worked hard for this, huh!"
"Wait, Mina, what about you?" Aiko said.
Mina shook a fist. "Well, probably for the most common reason of all. I want to help people! And not just assist them, save their lives! The adrenaline rush that comes with the action of heroics is so great, it makes me want to do it forever!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Aiko couldn't agree more. The two girls hit it off, and when they got to the end of the street, they shared contact information and parted ways.
As aiko started to jog off, she came to a halt, turned around and shouted:
"ASHIDO! GOOD LUCK!"
The pink haired girl waved back.
"YOU TOO!"
Then Aiko made her way back home.
"What is this?" Aito slapped a folder on the kitchen counter in front of his sister.
Aiko flinched, the color draining from her face. She was going to keep her application a secret until after she got accepted.
"You applied to UA? After I told you not to?" Aito's eyes were narrow.
Aiko glared back. "You can't tell me what to do anymore, Aito. I want to choose what school I go to!"
"Not if it's UA! How many times do I have to tell you not to become hero? You don't have a choice."
"You're not Dad or Mom, Aito! Stop acting like it!" Aiko snatched the folder off the counter. "Besides, I already submitted my application. If you wanted to stop me, it's too late."
"After everything Mom and I have done for you, you still want to throw it all away on some useless dream? Don't be stupid," Aito sneered.
"This is how I'm trying to repay you!" Aiko said. "If you'd just give me a chance, I could start an agency! I could make money for you and-"
"And end up like him? He betrayed us, Aiko. He was never a real hero. Just like all the others."
"Don't say that about Ohta!" Aiko shouted. "You don't know that!"
Aito sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Stop being so stubborn and let it go already!"
"No! I won't stop trying! Not unless-"
A loud, irritating banging filled the room. The siblings hushed.
"Look what you did," Aito hissed. "Mom's awake."
Aiko rolled her eyes and marched off to her room with the folder in-hand.
Woo! Had to end it there or else it'd get way too long. Thanks again for reading!