Well, I shouldn't let you guys suffer just because I want to be lazy, I have to push through and continue.
Chapter Cover- Cortney and her family with their backs turned away from the viewer as they leave out of U.A.
Ch.40- Total defeat
Since I'd proven myself worthy of working under Mirko, she's looking over my contract and explains what's going to happen.
Mirko rubs her forehead with her ears flopping down, "Ugh, so here's the deal...this will be a completely different experience from your internships, you'll be working under me as a sidekick, and will be getting paid as compensation."
Oh, nobody mentioned we'll be getting paid, sweet, there are some things are wanted. I shoot my hands into the sky in being told that part.
"Hold it," Mirko interjects, "Since you're a first-year, you will rack absences and your grades will suffer and have to take supplementary classes, do you want to still go through?" She asks.
"I chased you around the shopping district, so I may as well go all the way," I reply.
"Fine, this will be going on for one month, if you impress me enough I might extend it." She retorts before stamping my contract, "We'll begin tomorrow, I need to get some stuff set up." She plays with her ears and I grab my contract before heading back to my dorm.
Today begins the official start of my work-study, right now we're on patrol, as Dad told me just our presence can deter most villains from committing crimes and give civilians a peace of mind. Which is really needed with All Might gone.
"Eh, girl what's your hero name?" Mirko asks.
"Oh, it's Bersekera and Chibi's Okami," I reply.
"Gotcha," After exchanging our hero names, we hear a crime in progress, awesome, I thought this was going to be us just walking all day.
Upon arriving at the scene, it looks like some villains botched a robbing a store and attempting to escape, three run off down the street while another books it down an alley, Mirko chases after the three while me and Chibi are left with the one.
"Hey numbnuts, this alley has no exit, so you just fooled yourself!" I tell the villain, who suddenly stops.
"I knew you looked familiar, and your voice confirmed it." What? It's him, the guy who almost killed me when I was a kid, I thought he got arrested. What is he doing here, I never thought I would see him ever again.
The man turns around revealing a fist indent on his jaw, "After you took everything from me, I dreamt of the day I could get back at you. If only the blonde girls were with you, then this would turn my whole day around. But you'll make do until I can get to them." My heart is in my chest, he was the one who first caused me to go all out and almost killed me and Peace.
I've always carried my head high, not acting like never bothered me, but in reality, I've had nightmares about this guy. About being us not making it with everyone crying over our deaths.
My breath is sticking to my throat, the memories are too overwhelming, I can't shove my fear down. My flight instinct kicks in, I try to run but all that happens is me falling on my butt.
As the man approaches me, he cracks his knuckles, while I'm still sat on the ground stricken with paralyzing fear so bad that I might piss myself, my body is failing me.
"What's the matter, little girl? It's as if you've seen a ghost."
"Mirko, save me," Though the fear I try to call Mirko, it, however, comes out as a whisper. Chibi steps in to protect me, sword drawn, tail wagging fractally ready to draw. Before any fighting breaks out, my mind has had enough and I faint from the fear, my only hope being Chibi.
"Cortney, Cortney!" I'm woken up by a scared Mirko screaming my name with civilians gathering around. The sight of a worried Mirko and Chibi laying down next to me, the shame is too much for me. I failed my duty as a hero and I have to run away to hide it away.
"Cortney!" Mirko grabs my arm when I try to run.
"Let go!" I try to wrestle my arm free with the crowd watching on.
"What are you doing!? Stop!" As the struggle continues, the tear I was holding back starts to free themselves.
"Let go, please. Let go, you were right." My voice is breaking down as my cries get worse.
Mirko keeps a firm grip on my arm, I continue to plead her to let me go, getting worse as time goes on until I finally just completely break and fall to my knees while calling myself a failure.
Mirko picks me up and cradles me while shielding my face from the public, she pushes her way through while retorting I'm not a failure. I end up crying myself asleep in Mirko's arms, I wake up some time later back at U.A where I find myself on a bed in the nurse's office.
When I lift my head, I can see Mirko talking to my mom, upon getting out of bed I hear Chibi whimper, poor boy, I put myself and everyone else through the wringer today. I let fear control me and nearly died because of it, no more.
I pet Chibi, "Thanks for protecting me boy," If Chibi wasn't there for me I might have died. When I attempt to get out of bed, Mom and Mirko turn their attention towards me. I stare down at the bedsheets.
"Cortney!" Pony comes dashing into the room with the rest of our classmates behind her expect Peace, "I heard you were brought here by Mirko, what happened?!" She asks me, I clutch the sheets as I brace myself to tell them what happened.
"Pony, mom, ever since that day that I've been haunted by the man almost killed us, and even had recurring nightmares for years now. Today, I ran into him again, and when I ran into him… just seeing him caused me to have a panic attack and he beat me without throwing a single punch, he could have killed me if not for Chibi. I'm sorry for lying to you for so long." I tell them what happened and receive a punch from Pony, I can feel her anger through the punch itself, I can see why because she was there with me when it happened and asked me if I was ok, yet I told I was when I wasn't.
"DAMN YOU CORTNEY!" Pony screeches at the top of her lungs, she's ready to hit me again and I would allow her but Tetsu holds her back.
"Let me go, Let me GO!" Pony struggles against Tetsu, I'm not saying anything.
"Pony, that's enough," Mom tells Pony to calm down and then continues, "This is a family issue, Cortney rest until your father and sister, also I'm taking out of the work-studies, everyone goes back to your dorms and leave Cortney to us."
Everyone leaves with Pony giving me a dirty look before she does, as of right now it's just me and mom in the now empty room after some unknown amount of time, Dad and Lisa arrive. Mom talks to Dad outside while Lisa takes a seat at the foot of our bed.
"Hey there Cortney," Lisa tries to talk but I stay quiet and keep my head down not wanting my family mad at me.
Lisa grabs my forehead and forces me to look her in the eyes, "Mom already told me some details about what happened, but you refusing to tell us anything won't solve this, so start squawking." Lisa keeps my head up.
"You know that time I nearly died?" I ask.
"Which time?" Lisa jokes with the many times I've been in the hospital.
"After we cleaned up that gang hideout, and everyone asked if I was ok, and I said yes. I was lying and the face of the man who almost killed us was forever burned into my mind, and I repeated nightmares." I tell Lisa.
"Why?"
"Because..." at this point, Lisa lets go of my shoulder once I start flailing and lets me continue, "Because, I didn't want people to be worried about me, how was I supposed to fight with people worried about me?" I ask exhausted.
"Today during my patrol, I ran into the man again, I panicked and froze up with fear, I was a lamb for the slaughter and served fresh."
"Cortney," Lisa puts a hand on my shoulder, "Cortney, we're your family, we're always here for you, you shouldn't have carried that burden, you're not All Might the person everyone looks up to, you're Cortney Tan, a highschool freshman." I'm speechless, I don't know how to reply to that and I don't as Mom and Dad back into the room.
"Cortney, me and your father have decided it would be best if you took some time from being a hero-in-training and came home with to see a therapist," Mom tells me.
"Alright," I don't argue and get out of bed while also putting on my slippers and leave out the school with my Chibi behind.
"Cortney, wait!" I turn around to see Tetsu running after me, "Where are you going?"
Mom and Dad let me explain, "After what happened today, it was decided I go back home." I tell Tetsu also rubbing my arm.
"You're leaving!?" Tetsu asks shocked.
"It's temporary!" I state, cleaning up what I mean, "I'm going to see a therapist about my problem and get some help. I'll be gone for a few weeks, I'll try to come back before the school festival starts." Which is in a few weeks from now.
Tetsu walks up and hugs me, I return the hug, we spend the next minute wordless holding on to each other, afterword I tell Tetsu to relay what I told him back to the class and that Itsuka is in charge and tell Pony I said sorry, before exchange a quick kiss before I leave.
As we make our final steps out of school, Lisa elbows me, "What?"
"Don't "What?" me, you never told me you got a boyfriend," Lisa exclaims right that was her first time meeting Tetsu in person.
"He looks a lot like the guys you look at on your computer," Lisa makes me blush and I push her in retaliation, Lisa chuckles at embarrassing me.
Writer: Finally done with this chapter, pretty much completely rewrote from scratch and also skipping the Shie Hassaikai Arc but I will explain what happened. Sorry for taking so long but I hope you still liked this chapter, hopefully, the next one shouldn't take as long.