Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's, Happy Birthday and all the other annual happy holidays that I wasn't able to greet on due to my months of absence, everyone! Here's a long one to compensate.

A special shoutout to: Reversus12 for the wonderful reviews. Again, thank you very much!


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Chapter Five

Boons and Banes: Battle Trial


Alumi remembered the first time she saw All Might.

"Look, Alumi-nee! It's a mini-All Might!"

Alumi leaned closer and regarded the toy curiously as Haruki held it up to her. "So this is what All Might-san looks like?" Having never seen the famous hero before, the figurine's huge dashing smile left Alumi skeptical.

"Yes, but he's even cooler in real life!" Haruki quipped as he preened underneath his sister's gaze. "He looked super cool defeating this octopus-like villain yesterday! Aww, you should've seen it, Alumi-nee. He went 'whoosh!' and 'wham!' and" Alumi burst out giggling when he started to strike poses, prompting him to pause and laugh along with her.

"Um...Haru? How did All Might-san defeat the villain?"

Four year old Haruki beamed, obviously pleased with the request. Being only three years younger, he felt obligated in informing his older sister the sheer awesomeness of Japan's most celebrated hero. It was strange, how his Alumi-nee never showed interest in heroes. Every time he invited her to watch videos of their acts with him, she would always decline. He once heard his parents saying that his sister was Quirkless, a rare unfortunate case in this era. Haruki wasn't certain, but he felt it had something to do with why his Alumi-nee wasn't exactly keen on the topic. But now she actually looked interested for once. He was more than happy to oblige.

"I'll show you!" Haruki crawled over to a discarded octopus plushie and brought it back to where Alumi sat. With the toys in both hands, Haruki closed his eyes. His hands started to glow with a cyan light, a clear indication that his Quirk was working.

Alumi watched with fascination as the two toys began to writhe and move due to her brother's power. It was amazing. It had only been about two weeks since Haruki's Quirk manifested, but here he was looking like he'd already mastered it. "He's a true genius!" – was what their parents and everybody else always said.

As his older sister, Alumi was filled to the brim with pride. But at the same time, she felt a little lonely. 'It must be nice, having a Quirk...'

Haruki finally opened his eyes, and like a master puppeteer, placed his small hands in a hovering manner over the objects and began controlling them with invisible strings.

"Show Alumi-nee how All Might defeated the villain."

The miniature All Might and the octopus plushie perked up at the instruction and immediately faced and fought each other in a mock exhibition of what Haruki envisioned them to do. As Alumi fawned and gaped, her ochre-haired little brother turned to her with a proud grin.

"See? Isn't he cool, Alumi-nee?"

"Yes, but you made him like that, though." And Haruki pouted when his sister laughed, still clearly unconvinced.

"But it's truuueeeee! You should watch his battles with me next time, Alumi-nee. Nobody's as cool as All Might!"

Alumi could only smile sheepishly as Haruki insisted his hero was the best. Then his voice turned dream-like, his big round eyes shining with hope. "I want to be a super cool hero just like All Might someday..."

Haruki's voice faded away, and the memory receded as Alumi stared at the real-life All Might walking up to the front. Much like herself, her classmates were awestruck at the sheer force of his presence.

"I teach Hero Basic Training," was All Might's booming greeting. "As the name implies, it is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject!"

Alumi sucked in a deep breath as she clenched her hands into fists, determination and excitement flowing through her veins. This was it, the Hero Training Course she was looking forward to.

"Well then, let's get right to it!" All Might struck a super cool pose and pushed the pedal to the metal by revealing their agenda for the day: "Combat training!"


After the exciting announcement, the boys and girls of class 1-A were tasked to change into their costumes and hurriedly went to their respective locker rooms. On her way out, Alumi was surprised to see Bakugou a few meters ahead of her, who also seemed like the first one to finish changing. She paused briefly, a small frown between her eyebrows. He was about to turn a corner. Hesitating only a second, Alumi followed.

To her relief, Bakugou hadn't noticed her yet. Alumi took this as an opportunity to observe his costume closely. It was intriguing, to say the least. It made her conscious of her own costume, which was a sleeveless form-fitting bodysuit made of reinforced, flexible material with violet, gray and white color schemes. She also wore a few accessories to go with her costume: a belt-bag containing first aid necessities, and replacing her signature Dango-themed hairpin was a pair of diamond-shaped hair clips that had no functionality whatsoever other than for the sake of wearing it. Still, it was a gift from her childhood friend (who absolutely insisted she wear it), and it went well with her costume's appearance.

Overall Alumi's costume was simple but sleek. Looking back on Bakugou, he looked like a rebellious battalion commander, his costume depicting the dangerous nature of his Quirk and perhaps himself; what he obviously wanted everyone to see. But it wasn't only Bakugou's costume that made him intimidating. It was the way he brought himself.

His steps were a confident strut, posture rigid and strong, arms bare and shoulders broad, showing the masculinity and power contained within. Even with his back turned to her, Katsuki exuded the aura of dominance and power. He looked so sure of himself that Alumi wondered if he was always like this. Such preternatural confidence, she surmised, could only be achieved either by being pampered since birth, or left alone to do things on one's own with no one to rely on.

Her gaze eventually slid down to his grenade-like bracers, eyes narrowing warily. Woe to the person who would inevitably become their target. She remembered Izuku and the memory of how Katsuki wanted to hurt him, making her gaze shift into one of curious irritation. Why did he have it out for Izuku? Even now with their newly formed friendship, she still wasn't able to clarify Izuku's connection to the ash-blond. Alumi made a mental note to ask him later.

"What the hell are you following me for?"

Alumi almost flinched at the harsh tone and at the sudden attention directed at her. Meeting his gaze, she had to restrain the little shock that wriggled through her nerves as Katsuki stared with wild, piercing red eyes.

Donning an amiable and unaffected look, Alumi replied, "In case you have forgotten, you and I are in the same class. We practically have the same destination, Bakugou-kun."

One of his eyes twitched. The look of antagonism he gives her screamed of accusation, and the little stunt she did yesterday flashed through their minds.

"You…you're that meddling bitch yesterday..." Katsuki snarled lowly. He stepped closer, his posture menacing. "What makes you think you can talk to me so casually, huh!?"

The smile on Alumi's face wavered but she was still able to retain her composure underneath his ferocious glare. "I admit what I did was uncalled for…But it was your actions that were strange, don't you think?"

Katsuki's eyes narrowed further, and Alumi knew she flicked a nerve. Surprisingly, he was silent at that moment, looking like he was caught off guard by the speculation. Alumi didn't give him the chance to speak. She barreled on, succumbing to the urges at the tip of her tongue, ignoring the feeling that she was threading on thin ice.

"You suddenly tried to attack Midoriya-kun for no reason. Yet it seems like you have one for doing so. Why? What do you have against him?"

Katsuki's eyes went wide. He certainly hadn't expected that. She watched him intently, expectantly, patiently waiting for his reply. On the other hand, Katsuki was overwhelmed with a mixture of anger and bewilderment. This thick-browed bitch was taking her meddling to a whole 'nother level, and yet she was so relaxed like they were talking about the weather. And the way she was looking at him…Was she seriously expecting him to hand the answer on a silver platter?

"None of your fucking business!" he spat through clenched teeth, eyes hard with contempt. "Who the hell do you even think you are, ahhh!? I don't know what the hell your deal is, but stay the fuck out of my way!"

Alumi's eyebrows lowered. And before she could say anything, Katsuki had turned and walked away with angry strides. She watched him go until he finally disappeared around the corner, her eyes narrowed in disappointment.

He didn't answer her question, even though she already expected that much. But what really bothered her was how she easily gave into his provocation which led her to ask the question she intended for Izuku. Then again, while Alumi had always been aware how her curious nature sometimes made her seem intrusive, nobody ever called her a "meddling bitch" before. Just thinking about it made her left eye tingle with a spike of annoyance.

With a soft sigh, Alumi continued forward. She knew Bakugou was infinitely vulgar and mean. More so than she thought. She chuckled to herself.

'But I suppose this is how Bakugou-kun treats everyone. He reminds me of Matsu-sensei.'

As for his warning, there was no need for it. Because other than the aspects of where Izuku was concerned, Alumi had just resigned herself to stay away from the ash-blond's sphere of contact. Wherever possible.


Outside in Ground Beta, it was decided that the Combat Training would be an indoor battle between the villains and the heroes. The mechanics were simple: heroes would be infiltrating the villain's hideout, with the choice of either retrieving the hidden nuclear weapon or defeating the villains. The same went for the villains with the options of either protecting the weapon or capturing the heroes. All would have to be done in the allotted time of fifteen minutes. Teams and opponents would be chosen by drawing lots. That way everybody would have a fair chance, along with the experiment of compatibility and working in a team.

Alumi raised her eyes from her placard that read 'Team C', and began to look for her teammate. 'I wonder who my partner would be…'

She had wished to be paired with Midoriya, but apparently fate decided to put him and Ochako together. As disappointed as she was, Alumi couldn't help but smile at how cute the two looked, with the brunette getting all bubbly and Izuku turning into a flustered fuss.

She eventually found her partner, a female classmate named Yaoyorozu Momo. Momo was a tall, beautiful girl with sharp onyx colored eyes, delicately defined facial features, long and silky raven hair styled into a spiky ponytail, and a rather gifted rack. From what Alumi gathered about her recently, Yaoyorozu would be one of the sober intellectual types who also happened to be highly athletic, seeing as she ranked number one on yesterday's Quirk assessment test. She suited her just fine. Alumi was confident there would be no problems working with her.

Yaoyorozu turned and caught her eye, and nodded in her direction while holding her own placard for the bluenette to see. Alumi returned the nod with a smile.

The die was cast, and the first two teams to oppose each other were Team A and D, ironically Midoriya versus Bakugou.

"Team A will be the heroes, and team D will be the villains. The rest of you head toward the monitor room."

All Might's statement was met with a collective chorus of "Yes sir!"

As their classmates left the area, some of them threw brief glances at the two boys that remained, Alumi being one of them. She paused and stayed in place to observe. By now most of the class knew of the ash-blond's contempt towards the curly haired boy due to his outburst the other day, and the match would undoubtedly be a heated one. As intriguing as things were unfolding, Midoriya would be up against the one guy who wanted nothing more than to blow his face up. Literally.

Alumi could practically feel the sparks of barely controlled spite radiating from the explosive teen. Flicking her eyes to her friend, the poor boy looked shaken up, just as she expected. But what Alumi didn't expect was for him to return Bakugou's glare, levelling the ash-blond's fierce stare with a determined and competitive look of his own. Midoriya wasn't challenging Bakugou, or even daring to seem superior, but rather showing him that he would not cower in the face of his hostility.

Alumi shared the look of surprise in Katsuki's eyes before smiling. When the ash-blond finally left, she strode over to where the curly haired boy was walking, his pace sluggish with worry. Izuku eventually noticed her coming over to his direction and flashed her a shaky smile, to which Alumi returned with a soothing one.

"Nervous?"

"Y-Yeah, k-kind of," he admitted as they began to walk together. Alumi could sense his anxiety. It was tangible.

"Well, I can see why you are," she said softly in a matter-of-fact tone. "Bakugou-kun is going to be a tough opponent for you."

Midoriya nodded with a sigh, his expression turning grim. "He's dangerous…and it's not just his Quirk that I have to look out for."

At his indication, Alumi wanted to ask about his connection with the explosive teen, but watching him all tensed up made her drop the words she wanted to say. He needed to focus, and she really didn't want to add to the pressure he already felt.

"It's going to be fine, Mi-kun. I know you can do it," Alumi said encouragingly.

"Y-You think so…?"

"Of course. If you believe that you can, then you will. All you need now is the confidence to believe in yourself."

Hearing those words lightened Izuku's worries considerably. Then he became aware of how she was smiling warmly at him with the same look of wistful nostalgia that made him squirm in self-consciousness. Izuku colored and averted his eyes elsewhere.

"Y-yes, you're right. I'll r-remember that, t-thank you very much!"

They eventually reached the point where they would have to separate and head to each of their designated locations.

"I'm afraid we have to part here, Mi-kun," Alumi said as she stood in place.

Izuku paused abruptly as if he had just noticed her stop. "Ah, r-right! Sorry to bother you, and thanks for the advice, Koseki-san."

Alumi smiled as if to say 'You're welcome', before putting on a chiding pout. "Now that won't do. We're friends now, remember? It's supposed to be 'Alumi'."

Izuku turned two shades darker. "O-Oh right! S-Sorry!"

She couldn't help but giggle. He was just too cute getting all shy and embarrassed. "It's okay. You'll get used to it eventually, Mi-kun."

"W-Well, I better get going now…"

"I'll be rooting for you. Do your best!"

Midoriya gave her a determined nod as he sprinted off to catch up with his teammate. For a second Alumi saw not Midoriya's retreating back but the figure of a small boy with curly ochre-colored hair running further away from her.

She closed her eyes and sighed to shake off the familiar pang in her chest. By the time she opened her eyes she saw the figure of Izuku again, the boy finally reuniting with Ochako. She watched them with a forlorn smile before turning away to join the others in the monitoring room.


Although the first match lasted no more than fifteen minutes, it was an unbelievable nerve-wracking and astonishingly mind-blowing battle that felt like it all went down in an instant. More than that, the rest of Class 1-A could not believe their eyes at everything that just happened, nor of the outcome.

"Hero team…WINS!"

Alumi was filled with an encompassing tide of relief as All Might's voice resounded everywhere. But that relief faded when she saw Midoriya's battered body on the ground. In the end, Team A won, but not without sustaining considerable damage on Midoriya's side. The building didn't escape the intensity of the match, either. Everything at their end was a mess, and under normal circumstances that alone wouldn't be seen as a clear-cut victory. It was exactly what their raven-faced classmate Tokoyami said, "They lost the battle, but won the war."

Alumi could only cast a distressed look at Izuku's unconscious form as he was taken away to be treated immediately. The thing she feared concerning Bakugou's grenade-like bracers happened, and the poor boy had never looked so beat up. Alumi couldn't remember the last time she felt her nerves hanging dangerously on the surface, torn between worry and a thrill for action. Izuku was simply amazing, going toe-to-toe with Bakugou without even utilizing his Quirk. He even managed to slam Katsuki into the ground with an astonishing interlocking overhead throw. No one definitely expected for Izuku to pull something like that – not even Alumi – and now it created grounds for respect.

It was also through this battle that Alumi was able to discern important facts about her new friend. That one, Izuku was good at reading his opponents and readjusting his moves for a suitable counter-strategy, and two, he knows his strengths and limits, and had a knack for using his environment to his advantage.

Meanwhile Uraraka, Iida, and Bakugou joined the others in the monitoring room for further evaluation of what transpired. Yaoyorozu did an amazing job summarizing the match and overall performance of each opposing team. Iida was in pure bliss for being the MVP of the battle, more so after being commended for his role as a villain.

Alumi walked over to Ochako, congratulating her and offering support to her apparent discomfort.

"Thank you, Alumi-chan. I'm feeling much better," Ochako said with a weary smile. "Compared to Deku-kun, this is nothing."

Seeing the shaking concern in her eyes, Alumi placed a reassuring hand on Ochako's shoulder. "He'll be fine, Urara-chan. I'm sure of it."

Ochako nodded and smiled back.

"All right, everyone! Time to change locations and start match two!"

Alumi looked up towards All Might at the announcement. But just before her gaze could reach him, her eyes caught the figure of Bakugou instead. He had relocated to the back of the group, quiet and still.

She felt a surge of sadistic satisfaction after witnessing his initial defeat. He finally got served his just desserts. He was like a madman during the match, focused solely on bringing Izuku down and seemingly forgetting the test entirely. His rivalry towards the other boy was evident. And although she didn't know the whole story between the two, Alumi knew what she just witnessed was an accumulation of their relationship throughout the years, with Izuku getting the brunt of it. It was about damn time the explosive teen got what was coming for him. But now that feeling was ebbing away the longer Alumi stared at him.

What a change it was to see the condescending ash-blond stunned with dejection. It was probably the first time he lost, his damaged pride crumbling along with his broken heart.

He looked pitiful.

He looked so shaken despite his still despondency that she instantly recognized that look, a look she knew too well. The look that says, "I know, but I just can't accept it! I don't want to admit it. I can't!"

And Alumi almost felt sympathetic because he reminded her of someone else she knew too well.

(The days she couldn't accept his death).

Suddenly Bakugou twitched, and Alumi teared her gaze away before he could notice her eyes on him. But he looked so consumed in his own world that she was convinced he wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings, or anybody else for that matter, much less her.


Astoundingly, the second match between Team B and Team I was over in less than five minutes with another win for the hero team.

It was all due to Todoroki's power. The extent of his Quirk range was so strong that not only did it cover the entire building in ice in just a matter of seconds, it also reached the others back at the monitoring room.

Rubbing her upper arms in an effort to warm herself, Alumi's eyes unconsciously drifted off towards Bakugou's direction, who was the only one who seemed unaffected by the cold. But upon closer look, he looked shaken to the core for some other reason.

As the others re-entered the monitoring room, Alumi's gaze settled and stayed on Todoroki. Unlike Bakugou, he wore an aura of power comfortably and without fanfare as the rest of their classmates openly stared at him with admiration and caution.

Todoroki certainly knew the length of his abilities, but at the same time it was like he was placing restrictions on himself. She wondered why he covered his entire left side in ice, the half part of him that apparently emitted heat…

The sight of crackling fire and dancing shadows. The scent of smoke and blood. The formidable figure of a man among a blazing wall of flames.

"Strength requires sacrifice. Remember that if you want to be strong, little girl."

Alumi did a double-blink at the sudden remembrance. Her throat felt tight all of a sudden as the rest of her body tensed in alarm. She turned away and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, bewildered as to why he suddenly reminded her of that.

Stealing another glance over her shoulder, Alumi curiously narrowed her eyes at the Half-Cold Half-Hot user.

'Why does he feel so familiar…when I've never even met him before?'

She eventually looked away from him in favor of the third match that was about to commence, momentarily rubbing a finger on the indentation between her eyebrows. Everything was getting frustratingly out of hand during these past few days. Somehow she began to dread the coming days if this onslaught would continue to persist. Because other than the nightmares that haunt her at night, the recurring flashes of memory seemed to be coming back to her lately.

Alumi tried not to think too much of it and kept her focus steady for her upcoming match. Focus. That was all she needed to do to keep her misery at bay.


The fourth match-up was decided: the villains of Team C: Yaoyorozu Momo and Koseki Alumi, versus the heroes of Team G: Jirou Kyouka and Kaminari Denki.

Alumi wasn't too pleased with the results. She didn't like donning the role of a villain, even though it was nothing more than training. Alas, there was nothing she could do about it other than to execute the heinous role. She repressed the bitter aftertaste in her mouth at the thought while she and her partner Momo stood outside the fourth battle building.

All Might stood facing the two girls, giving them a quick briefing. As she listened to the number one hero, Alumi couldn't help but feel a little distracted. All Might's onscreen glam couldn't even begin to compare with his actual overwhelming glory up close. But somehow, Alumi felt unease, a simmering surreality underneath his layer of strength. She only started to notice it after Izuku was rushed to the clinic.

Come to think of it, he was tense during the entire time the first match was going on. It was like All Might was restraining himself – she remembered his taut facial features and the perspiration that formed on his temples – for reasons she couldn't comprehend.

"Now young ladies Yaoyorozu and Koseki, remember that the key to winning this challenge is to take your roles seriously. Treat this as the real battle. Don't fret if you have to think from a villain's perspective and act like one, and don't hesitate to use the maximum extent of your powers. But since we don't want the same incident with young Midoriya to happen again, I'll stop the fight if it gets too far, is that clear?" All Might said with a flash of his million watt grin, dispersing Alumi's thoughts.

"Yes, sir," they both replied.

"Okay! The battle will begin after five minutes! Until then, go and prepare." All Might dashed off after bidding them good luck, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

"All Might-san seems to be in quite a hurry," Alumi commented as she lowered her hand from her nose.

Momo hummed in agreement while attempting to disperse the flurry of dust that also rose up to her face. "Shall we get in?"

Alumi nodded and they both turned towards the building, each putting their game faces on.

Alumi threw her partner a smiling sidelong glance. "I look forward in completing this challenge with you, Yaoyorozu-chan. I will be in your care."

"Yes, likewise."

They were about to enter the building when Alumi paused halfway, making Momo do the same.

"What are you doing?" she asked when the bluenette suddenly knelt on one knee on the ground.

Alumi looked up to her with a sheepish smile before re-focusing her eyes on the ground again. "I almost forgot! Before we enter…"

Momo watched, stupefied and a bit amazed, when Alumi conjured a crystal pillar. It exceeded the girl's height. She estimated it to be about six feet tall with a width of about thirty inches in diameter.

'It's huge…Wait, she's carrying it?!' The raven haired girl was remotely alarmed when Alumi started to balance it over her right shoulder.

"I-It's kind of…heavy," Alumi puffed out, "but this should be enough."

Alumi gave the pillar a small pat while Yaoyorozu looked on with a disgruntled face. "Do you need some assistance?" she managed to ask.

"It's all right. It's much heavier than what I'm used to, but I'll be fine," Alumi replied, looking entirely happy for someone carrying such a heavy load. Tiny patches of sweat already began to appear on her temples but she didn't seem to notice.

Momo decided to leave the girl to her own devises. "A-All right, then. Let's go inside." She started to walk ahead but in a much slower pace so the bluenette could catch up, all the while wondering, 'What is she planning to do with it anyway?'

Sooner than later, Momo eventually began to feel peevish and uneasy with how things were going. The battle would start any minute now and they were still not in their designated area, all because of the girl lugging behind her.

Yaoyorozu closed her eyes and huffed before turning around to regard Alumi with disapproving eyes. "Koseki-san, carrying that thing is slowing us down. I shall not stay idle any longer. Please wait a moment."

Alumi paused and looked up to see Momo begin to summon something from her stomach. When it was complete, it slipped from her body, revealing to be a metal shopping cart, the kind commonly found in grocery markets. The only difference was that it was bigger and had a deeper basket than the average ones.

"Here," Momo said as she pushed it towards her. "You may use it."

Alumi looked down from Momo to the metal cart with wide astonished eyes, her mouth breaking into a huge grin. "Amazing! Well then, don't mind if I do."

"The metal support is ten times thicker. I assure you that it will hold out," Momo couldn't help but remark when it creaked under the crystal pillar's weight.

"Ooh, you're right," Alumi commented as she gave the cart an experimental push. "This is definitely much better. Thank you very much, Yaoyorozu-chan."

"It's no big deal," Momo said, though her face practically glowed with pride at the efficiency of her creation. "Now, let's head to the third floor. We need to hurry."

"Un. I'm right behind you." Alumi pushed at the handle and followed Momo's lead towards the elevator located at the end of the hall.

Once they arrived at their designated post, Momo measured the door before manufacturing rectangular steel plates while Alumi pushed the trolley towards the nuclear-shaped weapon made of papier-mâché. She slowly began to lift the crystallized pillar out of the cart and placed it beside the weapon. When she was done, she strode over to Momo and sat down by a nearby crate, watching the raven haired girl work with childlike interest and wonder.

"I'm going to fortify our defenses by sealing this entrance," Momo explained when she noticed the bluenette staring from the corner of her eye.

"A barricade."

"Yes."

"Seems like you've already got a good plan going even before it's our turn, Yaoyorozu-chan," Alumi said, amused and impressed.

"Naturally, it's always better to plan ahead than wait for something significant to happen."

"Agreed. And your Quirk is really amazing. It allows you to summon all kinds of objects, huh?"

Momo's concentrated look morphed into a pensive one as she started to stack the steel plates tier by tier, one at a time. "Not summon, exactly. More like I make them. I can create anything using the fat on my skin as long as I know how they are made."

"Hnn. So you can't create things just by looking at them," stated Alumi rather than asked.

"That is correct," Yaoyorozu replied with a small smile touching her lips, seemingly pleased that Alumi got the gist of it.

A moment of silence. Then: "You know…my Quirk is similar in that manner."

Momo gave her an arrested glance. "How so?"

Alumi folded her hands together and placed it on her lap. Although her features seemed nonchalant, she emitted the impression like she was about to share something crucial. "Many mistake my Quirk as a mere crystallization type in the augmenting category. To be honest even I thought so too at first, but as I became aware of this power and explored what more I could do with it, I realized how wrong I, and everyone else, was. Because the truth is, I merely manipulated the minerals that already existed underground."

Just as she expected, Momo looked bolted from the blue. "So you are saying that the true nature of your Quirk...is by mineral manipulation?" Her statement was met with a nod.

"I can summon crystals and manipulate them however I want," Alumi continued, "but only as long as there's a source, which is usually the earth we tread upon. And so, I can't conjure crystals from this wall or the cement we're standing on because they don't have the necessary elements. I also need to have direct physical contact with the source. Otherwise, I can't conjure crystals with will alone, just like how you can't make something just by looking at it, Yaoyorozu-chan."

"I see…" Momo muttered before shooting a questioning look at the crystallized pillar. "Then, what are you planning to do with that?"

With a shrewd smile on her face, Alumi stood up and sauntered over to the crystal pillar with purpose. "I may not be able to summon crystals in this place, but with this, I can use it as an alternative source. The only downside is that I can't change its quantity once it's been severed from its main source, so I'll have to make use of it as it is." She paused and did a once-over at the faux-weapon with a satisfied smile. "And I think this will do just fine."

With a touch of Alumi's palm, the crystal melted into a viscous state. Momo watched in silence as it slithered up and molded around the faux nuclear missile, moving and covering the whole thing according to its mistress's will. When it was done, Momo inquisitively strode over to the faux-weapon now encased in shining crystal.

"So this is what you had in mind…" she murmured. Then she looked up and blinked. "It didn't cover the whole thing though…If they touch that, it's over for us."

Alumi came up beside her with a sheepish smile. "Oh dear…I underestimated the weapon's size…But we're waging on whether our opponents can breach our defenses or not, right? I'm hoping for the latter."

Momo nodded thoughtfully. "True. Still, this is quite impressive." She tapped the crystal with her knuckles as if to test its solidity. "A raw crystallite is made of very hard mineral components. If what you said is true, then a mere blow wouldn't be enough to break this."

"It's a different matter if we're up against a heavy-duty Quirk, though. Thankfully, none of our opponents seem to possess that kind of Quirk," Alumi said cheerfully.

Momo continued to scrutinize the crystal. 'Koseki-san summoned this outside where the minerals are needed to create this. If this is indeed made from raw crystalline minerals, then I can't think of anything other than Aluminum to make it possible in the first place. It's only normal I suppose since Aluminum is the third most abundant element underneath the earth, it can be found everywhere. But something doesn't add up...' Her eyes widened in realization.

Momo whirled around to face Alumi with grave intrigue. "Koseki-san, you say that the source of your crystals is from underground."

"Uh-huh, because that's where the crystalline elements are."

"And what crystalline element would that be? It couldn't be other than Aluminum, is it?"

"Aluminum Oxide, actually."

Momo shot her an incredulous look. "Then this crystal…you mean to say you can summon genuine Corundum!?"

"More like I manipulate its mineral state and make them appear into crystals," Alumi replied, her smile turning sheepish under Momo's scrutiny. "Umm, is everything alright, Yaoyorozu-chan?"

"Yes. It's just that I find this Quirk of yours inconceivable."

Alumi tilted her head. "Aren't all Quirks inconceivable though? Besides, you can create things from your epidermis."

Momo blinked back while placing a pondering hand to her chin. "Hm, touché."

Alumi laughed. "That said, my Quirk is still pretty useless when I'm indoors."

"That's not true," Momo said as she gave her an appraising glance. "You may not be able to summon your crystals directly, but you certainly know what you have to do, just as how you already summoned one prior to entering the building."

The bluenette grazed a finger to her reddening cheeks, growing increasingly embarrassed from the compliment. She was certainly praised before, but this was actually the first time somebody complimented her strategical abilities rather than her looks or how strong her Quirk was. It was even more flattering to hear it from someone like Momo.

"I also apologize for criticizing you earlier," Momo continued, her words surprising the other girl. "It escaped me that it would actually have some significance. Which reminds me, was it all right for you to tell me such valuable information?"

"It's okay, I don't mind at all. I figured it's only fair to tell you the nature of my Quirk after finding out yours. You can call it a bargain. And besides, we're comrades working hard to reach a common goal in becoming heroes. It's only been our second day, but I would like for us to be able to trust each other, even just a little."

Momo returned her sentiments with a smile of her own, along with a halfhearted 'hmph'. "That's a little too much to ask concerning we've just met, but I suppose you are right." She extended her right arm, offering her hand for a handshake.

Alumi was more than happy to oblige the friendly gesture. "Oh, before I forget, I have something to ask you, Momo-chan…"

"M-Momo-chan!?"

"Eh? But it's okay, right? We're partners now and we're comrades from this day onwards too. So from now on, please call me 'Alumi'!"

Alumi was so giddy about it that Momo could practically see flowers floating around her. She also found it hard to refuse. But well, what was the harm?

A touch of pink sprinkled Momo's cheeks, relenting. She was more concerned about what Alumi had to say than to care about formality as of the moment. "W-Well, I suppose..." She shook her embarrassment away and regained her default business-like manner. "Anyway, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Alumi released her hand and shot an indicative glance at the steel-plated entrance, Momo following her line of sight. "I was wondering that by barricading the door and sealing us inside – with no way in or out – did you plan to avoid a confrontation?"

"That is correct," Momo replied as she turned and walked towards the door which was now halfway to being fully sealed. "I have no problems when it comes to combat, but since we both don't know what our opponents' Quirks are, I figured being on the defensive is a much effective strategy than facing them head on." She turned her head and casted Alumi a steady gaze. "Do you know how to engage in combat Ko–, umm, A-Alu…mi-san?"

"Well…" Alumi began, suppressing the urge to giggle upon seeing Momo struggle in saying her name. How amused she was to learn that despite how stiff she seemed, Momo was actually a timid girl who probably had a hard time getting close with others. Alumi felt a little surprised as well, because she used to be liked that. "Since this is an indoor battle, I can't use my Quirk against my opponents, but I can handle hand-to-hand combat if it's a one-on-one match. My chances of winning also depend on what kind of Quirk they have."

"I thought so," Momo assented solemnly. "This is why I opted to avoid a one-on-one battle. If one of us left this room to ambush them, victory against the unknown poses a big risk, while at the same time its possibility of creating a 2 versus 1 scenario is high. Considering that you can't use your Quirk right now, we have the highest disadvantage than our opponents."

"You're right." 'You've thought of this so far ahead, Momo-chan.' Alumi thought with a smile. Her gaze swept from Momo's steel barricade to the crystal encased weapon, her smile widening. "I'm glad our defensive strategies are right on track, then."

At that moment All Might's announcement resounded within the area. The combat training was about to begin.

"It's time." Momo set the last steel plate in place and turned to face Alumi with her hands akimbo. "We just need to focus on protecting the weapon for now. I reckon we don't have to behave like actual villains in doing that."

Those words enlightened Alumi more than she was even aware of. With the tiny prickle in her consciousness fading away, she now felt a tinge of mischievous excitement.

She chuckled lowly, her smile sliding into a smirk. "That's right. This is like a game, isn't it? It's not even about being a hero or being a villain anymore. It's a game to see the extent of our abilities."

Although Momo was a bit discomfited that the bluenette thought of this mock-battle as a mere game (as she herself didn't take anything lightly), she did agree that this training was not a mere exhibition competition between who wins and who doesn't. A small smile graced her lips upon realizing this.

"I suppose you're right," Momo said before raising an eyebrow and giving her an amused look. "You raise your points in the weirdest way, Alumi-san."

Alumi grinned and returned her expression. "I can say the same thing about you, Momo-chan."


Long A/N ahoy!

SO, a lot went down in this chapter huh? Let's see…We got the battle trial down pat, a little bit of a Katsuki-Alumi encounter, a little bit of Alumi's past, the nature of Alumi's Quirk (it doesn't explain all of it but that's pretty much the major stuff) and…OH YES! The Alumi and Momo tandem!

Lemme just share how much I was dying to write this moment. Momo has always been one of my fave characters. I just LOVE her. She's also the only one who I felt could elaborate on Alumi's Quirk given her intellect, so finally getting to work with her makes me feel very accomplished! ^^

I hope my characterization of her wasn't too off the mark. What do you think? Tell me in the reviews! I know I said that reviews aren't required, but that doesn't mean you have to hold back. So send me them feedbacks! =D


Now here are some things I feel I should be clear about in this chapter:

On Alumi's account, while she was aware how this was nothing more than training, she still felt frustrated about the fact that she wounded up as a villain. Though I assume nobody in the class liked the idea of being the "bad guys" in this role-play battle, Alumi was still affected and unnerved by it because her brother was killed by one, resulting in her resenting the very idea of villains. She is easily triggered about the things concerning Haruki's death, no matter how much she tries to appear calm about it. But once she's got her bearings, Alumi's certainly up for a good game.

About Haruki's Quirk, it's called 'Free Life'. He can give a 'life' to non-living objects by manipulating their potential kinetic energy or its 'Inertia' and can make them move according to his commands. These things may lose their 'life' if he disperses his Quirk or if he stays away from them for too long. His Quirk is actually a hybrid mutation that branched off from his mother's Quirk, due to the Quirk Singularity phenomenon (he and Alumi are similar in this note). His name comes from the kanji (- Haru) meaning "light, sun, male", and (- Ki) meaning "living".

You might be wondering about the chapter name. Why Boons & Banes, you ask? Well firstly, I reckon some of you might know what it means but for those who don't, Boon means the positive of something while Bane is the negative. And in this chapter (specifically the event itself A.K.A the Battle Trial) it possesses both aspects. The positive is that we finally got down to the nature of Alumi's Quirk while the negative is that Izuku was injured from the mock-battle, which distressed Alumi deeply. I've taken the liberty to explain this because there will be chapters in the future that will have the same anecdotal title. So if you see it again, you know what to expect ;)


That aside, noticed that I kept the canon scenes at a minimum? I commend you!

The reason is because I don't want to bore you guys with redundant scenes you already read/saw from the series (I mean you did watch the Anime or read the Manga first before stumbling into this fanfiction right?) To be honest with you I find it quite annoying when an author drags a scene just because their OC's in it. I've encountered so many fanfics like that during my time here and needless to say I skipped scenes like boss. I don't want to make my readers feel the way I did on having to read redundant scenes, so I kept them short. Ah, but don't hesitate to tell me if I have to put more details though~.

From now on, I will be putting the posting dates below every chapter I update. No special reason, I just like to be reminded of every step closer I take with this fanfiction. I actually contemplated on deleting this story, to tell you the truth. It was during the time I was so pressured I just literally sat in a corner doing nothing while listening to the little demons talk in my head.

I confided in my sister about it and she encouraged me to continue writing (by telling me how much of a quitter I become when I start procrastinating). God I love her, bless her soul. So yes, I will be continuing this. Also the second season of the Anime is just around the corner, bringing back the fire of inspiration in my veins.

Well I hope you enjoyed this. It's about time for some girl power action don'tchu think? We definitely gonna see more of that in the coming chapters! :D


[Date Updated]: March 28, 2017.
[Edited]: Fixed grammatical errors, added minor changes and a couple of phrases, and re-wrote some scenes.