We're finally here~! The USJ Arc is one of my biggest must-write arcs, so that's one down! I also really wanted to upload this chapter during this story's 2nd anniversary approximately nine days ago, and this was really only supposed to be around 7,000 words...but...yeah. Let's get on with it (⌐■_■)

Shoutout and rainbow confettis to: Krystal 2018, Leslie, Awesomeness3013, Silver Hydrangea, Malorne-10, Emocean, asphodelos, and the three Guests for reviewing~! (/)*:・゚✧


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Chapter Nine

USJs in USJ


Alumi's eyes opened slowly. She had taught herself in the past to awaken whenever her dreams have reached the point of where she didn't want them to continue anymore, the point where they morph into hideous vivid nightmares. But tonight there was no sign of Haruki. Instead she had the impression of being lost amidst a large group of people, their black shadowed figures vaguely resembling some of her classmates while some resembled the pesky media men from yesterday. There was chaos and yelling, but she didn't know where it came from or from who, nor did she understand a single word that was being said.

She was faintly aware of Izuku's presence nearby, but there was no sight of him. She remembered looking frantically for him, pushing her way towards unknown directions of where he could be. And just when she felt she could see the outline of his body, everything dissipated until there was nothing left but the dark. What followed after was a seemingly long immeasurable interval of inky blackness.

And then Alumi woke up, the familiar outline of her room's ceiling greeting her first, followed by the soft lavender glow of her nightlight slowly pouring into her vision. She sat up slowly and released an exhausted yawn against her palm before glancing to her left. She squinted her eyes to read the digital numbers her bedside alarm clock displayed. It read 4:22 AM.

'Thank goodness. It's almost five AM.' Alumi rubbed at her face, which felt oddly sore, and ran both hands through her hair, dimly noting of how long it got, before lowering her legs on the floor. She stretched, made her bed, grabbed a face towel and made a beeline for the bathroom, now thoroughly conscious and intent to start her day.


About forty minutes later, Alumi returned with a sweat-drenched top, exhausted but satisfied. She walked up to their gate and was about to open it, her hand already raised, when it was abruptly opened. Alumi froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with the person on the other side of the gate.

Koseki Reika did not look the least bit surprised. She raised a mildly concerned brow, however, as she took in Alumi's less than polished appearance, sharp blue-lavender eyes zeroing in on her sweaty top, dishevelled hair, pale face and clammy skin.

Alumi forced herself to smile as she forced down the sudden outbreak of panic that threatened to show itself. "Good morning, Mother," she managed to say.

"Alu," her mother responded, her assessing gaze dissolving into a neutral one. "I just arrived when I heard footsteps. I figured it was you." She turned and headed towards the white car parked within their garage. "You're out rather early."

Alumi crossed the threshold with the caution of a chick entering a lioness' den. "I woke up earlier than my alarm, but it wasn't…it wasn't too far from the set time…and I figured I might as well get up," she answered timidly, earning a low "Is that so?" from the older woman.

As Alumi closed the gate, she saw her mother's luggage which consisted of a designer leather bag, a suitcase, two boxes, and three huge shopping bags placed on the ground.

"I didn't know you were coming home today. Is…is the project you're working on finally finished?"

"Yes. It's set to air next Monday after the evening news."

"Oh, that's wonderful..."

Having run out of what else to say, Alumi turned to enter the house but paused at the sight of her mother's back. Only then did she notice that Reika was still dressed in her travelling clothes. A pang of anguished concern filled her. Reluctantly, she approached one of the boxes and worked up the courage to speak. "Shall I bring one of these inside?"

Reika looked from over her shoulder at what Alumi was referring to before nodding her head and returning to rummage back inside the car. "Please do. And do take those bags along. The ones with the pink label are yours."

Alumi blinked with surprise and smiled a little, aware of a sinking sensation thrumming throughout her stomach. "All right."

She went to check the two boxes, smiling wryly when she saw how one of them had a pink label. After ascertaining they didn't contain anything fragile, she stacked the boxes on top of each other, slipped the three shopping bags on her left forearm, placed the designer leather bag on the other, gathered the stack of boxes into her arms and slowly began her trek up the stairs of their porch, making sure to balance the total load of the objects she was carrying.

As soon as she heard the door close, Reika turned and stared at the entrance with a soft, contemplative expression. Then she looked down on where she placed the things she unloaded from the car and was greeted with only her suitcase left. Irked that her daughter decided to carry the majority of her luggages all by herself, Reika threw a hard, vexed look at the door.

'That child…'


Alumi reached her room carrying the box and shopping bag with the pink labels. She placed them on her bed and went to pull the windows apart, smiling softly at the telltale signs of the rising sun. She returned to her bed and began rummaging through her gifts. Inside the box were an assortment of beauty products, four large bottles of lotion, bath oils, along with three bottles of shampoo and conditioners, all plastered with a small red tag that said 'all natural'. She opened the shopping bag next and pulled out two dresses, a pair of casual Spartan-esque sandals and a red cardigan. Carefully she laid them one by one on the bed, methodically so just as she'd done a hundred times before.

By the time she was done, Alumi slumped, drained of any cheerful emotion she felt that morning as she perused her new possessions with weary compliancy. She knew by now how this was her mother's way of saying sorry and showing her affection. She appreciated her mother's efforts to get them for her, and she was grateful for the gifts as they were unquestionably expensive and sought after by many girls her age. But the monetary value they held were not the same as having the things that were truly priceless.

Lavish material things make pretty company, but it wasn't what Alumi truly wanted. It wasn't what she truly needed.

The aurora rays of the sunrise flooded into her room, casting light against every outline and on the assorted row of crystal glasses that hung over her window, the myriad of colors mingling and bathing the room in ethereal hues. But Alumi saw no color as she sat on her knees in the middle of the bed surrounded by very pretty things, lost wallowing in the void writhing inside of her.


The time was 6: 45 AM.

As Alumi made her was down the stairs clad in her school uniform, she was under the impression that she was in some sort of dream. Not only did her mother arrive with no warning, but she also took it upon herself to make breakfast, which was a complete and utter phenomenon in the Koseki house. Reika didn't join her at the table, however, as she revealed she'd already eaten before travelling (to which Alumi was secretly relieved of).

And now, her mother was going to see her wearing U.A's student uniform for the first time.

As if on cue, Reika walked out of the kitchen holding a mug in one hand, a magazine on the other, and paused when she saw her. Alumi's skin crawled underneath her blazer as her mother began to scrutinize her appearance, and whatever she saw, she definitely wasn't pleased.

As the older woman approached, Alumi stood rooted by the foot of the stairs. She braced herself, fully expecting to hear her mother's two cents of disapproval. But what she did next surprised Alumi beyond anything that morning.

Reika had stopped in front of her, placed the magazine under her arm, and ever so gently pressed her free hand against Alumi's right cheek.

Alumi tensed, her shoulders bunching upward. Never had her mother touched her like this, not since she was a little girl. At that frozen moment something invisible seemed to coil around her throat, alarm bells ringing in her head, but even so, she fought against the urge of wanting to break away from her mother's hand as if her touch was poison.

She was terrified, until she became aware of a tingling sensation flowing through her, starting from where her mother's hand made contact and spreading throughout her body like warm water. It seeped into her skin and invigorated her senses as if she'd just emerged from a hot spring. A part of her mind recalled her father's words of how her mother's Quirk was akin to a spa treatment when one had the pleasure of being subjected to it. Alumi blinked twice and flushed, realizing with a touch of relief and disappointment that her mother was actually activating her Quirk on her. Reika was stone-faced as she did it and Alumi wondered when it would be over.

"Today is your fourth day at U.A, isn't it, Alu?"

She bobbed her head down in accordance with her answer. "Un…"

There was a moment of silence before Reika spoke again, her voice acquiring a stern edge. "Your father told me of your recent exploits in U.A…As I thought, that school's standards are unconventional and absurd."

A flare of indignation. 'You're wrong.' U.A was actually the most rational and sane institution she had the privilege to study in. But Alumi bit back the retort and forced herself to look at her mother in the eye.

She smiled and spoke with measured calmness, "It's what made them the number one hero academy in Japan, though."

Although Reika's expression remained neutral, Alumi caught the way her mouth tightened into a straight, disapproving line. Finally she lifted her hand off from her cheek and Alumi found herself breathing with ease again.

"Touché," her mother murmured in her occasional French accent. "Well, whatever odd things you're going to do in U.A today, you better not neglect your health, understand? You looked about ready to drop this morning."

Alumi was at a loss for words, her wariness displaced by bewilderment as Reika gave her a steady, mildly annoyed stare. 'O-Oh…Is that why she used her Quirk on me…?' Then, somewhere in the cage of her anxious heart, a small bud of hope began to bloom. Her mother was finally, finally beginning to be receptive towards her pursuit to be a hero. She didn't know how that happened, but it was wonderful, unbelievable, miraculous.

Absentmindedly Alumi nodded her head, her lips curling into a small, genuine smile. "I understand…I'll be heading off now."

Reika responded with a low hum and exited the hall. Alumi turned towards the small shoe shelf beside the entrance, replaced her indoor slippers with her school shoes and left the house with a quiet click of the door. As soon as she was out of the gate, Alumi paused to breathe in the morning air and felt every tense nerve begin to relax.

Oddly enough she felt ready to seize the day after surviving the sudden encounter with her mother, even though it was mostly due to her mother's Quirk that she felt refreshed in the first place. She huffed softly and chuckled at the irony of it. Even now as she was making her way out of their subdivision, her mind still worked to digest what just happened.

Stray petals from a nearby cherry blossom tree slowly danced in the wind above her. Unconsciously, Alumi pressed her fingers on her right cheek where the warmth of her mother's hand still lingered. She was surprised to encounter silky smooth skin, and when she trailed them over her eyes, Alumi discovered the bags underneath her eyes were gone.


It was already past 1 o' clock.

The students of Class 1-A were currently assembled in the courtyard in their costumes. There was a bus nearby, waiting to be filled and ready to take them out for yet another exciting Hero Basic Training session that was going to take place outside the campus.

Alumi walked over to where Izuku and Ochako were. She kept her gaze on the curly haired boy, however, and smiled with relief. She couldn't stop worrying at how she wasn't able to go to the station with Izuku ever since yesterday. Kyouhei and the anaconda twins were great company, and Izuku himself was perfectly fine when she told him she couldn't accompany him that afternoon, but still, she couldn't help but feel uneasy as she thought about how she wasn't by Izuku's side.

It was like an obsessive compulsion to constantly check on him. It's only been the first time in three days that she wasn't able to ride the train with the curly haired boy, but she could barely stop her worries from escalating. Where is he now? Did he manage to get a seat inside the train, or is he standing squished together with other people? Simple yet unanswered questions. She knew she was being ridiculous, and yet she just couldn't repress the intense feeling of anxiety every time he's out of her sight. Seeing him now fully recovered instantly brought her encompassing comfort.

Ochako spotted her first as she drew nearer and happily waved her over, followed by Izuku who immediately flashed her a friendly smile.

"Alumi-san," Izuku greeted as the bluenette stood beside him.

"I see your costume didn't make it," Alumi said as she gave his chosen attire a quick once-over. "I was wondering what you were going to wear for today's Basic Hero Training, but will your P.E uniform be enough as a replacement, Mi-kun?"

"Un, I think so…My costume didn't really have any specialized functions or anything other than my gloves, so…I'm fine with this." Izuku looked down and stared at the white glove covering his hand. He clenched it close and Alumi smiled warmly upon seeing the contented and determined look in his eyes.

A loud whistle rang through the air and everyone instantly turned to face Iida.

"Everyone! Gather around and form two lines according to your student numbers so we can board the bus smoothly!" As if his loud announcement wasn't enough, Iida proceeded to blow on his whistle a couple more times.

"Iida-kun sure is taking his duties at full throttle…" Izuku commented, watching their classmates start to make a beeline for the bus.

As the three of them went to join the others Alumi couldn't help but wonder aloud, "I wonder where he got the whistle…Our Inchou sure is prepared." She said it more to herself though Izuku and Ochako laughed quietly beside her.

Conceding to their Inchou's orders, everyone formed two lines according to their student numbers. Numbers 1 to 10 stood on the left and 11 to 20 to the right. While Iida marshalled the remaining strays that weren't in their places yet, Alumi stepped into her designated place and found herself right in front of Bakugou Katsuki.

She instantly heard a low growl behind her. Obviously Bakugou wasn't the least bit pleased. With Alumi in his front and Izuku at his back, she figured the ash-blond probably couldn't bear the situation sandwiched between the two people he recognized as the most annoying in the class.

Smiling wryly, Alumi released a resigned sigh and brought her attention to the bus. It was somewhat familiar, and she stared further into the windows. The glass was mildly tinted, but she could still make out most of the vague outlines inside.

"Ara. This bus is similar to the one we took during our entrance exam, isn't it?" she murmured to herself.

Ojiro Mashirao, who was right beside her, gave her a questioning glance. "What's the matter, Koseki-san?"

Recognizing the tailed boy who fought against Todoroki in the mock battle, Alumi was about to answer him when Iida turned up beside them. He scrutinized them for a moment before nodding his head in approval and was about to move to the others when Alumi quickly raised her hand to anchor him in place.

"Iida-kun," she called.

"What is it, Koseki-kun?"

"I don't think there's a need to put everybody in lines." At his dubious expression Alumi further explained, "Do you remember our entrance exam two months ago? This bus looked like the exact same bus we took to the battle center. It may not be the exact bus, but the designs are similar, so I figured the inside must be similar as well."

"Yes, I can still remember that…" Iida replied but trailed off as he stared at the bus, his eyes widening slightly in realization.

"A quick check inside wouldn't hurt," Alumi suggested.

Iida decided to do just that. He entered the bus and came out a second later with a disconcerted and flustered look on his face. Just as everyone started to wonder what was wrong, Iida blew his whistle once more, making most of them flinch.

"Everyone! I regret to inform you this isn't the type of bus we need to line up for! I ask you forgive me for this blunder. You may now enter and sit down wherever you please!"

While a series of cheers and befuddled reactions responded to Iida's statement, a bemused Ojiro turned towards Alumi.

"So this is what you meant. I'm amazed you noticed something like that, Koseki-san."

Alumi chuckled. "It's no big deal. Anyone could've seen it if they looked closely."

Just then Aizawa-sensei arrived to join them and everybody immediately whirred into action and hastily went inside the bus. Since Alumi wasn't in a hurry to get the best seats in the bus like the others, she ended up having to sit in the back. While looking for a vacant seat, her eyes caught the lone figure of Todoroki beside the window, the seat on his left unoccupied. There were about three available seats at the very back, but for some reason she couldn't take her eyes off that empty spot. Unconsciously and rather impulsively, her feet moved towards him.

"Can I sit with you, Todoroki-kun?"

Todoroki had his eyes closed. He opened them as soon as he heard her voice, and after staring at her for a good second, he nodded his consent. The bus hit the road shortly after Alumi settled beside the Half-Cold Half-Hot user. She felt a little giddy for some reason, sitting beside him. She certainly didn't expect for Todoroki to say yes though she secretly hoped he would.

The quiet whir of the bus' engine hummed ceaselessly in the background. While some of their classmates began to engage in light chatter, Alumi watched the passing scenery outside, the colors melding together into a blur with vague figures darting like a scene from a film strip. Her eyes eventually slid towards her seatmate and saw he had his eyes closed again. Todoroki seemed relaxed, but she could sense a subtle tension beneath his calm exterior, like he was ready to intercept any oncoming attack in a split-second notice. It was evident in the way his back was pressed tightly against the chair, and the way his hands were tightly clenched as he carefully placed them atop his knees. In fact, someone could try and throw a brick at Todoroki right now and Alumi wouldn't even be surprised if he caught it in one hand, freeze it into bits and deliver an accurate counterattack without even opening an eye.

Her eyes wandered to the scar over his left eye. He seemed to have acquired it a long time ago, perhaps somewhere in his childhood, and Alumi wondered if he had accidentally burned himself with his Quirk. But even with the wrinkled pigmentation on his face, Todoroki still retained his polished good looks. He was undeniably what they call a 'pretty boy', with his gentle features and 'cool beauty' appeal.

He must've felt her stare somehow for Todoroki unexpectedly opened his eyes, those beautifully unsettling heterochromatic eyes immediately catching hers.

"Do you have something you want to say?"

She blinked, caught off guard. The first thing her stunned mind registered was the sound of his voice. Husky as if he hadn't spoken in a long time and alluringly deep…Alumi mentally staggered to form a reply.

"Oh, n-not particularly…?" She immediately regretted her impulsive response and felt an uncomfortable warmth begin to crawl across her face as Todoroki continued to watch her. This was getting embarrassing. Alumi couldn't remember the last time she stuttered!

She figured it must've had something to do with the way he was looking at her, his eyes intense and intimidating but also entreatingly patient. And his voice…it was the first time she heard it up close, she'd never heard anything like it. It was unlike Bakugou's gruff and booming voice, or Izuku's high-pitched and timid one. It was serene, like the ocean at dawn, with a deep resonating quality that also held suggestive hints of underlying danger. She could listen to him all day and never get tired of his voice.

Oblivious to Alumi's chagrin and growing fascination towards him, Todoroki closed his eyes and lapsed into his stoic sitting stance once again, as if accepting that was the end of their exchange. From the way she was looking at him, he had expected she would want to talk about their mutual discovery of where their respective votes went or who it went to, so he asked. But instead Alumi looked astounded and somewhat lost.

He was grateful for not having to talk, however. Todoroki disliked incessant and senseless chatter, especially when travelling. He much preferred listening to the natural sounds progressing around him, like the low drone of the engine, of the wheels running along the tarmac road, the occasional chirping of birds from a distance and the leaves rustling in the breeze. He hoped the ride would be a long one, so he could take a little nap…

"Well…It's just you seem like the type who doesn't like talking very much." He heard Alumi say. It sounded like she just got her confident self-possession back.

Well, she certainly wasn't incorrect. Todoroki didn't mind her delayed response, but he wondered if answering her speculation would lead to more talking.

"I prefer talking only when it's necessary," he said.

Alumi made a faint hum of amusement. She wholeheartedly agreed, though she also felt tickled by his answer. 'And what exactly is a necessary conversation to you, Shouto-san?' she longed to ask as she stared into his peaceful face. And she would've if she hadn't heard what Tsuyu said that very moment.

"Your Quirk is similar to All Might's." The statement caused a buzz of 'now that you mentioned it' reactions, and a curious look from Alumi. She wouldn't have thought much about it if she hadn't heard Izuku's anxious response next.

Now confused, she wondered why Tsuyu would say such a thing, and to Izuku no less. Slowly, Alumi teared her focus away from Todoroki and settled her full attention on the curly haired boy with her eyebrows slanted in concern. Izuku was getting jittery now, like how he always does whenever he's extremely nervous.

"But Tsu-chan, All Might never gets hurt when he uses his Quirk. They just kind of look the same," Kirishima said from beside the frog-like girl. And just like that, the red-head easily steered the abrupt topic of the uncanny similarity of Izuku's Quirk to All Might's and began a whole different subject.

Alumi's gaze never left Izuku, however, and she didn't miss how he discreetly released a relieved sigh now that Tsuyu wasn't scrutinizing him with her innocuous speculation anymore.

'I suppose they are kind of similar. But there are many Quirks with similar functions especially if the people involved are genetically related.' Alumi paused. 'Huh. Genetically related…'

Alumi was distracted from her thoughts when she heard Kirishima's loud statement directed at the boy beside her, something about his and the ash-blond's Quirks being both strong and flashy. Todoroki gave no reaction or any inclination that he heard what the red-head said while Bakugou simply huffed and looked away.

"But Bakugou-chan is angry all the time, so I don't think he'll be popular, kero."

Tsuyu's innocent comment immediately reaped an enraged howl from Bakugou which only served to solidify her point.

"I think that is what's going to make him famous, though," Alumi couldn't resist saying.

Instantaneously Bakugou whipped his head towards her and was about to yell something when Sero laughed and bellowed, "That's a riot! Then everyone's gonna call him the Angry Hero!"

It certainly had a nice ring to it and Alumi began to laugh with the others, prompting Bakugou to shoot up from his seat and thundering an enraged, "Nobody asked for your fucking opinions ya fucking extras!"

Alumi's smile twitched. 'Extras?'

"Oh no he's not himself! Somebody get him a chocolate bar!" Kaminari hollered causing another fit of laughter inside the bus.

Bakugou roared, completely red in the face. "You wanna die!? You dunce-faced son of a—!"

"Bakugou! Please sit down and refrain from using your Quirk inside the bus! You'll damage school property!" Iida admonished with an agitated push of his glasses and an aerial hand chop.

"Shut up you uptight piece of shit I'll mop the floor with you!"

"Watch out for the Angry Hero Inchou!" Kaminari cried with a snicker.

"Quiet," warned Aizawa-sensei. "We've arrived. Quit your horse playing."

Aizawa-sensei barely even raised his voice but it was enough to quell the commotion. Even Bakugou fell silent and relented with a sullen "Yes sir" with the others.

Alumi craned her neck towards the window and saw a giant dome. Soon they were inside the premises and came face-to-face with the Space Hero, Thirteen, who welcomed them warmly and led them inside. It certainly came as a surprise that he was the third instructor joining them today. Alumi only occasionally saw him on TV, but she instantly liked the Space Hero with his child-friendly appearance and polished manners. When they finally reached the huge arch of the entrance, Thirteen stopped and allowed them a moment to observe their new environment. There was a collective sound of awe as they looked at one simulation to another, and likened the facility to the country's world-renowned theme park, Universal Studios Japan.

"From fires to floods, earthquakes and landslides...This is a training ground I created to simulate different types of disasters and accidents." Thirteen whipped around and struck a pose. "I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ!"

Alumi's smile turned wry. And from her classmates' faces she saw they were thinking the same thing. 'Ah, it really is USJ.'

"Here, I will teach you the basics of every rescue mission spanning different disaster settings!" the Space Hero further said, earning excited cheers.

Just then Aizawa-sensei walked up to Thirteen after throwing brief glances here and there and said, "Thirteen, I don't see All Might anywhere. Where is he? He was supposed to meet us here."

Thirteen eased back into a standing position and took a step closer towards the taller man. "Ah, well...about that, Aizawa-senpai..." By the time Thirteen finished talking, Aizawa-sensei had a look of resigned irritation on his face. He and Thirteen turned to face the students once again.

"All Might is going to be late, but we will proceed as planned. Let's begin."

As her classmates shared confounded looks at Aizawa-sensei's announcement, Alumi wondered what was wrong for All Might to be late. She was really looking forward to see him so she could ask for an autograph for Chihari.

Before they officially began the Rescue training exercises, Thirteen called for their attention. He began a brief speech concerning the possible danger each of their Quirks' possessed and even made his own Quirk as an example. He delved into why society decided to create laws to regulate Quirks, and shed light on the underlying matter that irresponsible use of their Quirks could potentially take a life.

This duality of their powers was something Alumi already realized when she was a child. As she listened, a certain episode of her past began to resurface, an experience she'd rather forget, rising in a series of broken memories.


The sounds of wailing. The sight of a single crystallite pole with a sharp jagged tip protruding from the ground. A moment of stunned terror, of bewilderment, of fulfillment. The unforgettable sensation of gentle vibrations under her palms. The smell of blood. The sight of a little girl with her butt on the ground, staring at her with fear and accusation.

And then...

"Y-you have a Quirk...you...liar...! You...you almost killed me...!"

The nauseating emotion of self-loathing and bitter regret.


Alumi blinked and straightened with a start. Her nape tingled, the sensation reverberating down to her shoulders and back, and up to the roots of that one tiny stalk of hair sticking out of her head. She tried to make sense of what Thirteen was saying as she reached to cover the sensitive part of her neck, but she only managed to catch his closing remarks.

"...I hope by the time you finish this exercise, you will have fully understood that the true purpose of your powers is to help people. That is all! I thank you for your patience and undivided attention!"

An enthusiastic round of applause met Thirteen as he bowed gracefully. Alumi clapped her hands as well, but it was much quieter and done without much thought, as if her hands were on autopilot. She looked around distractedly, wondering what kind of danger they could possibly get themselves into in this place. She tried to draw a deep breath but it came up short. She sighed instead, then swallowed, and lifted a hand to rub one of her arms where goose bumps had risen.

"You okay?"

Alumi gave the girl beside her a reassuring smile, though she felt it was a little stiff. "Yes...It's just it's gotten a little cold all of a sudden."

Jirou looked unconvinced but eventually acknowledged the notion. "Maybe it's because spring just rolled in. Maybe that's why the wind's still a little cold."

"All right," Aizawa-sensei started, capturing their attention, "first things first—" but Aizawa-sensei broke off when the lights flickered and died.

The dome was now completely submerged in shadows. Alumi felt the color drain from her face. Surprised murmurs immediately broke out. Below them just beyond the stairs, the irregular spouting of the fountain could be heard.

"Are they doing some kind of maintenance or something?" She heard Sero say. But she knew at once this wasn't a normal occurrence. The tingling of her nape had stopped, leaving behind a cold, hollow sense of dread.

And that's when the calm before the storm escalated into a full-blown tempest.

"Huddle together and don't move! Thirteen, protect the students!"

Alumi grew very cold as her mind throbbed with the effort of processing what was currently happening and of what was about to happen. There was a sharp edge of unmistakable urgency in Aizawa-sensei's voice, and as they stared at him with growing concern, he was pointedly staring down at something in the distance, his rugged face taut with repressed alarm. Being the closest to the cusp of the stairs, Aizawa-sensei had a good view of the area below. Whatever he saw down there was definitely something or someone that wasn't supposed to be there. Something or someone that was definitely not good.

Kirishima, who stood at the very front, must've caught a glimpse of it too because he was squinting his eyes and looked disturbed. "What…is that? Who are those people? Is this like the entrance exam where the lesson's already started?"

Alumi furrowed her eyebrows. 'People…? We're supposed to be alone with no other' She froze, eyes widening in horror as she finally realized what her instincts were trying to warn her of. 'No…Those people are!'

"Don't move!" Aizawa-sensei commanded again when the others in front began to stir. Alumi whipped her gaze back towards their teacher and felt her throat cinch in on itself as he slipped his combat goggles on. He was preparing for battle. Aizawa-sensei may have appeared calm, but that did little to moderate the chilling weight of his next words.

"Those are villains."

That one word unlocked a floodgate of emotion inside Alumi. Terror, revulsion, sorrow and rage. Her surroundings became a dizzying blur of varying reactions but she felt detached. She couldn't understand the words that progressed around her, nor could she make out what she was staring at, as if her senses had gone numb and she was underwater. She was aware of her rapidly pacing heartbeat and irregular breathing but it was as if she was somewhere far away, watching everything unfold with morbid interest.

The next thing she knew she was being led towards the entrance, her legs moving in awkward sync with the rest of her body as Mina and Jirou, who had been trying to induce a response from her, pulled her along with them.

"…lumin? A—…o good, she mu—…gone into shock!"

"Oi, Koseki…! Wh—…ong with you? Ge—grip...! —need to escape!"

Yes, escape. They needed to get out of there, needed to go back to school—

A giant, swirling pit of inky nothingness materialized in front of them, which was unnervingly similar to Thirteen's Black Hole, except in reverse. For out of it formed a face, and from its depths came a voice.

"I won't let you escape."

Alumi's nerves crackled in response, consciousness surging throughout her body with every painful throb of her heart. More indecipherable words rang through the ominous air. Above the sharp hum of faint screaming inside her ears she tried to make sense of it all. League of Villains. Here to kill the Symbol of Peace. To kill All Might.

Kill.

Alumi raised her eyes towards the disfigured mass of black mist towering over them and was smothered underneath a familiar sense of horror. But this wasn't the past, this wasn't that day. There was no Haruki and this wasn't a nightmare.

This. Was. Real.

A sudden explosion. Bakugou and Kirishima had launched a sudden assault, not allowing the villain to make the first move. But despite their valiant efforts, the villain remained unharmed. Physical attacks were ineffective. All at once they realized the frightening extent of his strength.

"Ahh, that's right," the black mist began as dispersed parts of him started to flow and reconstruct to their original form. "Even if you are mere students right now, you are the hero world's precious 'golden eggs'. We can't have that. Something must be done with you." He narrowed his glowing golden eyes and expanded into an even bigger, terrifying version of himself. "It is my job to scatter and torture you. You will be slain!"

A flurry of long, shadowy limbs shot out of the void of his body. It stretched and swarmed over and around them until they were completely shrouded in a swirling mist of malice that had the force of a surging windstorm. Alumi could barely breathe. She trembled, cold and shocked and hopeless, as if she was a little girl again. But then, suddenly, in the quivering recesses of her mind, she heard the sound of a small, echoing voice, growing louder, and louder…

'…me…Help…me…Alumi-nee...! ALUMI-NEE!'

Alumi shot up with a strangled gasp. 'Mi-kun!' She turned and pushed her way through the crowd, not paying heed to the turmoil around her, forcing her legs to go faster. She couldn't see where she was going and had to squint her eyes as she tried to detect Izuku amongst those she encountered, clumsily grabbing and pushing, fear and desperation heightening after every failed discovery. 'No, not him, it's not him. Where…!?'

There. Right there, at the very back.

With a low sob of relief, Alumi was about to leap for him, hands outstretched, when she felt her hands sink into a whirling hole of inky black air instead. She strained against it and craned her neck only to see that he was in the same situation as her — quivering, afraid, and about to disappear as the mist began to swallow him down from the feet up.

"No, Mi-kun…! Mi-kun!" she screamed. 'I have to reach him, I have to protect him…No, no! Mi-kun. MI-KUN!'

She was rapidly sinking forward into the unknown even as she pulled away with all of her might, eyes burning as a supressed howl of anguish thrashed inside of her. The last thing Alumi saw of Izuku were the tips of his curly-hair absorbed into nothingness.

He was gone.

Alumi released a small, choking whimper as she, too, resigned herself into the maw of the dark swirling pit.

Falling, falling. Temperature rising into a near-scalding heat.


'So hot. Too hot…'

Alumi opened her eyes and realized with newfound terror that she was in an isolated urban area devastated by fire. Most of the buildings were ablaze, and when she looked down she saw she was only about six meters away from falling into a pedestrian overpass. She wasn't able to brace herself on time and was violently slammed into hard concrete. She landed on her left side, pain erupting like acid on the areas of impact. She groaned and coughed as the thick smell of smoke assaulted her nose and eyes. She rolled to her knees and staggered to hoist herself up, seething at the sudden sting of throbbing pain.

Alumi clambered towards one side of the bridge and pressed her right side against the parapet as her lungs laboured for oxygen. At the same time her overwrought mind worked to process the situation. 'So that mist…was actually a portal? Where is this place?' She frantically looked around and immediately comprehended that the fire, while frightening in its wide-spread damage, was actually tame.

She dragged her gaze heavenward and saw the familiar dome of the USJ's Conflagration Zone. 'I see…when that villain said he'd scatter us…he meant to separate us within the USJ…Mi-kun and the others…They must've been teleported somewhere in the USJ, too…Mi-kun…he must be somewhere close.' Her nerves squirmed anxiously as she thought of the boy. She should've been wherever he was. She was so close to reaching him earlier, so close.

Alumi shook her head. 'Calm down, calm down. Mi-kun is probably still alive...and I'm still alive…But this place is…' She gulped as frantic beads of sweat broke over her temples and neck. Of all the places she could've fell into, it had to be somewhere with fire.

Alumi gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists as she was suddenly teleported somewhere in the past, in a dark place with wild crackling flames and two indistinguishable shadows darting across the fire. Her head started to ache along with the beat of her heart. Fast, vicious throbbing, she had to breathe in between the pulses of pain.

'Why is this happening…? Why…!? Mi-kun…Please, please be safe…I can't stand it…!'

A loud crackling noise of something snapping nearby caused Alumi to jolt back into the present. She pushed the heels of her palms against her wet eyes and pursed her lips in frustration. 'I have to stop worrying…Nothing good will happen if I lose my head here. I have to move. For now I have to take stock of the situation and find a way out of here.'

With a deep breath, Alumi closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before opening her eyes again. With renewed vigor she reached for her belt-bag, sorting around in it for a hair-tie and for the small containers of water. She ended up drinking two and pressed a fist against her wet lips. Then she tied her hair into a tight low ponytail and sighed with relief now that her hair didn't feel like a thick veil of accumulating heat.

There were footsteps coming from her right. With a jolt of instinct Alumi rose to her feet and locked eyes with a tall, lanky stranger with pointed ears. A villain. He was carrying a club, his face twisting maliciously at the sight of her. Her defense mechanism immediately worked its way through her body, awakening every nerve and reflex with a sensation she hadn't felt in the longest time.

"Ooooh, aren't I lucky~. I already found one!" He took a step towards her, then two, then lunged with eyes bulging and a nasty grin, with the club raised over his head. "Sorry cutie, but stay still and lemme hit'cha okay!?"

And Alumi did. Her body's immediate response was to move out of his way while her mind demanded she intercept, disrupt his assault and subdue him as fast as she could. But she steeled herself on the spot, flexing her fingers slowly as she levelled him with a stare of her own. A small unknown voice ringing from inside of her was telling her to wait, to let him be the one to come to her. Telling her that he should not emerge from their encounter unscathed.

Alumi waited until he reached her middle range and immediately shifted her body to the side, barely managing to evade the downward swing of the club. The villain cackled with glee and was preparing to make another attack when she looked directly into his eyes and smiled into his face.

"I'm a little angry right now..." Alumi began deliberately, pleasantly, ominously, and he froze at the sight as he staggered to regain his balance. In that instant of hesitation Alumi twisted her body and whipped a hand unto his neck and unleashed the other side of her Quirk into his body.

"...so I won't apologize for what happens next."

The villain gasped with a hoarse cry, his body sagging like a wilting plant. The effects of the other side of her Quirk scourged through him like a violent disease, his face turning ashen and sickly in less than a second. The light inside his eyes followed as the club fell from his lax hold and hit the ground with a heavy thud. His eyes were no longer wide with shock and rage as he felt the remains of his strength being stripped away like water going down the drain with each excruciating breath. He tried to claw at the hand gripping him by the neck but found he couldn't even lift his own arms, couldn't even find the strength to move. He realized a beat later that her hand on his neck was the only thing that kept him on his feet.

Alumi grabbed one of his arms and dragged him towards the parapet. She didn't even look over the edge when she slowly released her hold around his neck, and he seemed to take this as a chance to move, to retaliate, for he struggled with all of his might, but she would allow no such thing. In one fluid motion she canted him over her shoulder and mercilessly flipped him over the bridge. He fell backwards head-first, a startled scream following in his wake.

A pained groan erupted the moment he landed and a slow smirk of triumph stretched across Alumi's mouth. For a moment she didn't move, lost revelling in what she had just done. She downed someone just like that before, but she realized that this, right now, was different. Her fingers still trembled slightly as she felt the wild pace of her heart awakening a strange sort of pulse that started to throb everywhere in her body. It filled her with a heaving sense of fulfillment. It was disconcerting, intoxicating. Filling her with a nameless urge she never felt before. All Alumi knew at the moment was that she needed to move, needed more action. She was barely aware of her feet moving towards the stairs until a distinctively familiar voice called out to her.

"Koseki-san!"

Alumi whipped her head down beyond the pedestrian overpass and saw Ojiro coming towards her with the aid of his tail, his face wrought with panic and subsequent relief upon seeing her.

"Ojiro-kun…" she said with wonder. 'So I'm not the only one in here…I'm glad.'

Alumi made her way down the stairs and they reached each other halfway in less than ten seconds.

"I'm glad you made it out safely, Koseki-san. I was beginning to think I was the only one that black mist guy teleported in here," he said with a shaky smile. But then, slowly, his expression changed as he stared at her. "I, uh, I was…I was somewhere nearby when I heard someone scream…Uh, Koseki-san…? A-are you okay?"

Her vision was unusually warm, or maybe it was because of the heat. Alumi blinked. "Hm? Oh, yes. What is it?" she asked, wondering why the tailed boy was looking at her like she had just sprouted a pair of horns.

Ojiro didn't answer. Instead he pursed his mouth and averted his eyes, and stared at the now unconscious villain's body a few meters away from them. "That's where the scream came from, huh."

Alumi followed his gaze and was surprised to see how the lanky villain fell from quite the height. "Oh, dear. I hope he didn't die from that."

"D-don't worry Koseki-san, he only looks unconscious!" Ojiro said with a mixture of unease and reluctant assurance.

"What a relief." Alumi felt her face softening by degrees and immediately formed her mouth into her default smile. "It appears we're not the only ones in here," she said, scanning their surroundings. "I take it you encountered one of them too already, Ojiro-kun."

Ojiro responded with a grim nod. "About four of them on my way here. I managed to escape with hit-and-run tactics, but I think there are still more of them out there looking for us."

"I see…" Alumi murmured, eyes narrowing as she attempted to decipher the situation. "This is exactly what that villain said before he sent us here. To scatter and torture us…They clearly prepared everything in advance and intended to deal with us in droves, thinking we're helpless by ourselves without a teacher. We must look like nothing more than prey to them."

Ojiro frowned at the notion while Alumi began to grit her teeth behind her sealed lips. It was the sort of underhanded, villainous divide and conquer strategy that made her blood boil with retaliation.

"We need to get out of here and join with the others," Ojiro said as he turned to descend the stairs. "I'm worried about them, and Aizawa-sensei is fighting all by himself out there."

Alumi nodded and began to reach for her belt-bag again. "Un. But before that…here, Ojiro-kun, drink this. It's water." She handed him two of her small water containers. Only one vial of water remained now.

Ojiro beamed with gratitude. "I really needed this, thank you!"

Alumi smiled as he eagerly drank the two water containers. As she waited for him to finish she became aware of a growing sense of weariness increasing along with her dimming vision, and instantly knew that the effects of using the other side of her Quirk was beginning to manifest. Alumi placed a hand on her chest and activated that side of her Quirk again, only this time, she calibrated it to increase her stamina.

'That was reckless of me,' she admitted with a small frown as she felt the tiredness ebb away. 'That had been the first time...I ever used it so strongly like that. I shouldn't overdo it again. Sensei did say not to dealt someone with more than what was necessary...'

Yet amidst the guilt for her 'excesses', Alumi felt satisfied. After all that was said and done, the villain deserved it. And what she was really guilty of doing was for magnifying the straining effects it had on herself by overdoing it. She gave herself a consoling smile and lowered her hand now that her blood levels are balanced. Beside her, Ojiro released a refreshed gasp after emptying the water containers. They gave each other a nod and hurriedly went down the stairs. The harsh brilliance of fire around them continued to grow as they raced for the exit, but it didn't bother her as much as the suffocating despair that persisted inside her. 'Mi-kun…I need to find Mi-kun.'

"This way, Koseki-san! I saw it earlier when I was on top of a buildi—"

But Ojiro broke off and stopped, Alumi stopping a beat later, as they were met with the menacing shadows of approaching villains in front of them.

"Only two? And here I thought Kurogiri was gonna send more of these brats."

Alumi narrowed her eyes. 'Kurogiri?'

After the voice emerged a group of villains from the wall of smoke. Some of them had heteromorphic-type Quirks while others carried various melee weapons. Alumi and Ojiro immediately took on a defensive stance as they met face-to-face with seven villains.

"But this just makes our job easier!" came a rejoinder from the opposite direction. The one who spoke wore a Kabuki mask and carried two machetes. Beside him was another villain wearing a gas mask with spikes protruding from his arms.

"Easy-peasy~. Hey, hey let me take care of the girl!" said Kabuki mask.

"Oi I saw her first!" yelled another from the opposite group.

Kabuki mask brandished his weapons and made a move towards Alumi. "Not if I get to her fi—!"

A gunshot fired, making almost every one of them jump and effectively stopping Kabuki mask. With dawning terror Alumi and Ojiro both stared at the villain who had apparently fired the shot, his arm still raised in the air. He had black hair and huge muscled arms, wearing a helmet, Kevlar vest, printed cargo pants and a red bandana covering his nose and mouth.

"Don't be hasty. They downed five of us already," he said as he lowered the gun, eyes narrowed menacingly as he stared at the two students. "They are not your run-of-the-mill brats. I know it's hard for you psychos, but refrain from playing around and round them up at once. Those are the orders, after all."

There was an ominous hum of agreement among them as they moved in slowly to surround the two, closing in to cross the twelve meter distance.

"Damn it," Ojiro cursed as he moved to stand behind Alumi, his back nearly touching hers. "Let's make a break for it, Koseki-san."

Alumi considered it, but tightened her jaw and said, "No."

"Wha—, why?"

"They're fewer than I thought," Alumi replied sotto voce as her eyes combed through her opponents. "Which means they're just like us, scattered all over USJ. We might as well deal with them here as I'm sure that's what the others are doing. If we don't, they're just going to track us down until they catch us."

"If you put it that way, then I really have no choice," Ojiro replied with a rueful grin.

"We're going to be fine, Ojiro-kun…" she whispered. "Let me deal with the ones in front as my Quirk is suitable against multiple opponents."

The tailed boy conceded reluctantly. "All right. Watch out for the one with the gun…he's the most dangerous, but he isn't making a move yet despite talking about capturing us right away."

"Yes, he means to let the others do the work for him, it seems. But I assure you, Ojiro-kun. I won't let him hit us. These villains…I will not let them do as they please and get away with it."

As the last word left her lips Alumi directed her gaze towards the villain with the gun, narrowing her eyes in defiance while he narrowed his in smug amusement.

'Mi-kun, please wait just a little longer. After I'm done here, I'm going to come and get you.'

"Oi, oi. Having a chat in front of your killers, you must be confident~," said the villain wielding a sword whose voice they recognized as the one who spoke first earlier.

"What can I say? We're not your run-of-the-mill brats," Ojiro shot back. "Why don't you quit the chatter and bring it on already!"

Alumi was impressed. Ojiro was clearly well-versed in combat as he knew that riling his opponents was one way to gain an advantage. She smiled and maintained an amiable expression as she looked at those in front of her one by one in the eye. She smiled wider, and amidst the constant heat that surrounded them, she knew that the familiar overwhelming sensation she felt did not come from the fire. Silently she prayed that the Aluminum Oxide gathering below them would be enough.

"Come, you uninvited sinister jerks," she said in a seething, saccharine voice. "We won't play around with you, either."

"You're going to be sorry for looking down on us adults!" one of them roared as they all attacked at once.

Alumi shot both of her palms on the ground and summoned a huge semi-circle crystal wall in front of her. It continued to grow as five crystalline pillars immediately flew out of it and slammed into their targets' chests, including the one with the gun. It bent and simultaneously pinned them to the ground while those at the sides were pinned into the wall of a nearby building. She heard Ojiro already engaging in combat behind her while the villains she downed erupted with curses and promises of retribution. Sensing a presence to her left, Alumi immediately slammed a palm on the ground and sent a pillar towards her attacker with a flick of her wrist. She pressed her hand on the crystal next and softened the pillar's tip, making the crystal coil around the villain's arms before hardening it again. Then she slammed hard him into the ground, rendering him unconscious the moment his head hit the cement.

Gunshots fired one after another and Alumi saw her crystal wall begin to crack. The villain with the gun kept on firing and screaming like a madman, completely losing his façade of calm superiority now that he was immobile.

"You little shits! We're not done here yet! Just you wait I'll send you to hell!"

With a low unimpressed huff, Alumi summoned another crystal wall in front of the first, then another for good measure. She sensed Ojiro come up beside her and from the looks of it, he had just finished dealing with his share of villains, his tail swinging slightly from side to side.

"Should we leave him like that?" he asked as the villain with the gun continued his useless barrage of bullets.

"Probably not..." Alumi walked closer to her crystal wall. She peered around the wall, lowered to the ground on her haunches and conjured a small liquefied mass of crystal from below the villain's hand, the one holding the gun, and hardened it. He yowled with furious frustration. Ignoring his nasty remarks, she walked out from behind the crystal wall and conjured more crystalline pillars to double the restraints on the villains she pinned. The villains' livid screams quickly became hysterical as they started screeching about how they were gonna get braised alive.

"So noisy…" Alumi murmured, an eye twitching with irritation. "This is the consequences of your actions. Reflect in your containment," she said before turning away, her words containing an edge that was chilling amid the blazing heat.

Ojiro wore a conflicted smile on his face as Alumi walked back to him. "This, uh, this was quicker than I thought," he commented good-naturedly as they basked in the aftereffects of their battle.

"Yes, a little too quickly. We were lucky, I suppose. They seemed to be just regular thugs, a dime a dozen found in back alleys…Anyway, we did a good job. First time for everything, right, Ojiro-kun?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Not exactly what I had in mind, but…"

Noticing his unease, Alumi shot him a glance and saw a rather large, bleeding diagonal cut on his tail.

"Oh dear. Ojiro-kun, please lend me your tail."

He turned to her with confusion and saw her pull a thin roll of bandage out of her belt-bag, along with a tiny spray of what he guessed was disinfectant. "You've been cut," she said, her eyes never leaving his wound. "There, on your tail. Let me treat it."

"It's not very serious but it does sting a lot…" Ojiro readily shifted his body to the side and lowered his tail. "That bag of yours is making me jealous, Koseki-san. I wish I included something like that with my costume."

"You should," she chimed as she deftly worked to treat the cut. "You never know what you might need, and it's always good that you're prepared for unforeseen incidents like this."

'Huh, unforeseen incidents like this one…and we're in the USJ…huh.' Alumi chuckled in her thoughts at the irony of it all.

"What kind of stuff are you carrying in there, anyway?" Ojiro asked just as she finished securing the bandage around his tail.

Alumi spoke as she returned the tiny disinfectant spray inside her belt-bag. "Hm, let's see…Small water containers like the ones I gave you earlier, basic First Aid necessities, a couple of rolled bandages, some supplements and…some candy."

"Candy?" Ojiro reiterated with a laugh as he turned to face her fully, his tail swaying with gratitude. "What for?"

"Candy calms you down, doesn't it? I intended it for rescue operations, but you never really know when you might need it," she said. Then she turned towards the tailed boy, her eyes glinting slyly. "Why, do you want one?"

His answer came in the form of an eager swishing tail.


The two hero-aspirants successfully made their way out of the Conflagration Zone, both of them chewing on something as they ran towards a large metal door bearing a glowing green sign that read 'EXIT' above it.

"So…" Ojiro began as he threw her a sidelong glance. "Uninvahted sinista jewksu…Uninvited sinister jerks, huh? I kinda like the sound of that."

Alumi let out a laugh just as they reached the exit. The metal door opened automatically upon sensing their impending presence and the two burst out into the open air, fresh, cool wind hitting them at once. Panting, Ojiro doubled over with his hands on his knees while Alumi rolled her shoulders back and brought a hand to her chest, both of them taking huge inhales of air to calm their aching lungs. They exchanged wobbly smiles, both of them sweaty with heat-parched faces, but safe.

As they straightened their backs, the two quickly became aware of a tense, ominous atmosphere looming over the USJ. They sobered immediately, expressions settling into grim determination as resounding sounds of battle persisted in the distance. Slowly they started to move again, silent with the mutual understanding that they were not out of the woods just yet.


A/N:

Ojiro is among the characters in BNHA who tend to be underrated which is a little disconcerting cuz he's kickass and has a cool Quirk, and also has an impressive sense of morals that was easily forgotten during the Sports Festival Arc. He has the makings of a gentleman and is actually a bit of a cinnamon roll himself, and he's just so fuckin' adorable ≡(* ′ u`)My heart really goes with this guy and I'm so happy he's developed so much in the recent Joint Training Arc in the Manga. When I first thought of where to put Alumi in the USJ and with who, Ojiro was the one who first came to mind. Of course I thought of other factors as well such as the fact that he was the only one we saw in the fire zone and that fire definitely played a big role to Alumi's PTSD tendencies.

Now concerning Alumi, there were certainly lots of emotional turmoil happening in here, huh? First her mom and now meeting villains for the second time. Something is definitely starting to change inside of her, and while real sinister villains like Kurogiri scare her, frauds and small fries only piss her off.

Anyhow, I'm quite confident of how this turned out, though I didn't expect for it to turn into a whoppin' 10, 000+ words lol.


Tidbits time~!

About Reika's Quirk, it's called "Bloom." Her Quirk enhances her or another living thing's 'Glow' factor by increasing their Iron levels, blood circulation, and cell regeneration. Her Quirk also allows her to transfer that 'Glow' to any other living thing, and by stimulating it, can make them bloom to their full capacity. As a drawback, Reika feels drained and her skin dries when overused. She also needs to eat lots of fruits and foodstuffs full of Vitamin B and C to recharge her Quirk. Her name comes from the Kanji (Rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" and (Ka) meaning "flower, blossom".

※ "Uninvahted Sinista Jewksu" – Believe me, I had a good laugh out of this one too the moment I typed it into existence (even now, actually. I'm howling with giggles 'cuz it's just so embarrassing but it had to be done ¯\_()_/¯). The explanation behind this is because I wanted to create a setting that's more or less similar to the BNHA universe. The language they use is obviously Japanese, but they we can see that they sometimes include foreign words in their lingo, as portrayed by some of the characters in the series (think All Might, Present Mic and Aoyama who occasionally say English and French words, respectively) and I intend to do that here, too. And so, to clarify, the Italized 'Uninvited Sinister Jerks' Alumi first mentioned, she said that in English. Ojiro then repeated that in its 'Romaji' state before 'translating' it in Japanese. Hence why I had him say it like this: "Uninvahted Sinista Jewksu…Uninvited sinister jerks, huh?" I didn't put those words in its Romaji version the first time Alumi said it because I felt it would ruin that slight feral moment she had going on. So yes, thank God for Tail Boy for clearing that up. And I hope I was able to convey this slightly confusing tidbit properly to you dear readers. Kudos to those who immediately got it before they even get to read this explanation though! Lemme mentally stamp a huge 'Very Good' star on your hand, I'm so fuckin' proud of you! *u*


In response to the Guest Reviews:

Leslie (Jan 1): You bet! Thank you! 'u'

Guest (Jan 17): Thanks for the warm welcome! ;u; It's really good to be back with a new chapter for ya'll after about 11 months later ヽ(^o^)丿

Guest (May 13): It's always a good day whenever someone enjoys my concept and find it interesting. Thanks for making my day~ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ノ✿

Guest (Oct 12): And you totally rock for picking up on that! High five! Thanks for dropping by~ ヘ( ^o^)ノ\(^_^ )


Oh and I'm gonna go ahead and go out on a limb here but somebody on Youtube who goes by the username traceyedits made this AMAZING AMV about Katsuki entitled 'Weak'. Katsuki-stans such as myself will surely enjoy it. The editing and precious Kacchan moments are totally on point, and that song...! *swoons*

I go back to see it every day now, seriously! And if you take a look at the video's description, traceyedits said something that really resonated with me: "When inspiration strikes you, not even self-doubt can stop you." Modern day hero right there, folks. So yeah, go ahead and check it out. It may blow your mind a bit~ ()*:・゚✧ (contains some spoilers though for those who haven't seen Season 3 in the Anime and haven't reached the Summer Camp Arc in the Manga yet).

And one last thing.

Because BNHA is a series pertaining heroes, I would like to express my grief over the death of Mr. Stan Lee, the legendary creator/editor of Marvel Comics who died last November 12, 2018 at the age of 95. He's finally found his peace, but I'm afraid the days before his death were not quite so. He left this world without resolving the dark issues that lurked in corners of his life, and that for me is the true death, leaving the world knowing you couldn't change anything on the issues that secretly kill you inside. Alive but carrying burdens and not knowing who to trust anymore, living caged in a never endless cycle of hope and despair. I don't know this guy personally nor am I that big of a fan, and I'm really running my mouth here on some issues that may or may not be true, but after reading some articles revolving his life and the controversies concerning his daughter and certain men who claim to 'love' Mr. Lee with all their hearts, it's just, it really breaks my heart. It's a cesspool of a story that leaves you drained and shrivelled with terror knowing that some people are capable of doing horrible things to those who loved them. And the worst part is that you don't know which parts of it are true, or who to believe, and what to believe.

I'm not even sorry for dragging this into my fanfic. My point is, I want you guys to be aware. Not just on this matter, but that this is the reality we face. It happened to Mr. Lee, and it can happen to any of us. And when the time comes for you, that you feel like dying, or caged, please, embrace yourself if no one's there for you. Take a walk, breathe, go stargazing, pet a dog or a cat, listen to the nature around you, find a new hobby, watch that Bakugou amv I was just talking about. But most importantly, be honest with yourself. Love yourself, love life. Life really is ugly, but it's also undeniably beautiful. And I'm just gonna leave this here:

Farewell, Mr. Stanley Martin Lieber.

We'll see you in your cameos in Captain Marvel and The Avengers Infinity War: Part 2.

You will surely be remembered, forever immortalized in your creations.

~1922-2018~

。 ゜✿ A True Hero ✿ ゜。・


[Date Updated]: November 14, 2018.
[Edited]: Altered/elaborated an action scene, changed some terms and fixed some grammatical and misspelling errors.