Hey! So, I felt kind of bad for telling you guys I wasn't as advanced as I should have been in this story, so I took it upon myself and worked on the story all week long! I've advanced of many, many chapters, and that is why I've decided to celebrate with posting a new chapter much sooner than first planned! Also, I wanted to thank all those reviewing and/or favoriting/following this story. It really means a lot to me!
Oh, and a special thank you to wolfenergy17. Your comment was simply awesome, and I'm glad you like my story so much! As for your question concerning the difference between Kira's and Endeavor's Quirk, well, I'll make things clearer once we get to the internships Arc.
Warning: Kira's language, Kira's fear and Kira's resolve.
Enjoy!
The students were chatting, waiting for class to start, when the door suddenly opened, letting enter a very familiar ginger.
"Yo!" she grinned, offering them a peace sign. "Guess who's still alive?"
At first startled by her return, relief then washed over the rest of her classmates, who instantly rushed to her side and started assaulting her with questions.
"Are you feeling better?"
"You've been out for a long time, no one was allowed to see you!"
"Will you remain in U.A.?"
"We thought you left for sure!"
"I've taken notes for you, Kira-chan!"
"Are you back in fighting shape?"
"Is that Villain coming back?"
"Guys, guys, calm down!" she laughed, pushing them away a little. "I have no intention of leaving U.A., and even less for such a stupid reason. I'm better now, only have to take it easy for another week. As for the Villain… Yeah, he'll come back for sure."
They all tensed at that, but her grin remained stuck on her face, though turning a little sharper.
"But I'll be ready to kick his ass then," she assured. Then, she returned to a more jovial expression. "It's good to see all of you up and about too! They told me you were fine, but I was still worried. You said you took notes for me, Momo-chan? Mind if I take a look at them?"
"O-of course."
As the teen started chatting with Yaoyorozu, the rest of the girls following, Kirishima scratched the back of his head in mild confusion.
"What is it, Kirishima?" wondered Kaminari, curious.
"Is it just me… or Kira isn't late?"
There was a moment of silence, then all eyes snapped at the clock. The fiery girl was, in fact, in time for class.
That worried them more than any would ever care to admit.
.
.
"Alright everyone, for today's class- Suttoki?"
Aizawa-sensei was in an extremely bad shape, all covered with bandages and out of bed even though he really should have stayed there. When noticing the ginger –how he did so with all the bandages covering his eyes, she'd never know-, even he couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. He knew she'd return to class to day, but hadn't expected her to be there already.
On time, of all things.
"Back in business, sir!" she saluted with another of her trademark grin. "So, what were you about to say about today's training?"
"… right. Anyway, today, we're trying again with the rescue training. Get changed and let's go. You know the drill now."
"Hai!" If the students were surprised, none of them showed it, and started getting prepared.
.
.
Kira's costume had been cleaned and repaired, and Kira was glad to see that being back at USJ didn't trigger memories of the incident. The last thing she needed was a trauma, seriously.
"Well, that happened, but class is class!" announced cheerfully Thirteen, back into shape as well. Looking close, none would have been able to even tell the teacher had practically imploded a few days earlier. "So, let's begin the rescue training!"
"C-can you really move, Thirteen-sensei?" wondered Uraraka, worried.
"My back hurts a bit, but it's nothing compared to Sempai," replied the teacher, jabbing a thumb Aizawa-sensei's way.
"We are ready to begin class, so let's start already," drawled the man. Despite all his injuries, he hadn't change a bit. "We're wasting time."
"Aizawa-sensei!" called Izuku, taking a step forward. "I-isn't All Might supposed to join us as well? Where is he?"
"I don't know. Forget about him."
Kira blinked as the man kept on walking. Something happened between the two, that much was obvious. Was Aizawa-sensei angry at All Might for not interfering earlier, during the Villain attack? No one could really blame him for that, even though it wasn't really the top Hero's fault either.
In the end, she decided to drop it and focus on the training. If she truly wanted to be ready when Hagane came back for her, then she'd have to give it everything she got.
.
.
"Let's start with the rescue training!"
They were now in the mountain zone.
"There'll be three students at the bottom of the chasm. One of them will be unconscious, the other will have an injured leg, and the last one will be very worried."
Kira leaned over the edge along with Kirishima and Kaminari, curious, and felt blood drain from her face. It was pure darkness down there, and much, much deeper than any could have anticipated.
"W-what height!" gasped the blond.
"How are we supposed to get there?" added the redhead.
"Kirishima-kun, Kaminari-kun, Kira-san, what are you saying?" snapped Iida, running to the edge too. He then leaned over it. "ARE YOU ALL RIGHT!?" he yelled.
Kira sweatdropped a little when understanding that most of the students hadn't realized that they were about to play the victims in there.
"So, the three students will be… you, and you!" Thirteen pointed at Iida and Izuku.
They paled at that, and Kira could only laugh. However, the exclamation grabbed the teacher's attention, who turned to her.
"You'll be the third one."
Kira instantly stopped laughing.
.
.
Once the three students were brought down, Aizawa-sensei turned to Todoroki, Tokoyami, Bakugo and Yaoyorozu.
"Alright, you four will be the ones doing the rescue," he announced. He gestured for the safety kit farther away. "You can use these objects."
"WAIT!" snapped Bakugo, a vein popping on his forehead. "Why do I have to rescue Deku and Carrot!?"
"Because we are in the Anime Festa, Bakugo-kun," simply answered Tsuyu.
Everyone sweatdropped at the sudden break of the fourth wall, but dropped it.
From down below, panicked screams could suddenly be heard.
"Help us!" pleaded Iida, surprisingly convincing with the act.
Todoroki approached the edge. "Let's begin. Who is going down?"
"Just blow up the mountain and that's it!" snapped the bomber.
"Are you crazy!?" protested Yaoyorozu, wide-eyed.
"He doesn't think. He acts by instinct," remarked Tsuyu flatly.
"Midoriya, Kira and Iida sure are in trouble," mused Kaminari.
Back to the rescue team, Todoroki simply sighed, not even bothering to answer Bakugo's… idea.
"Yaoyorozu, create a pulley. We'll make a way to pull them up," he ordered, taking the lead of the group. "Let's start with the ones that are unconscious. Tokoyami will go down. Bakugo, Yaoyorozu and I will pull-"
"Bastard!" suddenly snapped Bakugo. "Stop deciding things on your own!"
"C-calm down!"
"That is the best way," simply replied Todoroki, unfazed. "Though if you only think of this as a game, then you don't have to know." The boy roughly shrugged off the blond's grip. "I'm not going to waste my time in this training."
The dual-haired teen then walked away. Bakugo, angrier than before, was about to attack when Yaoyorozu stepped in.
"That's enough!" she exclaimed, startling the two. "It's pathetic! Besides, there is something we must do before anything else."
With that, ignoring her teammates, she went over the edge.
"Everyone, please keep calm!" she called, her voice echoing around. "We will go to you right away!"
"PLEASE HURRY!"
"You're finally here, we're saved!" That was Izuku.
Satisfied, Yaoyorozu reported her attention on the three boys.
"The first thing to do is to always reassure the victims," she simply remarked. "There are occasions where you can not save people who are desperate and panicking. Reassuring them is related to saving them. If you will not do it properly, what kind of training class is this!?"
Everyone gaped as the two boys looked away, thoroughly chastised. Kirishima whistled lowly, impressed.
"Wow, she's good," he nodded in approval. "But still, wasn't that Midoriya? Then that means Red One is the unconscious one."
"They probably didn't want her to strain herself with unnecessary movements," pointed out Ojiro. "She's supposed to take it easy, after all."
"Wait, do you think she actually has the clearance for doing physical training?" then wondered Kaminari.
There was a moment of silence, until they all slumped in defeat. Of course she hasn't.
After what, everything worked out more smoothly. Creating and installing the pulley, Tokoyami then started going down while Bakugo and Todoroki maneuvered the pulley and Yaoyorozu gave instructions.
"Tokoyami-san, descend slowly using the rope!"
"Hai!"
When he finally reached the bottom, he was greeted by Izuku.
"Sorry for the wait," he simply said.
"Kira-san, there's no problem!" exclaimed loudly Iida, kneeling next to her. "We are going to be okay!"
The ginger was having a hard time not to burst into laughter, but she somehow managed. After a few more seconds, the rescue stretcher arrived.
"Alright, let's take Kira-san up since she's unconscious," he stated.
"Understood! But… we can't. We can't move our legs, we can't help," pointed out Izuku.
"Isn't it dangerous for a sole person to carry an unconscious one?" added Iida.
Like what every Hero does at least once in their life? But Kira kept silent.
"Do not worry."
The ginger wondered for a moment what Tokoyami would do. After all, playing the unconscious victim –to which she still protested vehemently-, she had to keep her eyes closed. The two boys had instantly pointed to her when she asked who would get to play the knocked-out student, and she had been forced to play along.
Bullshit! I'm perfectly fine!
"I am two in one," then said Tokoyami.
Wait, what? She had barely seen his Quirk, after all, and still wondered what was it exactly that he could do.
"Dark Shadow, take Kira-san up."
"Shut up," then replied a far-away voice.
"Quickly."
"I just have to do that, right?"
Next thing Kira knew, she was lifted from the ground and placed onto what she guessed was the rescue stretcher. It then started going up, and she couldn't help but take a peek at the one pushing her.
Dark Shadow is a fitting name. Is it like a double personality of Tokoyami? Or maybe just a sentient Quirk… Those are pretty rare.
When the light finally hit her eyes, she smiled a little. Then, as the stretcher was brought back onto firm ground, Iida's thankful cries could be heard, and she couldn't help but snicker.
"Kira-chan, what are you laughing about?" wondered Yaoyorozu, confused.
Unable to stop herself any longer, she burst into laughter. After a few seconds, she finally managed to calm down.
"Sorry, sorry," she apologized quickly when seeing the girl's frown. "I know we're supposed to take this training seriously. It's just… well, never thought he was able to fake actual tears, ya know?"
At that, Yaoyorozu allowed a small smile to grace her lips, but it was gone quickly. After what, they pulled up the other two. As Kira got off the rescue stretcher, though, she couldn't help but cringe a little. Her sudden laughing fit made her stomach hurt, more than it actually should.
I don't understand, she sighed internally. He only kneed me and punched me once. Even though the blows where enhanced by his steel armor, and his natural strength, it shouldn't have imposed such damages, even less ones that I can still feel.
He hit the same place twice, though… Could it be he did something else entirely?
"It was a great job for your first time!" informed cheerfully Thirteen. "No worries, though. We still have more battle scenarios prepared. Otherwise said, there are still lots to do!"
The students exchanged smiles at that. While not everyone had been suited for this kind of scenario, they would still get a chance into another zone. Plus, it was proving to be a really fun exercise!
"Don't relax just yet," then snapped Aizawa-sensei, who's eyes had suddenly been uncovered from the bandages. "Class is still in session."
"H-hai!"
.
.
They were now in the earthquake zone.
"Unlike the first training, there are now different situations," explained the Space Hero. "The purpose of this scenario is to give a more genuine experience. The injured can be anywhere, and we don't know in what state they may be. You'll have eight minutes to spread out and four of you will be the rescuers. The other sixteen must hide in whichever place they wish. However, eight of the hidden may not speak. I shall select them myself."
"Oh, we're playing hide and seek!" cheered Ashido.
"To be precise, almost," agreed Thirteen. "Anyhow, the four who will search… are them!" On what, she pointed at Bakugo, Izuku, Uraraka and Kira.
"WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT WITH DEKU AND CARROT!?"
"Do you have any idea on how stupid you sound, Spikey?" grunted the ginger, rubbing her ear with a wince. "And why do you always have to yell, damn it?"
"There's no helping it, we're in the Anime Festa!" then retorted Uraraka.
"THE HELL IS THAT!?"
"More like an extra chapter the author really didn't have to add, but whatever works," shrugged the fiery girl.
As Bakugo sulked in the corner, the rest of the students went into hiding. After seven minutes of devising a few plans, Thirteen asked for their attention.
"The training is about to begin," they informed. "Don't forget that no situation is strange in this case, and you have to be prepared to face everything. Now… start!"
"Alright! As planned, Kicchan and Kacchan will go to the limits of the zone and slowly close in," quickly started Izuku. "Uraraka-san and I will start looking in the nearest areas."
"Don't tell me what to do!" snapped Bakugo, already flying away.
The three sweatdropped at the sight, before nodding firmly and running into separated directions. It had been decided that Kira and Bakugo –if he ever decided to go along with the plan- where to search the farther areas seeing as they could use their Quirks to signal the others if they found someone.
While the idea was an excellent one, Kira hadn't expected on getting exhausted as fast as she did. Either the limits of the zone were much farther than she first thought, or she seriously lacked stamina.
I-I shouldn't be this tired. She was already running out of breath. I'm used to much longer runs than this. I could have made at least two laps around the whole USJ before getting tired like I am now.
Something's wrong with me.
She stopped running, unable to keep the pace any longer. Bending over to catch her breath, she allowed herself a few seconds of break before straightening, and taking a look around. Their classmates could be anywhere, really. Biting her lower lip, she then chose a building at random and, lighting a flame, she used her fire to propelled herself as high as she could manage.
Aiming for the third floor, she felt her eyes widen when she started falling much before reaching her goal. Catching her fall somewhat, she managed to grab the windowsill before her, to the second floor. Breathing in deeply, she pulled herself inside, relieved she had managed to make it in safely.
She then blinked when seeing none other than Todoroki sitting amongst the rubbles.
"Oh, Todoroki-kun!" she waved, her fingertips still on fire.
She had obviously startled him. He snapped his eyes at her and, next thing she knew, she had jumped aside to avoid becoming a popsicle.
"W-what the hell!?" she protested, falling on her butt.
The boy blinked a few times, and she then realized that he simply hadn't been thinking. He must have been caught up in a bad memory when she showed up then, and triggered the reaction. She was about to apologize when the floor suddenly shook, and debris flew around.
"What-"
"Why, that wasn't a very heroic reaction, was it?"
The teen's eyes widened. A new figure was now standing before them, tall and threatening, and wearing a mask that looked frighteningly like the ones some of the Villains had been wearing during the attack.
"Todoroki, get down!" Panicking, she didn't think twice before creating a wall of fire between them and the Villain. "Come on, let's go! We have to warn the others- shit!"
Ice formed under her feet, she slipped. It however saved her life, as the Villain had suddenly appeared behind her. Using the momentum, she backed away to the dual-haired boy's side, pulling out her staff.
"We need to separate," she told him. "He can't go after the both of us."
"Agreed," he seemed to get over his shock quickly, but she could see the fear lingering in his eyes. "You take the window, I'll take the door."
"Other way around," she refused, her eyes never leaving the Villain. "I won't manage a safe landing, while you can create a slide or something."
"… alright. As soon as he moves."
"Aa."
They stayed put for another second. Then, as planned, their enemy moved.
The problem?
They didn't see him do so.
Fuck!
The disappearance of their enemy putting her into survival mode, she made a run for the door. As soon as she stepped outside, though, a sinking feeling of dread settled into her stomach. Spinning around, her eyes widened when she saw that Todoroki hadn't moved an inch, facing the Villain once again.
"Todoroki-kun, don't-"
He slammed his foot on the ground, covering the floor with his ice, and freezing the sole exit before she could even think of going back in there. She gaped for a second, uncertain, before shaking her head and running towards the stairs. She knew the boy could handle himself, and she had her own mission to accomplish now.
Stay safe, you idiot!
As soon as she reached the outside, her step faltered. What could she do? She was at the very limits of the zone, and the teachers were too far for her to warn them in time.
I need to warn the students. She breathed in to calm herself. Focus, Kira, focus!
The jumbled mess that had become her thoughts started settling down. Now able to think more rationally, she then looked down at her hands. The fastest way for everyone to know about the danger was by air. So, without wasting anymore time, she extended her arms upwards.
Flames ignited by the snap of her fingers rose higher and higher, until it reached the ceiling and exploded in a firework-like manner. She did the same thing a few times over, knowing at least Izuku would understand the message. It wasn't the code they had agreed on, and for her to do it more than once meant there was a problem.
She started running again when the building from which she had just escaped shook violently on its foundations. As she put more and more distance between her and the area of immediate danger, the ground shook again. The shock sent her stumbling on the ground.
Shooting a look behind her, the blood in her veins froze when seeing the Villain now slowly advancing her way, dragging with him an unconscious Todoroki.
Not good not good not good-
"K-Kira-san?" She snapped her eyes at Iida, who had come out of hiding. "What-"
"A-a Villain!" The boy stiffened at that. "He's got Todoroki-kun, we have to run and warn the others, now! Go ahead, I-I'll stall him!"
"R-right!"
Iida didn't think twice about leaving her behind, knowing she could handle herself better than most student. For their strongest classmate to be beaten so easily obviously wasn't a good sign, but he had faith that Kira would be okay for at least the next few minutes.
She had to be.
As the class rep disappeared from sight, she spun on her heels to face the Villain, gritting her teeth when realizing Todoroki really was out cold. She couldn't attack rashly, not with him in the way. She risked hurting him even more.
What the hell was I thinking!? I can't face him, I'm not strong enough!
She gritted her teeth.
No, stop thinking like that. I said I'd stall him, not defeat him.
"Think you can stop me?" taunted the Villain.
"Maybe not for long," she agreed, crouching. "But long enough!"
Snapping her fingers, she grabbed the sparks and made them grow, before slamming her hands onto the ground. A wall of fire then rose, circling the enemy. She knew it wouldn't hold him back for more than a few seconds, but she needed to buy time.
The wall of fire was blown away the next moment, revealing an undamaged Villain.
"Long enough, uh?" he clicked his tongue. "No matter what you do, none will escape!"
Behind him, she could see the rest the of the students coming out of hiding. Most couldn't move, unsure of what to do. Todoroki had been vanquished easily, and Kira couldn't beat him either, so it spread serious doubts on the teenagers concerning their winning chances.
"You won't escape!" then snapped the Villain. "I will finish you all!"
His foot crashed onto the ground. This time around, Kira managed to keep her balance, though she was forced to kneel so as not to be blown away. When the dust finally settled down, she swallowed harshly.
All around, buildings had crumbled, and all of the area surrounding the man had been cleared of debris and… well, anything, really.
"Yosh," growled the Villain. "Now the terrain is cleared. Not one will escape!"
"Hurry, everyone!" yelled Thirteen from much, much farther. "Hurry, run away!"
Kira slowly rose back to her feet, shaking like a leaf. This wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to happen again. That guy was so fricking strong, and the teachers couldn't do a damn thing because of their injuries, and-
"OUTTA THE WAY!"
Bakugo jumped at the Villain, explosions surrounding him. He was easily repelled, and landed back on his feet, a few meters away.
"You guys run away! I'll be the one to defeat him!" His grin was feral, that of a madman.
"You've got some guts to decide something like that!" taunted their enemy.
Completely ignoring him, Bakugo started attacking again. As his yells and explosions echoed around, Kira snapped out of her daze violently. She stared down at her trembling hands, before clenching them into tight fists, her knuckles turning white.
What am I doing!?
Why… why am I so scared?
But Kira knew perfectly why. However, the answer didn't sit well with her. She was the reckless one, the one who didn't think twice before reacting, the one who acted under pressure, the one…
The one brave enough to stand even when she should stay down.
Her chest was hurting, her heart thumping painfully. Her blood was pumping fast, and she could feel her limbs already aching from exhaustion. However, seeing Bakugo acting like he always did make her angry.
Angry at herself. Yes, she had been scared by Hagane's return. Who could blame her, damn it? He kicked her ass with two single blows, not even bothering to use his Quirk, and Kira had been beaten as if she hadn't passed the last seven years training through sun and rain. But now? Now, she realized that how she was acting was simply disgusting.
I'm not weak, she assured herself as her hands finally stopped shaking. I might not be strong enough to beat Villains of that caliber yet, but I'm not weak. I'M NOT WEAK! She closed her eyes for a moment. If I ever want to be ready to face Hagane, then I can't allow myself to freeze up like that anymore.
"Die!"
"Watch out!"
I can't!
Kira snapped back to reality as Bakugo managed to land a blow on the masked man. He was promptly thrown away, but easily landed back on his feet once more.
"Oi, stop worrying about me!" barked the bomber at Iida, who stiffened. "Don't just stand there! Make those weaklings run away, but don't get in my way!"
That was the last straw for the ginger.
"Why don't you get your head out of your ass for a change, uh?" she snapped his way. "Stop acting as if you were better than everyone else!"
The blond narrowed his eyes at her. He hadn't expected her to snap out of her frozen state, not by herself.
He had easily noticed how she had been overwhelmed by the Villain's power, like all the others, and scoffed disdainfully at the pitiful sight. While he hated her, he still grudgingly respected her, somewhat. Seeing her acting like the rest of those weaklings had pissed him off to no end.
At least she's back to normal. Would have been a pain to have her in the way.
"Oi, Bakugo!" then called Kirishima, popping up out of nowhere. "Who do you mean exactly by 'those weaklings', uh?"
"We are the twenty students of Class 1-A," joined Yaoyorozu.
"We're all aiming to become Heroes!" added Uraraka, determined.
Kira grinned at that, the itch to fight growing stronger and stronger. "We're all in this together, so we're getting out of this together!"
"Ooh?" mused the Villain. "How brave. However… it is futile!"
He didn't even hit the ground, the mere shock from the punch in the air enough o make the ground fly in pieces.
"I'll take care of it!" Aoyama used his navel laser to destroy the debris.
Kirishima followed suit, his hardened body easily deflecting the rocks flying his way. He was quickly imitated by Jiro who plugged her Earphone Jacks into her boots, using her Quirk to force the Villain into defensive rather than offensive. Sera used the opportunity to trap him in his tape, and Yaoyorozu then fired a net thanks to a special canon of her creation.
"Now!" she ordered.
Instantly, Izuku, Tokoyami, Iida and Shoji ran at the Villain. As they approached, though, he managed to free himself and the sudden display of strength sent the four boys flying –quite literally.
"I didn't think you would all come to attack me," then remarked the masked man. "It's unexpected, but with something so simple, you-"
He was interrupted, barely avoiding the blow aimed at his head by none other than Bakugo. The blond tsked in annoyance, but the sudden distraction of the Villain was all that Kira needed. Using her rollerblades, she propelled herself forward and brought down her staff onto the enemy's hand –the one holding Todoroki.
The strength of the blow was painful enough to loosen his grip on the boy's collar, and Kira used the momentum to grab him and pull. She dropped her Bo staff in the process, but ignored it as Bakugo suddenly made another explosion, sending her stumbling away.
She staggered under the loss of balance and the sudden weight of her classmate, but managed to reach a safer location despite it all. As she dropped to her knees, putting down Todoroki as carefully as she could managed, she grinned at the following sight.
Izuku had taken the opportunity to attack. Using a Smash with only his middle finger, he had managed to weaken the balance of the Villain. It wasn't enough, but Bakugo quickly wrapped things up with a direct explosion. The masked man was instantly blown away, and crashed into a large piece of debris, on which had been placed numerous of Mineta's sticky balls.
We did it! Kira smiled in relief.
Her smile quickly faded into a harsh coughing fit. No one really noticed, though, seeing as their opponent suddenly took off his mask, revealing-
"I AM HERE!"
"A-ALL MIGHT!?"
"You've got to –cough, cough- be fucking with me," huffed the ginger.
The Hero laughed. "I wanted to make a surprise in which a Villain appeared at the end! Well, that happened the other day, but still! You guys did a great job, I wouldn't have expected any less from the Hero Course…" He sweatdropped a little at the thunderous expressions of the students. "I… apologize?"
"YOU WENT OVERBOARD, MORON!"
The teen shook her head. Then, she remembered something. Glancing back at the body lying next to her, she felt heat creeping up her neck as her ruby eyes met Todoroki's, who was wide awake.
"… so, you were in on it, I guess?"
"… not at first," he admitted, pushing himself up. "He told me once we got separated."
"Right. Still, you okay? We were trying not to hurt you, but-"
"I am fine. I guess I should thank you for the rescue?" While he wasn't expressing it, she could clearly see the smile hidden in his gaze.
"Ah ah, right…" she rubbed the back of her head. Ain't this awkward. "I'm just glad you're alright. Still, though, why did you stop me from coming back?"
"Because you would have done just that, even though one of us should have been able to escape so as to warn the others," he replied, returning to his normal demeanor. His traits soften somewhat. "Still… it is a good trait. Don't change too soon, Suttoki."
"W-what?"
But he was already walking away.
She raised an eyebrow at his retreating back. No matter how she might try, she just didn't get the guy.
I should probably get up, she mused, glancing at the other students. But…
Her muscles felt heavy, as if filled with lead.
I can't, she sweatdropped.
"Kicchan!" She raised her head as Izuku suddenly arrived. He beamed at her. "You were amazing out there!"
"Well, your plan was cooler," she retorted, smiling back. "You're getting better each day, Izuku!"
He blushed at the praise, struggling to find his words. She simply laughed at his embarrassment, but her laugh soon died down when her chest constricted onto itself, a slight wave of nausea washing over her. Seeing as Izuku failed to notice, though, she didn't mention any of it.
No point in worrying him for nothing.
.
.
"Hey, Red One?"
"What is it, Red Two?"
"We were just wondering… did you have clearance for physical training? I thought you said you were supposed to rest."
She pointedly looked away, and most of her classmates groaned at that.
"Kira!"
She simply laughed, ignoring the harsh thumps of her heart.
.
.
Kira was sitting on the stairs of the school, her knees against her chest. It would be her second night at the student dorms, and the thought of being alone again greatly dampened her cheerful mood from earlier.
She had grown accustomed to living with someone by her side. Each time she went to sleep, she knew her brother was in the next room if she ever needed him. And if it wasn't him, then Nao-san or Mako-san would be around.
If she had gone to sleep right away the day before, she was now too restless to do so. She knew Hagane wouldn't risk himself and attack the dorms directly on U.A.'s grounds, not with all the security that had been added, but it didn't keep away her paranoia.
The fact that her chest had been hurting since the rescue training also didn't help. It felt as if her lungs were on fire, and she was physically exhausted despite not having done much during class.
Urgh, what's happening to me?
She started coughing. It lasted for a moment, until she could no longer breath properly. When it calmed down, she felt the all too familiar taste or copper filling her mouth, and she looked down at her now red palm with disdain.
"Suttoki."
Startled, she instantly hid her hand from view as Todoroki stepped out of the building, an eyebrow raised. She offered him a smile, but quickly dropped it when realized he wasn't fooled.
"I do not believe you were injured during today's training," he remarked.
"I wasn't," she admitted, looking away. "I believe it is a result of my… encounter, with Hagane, two weeks ago."
"Lasting damage?"
She didn't reply, not knowing the answer. They kept silent for a moment.
"What are you doing here anyway, Todoroki-kun?" she then asked, curious. "Classes ended an hour ago. Are you not going home?"
"… not for a while longer, if I can help it," he then answered, letting his gaze wander on the deserted school gates.
"Family drama, uh?" She nodded in understanding. "Don't I know the feeling…"
Ren still hadn't contacted her and, when she called Nao-san to get some news, he simply told her that her brother was working very hard and couldn't be distracted.
An idea then popped into her head.
"Hey, you know…" He glanced her way. "I do need some help catching up to the classes I missed. Mind giving a fellow classmate a hand even if you might come home, let's say, later than planned?"
He blinked at the offer. Then, the corner of his lips quirked upwards.
Ooh, so the ice-cube can smile! Score!
"I think I'll take you up on that offer."
She beamed at him.
"Alright! Let's go get some math done~!"
"Ugh, I hate math…"
Todoroki's lips twitched into a smile, though it disappeared as quickly as all his others did. Ever since they got to the student dorms and started working on her homework, he had gotten a little more open with her.
Maybe because I gave him an escape route? Or maybe because of the hot chocolate…
She had made some, which he had seemed to enjoy, if the second cup was anything to go by. She had also made supper, though they were actually take-outs from the day before. He didn't seem to mind, though.
"Kill me… please…" she groaned, slamming her head on the table.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I must admit, though, I find it curious that someone who has received recommendations finds such difficulties in the more academic part of the course," he then mused. It wasn't a taunt, as Kira quickly came to understand, but merely a fact.
"I've told the others before, Todoroki-kun," she shook her head, leaning back into her seat. "I've refused the recommendations. Frankly, I don't see why I got them in the first place. I mean, my physical exam was borderline perfect, but… well, I never was academically inclined. It just doesn't get in my head, you know? I'm more a person of actions than of words, really."
"I see."
He flipped the page of his book. While he had been helping her, he could still somehow find the time to read a book at the same time.
"Hey, do you-"
His phone started ringing. Kira instantly noticed the shift in his persona. He tensed, a cold mask freezing his face again.
Then, he picked up.
"Yes?"
The teen couldn't hear who was talking or what they were saying.
"I am merely helping a classmate of mine."
There was another moment of silence, and she then noticed how the weight of the world suddenly seemed to land on the boy's shoulders.
"Understood."
He hung up.
After a few seconds of silence, during which he stared at his phone, the ginger blinked as ice started forming onto the device. It disappeared as quickly as it came, though, and the dual-haired teen sighed deeply.
"I apologize. I am to head to my house right away."
"Of course," she nodded as he started gathering his things. "Thank you for your time. You really helped a lot, even if I whined all along."
His stiff posture relaxed a little at the half-joke, and he finished putting everything back into his school bag. Once he was done, she accompanied him to the door. As he put on his shoes, she leaned against the doorframe.
"You know, if you ever need to blow off some steam, I'm not against sparring," she proposed with a small smile. "I could use the training."
"… I'll consider it. Thank you for the food," he bowed, before walking out. "Have a good night."
"You too!" she waved at him. "Oh! Todoroki-kun! If you need a place to crash, my door's open!"
He stared at her for a while, before offering an almost imperceptible nod and disappearing from view due to the corner.
Well, at least I wasn't alone for the most part of the evening.
As she closed the door, though, her eyes landed on the now empty room, and her cheerfulness died down. Then, she shook her head. No time to get depressed, she needed to work!
As long as Ren's okay, she told herself, settling back onto her bed. The rest doesn't matter.
As most of you should have guessed by now, I used the OVA for this particular chapter. Why? Because I could, mostly, but also to show a little more of what was going on in Kira's head. I mean, can anyone blame her for reacting like that?
Anyway. I also wanted to inform you guys that I put up a poll on my page, concerning this story's pairing. The choices are really simple!
What pairing would you prefer?
A) Kira/Shoto (that's what I wanted when I first started this story, but I then realized that there was more romance potential than first planned.)
B) Kira/Katsuki (apparently, many of you liked the relationship, even though it's pretty much hateful right now, lol.)
C) Kira/Other (don't hesitate to send names!)
D) No pairing (romance IS NOT the main goal of this story, after all. If you don't want any serious pairing, no troubles~)
Anyway, that's all for now. Hope you liked it! Soon, we'll get started with the Sports Festival!
Plus Ultra!