Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for being late for so long, I swear I didn't see time pass. Anyhow, I believe this chapter is a little in advance on the anime (again), but nothing too bad, no worries. Also, I've received a few questions from some Guests, to which I'll be happily answering at the end of this chapter.
Also, to make things fair: here's the chapter for Shoto/Kira shippers.
Warning: Kira's language, Kira's crazy ideas and Kira's... everything, really.
Enjoy!
When Kira woke up the next morning, she was first confused. Then, she remembered everything about the dorms, and relaxed. She was still a little jumpy from that time she woke up in the Villains' rundown bar, to be honest.
She opened her curtains, stepping on the small balcony. The fresh air of the morning felt good, energizing. Feeling up for going back to her former routine, she quickly went back inside and changed into her training outfit. Once she was done, she ran an hand through her hair… and paused.
Maybe she could try the braid Mitsuki had showed her?
Kira felt comfortable with her routine, but she also felt up to some changes.
New life, new goals, same ambition. I gotta change myself first if I want to be able to move on.
Maybe it was a little superficial, but who could blame her? She was allowed some extravagance once in a while, wasn't she? Anyhow, deciding not to waste any more time, she quickly did as Mitsuki showed her.
"Done!" She smiled at her work. It wasn't as neatly done as Mitsuki's, but it was close enough. "And now, to get started on that run…"
She grabbed her running shoes, before heading out. She was careful not to make any noise when leaving her room, considering it was still rather early.
When the elevator opened up, though, she was surprised to find none other than Shoto already inside.
"Oh! Morning!" she greeted, getting in. "You're up early."
"Good morning, Kira," he nodded. "And I could say the same to you."
"Training," she shrugged. "What about you?"
"Meditating."
"Mind if I join you when I come back?"
"Not at all." They kept silent for a moment. The boy stared at her for a moment, before noticing what was different. "You've changed your hairstyle."
"Uh? Oh, yeah…" She patted the braid. "I felt up for changing things a little."
"It suits you well."
The ginger gaped at that, surprised, and a faint blush spread on her cheeks. She instantly lowered her head, trying to hide it.
"Thanks," she mumbled. They then reached the first floor, and she ran out as soon as the door opened. "See ya later!"
He watched her go, a small smile lingering on his lips. He didn't know Kira could be so easily flustered, and the thought of her being actually affected by genuine compliments was greatly amusing.
Maybe he should do it more often.
Kira came back to the dorms twenty minutes later, finishing her morning run with some stretches. After what, she joined Shoto in the backyard. He greeted her with a smile, though quickly fell back into his meditative silence.
Mimicking him, she too fell silent.
After more or less fifteen minutes, the ginger however had to move. She usually wasn't this impatient, but a bad feeling had started to creep in her mind. So, gathering her things, she tried to leave without bothering her friend.
Key word: tried.
"Shit!"
Getting up too fast, she got a little dizzy, and found herself stumbling. She fell on the grass, her head however landing on something softer, warmer.
"Wha…" The question died in her throat as her eyes met Shoto's. Her head had landed on on his lap, obviously startling him. "Shoto…"
He frowned, concerned. "Are you all right?"
"Y-yeah, I just got up too fast, don't worry…" Her cheeks as red as her eyes for the second time this morning, she jumped to her feet. "S-sorry about that! I'll see you in class!"
And she darted away before he could add a word. He watched her go back inside, her braid flying behind her, somewhat wondering. The ginger probably didn't know it, but she was extremely warm. It was more than probably due to the nature of her Quirk. And it was... comforting, in some sort of way.
.
.
When Kira got back to her room, Spikey was sitting on her bed.
Calm. Silent.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "What have you done?"
The cat meowed innocently. Not trusting him, she pointed her eyes and then pointed him, before going in the small bathroom to freshen up. Once she was done, she quickly changed into her school uniform.
Ready to go, she went the her nightstand to get her contact lenses…
"Where the hell are they?"
Her contact lenses weren't there anymore. Frowning, she looked around. Maybe they had fallen during the night? But they weren't on the floor, nor under the bed. Scratching the back of her head in wonder, she went back into the small bathroom, but couldn't find them there either. So, she started going through the empty boxes and bags in the corner, looking in all the pockets she could find.
After ten minutes of relentless searching, she exhaled deeply, giving up.
"Where are they...?"
"Meow~."
She stiffened. Slowly, very slowly, she turned to Spikey. He was still calmly sitting on her bed but, this time, he seemed smug.
Oh, he didn't…
"What have you done with my contacts?" she growled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I swear, if you- oi! Don't you dare ignore me, you little shit!"
The beige feline simply curled up on himself to go to sleep. Kira was seriously tempted to throw him out the window, but decided against it. Throwing cats from the fourth floor wasn't very Hero-like.
"At least I got another pair…" She muttered, returning into the bathroom. When she opened the cabinet, thought, it was only to find it empty. "Are you fucking kidding me!?"
Angry, she returned into her room. Fuck being Hero-like, that damned cat was going to either land on his paws or die trying to! Unfortunately, when she got there, he was already long gone.
Fucking hellion…
"Meow?" She glanced down at Deku, who was staring up at her.
"You wouldn't know where he hid my stuff, would you?"
The cat simply licked his paw, starting to clean himself. Sighing, the teen then took a look around. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't see a damn thing without those contact lenses.
Wait! I still have my glasses, don't I? She frowned a little. I think… Where did I put those…?
And thus, she started searching once again.
.
.
Class had started. All the students were there, ready and eager to start this new day.
Well, all saved for Kira, but they were getting used to it by now.
Azawa looked boringly at his students. "Now, as I told you all yesterday, our first priority is to acquire provisional licenses."
"Yes!"
"Hero licenses are a serious responsibility. They are-"
The door suddenly slid open. Loudly. "Sorry I'm late! I- I had to find…"
"Just get to your place, Suttoki," sighed Eraser Head, rubbing the back of his head.
"Right…"
The ginger quickly went to take her seat. The students, usually amused by her lateness and grand entrances, were dumbstruck that day.
Most instantly noticed her hair. None would have ever imagined her being the kind of person who cared about hairstyles, so it really was a drastic change. A few also realized the absence of Deku. The most stunning difference, though… were the glasses. They were rectangular, rather large, and thick. Or, otherwise said, extremely unsubtle.
"Red One…" Kirishima trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Kira…" Kaminari barked out a laugh. "Oh my god, what are you wearing?"
"Spikey was being an asshole again and hid my contact lenses!" she tried to defend herself. "It's not my fault!"
"Uh!? I didn't do anything, Carrot!" snapped Katsuki, sitting farther ahead.
"What? No, I know… oh. Right. Err…" She cringed, realizing she never told him about that. "I kind of got another cat named Spikey. He's an absolute jerk, just so you know why I was so inspired with the name."
"You named a fucking cat-"
"Okay, enough of the sideshow." Their teacher's flat voice cut through, and quickly brought back their attention. "As I was saying, Hero licenses are directly concerned with matters of life and death. As such, the exam to receive qualification is very hard. Even the average yearly passing rate for just the Provisional License Exam is only about fifty percent."
"It's that hard just for the provisional license?" panicked Mineta.
"Yes. However, before we get to that, though…" The Pro's eyes landed on Kira, who stiffened. Then, she relaxed, and nodded, resigned. "It was decided that you would all be… given, some very important information."
"Information?" echoed Jiro. "About what?"
The ginger bit her lower lip, before sighing and leaning back into her chair. "About the training camp, and the fiasco with the Villains."
At that, all of the students gained some more somber expressions. However, Izuku, Shoto, Yaoyorozu, Iida, Kirishima and Katsuki all looked at her with wide eyes, understanding what she was about to do.
"Kicchan-"
"They have a right to know," she cut him off. Izuku fell silent at that. "Plus… it'd be safer, too. Who knows what might happen if he contacted them and they didn't know?"
"Right…"
"Kira-san, what are you talking about?" frowned Shoji.
"As most of you should have come to understand by now, the only reason why the location of the training camp was known to the Villains was because of a mole in our ranks," stated Aizawa-sensei, more seriously. "We found out his identity afterwards, thanks to the incident in Kamino Ward."
"It was Ren." All students startled at that, snapping their eyes back to the fiery girl. She wasn't looking at them, eyes closed as she did her best not to let her emotions show. "At first, I suspected he was acting as an informant. Then, one thing led to another, and we discovered that Ren… is actually Seishin no Hagane."
"Kira, what are you saying?" protested Kaminari, wary. "You're saying your brother-"
"My brother is a traitor. A Villain. He's the mole who put us all in danger," she snapped. "He's currently on the run, but he knows all of you. I was worried he might try to get in contact with you, knowing you're my friends, and might try to use you guys against me. That's why I believed it better if you were made aware of the situation."
"And you guys knew about that?" Jiro snapped her eyes to the other members of the rescue mission. "That's why… you were all acting so weird…"
"Class B is also being informed at this very moment," added Aizawa-sensei. "However, outside of our two classes, the teachers, a few of the Pro Heroes and the police force, no one knows of this information. I believe you all understand the importance of keeping it a secret."
No one answered, all shooting worried glances at the ginger. Her eyes were fixated on her desk, her arms were crossed over her chest, and it wasn't hard to see that she was worried about their reactions. Then again, who wouldn't?
"Kira-chan," Tsuyu then called, as level-headed as always. "You're not to blame for what happened, nor for your brother's actions."
Kira snapped her eyes up at that, truly surprised and somewhat relieved. "Tsuyu-chan…"
"You're our friend!" grinned Kaminari, sending her a thumbs up. "And we all already know you'd rather be hurt than putting one of us in danger."
"D-don't worry about it!" added Uraraka, supportive. "We're all with you in this!"
As the rest of her classmates shared their approval, Kira felt a weight being lifted off of her chest. A small smile graced her lips, and she finally let go of the breath she had been holding.
"Thanks, guys. It… it really means a lot to me."
Satisfied with how things turned out, Aizawa then clapped his hands a few times to gain back their attention. "Well, now that that's settled… Let's get back to the main subject: the provisionals. Starting today, each one of you…"
The door suddenly slid open again, this time letting enter Midnight, Cementoss and Ectoplasm.
"You all will be devising at least two new super moves!"
...
...
..
The whole class suddenly rioted, basically putting to shame the earlier revelations.
"No way! Super moves!?"
"That's both school-like and Hero-like!"
"Awesome!"
"That's right, super moves!" confirmed Ectoplasm. "In other words, killer techniques sure to win the day!"
"And any such technique that's truly one with you admits no limitation," pursued Cementoss. "The meaning of battle lies in how far you can push your unique skills."
"And your moves are you symbols!" added Midnight. "In this day and age, if you're a Pro Hero without any super move, you're an endangered specie!"
"We'll tell you all of the details alongside some demonstrations, proceeding in a logical manner," concluded Aizawa-sensei. "Go change into your costumes, and assemble at Gamma Gym."
"Yes!"
.
.
"You should wear them more often!"
"You look… a little weird."
"Are you really that blind?"
"I didn't even know you wore contacts!"
Kira hid her face face in her hands… Well, as much as she could manage, considering her glasses.
"Guys, stop teasing me…" she whined.
An hand fell on top of her shoulder, and she looked up at Shoto.
Wait. When did he get taller than me!?
Damn growth spurts.
"I think they suit you," he simply stated with his usual small, but sincere smile.
Pushing down the urge to blush again, the girl turned to their classmates. "S-see? That's how friends should act!"
"But you're cute when you're embarrassed!" grinned Kirishima, patting her head.
"I'm not- I don't- ugh! Just stop teasing me already!"
Her friends simply laughed at her despair.
As they kept on walking, Izuku tapped her shoulder. "Are you all right, Kicchan?"
She simply smiled at him. "Couldn't be better."
And he smiled back, because he could see in her eyes that she was saying the truth.
.
.
"Training and Dining Land, or TDL for short!" presented cheerfully Midnight.
"This is my personal facility; I can fashion whatever terrain or objects I believe best suit each individual student," explained Cementoss, slamming his palms on the floor of concrete. "That's where the 'dining' part of the name comes from."
"Please, may I ask a question!" exclaimed Iida, as energetic as ever. "Why is it that super moves are necessary for us to obtain provisional licenses? I respectfully implore you to let us hear the whole plan!"
"I'll lay it all out in order," assured tiredly their homeroom teacher. "Whether they encounter incidents criminal or accidental, disasters natural or manmade, it's a Hero's job to rescue people from all kinds of peril. The exam for the license will of course be judging your aptitude. Insight, agility, judgment, fighting prowess, along with other criteria such as communication skill, charm, and leadership ability. The exam will test your aptitude at many of theses skills, as its contents change every year."
"But within that paradigm, the item that will receive far and away the most emphasis for upcoming Heroes is fighting prowess," precised Midnight. "So if you prepare for that, you won't have any cause for concern! Just keep in mind that having moves for battle greatly influences how likely it is you pass."
"If you can resist getting caught up in the sway of the situation and maintain stability on the field, then you'll be in possession of a high-level fighting prowess," pointed out Cementoss.
"And there's no reason our super move has to be offensive in nature," added Ectoplasm. "For example… Iida's Recipro Burst. A temporary extreme speed boost is a threat in itself, and as such is worthy enough for the title of 'super move'."
"Oh, I get it!" Sato snapped his fingers in understanding. "So we just need to think of a move that'd make us go 'all I need is to use it and then I've got the edge', right?"
"Yes! Remember how Kamui Wood made his dynamic entrance the other day?" recalled the sole female Pro present. "Lacquer Prison is a fine example of a super move, and it's not hard to see why, either."
"The 'Quirk Extension' training that was cut short during the training camp this summer was supposed to be a step in the process of creating your own super moves," explained Eraser Head.
"So, in the ten days of summer break that we have left…" Cementoss suddenly used his Quirk, creating the perfect training ground in the blink of an eye. "Between now and the start of the next semester, you're in for some two-in-one training, as you'll be whipping up new super moves and extending your Quirks at the same time!"
"Furthermore, you'll also be thinking of how best to upgrade your costume, to go with your Quirk extension training and new super moves. You shall break passed these walls with 'Plus Ultra' on your lips," proclaimed Aizawa-sensei. "Now, are you ready?"
"Ready?" Kira grinned, slamming her fists together. "We're psyched! Let's get started already!"
.
.
I already have Fire Burst, but it's not really a super move. It allows me escape when cornered and things like that, but it's not for offense nor defense. It's just a last resort move.
While the rest of the students worked hard on their training, supervised by Ectoplasm's clones, Kira was thinking deeply about her super moves. It would be of no use to simply rush in when she had no idea where to start.
I've been so focused on growing stronger, I kept coming up with different ways to exploit my Quirk, but moved on as soon as I found them. Creating fire requires less and less concentration from me, so that's a plus, but I haven't really touched my solid fire, or my fire armor, or my enhanced abilities since discovering them… My Quirk has a lot of potential still, but I need to work on what I have now before passing to the next level.
She looked down at her hands, thoughtful. Working hard was well and good, having numerous attacks was awesome, but did it really make her stronger? Jack of all trades, master of none, as the saying went.
If she kept going like that, then she wouldn't stand a chance against Ren.
I need two moves. I'll pick one for offense, and one for defense.
"My Fire Armor for defense." That was an obvious decision. "And… my solid fire for an attack?" She could theoretically create anything from her fire, which also included weapons. Weapons... Like those ones from the comics Katsuki lent me! And maybe she could push it a little farther…? "I… I think I've got it! Ectoplasm-sensei, mind giving me a few of your clones?"
"Right away."
Four clones appeared around her. Grinning a little, more and more excited to try out her idea, she then extended her hands before her, as if she was holding the handle of something. Concentrating, she first created the fire. She frowned a little when she felt some mild discomfort, but ignored it and solidified her fire. Focusing some more, she started giving it a shape and, soon enough, an actual sword made of fire was in her hands.
"Somewhat extravagant, wouldn't you say?" mused the clone to her right.
"The weapon is only as strong as the one who wields it," she replied, lifting it a little higher. She then aimed at the first clone before her. "If I can control the heat…" Focusing even harder, she waited until she was sure it was hot enough, before suddenly pouncing. "I can slice through anything!"
And slice through she did. The clone vanished with a sizzle. Getting a little high on power, she jumped to get rid of the second clone, augmenting the heat. As soon as her sword sliced through, she moved to attack the third one. She was no longer paying attention, though, and as she sliced through the third clone, the heat became too much for her to handle.
She cried out as her flames flickered blue, instantly letting go her of sword. It vanished in the second as she collapsed to her knees, hissing in pain.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-"
"What happened, Suttoki?" Ectoplasm kneeled next to her.
"Too- too hot," she gasped, blinking back her tears. "Fuck, way too hot…"
She looked down at her palms. For a second, melted iron and bloody burns flashed before her eyes, though she quickly blinked them away to see the actual results of her little power-trip: the skin was raw, with a few blisters already forming, and it hurt like a bitch, but nothing more, really.
"This is ridiculous," she gritted her teeth as Ectoplasm helped her up. "I never burnt myself before!"
"You never truly reached your limit, then," wisely pointed out the Pro. "You might have worked on the strength of your fire, but I believe you have yet to do the same with the heat. Or at least, not to such an extent."
"I guess…" It wouldn't do, though. The hotter the better, and she couldn't handle being burnt each time she tried to use her powers. "Fucking hell…"
"You should go see Recovery Girl," the Hero suggested. "I will inform Aizawa."
"Right. Thanks, Ectoplasm-sensei. See you tomorrow, I guess."
"Rest well."
Nodding, the ginger then quickly made her way towards the exit. She didn't want her friends to ask questions, considering how utterly ridiculous this whole situation was. As she was about to leave, though, she stumbled upon the ex-Top Hero, who was just coming in.
"Oh, young Suttoki!"
"All Might," she greeted. "You're here to help out everyone?"
"Well, I might no longer be the Symbol of Peace, but I am still your teacher," replied the man, smiling a little. "Speaking of helping, I saw your little experiment. Quite the flashy move you're working on, uh?"
"Well, my Quirk is flashy to start with," she pointed out. "Though I guess it is a little like showing off. But, what can I say? I rather like the idea of wielding a sword made of fire."
"I'm sure you do," he chuckled. "Though, you were injured when using it, were you not?"
"Ah, well, actually… It's more because of the heat," she corrected, lowering her voice a little. Admitting it out loud was downright embarrassing. "It's like… Well, look at it this way: before, my control over the heat of my flames was subpar. I hadn't really tapped into its potential, so the wall blocking the way to that potential was really thick. But then, there was the attack on the training camp, and I kind of… forcefully smashed down that wall, if you will. And now? Well, I think I don't really have control anymore."
"I see." All Might thought it over for a moment. "Where you trying to maintain the heat at all time?"
"Err, yeah, that was kind of the point of the attack…"
"Then what if you only focus on the heat for an attack?" he proposed. "Diminish your range, if you will, but make it much more accurate. That way, you can keep the sword to an heat you can naturally handle without hurting yourself, but still make specific attacks all the more damaging."
"So… you're telling me to weaponize the heat itself, and not the weapon?" Her jaw dropped. "That's brilliant! I'm gonna try it out right away-"
Before she could move, he grabbed one of her hands, and squeezed. Pain shot through her whole body, almost sending her to her knees.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow… What was that for?" she protested, her voice weaker.
"You are in no state to train, young lady," he scolded. "Ectoplasm told you to go see Recovery Girl, did he not? You should do as your teachers tell you."
"R-right..."
.
.
"Your palms are healing nicely," hummed Recovery Girl. "Or were, at least. You just had to go and do something reckless again, didn't you?"
"To my defense, I wasn't aware I had so little control over that part of my powers," replied the ginger, a little miffed. "I've grown… arrogant. Complacent."
::
"Funny thing is, there's no limit to the heat my body can take."
::
"I thought I had broken through every and each of my limits. I thought I had already explored all of my potential. I wanted to grow stronger, but couldn't see how weak I still am." Gritting her teeth, she looked back to Recovery Girl. The old woman was staring at her, her face blank and not saying a word. "I'll get better. Not just stronger, but better. I swear I will."
After a few seconds, the nurse's lips stretched into a small, approving smile.
"Well said, Suttoki-chan. Acknowledging your weaknesses is the first step in surpassing them." On which she kissed Kira's hands. Instantly, the teen grew dizzy, feeling a drain on her energy. "Now, you rest in here for a few more hours. You should be good to train again tomorrow. However, before working on the heat, I would suggest finding a solution to your resistance to it."
Kira simply nodded, actually already thinking about it.
Maybe it really is time for a costume upgrade…
.
.
When Kira was finally allowed to return to the dorms, she had more or less found a solution to her problem. It really depended on if the upgrades she had thought of could be made. In the meantime, though, she'd get some more rest.
As soon as she arrived, she was greeted by her classmates. They were all gathered in the mess hall, chatting excitedly about their super moves.
"Oh, Suki-chan!" exclaimed Ashido, the first to spot her. "What happened to you? No one even saw you leave!"
"I was hurt during training," answered the ginger, showing them the bandages wrapped around her hands. They might be healed, but Recovery Girl considered it safer no to damage the sensible skin. "Don't worry, I'll be back in top shape tomorrow!"
"Do you have something against your hands, Kira?" sweatdropped Kaminari.
"What? No! It just… kind of happens?"
"That's 'cause you're an idiot," snorted Katsuki.
"Am not!" She protested.
"Wow. Really imaginative comeback, Carrot," he taunted. "You talk like an idiot, act like an idiot, look like an idiot-"
Kira wanted to tear her hair out. "For fuck's sake, how did I manage the feat of not strangling you for the passed week!?"
"You wouldn't have been able to even if you tried."
"I drew first blood in the pillow fight!"
"If you recall correctly, I'm the one who gave you a fucking black eye-"
"That's only because you threw the damn lamp at me! Who the fuck throws a lamp in a pillow fight!?"
"I threw it away, and you coincidentally ended up being in the way."
"… that was payback for that time back in the forest, uh?"
"Don't know what you're talking about."
Now greatly annoyed, Kira grabbed the nearest thing she could find and threw it at Katsuki. Mineta screamed as he suddenly found himself flying, and screamed a little more as he was mercilessly blasted away.
"Ugh! You are so fucking irritating!" she cursed.
"You're one to fucking talk, Carrot!" he retorted, small explosions at the tips of his fingers.
"Okay, okay, calm down you two," Kirishima suddenly stepped in, confusion written all over his face. "How about you shed some light, here?"
"I must admit that I too am confused," nodded Yaoyorozu in agreement. "What did you mean when you mentioned the passed week?"
"Uh?" It took Kira a few seconds to understand what was going on. "Oh, that! Well, it's just that, since they had to rebuild all of the dorms, I couldn't live here anymore, so they sent me to live with Spikey and his family for the week."
"And you managed not to kill each other?" gaped Kaminari.
"Is there still a house, at least?" sweatdropped Sero.
"We only destroyed the living room," Kira replied defensively.
"And the kitchen," added Katsuki.
"And the kitchen," she relented. "Though that was more messy than destroyed, so…"
"I don't know what scares me the most: when you two are at each other's throat, or when you're having a civilized conversation," mused Ojiro, a nervous band of sweat roling down his temple.
"Oh, come on, we're not that bad," protested the ginger. "Right?"
She was met with complete silence. Katsuki coughed in his fist, looking away. Izuku chuckled nervously. Uraraka whistled innocently. Iida cleared his throat. Shoto simply patted her head in comfort.
She slumped in defeat. "I hate when you guys are right."
"Well, if you're able to- watch out!"
Everyone scrambled away in fright at Kaminari's warning, as none other than Spikey the cat suddenly fell from nowhere, landing in the middle of the group. All of those present the evening before knew what he was capable off, and Kaminari was the first to run away.
"Spikey…" Kira growled, eye twitching. She then grabbed it by the fur of his neck as he hissed at everyone. "You damned devil! Where the fuck did you hide my stuff!?"
"Meow!"
"I'm not having any of your shit!" She shook him a little. "Give me my stuff back or I swear to God, I'll bring you back to Bunny and have her neuter you!"
The beige cat hissed yet again, clawing at her face. She held him far enough so that he couldn't reach, but it was still a close call.
"He hid it on your balcony or something."
Kira blinked, surprised, and the cat instantly stopped wriggling around. The two of them looked at Katsuki, who hadn't moved an inch since the apparition of the hellion.
"How the hell would you know that?" she wondered, truly curious.
"That's where I'd put it," he shrugged. "Hiding in plain sight is the best strategy."
I didn't check my balcony, she realized. And I left the door open this morning, in case the cats wanted some air.
"Meow!" This time, Spikey managed to get her hand.
She cursed, dropping him, and he swiftly landed on his paws. He hissed one more time his way, before turning to Katsuki and, without warning, jumping on his lap.
Without another noise, he settled down comfortably.
"That devil's spawn actually likes Bakugo," sweatdropped Jiro. "Go figures."
Katsuki stared down at the cat now purring on his lap for a few seconds, his face scarily blank. For a moment, Kira worried that he might blast him away. But then, the blond got up and, without a word, left for his room.
…
…
…
"Did he just kidnap my cat?"
The rest of her classmates simply shrugged, not knowing what to make of that either.
.
.
The next day, Kira happily left her glasses behind and returned to her good old contact lenses. As told, they were on her balcony, and she didn't know whether to be terrified or amused that her cat and the bomber understood each other so well.
As everyone kept on training, herself was now heading for the Development Studio, so as to get her new upgrades. When she got there, though, she was greeted with an explosion. Worried, she opened the door, only to find a black smoke and an heavy smell of grease fill the air.
"Err… anyone in there…?" She called, unsure. "Are you alright?"
"YES!"
"Shit!"
A pink-haired girl suddenly popped out from nowhere, weird goggles over her eyes and a crazy grin splitting her face.
"Yes, I am absolutely fine!" she repeated. "Who might you be? Oh, are you also here for a new design? Maybe an entirely new costume?"
"Just for a few upgrades, actually," corrected the ginger, relaxing. I really can't deal with surprises anymore… She extended her now fully healed hand. "I'm Suttoki Kira."
"Oh, I know who you are! You won third place in the Sports Festival, did you not?" exclaimed cheerfully the girl. "Truly an amazing Quirk that you have, yes, yes, yes! Oh, and I am Hatsume Mei!"
"And you're the girl who managed to sell most of her inventions during said Sports Festival, right?" recalled the fiery teen. "That was really cool."
"Why, thank you! My talent has yet to be appreciated to its fullest, but I have no doubt that soon, the entire Hero population will be equipped with my babies!" beamed the pink-haired girl.
"Right… Anyway, I need a few upgrades on my costume. Nothing major, but it would really help me. Think you're up to the challenge?"
Mei's eyes shined gleefully. "Without a doubt!"
.
.
It took Mei two days to come up with the designs and then make the upgrades and adapt them to Kira's costume. When the ginger saw it, she couldn't help but hug the girl tightly, grateful. Mei had simply laughed, glad to be able to create some more awesome "babies".
Kira's costume was still the same overall. However, the tissue it was made of was now much more resistant to fire, if possible. Thanks to Yaoyorozu's input, Mei had actually managed to recreate the tissue the girls had used when they tricked Aizawa-sensei during their exam. Otherwise said, each time Kira activated her Quirk, her costume actually became an armor. She could still move freely thanks to Mei's design, but hitting her and actually making some damage would be all the more harder.
She had been careful when choosing, too. Since it wasn't made of metal, Hagane… Ren, wouldn't be able to use it against her.
Mei had also adapted her boots so that she'd be able to use her Quirk through her legs and feet despite wearing them, and even put an enhancer that'd allow her to gain even more speed when using her rollerblades.
What changed the most were actually her gauntlets. They were now made of some sort of alloy that would allow her to wield greater heat without hurting herself. The alloy was not a thermal conductor, so she'd be able to augment the heat without actually feeling it. It would also allow her to encase her whole fist, and not just the inside of her hands when wielding her fire weapon.
Oh, she also added a hood. The way it was made would allow Deku to actually be with her without being in the open. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop the cat from following her, so might as well take precautions. As for her retractable staff, the girls managed to find another material to remake it so that, again, Ren wouldn't be able to use it against her.
The last change wasn't as important, but it did pained Kira when she left her goggles in one of the drawers of her desk. She always loved them, but… they were a gift from Ren. And, no matter how she thought about it, she simply couldn't bring herself to wear them anymore.
All in all, the costume upgrades were great, and Kira intended to exploit them fully as soon as possible. So, quickly changing, the ginger then made her way to her training spot, where four of Ectoplasm's clones were already waiting.
She extended her hands and, just like the first time, focused on the shape. A few seconds later, the sword was in her hands. Narrowing her eyes, she started augmenting the heat. She needed to test out Mei's invention, after all.
She kept at it, until her flames flickered blue. And, soon enough, the sword was fully made of blue flames.
And Kira didn't feel a thing.
"Yes!" A little drained, the ginger let the sword vanish. "Thank God it's working… Damn, Mei's a fricking genius!"
"You have found a solution to the first problem, it would seem," mused the clone before her. "But what about the second one? You might not be hurting yourself anymore, but you will not be able to keep such concentration in battle."
::
"Then what if you only focus on the heat for an attack? Diminish your range, if you will, but make it much more accurate. That way, you can keep the sword at a heat you can naturally handle and not hurt yourself, but still make specific attacks all the more damaging."
::
"Oh, don't worry about that. I think I know what I'm doing."
.
.
Kira felt giddy. It was the fourth day of training, and she had a rather good grasp on her offensive move already. Thanks to Mei's creations, she could use her powers more freely and, thanks to All Might's advice, she had exploited that newly found potential the best she could.
She was now actually working on her fire armor. She still remembered the training she went through when under Endeavor, but she needed more actual practice.
The teen was actually sparring with Midnight to get a better hang of it when startled cries suddenly echoed. Frowning, they both stopped in their tracks, only to see a gigantic rock falling on All Might. Before any of them even understood just what kind of danger the man was in, though, the rock suddenly exploded in pieces.
"What the fuck?"
And then, as the dust cleared, Izuku landed on his feet. Appearing from nowhere, the boy had utterly destroyed the rock by harshly kicking it to pieces. Gaping, and completely forgetting about her own training, Kira quickly ran to him.
"God, Izuku! Since when can you move like that?" she exclaimed, wide eyed. "That was fricking awesome!"
"What destructive power!" agreed Kirishima.
"I thought you were a puncher?" mused Kaminari.
"Kicchan, Kirishima, Kaminari… A-actually, the destructive power is thanks to these soles Hatsume came up with, and I changed my style by observing how Iida moves his body," he explained. "All I've really done is determined what direction I'll be going now, and this skill's still only hot off the forge, so it's nothing I could call a super move just yet, but-"
"That's all right!" however assured All Might. "Because that skill is probably more than just hot off the forge. For the Provisional License Exam, that is."
"It's dangerous here, All Might," then remarked Aizawa-sensei, frowning. "Don't get too close."
"Thanks, but I'm heading out anyway. Sorry about that, young Bakugo!"
The ginger looked up to see the bomber glaring down at them. He had apparently been the one who made the rock fall.
"Tche. Watch your damn self, All Might!"
The students around however quickly forgot about the incident, focusing on each other's upgrades.
"Nevermind that, everyone upgraded their costumes too!"
"Ah, so you noticed?" grinned Kaminari.
"You ain't the only one with a new style!" added Kirishima. "The rest have been making little improvements to their costumes, so we can't let our guards down."
"I can't wait to see everyone's super moves!" remarked Kira, almost bouncing in place. "Izuku's gonna be totally awesome and he's going to literally kick everyone's asses, so that's cool already, but what about you guys?"
The green-haired boy flushed deeply at the praise, while Kaminari instantly started ranting about his newfound style.
The doors of the gym suddenly slammed open, though, cutting him off.
"Time's up, Class A!" boomed Vlad King's voice as he walked in. "Today, we arranged for Class B to use TDL this afternoon! So, make haste outta here, Eraser."
"Class B?"
"Timing, man!" whined the electric blond.
"We've still got a few minutes left," however pointed out Aizawa-sensei. "Not very good at making the most of the time allotted, are you?"
"Hey, did you hear!? They say half the people who take the test for provisionals fail!" suddenly exclaimed an annoyingly familiar voice. "So why don't you all fail for us, Class A?"
The ginger pinched the bridge of her nose as Monoma the jerk started laughing maniacally.
"He's completely mental…" She grunted, before glancing Kendo's way. "How the hell do you put up with him?"
Her fellow ginger laughed nervously, obviously not having an answer to that question.
"However, he's not wrong," mused Tokoyami, showing up behind them. "So long as we're taking the same test, then we are anathema to each other… destined to crush one another's hopes."
"Which is why we have applied to have the two classes take the exam at separated arenas," informed their homeroom teacher.
"The Hero qualification exam occurs with the same challenges at three locations twice every year, in June and in September," explained Vlad King. "To prevent students from the same school from crushing their own, the standard practice has been to make students from every school take the test at different times and places."
Monoma paled.
…
…
…
"Such a shame we can't crush you directly! Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"
"Ah, there he goes again," sweatdropped Kirishima.
"Maybe his mental disorder has a name?" cringed Kaminari.
"It does," hummed Kira, felling a little vindictive. "It's called 'desperate eternal looser'. It's incurable, from what I've heard."
The boys snickered a little at that as Monoma's eye twitched, obviously having heard her remark.
"Well," he then sneered her way. "Better a looser than a traitor, right?"
The silence that suddenly fell was heavy, almost suffocating. For Kira, it felt as if someone had just punched her in the guts. Taking a step back, she gaped at Monoma, who started laughing again.
"What does it feel like, knowing your brother's a traitor? That your oh-so-precious friends were hurt because of your family?" Each word hurt more than the last. "Though you probably already knew what was going to happen, uh? You surely were in on the plan. He's your brother, right? Shouldn't you have understood it earlier? Or maybe… you already knew? Ooh, were you actually working with him? Tell me, are you a traitor too?"
"Monoma, that's enough!" snapped Kendo, horrified. "What are you saying!?"
"Only what's everyone thinking!" retorted the blond. "I mean, how can we be sure she's not like her brother, uh? That's she's not a mole too? She's had countless occasions to find him out, and even more occasions to help him! Who's to say she's not working right now with the League of Villains on their next plan to attack U.A.? And if she's not a traitor now, then she'll become one! A Villain, like her brother- oof!"
Kirishima glared harshly at the boy, lifting him a little higher. His feet were dangling over the ground as the red-haired boy held him by the collar.
"I dare you to say that again." His eyes flashed dangerously. "I fucking dare you."
"I-"
"Enough," Aizawa-sensei cut in, tensed. He too was glaring at the boy, though. "Kirishima, put him down."
"But he-"
"Now."
Gritting his teeth, the usually sweet teen dropped him. Monoma fell on his rear rather harshly, but no one volunteered to help him up. Kira was simply frozen in place, barely able to think straight. The personal attack had struck a chord, and it was the last thing she had expected. She simply wasn't mentally prepared for this kind of remarks. Yaoyorozu was rubbing her back, while Kaminari and Sero did their best to stop Ashido from beating Monoma to a pulp.
Eraser Head went to the stupid boy, looming dangerously over him. His eyes turned red.
"Suttoki's the one who asked us to tell you, students from both classes, about the true identity of the mole," he stated, loud and clear. "Class A, we could understand, but why would she want us to tell Class B? When we asked, she told us that it was only fair, and that keeping it a secret might only hurt you guys more." His eyes narrowed even more, and Monoma gulped, truly frightened by now. "She shared this extremely personal information out of worry for your wellbeing, so I would suggest you think over it a few times before spouting such stupidities the next time around."
He then spun on his heels, returning to his students' side. They were all gaping at him, obviously surprised he had stood up so strongly for the ginger. But, then again, they knew he could be rather protective when it came to it.
"Well, one way or another, we're going to be facing every school in the country, saved for our own," Kira then exclaimed, trying to change the subject. She was hurt by Monoma's words, but she didn't want everyone to linger on it. "I don't know whether to be glad or worried."
"Every school, uh…?" Sero then echoed, sweating. "Wow, I've overlooked it before, but each school's gonna be into each other's pass rates."
"And we're skipping over the normal course for obtaining licenses, too," pointed out Izuku.
"Yes, only a minority of schools has their freshmen get provisionals," confirmed Aizawa-sensei. "To put it another way, it'll be a gathering of kids who have had more time to train, and whose Quirks you know nothing about."
"Otherwise said, we're going to be everyone's targets, uh…?" understood Kira.
"W-what?" gasped Mineta. "What do you mean?"
"Well, look at it this way: they're older than us, have been training and studying in the Hero Course for much longer than we have and, above all, they're all from different schools. That means not only will they look down on us because of our age, they'll also consider us easy targets. And of course, there's also the fact that we're kids from U.A., the famous Hero school. If they don't underestimate us, then they'll go for our heads merely because of a competitive streak. Oh, and we can't forget about the fact that our class in particular is already pretty famous because of all of those incidents with Villains." Her eyes hardened a little. "They'll either see us as cannon fodder, as a threat or worse, as a way to prove their strength. Either way, we're targets."
An heavy silence followed her assessment. None of the students had really thought of it this way and, frankly, it scared the shit out of most of them.
"Anyway, we can't know what will be on the exam, but there's no doubt it'll be rough," announced Eraser Head. "Don't fixate on that too much, of course, but don't forget about it either."
"Yes!"
Class A had to leave soon after, though. As they left, Kendo simply patted Kira's shoulder, sadness written all over her face.
"I'm really sorry about that. We all know it's not your fault. It's just… I'll talk some sense into him."
"Don't bother yourself about it," replied Kira, smiling brightly. She was smiling so hard it hurt her cheeks. "He can think whatever he wants. I know what I'm worth. But thanks!"
"O-of course…"
Even though they left the gym and Class B fell out of sight, Kira's smile simply wasn't budging. Izuku frowned when noticing but, before he could get to her, Katsuki whacked her behind the head.
Harshly.
"Ow!"
"Don't smile if you don't feel like it," he scolded. "You look stupid."
After a few more seconds, her smile dropped. The bomber sighed at that, giving her a barely noticeable pat on the shoulder as he headed ahead, and the ginger looked down at her hands.
I need to get rid of that stupid habit…
"Kira?"
She glanced at Kirishima, who was now standing besides her.
"Are you okay?" he frowned.
"… I'll be fine. It just… I wasn't really expecting him to say that," she admitted, before offering a small, but more genuine smile, at the redhead. "Thanks, though. For defending me like that. My knight in shining armor, uh?"
He grinned at that. "You know it! Bring me all the bastards and I'll kick their asses for ya!"
That earned a laugh from the ginger. "Seriously, though; thanks, Red Two."
He simply pulled her into a tight hug. "Anytime, Red One."
.
.
Later that night, after refreshing up in the baths –Kira had been convinced by the girls to go again, and found herself enjoying the experience despite despising the water-, the girls were now gathered in the mess hall. All of the boys, way too exhausted, had gone to rest in their rooms, but the girls still wanted to hang out a little longer.
"Whew, everyday with this…" groaned Ashido.
"They weren't kidding when they said they'd compress all the training," nodded Jiro, stretching as much as she could.
"And we don't even have a week remaining," mused Yaoyorozu, running her fingers through Kira's mane.
"So what? We're doing great," replied Kira, stifling a yawn. Having Yaoyorozu play with her hair was nice, but it also made her sleepy. "We're just that awesome."
They chuckled a little at that.
"How's your super move coming along, Yaomomo?" wondered Ashido.
"Well… while there are things I'd like to try, my body still can't keep up with those ideas," admitted the girl, running her hands through Kira's fiery mane. "So I need to extend my Quirk, even if only a little."
"How about you, Tsuyu-chan?"
"I'm putting the finishing touches on a move that'll be more frog-like," answered the green-haired girl. "You'll be surprised too, Toru."
"And you, Ochaco-chan?"
…
…
…
"Ochaco?"
"Uwa!" The girl jumped, startled.
"… you must be tired."
"No, no, no! I can't afford to be tired. I've still got more in me…" She trailed off, lowering her gaze. "Is what I'd like to say. But, honestly? I don't know. Lately, I've been feeling… disconcerted."
"It's a boy!" exclaimed Ashido, seeing right through her.
"Uh…? UH? A-A boy!? Tha-that's not it, I swear!"
"Is it Midoriya-kun or Iida-kun? You're with them a lot!"
"NOOOOOO!" On which she started floating.
"Who is it!?" exclaimed the pink girl, jumping to her feet. "Which one!? Come on, you've gotta tell us!"
"I'm telling you, that's not it! I swear I don't know anything about… It's not…"
"It's not good to pry and it won't accomplish anything," stated calmly Tsuyu.
"Right. Besides, we need to get up early tomorrow morning, too," remarked Yaoyorozu, finishing up with brushing Kira's hair. "As such, let's retire."
"NO WAY! WANNA HEAR MORE!" protested Ashido. "Even if it's really got nothing to do with it, I wanna make it about love!"
As Ashido tried to get some more information out of Ochaco, Yaoyorozu tried to get up… only to realize that she ginger siting before her wasn't moving. Curious, the black-haired girl looked closer… only to see that Kira had fallen asleep.
"Oh dear... Girls?" she called, lowering her voice as much as she could. "I believe Kira-chan has fallen asleep…"
That instantly stopped their bickering, and the four other girls instantly gathered around the sound asleep ginger. She was lightly snoring, all curled up on her herself, and the sight made them giggle a little.
"Suki-chan's so cute when she's sleeping!" grinned Ashido.
"It's not often that we get to see her so relaxed," pointed out Tsuyu.
"She's really working hard, uh?" mused Jiro. "Makes me feel bad for whining, seriously."
"Should we wake her up?" wondered Ochaco. "She always looks kind of tired, so I don't really know…"
"Can you make her float to her room?" proposed the purple-haired girl.
"I'd rather not risk it, I'm kind of tired myself and I don't wanna drop her…"
"But none of us will be able to take her upstairs," pointed out Ashido. "I mean, I could try, but my muscles feel like jelly right now, so…"
As they kept on talking in a low voice to try and figure out what to do, the door quietly slid open, letting enter Shoto. He was about to head to his room after a late night run, when his eyes landed on the group.
It's getting late, though…
"You should probably go and get some rest," he called, making them jump. "We have a rough day of training tomorrow too."
"Err, we would, but we're kind of stuck right now…" admitted Ochaco, a little sheepishly.
"Stuck…?"
The girls simply moved aside, revealing the ginger asleep against the couch, between Yaoyorozu's legs, and completely cut off from reality.
Of all places to fall asleep… He sighed internally. "I can take her to her room."
"F-for real?"
"I don't mind. My own is on the fifth floor anyway. It's on the way."
A little dumbstruck, the girls simply moved to let him pass. They knew Shoto was a really sweet guy, but could he be any more boyfriend material than he already was?
Impossible! They all thought.
Completely unaware of what they were thinking, the dual-haired boy crouched down and slipped an arm behind Kira's shoulders, and another under her knees. He then easily rose back to his feet, the ginger in his arms. Biding goodnight to the girls, he then left the mess hall.
The five girls gaped at his retreating back.
"Oh my God…" Ashido whispered.
"What is it?" frowned Jiro.
Almost reverently, the pink girl placed an hand over her heart. "I ship it."
At that, her four friends all felt a chill run down their spines.
Somehow, they knew this would get really crazy, really fast.
When Shoto entered Kira's room, he was first taken aback by the pictures on the wall. He hadn't seen it along with the others, after all. He easily spotted a few pictures taken during their internship together.
It made him smile. It was a very… Kira-like, room.
Gently, he placed her on her bed. As he pushed the blanket over her, she was instantly joined by Deku, who licked his hand before going to snuggle against the ginger. Once certain she was comfortable, he rose back to his feet.
He stared at the girl for a few more seconds, unable to tear his eyes away. Then, he leaned closer, and lightly kissed her forehead.
What am I doing!?
He pulled away quickly, puzzled. What had driven him to do such a thing? He wasn't used to showing affection, and even less in such a manner. He wasn't a touchy person, he didn't do hugs and kisses and stuff like that.
But just before, it just felt right…
He shook his head, backing away. It was stupid, a rare spur-of-the moment action. It was probably just Kira's influence finally getting to him; God knew the girl was a teddy bear at heart.
It was fluffy all along and I have no shame: if Kira and Katsuki are an explosive ship, Kira and Shoto are a sweet, innocent one. Anyway, so the next chapter will actually contain ALL of the Provisional License Arc. It just kind of ended up like that, and it's my longest chapter as of yet, but that also means I won't be posting any new one for a while (again, I'm following the anime pace). So, I sure hope you enjoyed this one!
Now, for your questions:
Guest 1: I sure hope you liked this chapter. Both Class B and Dadzawa? That was bound to make you happy, and it wasn't even planned! Guess great minds think alike, uh?
Guest 2: the move Endeavor taught her is the Fire Armor. Basically, she becomes the fire, and so anything can pass through her. Her body turns to flames, it's as simply as that. That would be how she survived the Hero Killer's blade, though she barely had any control over it at that time. It's why she's working on it now as one of her two super-moves. As for the strategy: she took some of Native's blood and spread it on Stain's blade, since it didn't actually harm her. The guy thought it was her blood, licked it, and ended up paralyzing Native for a while longer while thinking he was actually paralyzing Kira. It was actually all based on Shikamaru's strategy of when he beat Hidan by using Kakuzu's blood, if you've seen Naruto.
Guest 3: No, Shiro does not represent Kira. Deku was based on Izuku, Spikey on Katsuki and Shiro on Shoto. It's basically the three boys who have influences on her. It's nothing more than that, really. Also, no worries about Amajiki: you'll be served ;-)
Now, on a more serious note:
I am writing normally so that more people notice it. There was this one Guest whom I consider has posted something rather... inappropriate The review was this one:
"sorry fellow reviewers ur little disgusting shipping of bakugo and toridoriki not happening if u clearly did not look at the character input the aruthor put ull see why now peace out sluts and bitches"
To whoever wrote this, I want to answer: I do not mind if your ideas differs from those of others. You are allowed to have your own beliefs and values, and you are perfectly in your right to think whatever you want to think. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you did not use such offensive terms. You are entitled to your own opinion just as everyone else is, and I would be truly grateful if you refrained from insulting your "fellow reviewers". We are all here to enjoy fanfiction, so there is no need to offend anyone. So please, I ask this kindly: either you change the tone of your reviews, either you don't review at all.
Thank you for your comprehension.
Anyway, forgetting about that part if you're not concerned: I hope you guys had a good time with this chapter, and look forward to the next one!
Love you guys! Plus Ultra!