Chapter 21

"What does snot do to leather?"

It was hard to tell what Alarice wanted, so much so the Hell-hound herself didn't know what she wanted. Maybe have a good fight.

She was glad that she could finally get back to being a student again, or pretend to at least, just be a student. The nagging feelings of the weekend itched at her, and she was filled with guilt about missing an entire day. Even if she had been both assured that she was allowed sick-days, and also chided to take care of herself.

The metal water-bottle with little radiating flowers, that sat near her chair, was proof of that. Her dead silence was evidence of another.

She'd spared few words, and those had been limited to the few classmates she considered enough of a friend to say anything to. Mostly "Hi" "good morning" and "yes I'm fine, no I don't want to talk about it."

She had no business burdening people with her grief, when they were by the nature of being around her burdened with her. Maybe this was why so many other schools and students in her past had, had issues with her. She let out a long sigh, and practically jumped into the rest of her suit. Still wearing the bare minimum of it, under her uniform at all times. Now she could work on what she really wanted: getting stronger, better.

Working in the forest field today, Protecting a Target, a lot like capture the flag really. She was amused at how often their different exercises were so often variants on games.

Sero kept his laughter to himself but a smile still spread on his face, hidden by the helmet as her ears began to swivel around. Following sounds he couldn't possibly hear. Tokoyami was not so taken with this, keeping a watchful eye.

"I'm not picking up anything," She said, keeping her voice very low. Her ears shifting back to human ears so quick and gracefully you'd almost miss it if you blinked. "I'm ready, Tokoyami?"

"We'll protect the flag of our team." He said equally quietly. She nodded in response, and Sero gave her a quiet thumbs up, before shuffling his way into the underbrush, ready to back up either teammate at a moments notice. While Alarice, managed to blend herself into the foliage silently, barely disturbing a leaf.

Looking for scents proved that, at the very least, as she forged ahead towards the other team's flag and grouping, that Asui was here. In fact, 'she' was every where. She put her scent on many, may things. Only in her were-hound shape could she pick out differences. She shifted herself back down to her human shape before even her bulkier were-hound shape was seen.

Everything felt clearer now that she was out in an exercise. It was wonderful, it lifted her mood, just a tiny bit.

A soft rustle in the leaves, she automatically lowered, kept more still, kept her eyes open, alert. Both she and Asui were likely to be playing the sneak. Leader or not, which Asui probably was, both of them were stealth and ambush type fighters. Despite the fact that for Alarice, it was the equivalent of a Clydesdale suddenly appearing.

It was a force of will to keep herself sneaky this time, however. Itching to start a fight, as she crept along. Speeding up as she found herself very quickly on Sato's location. Good baker or not, Alarice found herself not at all bothered about taking on her brawler-esque classmate in a fight.

It was sort of satisfying, as short of a fight as it was.

Their little fight hardly lasted any amount of time, even with a boost from sugar. Were-hound was a bit too quick for him. Managed to capture, tape one leg to one hand, and left him at that for now. The forest erupted into sound as the two teams were alerted and now active. She was confident Tokoyami would be able to defend on his own, especially with Sero to back him up.

She moved quickly, since time was of the essence, making it to where Froppy's team had their flag. Realizing that she was basically here, and there wasn't a single sign of Shoji from her view point. He was probably still somewhere. It was make a move or hang out waiting the whole time.

So she did, The were-hound form popping from the bushes quickly, skull head and all, and went for the Flag. Before her fingers could brush fabric she was tossed heartily to the side by Shoji, bouncing off a bush before regaining herself. Their stare-down was silent and short lived, before she launched herself back at him. Biting down onto one of his spawned limbs, to make him let go of her. Grabbing the flag with her tail, kicking the web of flesh between his arms with a back leg, and throwing herself into a run.

The dirt was torn up by her run, and she was soon faced with a choice: Run for her own base and go for speed to claim the win, or, challenge Tsuyu.

Fight of course. Flag still waving behind her tail as her feet tore up the dirt, as she went in for a pounce on Tsuyu. The frog girl dodging deftly, taking advantage of her smaller size and greater dexterity. Alarice shifting mid-launch into a were-hound once again. Turning and keeping up with Tsuyu. who made of course, multiple attempts for the flag carried in Alarice's tail. As well as kicking her in the face once. Or twice. Alarice returned the favor to Tsuyu's right hip, getting caught up in keeping Tsuyu from taking Alarice's teams' flag to her side.

If it hadn't been for her teammate Sero's tape catching both the flags between the two hero trainees, her team wouldn't have won.

As their group headed off field for it to be reset for their classmates, and also to let them receive any healing they may need, Stone apologized for the bite she'd given Shoji during the fight. Though he seemed to take it in good humor. Making a comment that it was good her teeth were clean, given the small amount of punctures she'd put in his arm.

As their class came to an end, Aizawa requested she join him, to talk in private, during lunch.

So despite how well her hero class had gone, she shifted anxiously. As she headed to meet her teacher, on some level terrified she was about find she was going to be going elsewhere. She really hoped not, having friends was really nice. She settled herself in with her food he'd told her to get first, confused still, and worried. She nibbled at it between moments.

"Stone, first, this isn't about your window escapades, nor am I -" "Sorry I'm a little late!"

Mic did his best to slip in without being louder than his entrance, but it was far to late for that. The withering look from Aizawa was enough, as he tried to quietly settle himself in across from Stone as well.

"Mic's here as emotional support, " Aizawa grumbled out, Mic nodding happily, a cheerful smile on his face. "And, as I was saying-"

"Is it because I bit Shoji?" She asked, cutting him off, and immediately regretting it.

"No. It's not about you biting Shoji. Just.. don't bite Shoji if it isn't necessary for you to bite him." Aizawa said, putting his head into his hands. "This is actually to tell you that Parasus Stone has managed to vanish."

"I don't have anything that would help." Alarice's voice went flat, and her hands laid in her lap, still and unmoving. Her breathing remaining calm but shallow, looking a lot like a statue, appearing as if she was made of wood again.

"That's fine, I wasn't asking." Aizawa said, just nodding solemnly not surprised by her reaction in the least. "If she contacts you at all, please trust us with the information as well."

Alarice nodded and Mic couldn't help but tell that Aizawa wasn't really leaving him a spot to try and help this kiddo out. He'd asked him to join in on this conversation after all, so where the hell was he going to come in? "Eraser, how about you go get a Tea or something?"

Aizawa gave him a look, and to Alarice's surprise actually got up and left.

Still surprised, she jumped a little when he brought his attention to Alarice. "Whew, alright, How are you doin' Stone? Drinking enough water and all that jazz?"

Alarice nodded a little, not loosening up a bit for him, either. "Yes. I am."

"That's good, you've seemed kind of wooden as of late!" he seemed to at least, find himself amusing, but still the levies that held back whatever was the issue, remained firm.

"Just trying to stay focused on school, that's all."

"You know, professional Heros get sick too. It's not a big deal for you to get sick as a trainee. You know that right?" He implored, trying to get her to open up, just a little bit to him. Instead he got another nod, and only that. He was getting even less than before out of her!

"Stone.. Alarice, you know can talk to us, if something is wrong, right?" He started again, keeping his voice as soft as he could. "Anything at all. Really."

An uncomfortably long silence blossomed out, and for a moment, she simply seemed to stare at him. Though it became clear she was simply not even seeing him at all. Finally as the silence dragged on her head dropped, hiding her expression largely from sight. "Why... would you care?"

Mic was only slightly stunned, but her history with schools suggested this might be her standard outlook. "What kind of Hero school," He began, "Would UA be, if its teachers didn't care about their students? A Terrible one. That's what."

She didn't respond right away but that was fine; "And, I know, that with all that's happened, it probably is hard to trust that's really the case. However, UA isn't about to kick you out for situations you can't control, it's just not our style. Going Plus Ultra is our motto here, and we take that very seriously, even in taking care of our students. Which you are."

He paused to breathe, and also, to see that she was still listening. "As for me, of course I care! Why would I not care about you? Your my biggest fan! "

"It's just a job though." She answered quietly.

"Listen, Stone, There is no part of any of my three jobs that says I have to care, I choose to care, probably too much, but hey you know, we can't all be perfect." He gave a sort of comical shrug. "Point is, I care, and I care about you Stone. I might be the Voice Hero, but I can also be the Listening Hero. Any time you need it."

"Any time?"

"Any time. Probably not during the show but hey. Right after." He gave an exaggerated wink. He scribbled down on to paper his hero number, sliding it over to her. "I mean it."

"But.. I'm a fan too.."

"And, like literally, the most respectful one I've had in awhile?" Mic gave her a toothy grin while his chin was somewhere lost in that directional speaker. "More Importantly: I trust you., and I meant what I said. If you need some one to talk to, here you go."

Alarice took the paper, considering the number written on it. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking now. Though her eyes and cheeks started to turn increasingly red. "I... I um.. I do.. want to say that.. I'm sorry, I should have said something about Parasus."

Patiently, which was hard, he waited for her to continue on her own.

"I hadn't seen her in a… really long time, and we had a really ugly fight when she left the house, because I wouldn't go with her." Alarice reached up to wipe at something that wasn't there, yet. "She took over taking care of me before Sunshine started taking care of us, after my mother died."

Mic had broken that emotional levy, and the flood water was coming in now. He offered a tissue for the tears that were starting to come down. "Its okay, just let it out." He said softly. There was a long moment, just the sound of the occasional sniffle, and shifting fabric.

"I just.." She wiped at her eyes. "I should have said something, Parasus was always very rough with me, even when I was really little. She broke my arm when I was 7, I should have said she was violent and that I didn't want to see her... It.. had just been so long." the levies had failed tragically and the flood waters were very high. Alarice couldn't stop herself from crying now, a mass of emotions she didn't want to deal with, clamoring out of her for first place at embarrassing her for the rest of her life. She started to curl up on herself.

"Did Sunshine know.. about her breaking your arm?" He asked, after a moment, she shrugged.

"I think so, I don't know. Parasus could be really mean, even when she was helping me out and teaching me how to hunt. That is just how Parasus is. Sunshine didn't kick her out or anything, she eventually just left on her own, that's when we had a big fight, split my lip and everything."

"Ah." He nodded, taking in the information. She wiped at her face and breathed in roughly, taking another before finally it just fell out of her.

"an.. now P-prometheus is dead. He used to help me with my homework.. and give me cupcakes for my birthday, he was like a big brother an... an... he's gone..forever" The tears uncontrollably back, curling herself into an ever tighter ball. After a moment, the startled to uncurl herself. The dark sclera made it easy to see her eyes dart side to side, as if checking her surroundings.

"Stone, do you need a hug?" He asked softly.

"yes." The sound of desperation beneath the wet sniffles was heartbreaking.

"Then you got one," He said and began to get his bulky directional speaker off. "I don't want you to put your eye out on this bulky thing." He commented at her tear-filled but confused look, a little humorous smile slipped across his face. It didn't sound heavy when he put it down on the table. "Come 'ere."

With that, she got up, and gratefully buried her face into his shoulder and let her self be embraced. As safe as it felt, she couldn't help bursting further into tears. It would have been wailing if her whole face wasn't buried into his shoulder, muffling it. He did his best to be comforting, for her. Making sure she was actually, also breathing too, between cries. Which she was, and then she began telling him, what Sunshine had told her, about Prometheus's body.

"I-I think it might.." She took a breath, still not really letting go of him. "be my fault..t that he died."

"Shhh no, it wasn't your fault." His green eyes found Aizawas, as the other Hero-teacher stood silently in the door way. The green giving way to a dark, dull grey, as the two looked at each other. He hesitated for a moment, crying student still in his arms. "She shouldn't have told you all that."

Aizawa made a noise to show that he was back, resulting in Alarice jerking away suddenly from Mic's arms. Though he only let her get so far away, before catching her own.

"Stone, it wasn't your fault okay?" She nodded her head, trying to wipe her tears off, while he let go of her, and patted her on the head. There was a quiet thanks he almost didn't pick up. He gave her a little thumbs-up, before they settled down into their seats again. Mic picking up his Speaker, a soft thunk as something tumbled out of his device.

"Is that a bag of Skittles... and a protein bar?" Alarice asked, unable to not voice her confusion at the sudden appearance of snacks. Still wiping her face off.

"Yup!" He tossed them over without question, Alarice catching them immediately. "You can have 'em." He barely finished saying that before she'd already opened said skittles, and was beginning to eat them.

"I'm sorry for cryi-" "It's fine, Stone." Aizawa said, cutting her off. "Its normal to mourn. I'm not going to stop you from doing that. Please don't be afraid to say anything you need to, next time, if its important."

Stone nodded a little more stiffly than he liked, and he accepted that the next few times he needed an answer from her, it would likely come through Mic as a middle-man. Fine, he could accept that, as much as it was a time-waster, some answers, were better than no answers. "I was going to ask before I left, if Sunshine told you about the situation, since Parasus has gone on the run."

"No, she didn't." Alarice commented, still wiping away tears from her face in a hasty manner. With a nod of his own, Aizawa began to fill her in on what it all meant for her, since she was likely still a target. Afterwards, the two men sat alone in the room.

"I assume you heard all of what she said."

"Most of it." Aizawa decidedly taking a drink of the green tea before Mic could. "I can't say this makes Sunshine look very good."

"No." Mic responded, being the quieter one now for a moment. Letting himself sink into the couch, a dark tone seeping into his voice. His usually, upbeat, excited tone was completely gone. "it doesn't."