This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental.
To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?
The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others.
Even heroes need to unwind.
Monday, April 10th 11:20 a.m.
After the tough matches of the flag battle exercise, Class 1-B were on their way back to campus, ready for a shower and a hearty meal. The thought of enjoying Lunch Rush's heavenly cuisine raised the spirits of the bus' passengers.
As the students were conversing among themselves, Snipe stood and began to speak.
"As I mentioned previously in the classroom, I've recorded each of your matches as we witnessed them in the monitoring area back on Field Gamma. Your homework tonight will be to choose a match, study the match, and then write an analysis. Upon completion, you will save your analysis in the 1-B drive, gotta save paper. Any questions?"
Junko raised a hand.
"I left my laptop at home, what should I do?" she questioned.
"Ah, have no fear Yanagi. If you make your way to the U.A. Library, we have plenty of computers for you to use. You all should check it out sometime, it's rather nice."
Small chatter continued throughout the bus, bringing a pleasant lively atmosphere.
Although the time the students and Snipe have known each other is short, it's impressive how the teacher can remember all of their names properly.
Kazuto had found it awkward to be the only one socializing with Recovery Girl and her medical assistants, but he quickly found them to be interesting enough to form an engaging conversation.
Ryuji had joined in on Rock and Satou's conversation on training in their spare time in order to prepare for future exercises. After all, they were fellow losers.
"Hey Renka," Rock said aloud, waving his hand to further reach for her attention.
She sat further upright and turned her head, raising her brows to reveal her attentiveness.
"Wanna join in on our conversation? We're planning training sessions for us losers!"
Renka immediately grimaced after hearing the word "loser." She sank back to sitting posture, and continued her conversation with Endo.
Rock slowly lowered his arm, "I guess she's not interested..."
"Man, can you stop calling us losers? It was alright at first, but it's bringing me down," sighed Ryuji, exaggerating a wide frown.
Rock quickly apologized with a nervous grin and slight shrug.
Riku eavesdropped on the conversation behind, and chuckled as Rock's social ineptitude slowly bubbled up.
Endo rose slightly, adjusting her position in her seat. In the process, her elbow slightly brushed Riku's arm, bringing him to a state of hyperventilation and nausea.
Kotonoha simply looked out the window, enjoying the blurs of passing scenery.
The bus whizzed through the city, passing the concrete jungle with a steady speed. The dream of having lunch early became more and more tangible. In no time at all, the class had finally reached U.A.'s campus, apparent by the cherry blossom petals floating through the wind.
Before they could disembark, Snipe had one final announcement to share.
"Ahem, if I could have your attention once more please," said Snipe, successfully garnering the attention of the bus, "You are now free to move about the campus. Once you change, it's up to you what you do next. Return to your dorms, take a shower, read a book, go eat lunch, I don't know, it's up to you. Class will resume at 1:00 p.m., I'll see you all then!"
The passengers of the bus exited in an orderly fashion, thanking their driver before they got off. The class separated, all prepared to finish their business.
Most of the little group of chums had departed, leaving only Rock, Renka and Hide.
Hide turned to the two and fumbled with his thumbs. As their eyes met, the pink-haired boy quickly shrunk, swiftly looking to his right to avoid their gaze.
"Um..." whispered Hide, clearing his throat before raising his volume, "My name is Morino Hide. I-It's a shame that your match ended so abruptly..."
Rock smiled crookedly, unsure of how to react to Hide bringing up the match once again, albeit in a polite and empathetic manner.
Renka focused a fierce stare, frowning ever so slightly. It was as if a menacing aura emanated from her person. It was clear that the loss was a sore spot for her.
Hide could definitely pick up on subtle changes in the atmosphere, flowing from Renka's malice. His face quickly lost it's warm pink hue, and was washed over with a cold sickly blue.
"H-Hey! Thanks Hide!" exclaimed Rock, attempting to alleviate the heavy mood. "I'm Ishikawa Rokuro, but you can call me Rock!"
Rock glanced over to see Renka, still upset over her loss, but more so at Hide for mentioning it.
Rock nudged Renka on her right arm with his left elbow, and cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Nakano Renka," she stated. With a short sigh, her expression lightened, much to Hide's relief.
"I thought your flying lariat was insane! I felt like jumping up and cheering after seeing that!" spouted Rock, his enthusiasm overtaking his new acquaintance.
"You did end up jumping and cheering", chuckled Renka.
Hide's warm color returned to his face, and seemed to glow more red than it had initially appeared.
"Oh, that was... I was just..." muttered Hide, unable to bring words together. He settled for a simple shrug and laugh to express his acknowledgement and appreciation.
Renka reached into her pocket and fished out her phone, tapping the circular button towards the bottom center. The screen flashed on, revealing the time in bold lettering. The phone read the time as 11:32 a.m.
"I'm going to take a shower and change, then probably head to the cafeteria. What about you two?" asked Renka, sliding the phone back into her pocket.
"Shower? Is that necessary? It's not like you really did anythin-hurgh!" joked Rock, slumping to the floor on his knees, struggling to breathe.
I guess it's too soon to be making jokes like that...
Renka had quickly thrust her fist into his stomach, knocking the wind out of an unprepared Rock. With a huff, she walked away to the main doors of the campus.
"W... wassajoke... ih wassa joke..." groaned Rock, slowly recovering as Hide rubbed his back.
Passerby students couldn't help but stare at the boy writhing in pain on the floor. Some had even witnessed the event transpire, much to Rock's chagrin.
Rock traversed through the bustling halls of U.A., eventually arriving at the locker rooms. After locating the locker he left his belongings in, he packed them all into his backpack, and made sure to close the zippers.
The male locker room was comfortably spacious, ensuring every student had an ample slice of their own area. Rock casually strolled out of the locker room, doing his best to not stare at any other students. Once he had left the locker room, he took a moment to think of what to do next, and decided a shower was in order. Dirt and mud were smudged on to his body, mainly his hands and arms, with traces left on his face.
Strangely enough, he hadn't attracted any unwanted attention from any other students for his appearance. It must not be uncommon to see students roughed up.
I figured the top hero academy would be a bit more... prim and proper.
The boy checked the time with his phone.
11:52 p.m.
Plenty of time for a refreshing shower, and a nice meal at the Cafeteria.
Finalizing his planning, Rock exited the main campus building and ventured towards his room at Heights Alliance.
Monday, April 10th 11:59 p.m.
Scrolling through the weekly hero rankings on his phone, Rock reached forward and opened the door to the dorm building.
A familiar hero caught his eye, narrowing his focus.
Turbine, the whirlwind hero, ranked #7 on the pro hero rankings.
According to a small article attached to his rank description, he had recently prevented a potentially gruesome vehicle collision, saving several lives in the process.
A quote from one of the drivers mentioned, "It all happened so fast, I had shut my eyes as I slammed on the brakes. When I opened them, the cars were stopped, and no one was hurt. Standing before me was Turbine, standing triumphantly with a wide grin."
Rock inhaled shakily as the article filled him with excitement.
After finishing his reading, his eye trailed off towards a more recent article.
Salary Man in Shibuya Suddenly Attacks Civilians!
By Takeda Haruma
On April 8th at 9:43 p.m., a salary man identified as Watanabe Yuuto, was on his way home from work, sifting through the bustle of Shibuya Crossing. According to eyewitnesses, the man suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. Watanabe quickly rose to his feet, morphing into a grotesque mutation, resembling some sort of man/preying mantis hybrid.
Straightaway, he wildly swung his scythe-like arms, resembling a mantis' raptorial legs, into the congested traffic of Shibuya Crossing. Several civilians were injured, and three were killed. Several heroes in the area managed to suppress Watanabe's movements, allowing the police to properly restrain him.
No other information is known regarding this incident.
Rock's mouth ran dry, making it difficult to swallow. Although this incident was far more horrific, he couldn't help but connect it to what happened to Kazuto. Random rampages like this were rare. Yet, they were becoming disgustingly more common.
His desert-like mouth caused him to cough. He made his way over to the kitchen of 1-B's dorm building.
The smell of ramen noodles wafted through the air, a familiar and attractive scent that Rock knew well. In fact, he knew it too well to mistake it for anything else.
Several feet ahead of him stood Hirose Anzu, waiting for a bowl of instant noodles to finish cooking after the hot water was added. Upon closer inspection, her bowl was the same brand and flavor that him and Riku would usually indulge in.
As much as his body desired, he couldn't bring himself to salivate. He opened the top right cupboard above the sink, and grabbed a tall glass. Glancing over to the fridge, he noticed it had an ice and water function. After pushing the glass on the designated lever, cubes of ice descended into his glass. He then proceeded to fill it with cold water provided from the fridge, and downed the glass in record time. Aside from the dryness provided by the shock of the article, he also had not had anything to drink since early morning.
Needless to say, it was a life-saving drink.
"Thirsty?" inquired Anzu, who couldn't help but watch the boy chug the tall glass in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Rock chuckled, slightly embarrassed that he was such a spectacle. He extended a hand, his lips curling upward at the ends.
"I don't believe we've met, I'm Rock," he said.
"Rock... That is a rather unique name," said Anzu, recalling seeing him during his flag battle exercise match.
Anzu extended her own hand in kind, stopping before their hands made contact. Her eyes trailed towards the boy's muddied hands and arms.
Rock quickly retracted his hand, and dashed to the sink, earnestly scrubbing the filth off of his hands.
"Sorry! I haven't showered yet, that was the first thing I was gonna do, but I got sidetracked by my thirst and all, and my name isn't actually Rock, it's a nickname, my name is actually Ishikawa Rokuro, but most people call me Rock because it's shorter and..." muttered Rock, his embarrassment growing by the second.
Somehow, he always managed to make a fool of himself.
"I am... Hirose Anzu," she stated. Anzu stayed quiet, seemingly processing all of her thoughts, taking her time before speaking.
Hirose Anzu... She was in the third match of the flag battle exercise if I'm not mistaken. Apparently that match had ended quickly.
"May I call you Rock?" Anzu requested.
"Yes, of course! I prefer it that way."
"Alright, Rock it is."
Anzu stood a few inches shorter than Rock. Her expression remained neutral for long periods of time, only changing for slight showings of emotion such as a smirk or frown. Everything about her seemed to resemble a pale whiteness. Her skin was incredibly light, appearing almost sickly. Her eyes were less wide than most, creating an alluring gaze with her muted, light grayish-blue irises. Anzu's short, layered, bobbed black hair was a stark contrast to her general appearance. A few notable idiosyncracies include her habit of studying the person before her, and taking her time before replying in a conversation.
All in all, she seemed rather plain.
"By the way, that ramen is delicious! I eat it with Riku all the time," he chirped, drying off his freshly washed hands on a cloth rag.
She looked away from Rock, and directed her focus to the bowl of ramen. Anzu removed the covering of her meal, and spun a fork into the noodles, effectively stirring the broth while simultaneously collecting noodles on to her utensil. With a few puffs of breath to cool down the steaming collection of noodles, she gingerly took a bite. Afterwards, the girl cooled the soup with the same method she used on the noodles, and sipped a small amount of the liquid.
Her eyebrows raised slightly, breaking the stone cold neutrality of her resting face.
I guess it was her first time trying this kind of ramen.
"What do you think?" asked Rock, staring unabashed at Anzu's meal.
"... It's very good," she answered plainly.
He grinned, doing his best to not reveal his missing premolar.
"Well, it was nice meeting you! I'm gonna take a shower then head to the cafeteria. I'll see you later in class," said Rock, waving as he marched up the stairs.
Anzu raised a hand to express her farewell, staring off as Rock continued up the staircase. As he left her sight, she returned to eating her meal.
Monday, April 10th 12:16 p.m.
After a brisk shower, Rock donned his school uniform once again, fastening his tie in the bathroom mirror to ensure everything was in proper order. His hair sagged downward, unable to keep it's previously fluffy and upright appearance. Applying several hair products and using a blowdryer brought his signature style back to life. After checking the standard wall clock hanging over his desk, he reached for his backpack and headed out the door.
As he continued heading down the hallway, descending through the staircase, the building was thoroughly empty. Even on the first floor, Anzu was nowhere to be found.
I suppose everyone took Snipe's advice, and headed for the cafeteria...
Exiting the 1-B dorm building, Rock placed a finger over his lips as he continued thinking.
Several thoughts drifted through his mind, making time pass as he walked to the cafeteria.
What to eat at the cafeteria.
Losing the flag battle exercise.
Renka punching him in the stomach.
Where Riku might be.
What else is on the curriculum today.
How to train with the others from now on.
Villains and quirk-enhancing drugs.
Before he knew it, he was right before the cafeteria, its doors propped open invitingly. The sounds emanating from the large room were the clamor of students and teachers alike.
Scanning the cafeteria for familiar faces, he managed to spot Renka sitting at a table with Riku and Kazuto. Before approaching the table, Rock decided to purchase his meal first to save a second trip.
As he waited in a long, but fast moving line, inching towards an open window serving Italian food. After a couple of minutes of anticipation, Rock was up to the window.
"What'll it be?" asked Lunch Rush, adjusting his chef hat, correcting it's previously askew positioning.
"Oh, um... Gosh, I'm not really sure. Can you surprise me?" asked Rock sheepishly.
With a gallant puff of the chest, Lunch Rush gave a determined nod.
Lunch Rush skillfully spun a set of utensils, assembling a dish at impressive, almost blinding speed. Rock stared entranced, surrounded by various other students equally invested in the performance.
After a minute or so, a beautifully crafted meal sat upon the window counter.
"Pesto chicken florentine and caprese salad on the side," said the chef, cleaning off his utensils.
"It looks amazing! How much do I owe you?" chirped Rock, salivation trailing shortly past his lower lip.
"That'll be 600 yen," stated Lunch Rush.
Rock's eyes widened to an extreme degree, baffled by the cheap price. He fumbled around his back pocket, revealing a green themed wallet based off of the classic hero, "Ollie Olive", popular among children. After handing over the payment, he excessively thanked the chef several times. With a skip, he cheerfully carried his lunch over to the table he had previously spotted.
"... It was a bit of a bother at first, but I ended up really enjoying my conversation with Recovery Girl and her team," Kazuto responded unevenly, the bandage over his nose bringing out his voice in a nasal quality.
Rock placed his tray of fresh Italian cuisine gently on the table, before sliding into a comfortable seat.
"Hey everyone, how's it going?" Rock said with bubbly joy, glancing at his friend's expressions to see if they were in as good a mood as himself.
Unfortunately, Renka turned away, putting her soreness of his previous joke on display.
"Not bad," murmured Riku, mouth full of authentic Japanese udon.
"Renka, I'm sorry about earlier..." squeaked Rock, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his right palm.
She faked a scowl, before returning to a calm expression, "I forgive you."
Kazuto gaped with a raised brow, eventually going back to eating his double cheeseburger and waffle fries.
Chewing on his udon noodles and thoughts, Riku reached the limit of his mulling, "Rock, I got a question for you."
Rock quickly popped a portion of his caprese salad into his mouth before raising his head towards Riku.
"I don't remember you being so weak," stated Riku, placing his chopsticks down.
The rest of the table's eyes widened, taken aback by Riku's blunt statement.
"What... do you mean?" asked Rock, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"You literally got one-shot by that goggles kid. I expect that shit from Ryuji, but I thought you were tougher than that," said Riku in a terse and serious tone.
"It was a really heavy kick..." muttered Rock, holding the cheek where he was struck by Chideta's kick.
Renka held a hand to her chin as she recalled their match. Cutting into the conversation, Renka said, "His movements were telegraphed, he was clearly hiding his speed for a surprise attack. Once he was close enough to ensure a solid hit, he activated his quirk, whatever it was, and ended up landing a blow to Rock's face."
With a sigh, Riku adjusted his position to sit more comfortably.
"The Rock I know wouldn't crumble after a kick like that. I've seen you take more punishment from bigger foes, and not once did I ever see teeth fly," said Riku.
"What are you saying?" questioned Rock, a lump forming in his throat.
"I just don't believe you're a little bitch who can't take a kick from a side character, that's all," Riku said dryly.
Damn, maybe he's more upset than I am.
"How did the kick feel? Try to remember in detail," insisted Kazuto, setting his food aside to join into the discussion.
With a reluctant expression, Rock lowered his eyelids, and thought back to the match.
The kick... It really hurt. It even ended up knocking me out. That hasn't happened in awhile. His foot, hit me like a metal baseball bat. Metal... metal?
"Well?" asked Riku, placing his elbow on the table, and leaning his head on a closed hand.
"It felt like metal. Like I got hit with a metal baseball bat or something," said Rock, imitating the expression he had getting struck by the kick, achieving a laugh from Renka and Kazuto.
"A steel-toed boot?" Kazuto said simply.
"What's this going to accomplish? Are we gonna snitch or something?" questioned Rock, seeing no point to this conversation.
"No. We don't even know for sure whether he had steel-toed boots on or a metal plate in his shoes or whatever. I just wanted to know what you made of it," Riku responded, looking down to his meal and slurping up a helping of noodles. Looking up for a moment, Riku swallowed his mouthful of noodles, "Don't lose to fodder characters, Rock. We're headed for the top."
The top... That's right. Riku and I were supposed to be at the top of the class. That was the plan.
After seeing all of my classmates in action, I was feeling a little down. They were all so spectacular.
Rock looked down to his hands, staring at his rough fingers and palms before clenching them into fists.
Riku always knows what to say. I won't lose next time. I'll train harder than before!
The boy raised his head, a new light of determination shining brightly through his lemon irises. Riku lowered his eyelids as he smirked, returning to his noodles, savoring the gourmet taste.
After the discussion had ended, they continued to talk about other's matches and the quirks of their classmates. Eventually, Kotonoha managed to make her way to the table, grabbing a seat and joining the conversation. The atmosphere, cuisine, and company made for a relaxing and refreshing change of pace. It was a delightful lunch, and the start of many more to come.
Once everyone at the table had finished their meals and brought the used silverware and dishes to the designated area for return, Kazuto revealed he had been carrying pocket hand sanitizer. He was happy to share, feeling content with spreading good hygiene with his peers.
With only ten minutes until class resumes, the group agreed to walk to their classroom together. As soon as they had entered the 1-B classroom, Riku, Kazuto and Kotonoha were confronted by other students in the class, being questioned about their abilities. Rock and Renka were brushed aside, coming to the conclusion that "only winners get the attention." Once Ryuji and Satou were questioned, Rock and Renka quickly realized that they had no chance to actually show off their abilities, and that it had nothing to do with winning or losing the match. Eventually, Riku and Tengen were the only ones being fawned over, most likely due to their quirks being the flashiest. While Tengen paid little to no mind to the various questions, Riku basked in the limelight, savoring the attention he was given.
After what seemed like an eternity of flattery and observation, Snipe stepped in to the classroom, albeit a few minutes late. His delay was apparently due to the fact that he had spilled barbecue sauce all over his favorite tie, and he'd struggled to properly clean it. As a result, he was in a bit of a sour mood. Regardless, class began and progressed from a crawl to a steady, comfortable pace. Snipe continued to cover the syllabus given on the hologram devices, spending time to explain the way class will work in the future, as well as answering anyone's questions.
Monday, April 10th 2:46 p.m.
As class was reaching it's conclusion, he used the last of their time to explain the assignment once again, due the next day, to be completed before the start of class. Snipe had recorded the flag battle exercise in its entirety, and supplied DVDs, blu-ray discs, thumb drives, and digital files available in the 1-B drive, accommodating for most methods of review. Each student is to review one of the five matches, and write an analysis of the chosen match. Properly coming up with ideas such as 'what this team could have done better' or 'what errors they had made', and coming up with points to back up their thinking. All in all, a rather basic first assignment.
The clock struck 3:00 p.m., and Snipe properly dismissed the class. He had decided to stay behind for another half hour to ensure students could ask any questions they didn't have a chance to ask. Students casually stepped out of the classroom, joining the large flood of students in the hallways of U.A.
Rock marched out of his desk and stood in front of the teacher's desk, looking directly at Snipe. The teacher raised his head, tilting his head questioningly.
"Rokuro?" questioned Snipe, interlocking his hands and laying them on the table.
"I wanted to tell you, that..." said Rock, doing his best to maintain a confident expression, "... that I'm going to give it my all. You haven't seen anything yet, Professor Snipe."
Snipe took a moment to study the student before him. A nervous boy, who believed he had everything to prove.
"Alright. I've got high hopes for ya then," Snipe moved forward, extending a hand.
A shiver shot up Rock's frame, a resolute glint in his eyes flaring. With a puff of his chest, he clasped the teacher's open hand with his own, raising and lowering with a synchronized harmony. Rock broke the hold, and stepped aside, grabbing hold of his backpack's straps. He bowed to the man, and exited the classroom.
Snipe chuckled to himself, tucking the rest of his belongings into his suitcase before leaving the classroom.
Monday, April 10th 3:21 p.m.
The weather seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Clouds above darkened and clumped together, bringing downpour to the U.A. campus. The rain began with few droplets of water landing upon the pavement, producing the familiar petrichor.
I love the smell of fresh rain.
Rock scurried to the 1-B dorm building of Heights Alliance to escape the falling rain. Just after he arrived at the front door under the building's generous cover, the drizzle became a shower. According to Yahoo!'s weather forecast, it was the start of a week-long series of pouring. He pursed his lips as he looked towards the rain one last time before heading inside the building.
The first floor was more lively than usual, most likely because of the rain bringing everyone inside. Endo and Kotonoha were seated on the leftmost couch in the living room, watching the fifth match of the flag battle exercise on a laptop. The kitchen was inhabited by Ryuji, who was relaxing and heating up some tea. Everyone else was either outside, in their rooms, or somewhere around campus. After exchanging short greetings to each of the students currently in the first floor, Rock made his way up the stairs.
With a quick turn of his assigned key, he was inside of his room. The glass sliding door to the veranda brought the dim light from outside, bathing the vicinity in a dull gray color. The pitter-patter coming from the rain impinging on the dorm building's roof, created a somber atmosphere that drained the remaining energy the boy had. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was indulge in a nice nap.
However, homework came first for Rock. He also knew deep down that if he napped, the duration would extend far past an appropriate amount of rest, making it harder to sleep later that night. Screwing up his sleep schedule was not a smart way to spend the first day at U.A.
Without further ado, he promptly takes a seat at his desk and opens a thoroughly stickered laptop. After digging around in his pocket, he fished out a thumb drive that was given to him by his teacher. Upon closer inspection, the thumb drive was branded with a small decal of an insignia resembling Snipe. With a shrug, Rock inserted the thumb drive into the USB port of his laptop.
A video window immediately popped up on the screen, much to Rock's surprise. Snipe appeared on the playing video, waving a friendly hand.
"Hello there my student! About to do some homework, eh? I appreciate it pardner! The videos of the flag battles are stored on this thumb drive. I hope you all liked the design of the thumb drive, made it myself. No need to return it! It's a gift from me to you. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!"
The video ended after he gave out his email address.
Rock couldn't help but chuckle at his goofy teacher. Examining his new thumb drive, he discovered that it can hold up to 1TB of data! Certainly a useful storage device.
There were five videos on the thumb drive to choose from, each video being a recording of one of the five flag battle matches.
Hm... I didn't have a chance to see the third match at all. I guess I'll watch that one then.
The third match of the flag battle exercise recording opened, although the sound was near silent. Raising the volume of the laptop's speakers seemed to do the trick.
The match was between Team A, comprising of Yamada Masanori and Higashi Shou, and Team B, comprising of Kaya Asuka and Hirose Anzu.
If I remember correctly, this match should have been fairly quick. Renka and I didn't spend much time with Recovery Girl and her medical assistants. By the time we'd returned, the fourth match was already in progress...
Rock's attention was captured after the video displayed an angled view of Asuka and Anzu. They had won the coin flip, allowing them to get the head start. The two girls chose to stand still, awaiting their enemies to approach them.
Wouldn't it have been better to get some more distance? Maybe hide somewhere?
The boy shook his head, deciding to properly focus on the video.
Having met Anzu earlier that day, his attention was primarily directed towards her. She stood straight with beautiful posture akin to a dancer, unperturbed by the enemy team appearing before her. As soon as Team A was within approximately forty feet of Anzu, the quality of the video recording lowered, not enough to make it unwatchable, but enough to assume something was wrong.
It looked as if the video had stopped buffering. Both teams froze, standing still like mannequins.
Rock leaned in to get a closer look at the screen. After careful examination, subtle details were noticed.
Light was emitting from Anzu's face, specifically her eyes, nostrils and mouth. The periwinkle beam wrapped Team B in a mantle of light. Although the quality of the video recording made it difficult to properly study the match, it was still possible to make out that Team B was slowly hovering towards Anzu. It appeared that the beam of light was making the camera fuzzy. As they floated, gravitating to the origin of the light, their bodies remained as stiff as a board.
[Quirk: Tractor Beam]
Anzu can emit light from her eyes, nostrils, and mouth which then converge into a wide beam. Its reach spans roughly forty meters in front of her. Anything that is encompassed by the light is subdued to paralysis, and hovers as if it is weightless, slowly pulled towards Anzu.
When her quirk is activated, she enters a statue-like state, where she is locked in position and unable to move or breathe. She can deactivate her ability at will, although maintaining a continuous beam is incredibly strenuous, and will leave Anzu staggered for several seconds after deactivation. Continued use of her quirk will double the period of being staggered each time it is used.
Anzu's partner, Kaya Asuka, casually approached the levitating Team A, and leisurely retrieved their team flag from Higashi Shou's clenched hand.
The match ended without a fight.
Shortly after the victory announcement, the video ended.
Rock opened a blank document on his laptop, and prepared to write an analysis on the match. Before he began, an extensive yawn escaped his breath. His eyelids fluttered before slowing their pace, and lowering heavily. With a soft groan, he drifted off into slumber, laying arms on his desk to cradle his head.
Monday, April 10th 6:34 p.m.
A small trail of saliva dripped from Rock's open mouth, pooling on his desk.
"Mm..." mumbled Rock, shifting his head downward while stretching his arms outward.
The rain continued to fall, providing a peaceful ambience to his surroundings.
He jolted up, looking forward, and then left and right, gasping in horror as his laptop was not on the desk.
Oh crap, I fell asleep! Where's my laptop?!
The sound of jubilant laughter filled the room, effectively scaring the boy out of his chair. He rose from the floor, and turned around to locate the source of the noise.
Comfortably sitting upon his bed watching YouTube on his laptop, were Riku and Renka. The two donned apparel one would normally expect individuals to wear after a long day. The clothing being old t-shirts, pajama bottoms, and fuzzy socks.
"Hey, look who's awake! Do you ever lock your door?" chuckled Riku, getting all the laughs out of his system, caused from watching a hilarious video.
"You were asleep for a long time," mentioned Renka, "Have a nice dream?"
"What are you guys doing in my room? Agh-whatever, I need to start typing up my analysis! I need the laptop back," huffed Rock, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Rock stumbled to his feet, tilting his head and producing an audible crack. He approached the restroom and flipped the light switch, loosening his tie and untucking his shirt.
"It's fine, Rock. I already typed it and submitted it while you were asleep," hummed Riku nonchalantly, passing the laptop to Renka so she could choose the next video.
"Wha-!" the boy turned his head with a look of fear, "Doesn't that fall under plagiarism or something? What if I get expelled?!" cried Rock.
"Naaaah, don't worry about it. I even dumbed it down a bit to make it look like you wrote it."
Rock frowned with a red face, before stomping towards his dresser and grabbing some clothes to change into.
"I'll be out in a sec, I'm gonna freshen up and cozy down," declared Rock, entering the restroom and closing the door for privacy.
Riku and Renka nodded, then turned their attention back to the laptop. She had chosen a video comprising mostly of dogs clumsily bumbling about, laughing at the simple humor. Riku watched with a bored expression on his face.
Rock stepped out of the restroom, sporting a faded Endeavor t-shirt, gray cuffed sweatpants, and plain blue tube socks. Before he could make it to the bed to join the two in their YouTube indulgence, there was an energetic knock on the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" questioned Renka plainly before bursting into laughter from the sight of dogs fumbling around.
Rock dragged his feet through the soft carpet of his room, and opened his room's door. Waiting on the other side was none other than Kazuto, Endo and Ryuji, each smiling and gesturing a greeting in their own way.
"Hey, what's up guys...?" asked Rock, puffing out his right cheek slightly, his surprise evident through his raised eyebrows.
"You guys are hanging out, having a good time without us, huh? Am I right in making this assumption?" interrogated Endo, getting like, all up in his face.
Kazuto and Ryuji stood on the tips of their toes to peek over Endo's shoulders, checking out the room and its inhabitants, to which Riku and Renka replied with a friendly greeting. Riku froze up at the sight of Endo, slowly shrinking into a curled position.
"Ah... Well, I suppose..." Rock muttered, raising his hands in defense.
"Relax, I was just teasing," she said, wearing a smile, seemingly more genuine than her previous expression of distaste.
Kazuto brushed Endo slightly to the side, butting in on the conversation, "We came here to invite you to have some of the cake we baked."
Rock, Riku and Renka's heads raised higher after hearing the word cake. It didn't take long for them to be overcome with anticipation.
Ryuji chewed on his left thumbnail, "Come on guys. I want a bite while it's still fresh. We've got people waiting downstairs too, and I'm not sure if Kotonoha can properly guard that thing. Satou looked really enthusiastic about the cake..."
Rock looked behind for confirmation, and was met with a decisive nod from Renka. Riku was facing the corner, attempting to save face from Endo.
"We'll be right down!" chirped Rock, heading over to his desk to retrieve his phone.
Riku folded the laptop and inserted the power cord into the back face of its bottom half.
Endo, Kazuto, and Ryuji waited patiently at the door, watching the three inside of the room complete their preparations.
The corners of Endo's mouth quirked up, amused by Riku's obvious squirming. She took note of the open door, and took the opportunity to explore Rock's room to get closer to the aforementioned fidgeting boy.
Rock could only spectate as she made her way towards Riku. As far as he could tell, she was his one and only kryptonite. It was hard to imagine anything else that could even come close to making him as flustered as he is now.
Endo placed her hand delicately upon Riku's broad shoulder, doing her best to stifle her laughter as the tension in his body grew, "Is that your laptop, Riku? I really like the cute stickers."
He froze.
Riku slowly turned to face her, and opened his mouth. He shuddered, then closed his mouth as it nervously undulated. Riku's eyes darted, his expression akin to a prisoner pleading for his life before execution, to which Rock replied a lighthearted shrug.
As the sweat began to form on his forehead, something inside him had changed. A cog had begun to move. Something clicked.
"Nah, it's Rock's. I was just watching some videos," Riku commented plainly, suddenly unperturbed by the interaction.
To everyone's surprise, Riku slid off of Rock's bed, and stretched his arms out.
Did... did he just overcome his weakness?
"Alright, cake time!" cheered Riku, pushing Kazuto and Ryuji out of the doorway to venture to the staircase.
Their reactions coalesced, creating a collective confusion that came in the form of a moment of silence. Even Endo had been caught off guard, expecting Riku to melt by her presence. Shrugging off the moment, she followed Riku's lead and left the room. The others soon joined her.
Monday, April 10th 6:40 p.m.
The group had successfully made it safely down the stairs, no one shoving others in a race to indulge in the decadent dessert. As they reached the end of the stairs leading to the first floor, they could hear Kotonoha fending off someone trying to get the first slice.
After clearing the distance from the bottom of the staircase to the kitchen, Snipe was seen hovering over the cake, like a vulture ready to scavenge a carcass. Satou was forcing the teacher backwards with extended arms.
Kotonoha turned her attention to the group, "Oh! You're finally here, thank goodness."
Ryuji chuckled, "Now Snipe wants a piece of this cake? I thought Satou was the cake's biggest threat, but here he is defending it."
Endo marched forward, and stood firmly before Snipe and Satou, between them and the cake, "It's the chef's right to the first slice, so you guys will have to wait in line."
She swiped the tip of her pointer finger through the chocolate icing, and inserted the scraped topping into her mouth. Her satisfaction of the taste was evident in her delighted smirk.
To avoid all of the ruckus, Rock and Ryuji took a seat on one of the living room couches. Hide and Anzu were also relaxing on individual recliner chairs, in silence, most likely by personal preference. Hide was keeping himself busy by enjoying a crossword game on his phone, while Anzu had her nose in an old book.
"Are you guys waiting for cake too?" Ryuji asked, comfortably leaning into the cozy couch.
"Oh yes, Endo asked if I would like some, and I figured it would be rude to refuse... " muttered Hide, shifting his weight on the chair, reaching down to adjust the fitting of his right sock.
Despite his attempt to stay calm, the boy seemed excited to be included, no matter how he tried to keep it hidden. Ryuji nodded, then looked over to Anzu, who had patiently waited for Hide to finish speaking.
"Endo had asked me as well," said Anzu, marking her page with a tattered bookmark before folding her book shut, "I haven't eaten cake before, and I would really like to give it a try."
Ryuji and Rock gave an incredulous stare, mouths agape by Anzu's lack of experience of such a common food.
Hide smiled warmly and raised an open hand as he spoke, "I'm sure you'll really enjoy it! It's delicious."
She lowered her eyelids and answered with a short-motioned nod.
Another quiet moment followed, brief, but long enough to acknowledge it was there. Although the living room itself was hushed, the din coming from the kitchen area kept the atmosphere lively.
Rock twitched as he perked up, "Oh, Anzu! I didn't get the chance to spectate your match in the monitoring area today, so I watched it on my laptop. Your quirk is really something!"
The delivery of his comment was more enthusiastic than he had intended. It felt misplaced in the living room's relaxed vibe. Rock quickly became aware and toned it down.
"Thank you," Anzu replied, "I'm glad the match ended without anyone getting hurt-oh!"
Kazuto and Endo had arrived with several small plates sitting upon a tray, each holding their own slice of cake. They placed a plate and silver fork for each of them on the living room table, prompting those sitting to scoot forward, closer to their slice.
"Wow Kazuto, you're so helpful," teased Ryuji, grinning like a clown.
The bespectacled boy rolled his eyes, and let out a small chuckle. After placing the last plate of cake, he brushed his hands against each other, displaying a satisfied expression.
"I'm heading back to the kitchen," Kazuto said to Endo.
She raised her left hand and waved, "Thanks for your help Kazu."
Ryuji and Hide took their initial bite, producing varied positive reactions. They all turned their heads towards Anzu, to witness her very first bite of cake. As she chewed and savored the dessert, her eyes trailed towards her plate.
"So? What do you think?" asked Ryuji, tilting his plate to shovel the cake into his mouth.
Although Endo was satisfied with Ryuji's enthusiasm, she couldn't shake the feeling of disgust from witnessing him gorge on her creation.
Anzu gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, "I... do not like cake. Thank you for the experience, Endo."
The chef theatrically leaned back, holding the back of her hand to her forehead, pretending to faint.
Hide waited until his mouth was no longer full to speak, "Oh, what don't you like about it?"
Anzu narrowed her eyes, laying her fork gently on the table, "It's much too sweet for my tastes."
Ryuji nudged Rock on the arm before whispering, "Bet she drinks her coffee black."
The boy gave a small chuckle out of politeness, coming out as a small grin and hummed breaths.
Endo stood before Rock with a serious expression, uncrossing her arms to point a finger directly to his face, several centimeters away from his nose.
"You haven't tried my cake yet. I simply cannot leave without witnessing your genuine reaction," she declared, still maintaining a thespian demeanor.
The boy stared at her finger nervously, before slicing off a generous piece of the cake with his fork. With a quick prod, the portion of cake was steadily pierced, ready for consumption. With everyone watching, he gingerly inserted his forkful into his mouth. Rock's eyes widened, the taste triggering a shift in his iris' hue.
The group gasped, noticing the color of his eyes shift from black to lemon.
As Rock continued to eat his slice of cake, he took the time to explain his quirk to everyone. He scooted back deeper into the couch, and sat cross-legged. During his explanation, the others moved closer to get a better look at his eyes.
"So the cake made you happy," Ryuji commented, having cleaned off his plate.
"In short, yeah," said Rock, finishing the last of his slice.
"You're a 'heart-on-your-sleeve' kinda guy huh..." said Hide.
Satou, Riku, Kotonoha, and Renka entered the living room and took a seat where it was available. They looked exhausted, presumably from defending the cake from Snipe to ensure everyone present had their own slice.
"Hey Rock," said Satou, slumping into a vacant couch seat, "I saw something interesting earlier after my trip to the campus gym."
Rock tilted his head slightly sideways, curious as to what Satou was referring to.
Kotonoha handed him a clean handkerchief to wipe the excess cake off of his face. Rock expressed his gratitude with his trademark toothy grin. The girl couldn't help but laugh at the empty space where his tooth used to be.
"I guess I decided to get a head start in our personal training, and spent some time at the campus gym. After a quick workout, I was changing in the locker room when I saw Chideta. Y'know, the guy that did..." Satou opened his mouth widely and pointed to his right premolar, "... that to you."
Rock's eyes narrowed, and the lemon hue in his irises faltered, reverting back to their regular old black color, "That's nice..."
"Well, the interesting thing I saw was his right leg."
"Studying people in a locker room?" chortled Riku, scrolling through social media on his phone.
"No, just his leg, you dick. It was completely metallic," stated Satou coldly, trying his best to mask his irritation.
"So... Chideta has a robot leg?" asked Kotonoha, taking a sip out of a warm cup of hot chocolate.
"I would say that's a fair assessment," Riku commented, his eyes not leaving the screen of his phone.
Satou groaned, "It's a prosthetic leg. Rock, you got smashed in the face with a metal prosthetic leg."
After a short moment of silence-most likely everyone processing the new information and gathering their thoughts-the conversation resumed.
"He really got me, huh? Thanks Satou, that is pretty interesting, since it answers questions I've been thinking of all day. But even so, all it comes down to is, I still wasn't strong enough," replied Rock, shifting his weight forward, placing his elbows on his knees, locking his fingers together.
Renka took comfort in his humble words, expressed in a warm smile.
"That's what I've been saying, Rock! You're gettin' soft. Have you been following the Riku Workout Regimen?" teased Riku, wearing a shit-eating grin.
Caught off guard, Rock stutters, "W-well... I haven't since we got to U.A..."
"You're better off following the Renka Workout Regimen," Renka stated matter-of-factly, running her left hand through her hair.
As Renka and Riku began to bicker, the group joined in laughter.
Rock shot a nervous smile, and then gazed towards the large windows of the living room.
The sky was painted a dark gray, highlighted with tints of purple and blue. Occasional flashes of light brilliantly illuminated the night, followed by the roaring of the sky. These outbursts were accompanied by a constant deluge of rain colliding against the windowpane. The glass was veiled by a continuous curtain of drizzle, blending the scenery into an amalgam of drab colors and shapes.
The heater was running strong in the 1-A dorm building. The heat wasn't uncomfortable like a hot summer day, but a warmth you could get cozy with. A group of youths getting to know each other in the comfort of their new home.
The living room was blessed with a pleasant ambience, akin to a cafe that feels familiar, that one would take shelter in during a rainstorm in the city.
It was one of those rare moments you wish could last forever.
The first day of their new life was behind them, leaving many more to be experienced.
It took awhile, but this chapter is finally complete! Mostly just dialogue between the characters, wrapping up the first day of school. From this point on, I'd like the story to speed up a little. There is a stage I want the story to reach, and it'd take too long at it's current pace. Thank you for reading, and please leave a comment!