A/n: a new chapter! Thank you guys so much for your support!

Cyclone Girl: maybe haha

SwanGirl24: Dandelion's actually the meaning behind the story since they mean surviving through all the challenges and diffuculties.

Guest: Thank you!

Guest 2: 1) I guess they do haha. 2) there will be mentions of their names. 3) Not entirely. She didn't cure him fully as Recovery Girl stopped her.

Lulu9814: thank you! That's a maybe haha

Reversus12: we'll see in this chapter! XD

TheIrishWriter: Yeah, she healed All Might. Not exactly haha, she choose her own name because that's what describe her best. Mentions of their names will be there. That's what the KH3 trailer is like haha. I'm not sure about that yet lmao

Engineer4Ever: Don't worry it will all be explained. Ienzo gave Hikari the choice to win or lose against Tokoyami, she chose to lose because she thought Tokoyami deserves to go to the finals. And yeah, it's a hard arc to write, I'm glad I'll be moving to the intern arc soon lol.

SilverStar56: Thank you so much for you help! And thank you so much for the review! I don't mind a long review at all lolol (p.s of course. A lot lmaoo)

AmericanNidiot: lolol

Chapter 11
calm before the storm

"I'll be handing out the personalized list to those who were drafted. Todoroki—"

The students who were drafted by pro heroes were called up to the front as Midnight hands out the list of agencies to the others. Hikari watched her homeroom teacher exchanged a few words to her fellow classmate, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

The brunette's left eye twitched when Todoroki came back.

"Goodness gracious, you can make a book out of that!" Hikari stared at the pile of papers in Todoroki's hand when he went back to his seat. She should've expected it since Todoroki received more than four thousand offers, but the numbers were ridiculous. She pities the boy for having to look over thousands of different hero agencies. The same goes for Bakugou. "Looks like you're gonna be pretty busy, huh?" she joked.

"I already have one in mind." Todoroki said, as he placed the papers down. He picked up the first page, leaving the rest on the corner of his table.

"That quick?!" Hikari stared at the bi-color haired teen with a surprised look. She doubts that Todoroki could read all four thousand agency names in just a short span of time from the podium in front to his own seat. "Did you even read all of them?" she asked curiously.

Todoroki took a pencil from his case and began to write down the agency name on the form. "I'm not interested." he replied coolly.

"...okay?" Hikari turned to look briefly at Tokoyami who was called to the front next after Bakugou. Before the sports festival, Todoroki won't even talk to her in class. 'Come to think of it... this is the most conversation we have...'

After Midnight approves of her name, everyone presented their hero names as well. Though Midnight strongly advised Bakugou to change his hero name before he became official as a pro. To the keyblade wielder's surprise, both Iida and Todoroki have chosen to use their first name instead of coming up with a hero name like everyone else. Unlike Midoriya, she didn't really understand why they choose their names instead.

"Iida."

The brunette glanced over to look at the bespectacled boy as he made his way up to the podium.

'It's actually reversed...' Hikari leaned back against her chair. Ever since the sports festival, Todoroki was more approachable while Iida has been more reserved. It only had been one day after the sports festival, but the differences were noticeable. Though, she understood why something was off with the class representative and she hopes everything will go for the better for him and his family.

"Leonhart."

The brunette stood up from her seat and walked towards the podium. Unlike Bakugou and Todoroki—who received more than a thousand, she only got 54 offers.

"Be sure to choose the right agency." Aizawa advised, his voice slightly muffled.

Leonhart doesn't stood out as much as Todoroki or Bakugou, plus with the lack of seriousness in her performance—he understood why her pick numbers were low. If she had gone all out, he was positive her numbers could rival the top two. Though when the finished draft for class 1-A came, he was surprised. Her numbers were low, but the pros who choose her were no joke.

Hikari gave a two-finger salute. "Roger that!" she grinned as she took the sheets. It was only two pages, but she'll take two pages over a hundred any day. Doing all the research for the right agency would take forever if she has to look at four thousand names. As soon as she was back to her seat, she immediately read through the agencies.

Sam Tsang Hero Agency
Wekanda Hero Office
Fire Shadow Hero Agency
The Round Enix Office
Hawks Hero Office
Royal Deck Hero Office—

The brunette stopped for a brief moment. 'Hawks Hero Office?' she hummed in thought. As far as she knows, Hawks is one of the pro heroes in the top ten.

When she arrived in the City of Heroes for the first time, the first thing she did was research. It was easier to do recon—given for the fact that the technology is already advanced than most world she has visited. She searched of great heroes and the top pro heroes in Japan came out. In chronological order, the top ten are All Might, Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Crust, Wash, Yoroi Musha, Ryukyu and Gang Orca. There were hundreds of websites that showed up in the search engine results page. From the official page to news articles, Wikipedia, fanmade webs, it was endless.

'Oh wait—there's Ryukyu Hero Office! Sir... thee Sir Nighteye too?! Isn't he like, All Might's ex-sidekick?!' Hikari felt a little overwhelmed by the fact she was pick by top pro heroes. She was sure no one wants to pick her and thinks of her as someone who wastes her own potential. It was hard to believe. There was no way, top-notch pros would pick someone like her. 'It's a bit...strange... Did they figure something out?' she placed the papers down, her arms crossed.

Being drafted by top pros made her think otherwise.

'Wait a minute...'

She remembers. The man in the white suit who she almost bumped into.

She recognized him now.

That man—is Sir Nighteye.

Hikari pursed her lips. While her classmates were worrying about which hero agency they would choose, she was concerned of the motives behind the top pro heroes picking her.

'They... wouldn't go as far as to investigate to Okinawa, now would they?'

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Third Period & Fourth Period—Combat Training

English went by in a flash, before they even knew it, it was already time for the third and fourth period—combat training.

"Is something the matter, Leonhart?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Hikari gave a startled look. "Ah... no, just thinking." she replied, wiping all traces of concern on her face.

Even with Present Mic teaching English in his boisterous attitude, she was still feeling uneasy about the whole pros picking her. It might just be her overthinking it, but they're top pros—the best of the best. Who knows how intelligent and keen they are. She wondered if they did a background check to the students they picked. If they just checked the information based on data in computers—she's safe. It's a whole lot different if they decided to investigate to Okinawa. She would be screwed since she has never been there herself.

At first, she wonders why Ienzo signed her up in one of the most prestigious schools—a hero school at that. She figured out the reason behind her enrollment in the high school. Though, collecting the reports and gathering information is important, he wanted her to enjoy those few moments of high school as long as she can. The meaning behind it was sweet and very thoughtful of him, but at the same time very risky.

Of course, Ienzo is also a genius. He's the type of person who is always thinking ahead. However, the City of Heroes is a much different world compared to any other world Hikari has been to, so much that the measures used to keep the secret of the world might be more damaging than it would be in any other world.

In the future, should things do go south in the worst way possible, she would have to decide if she can entrust the truth to the people of this world or not.

Though, she hoped it doesn't come to that.

"Are you worried about the internship?" Yaoyorozu asked, almost as if reading the brunette like an open book.

Hikari laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "You got me." she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Aren't we all?" Jirou sighed, joining in on the conversation. "We only have two days to pick."

The brunette nodded in agreement. "You seemed to already found your pick." she said, turning to look at the taller girl beside her. While she was busy thinking about the reason behind pros picking her, the girl sitting in front of her seemed to be the exact opposite of herself. Calm and poised. "Which agency did you choose, Yaoyorozu?" she asked curiously.

Maybe she'll choose the same as Yaoyorozu—if she has the same hero agency in her list too, of course.

Yaoyorozu smiled, placing a hand over her chest. "I choose Uwabami Hero Office."

The keyblade wielder's jaw dropped down in surprise. "What?! Thee Uwabami?!" she has heard a lot of the Snake Heroine. Though most of the articles she read were about the heroine's achievements in the modelling industries, there were a few articles about the heroine's success in capturing villains. "Isn't she like super famous and popular?" she asked in excitement.

Sadly, Uwabami didn't drafted her.

Jirou hummed in respond. "I've seen her a lot in tv and magazines."

"A heroine and part-time model!" Hikari added. To her, a heroine like Uwabami is just like one of her favorite characters in the Masked Sailor—the main heroine in that live action. Since it was just fiction, she understood the double-life. But she wasn't sure why it was allowed to be a hero and a part-time model in the City of Heroes—since this is real-life. "She's a great role-model to be able to balance it all out!" she finished with a grin.

A giggle escaped Yaoyorozu's lips at Hikari's sudden enthusiasm. "I would say that you're a fan of her, Leonhart."

Hikari laughed. "Well..."

Jirou poked Hikari's arm, a teasing grin on her face. "I never knew you were such a fangirl."

"How about you, Jirou? Which agency are you picking?" Hikari quickly changed the subject, turning to look at the purple haired girl.

"Changing the subject, eh?" Jirou leaned back, the same grin still plastered on her face. "I'm thinking of going with Death Arms." she answered, crossing her arms.

"Death Arms?" Hikari parroted, a surprised look across her face. "Isn't he like super tough and hardcore? You're going for him?"

"Yup." Jirou simply answered, popping the p. "What about you?"

Hikari sighed. "I'm not sure. I'm still thinking..."

"Gather around!" Aizawa's voice caught the three girls' attention. They quickly gathered in the middle along with their fellow classmates. For combat training—it was held inside one of the indoor gyms in U.A.'s main building, a dojo-like room to train students in the arts of hand-to-hand combat.

The dojo was filled with equipment for the students to use and learn. Truth be told, Hikari has never seen a fancy and fully equipped dojo like U.A.'s. The room was spacious—probably to accommodate a large number of students training inside. The floor was covered with training mats, colored in red and white. She had expected every indoor gym was the same as the gym they used for her practical exam. It shouldn't surprise her that U.A. has a gym fit for any training.

"Ectoplasm will join us for today's combat training." Aizawa announced, the mentioned teacher standing right beside him. It was fifteen minutes after warm-ups that the pro hero decided to show up. A chorus of greetings for the pro hero was heard from the class. "I'll get straight to the point. Today, you'll be sparring against each other. No quirks allowed." he said, his voice loud and clear.

"Eh? No quirks allowed?" Uraraka parroted.

Aizawa turned to look at her. "A hero can't always depend on their quirk." he briefly quoted, his eyes making contact with the brunette at the far back before averting his gaze. "Now, you're free to choose whoever you wish to spar. Each spar will last for ten minutes before you change partners. Ectoplasm's clones will keep a close eye on your training. Once you decide on a partner, go to Ectoplasm and take one of his clones." he instructed, pointing his thumb at the teacher beside him.

As if on cue, Ectoplasm opened his mouth and blobs of ectoplasm came out, transforming into ten clones of himself.

"I would also be going around, so don't slack off." Aizawa shoved his hands inside his pockets, his gaze hardening a little, giving a stern look. "That is all." he dismissed his students and a chorus of 'yes' was heard.

"Oi, extra."

Hikari was about to ask either Uraraka or Ashido, but a hand clasp on her shoulder with a firm squeeze stopped her from moving away from her spot. Accompanied with a deadly competitive aura, she could guess whoever was behind her.

"You're with me." The ash-blond didn't give her anytime to reply. "We're ready to fight, sir!" he yelled, turning his head to look at Ectoplasm.

Bakugou had immediately set his eyes on the brunette after Aizawa announced they could freely choose their partners. He was downright pissed when he realized Leonhart has been holding back. To know that she held her ground against that Nomu freak, but to suddenly lose against his classmate was a clear statement that she was underestimating them—him.

At first, he didn't notice it. She was head to head against Todoroki and him in the obstacle race and was actually the first team to swipe a headband during the cavalry battle. It was when her fight against Aoyama that he first noticed. Anyone would've taken advantage of Aoyama's weakness to push him out, but she didn't. With Tokoyami, it wasn't just pure luck that he won—though it seemed that it was, Bakugou knew for sure that she had planned it.

He had been hoping to at least get a good fight against her in the sports festival when that class B student gave her the ticket to the final tournament.

But why did she let Tokoyami win?

Was it out of pity or kindness?

Was it because she thinks of them—of him as someone not worthy to be her opponent?

Is that why she has been holding back?

Does she think that he's beneath her?

Her quirk's nothing compared to his.

He could blast all those Dreams away with a single hit.

Why was she holding back?

"Are you two, ready?" Ectoplasm asked, glancing to look at Bakugou before Hikari.

While Hikari seemed reluctant to be Bakugou's partner, Bakugou looks as if he's ready to kill.

"Oi." Bakugou called out to the girl, making her look at him. He clicked his tongue when he saw the clueless look across her eyes. She took him as a joke—she wasn't serious or intimidated by him. She should be. "Show me what you got, you damn extra." he glared at her, cracking his knuckles.

Leonhart exhaled loudly before positioning herself to a fighting stance. She moved her body sideways, keeping her left arm in front of her—as if on guard. Bakugou noticed her hands were open—her stance was similar to Judo, but it was different. It was almost like a mix of her own.

"Start!"

Bakugou was much more of a free-style. He doesn't really care about the different styles of martial art. As long as he can punch, kick, throw and block, he didn't need a belt for it.

"DIE!" The first punch was delivered by nonother than Bakugou himself.

Hikari was quick to move away, swerving in time to avoid his fist. She grabbed hold of his wrist and placed her hand on the back of his neck—turning him around before shoving him away. She raised her arms to one side of her head, blocking the roundhouse kick. She jumped in time when Bakugou crouched down and sweep his leg to trip her.

Bakugou clicked his tongue. "Stop playing around!" he shouted. Not once did Leonhart countered his attacks. All she has been doing were dodging and blocking. He sprung up, balling his hands into a fist. The girl leaned back—doing a back handspring as she kicked him. He tilted his chin back, avoiding the kick. A smirk made its way up to his lips when she finally countered. "Warm ups' over! Time to get serious, Leonhart!" he grinned.

The brunette inhaled a sharp breath as she dodged yet another punch to her face, Bakugou's knuckles barely grazing her cheek. She raised her fist, aiming to hit on the boy's stomach. His hand grabbed her fist and held it tightly. She quickly broke her hand free from his grasp and twist a fistful on his clothes into her fist. Her other hand grabbed the back of his jacket. She pulled him towards her as she let herself fell backwards. With one leg out on his stomach, she threw him over her, using her leg to kick him away. She quickly released her grip and rolled away, avoiding Bakugou's quick recover.

"Is that all you got?!"

"Sorry, Midoriya!" Hikari quickly apologized when she almost bumped into the boy. The fight between her and Bakugou was all over the place. They were always moving and it was hard to just keep their fight in one tiny given space. Ectoplasm would sometime go behind them when they were about to step out of bound or hit another student.

Midoriya took a step back. "I—It's alright!" he stuttered out, his bandaged hands in front of him. He watched as Hikari charged after Bakugou, distancing the fight away from him.

Midoriya was free to do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't bother his classmates. Truthfully, he wanted to join in the hand-to-hand combat spar. But due to his arms being injured, he wasn't allowed to do any physical activities by Recovery Girl until his arms has fully recovered. He decided to stand in the sidelines, observing his classmates.

When he could see how his friends are doing, he chose to focus on the fight between his childhood friend and the mysterious transfer student. He knew that Bakugou was the best in combat—be it either hand-to-hand or his quirk. Bakugou was the strongest. Leonhart was still a mystery to him—even after the sports festival. She fought well, but he can't help but feel that something was amiss.

There was a gap in between—something that he can't quite fill.

'That's—!' Midoriya's eyes widened when he saw Bakugou's signature move.

The ash-blond threw the brunette over his shoulder. The green-haired boy couldn't help but cringe when Leonhart hit the mat with a loud thud. He could see the pained look across her face and that made him shift uneasily.

"You lose!" Bakugou grinned widely.

Hikari winced. "Dream on!"

Midoriya's jaw dropped when he saw Leonhart's quick recovery. While her right hand was held tightly in Bakugou's grasp, with her left hand, she quickly grabbed Bakugou's ankle—pulling on it to throw him off balance. The situation quickly changed. As Bakugou fell to the mat, Leonhart was already up on her feet. She sat on top of the blond, her left foot holding his hand down. Her left hand held onto his collar as her right hand was drawn back to a fist.

The brunette blew her bang away from her eyes. "Checkmate."

"Leonhart... won..." Midoriya gulped. Never he thought someone will win against Bakugou on a one-on-one battle.

Ectoplasm stomped his prosthetic leg against the mat before making his way closer to the two teens. "Alright." he announced.

Hikari got off of Bakugou, offering her hand for him to take. "Nice round." she gave him a grin. Bakugou clicked his tongue, slapping her hand away as he got up by himself. She shrugged her shoulders, she expected that kind of treatment from him. It didn't really bother her, since she knew his personality.

"Hikari's so cool..." Hagakure whispered. All eyes were on the two teens at the corner of the room. Who wouldn't? Their fight was loud and tense. Sometimes, Bakugou or Hikari would step out of bounds into their space. "She could keep up with him."

Ashido nodded her head. "But didn't you see Bakugou? He was so good in hand-to-hand!"

Aizawa came to stand beside Ectoplasm. "I'll evaluate your combat." he said and the two teens stayed quiet. He had been going around the dojo, watching his students and gave out advices to correct their style. Not all of his students were good in hand-to-hand, but they were trying their best.

"Bakugou." said teen turned to look at his homeroom teacher. "You're a great combatant, but your moves are too predictable. Other than being too spontaneous, improve on your go-to move. Then have a counter. You should always expect the unexpected."

"Understood." Bakugou said under his breath, looking away with a scowl on his face.

"Leonhart." Aizawa turned to look at the brunette who seemed to straighten her posture. "Your moves are unpredictable—good to make your opponent unable to predict your moves. But you're full of openings. Improve on your stance first and try to be more aware."

"Yes, sir." Hikari gave a two-finger salute.

"That is all." Aizawa dismissed the two teens before turning to look at the other students who stopped to watch. "The rest of you, back to training!" he said loudly, making everyone return to their training.

Hikari exhaled loudly, rolling her sore shoulder.

"Oi. I don't accept being beaten by a fucking extra like you." Bakugou called, making the brunette turn to face him. He felt humiliated from the loss, but he felt satisfactory to know someone was able to match him up in combat. "Next time, I'll definitely beat the shit out of you." he declared.

"Right. Bring it, Toilet Brush."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Class dismissed."

Before Hikari even knew it Combat Training was over with ten minutes to spare before lunch. She sighed in relief and stretched her arms above her head. Right after Bakugou's match, Ojiro wanted to pair up with her. She lost against him, but she was glad she could keep up with the best martial artist in class. Her third match was against Asui—though Asui wasn't the best in hand-to-hand, her strategy was great.

"If we hurry, we can get first in line at the cafeteria!" Kaminari grinned, wrapping his arm around the brunette. "I heard there's going to be a hamburger special on the menu!"

"And who knows! Maybe Lunch Rush also added his famous bread pudding in the menu!" Mineta joined in, walking a little ahead of the two teens.

"Oh yeah! Count me in!" Hikari cheered loudly, pumping her fist up. Mineta was an okay guy—if he wasn't talking about girls or thinking about inappropriate things. They actually shared a few interests in hobbies and culinary.

"Sorry to rain on your parade." Aizawa's lazy voice drawled, cutting through the teen's excitement. The two of them froze and turned to look at their teacher standing in the middle of the dojo. "Kaminari, Mineta, you're excused. I need to talk to Leonhart in private." he ordered.

The three of them exchanged looks.

"It's about your grades."

Hikari made a face.

"Oh... good luck, Leonhart." Kaminari gave a single pat on her shoulder, a reasurring grin on his face.

"Don't get expelled~" Mineta teased before getting his mouth clamped over by the blond's hand.

"Your jokes are too crude!" Kaminari whispered, dragging the short boy away.

"It was only a joke!"

Aizawa waited until the last of his two students exit the dojo. He took his scarf off and tied his hair into a low ponytail.

Hikari was too nervous to ask. The pro didn't spoke to her like she expected. She watched him as he made his way to the side of the dojo, tossing his scarf to the side as he took a few Bo staff from the rack.

The brunette cleared her throat. "So... about my grades..." she began, an uneasy look across her face. She was sure to study and got decent grades—though she barely passed math. History was hard for her as well, but it was interesting to learn the City of Heroes' various culture and history. She even bought the elementary and middle school's level history books to catch up. "I promise I'll do my best."

"That's what I want to hear." Aizawa threw the Bo staff at the brunette—who seemed to caught it with ease though surprise was written all over her face. He spun the Bo staff around and the brunette could only watch him with a confused look. She looked lost with the sudden declaration. "Fight, Leonhart."

After the conversation with her mother—her understood his student better. What she meant was probably good, to hold herself back and support her friends.

He wanted her to stop.

But first, he needs to know where her limits are.

Hikari held the Bo staff tightly. "This... is related to my grades why?"

"You're not meeting my standards in the heroics department. I could expel you, right here right now." Aizawa bluntly replied, making the brunette spluttered. He had expected more out of her in the sports festival. Of course, he wasn't going to really expel her. He saw great potential in her. He just needs to get it out. "Did you forget? We're known for our freestyle education."

"I don't want to fight you! You just healed!" Hikari spluttered out and she quickly stepped to the side when Aizawa suddenly thrust his Bo staff at her. She raised her staff and blocked Aizawa's staff coming from above. The staff clashed with a loud click. Her arms trembled as she tried to hold her position. For a man who just got his arms crushed and healed two weeks after, he's strong. "Can this wait until—!"

The brunette let out a grunt when a kick was delivered. She fell on the floor, skidding to a stop.

"Are you underestimating me, Leonhart?" Aizawa stood straight, his staff held in one hand. He took a few steps closer and narrowed the staff at Hikari's nose, making her eyes cross to look at it. He knew that she meant well, but just because he recovered not too long ago, it doesn't mean he had lost all his strength and skills. "I want you to show me what you got. So bring it."

"Go beyond, plus ultra."

He narrowed his eyes when Leonhart moved her staff against the mat, aiming at his feet. He jumped and blocked the staff that was aimed at his foot when he landed on the floor. He continued to block the staff from hitting his foot before Leonhart changed tactics, thrusting the other end of the Bo staff at his chin. He moved his staff, blocking inwards.

Hikari pulled herself up to a crouch position, her right leg sticking out and she spun in a circle. She predicted Aizawa to know her move as he was already distancing himself from her when she spun around. She stood up, spinning the Bo staff from her back into a proper stance. Now, her weapon of choice is mainly the keyblade, but she learned a thing or two from Aerith's lessons.

The keyblade wielder inhaled and exhaled sharply. Aizawa was right. She shouldn't underestimate her teacher—even if he just got out from his bandages. The man is a pro hero, older and much more experienced than her in the field. Foremost, he is her teacher.

He could really expel her.

Aizawa grinned, smacking his Bo staff against the mat.

"Come."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The fight has been going on for five minutes.

And neither of them was going down anytime soon.

Aizawa kept his attacks in the same force, not giving his student any second to breathe. Even without using her quirk, she can keep up against him. Was her fight against Vlad also staged by her to hide her true ability? Was expulsion the only thing that would make her stop holding back? Though, he wonders the sudden change of mind.

Their staff clashed with a loud click.

The pro hero easily pushed the brunette's staff to hit the floor, holding it in place. He retreated back and swung the other end of his staff at her. She ducked down and took a step back. When his arms were positioned in a straight line, she thrust her staff into the hole of his sleeve.

'Her timing's incredible.' Aizawa moved back with Hikari's staff holding his arms in place. His arms were spread out widely—the Bo staff was pinning him like a scarecrow. He saw her kicking his staff into her hands, pointing it directly at him. A smirk made its way up to his lips. Finally. "Heh—always expect the unexpected."

Aizawa inhaled a sharp breath and flexed his arms inwards, balling his hands to a fist. He crossed his arms and a loud crack was heard from behind him.

Crack

Hikari's eyes almost bulged out when she saw Aizawa snap the Bo staff into two with his bare back.

"Sweet strawberry ice-cream!" The brunette exclaimed in surprise, staring as the two pieces of the staff slide down his arms and into his palms. She staggered back when Aizawa swung the two pieces of the staff simultaneously at her. She managed to block the both of them, though she didn't manage to block the second attack. Aizawa had swiped her off her feet, making her fall flat on the floor and pointed one of the pieces of the Bo staff at her nose.

Aizawa withdrew and stood straight, staring down at his student.

"You went beyond my expectations."

The brunette sat up and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Why did you disappoint me in the sports festival?" He continues, putting knifes into his words. "You could've easily reached the top three."

Hikari sighed loudly, averting her gaze elsewhere. "It's complicated..." she mumbled under her breath.

It wasn't that she doesn't want to win. It was just that their goals were different.

"You don't think that everyone here wants to win with their own effort?"

"I know, but—"

"How would Tokoyami feel when he finds out that you let him win?"

Hikari glued her mouth shut. "He would feel disappointed..." she mumbled, almost like a child being scolded by her mother. "I just thought...Tokoyami deserves to move forward."

"That's not all now is there?" Aizawa sighed before he crouched down to the brunette's level. "I've talked with your mother and Mr. Ienzo."

Hikari has heard bits from Ienzo and Aerith giving her a heads up in case Aizawa decided to confront her himself. From Ienzo, she knew that they told him she held back because of a certain man. They never mentioned any names or further detail, other than her being afraid to hurt others.

"You're here to learn to use your quirk and I'm here to guide you." Aizawa said, offering his hand for her to take. He helped her up, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to hold back in fear of hurting others. That's what teachers are for. We always keep an eye on our students, we know when things go out of hand. So go wild, kid. Show us what you got."

The keyblade wielder couldn't help but smile.

Even though all of this was a pretend for her

to have reassurance was a relief.

All of a sudden, Aizawa felt a pair of arms wrapped around him.

Hikari quickly pulled away. "Sorry, sir." she apologized for her inappropriateness, but that speech deserved a hug. Aizawa may not looked like it, but he's a good man with a golden heart. "I understand. Thank you, sir." she replied to his previous advice, a wide grin across her lips.

The man rubbed the back of his neck, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

"Stay sharp. I'm watching you, Leonhart."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hikari dragged her feet across the hallways towards the changing room.

After being thrown around, hit, smacked and challenged, she was finally out of the dojo. She didn't mind sparring with her friends and her teacher, but getting tossed around too much was beginning to make her body sore and bruising. Aizawa dismissed her just in time for the bell to ring, signaling that it was time for lunch.

The brunette was about to turn to a corner, but stopped abruptly when someone came out.

"Oh—sorry!" She apologized, taking a step back.

There was a sigh. "We got to stop meeting like this, Ms. Foreigner." An indifferent look was seen across Shinsou's eyes as he stared down at the girl.

Truthfully, he didn't expect to meet the brunette so soon.

After the sports festival, in those two days off of school, he had been thinking to himself. Contemplating on how to apologize. He's a pretty honest and straightforward guy. He didn't understand why, but apologizing so openly was difficult for him to do.

He admitted his mistakes. He was in the wrong, but to be able to express his apology to the one girl who supports him was just so hard.

He thought of apologizing through text before speaking to the real person, but remembered—they haven't exchanged numbers.

He thought of waiting a few weeks, but it would be too late.

He wasn't shy. Just awkward—that's all.

Snap

"Hello? Earth to, Mr. Purple Troll." Shinsou blinked when slender fingers snapped right in front of his eyes a few times. He averted his gaze to the girl as she crossed her arms, a teasing grin across her face. "Well, welcome back. I hope your trip to dreamland was pleasant." she said sarcastically.

The purple-haired boy snorted. "Enjoyable."

They were talking so casually—almost as if nothing ever happened between them. Shinsou knew, from her personality—Hikari is the type to be forgiving, but to him, he can't just stay quiet about it and do nothing.

"Hey—" Shinsou rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze averted elsewhere. "That day—Look, I'm sorry about what I said and how I acted." he apologized, rather straightforwardly.

Hikari stared at the tall boy and reached her hand out. She suddenly slapped her hands on his cheeks gently, surprising the boy. He stared at her with wide eyes, his face mushed together in her palms. She stretched his cheeks upwards to a smile. "Now we're even." she said in satisfactory. "Turn that frown upside down. It's—Okay, it's totally you when you're super frowny like a troll, but at least brighten up, okay?" she joked, a grin on her lips.

Shinsou stared at the girl before turning to look away, his sleeve covering half of his face. "...whatever."

The brunette leaned over, a teasing look across her face. "Hey, what's with the hiding? Are you shy?" she nudged him with her elbow a few times.

"More like you stink." Shinsou retorted sarcastically, still covering the bottom half of his face.

Hikari almost tripped. "What—?!" she exclaimed in surprise, pulling a face. "I don't stink—well maybe a little, but I have an excuse! I just got out of combat training!" she defended, pointing her finger at him.

Shinsou smirked, shoving his hands inside his pocket as he continued on his way towards the cafeteria. "Are you just going to stand there? Or are you coming? The cafeteria's going to be full by the time we get there at this rate."

"I gotta change first! I reek, remember?" Hikari laughed, jogging up to catch up with the boy.

"I'll save you a seat then."

"Are you saying you'll pay for my lunch then?"

"Just this once."

To celebrate the day he truly accepted someone as a friend.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hikari stood near the shoe lockers—waiting with Uraraka for Midoriya to finish speaking with All Might.

Despite everything, today was a good day for her—especially when Shinsou finally admits their friendship—though he didn't say it out loud.

The only thing that was amiss was how Iida was acting throughout the day.

"Hey, have you decided on a hero agency?" Uraraka asked curiously, peering over Hikari's shoulder to look at her empty form.

The brunette in questioned hummed in reply, thinking long and hard. After school had ended for the day, most of her classmates have already decided on which agency they want to intern for. She kept on looking over to the two pages and then to the empty form. She had circled the agencies that caught her interest, mostly the big hero names.

"Not yet..." The keyblade wielder replied.

She knew Uraraka would go for Gunhead since she told her herself. Yaoyorozu would go with Uwabami and Jirou would be with Death Arms. Neither of those heroes drafted her—so she can't work together with her friends.

"Sorry for the long wait!" Midoriya came jogging towards them, yelling his apologies for making the two girls wait for him. He took out his red shoes from the locker and his eyes wandered to the shoe locker on the top row. He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened Iida's locker, finding it empty. "He went home first..." he sighed in worry.

"Iida said he has something to do after school..." Uraraka's voice trailed off in worry.

Midoriya nodded his head, closing the locker with a soft click. "Y—Yeah..."

The tallest of the three placed a hand on each of their shoulder. "Ingenium's a strong hero! I'm sure he's on his way to a full recovery! Let's keep our thoughts positive, hmm?" she encouraged, trying to brighten up the gloomy mood.

Both Midoriya and Uraraka exchanged looks, a smile slowly crawling up their face.

"You're right!" Uraraka said. "Ah, that's right! You know a lot about heroes! Maybe we can help Hikari choose a hero agency!" she continued, changing the topic completely.

Midoriya turned to look at Hikari. "A—Ah, of course! Can I see which one you're interested in?" he asked.

Hikari gave him the list.

The green-haired teen almost faint from shock when he saw the names printed out on the papers. There a few big names in the list. Hawks, Ryukyu and Sir Nighteye. There were a few other big names, but those names were nothing compared to the three. Two of the top ten and an ex-sidekick to All Might.

Midoriya gulped loudly. "W—Well, first thing's first... what are you trying to focus on? Judging from your quirk... you're more suited in a field combat—" he began to mutter under his breath, all words seemed to be a jumbled mess to the two girls. "—guess the top three really works out for you, Leonhart." he finished.

Hikari glanced over to look at Uraraka who looked just as confused as she is. "So... I'm guessing you're talking about Hawks, Ryukyu and Sir?"

"Sir... is a great pro hero, but his method is intense, I suppose? You could feel his intense gaze even though you're watching from the TV!" Midoriya exclaimed, a look of amazement across his eyes. "He mostly specializes in investigation and capture. Oh! And he works directly with the police too!"

Hikari crossed her arms, thinking. 'Intense. Hard. Definitely an intelligent guy... Why did he pick someone like me? Maybe, Sir's someone I should avoid...' she thought to herself, thinking back to the time they met. She was beginning to think that their encounter wasn't accidental.

"Hawks and Ryukyu are in the top ten. They mostly specialize in combat against villains." Midoriya explained as he gave the papers back to the owner. "Though, they're both specialized in combat, Hawks is more wide in information."

The keyblade wielder hummed.

Both Hawks and Ryukyu were good choices, but she needs someone who is a little carefree and has information. She imagined Hawks would be the perfect agency to go to since he fits what she was looking for.

A guy with a wide-range of information.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was Sunday morning when Iida decided to contact Leonhart.

His brother had finally woken up from his coma last night. His family couldn't be happier and more relieved to have him back. His mother had cried endlessly, embracing her eldest in her trembling arms. His father was there—beside his brother, crying and saying how it was a miracle and blessing to know he will make a full recovery.

Iida... he couldn't be happier. After days and days of waiting for his brother to wake up, he finally did.

That night, he could finally sleep in ease.

The next morning—while he was accompanying his brother, he made an odd request.

To invite Leonhart over.

Iida had asked him when he met his classmates and Tensei replied with a soft laugh.

Nevertheless, he sent a quick message to Leonhart, requesting for her time.

Leonhart replied back, saying that she would be happy to pay a visit.

"Class rep!"

Iida glanced up when he saw the brunette walking inside the hospital, a plastic bag in hand. She received a few shushes from the nurses because of her loud voice and she gave them an apologetic look before making her way towards where he stood.

"Sorry I made you wait long." Hikari apologized, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin across her lips.

Iida shook his head, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "No, it should be me who should apologize. I requested a moment of your time when it's a holiday." he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, making motions with his arm.

"Not at all! I'm glad you texted me of your brother's recovery!" Hikari grinned.

"That's right! Please, follow me." Iida directed his hand to the hallways. He helped her sign herself in with the nurse before taking her to his brother's room. Last night, his brother was moved from the ICU to a normal private wing with security guarding right in front of his doors. "I apologize for the tight security, Leonhart."

Hikari blew a raspberry. "Pssh! It's cool! I totally understand!" she waved his worries away—allowing the police to check her bags before allowing her inside the patient's room. When the door opened, she was already greeted by Tensei's voice.

"Ah, Leonhart! Good to see you!" Tensei greeted—a smile on his bandaged face.

Iida closed the door behind him as Hikari walked further inside the room.

"So glad to see you up and well, Mr. Iida—Ingenium." Hikari corrected. Calling two Iidas in the same room would be confusing, even though she calls her classmate by his title. She held up a plastic bag for him to see. When she received a text from Iida, saying that Tensei wanted to see her, she immediately sprang out of bed and packed one of Aerith's barley tea in the fridge—along with a few other items she bought as a get well soon present. "I got some barley tea! My mom made it—it's the best. I can guarantee you'll feel better after drinking it!" she placed the bottle on the stand beside his bed along with the plastic bag.

Tensei laughed. "You shouldn't have, but I appreciate it."

"Thank you, Leonhart! You're so thoughtful!" Iida said.

Hikari only gave him a smile—she was glad Iida was back to the way he was. "Ah, sorry... I didn't bring any cups with me..." she poured into Tensei's empty glass and looked around to search for another glass for Iida.

Iida raised his hand voluntarily. "I shall ask some from the nurse!" he stood up from his chair and began to march his way out of the room.

"I'm glad Class Rep's back to the way he was." Hikari voiced her thoughts, giving the glass to Tensei. She pulled on the chair beside the bed and sat on his, looking at the man with a serious yet concern look. "Class rep told me that you wanted to see me because you wanted to talk to me?"

Tensei look down into his reflection in the tea. "Yes... Leonhart, first of all, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart." he stared into his bandaged hand, a faint smile across his lips. "Without your medicine... I wouldn't even be here." he began.

"Don't say that..."

"I really thought I was a goner, but then I remembered the medicine you gave me. It was what saved me from death or any fatal injuries." Tensei's grip around the glass tightened as he continued. "I can't thank you enough..." he raised his head, looking at the brunette.

Hikari smiled at him. "That's enough for me. I'm really glad you didn't forget about the potion." she grinned before reached inside to her backpack. She unzips the bag and pulled out a different container, but with the same liquid inside. Tensei had seen just a glimpse of it and he already knew what it was, he quickly stopped the girl from puling it out for the world to see. It was just the two of them, but he was cautious. "Is something wrong?" she asked curiously.

Tensei looked genuinely concern for her. "Leonhart, another reason for me to ask you to come is to ask for you to stop giving your medicine to anyone." the odd request confused the brunette even further. She thought that the City of Heroes would want the instant healing drink. "I'm afraid it was my mistake to use it in front of Stain..." he sighed deeply, leaning back into his pillows.

"It's okay. Don't sweat about it, okay?" Hikari gave him a reassuring look, placing the bag down onto the floor.

A chuckle escaped Tensei's lips. "Right, of course. But... please be careful. I haven't talked this with anyone just yet... After my mistake, Stain wants to stop whoever is making these medicine—"

"Stop saying that it's your mistake. It's not your fault, you know." Hikari chided lightly, making the man look at her. "This Stain guy can do whatever he wants! Ain't a villain like him is gonna beat me!" she snapped her fingers, giving a funny look, hoping to make the situation lighter.

Tensei smiled. "Thank you, Leonhart." he took a sip from his barley tea and turned his head to look at the girl. "The internships are coming soon, right?" he asked suddenly.

"Yeah!"

"If I may ask, which agency are you planning to intern at?"

"Hawks' actually." Hikari answered sheepishly.

Tensei blinked owlishly. "Hawks? That's pretty big. I worked with him a few times. Young, but he's really skilled. I bet he's even faster than me." he told with a laugh and Hikari couldn't help but smile. His laugher died down to a chuckle. "I apologize, Leonhart... it was selfish of me to think of such a request for you to do." he looked down into his tea, a ghost of a smile appearing.

Hikari tilted her head. "What kind of request?"

"For you to go to the same agency as Tenya and keep an eye on him for me."

The keyblade wielder blinked.

"I can still ask Mr. Aizawa to switch—"

Tensei stopped her. "No, there's no need. It was a selfish request. You should be free to choose whichever agency you want." he said and the brunette gave a slow nod. She was really considering to switch her agency to whatever Iida choose. "I can't help but feel that my little brother is planning something."

Hikari couldn't help but agree and she was worried.

To get revenge. Was left unsaid.