Fifteen adults of various sizes holding machines of different lengths are gathered around the entrance, the entrance is exactly thirty three feet tall and made of metal, there is a thin crack on the building to the left, one of the machines the adult's are carrying has a blinking red light. They are ten feet ahead of you, there is three young adults littered within them, a bird just landed on a tree forty feet south of you, one of young adults is a female, scarred, short hair….Toru, three hundred fifty million ants are crawling beneath you at this moment. The air has a hint of humidity to it there might be rain clouds in the sky, the group of people are now surrounding you, curiosity, awe, suspicion, are some of the emotions displayed upon their faces. The gates have opened, another bird has landed in the same tree as the first, the building ahead is now fifteen hundred feet in front of you, the girl is standing with her back turned, she is trembling somewhat, there is a new scar along her collarbone.
Kinoko Komori severed the link to the spores outside a ten foot radius of her, letting out a sigh of relief as the constant stream of information trickled down to that of what was directly in front of her. Most people thought Komori could "see" using her quirk but this was not the case, it would be more accurate to say she read the surroundings as one would read from a book, a very dry book. Her spores laced the area surrounding her and provided information on everything they touched, from something as important as the clearly abused girl in front of her to something as insignificant as the patch of weeds growing in between the fourth and fifth segment of pavement that served as their walkway. At first the process of sorting through all the information had been tiring and time consuming, but after years of sorting through it all Komori learned to skim the smaller details and focus only on the things that directly affected her.
Approaching Toru she tightened her grip on the bag within her arms nervous of meeting the girl again and not wanting to cause any distress like she had the last time. Summoning her courage Komori called out to Toru trying to be as polite as possible.
"H-Hello Hagakure. I-it's ever so nice to see you again"
Today Aizawa Sensei was both the source of my greatest hope and deepest disappointment, his quirk was the ability to nullify any other persons quirk just by looking at them. For the briefest of moments I was beside myself with joy, finally I could see myself without the use of makeup, I could see my eye color, my hair color, what little of it remained, what my face looked like. But when I confronted him after our little mock test my hopes were dashed, it only worked on non physical quirks. Upon hearing that exit his mouth I simply nodded and made an attempt to seem surprised or awed at the limitations of his quirk. Trying my hardest to not let him sense how crushed and defeated I was.
During the test I had used my gifted quirk a couple times in order to give me a slight push, to keep ahead of the other students, Sensei had told us the one to come in last would be expelled but ultimately it was all a farce to bring out the best in us. Luckily for that green haired kid whose power seemed to be a ridiculous strength enhancement at the cost of injury to himself. While many of the others seemed interested and enamored by his quirk I couldn't help but feel disgusted.
Why are they so happy? The kid threw the ball just as far as that explosion quirk boy, it isn't very impressive and not only that but he injured himself and sat in the nurse's office for the last two periods. Why are you so focused on this boy? He's a nobody, he'll flunk out for sure. I should still monitor him just in case I don't trust something about him, maybe it's his face or how he talks. It pisses me off!
Tightening my grip on my pencil, a loud snapping sound rang throughout the classroom attracting the teacher's attention and turning a couple of heads in the process. Feeling a flush start to heat up my features I bowed my head and muttered out an apology for disturbing the class. Ruffling through my bag for another I thought about my impending lunch with Komori, if she truly could see me then I would need a explanation for my appearance. There was no way she missed the burn on my arm or the other multiple scars that decorated my body. It would be problematic if she went to the police or if she told a teacher.
You might have to take care of her. Oh so we are jeopardizing the mission now? What are you thinking?! Killing someone is wrong! You've killed once already. T-that was in self defence! Komori is nice she wouldn't deserve it. You thought Toru was nice. SHE IS! She accepts me! You know she sleeps around, she doesn't need you. Doesn't want you. Who would? I'm useful to her! To them! They care about me!
The thought did little to quell the unease that coiled within me, I knew by now that I was working with villains. No one was that blind, but it didn't matter anymore they had me, I want to live and they will kill me if I try to run. They just want All Might gone, the symbol of peace gone, and I had no problems with it. Where had he been when I was beaten and abused by a member of the police no less? No, I would shed no tears for that man or any who stood in the way, they had all failed me. A familiar pressure began to pound at the base of my skull as red started to pool around the edges of my vision. Panicking, my hand flew into the air where I waved it around hoping the teacher would catch sight for a moment before realizing I neglected to put on my gloves.
"SENSEI! I apologize but I need to use the restroom!"
Once again I felt the eyes of the class upon me but this time I couldn't care less about it, the pounding was quickening and I felt the blood in my veins tremble in anticipation. Cementoss seemed to ponder her for a minute before merely motioning to the door. Standing from my seat at my desk I quickly bowed my thanks before nearly sprinting out of the classroom, my head feeling as if it was about to crack open from the pressure. Finding the bathroom I slid into an empty stall and pulled myself into a tight embrace, grimacing slightly at the sickly feeling of blood flowing quickly just underneath my skin.
The attacks are happening more frequently, it's only been a couple weeks this time…
Trembling I drew my hand up to my mouth and bit down hard enough to break the skin, willing the excess blood out of my system and shifting it into the toilets and sinks.
You could just keep doing that, keep letting the blood out of you till you were no more. Think how easy that would be, the school would be better off, wouldn't it?
Shaking the thought from my mind I halted the flow of blood, shuddering slightly as a light wave of nausea hit me I turned to the toilet and quickly emptied the contents of my breakfast into it. Sliding to the floor I resumed my fetal position and tried to, almost literally, hold myself together as a new onset of tremors overtook me. Suddenly I felt a sense of calm wash over me as a almost calming scent wafted up to my nostrils. Puzzled by the ease of tension slowly creeping its way to the ends of my limbs, I cautiously stood up careful not to topple over from a bout of lightheadedness.
What's going on? This usually lasts longer. Maybe my body is adapting? You would be so lucky.
Slowly I cracked the stall door open to make sure no one was around and when it was apparent no one was I slipped out of the bathroom, hoping the smell of blood would fade before anyone used it or at least mistake it for something else.
Komori felt a pang of sorrow well within her as she observed Toru a few rooms over, she seemed to be exceedingly ill. She wondered why the poor girl had come to school at all if she was feeling so unwell. Perhaps she hadn't wished to miss the first day or perhaps it was as she feared and Toru's home life was not such a healthy place to live. Either way Komori planted the spores within the bathroom Toru was in and had the mushrooms that grew from them release a soothing vapor. Once the mushrooms served their intended purpose she felt the flow of information die out. Returning her attention to the lecture she was attending she let out a heavy sigh, hopefully that had helped her but she resolved to find out for sure at lunch which judging by the way everyone else was looking at the clock was only a period away. Checking her large printed open faced watch she found she was indeed correct, a small smile formed as she thought of the time she would soon be spending with Toru. Only one more period and she could start to find out if her friend was truly alright at home.
Lunch came faster than I had hoped it would, dread filling me as I found a partially empty table and sat down. Besides Komori I hadn't really talked that much to anyone, Mari was nice but a little too hyper charged for my tastes keeping up with her would be a challenge. Mashirao Ojiro, the boy who had spoken to her the day of the test, had been in her class. Which was as embarrassing as I imagined it was going to be, he had tried to speak to her a couple times but seemed as flustered as she was about it. Finally I had had enough and told him that we could share lunch together later, ending that disaster of a conversation. But now it was lunch and I had to deal with both him and Komori, speaking of which.
"T-toru, How were your classes? I found them to be quite insightful, perhaps the curricular here will be well worth the arduous test we took to attend here."
Feeling a smile break through my somber mood I fought to reign in my facial expression feeling a bit conscientious of what she could see.
"Hey Komori, Yeah I thought they were rather good as well, some of them seem like they will be tough though."
Watching Komori shyly take her seat next to me, a million different thoughts flitted through my head. What if she knows? What do I look like to her? Should I just end this friendship now? Would that look suspicious to her? What should I say if she asks about the scars? Breaking the growing silence Komori ruffled through the boxed lunch she had brought with her before tentatively continuing the conversation.
"Yes but that's the beauty of it no? A good challenge stimulates the mind….by the way how are you feeling? I detected you earlier in the bathroom...Not that I usually spy like that! That would be a gross misuse of my quirk! I just n-noticed you seemed ill on the way and was making sure you were okay. My spores never enter the bathrooms or the changing rooms! …..I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable I was just concerned."
With growing horror I listened to Komori spew forth her recount of my episode, panic shooting through me as I thought up some excuse.
"Uh, just felt a tad ill coupled with nerves of my first day, I feel much better now...though I'd prefer if you didn't spy on me in the future. Kinda makes me feel uncomfortable….what did you see?"
Blushing, Komori tilted her head further down guilt apparent from her expression.
"Not much I tried to keep my 'sight' as vague as I could to uphold your privacy, so not to worry I did not learn any more details of your body then I would being next to you now."
Feeling a bit relieved I settled back into my seat but then I narrowed my eyes at the girl as a thought occurred to me.
"You know, I'm rather happy we aren't in the same class now. Since I'm invisible normally I don't really have a costume if you get my meaning."
Komori looked at me confused for a moment before opening her mouth to form a O, her face quickly reddened as she focused intently on the food in front of her before stammering out a reply.
"Oh! I would never! I mean, well I guess i'd have to if we were paired toge- well I mean, I...um, would never without your permission of course but if a dire circumstance presented itself…...not that I wouldn't want to see mind you, you are very beautiful so I'm sure...please if you would be so kind as to forget this entire conversation I would be forever grateful"
Barely managing to stifle the laughter I felt threatening to burst forth, quickly throwing my hands up and waving her off I tried to save the poor girl some of her dignity.
"No no it's fine! And there is no way I'm forgetting this! Even if you do have a terrible grasp on what beauty is. I know you've seen my scars I'm anything but beautiful, homely maybe, but never beautiful."
A small humourless laugh escaped my lungs at which time I immediately realized my mistake, Komori did not seem to enjoy my self depreciating joke a frown tugging at the edges of her mouth and a angry quip flitting from her tongue.
"Don't say that Toru! You are not a homely girl at all! I do not understand why you think these things of yourself. The scars serve only to enhance your beauty in my humblest opinion…"
Faltering in her speech she fell silent as I dropped my eyes to the tray of cafeteria food in front of me. Her voice barely that of a whisper she started again, her speech hesitant as if she was carefully choosing each word.
"If you do not wish it I will not ask, but, how did you manage to acquire so many scars at such an age?"
There it was, the question I had been dreading since I found out about Komori, swallowing slowly I tried to put on my best smile and forced as much humour into my words as possible.
"Oh? These old things? Well the burn is the worst, got that on a camping trip. Fell smack into a fire, awfully painful at the time, just plain embarrassing now. The others I got training to be a hero actually….being invisible it's hard to judge when I need to get stitches so I end up having scars that could be smaller, or nonexistent if I had gone to the hospital to get treatment. The result is looking like this. Well at least I'm invisible ya know? No one has to see em this way."
Komori's frown seem to deepen with her lie but she seemed to accept it as truth much to my delight, which made what she said next all that much harder to hear.
"Oh Toru, It must be rough living like that. It seems more of a curse than a blessing, but it does make how far you've come all the more impressive. Attending this prestigious school by your merits alone you must be proud."
Hoping she didn't catch the way my smile falter a bit as she mentioned how proud I should be and nodding my agreement in an attempt to placate her to move the conversation along. Thankfully Ojiro found his way over to us and ceased all further conversation on the subject, sending a silent word of thanks to the tailed boy I used the opportunity he created to curb all further conversation to our first day of school and the exam Aizawa gave us this morning. Hoping my new friends wouldn't ask any more intrusive questions, for their own sake.