Heyo, what's up? Originally I had this afore note talking about story pacing and my thoughts concerning this story on that, but honestly, I've just had kind of a bad day. I used to take the opportunity in these afore notes to honestly talk with you guys, but somewhere along the lines I kind of stopped sharing my life. I know this isn't a diary or anything, but I kind of like to think of my readers as my friends. I pour myself into my writing, after all, so it means a lot to me when you guys enjoy it. It hasn't exactly been the best day for me, but I'm glad I at least got this chapter finished and posted. I hope that, if any of you also happen to be having a rough time, my story will cheer you up a little. Even if it isn't always the happiest story. But I digress. You're here for the plot, so let's get to it.

Neither of us speak as we make our way out of the arena. I can feel Shouto's eyes on me, but I keep my gaze locked ahead of us.

My mind lies elsewhere, though. The scream still rings in my ears, the look of terror singed into the front of my brain. It's been so long since I last used my quirk. I've always wondered if my victims blood runs cold the way mine does when I use it. I hope it doesn't. It wouldn't be satisfying if they were able to harden themselves like this. That bastard deserved to suffer.

When we arrive at the waiting room, a worker waiting outside removes our targets before moving aside for us to pass. The room is already bustling. I step through the giant doors and immediately make a beeline to the chairs lining the wall, but one boisterous voice has me pausing.

It's that big guy, the idiot Mr. Aizawa had been impressed with. Who supposedly was stronger than even Shouto.

Shouto brushes past me and I start back into motion, sitting beside him on the line of chairs. I don't miss the freezing glare Inasa briefly sends to the person next to me. I turn to see if he also noticed, only to find mismatched eyes fixated on me. My mouth snaps close as I change my words.

"...What?"

"...You shouldn't lose your temper on the battlefield."

I scoff, a slight irritation kindling at the chastation. "Does it matter? We both passed."

He sits back, crossing his arms. "That's the first time I've seen you willingly use your quirk."

"Willingly?" I raise a brow. "You've seen it before?"

"Back when we were eight."

"What—" The memory abruptly flashes back to me and my throat cinches. I struggle to regain my voice, but all that manages to come out is a strangled, "Oh."

My hand rests against the area I normally have a pocket filled with either candy or smokes, my tongue twisting aggravated in my mouth as I recall the unpleasant day. The two of us had snuck out of the dojo to the park. Unfortunately, some of my classmates had happened to be there when we arrived.

It was a day I had tried hard to forget.

Itching to change the subject, I return, "Well, it's the first time I've seen you willingly use your left side in person." I rest my elbows on the back of the chair and avert my gaze. I don't try to hide the bitterness in my voice when I add, "I see you've taken to it."

"Don't misunderstand. It's half of my quirk. It has nothing to do with my old man."

I can't help the sneer that comes to my face. "Yeah, because he has nothing to do with why you have such a quirk in the first place. Have you honestly forgotten that you're just some well-bred showdog to him? Because of that very quirk?"

"I have not." The tone of his voice has me peeking his way out of the corner of my eye. His hands wring in his lap. "I have not, but this quirk is mine, and I do want to be a hero. I would be a fool if I didn't use it. I won't let him get in the way of achieving my goal."

"You're just giving him what he wants," I growl through gnashed teeth.

"I have no desire to become number one. I just want to be able to save people. Kyou, please understand."

"Then why do you call me Kyou?"

He doesn't respond. I shove myself to my feet, refusing to look at him. "If that bastard really didn't have an influence over you, it'd still be the same as it was when we were little."

"Kyou—" Movement in my peripheral vision indicates he's also stood up.

"Oh! Todoroki, Kyou!" Yaoyorozu's voice draws our attention to a group of four walking our way. Along with her are Asui, Jiro, and Shoji. A well rounded group, as far as quirks go. As they get closer, Yaoyorozu asks, "Where is everyone?"

"You're the only one's from our class to arrive since we came," Shouto replies, casting a sideways glance my way. The girl's smile fades a bit, but she tries to keep up her spirit with a bit of banter.

"It's too bad we didn't get to fight together," she addresses me. "I didn't get to see your quirk in action!"

"We're all pretty curious about it," Asui croaks, her finger at her lip. It seems to be a habitual stance for her. "None of us have got to see it yet, since you transferred in."

I dismiss, "I didn't really use it. Sho— Todoroki took out a large group, and I gained from his spoils."

"We didn't really get to use all of our quirks, either," Jiro shrugs.

"But we worked together efficiently," Shoji notes.

Asui droops. "I was kind of useless, though."

"Don't say that! I would have been in trouble if you guys hadn't come after me when that one girl got me isolated." Yaoyorozu turns to Shouto. "How about you? Did you have any trouble?"

"It would have been easier if I hadn't had to watch for Kyou."

I grimace. "I didn't get in your way."

"I still had to be cautious of you. Our enemies might have had quirks to combat mine, but if I hit you with my flames, you wouldn't have had any protection."

"Easy solution. Just use ice." Before he can say anything more, another group of our classmates walks in, and attention is diverted. As the people already here greet the new arrivals, I slip away. I glance back at the screen when the announcer declares the shrinking number of spots left, and nearly hesitate in my step. Shouto stares after me. I don't let my squeezing heart get to me and immediately turn away.

It isn't just Shouto that has my chest heavy this time, although I'd be lying if I told myself he wasn't a part of it. He always is. But when I looked back and saw the growing group of UA students, laughing and worrying for their friends and chatting, they all looked alight. Like gentle lights gracing the unforgiving world. Kind of like the smile All Might always used to wear.

I grit my teeth and recall to mind the fragile, pathetic man I met in the counselor's office. That's all it is. All they are. No matter who it is, everyone is a disappointment. Even...even Shouto.

But they're hero material. Even if that light can be snuffed out by a single puff, it's what makes a hero.

Someone bumps into my arm and I whirl, glowering. The girl jumps, and I see with a snarl that it's that busty slut from before who was talking up Shouto.

"Sorry…" she mutters. "...Congrats on passing."

Not in the mood to entertain her in the slightest, I hiss, "Get out of my sight before I break that pretty face of yours."

This causes her dainty, barely-there eyebrows to furrow as her expression hardens into a glare. "I don't care if you get in trouble and disqualify yourself, but leave me out of it. I actually want a hero license."

"I said get!" I snap, shoving her shoulder and storming past. Eyes bore into me as I throw open the door to the locker room, but I ignore it and let it slam behind me. Quickly, I hunt down the locker I stashed my stuff in when I changed and dig out the container of tic-tacs I smuggled in. Leaning against the lockers, I toss a handful in my mouth and crunch, longing for a hit of nicotine.

"Kyou? Kyou Megumi?"

I raise my head to find a tall redhead in a reflective uniform and an eye-shield looming over me. Disturbed by the height difference and proximity, I push off the lockers and step away from her, snarling, "And who the hell are you?"

"Ah, so it really is you," she exclaims, a dark grin spreading on her face. "I saw you when we were coming in, but I really thought it couldn't be. You getting a hero license? But then I saw that guy getting wheeled out of the arena while having a mental breakdown and I just knew it had to be you!"

I swallow the contents in my mouth, uncrunched tic-tacs scraping my throat on their way down. "I asked who the hell are you!"

"Don't you remember? Shizuka Nana, from middle school."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Well I guess I wasn't as popular as you. I wasn't the villainous daughter of a hero."

"The fuck is your point?" I hiss, none too pleased. Never in my life has there been a single classmate I was fond of. We haven't even parted yet, and seeing her has already left a bitter taste in my mouth.

She doesn't flinch back. "I just thought it was funny! You actually want to be a hero? Is it because your father's one? Or…" Her eye-shield glints mischievously. "Is it because that boy you like is becoming a hero?"

"None of your business."

"I'm just curious. I mean, the only thing you're good for is torturing people, so we all thought that if anything, you'd join the police as an interrogator. You'd be great at it! But why a hero? It makes no sense if you think about it. You're just a delinquent that can't follow a rule to save her life, with a talent for torment. You're villain material through and through!"

She's barely finished her words when my fist connects with her jaw. She stumbles backwards, stunned, her eye-shield crooking sideways on her face, and I wind up for another blow. This time slightly more prepared, she skirts clumsily out of reach of my swing, still hunched over and cradling her cheek.

"You're g—"

"Shut the fuck up bitch." This time she shrinks away, perhaps seeing the fire in my eyes as I glare down at her. Fist raised in threat of a third blow, I fume, "You think you know everything, don't ya? If you know all that, you think you'd be smart enough to keep your mouth shut! If you want me to be a villain that bad, why don't I start now, with you as my first victim? How's that sound? Huh?"

Her one exposed eye returns my glare as she straightens, hand still at her throbbing cheek. "You're evil."

"Cause you're all just so innocent!"

Without another word, she pivots on her heel and takes off out of the locker room. There's no doubt in my mind she's off to tell an adult she was assaulted and get me disqualified, if not worse. I huff, then wrench open my locker and snatch my stuff. Like hell I'm just gonna wait for them to come take me away. Slamming it shut, I sling my bag over my shoulder and storm towards the exit.

When I lay my hand on the door, though, I pause. My fingers knead the handle as I think about what I'm doing.

A hero's license…it's so close. I already passed the first test,and easily at that. If I continue...I could do it. I could really do it. I could actually be a hero…

...except I can't. Now that I hit that girl, there's no way they'll let me through. They're more likely to call my dad, or call the police if I prove difficult. And besides, she's right. My quirk isn't something one can use for good no matter how I might try to delude myself. This whole thing is ridiculous. I should have never come to UA. The only good it could have possibly done me is give me the chance to cozy up to people who are bound to be my enemies, and I couldn't even manage that. I'm wasting my time.

My fingers clench resolutely around the handle. As I push down, the image of my classmates in the waiting room flickers through my mind. Their smiles, their laughter, their friendship...Shouto…

A person like me doesn't belong with people like them.

I shove open the door and stalk out of the building.

Language, Megumi, language. Honest, guys, I'm trying to keep it toned down because this is rated T, but she's really making it difficult for me. She isn't exactly the type to candy coat her words. She's, uh...not very happy right now. Then again, she's not exactly a happy person, if you haven't caught on. We'll have to wait and see where this unhappiness takes her. Since it's the holidays, I should have more free time to write, so hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, I'm curious to hear your guys' thoughts as always. See you again soon!