A/N: Good morning, you beautiful people! It's chapter two at last! This chapter will start with a little insight into how Aisla wound up at UA, in case anyone was curious. There will be SOME parallel to Katsuki's chapter, but don't worry, it's nothing extreme. I wanted to show their first meeting from her POV as well so we know how Aisla views this angry little boy. This will be the first chapter anyone sees from Aisla's POV, so I hope you'll enjoy it as much as the other!

(Pronunciation: Airi is just like Aisla "eye-ree")

Chapter Two: Memories

Aisla Haru was not having a good day. Or, more accurately, she wasn't having a very good year in general. She'd been excited to start high school, even more excited that she'd been accepted into one of the best hero schools in Japan—maybe even the world. She spent months training and learning everything she could about her quirk. And while it wasn't a particularly powerful one, it was good enough to get her into Shiketsu High, which made her feel proud.

However, it was becoming increasingly clear that her quirk was not the problem; the other students were. Most of them just ignored her, and she wasn't sure if that was because her quirk wasn't as strong as theirs, or if it boiled down to something simpler like her personality.

…Maybe she just wasn't a tolerable person. Aisla always had trouble making friends for as long as she could remember. She thought part of it was due to her very American appearance, but the rest had to be because of her.

I don't know what makes me so unlikable, she often thought.

She was a nice person, easy-going and good-natured. She had a decent sense of humor. She liked all the things the other kids her age enjoyed. So, what was it about her specifically that people just didn't like?

"It's the hair," she grumbled one day during lunch period.

"What?" Asked the girl across from her. Her name was Corrin and she had short dark hair that always stuck up in all the wrong ways for no discernible reason. She and Aisla weren't exactly 'friends' but they did sit together at lunch sometimes, and if there were occasions that required it, they would team up together. It was a mutually beneficial business-type relationship. They were both outcasts, shunned by the other, more elite students.

Aisla twirled some of the long blonde strands between her fingers, wondering not for the first time if she should just dye it. Maybe then people wouldn't recognize her and she could pretend to be someone else for a while. "It's this hair," she repeated insistently. "It's got to be. There's no other explanation. Right, Corrin?"

The other girl shrugged without looking up from her tablet. Aisla knew she liked to draw on their breaks but where Aisla preferred the more traditional approach with her art, Corrin liked the more modern one.

"You want to know what I think?" Corrin started, not bothering to wait for a response as her sharp gaze pinned her down. "That everyone in this school is just a selfish jock out for themselves and no one else. People like you and me? We don't fit into their mold. We aren't cool enough, rich enough, powerful enough. We don't even register on their radar."

"I wish that was true about Shishikura…" Aisla mumbled, burying her face in the crook of her elbow and letting out a frustrated groan. The cloth of her uniform muffled the sound till it was barely audible, but the irritation conveyed remained just as strong.

"Is he still bothering you?" Corrin asked, sounding genuinely surprised. A single unruly brow raised at the idea to form an almost cartoonishly perfect depiction of shock in her expression.

"Yeah," Aisla replied in monotone. "It seems like every day he has something to say."

Or something to do, she silently added. He sometimes liked to threaten her with his quirk, trip her in the halls, or in the lunchroom. Once he even tried to push her down the stairway, and if she hadn't managed to reach out and grab the railing she would have plummeted down and probably broken something.

"He's kind of a tool sometimes," Corrin commented with a frown. "And I can see that he has it out for you for some reason. Not sure what his problem is, but my advice would be to steer clear of that one."

If only it was that easy, Aisla thought morosely. A tiny pout fell across her lips as her eyes dipped downward.

"I should get going," she told Corrin before picking up her lunch tray and bag. "I need to stop by my locker before bio."

"Yeah, sure," Corrin said absentmindedly, her focus already back on whatever project she was working on.

Aisla dumped her food and made her way out of the room, making sure Shishikura was accounted for before walking out. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him sitting at his usual table next to Camie Utsashimi.

She made her way down the hall then turned into the quaint room where their cubbies were kept. She found the appropriate book and pulled it out with triumph in her eyes—she'd forgotten to grab it that morning in her haste to get to class on time and had been worried she wouldn't have it for class.

"Nice book," someone piped up from behind her.

She gave a start of surprise at the sudden echo in the otherwise silent room and spun around quickly, clutching the book against her chest like a shield. Seiji Shishikura stood there, staring down at her with a malicious smirk. His eyes were slightly narrowed, yet she could clearly see the intent there like a red flag—dilated pupils that seemed to jerk in an almost crazed manner indicated that he was up to something sinister. Arms were folded across his chest and his fingers tapped almost threatening against the skin there. His whole body seemed to lean forward like he was seconds away from attacking her, making his lavender hair fall forward to cover one eye. The red glasses he usually wore had either been forgotten or purposely neglected, which somehow made him even more frightening to her.

"Shishikura," she said, hoping her voice didn't betray the fear she felt rattling in her bones. She didn't want him to know that she was afraid of him. It'd be nice to at least pretend she was brave.

"Aisla, Aisla, Aisla…" he mused aloud, using her given name like they were close friends and not enemies. His feet crept across the tiled floor with silent footsteps, pacing in front of her as if considering his next move. Her body tensed, eyes darting to follow him while she waited for his next word or action. "Isn't it funny to find you here all alone?"

"Very amusing," she deadpanned.

He sneered back at her, slightly miffed. "You know, that sarcasm of yours is going to bite you in the ass one day."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, startling even herself with the venom in her tone. Normally she was too afraid to even speak to this guy, yet her words had twisted and distorted into barbed wire that cut at the air between them.

"Tch."

He sprang toward her so fast she dropped her textbook in surprise. It fell onto her foot heavily and she winced in pain just as he slammed his hands down on the lockers on either side of her head, effectively blocking her escape. His face contorted into a mockery of a smile that radiated with malice as he leaned in close to her face.

"You little bitch," he spat, hot breath coating her skin and evaporating the last bit of her nerve. She sunk into herself, body trembling. Somewhere in her chest, she could feel her heart almost beating its way through her body to flee as her throat closed up. "Do you really think you can get away with talking to someone like me in that way? I'm your superior, you should bow before me instead of back talking!"

Aisla winced at the shout assaulting her ears painfully. "Just leave me alone, please," she pleaded weakly. It was easy to play it tough when he was at a respectful distance, but when he was up in her face like this, she lost all of her nerve.

He reached out toward her face and she flinched away from him. His hand shot out and gripped her chin hard, nails digging into her flesh deep enough that she was almost certain there'd be bruises left the next day. "You really should learn some respect, Aisla Haru."

I'll give you respect when you damn well deserve it, she thought bitterly.

His jaw clenched. Either he was a mind reader of sorts or her expression had read her thoughts loud and clear because suddenly his hand moved to her throat and squeezed. The pressure left stars in her vision and a unique ache pounding against her jugular. She clawed at the hand there but it didn't budge, only squeezed tighter.

"Let this be a warning to you, foreign trash," he snarled, "learn some damn respect, or face the consequences."

Aisla found herself in the bathroom after that. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her teeth clenched around her shirt collar to keep the sobs from echoing in the stall. She rubbed at her sore neck, wincing in pain. There were definitely going to be bruises this time. Lifting up her shirt revealed the large purple bruise already forming on her stomach as well, and she choked on another sob, wishing she could just be stronger or braver or something. She wished her soul could be transferred into someone else's body so that maybe her life wouldn't be so hard, maybe her classmates wouldn't want to bully her.

It was similar to the humiliation she felt the day before when the girls banded together to steal her clothes while she was in the shower after P.E. She'd sat in the locker room, cold and naked for over an hour before Corrin finally found her and brought her something to wear. Months of being pushed around in the halls, all the days her lunch tray was knocked out of her hands and she wasn't able to eat until dinner. It was all taking its toll on her to the point where she didn't even want to come to school anymore. She was reaching her breaking point.

Once her tears had finally stopped, she washed her face in one of the sinks and took a good look at her neck. Already, red marks were beginning to blossom on her skin. There would be no hiding that from her parents. They would freak out for sure, which was something she'd wanted to avoid. She wanted to be a good daughter, the kind that didn't cause unnecessary trouble. She didn't want them to worry about her or feel obligated to take action.

The bathroom door creaked open and a girl walked in. She did a double-take when she saw Aisla's neck, eyes going wide. "Wow, you got it bad this time." Her tone was pitying but not sympathetic.

Aisla sighed, pushed back the tears that threatened to start flowing again, and went back to class.

"What do you mean I'm being transferred?" Aisla sputtered in disbelief. A few days had passed since that last incident, leaving behind what she thought would just be unpleasant memories and some minor scrapes. She had just walked in the door from another long day at school when her father called her into the dining room where he sat with her mother.

As expected, her parents had not been happy when they'd seen the bruises on her neck—she hadn't even shown them the one on her stomach—and had nearly just taken her out of school that very day. Instead, they did exactly what she'd feared they would do—they called her school. The two had spoken to the principal who was forced to report the incident with obvious reluctance. She was there when he walked into the classroom and gave everyone there a half-hearted lecture about bullying. Everyone knew it was because of Aisla.

"What a little baby,"one girl had snickered a few seats behind hers.

"Tattling to Mommy and Daddy like the pathetic loser she is," another one agreed.

"She probably did that to herself," one boy commented from right beside her.

The chatter died instantly when the teacher threatened them all with detention, but Aisla still got pushed in the halls so many times over the next few days, and each time someone would mutter something along the lines of: "Oops, now Haru is going to tell on me!" and then laugh and walk away.

"This is getting out of hand, Aisla," her father intoned, not unkindly. He was still in his business suit but the tie was pulled loose and the shirt itself was wrinkled, jacket discarded somewhere else. With bags pulling at his eyes, he looked as exhausted as she felt, which only made her feel guiltier for putting extra stress on his shoulders. "You can't keep going to a school that doesn't protect you. They call themselves heroes but this is how they allow their students to be treated? I won't stand for it another day."

"It's not the school's fault that the students are horrible," Aisla protested. The injury on her stomach twinged as she gestured slightly with her arms.

"We know, sweetie, but we're both very concerned for you," her mother reminded her gently and patted her hand in comfort. "We only want what's best for you, and since you're so adamant about not homeschooling, this is the solution we're providing."

"Don't I even get a say in the matter?" she finally tried. It wasn't that she was partial to Shiketsu High or any of the people there—in fact, she kind of hated the institution as a whole—but she didn't want her parents to go through all the trouble of getting her transferred mid-year. Not to mention their efforts would be futile. Kids would be mean no matter where she went.

"Not this time, Aisla," her father told her softly. "I'm sorry, but this is our final decision. We've spent the last week researching schools and making phone calls, and we've found something that we think will suit all of our needs."

"What needs?" Aisla muttered bitterly, a frown tugging at her lips.

"Don't take that tone with us, Aisla Haru," her mother chastised with an unforgiving tone. Eyes narrowed sharply at her in reprimand.

Aisla relented. "I'm sorry, mother."

"You need a school with higher security for one matter," her father continued. "With All Might's sudden retirement and the increase in villain activity, you need to be closely monitored. Which is why we've decided to send you to UA High School at the start of the semester."

"Villain High?" She couldn't help but express her disbelief.

Her father arched an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"That's what the kids at my school call UA," Aisla explained. "Well, the ones who aren't talking about how inferior the students and staff there are. Haven't there been like, a bunch of attacks on UA students in the last year alone? Why would you want to send me there?"

He let out a tired sigh. "Aisla, it's not up for discussion this time. Yes, there have been villain attacks on UA students but that was of no fault to the school or its staff. The principal is implementing several new safety measures, including a dorm system."

…A what?

Aisla stared ahead blankly, lips slightly parted as if trying to find words but unable to get them out. They're implementing…

"It's a very good school," her mother added helpfully, like that had been her concern.

"A…dorm system?" Aisla blurted dumbly.

Her father nodded once. "We're not trying to get rid of you, Aisla. But we do want to do everything we can to keep you safe. However," he hastily added upon seeing her stricken face, "if you really hate it come the end of the school year, then we can talk about possibly figuring something else out. Deal?"

"And if anyone lays another finger on you, you can come straight home!" Her mother put in with a fierceness Aisla rarely saw in her. "No questions asked, right, Kaito?" Her tone and expression dared him to disagree.

"Of course, Yua." He gave a small nod in her direction then turned back to Aisla. "Don't feel like you've been abandoned or cast out. We love you and we want you to be safe, first and foremost. Now go on and get cleaned up for dinner."

"Yes, sir."

The next few weeks passed by in a blur of activity. Aisla's classmates had been informed of her upcoming transfer, which had by some miracle caused them all to (more or less) leave her alone. She was mostly forgotten as if she'd never even been there to begin with. However, that didn't mean she was completely off their radar, at least where Shishikura was concerned. The abuse she received from that boy never fully dissipated. She'd been lucky enough to avoid him more now that she was reaching the end of her time at Shiketsu High. Besides that, she'd been spending a lot of her free time filling out paperwork for her new school, and going through all the required tests they provided. It wasn't unheard of for someone to transfer mid-year, but it wasn't something they did often. Aisla had a lot to prove if she wanted to make it in this new school. Luckily, the tests she'd taken to get into Shiketsu had proven useful to the UA principal and his staff so she wasn't forced to repeat them. Unfortunately, she still had to go to the school's training arena a few times to demonstrate her quirk and show them she wasn't a total failure. On and on the routine went, until the day of her transfer.

That morning, Aisla woke a full three hours before she needed to be up. She wanted to be prepared to make a good first impression with her classmates and teachers. A few days prior, she had been told that heroes All Might and Eraser Head were teachers at UA and she would be damned if someone like them saw her as anything other than her very best—especially when she'd only just got there. It wouldn't be right to look like a slob on her first day anyway.

She used the extra time to do something with her mess of blonde hair, which always liked to stand on end after she'd slept. Half an hour was spent arranging the long strands into wavy curls. Sometimes she liked to braid a piece in the front to hold some of the hair back from her face, but she didn't have the energy to do so today. Makeup was never much of a priority, fortunately, so she didn't need to waste time putting on a new face. The one she had would just have to do.

Once her hair looked decent, she slipped into her new uniform and stepped in front of the full-length mirror to take in the finished look. To her dismay, her skirt was a little shorter than she'd prefer. She kept trying to arrange it in such a way that it wouldn't show off her underwear when she bent over but there was no saving it. She'd just have to ask for a new one when she got to school. Her other clothes had already been shipped to her new dorm, so she didn't even have the option of shorts or tights to put underneath.

"Time to go," she told herself and gave her reflection a salute worthy of Shiketsu High before leaving her bedroom for the last time in a long while.

In her haste, she skipped down the stairs so fast she tripped on the third step to the bottom and slid the rest of the way straight onto her butt. "Ow," she complained, a sharp spike of pain poking at her like an incessant bug.

A giggle caught her attention to her left. Airi peeked over at her from around a corner cheekily, body bending to the side with her head out as if she were a cartoon spy. "I see Aisla's underpants," a little voice snickered.

Aisla rolled her eyes and stood up, smoothing her skirt back into place. Not that it mattered; it was still unnecessarily short. She was seriously regretting packing all of her shorts and tights. "Good morning, Airi." She gave the little girl a pat on the head, tousling her hair slightly. "You're up early."

"Mama said you were leaving for school today and I wanted to say goodbye!" Airi pouted so outrageously Aisla thought she might cry. The faint watering of her eyes seemed to affirm that, tugging at the heartstrings of whoever happened to be looking.

"Silly girl." Aisla scooped her up into a tight hug and ignored the little girl's squirming around. "I'm not going away forever, remember? I'm just going to live at school for a while. Lots of kids live at school, you know."

"But not Aisla!" she insisted.

Aisla couldn't help but smile fondly at the stubborn refusal. "It's just for a little while, okay?"

Airi twisted her mouth in thought intently, evidently contemplating the idea. "Okay, I guess that's fine. But you better not forget about me, you got that?!" She waggled a finger in Aisla's face before popping it back in her mouth. She really needed to squash that habit…

"Of course not, you're my baby sister." Aisla kissed her cheek. "I have to go now, Airi. I'll call you when I have time."

"Every night," a voice boomed from behind her.

Her father, a tall lanky man with dark hair and the same dark eyes as Airi, stood before her with hands on hips.

Aisla resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and instead gave her father a respectable smile. "Of course!" She agreed innocently, knowing she would undoubtedly not have time for that kind of commitment. "And you're having my things shipped over today?"

He nodded. "They should be arriving around noon, though I already sent some furniture for the new room. I couldn't send your old furniture; you need a place to sleep when you come to visit, right?" It was more of a command than a question, insinuating that she would indeed need a bed for all of her visits.

"Oh, leave the poor girl alone." Her mother walked into the room then and dropped an arm around her shoulders. The woman stroked her hair gently in a small effort to rearrange the strands into something graceful. "You get going now, Aisla. Don't you be late on your first day, now. Your father and I will wait patiently for your phone call later this week." A side eye was thrown at the aforementioned man pointedly, to which he promptly ignored their irritation and beamed at them all.

"Thank you, mama." She kissed her cheek, allowed her father to pull her into one of his bear hugs, patted Airi's head once more, then grabbed her bag and left to meet her cab.

Forty-five minutes and a mug of coffee later, Aisla stood before the building that would be her new school. It was exquisite, she had to admit, though the towering walls they used for security measures were a little daunting, to say the least. Even so, she couldn't deny the school's beauty and found herself smiling as she walked toward it, not really paying much attention to where she was going. She collided with someone and fell to the ground. Crisp morning air blew up her skirt and made her blush bright red. She quickly pushed the skirt down and looked up at the person she'd run into.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, hoping her underwear hadn't been seen.

A guy stood there with dark green hair and an embarrassed smile. "Oh no, it's totally my fault! I was kinda spacing out." He smiled awkwardly and pulled at his hair a moment before remembering to offer her a hand. "Oh! I'm Midoriya, by the way. Izuku Midoriya!"

She gratefully took the proffered hand and let him help her to her feet. "Aisla Haru," she greeted in return, patting down her clothes one last time.

"Cool! You're new, right?" He stood there with a worn notebook in hand and looked like he was ready to run a marathon. His feet shifted like a small child who was anxious to do something exciting. The expression he wore was friendly and kind, which wasn't something she'd been expecting from a stranger.

In response to her nod, he said, "Nice! Let me show you to the front office!"

He showed her the way and then turned to leave. She thanked him and waved before entering the office.

"Good morning, Miss Haru," the principal greeted. He sat in a chair that was obviously too large for him in every way, hands folded neatly on the desk in front of him while he gave her a polite smile. Aisla had met him only once before but she was still curious as to what he actually was… Knowing it would be rude to ask, she had kept her thoughts to herself, though she couldn't help but wonder if her new principal was more of a dog or a mouse or a bear. Either way, he was obviously intelligent beyond ordinary humans. She'd learned that during their first meeting when he'd used words like 'perfunctory' and 'mellifluous,' which she still wasn't sure the meanings for.

The principal spoke with her briefly, told her there were 'absolutely no more uniforms' she could have, then led her to her new classroom taught by none other than the Eraser Head. It took a considerable amount of effort not to screech at that revelation as she tried hard not to be a total fangirl.

Oh. My. God. He's my favorite hero! She inwardly squealed while her face hopefully remained passive.

"Mr. Aizawa," Principal Nezu said, gesturing at Aisla enthusiastically with his tiny paws. "This is Aisla Haru; she's a transfer student from Shiketsu High School. She'll be in your class from here on out." He seemed incredibly pleased by this for some reason and it wasn't until her new teacher spoke that she realized it was smugness on the principal's part.

"And here I thought I'd have a relaxing day." Mr. Aizawa sat back in his chair and closed his eyes as if suddenly bored. "Have a seat, Aisla Haru. We're having a pop quiz. I hope you like quadratic equations." He definitely wasn't as excited to see her as she was to see him. Even so, she had to mentally push back a threatening giggle. He was just so cool.

After taking in a small breath to calm herself, she scanned the room for an empty desk and took a seat. Her palms were sweaty as she sat there, taking in the atmosphere. This was her first day at her new school and quite frankly, she was still in shock. Despite her excitement at seeing her idol in person, she was still nervous about the other students. She'd rarely met another person her age who didn't treat her like the foreigner she was. She was always the weird girl, the one others wanted to either avoid or bully.

On her left sat the green boy she met earlier. He gave her a small wave and she smiled in return. At least she knew one person in this class didn't immediately despise her. Even if only one person didn't treat her like a bug that needed to be squashed, she'd make it through the school year.

When class ended, Aisla got the shock of a lifetime. Almost every student immediately bolted from their chairs to surround her. At first, she thought they were ganging up on her, but they were all smiling and asking questions and they looked so…nice. Never had she received this type of welcome before, in all of the schools she'd attended. People always looked at her with disgust, not interest.

It was so overwhelming that she found herself unable to keep up with all the questions and kind of wished they'd come to her separately so she'd have a chance to think.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT THE HELL UP?!" Someone shouted from behind her. She turned in her seat in surprise and found a blond-haired boy sitting there with an expression so angry it was cute, like an angry little puppy. "SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU FREAKS SO LEAVE HER ALONE AND LET ME GO!"

Aisla blinked in surprise at his words. How did he know she didn't want to talk right now? Did he read minds or something? Or was she that obvious?

"It's okay," she bluffed, not wanting to look aloof and unfriendly. "I don't mind that much." In a way, that technically was the truth. She didn't like being the center of attention by any means, but having people talk to her for once wasn't so bad.

"Well, I do. I want to get the hell out of here," he barked. "Some of us are starving around here."

A spike of guilt spread through her as if she was somehow responsible for his anger. She didn't mean to block his way of escape. If anything, she understood how it felt to want to rush out of class the moment it ended. At her old school, she always tried to leave before anyone had the opportunity to put in a snide comment about her weird-shaped eyes or her pathetic quirk.

"Excuse me, please." She stood and grabbed her bag before leaving. A couple of people tried to stop her retreat but she politely declined their questions for now. She wanted to hurry and find that boy and apologize. It wasn't quite clear in her mind why she felt so inclined to do so, but something urged her forward. She didn't have to look far, though. Several feet away, he was kneeling on the ground and rubbing his head in the middle of the hallway.

"Are you alright?" She asked, coming to stand near him. There didn't seem to be anything that had made him fall, but surely it still hurt—and leaving someone that could be injured just didn't sit right with her.

"Go away," he ordered in a flat tone.

"I'm sorry if everyone got in your way," she said, hands twisting her hair in embarrassment. "I know new people can draw a crowd." Sometimes she wished she wasn't always the new kid. She'd been the center of so many crowds, not all of them welcoming.

"Didn't you hear me?" He tossed her an angry glare. "GO AWAY!"

She watched his face for a moment, wondering what made him so livid. She didn't take it personally, though. This wasn't the same type of anger she normally felt from classmates, the kind that said 'I hate you because you're different.' Something else was making him feel this way.

"My name's Aisla, by the way." She didn't wait for a response from him, simply walked away and let that sink in. He could do what he wanted with that information.

She went back to the dorms later that evening and found that all of her things had been delivered from home. There were far more boxes than she was willing to deal with at the moment, so she took her time organizing most of her belongings before falling into bed, exhausted. Her first day hadn't been as bad as she'd thought it might be. Maybe this was the place she was supposed to be, and everything would end up okay.

The next week went by in a blur. Most of her time had been spent studying and working to improve her quirk, but in the evenings she sat and talked with the other girls and even a few of the guys who lived in her dorm. They all spoke to her as if she was one of them, like she belonged there despite having only just joined them. No one treated her like an outsider.

Not even you, she thought one evening as her eyes drifted over to the blond boy who'd yelled at her on her first day. He was in a corner by himself with a book in his lap and a scowl practically painted on his face.

"Ooh, got a thing for my boy Bakugo, do ya?"

Aisla blushed and quickly glanced away toward a smirking Kirishima. "Uhh, Bakugo, is it? He seems, um, lively?" That was an accurate enough description, she supposed. He was definitely full of energy.

The redhead threw his head back in a laugh. From the corner of her eye, she was sure she saw a vein pulse in Bakugo's forehead.

"That's so cute, Haru!"

"Aisla," she corrected.

"Of course!" He agreed as if he'd been the one to make the suggestion. "So," he leaned close to her ear and stage-whispered. "Want me to ask him out for ya?"

She tensed and her whole body turned a brilliant red. "No way!" She hissed through her teeth, hoping the other boy hadn't heard. She definitely didn't want him thinking she had some kind of crush on him. She just kind of wanted to talk to him. Maybe be his friend. Mostly, she was insanely curious as to why he was alone all of the time, even though he seemed so popular. There was always someone trying to talk to him, especially Kirishima and the electric guy—what was his name? Kaminari, she thought. Yet, he always chose to be alone.

"What, you don't think Bakugo is good enough for you?" he asked in mock offense.

Aisla's eyes widened. Oh god, what if he thought she hated him? "Wh-What? That's not what I meant!"

"So you do like him then." He looked hopeful.

"I don't know!" She exclaimed in a harsh whisper before pushing to her feet and stomping up to her room.

Boys, she thought with a head shake. Always have to put their two cents in. She wasn't here to have crushes on boys and go on dates. She came to UA to become a hero. Sure, she wasn't given the choice to transfer, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to take this school just as seriously as her last. She would do her best and succeed in her endeavors.

I will become a hero, she silently promised. I'll do whatever it takes.

"Today you'll be working on your ultimate moves," Mr. Aizawa told the class the next day. They all hooted and hollered in excitement. Aisla could even hear Bakugo's scoff from behind her as if it was directed right into her ear. The sound said, "I've got this one in the bag!" He was overconfident and arrogant and mean.

And Aisla wanted to be his friend.

She tried talking to him after class the day before they went to the arena, but he just ignored her and hurried out the door. It wasn't even worth it to try now, either; she knew better than to try and find him once they started training. He was amazing. His overconfidence made sense after seeing him in action. He was skilled way beyond a lot of their other classmates, maybe even some of the upperclassmen.

Meanwhile, Aisla was just pathetic and didn't even count as a hero.

"Oomph!" Aisla was flat on her back with Ectoplasm looming over her. The concrete pressed against her back uncomfortably, bits of rubble that were scattered everywhere no doubt forming dents in her skin.

"Get your head in the game, Haru. There will be no daydreaming during a real villain attack," he scolded her.

She nodded once and pushed back to her feet determinedly. "I'm ready!" she declared.

Once, she'd been told that when she used her quirk her eyes turned the color of glass, but she had no personal reference for that claim. She couldn't see herself when she used her quirk and had to go off of what others told her she looked like. Some told her she just looked blind or even used words like "creepy" or "possessed." Those descriptions were usually ignored to her best effort.

She tried to put those thoughts behind her as she concentrated on activating her quirk. Her gaze flicked about, studying Ectoplasm's face as best she could while trying to visualize what attack would come her way. She could feel her quirk working, the way her eyes would become dry, similar to what happened with her teacher, Mr. Aizawa. He wasn't the only one that went through a lot of eye drops.

Concentrate, Aisla… Free your mind… Anticipate his attack…

It was pointless. Within seconds she was flat on her back with the wind knocked out of her, gasping for air.

"You're weak against masked opponents."

Aisla blinked away the haze in her vision and saw Eraser Head himself standing over her with crossed arms and a curious expression.

"Yeah," she admitted as she pushed back to her feet. "My quirk only works if I can see someone's eyes, and Mr. Ectoplasm's eyes are too concealed for me to really see them."

"Your eyes are red," he noted with disapproval before shoving a bottle of eye drops into her hand. "The first step toward controlling your quirk is to take care of yourself. If your eyes get too dry you won't be able to defend yourself."

"That's all I can do, though…" she muttered as she dropped some liquid into her eyes.

It was just so frustrating sometimes! Her quirk was so useless for offensive techniques. All she could do was deflect other's attacks. She would never be able to take on a villain by herself. Her only way to success would require an offensive quirk user by her side if she ever went out on a real job.

"There is nothing wrong with having a defensive quirk," Mr. Aizawa drawled, quirking a brow at her pointedly. "Deflecting quirks are very useful, Miss Haru. Sometimes even more so than an explosion quirk or one that turns you into a bumbling buffoon." His eyes flicked over to where Bakugo and Kaminari were sparring. The latter was currently drooling and attempting to dab while Bakugo stood victorious.

She couldn't help the smile that crept on her face.

"But what can I do to help in a real attack?" she asked once she'd remembered to stop staring. "I'm not exactly the quickest with surprise attacks."

"You learn," he told her sagely. "Try meditation. I myself used to find it useful when I was first starting out. It helps to clear your mind so you can focus on learning how your quirk works. It allows you to see the whole picture."

She nodded vehemently. "Yes, sir! I'll take all of your suggestions into account and try my best to improve."

Go beyond, she added silently. And become plus ultra.

When the week was finally over, Aisla decided to use the extra time to utilize the advice her teacher had given her. However, she didn't actually know anywhere that she was allowed to train. She didn't think leaving the property of the school was permitted, so she'd need to find a place within the school's boundaries.

It was early, close to six in the morning when she slipped out of bed and changed into some work-out clothes. She brushed her teeth and washed her face too, even though she planned on showering when she returned. Starting her day off with a greasy face would just be unpleasant and uncomfortable. After pulling on a UA hoodie just in case it was still chilly, she grabbed her sneakers and quietly left her room.

It was dark and quiet as she made her way down the stairs to the common area. She wondered briefly if she was even supposed to be up and about this early in the morning, but she was fairly certain at least a handful of her classmates woke up early to train, at least on weekdays.

One of these classmates was standing in the common room, sipping a cup of tea. He was similarly dressed in workout attire and looked ready to head out.

"Todoroki, right?" She asked softly as she came down the stairs.

His back was to her but he turned at her approach, teacup still pressed against his lips as if unwilling to put it down. Aisla felt that way about coffee and kind of wished she'd made a pot before coming downstairs.

"Yeah," he answered from around the cup. "But you can call me Shoto…if you want. Or whatever. I don't really care about formalities."

She beamed up at him. "Me either, but I think that's mostly because I was born American." She gave an embarrassed laugh and tugged on the ends of her hair.

Todoroki smiled and finally lowered the tea slightly. "There's nothing wrong with being American. Has that been a problem for you in the past? With people not treating you fairly?"

How does he know that? she wondered.

She gave a slight nod. "Yeah…I mean, sometimes. But anyway! You look like you're about to go train?"

He nodded. "You're welcome to come with me. I don't mind."

"Really?!" she asked in surprise. "Thank you! I actually had no idea where I was even going to go. I haven't been here long enough to know where all the good training spots are."

Another small smile. "No worries. I'll show you. Come with me."

"I think I see the problem," he said an hour later. Todoroki had offered to help her learn different techniques with her quirk by watching her closely. She'd managed to block most of his attacks, but not when he'd throw more than two at a time or when he surprised her. "You're concentrating too much on my eyes. Try not to put your whole focus there. Take a moment to memorize their shape and color then hold that image in your mind. Feel the attack coming."

"But I can't do that if I can't see your eyes," she pointed out.

"Just try it," he insisted. "Close your eyes and visualize my eyes in your mind. Their color and shape, the way the sun hits them, whatever."

Why does using my quirk have to sound so intimate? she thought with distress, shifting awkwardly on her feet. Still, she obeyed regardless and closed her eyes, pulling up the image of his particular eye shape and color, picturing the way they analyzed everything around him, the way the color slightly changed in certain lighting. He had nice eyes, very pleasing, she supposed.

Very cold…

She suddenly felt a chill. His eyes turned the color of ice and froze over, creating a shell that began to envelop his whole face until—

"Ow!"

Something smacked her in the head and she fell over sideways, heaving for breath. Todoroki stood there, looking very pleased with himself. She shivered as another chill ran through her.

"That's quite a quirk you've got there," Aisla said with a breathy laugh.

"What did you see just now?" He asked her, ignoring the compliment.

"I saw you, kicking my ass again." Was that seventeen times now, or was it in the twenties? She'd lost count after ten.

"In your mind," he corrected. "What did you see? Were you picturing my eyes?"

"Oh, yeah! I did exactly what you said, but I don't think it worked. You still attacked me and I had no idea."

"You're wrong," he said with an odd smile. "I saw your quirk start to activate, Aisla. It was only for the briefest moment, but your whole body went rigid before I'd even thrown that ice. Your eyes started darting everywhere behind your closed lids as if searching for something, and you gave a shiver."

She recalled that cold feeling that ran up her spine just before she felt his attack. "Yes! I got a chill just after the vision in my mind changed. I was picturing your eyes like you said but then they changed to ice."

"So your mind made up for what your eyes were not able to see…" he mused. "Very interesting. I think that might be something worth practicing." His watch started beeping then and he glanced down to silence it. "Sorry, I have to go, but good work. Do you want me to walk you back to the dorms?"

She smiled in appreciation. "No, I think I'll stay a bit longer. I'm going to try meditation. Mr. Aizawa said it might help me control my quirk. If I can use what he suggested and the progress you and I made today, then I might actually have a shot at getting my provisional hero license!"

Her face was practically glowing from excitement, hands fluttering about ecstatically. She'd made a new friend today, and she'd actually made progress with her quirk, something that hadn't been accomplished in all her time at Shiketsu High. And for the first time in years, Aisla Haru felt like she finally belonged.

A/N: Happy Friday, all! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and are eagerly awaiting chapter three (which will be their fair date, in case anyone is looking forward to that)! There's much more in store for Katsuki and Aisla, just wait and see! What do we think so far, friends? I hope you all will come to love my sweet Aisla as much as I do. That girl definitely holds a special place in my heart. I've done my best to make her a solid character that feels like she belongs in this universe. I hope you all can appreciate how much work I've put into her for you! Of course, we all know how writing goes—try as I might, Aisla does what she wants for the most part! Getting characters to obey you can be tricky business, I tell you!

Now tell me, fanfiction friends, in honor of the next chapter, what is YOUR favorite thing about going to the fair? Let me know in the comments or tell me a short story about your best trip to the fair! Let's hear 'em, folks!

I appreciate each and every one of you, and I'm so grateful for all the favorites and follows for chapter one, and each person who's read the story. I hope you continue to do so and follow along with this journey. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Betas: cookiejarofstories; rubyxblade; Guntherson962

Test Audience: yellowchikadee; xAshteria

PS: I'm also on AO3 under the same name!

Thank you ALL for the kind words and encouragement! I couldn't do this without you!