A/N: Good morning, all! Enjoy the next chapter in Don't Deny Me!

Chapter Six: Reunion

"Well, hello there, Aisla Haru."

Aisla paled.

Seiji Shishikura.

Her purple-haired tormentor from Shiketsu High stared back at her with his familiar smug expression.

"S-Shishikura," Aisla stammered as the images of all his abuse flashed through her mind like a film reel. Months of bullying forced into one long string of images that seemed to loop endlessly.

The day of the Shiketsu Entrance Exam… The strange boy who offered to help her get noticed by the judges. She'd mistaken his offer as an act of kindness, and was grateful when his help allowed her to show off her quirk. Some reflected meatballs at her opponents had earned her spot in the hero course, as well as a friend—or so she thought…

Little had she known that the next four months of her miserable existence at Shiketsu High would be plagued by the friend she'd had the misfortune of meeting on that fateful day.

"You really should be more grateful, Aisla. I'm the one who got you into this prestigious school, after all." Arms blocking her escape through the classroom door.

"With a useless quirk like yours, you'll need someone to help you stay afloat at this school. I don't mind doing that for you, but I do expect some amount of gratitude." A hand painfully tugging her hair when she tried to walk away.

"I like you, Aisla. I could be your greatest ally, if you'd let me. I could tell the others to leave you alone. I could stop the bullying if you only—" The sickening feeling of a clammy hand cupping her face and breath tickling her nose as he tried to kiss her.

"Stop pretending you don't feel the same way I do. You're lucky, you know? You get to attend Shiketsu High and you have me to love you even with your impractical defense quirk."

"No, Shishikura! I don't love you. You're hurting me!"

The way his fingers had curled around her arm so tight he left finger-shaped bruises there, the way he'd shaken her so hard her head smacked into the wall behind her. Her scream echoing down the hallway; the crazed look in his eyes when he told her he was in love with her.

He smirked at her pained expression. "It's so nice to see you again, really. I've been looking forward to this moment ever since that last day." His lips pulled back even further and Aisla's blood went cold. For a moment, she was frozen, just as trapped and terrified as she'd been back then. She forgot where she was, forgot about the provisional licensing exam, forgot about Class 1-A and the friends she'd made here. For an endless fraction of a second, she was that same weak and helpless girl who trembled in an empty school hallway, too insecure to fight back and too tired to try.

"That's enough." Shoto came to stand beside her, suddenly breaking the dark spell she was under, and gripped a wrist in one of his hands. "Leave her alone. Whatever went on between you two in the past is over now. It's time to move on. Come on, Aisla." He started to pull her away toward the building.

"Just as pathetic as always…" she heard Shishikura mutter as she was pulled away.

Aisla ignored him and allowed herself to be taken away. She caught the familiar red-eyed gaze that belonged to Katsuki as she passed him and saw a hardness there that was different from his typical rage. She hoped he didn't do anything to provoke Shishikura, but her whole body was tight with panic and she couldn't find it in herself to object as her friend led her into the building.

Shoto kept a firm grip on her wrist as he navigated his way through the crowds of students until he came across a stairwell that led to the upper floors. He pulled her inside and then yelled up the stairs, making her wince from the sudden increase in volume.

"This should be private enough," he said when no response came other than his own echo.

Aisla dropped onto the bottom step and buried her face in her knees with a deep-rooted sigh. She'd never felt more exhausted in her life. Every memory of that boy continued to play through her mind and stirred up old feelings of depression.

She felt Shoto sit down beside her and leaned against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, tentatively at first, then tighter when she scooted closer.

"You're safe now," he whispered in comfort. "No one can hurt you anymore. Not as long as I'm around—and Bakugo, and Mr. Aizawa, even Midoriya and Iida. You have a lot of friends here, Aisla. We won't let him near you."

Aisla took slow deep breaths until she was calm enough to think clearly. She took his words into consideration. She did have friends now, real ones who saw her as someone with value. He was right that if Shishikura tried to come near her now that he'd have a lot of people to get through first. He wouldn't be able to repeat his actions. This wasn't the same as being back at Shiketsu High, and she wasn't as vulnerable as she used to be back then. She'd trained hard since coming to UA and she was stronger now than ever before.

"Thanks," Aisla murmured, sitting up and wiping away a few traitorous tears. She breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for being so emotional. I don't mean to put you out like this."

He scoffed. "That guy was being an ass to you and you were clearly upset about it. The only reasonable thing to do was to get you away from the situation."

Reasonable thing?

"Wow, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Roki," Aisla remarked with an eye roll.

"Bakugo should have done it," he muttered, ignoring her sarcasm. "He looked like he was about to do something, though I'm certain it would have been more along the lines of blasting that guy into oblivion."

Aisla choked on a laugh, already feeling much more clear-headed. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"You really like him, don't you?" he asked softly, and it was safe to say he was not referring to Shishikura.

Aisla breathed in long and deep, eyes closed against the sun filtering in through the windows. She thought about his question for a long time so she could give an honest answer. She pictured Katsuki's spiky blond hair and venomous expression, and the way he always called her 'stupid.' She thought about the days they'd spent together and how he seemed to find reasons to be around her far more lately. She remembered kissing his cheek on the bus on their way home from the fair, and the blush that instantly spread over his entire face. She could hear his voice with perfect clarity as he told her to never do that again, all the while staring down at her lips like he wanted to possess them right then and there.

"I do," she admitted in a whisper, to both herself and her confidant.

Shoto nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I thought so."

Aisla's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no, is it that obvious?!" Just because she'd admit her feelings to her friend, didn't mean she wanted them broadcasted to the whole school. Especially not to him.

"Yes."

Aisla slumped against the wall in defeat. "Well, damn."

Shoto laughed. "Don't worry, Bakugo's probably too stupid to realize it."

She pouted. "That doesn't make me feel any better."

"You know, it's obvious the other way around, too."

She frowned over at him. "What do you mean?"

He gave her a serious expression. "Bakugo likes you, Aisla. The whole class knows it."

"I don't know about that," she mused, fighting the hopeful blush that sprang to her cheeks at his words. "Sometimes it seems like he has feelings for me, and other times he acts like he hates my existence."

"Bakugo just doesn't know how to express his feelings in appropriate ways," Shoto said sagely.

"That's probably accurate," Aisla agreed with a snort. She quirked him a smile then let out a tired sigh. "We should find the others. They're probably wondering where we are."

"Fuck 'em," he replied with a tiny smile.

"Shoto Todoroki!" she gasped before bursting into giggles. "So crude!" Her laughter slowly tapered off, trailing into another sigh. "Do you think I'll be okay? With the test, I mean?"

"You'll be fine," he encouraged, then patted her on the shoulder. "Don't even sweat it."

She smiled. "You'll do great, too! I bet you get the top scores for our whole school, maybe even all the examinees!"

Shoto snorted in disagreement. "Not likely, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll be lucky if I even pass."

"You will if you use your left side," she told him pointedly.

He opened his mouth to say something but just then the door to the stairwell flew inward and they both jumped in surprise. Katsuki Bakugo stood there, red eyes fuming.

He stomped over to them and wrapped a hand around Aisla's wrist to force her to her feet. "Let's go," he said casually, then dragged her out the door behind him. Shoto gave her an amused expression and made no efforts to stop her kidnapping.

"Katsuki!" she hissed when the door closed behind them. "What are you doing?"

"It's time for orientation or whatever," he muttered. "You're going."

She arched an eyebrow. "How did you even know where to find me?"

"I LOOKED AROUND, OKAY?! IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL!"

She chewed her lip for a moment, then felt a smile fluttering on her lips. "Were you worried about me, Katsuki?" she teased.

He stiffened, hand tightening around her wrist but not releasing it. "That guy's an ass," he said quietly by way of explanation. "I should have…I wanted to…he's an ass," he repeated.

Was he trying to apologize for not getting her away from Shishikura? Did he feel guilty for not acting quickly enough and watching someone else do what he thought was his responsibility?

"Katsuki…" she began slowly. She wondered idly when she'd become so comfortable using his first name, not only in her own thoughts, but also voicing it aloud like he'd given her permission to do so. She also made a mental note that he'd never corrected her for using it in front of their classmates.

"He'll pay for what he did to you," Katsuki promised and continued tugging her behind him like he didn't realize he still held her wrist.

"I'm not upset, you know," she added. "With you, I mean. I didn't expect you to come to my rescue."

Abruptly, Katsuki gave her a hard yank, twisted her around to face him, and had her pinned against the wall before she could so much as breathe. Her eyes widened as he leaned down, elbows resting on the wall behind her as his eyes dilated.

"I. Did." He spoke low and clear, emphasizing each word like a promise. "I expect myself to be the type of hero who saves people from harmful situations. I hesitated. I acted too slow, and someone else took you away. That should have never happened."

"Katsuki…" Aisla breathed. Again, her memories shot back to Shishikura's torment. Hadn't he had her in a position like this once, shoved against the wall while he peered down at her with an expression just as impassioned? So why…was it so different with Katsuki now? Did it have to do with the words he spoke? One boy had threatened and trod upon her like a villain, the other spoke words of regret and chivalry like… She reached up to touch his face with her fingertips. "It wasn't like that. You're still my number one hero."

He closed his eyes and took a long pull of air.

"Katsuki…" she whispered again, fingers caressing skin, gently pulling his face closer, closer…

"BAKUGO!"

He pulled back so fast he stumbled and fell onto his butt with a puzzled expression as if unsure how he got there. They both glanced up as Kirishima rounded the corner, eyes alight with excitement. He skidded to a halt when he caught sight of his friend sprawled out on the tile.

"Whoa. What happened to you?" His eyes flicked between Katsuki and Aisla, looking as equally confused as the blond. Then his eyes went wide. "Wait, did she just punch you?" he asked in shock.

Katsuki looked between Kirishima and Aisla, then scowled and jumped to his feet. "Like hell she did," he mumbled. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and avoided eye contact with everyone.

What was I doing? Aisla silently fretted as Kirishima prattled on to Katsuki. She wasn't listening though. She was horrified at her actions. Kissing his cheek on a bus in the dark was one thing, but that? He wasn't going to take lightly to her trying to kiss him in this public setting. No wonder his lips were twitching in anger. He probably wished he could punch her right about now.

"JUST SHUT UP, OKAY?!" Katsuki shouted, startling Aisla out of her thoughts. For a second, she was afraid she had accidentally spoken aloud. Her cheeks heated and an apology was already on her lips, but Kirishima held up his hands in a placating gesture before she could voice it.

"I was just looking for you, bro," he explained. "Aizawa wants us in the next building. It's almost time for the exams to start. Didn't think you'd want to miss it."

That got the blond's attention. He stood up straighter, and his angry expression shifted into one that almost resembled excitement but was closer to murderous. She supposed, when it came to Katsuki Bakugo, they were probably one in the same.

"Hell yeah, I'm ready to kick some ass!" Katsuki threw up a hand. "Let's go, extras!" He stomped back in the direction they'd originally been walking, and she and Kirishima scurried to catch up.

"So…what were you two doing just now?" he stage-whispered to her as they followed Katsuki.

She felt her whole face go bright red. "Oh, I just surprised him," she answered evasively.

A knowing smirk tilted his lips up. "Oh, I bet you did. Keep it up." He shot her conspiratorial thumbs-up.

She buried her hands in her jacket pockets so he wouldn't see them shaking. No way was she telling Katsuki's best friend that she'd been this close to kissing him. She would never live down the embarrassment.

Aisla could hear Katsuki saying something up ahead but couldn't make out the words. It was obvious he was talking more to himself than to the two of them anyway, getting himself hyped for the exams. Aisla wished she could be doing the same, but between the earlier incident with Shishikura and her current embarrassment, she couldn't really think about anything else besides her anxiety.

They arrived at the appropriate location and found the rest of their group. Shoto was already there, so Aisla took a spot next to him rather than following Katsuki and Kirishima to the front. Shoto hung out near the back and gave her a kind smile when she stopped beside him.

"Took you long enough," he teased.

She gave an embarrassed laugh, but before she could come up with an excuse, the announcer started speaking. He went over the rules of the exam and how to complete the first challenge. It sounded easy enough—more like a game of tag than a competition—but Aisla knew better than to assume it would be that simple.

The basic idea was that they each had to put three targets on their bodies (so long as they were visible), and they had to tag out two of their opponents in order to pass to the next round. The throwing probably wouldn't be too much of a challenge for Aisla—she'd played some softball in middle school and had made a pretty decent pitcher, and her quirk was made for dodging—but she couldn't reflect multiple targets at once. If several opponents came at her and started throwing balls, she'd probably be out of luck.

"You know what, you should probably stay in a group with someone. Just in case."

She scowled at the memory. Katsuki didn't believe in her either, but he also hadn't offered to be in a group with her, which made her curious to know what his plan was. Knowing him, he probably wanted to go off on his own. However, in a dodgeball-style challenge such as this, it was probably smarter to move in as large of a group as possible. She decided she would take his advice, even if he didn't follow it himself.

She looked around, wondering who would be willing to be in a group with her. Shoto might, but he also preferred to work alone because of the sheer range of his right-side. Midoriya definitely would, as would Uraraka and a few others. Out of everyone, the two she admired most, Katsuki and Shoto, wouldn't want her around to get in the way.

She secured her fingers around Shoto's wrist and gave him a stern expression when he looked down at her. She gave him a barely perceptible shake of the head. You better not, it said.

He rolled his eyes. We'll see, the action seemed to say.

Aisla couldn't help the slight twitching of her lips in return. She released his wrist but he grabbed her hand in return and gave a pulse with his own. He mouthed good luck and winked. Now her lips pulled all the way up into a smile. She gave him a thumbs-up with her free hand.

She caught sight of Inasa Yoarashi giving their exchange a withering stare. She sent him her best winning smile and then ignored him he was so grumpy about, she couldn't say; he was usually pretty easy-going. He'd been in her class back when she'd attended Shiketsu High, and while he'd never been mean to her exactly, he'd always just sort of ignored her as well as the bullying she was being subjected to. She couldn't remember doing anything to get on his bad side so she wasn't sure why he was acting so mad now.

The announcer finished explaining the rules. "What else? Uh, I guess we'll start passing out the targets and balls," he grumbled under his breath. "Then, you'll have a few minutes to get situated after we open."

"Open?" Shoto repeated, and then the building rumbled and the walls folded outward to reveal the bright morning sky. The sun shone down and momentarily blinded them all before the arena came into focus. There were different terrains and buildings all around them in a super-sized version of their training arena back at school. They could all choose an area that would best suit their quirk if they could even get there before being pelted with balls.

Aisla and her classmates stood together, each one with their quirk at the ready. Aisla was shaking with anticipation, but Shoto's hand was steady in hers, helping to calm the anxiety. He gave her hand a reassuring pump before letting it go and stuffing it into his pocket.

"Everyone, don't get too separated!" Midoriya suggested. "Let's move as a group!"

"Yeah right, this isn't a field trip," Katsuki muttered and took off on his own. Aisla tried not to pout. She'd known this was a possibility. It wasn't like he'd offered to stay by her side or something.

Shoto started walking next. "It's hard for me to use my quirk in a big group."

You too, Roki? Aisla scowled after him. She was more hurt about Shoto abandoning her than Katsuki. He was going to get an earful when she saw him next!

"I don't think it's a good idea to go off alone," Midoriya said as the remaining UA students took off in a group. He explained that the other schools would have already figured out what he had and they'd most likely be targeting UA first since the sports festival was aired on live TV. Aisla agreed and was secretly glad she hadn't been a part of that propaganda. She had no desire to go up against her friends in front of the whole country like that. Honestly, the sports festival had no purpose other than to broadcast UA students' quirks throughout Japan for bragging rights. As far as Aisla was concerned, she had nothing to boast about. At least, not yet.

Suddenly, just as Midoriya had predicted, dozens of students from different schools started attacking their group at once. Aisla used her quirk to reflect back as many as she could, but there were so many balls and quirks flying at her she had no hope of stopping them all. She was grateful for the large group, which offered some protection for her blind spots at least. So far she hadn't been hit, but she was in the middle of the group and it was only a matter of time before someone's quirk snuck up on her.

A guy with dark hair she thought was called "Shindo" placed both hands, palms down, against the ground. His expression was about as sadistic as one of Katsuki's, and Aisla was instantly in defense mode.

"Maximum Force…" he began, and the earth started shaking. Before Aisla could even think to mirror the attack, a rock the size of an orange smacked her upside the head and made her lose her footing and her concentration. "Tremoring Earth!" he concluded with gusto.

Aisla cried out as the ground pulsed and then pieces of rock began to lift them off their feet. She couldn't do anything except hold on and wait for impact as she was thrust into the air and thrown across the arena. For a second, she thought she might have caught a glimpse of Shoto, but then the dust blinded her and she coughed against the suffocating cloud. When she felt the rubble start to plummet back toward the ground, she braced herself for impact, knowing it was going to hurt based on her current height and momentum. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth to keep from accidentally biting off her tongue, and hoped by some miracle that she'd fall into a river.

No such luck.

She landed roughly and cried out in pain as her body slammed into the hard earth. Her head throbbed where it smacked against rock, and her vision went dark for a few moments before she was able to scramble to her feet. She turned in a full circle, looking for any of her other classmates but saw none of them. Her eyes went wide at the wreckage.

This is all my fault… she thought guiltily. If she'd just mirrored the attack back she could have prevented all this damage! She hoped none of her classmates were badly hurt because of her. She could hear fighting all around her but she had no way of knowing if they were friend or foe. Still, she was vulnerable out there on her own so she needed to try and find some of her classmates as quickly as possible—before someone else found her first.

She hurried across the uneven terrain and tried not to trip and fall on her face. She listened for any familiar voices but heard only the sounds of battle. If her classmates were close by, it wasn't obvious in the chaos of the game. For now, she was just going to have to move forward on her own.

She couldn't be too slow or all the spots would be filled, but rushing would only cause her to miss another quirk, like the earthquake. She needed to be vigilant and stay aware of her surroundings. She was already at a disadvantage by herself, but if she could pick a few people off one at a time she'd probably be alright. It wasn't probable but it was the only plan she had.

Aisla listened hard as she followed the sounds of a fight. She hoped it wouldn't be more than three people or she'd be out of luck. Even three would be pushing her abilities to the max. She didn't really have much in the way of an "ultimate move" so she had to rely on her quick reflexes more than anything else.

She pressed her back against some of the wrecked earth and peered around the corner. Four students were currently battling it out with one another. Balls were flying out as fast as the quirks were and sometimes it was hard to differentiate one from the other.

Crap, I can't fight that many at once…

She would have to wait until they got each other out and then take on whoever was left. Surely there would only be one or two for her to fight. She could probably manage that. All she had to do was quickly hit their targets from her hiding place and then—

Whack!

Aisla was flat on her stomach before she realized what was happening, face slamming into the earth. She spat out dirt, then turned just in time to see a short girl with dark blue hair and a ball levitating in her hand. Her expression was smug but not malicious. Aisla supposed she should be grateful this person hadn't snuck up on her with the intention of murdering her with that quirk of hers. Some sort of levitation, if Aisla had to guess.

The girl sent the ball flying toward Aisla without even touching it, but she was quick to reflect it back to her. It narrowly missed a target on her shoulder and the girl clenched her teeth in irritation. She hadn't been expecting Aisla to throw the ball right back. Maybe she thought Aisla had a quirk similar to her own.

"I only need to get one more person out, blondie," she said in a threatening tone as she readied another ball.

Aisla scrambled to her feet. "Well, it's not going to be me!" She pulled out one of her own balls and took on a stance worthy of a pro.

The other girl arched an eyebrow, and this time she levitated a boulder twice her size as if it weighed no more than a pebble. Aisla considered the likelihood of reflecting back an attack that size, when something hard hit her in the back of the head. She looked down and saw a ball roll across the ground.

"Tag, you're it," came the nasally voice of a boy who looked to be no more than ten, with a mop of curly blond hair that looked like he dumped a liter of dirt into it. His eyes were yellow with black slits like a snake's and he had long claw-like nails. He swung out, trying to clip the side of her face. She rolled out of the way and got back to her feet just before the giant boulder came down in the spot she'd been laying.

"This one's mine!" the short girl roared.

"Aw, come on, I like 'em easy." He winked and Aisla scowled. She hated being the one people sought out because she was so vulnerable. It was times like these when she really hated her quirk's gene pool. She wished she had gotten something better suited to battle. Even levitation was better than her lame mirror quirk. At least with something like that Aisla could go on the offensive. As it was, she was stuck defending herself against more powerful attacks.

"You're one of those UA brats," said the boy, "but I don't remember seeing your ugly face at the sports festival. Were you too scared to participate or do they not allow losers to fight for their school?" They both cackled like they were suddenly best friends, despite the different school insignias they wore. Aisla kind of wished her best friend was around for backup, but he'd disappeared nearly as fast as Katsuki with the excuse that his quirk was too dangerous to use around other people. Aisla didn't know if she believed that or not and regretted not going after him when she'd had the chance. Or maybe she should have followed Kirishima and Kaminari's lead and went after Katsuki. Either way, if she'd done that she wouldn't be alone right now with a couple of crazy kids.

Still…she wasn't completely helpless on her own. She needed to remember that she was still a hero in training and she represented UA now. She needed to stand tall and proud and show these two weirdos what going Plus Ultra was all about! She couldn't stand around feeling sorry for herself when all of her classmates were out there doing their best, kicking ass and proving themselves to the judges. Aisla would be one of the one-hundred to make it through. She had to be. She had to prove to herself, her newfound friends, and those Shiketsu jerks that she wasn't pathetic, her quirk wasn't useless, and she was meant to be a hero.

She stood up straighter and put her hands behind her back, then took on an air of nonchalance, hoping to set them on edge even a little bit. They exchanged amused glances, then simultaneously activated their quirks. Blue Hair used both hands to levitate a whole car and Snake Boy shot forward with insane speed. Aisla let her quirk do its thing. She felt it power up and then pushed it even further than she ever had before, broadening the strength and width of the mirror. She'd never reflected something of this magnitude before, and wasn't sure if she'd be able to now, but she had to try.

To her astonishment, the car crashed into an invisible wall and bounced back, sending Snake Boy flying in the opposite direction. Blue Hair gritted her teeth and started throwing random debris at her, chucking them wildly one after the other. Aisla's quirk could only reflect so much of it so she had to compensate with some of the moves Midoriya taught her. She was quick-thinking and agile, making dodging fairly easy when her opponent was throwing at sporadic intervals. She seemed to be growing tired, too, which Aisla used to her advantage.

She gripped a ball in each hand behind her back and waited for Blue Hair to use her quirk again. When she did, Aisla would simultaneously throw her balls in the hopes that at least one of them would hit the other girl, then she'd use the brief moment of surprise to toss a couple more and get the girl out. After that, she'd only need one more person and she'd be home free. Maybe she could even find Snake Boy and take him out next. If she kept her distance, she could probably overpower him.

The two girls locked gazes like a scene in an old western film, both tense and ready for the other's attack. Aisla could feel sweat dripping down the back of her neck but she ignored it as the pair continued to face off. Her hands were shaking, only this time it wasn't in fear or anxiety. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she was excited at the prospect of this challenge.

Aisla braced for the attack as Blue Hair's gaze flicked slightly behind her. The other girl brought both hands up in the air once more like a conductor commanding her orchestra. Aisla neither saw nor heard whatever she was planning. She wondered if Blue Hair was simply trying to fake her out, waving her hands in the hopes that Aisla would start looking around. As soon as her eyes left the other girl's, she would strike with a surprise attack.

As much as her eyes begged her to turn around and check her surroundings, she commanded them to stay fixed unblinkingly on her opponent and ignored the burning that made her want to blink. She left herself open for an attack from behind, but right now she had to worry about the threat that stood not three meters away. Her hands continued their strange movements as if she were trying to cast a spell on Aisla. Maybe she was. Quirks were so unique to each person that hers could require her to use special commands as well as gestures.

Aisla channeled Katsuki, and offered up a smirk just to bait the other girl into doing something. She was getting anxious standing around with her back to the others. Any minute now someone was going to sneak up behind her and hit her with a quirk or a ball. If she lost her concentration and blinked, even for a second, the other girl would have the advantage.

Resist the urge, Aisla, she coached herself. Remember the lessons Mr. Aizawa taught you. You have to be strong like him…

Instead of acting, the other girl dropped both hands back to her sides and took on a very believable poker face. Aisla wondered if she'd been right in thinking this girl was trying to trick her, but wasn't sure what her plan was now. Aisla decided she no longer had the luxury of waiting around to see if Blue Hair would even attack her. She feinted right, then jumped to the left and threw her ball toward the other girl. She dodged, as Aisla had anticipated, but her second ball flew out at impressive speed courtesy of her pitching days. It hit one target but she still had one more to go since the girl had already fallen victim to somebody else's attack.

Aisla wound up for another throw and was just about to let it fly when she suddenly realized what the other girl had been gesturing about. Her expression was smug for someone who had two targets lit up already and Aisla could no longer see her hands.

So it was a trick…

It wasn't in the way she'd been expecting, but she had been made a fool after all.

The girl gave a sinister smile and brought a hand forward. With a snap of her fingers, Aisla was suddenly imprisoned in a tornado of dirt and debris. Breathing became difficult and she fell to her knees, clutching her throat in pain as her lungs struggled to pull in air.

She should have realized it sooner. She was so stupid! It was obvious now. Why else would a telekinetic need to make those types of gestures? If she hadn't been so focused on what was right in front of her, she could have reflected the attack back at her! Then she'd have no choice but to let it go, which would have also given Aisla the opportunity to tag her last target.

I have to try! she told herself as she pushed up into a crouch. I'm tired of giving up! She refused to be that cowering girl she was back at Shiketsu High. Her face twisted into a hard scowl. She tried activating her quirk but it was weak and flickered like a light bulb losing its power. She couldn't fully bring it into focus with the whirlwind of dirt pushing inward and suffocating her, but she had no other choice! This was a game that put everyone against one another. No one was coming to her rescue. She had to find a way to save herself.

What would Katsuki do…? she thought. Or Shoto?

She tried to gain some inspiration from her fellow classmates, but she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything. Fear started to creep in as she had the terrifying thought that this girl might actually be out for Aisla's blood. She didn't get that impression at first, but with an attack like this, it was very possible Aisla would suffocate before the reps realized what was happening and put a stop to it.

Her vision started to go black and she felt the ground suddenly disappear from under her feet, leaving her with a feeling of weightlessness. Tears fell from her eyes and her head throbbed from the lack of oxygen. She clutched the sides of her head like that would help keep it from exploding. She was this close to passing out when she suddenly slammed back down onto the ground and the dirt stopped swirling.

She sucked in a gasping breath and coughed wildly. Her vision cleared slowly, revealing a completely new part of the arena. She was on her hands and knees again on some kind of concrete bridge, and there was no trace of the earlier tornado of debris. She almost counted herself lucky—maybe the girl had just decided to leave her alone after all—but something told her that wasn't the case.

Her gaze followed the bridge until they settled on a familiar costume surrounded by quirk fragments she'd seen one too many times. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, her breath came out in short bursts of air, and her whole body seemed to freeze up at once. Her eyes refused the command she was sending them to look up, to confirm what she already knew to be true.

"Aisla Haru." The voice was a sharp order and instantly forced her gaze up to a set of dark eyes and violet hair. His lips were pulled back in a malicious smile. "Where were we?"

A/N: Poor Aisla has been the subject of bullying. I'm sure a lot of us can empathize with her and understand where some of her insecurities stem from. All her life, she's been this weird foreign girl with a quirk that everyone told her wasn't good enough. Kids made fun of her and bullied her for these things, which is why sweet Aisla is so afraid of her own potential. Does anyone have any thoughts on that? Any theories on how this will affect the exams or Aisla's future?

As always, thank you all so much for the support and for continuing to read this story! I hope you're excited about this mini-arc I have for you! It was a lot of fun to write!

Also, for anyone who's interested, we decided to name the kitten "Aubrey!" She's a sweet, lovable girl whose greatest joy in life is to be with her humans and to sleep!

Betas: rubyxblade; yellowchikadee; Guntherson962

Test Audience: yellowchikadee; Ashteriax

The amount of encouragement you give me as well as your helpful comments and suggestions inspire me to continue writing every day!

Reviews:

Zachary Boyd: That's funny that you would suggest that because that was one I was considering using! I also thought about "Airu" which would be a play on Aisla Haru. Ultimately, she was an Aubrey! Thanks for the cute suggestion! It made my day to see your comment! Glad to see you're still reading. Thanks for your continued support!

I'm also on AO3 by the same name!