Chapter Fifty-Three: Plus Ultra!

Aisla slipped inside the room, then waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the new light. It was dark except for a deep red emergency button at the back of the room. It pulsed methodically over a suspiciously unguarded door as if it was inviting her to enter. "It's safe," it seemed to say, "come inside…"

No thanks, she answered silently as she stepped farther into the room, making sure her feet made no sound on the boards as she moved. She knew that whoever was inside would have seen the door open, but so long as she stayed quiet, they wouldn't know where to look for her. Even if they did, she still had a split second of time in which she could force the illusion into their minds and make them see whatever she wanted. If there were multiple people looking at her simultaneously, then her quirk wouldn't be able to keep up with what they were all seeing. She wasn't skilled enough for that just yet, so she just had to hope that wouldn't happen.

For now, she focused on masking her presence and painting a new picture around herself. She concentrated on forming shapes in her place: a desk, a chair, a lamp. All items already lurking in the shadows of this room. She had to use something as a distraction for her own body. She had to trick their minds into thinking they were seeing ordinary things you'd find in an office building, and not a girl sneaking about.

She inched her way forward, knowing her team was counting on her to finish before time ran out. She had to do this; she had to be useful for once. She knew her quirk wasn't as powerful as Shoto's or Bakugo's, and she had a lot of training to do if she ever hoped to be as skilled as her favorite hero, but that wouldn't stop her from giving this test her all and willing herself to go plus ultra!

The door flung inward, slamming against the wall in front of her with a crashing thud that had Aisla jumping in surprise. Fortunately, she'd kept a firm grip on her illusion for this very reason. The intruder shouldn't see where she was. As long as Aisla herself didn't make any noise, the image would show only what she allowed it to.

The bright overhead lights flicked on as the terrifying beast of a man stepped into the room and stomped across the floor. His thunderous footsteps caused a fierce reverberation through Aisla's whole body with each step, putting cracks in her armor that would undoubtedly cause her façade to flicker. If she didn't get a grip, she was sure to lose.

Her eyes were starting to sting, too. It had been a while since she'd last blinked, and she wasn't nearly as skilled as her teacher when it came to holding them open for long periods of time. Even after the incident at the USJ that supposedly injured his eyes, he was still far more talented than she was. She was going to have to blink any minute now, and when that happened, the image would be shattered.

Just hold on a little while longer! she coached herself as she held steady, following the man's progress across the room and praying her false reflection didn't fade. She could try and get the jump on this man like she'd been planning to do with the first villain. Then, she could give her eyes a rest. The trouble with that plan, however, was that Aisla had no way of knowing who else was nearby, waiting to attack. Even if she managed to take this huge beast down, there was still the probability of more men lying in wait. If she gave away her only move, her whole team was going to pay.

Think, Aisla, think!

There had to be something better than taking a huge gamble like that. She had no actions she could reverse, and her two companions had quirks that were much too conspicuous for this type of mission, so Aisla was running out of ideas. Maybe she could simply make him go back into the room he'd started in and lock him inside? That wouldn't be very useful, though… That was most likely where the hostage was being kept. There was nowhere else for them to go, so it was either get into that room, or flee and fail.

I will not let my team down! she thought fiercely.

Finally, she decided to take the chance. She leapt out when his back was turned and wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs secured around his thick chest. He struggled against her, letting out a roar of rage that was cut off by Aisla's grip on his windpipe. By some miracle, she somehow managed to choke him into unconsciousness. She had only a moment to feel proud of herself before the huge man started falling backward.

Oh no!

She tried to let go, but it was too late. The man landed on top of her, crushing her beneath his impressive weight. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and a piercing pain shot through her back. For a split second, she thought she must have broken it, but fortunately she could still move, if only painfully so.

Aisla struggled to push the man off of her, but he was too heavy to move, and the two boys were still hiding, waiting for her signal to come inside. She thought about telling them to get in there and help her, but she still wasn't sure if anyone else was lurking about. It was better if they only found Aisla—her two teammates would still have an opportunity to finish the test.

Finally, she managed to push the body off of her, wincing as pain seized her momentarily and blackness blinded her. Her ankle was bent at an odd angle, making the pain even more intense than it already was. At this rate, her simple sprain was going to end up as shattered bones. Recovery Girl wasn't going to be happy about that one.

She let out a soft whimper when her back twisted and her eyes filled with tears. She wasn't going to be able to concentrate on her illusions now, not with all of her injuries. She was going to have to focus more on—

Suddenly, she was being lifted into the air. She let out a yelp of surprise that morphed into a scream of terror. The demon-looking guy from before held her up by her waist at eye level, its face even more terrifying than she'd imagined. Now that the harsh light shone down on its features, Aisla could see it in horrific detail. Snarling yellow fangs dripping with saliva, piercing red eyes glowing with hatred and the promise of death, and sharp talons digging into her sides.

It's just a test! It's just a test! she tried to remind herself as the thing bared its teeth at her. This wasn't real. This was just another person with a weird quirk. She had nothing to be afraid of!

And yet… She couldn't help but shriek in fear as he brought his face closer to hers.

"AISLA!" The familiar voice drifted over to her. A flash of orange and yellow filled the room as an explosion erupted in the air, aimed toward her captor.

A menacing laugh filled the air as the creature squeezed her and lifted her higher into the air. "That won't work on me, novice," he growled. "My body absorbs all attacks from behind!"

Aisla cried out when his claws pinched harder, piercing her costume and scratching the surface of skin."Bakugo!" She yelled in pain as nails drew blood in her sides. She wouldn't last much longer with the amount of pain she was in. If she didn't do something fast, she'd probably pass out. But she couldn't use her quirk like this! She was completely helpless against this monster. If her friends attacks didn't work on him either, then…

No… she thought weakly, it can't be that simple… We can't lose like this!

"KATSUKI!" she screamed, getting the boy's attention at once. The two locked gazes, and she willed him to read her mind like she sometimes swore he could.

Come on, Katsuki… she thought, hoping he'd read the message through her eyes. Trust me. Please.

He nodded, then placed one palm up with the other forming a circle over the first. His eyes blazed furiously as he shot out the attack right at Aisla's face.

Her eyes widened briefly, then a satisfied smirk settled on her lips when the demon mirrored her shocked expression. In a flash, Katsuki's blast shot out from her eyes and hit the demon squarely in the face. He flew backward, dropping Aisla onto her back again in the process, then hit the wall with a crunch.

Katsuki and Shoto were by her side in an instant, helping her stand.

"This isn't over yet," Aisla groaned, then winced as pain tore through her sides. "Ow…"

"Those are serious wounds," Shoto said worriedly. "We need to finish this and get you to Recovery Girl immediately."

"Let's blast this mother—"

Katsuki's words were cut off as a shrill piercing sound filled the air, like nails on a chalkboard amplified by Present Mic's quirk. They all covered their ears with their hands as blood trickled down the sides of their faces.

"Make it stop!" Aisla screamed over the horrible sound. She dropped to her knees and buried her face between them, but it was no use. The sound was deafening and ceaseless, clawing its way into her brain and turning it into mush. She wouldn't be able to handle much more of this before her brain took real damage.

"We have to get to that room!" Shoto yelled, forcing his way onto his feet as the loud wail continued to push them back. He activated his ice and threw up a wall between them and the sound. The shrieking was muffled by ice, but it slammed against it repeatedly, making cracks that Shoto had to keep filling in. "New plan, guys!"

"Blast these bastards to hell!" the blond insisted, already gearing up for another AP Shot. "Let me at 'em, Icy Hot! This isn't a stealth mission anymore, it's a villain fight!"

"Wait!" Aisla held up a hand, ignoring the impatient scowl she got in return. "Let me try one more thing."

"You're too injured to do anything!"

"I can do this, Katsuki," she whispered, eyes pleading. "Trust me."

His red eyes widened slightly as he held her gaze. Finally, he nodded. "Win this shit for us, Aisla."

She gave him a weak smile, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once more. "Don't look at me, okay?" she instructed. "Close your eyes."

She activated her quirk, then took up a defensive stance in the center of the room. "Drop the wall, Shoto!"

When the wall disappeared, Aisla had a split second to locate the source of the sound and throw up a wall of her own. She sketched out a mental image of Shoto's ice revealing nothing but limp bodies on the floor. She could only use what she had in the room, limited by the unconscious body of the first attacker. Still, it was enough to conjure up a wavering reflection, a trick of the light and clever refraction that should make their opponent believe they were looking through the haze of ice at immobilized heroes. She'd never been successful in shielding someone other than herself, and she'd never tried to trick a mind in this way, but she was full of adrenaline and was determined to help her friends win.

After a few moments, the piercing sound stopped altogether and a form stepped out. A small imp of a girl walked forward with slow, careful steps, yellow eyes flicking back and forth over the illusion that Aisla had created. She looked like a child, so small and frail, yet her quirk was powerful and had almost been their undoing. If Aisla's plan hadn't paid off, then she would have seriously put their lives at risk. As it was, Aisla knew she was keeping a very loose hold on the scene before her. It wasn't one of her strongest illusions, but if she could keep it up for another moment…

"Now!" she yelled, and within a second the girl was encased in Shoto's ice, leaving just her face exposed.

Aisla ran for it, pushing her injured ankle to move as she raced for the door.

"Aisla, GO!" someone shouted behind her, but she couldn't say who with the blood pumping loudly in her ears. If she could just make it to the door…

A figure stepped out in front of her, blocking her path. How many staged villains did that make now? Four, not counting Aizawa in the sewers? That had to count for something, right? Even if they failed the stealth portion of this exam, they had to be racking up points in villain takedowns!

She thought this just as Vlad King gave her a malicious smirk worthy of any villain, then hit her with a punch that sent her flying backward. Her feet skidded painfully on the ground as she tried to regain her footing, then she leapt out and focused her attention on the man before her. If she knew his quirk well enough, he'd go for an attack that would envelop her in his own blood, rendering her useless. Aisla wouldn't let that happen, though. Instead of letting him get the drop on her, she activated her quirk and sent the blood flying back in his direction the moment he tried to attack.

Without waiting to see if she'd been successful in her defense, Aisla raced past him and into the next room. She kicked the door shut with her uninjured foot, then hastily ran around boxes and walls and other obstacles until finally, she came to another door. She burst inside without pause and found a boy sitting with his back to her, bound and gagged. Aisla ran over to him and spun the chair around, shocked to find Hitoshi sitting there with an expression that very clearly read: "What took you so long?"

Aisla cried out and fell onto his lap, weeping into his chest as he groaned unintelligibly behind the gag. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered. He jerked his legs, bringing attention to her intruding presence. She pulled back in embarrassment. "Sorry!"

She hastily began untying him from the chair, then took his hand in hers and held it up proudly. "I have the hostage!"

"Gee, I sure thought I was going to die in here," he deadpanned, playing up the victim role with an over the top expression and exaggerated stumble back into the chair.

Aisla rolled her eyes and started for the door, now that the exercise was over. Suddenly, however, as if her body knew that the threats had all passed, every last bit of adrenaline coursing through her veins evaporated in an instant. It was like running into a wall. The exhaustion brought her to a halt, but it was the pain that made her lose her balance. Her ankle, which had been ignored for far too long, seemed to scream with agony, protesting even the slightest pressure as it sent her tripping and soaring toward the ground. She had half a second to let out a squeal of fear before Mr. Aizawa's scarf wrapped around her, stopping her fall an inch before her face connected with the concrete.

"Thanks," she gasped out as she was lifted back onto her feet—well, she could only put weight on one foot—and the scarf unwound from around her. She hopped awkwardly and nearly fell again, but Hitoshi's arm went around her and helped prop her up.

"Stop being so stubborn, Miss Haru," Mr. Aizawa chastised from the doorway. He was looking down at her with an unreadable expression, but she was pretty sure she detected a sliver of pride in his dark eyes. "It's time for you to go see Recovery Girl. Shinso—"

"I've got her!" Two voices shouted in unison as her teammates pushed past their teacher and bolted over to Aisla.

"I'll take her!" Katsuki barked, grabbing one of Aisla's arms and pulling her out of Shinso's hold.

"I'll do it this time," Shoto insisted. "It's my fault she's in so much pain, I should be the one to carry—"

Aisla was suddenly yanked forward once more, causing the pain in her back to make her cry out before her body rested in her teacher's arms. He turned around and started walking through the door.

"Shinso, let's go," he called behind him in a flat tone.

"I can walk, sir!" she insisted, feeling suddenly flustered at the thought of being in her favorite hero's arms. This is so awkward, she thought as his heart pulsed against her arm.

"Shut up," he hissed. "You're injured, and you've been walking around on that ankle for hours now. You can't walk, Miss Haru."

"Why do I have to come along?" Hitoshi complained from behind them.

"Leave, then, you purple-haired cabbage patch kid! I'll walk with Aisla!" Katsuki's voice snapped.

Mr. Aizawa turned around, quirk activated, and glared at the boys who trailed behind him. "All of you can leave."

Aisla yelped at the static that tingled her skin almost painfully, which caused her teacher to drop his quirk.

"Sorry," he muttered, then unceremoniously deposited her into Hitoshi's arms, much as he had during their training session a couple of months ago. "Take this. I'm leaving."

"What the hell?!" Katsuki hollered, then clamped his mouth shut when Mr. Aizawa glared at him once more.

"Shinso, go. Bakugo, Todoroki…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Just get out of my sight. Maybe spend some time reflecting on how you relied almost entirely on one teammate for half of this exam, simply because neither of you are capable of understanding the word 'stealth.'"

"Sir, are we allowed to know if we passed the exam?" Shoto asked as Hitoshi led Aisla away.

"You'll get your final scores at the end of the week," he answered, as Hitoshi turned a corner, and the rest of the conversation faded.

"I really can walk," she murmured. The guilt that Hitoshi was forced to carry her all the way to Recovery Girl's office again was going to eat her alive.

She felt the chuckle rumble inside his chest. "Aisla, you weigh about as much as my house cat. Don't worry about me; I can carry a little kitten to safety. Trust me, I'm no stranger to that."

"What does that even mean?" she asked tiredly.

"It means, Aisla, that I was instructed to carry you by our infamous mentor, so that's what I intend to do."

"Because you're scared of him?" she teased.

He shot her a grin. "Of course. Have you seen his eyes?"

She giggled and settled in for the walk. It wasn't far, but she still felt bad for him. She'd have to think of a way to repay him later on. For now, she allowed him to carry her as she replayed the night's events in her mind. She wondered if they'd done enough to pass, or if she had let her teammates down after all.

"You did well, you know," Hitoshi suddenly murmured as if in response to her unspoken thoughts. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure you passed."

Aisla smiled. "Thank you, Hitoshi. You're a good friend."

"Friend," he repeated with an eye roll. "I guess there are worse things to be called." He seemed to consider this, actually consider this for a moment without his usual sarcasm. "From what I saw of your battle tonight, I can think of at least two guys who are probably pretty happy to be called your friends. It's thanks to you that they're gonna pass this test, you know."

"It was a joint effort," she argued. Still, his words echoed in her mind. Not the part about her being responsible for the win, the other part…about Shoto and Bakugo…Katsuki…being her friends. Of course, for Shoto the word fit perfectly, but for a certain explosive blond…

Friends.

"But…" she finally said with a soft sigh, "I'm glad to have them, too."

A/N: The chapter is named this because Aisla is totally plus ultra in this arc, and I couldn't think of anything else. So, pretend you love it! XD We're all done with this mini arc, but next week's chapter is one of my favorites so I hope you'll come back to read it! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Reviews:

Guest: Thank you so much! It is also on AO3, if you prefer to read over there. It's under the same name as this site!

Beta: yellowchikadee