- Day 2.5 -
Midoriya Izuko couldn't really say much more after that strangled conversation Kacchan tried to have with him about All for One at Kamino. He decided to just give his temperamental classmate his space for the rest of the day. What more could he do about that, besides just waiting until he was ready? Kacchan rarely ever just talked to him about his problems. His stubborn pride just didn't allow that.
But, Kacchan can. When he can't hold it back anymore. When the fists he threw weren't going to be enough. Izuku couldn't forget Kacchan's desperate, shaky voice asking 'why' over and over again, expressing just how much he wrestled with his own faults. Fighting with reality and his failed dream to 'Be the Best Hero Ever!' at UA. Their whole fight earlier had been initiated from Kacchan's jealousy about Izuku getting All Might's quirk. Yet, it also wasn't. He stood guilty as well.
Guilt had been tearing apart his explosive friend, from being kidnapped and causing All Might's retirement. Not passing the provisional license exam was just the last straw.
Since they were kids, Izuku did know that Kacchan had his moments where he became super upset over things that didn't go his way. That was just how Kacchan was, so he learned to not take all of the blonde's outbursts so personally… at first. What went on in his classmate's head since middle school was not as acceptable, he'll admit. It was like Kacchan's own admiration for his quirk became an unhealthy obsession.
In fact, it was like he had been living in his own fantasy world. A perfect hero world that All Might set forth, apart from the vile, dark villainy of what heroes fought against. Kacchan wasn't alone though… Izuku admired the same hero, just a whole lot more.
The look of helpless horror on Kacchan's face when they brought up All for One earlier that day reminded Izuku of their uncertain reality. The others with him at Kamino may not have noticed so much, but Izuku recognized it. The explosive blonde was fatigued, and afraid that he couldn't hold his own against that super villain by himself. Izuku felt the same way. Neither one of them were ready yet to face that caliber- they all still had so much to learn. What was more unsettling was that they were possibly spared for something much worse to come later.
In the fleeting moment earlier that day, both teens made that chilling connection together and that had left them feeling shook. What more could be said, other than choking down that disturbing feeling of uncertainty and fear of the League of Villian's next attack.
Once dinner cleanup was over, the two were released to go back to their rooms… and sit. And dwell on that again.
Izuku sighed and sat at his desk. Doing 'nothing' was the least he wanted to do, because the inactivity also made him grow stiff and feel even more sore. Oddly enough, the muscle soreness bothered him more than the ever-present but subtle arthritis-like aches in his finger joints and arms. Being grounded also meant not leaving the dorms to go for a run or something. Nor wad there any new homework, and he already finished his letter of apology for Professor Aizawa.
And so, Izuku resumed wondering about how to help Kacchan again. He thought about an earlier conversation they had on how he could win his next 'sparring match' against the feisty blonde. A person's strengths could also be found in their weaknesses. So… was Kacchan's weakness his inability to acknowledge his weakness? That he just hated to feel weak?
It suddenly became so obvious, the idea made Izuku feel dumbfounded. Rather than accepting that fact and finding a solution, Kacchan just remained stubborn to change. Of course, that was how he was. Kacchan despised things that did not go his way… or if they overwhelmed him and made him feel suffocated. Trapped. It was like that time with the slime villain, which didn't help with that at all. Izuku knew that much, and without thinking twice. That's why he moved without hesitation to save his childhood friend before the heroes came.
But... what's it gotta take for Kacchan to realize that, and make the first move to change on his own? He knew Kacchan processed things differently from other people, but the blonde never let that stop him before. Izuku had his own dilemma with his inherited, super powered quirk, and the best advice All Might could give him was to get familiar with his abilities, his strengths, and weaknesses. Testing those limits was the worst, due to the level of injury he had to endure before he figured it out. The irony weighed heavily on him, urging him to figure this out for Kacchan. He moved his phone sitting on top, to get to his stack of notebooks to start writing.
His phone had buzzed once from the motion, alerting him that someone had tried to call or text him earlier. That was not surprising, since he had left his phone in his room all day. There was a missed call from Kacchan in the morning, most likely about being late, and a voice message from his mom. She was still worried, something that couldn't be helped, but this time she was passing on an apology from Kacchan's mom. His feelings were mixed, again. Part of it was his fault, for spilling the secret of All Might's quirk to Kacchan anyway. So of course his competitive classmate would not let something like that slip by and anger his ego.
His guilt was deferred by the other notifications from his Line app. Todoroki and Uraraka had messaged him too, just to see how he was. Iida though, not a word from him since that morning. Izuku felt a little upset by his order to the others to leave him and Kacchan alone, or at the least not talk about their classes around them. Sure, the role of class president comes with its responsibilities to do what's right, but after what they've been through in the past… he thought Iida could be a little forgiving under certain conditions.
Todoroki, on the other hand, sometimes did things that surprised Izuku, like now. Instead of checking on his well-being this time, Todoroki instead asked about how Kacchan was. Then there was the fact that Todoroki was texting him about it, rather than just asking Kacchan personally. Maybe he wanted Izuku to know he was worried about his 'partner in crime'?
Deku!Smash: Hi! Sorry about not responding sooner. We're not allowed to have our phones during the day.
Deku!Smash: Kacchan is "fine"... which means he doesn't want to talk about it.
He left his curiosity unanswered of why Todoroki was asking about Kacchan anyway, just to keep additional questions at bay. The other day, he had to stretch the truth once again when Todoroki asked him about why he got into (another) fight with the angry blonde. He turned it into a conversation about how jealous Kacchan was that he didn't get his hero license, and Izuku did.
Then Izuku used that as a leverage point to inquire about what happened to Todoroki during the exam. Izuku was not proud of needling him like that, but it did come as a surprise that one of class 1A's top students didn't pass. Todoroki became his lineagemore sullen, admitting that he got angry about what the Shiketsu student said about .
Izuku became more sympathetic again because it made sense… Todoroki hadn't been that shaken since the Sports Festival, when Endeavor said something to piss him off before his match with Sero.
As Izuku mulled over his thoughts, his friend's message was returned. He pushed aside his notebook to read it.
Shouto: (an animated icon of the white and black kitty Line character that said 'OK!')
Shouto: He started crying out obscenities last night, and I couldn't go back to sleep.
Deku!Smash: Oh, I'm sorry to hear.
Shouto: Does he normally have trouble sleeping?
Well yes, Kacchan looked more tired and irritable lately for reasons that were more complicated than usual, and he suspected if the kidnapping incident had something to do with that. Izuku wondered if his explosive friend was getting help, as in talking with someone professional. Since Kacchan didn't talk about it, it was hard to know. Izuku's gut feeling was telling him that he wasn't.
For want of something relevant to explain the fight he had with Kacchan, Midoriya reasoned that the explosive teen was also troubled about their covert rescue mission at Kamino. That Kacchan felt their unexpected presence was what distracted All Might from being victorious. Fortunately, Midoriya had the mind to check with Kacchan earlier that day to make sure they were telling the same made-up story. Kacchan was somehow pleasantly surprised, as he had said something similar. Yet, at the same time he became very threatening and clear that Izuku should not say anything about his gross breakdown in front of All Might.
Deep down, however, it still bothered the curly top that he had to keep One for All a secret from Todoroki. His classmate had been so openly sincere to Izuku already with his personal conflicts, many of which were secret and had never been imagined from such a prestigious family.
At that, All Might's predecessor seriously considered asking the former Number One if he could tell Todoroki the next time they met. All Mig- correction, Professor Yagi hadn't been too overly upset about Kacchan finding out.
But, Todoroki's current question on his phone's screen still glared at him, and Izuku bit his lip. It was very likely if Todoroki was asking him these questions now, then he hadn't talked to Kacchan directly yet.
Izuku sighed, scratching his head. Kacchan was so many things. Socializing was not his strong-suit, and he even had a hard time getting along with his mom.
Deku!Smash: Not really? But… I think all the unfortunate events happening lately are finally getting to him?
Shouto: Maybe I could talk to him, later?
Deku!Smash: You could?
Midoriya didn't want to sound too doubtful about that idea, but... he was. From his knowledge, those two didn't exactly hit it off very well in the beginning and even though it seemed like they were on better terms now, Midoriya just couldn't see that happening.
Shouto: I could. We'll be in the same remedial training together until the end of the semester.
Deku!Smash: Oh, right.
Deku!Smash: Good luck with that then!
He really didn't know what else to say to that. Or maybe, in his wish to be the one who knew the most about Kacchan, the broccoli-top felt that pang of jealousy again that there were people who somehow got along better with his complicated friend. The first time he acknowledged this was when he saw how well Kirishima got along with Kacchan after the USJ break-in. All that Deku amounted to was a mere 'challenge' that Kacchan had to surpass. After the Kamino ward operation, he was more accepting. The amount of information he dumped on the hardening hero was also mildly confidential, persay- if Kacchan knew, Izuku would be so dead!
On the other hand, maybe this suggestion was Todoroki's way of wanting to do a favor for him, by trying to resolve the strained relationship between him and Kacchan. His half and half friend did become more concerned after learning about the new fight Izuku got into with their explosive classmate.
Their conversation wasn't over though.
Shouto: How are you?
Deku!Smash: Okay, I guess. Sore, but okay.
Izuku was also bored, and literally thought about reading ahead on some of the chapters in his text books just to be proactive. A great idea for as long as they followed the chapters in consecutive order.
However, his friend seemed to sense that he wasn't busy as well. What followed next left Izuku coughing when he took a drink from his water bottle.
Shouto: Would you need a massage?
It took him a moment longer to find the right words to respond to that unexpected question, due to the can of worms it opened up. Yes, that would be nice… but from who… or even, where?
...Todoroki actually knew how?
Deku!Smash: Yeah, that would [deleted]
Deku!Smash: I probably do since [deleted]
Deku!Smash: I'll be okay. The hot bath helps too.
The curly top winced, not liking his final answer either. The real reason was that he didn't want to get in trouble for leaving his room, or for Todoroki coming down to his. Hopefully his friend would understand. The whole idea of what this massage entailed also left him a little anxious about what to expect, exactly.
Shouto: (he posted the white and black kitty that said OK! again)
Izuku leaned back in his chair, rubbing his brow. Well, maybe he could turn around the awkwardness of this topic by learning more about it. In retrospect, when they were discussing their results from the Provisional Exam, Todoroki decided he was more suited for rescue missions. The satisfaction he felt from helping people was far greater than just being an offensive-type hero with a powerful quirk.
Deku!Smash: So… you know how to massage?
Shouto: I do, a little.
Shouto: My father had me go to a clinic that specializes in alternative medicine for Chakra and quirk performance when I was younger.
Shouto: After I stopped using my fire, he actually thought something or someone had blocked it.
Shouto: Because my father's flames aren't as easy to control, especially when emotions are involved. My older brother had an even harder time controlling them.
Deku!Smash: Really?
These revelations about the Todoroki family quirks certainly piqued his interest. Well, Izuku knew about his older sister. She came to visit earlier to help with the move to the dorms. Only he and Iida knew that his mom was in the hospital, when Iida wondered where he went on Sundays. But Todoroki had another sibling with a fire quirk?
He told Todoroki once his real dad had a quirk that let him breathe fire. But that had been all in speculation because he hardly remembered him. His father had been away since Izuku was very young. He suspects now that he had separated from his mom, or had died in action… something like that which she was hiding.
His phone tinged, bringing him back to their current conversation about Todoroki's 'hidden talent'.
Shouto: The specialist finally got me to confess what I was doing. There was nothing wrong with me... I just didn't want to use my fire. Father wasn't happy after that.
Shouto: But the massage and acupuncture techniques were interesting to learn about.
Deku!Smash: It sounds like it must have taken a lot for you to keep your fire side under control, is that right?
Izuku couldn't help it, his curiosity for other quirks. Most of it was in his passion to analyze, but also another part of him felt that in understanding other quirks, that he could better manage his.
Shouto: Yes, it was at first. But when I learned that emotion makes the fire stronger when I'm careless, I figured out how to turn my angry feelings against it… the hardest part was regulating my ice side so that it was more powerful.
As Izuko was thinking of something to say, something a little more profound than 'Interesting', Todoroki asked yet another question. Just the way Todoroki's thought processes worked made Izuku wonder how much he really knew and didn't let on. Being the son of Endeavor, his ability to deduct and strategize was amazing. Yet, when it came to social interactions and slang, Todoroki still had a lot to figure out.
Shouto: So is your quirk the same way? Does emotion also fuel it?
Deku!Smash: Ah, I guess. It could be. Though… quirk factor or not, letting emotions take over and cloud one's judgement is never good.
Izuku suddenly realized what he said and hoped Todoroki didn't take offense to that. The curly top was actually thinking of his own emotional control.
Shouto: You don't know?
Well, that was how he responded. Izuku winced. This was headed into that dangerous territory about his quirk again, and Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. He had to steer this conversation away from himself.
Todoroki had made a good analysis though… Izuku should know by now. The adrenaline rush he experienced the other night when Bakugo kept taunting him to fight was thrilling. To try going past his comfort level again… and to do it without severely injuring himself? Impressive! His regret was that it wasn't enough yet to 'win', but when it really mattered, when his heart was fully invested… he could do it.
Deku!Smash: Yes. Well... it's just that since my quirk came in so late, I'm still figuring it out.
But then… a suitable idea came to mind to change the topic effectively.
Deku!Smash: So um… I still plan to go down to the baths later, if the offer for the massage is still on.
Shouto: OK. What time should I meet you?
Deku!Smash: Is 8pm okay?
Shouto: It's OK
Deku!Smash: Great! See you!
Izuku set his phone down, almost tempted to put it far, far away from him to better ignore any other alerts, even if it was from Uraraka or his other classmates. Because if that conversation was all together way too much for him to deal with… what would their other conversations be like?
And what did he just agree to?
Izuku only suggested meeting in the big communal bath room on the first floor so that he wouldn't get in trouble having someone over. But now… it sounded kind of suggestive. The whole thing did!
The broccoli-top groaned while rubbing his reddening face, then stared at the notebooks on his desk a moment longer.
He can do this. It will just be a massage… right? But.. with his shirt on or off?
...why did he even think of that?
Because if he really wanted to ask the questions, then how much does his fire and ice friend use his quirk when massaging? Is he truly like Bakugo's nickname in reference to the muscle balm, IcyHot, with a cold hand and a warm hand?
Izuku's embarrassment was replaced with the unfortunate reality that there was no way he was going to get through this whole experience with a straight face. Urgh.
ooooooooooooo
Bakugo threw his hand off of his stupid classmate's hoodie with a sparking explosion once the door slammed behind them. He was beyond words again, scowling as he struggled to think of something appropriate to say besides just swearing.
"Bakugo, hey-" his classmate made the dumb move to speak first.
"Stop! Fucking stop! Just… Stop. Don't-" he just gestured toward the door. His brain still felt like it was full of irritating smog as he struggled to grab at words to describe this feeling. Like about his disbelief over the situation, or his anger at how no one took this shit seriously.
The last thing Katsuki wanted to be was a fake hero. But if his chances to even become a hero were cancelled, none of that mattered!
Katsuki was too tired for this shit.
Shitty Hair kept his mouth clamped shut, but he was still giving him that super worried look. He also gave him more space, without any of that touchy-feely, distracting bullcrap.
"Don't you get it?" the blonde's voice was still scolding and loud. "I fucking screw up, and I'm OUT. Expelled! No more hero! No. More-"
He caught himself, realizing how much the words from his mom's scorn continued to eat at him. The blonde sharply inhaled through his teeth and pointed his finger at his bewildered classmate instead. "You too. Do you want to lose your fucking hero license? To a dumb fucking reason.. like THIS?!"
His dense friend grimaced, even looked like he was going to say something, but he finally just shook his head no.
All this was too much. He gripped his pounding, achy head as he turned away to walk in a circle. Why did he feel so threatened and on edge again? God damn… what does that empty room next to him have anything to do with their safety? Even though no one was staying in it, he suddenly felt territorial- no, protective of it. "The fucking security here is tight, okay! Why else are we all here now instead of at home?"
That, sadly enough, was the selling point that convinced his parents to agree with UA's dorm system.
ooooooooooooo
Denki Kaminari still felt driven to break into that empty room, because now was the only time. Ever since he learned that Professor Aizawa had left the dorm building for some function with the other teachers, the timing couldn't be more perfect.
Jirou, however, no longer wanted to help after seeing how pissed Bakugo was. Mina coerced her to stay just so they could find out what had made Bakugo upset… more so than usual.
After the electric blonde had succeeded in shorting out the electric lock on the door, the three of them entered the room. He was first to kneel on the dusty, plastic-covered mattress with his ear pressed against the cold cinderblock wall. He soon gave up after Jirou joined him to get a better clue about the conversation on the other side.
Denki sat back to intently watch Jirou's changing expression after she had plugged her ear jacks into the mortar between the cinder blocks that made up the room's wall. Bakugo was loud, but the words weren't clear enough due to the thick wall. Kirishima wasn't that much more audible. At least they were attempting to use words, instead of fists.
Also just as important, Denki was trying to decide if Jirou's dark irises had a hint of purple in them. When she suddenly looked right his way, he smiled sheepishly. Yep, he got caught staring, again, and her definitely purple eyes narrowed at him fiercely.
But the electric blonde was spared from 'jack jolt' when Mina hopped on the bed between them. She could no longer take the suspense anymore. "What's going on?" she asked inquisitively.
Then a loud rattling noise came from the balcony's glass window, startling all of them visibly. "Oh my god, Sero!" Mina exclaimed for him as she leapt off the bed to slide open the balcony door. "You're still out here?"
"What happened?" Sero countered with his own question.
Kaminari held a finger up to his lips, to remind the two to stay quiet. "The plan's been called off for sure now… Bakubro is not going along with it," he explained quietly.
"That's not news," Sero shook his head.
Kaminari shrugged.
"We should go… Bakugo's really not okay about this," Jirou said, her tone clearly more solemn. She crawled off the bed and dusted herself off.
"Yeah, but what is his problem?" Mina still wanted more information beyond their classmate just not being in the mood.
"He's worried about getting expelled, and us too," Jirou was quite serious. "Let's go before we're caught."
Mina just huffed, "Professor Aizawa always says that… but he hasn't expelled anyone yet."
"But he has! I heard from some senpai he wasn't just messing around," Sero was more solemn. He followed Jirou out into the hall.
Kaminari sighed, following suit. He was so close to something now though. "Don't we need to bail out Kirishima?"
"He's fine," Mina snorted, but her expression soured after the door didn't lock. The handle turned and opened easily when she tested it. "Hey, it's not locking."
Well, shit. Kaminari furrowed his brow, realizing he must've put a little too much 'juice' into the lock's electronics and fried it. "Oops..."
"Oops?" On cue, Jirou echoed him, also mirroring the same disappointed look on Mina's face.
"I broke it?" the blonde replied meekly.
"Do you know if that had tripped an alarm?"
"It.. didn't?" Kaminari tapped the Bluetooth device still in his ear. Being able to tap into electronic transmissions around him was his other quirk skill. But, losing the rock n roll girl's trust became his biggest regret.
"Fantabulous!" Sero clapped his hands, to diffuse the mounting discord. "How about we just go downstairs to figure this out? Before Iida starts wondering what Bakugo is yelling about this time?"
Kaminari sighed, again. The fact Iida's room was right below Bakugo's didn't help. He didn't like the idea of falling to old ways and turning tail like a coward, but… how else could he simply explain all this now?
ooooooooooooo
"Bakugo... look," Kirishima cut off the distraught blonde to explain. "I really didn't want to get you- us -involved in anything else. I told Kaminari to let it go for today-"
"Today? Just 'today?" Bakugo implied that it didn't translate into 'no, don't do it'. "You should have told him to NOT do it. Not. Do. It!"
"Okay, okay… somehow he still went ahead with it-"
Then he heard the barely audible voices that sounded like the others leaving the vacant room, and the redhead winced.
Bakugo faced him again, giving him a brief but tired, disappointed look before redirecting it back to the floor. His friend's actions always spoke louder than words, and that tugged at Kirishima's guilt again. The redhead messed up somehow, and he especially didn't like knowing that he added to Bakugo's ire.
Kirishima sighed. "I'll… make sure they don't come back, to give it up," he took a step back. He stopped though, wanting to say more than that. Bakugo wasn't hiding the things he usually masked about himself, he was too tired for that. His restless actions with his hands, the uneasy pacing and lack of eye contact, and repetitive wording... Midoriya confided with him earlier that the spikey blonde was autistic.
Bakugo groaned in response, "Just fucking go already! Go! Just go-"
He didn't want to, not just yet. The redhead stepped closer and spoke quietly, not like his usual volume. "Bakugo, look… I realize you're going through a lot of crap lately. But it's not because you are a bad person. You are not, Bakugo … you got a good heart. You got potential ...and that's what I like about you," Kirishima finally saw Bakugo's red irises look up to his own to make contact. His heart was pounding now, hoping those words got through to him. It practically sounded like a confession, but he didn't care. He just wanted to say something that broke through. He wished Bakugo could just talk with him more about what's bothering him so much, but-
His friend scrunched up his face upon hearing this. It seemed like he accepted that truth, but he shook his head, turning to look out the dark balcony window. The sun had set a long time ago. He just gripped his hair then rubbed his face, before managing to say something. "Just... just f'king go…m' tired."
"I'm sorry, really..." the redhead sighed, still feeling a little lost. "Just get some sleep."
ooooooooooooo
Since it was only the four of them in the common room now, they turned off many of the lights to set the 'movie theater mood'. That was their impromptu plan for why they were there, to appear as though they were having a movie night. A few minutes later, Kirishima had joined them since Kaminari texted him of their whereabouts. He looked much more solemn than he had before his verbal lashing from Bakugo. He and Mina let him be after he had confirmed what they heard.
"I'm still not sure how to explain the fried door lock..." Kaminari sighed, for the hundredth time. He was sitting on the floor, leaning back on the couch. The movie was a little bit creepy, so ignoring it to discuss his new problem sounded like a better idea.
"Just tell Professor Aizawa the truth." Kirishima was sitting cross-legged on the couch, right above him. Obviously, the redhead had become rather familiar with the electric blonde's delinquent tendencies. One of these days, Denki promised he'd seriously buckle down and stop taking so many short-cuts.
Not now though. The blonde shook his head in resistance, "But it's so farfetch'd, he may not even believe that!"
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Kirishima sounded more determined to not let him get away with it this time. He nodded his head toward the small camera light flashing in the dark. "Bakugo said they got cameras everywhere. That's why Professor Aizawa isn't as worried about him and Midoriya staying here by themselves during the day."
"Oooh.. those lightning bug looking lights?" Kaminari stood up and then leaned on the back of the couch as he studied the slow blink of a tiny, yellow-orange light up high in the darkened hallway going to the guy's dorms.
"The 'what'?" Sero countered.
Kaminari raised his eyebrow and curled his lip, now confused by this outburst. Was Sero questioning the fact that he hadn't recognized the cameras before?
"You mean 'firefly'?" Sero's tone was quite serious with his correction.
Or was this a wild challenge from his sticky tape friend? Kaminari just had to take this sudden change of topic and run with it.
"No... lightning bug!"
"How?! They don't zap little bolts of lightning- they are clearly fireflies!"
"Well, they don't set things on fire either!" Kaminari held his hands out in protest. "Who's side are you on anyway!"
Then Mina held up her hand to throw in her two cents. "Maybe it's really a light-up bug?"
Sero pressed his lips together, not finding that idea as an acceptable compromise. "Or we can ask Todoroki what he thinks. Not only is he smart, I bet he'll say firefly."
"Just because he has a fire quirk… and Bakugo will very likely say the same!" Kaminari protested against that reasoning.
"Fine! Then Yaoyorozu!"
Kirishima and Mina just sighed, and then made brief eye contact to acknowledge Tokoyami when he ventured over out of curiosity.
Dark Shadow swiftly wormed his way in between Kaminari and Kirishima, shivering. "If there comes a day that zapping lightning bugs exist, I would be terrified!"
Except Kaminari was the one most startled when his sudden appearance caused the electric blonde to squeak. "Haa… hi?" he swallowed his shock to pet the scared shadow bird on his head, to calm down. "Don't worry, bugs don't have quirks yet."
Tape Boy, however, wasn't going to let that one slide and pointed to Kaminari with both fingers. "So there you go, Sparky. Another vote for the firefly!"
"As if. What about dynamite bugs?"
"Please, they would be TNT Termites."
"Anthracite Ants!"
"Wait.. isn't that like a rock?" Kirishima whispered to Mina.
"You mean arsenic?" she suggested to Kaminari, but he was on a different train of thought-
Because!
"Maypalm Moths!"
Dark Shadow shuddered and shrank up in fright at such horror. Hah!
Jirou just stared at Kaminari, shaking her head in disbelief. In his mind, he felt she liked that due to the subtle mirth creeping in on her face. But then she stood up to leave them. "Ugh… I'm going to bed."
The sparky one hung his head and died a little inside for not getting the confirmation on the response he hoped for.
Mina flopped back into the couch with a groan as she glanced apologetically at the departing Tokoyami. "Such wonderfully intelligent discussions they have..."
"And now you are enlightened! Alas, I have a point to settle," Kaminari gets up to look for said Honor Roll students… which actually was a ruse to excuse himself from the others. What he wanted to do now is to see if there was a video room for said security cameras in the dorm. Yep, now he was still very much worried about what may have been recorded in the fourth floor boys hallway earlier, even though Professor Aizawa hadn't come back yet. Breaking and entering to remove evidence about breaking and entering was ultimately one of his worst ideas ever… but he just had to see if he could.
In the dark hallway, the electrified blonde froze, because he was certain something moved in the shadows there. Maybe it was Dark Shadow getting back at him…? Or not… because this thing he thought he saw was low on the ground… like Koda's bunny? Yes, that possibility was much more appealing than some ghost, or spirit.. thing.
Until it suddenly lunged in his direction, bringing a high-pitched scream out of the teen. Heart racing, Denki slapped his hand against the wall to send a surge into the wiring and turn on the lights. Dark Shadow or ghost, the light will keep them away!
Except that didn't help much, because the bulbs flickered menacingly before abruptly shorting out. It was still enough for him to spot the culprit and grab it though.
"What are you?" Denki sputtered, squinting at the cat-sized robot with two tread rollers, two arms, and one large camera sized optic. His amber eyes went wide: it's a roving security cam! Dammit!
"What happened?" Sero came up behind him with his phone's flashlight on. "We heard a scream, and then the lights went crazy. "
Shit. Shit, shit! Gotta act! Pulsing tendrils of voltage licked around the robot in his hands.
"Did he blow the lights too?" Mina called from the other end of the hallway by the common room. "These aren't turning on."
No, no.. no! Damn! How's everything getting so out of hand? Kaminari internally swore while feigning another innocent smile as he turned to look up to Sero. Maybe his classmate would sympathize with him. "This. It scared me- I think it's another security cam," the shorter blonde held up the limp robot that he had shocked a moment earlier before it could alert the higher-ups.
Sero just laughed, that kind of laugh that didn't instill very much confidence. "Oh, that's.. greeeat."
"So.. I guess we need to find the breaker box," Kaminari suggested, looking guilty once more. It didn't sound like Sero was going to play along. "Hopefully all I did was just trip it?"
"You're asking me?" the taller student scratched his head, just as unsure of this new predicament.
"Well, yeah!" Kaminari retorted. His demeanor became much more serious and he walked further down the hall. He had to think where that would be. Usually big buildings like this have all that in a little room with all the other big building maintenance stuff.
"Or… we can wait until Aizawa gets back, you know, before you make things any worse?" Sero had followed after him, trying harder to be his better conscience, or watchful wingman, or... hopefully.. something more like an accomplice?
The blonde made a doubtful noise, because making better choices and fessing up could mean even more trouble... like an expulsion for real this time. Yes, Kaminari could swing this new plan, especially if his robot friend was able to help him.
Denki looked at the little robot in the optic as he linked to it with his electronic signal similar to a Bluetooth connection. The room with the circuit breakers was the place he mentioned out loud, but getting into Aizawa-Sensei's office was what he really wanted.
But… not if Sero was with him. Denki doubted his classmate was just going to willingly let him break into their homeroom teacher's office, no matter the reason. With a sigh, he set off down the hallway by using video clues from the robot to find the utility room in question.
ooooooooooooo
With his shower caddy equipped with the usual plus a couple types of muscle balms and towel over his shoulders, Shouto left his room on the top fifth floor to go to the bathroom on the main floor. His phone had alerted him of a text as he waited for the elevator. While still looking at the screen, he walked inside and reached for the buttons. By accident, he had pushed the third floor button instead of the first (and he hadn't noticed he did).
The text left him annoyed though, after seeing that it was his father again, who somehow got his number. It was just a check-in kind of question, nothing that absolutely demanded a response… so he didn't reply.
The youngest Todoroki slid his phone back into his pocket with a sigh. How long will this feeling haunt him though? His father watches and judges his every move- always correcting, always telling him what he needs to do better, always feeling like it's never going to be fast enough. Even if he had been doing very well in everything else, it's always that one mistake that his father will remind him of, constantly. The worst of it was that his father was afraid Shouto would not be as great as him. Shouto had to be better in every way!
It's madness. His soul ached from the pressure of so much expectation, and then he failed the one thing that mattered the most!
Why did he lose his temper at the worst time and place possible?
Shouto closed his eyes and sighed as the elevator began his ascent. Then there were those damned blue eyes again, the kind with a startling brightness that burned into one's soul with unsettling dominance.
His father's eyes weren't the only ones that had bothered him, nor the one he had on his left. He felt chased by a ghost from his past, an older brother who had regarded him with contempt from that time he had been separated from his other siblings.
Ever since the camping trip, those mocking blue eyes started taunting him again. The way Dabi laughed at him when he snatched Bakugo's marble before he could, and then spoke his full name in an oddly familiar way…
The fact that this bothered him so much made him wonder if he was going crazy, that his mother's madness might be hereditary. He didn't want to ever let this concern be a burden to her or worry any of his family with it. Those turquoise blue eyes were just his imagination running wild. The way the League of Villains attacked them in the forest was also a very traumatic experience.
Because it wasn't just in the eye color. Bakugo and Kirishima both had red eyes, but how they looked were still somehow different.
ooooooooooooo
Katsuki sat back up from his bed, rubbing his temples. His head still ached something fierce even after he laid down for a few long minutes. Taking it like a man and pushing himself through the misery did not work like it usually did. The last thing he wanted to do was give in and go to Aizawa-Sensei for some pain meds. After letting out a guttural sigh, the frustrated blonde convinced himself that he needed to drink more water. That could be the culprit since he hardly had the appetite to eat dinner earlier.
That, however, meant leaving to go downstairs to the first floor to get more water bottles from the kitchen. He didn't have any more in his room. Going down the stairs was also out of the question, as the downward motion would aggravate his state.
Katsuki slapped the down button for the elevator, and stared impatiently at the metal doors to open. When they did, he trudged inside without looking up.
His reach for the button to the first floor was interrupted by the realization he wasn't alone. Todoroki was in the back corner, and had uttered an awkward "hello?"
Bakugo glanced menacingly at his classmate in acknowledgment, but he was in no way interested in any kind of conversation.
ooooooooooooo
The ding from the elevator door opening had pulled Todoroki out of his thoughts. He felt taken a little more off guard when it was Bakugo stepping inside. Shouto wasn't expecting this just now, but then he felt maybe he should say something?
Except… Bakugo looked very tired and very annoyed. Well, he also did earlier that day, and further made evident by all the yelling Todoroki heard from his room not long ago. That was still nothing though compared to his father's tired and grumpy moods.
Therefore, the halfie took a chance by asking a question as he kept his eyes trained on the elevator door. "Do you have any demons?"
Bakugo did not answer. He instead shot him another scowl.
Shouto just as briefly looked at him, before answering his own question. He kept his voice tone even, just to show that he wasn't going to be bothered by his classmate's negative aura. "I have demons that haunt my dreams. Delusions I can't make sense of."
The elevator stopped on the third floor and the doors opened, but no one was there. His explosive classmate swore and punched the 'door close' button to hurry the process up.
But Shouto had one more question and made fleeting eye contact with Bakugo again. "The League of Villains member with the patchwork face and blue flames… did he tell you anything, noteworthy?"
That prompt stirred up more of a response from the blonde. "Fuck no… he avoided me."
But the fact the elevator was not moving anywhere bothered Bakugo more. It was because the first floor button had not been pushed yet, somehow. Ah... maybe because they were both too distracted enough to realize it was not pushed? More buttons were being assaulted by his irritated classmate.
After they felt the downward ascent again, Bakugo added more. "What are you getting at?"
Shouto glanced sideways, a little more pleased now that they were continuing with this conversation. "That villian's eyes… they are like my father's-"
The sudden darkness in the elevator cut him off as they dropped what felt like a few feet before coming to a hard stop. Before Shouto could react, he had to brace himself from an attack of bright explosions and swearing.
Then as if the elevator was triggered by the volatile situation, they felt an even more sickening drop that felt like several feet more, accompanied with disorienting strobing from the emergency lights, more loud panicked explosions, and ice.
AN: Oh my goodness, this chapter was fun to write. I hope it was worth the wait! Last year was rough time wise and motivation wise, but hopefully the next update will be a lot quicker!
I also decided to introduce POV from Midoriya and Kaminari for added effect. Kaminari just snuck up on me with his ideas. He is such an innocent troublemaker who is hard to hate, in my mind. (And maybe it's because I miss my techno nerds from BH6, etc)
Yep.. Day 2 is definitely shaping up to be a reeeeally long one!
Thank you for reading!
