Chapter 7

When Aoyoma wasn't at breakfast, Momo assumed that he was sick again. When he didn't show up for training either she knew something was wrong.

"Where's Aoyoma?" she asked Kirishima whose tent was next to the other boy's.

"He - he got kicked out. He's busy packing up. If you want to go say goodbye we'll cover for you."

Bakugou scowled, but he nodded.

Mom was still reeling from the words 'kicked out'.

"They can do that?"

Bakugou nodded. "The army allows captains to decide who serves under them. And apparently, Half-and-half has a reputation for weeding out the weak ones. Only about half of his recruits make it through basic training."

Mom swallowed. She definitely wasn't going to make it, was she?

Aoyoma was almost ready to leave when she found him.

"Aoyoma!" she called.

"Ah, if it isn't Midoriya. Well, at least one person has come to bid me farewell."

"Actually, I came to offer to go argue with the captain on your behalf, but you - don't seem that upset at being kicked out."

Aoyoma smiled brightly. "It is a blessing in disguise, mon ami."

Mom frowned, puzzled by his peppy attitude.

"How so?"

"Monsieur Sato and I are going to open up a bakery. He shall of course be uncharge of the baking, while I shall use my dazzling skills for advertising. It's perfect!"

"Wait, Sato also got kicked out?"

While he wasn't the smartest - thanks to the drawbacks of his quirk - he was by far one of the strongest recruits.

"Unfortunately, yes," Sato himself said, walking over to them with his saddlebags packed.

"But why?"

"The captain said that there was more to being a soldier than merely strength and that my quirk would make me a liability on the battlefield."

"That's ridiculous! I mean -"

Sato interrupted her. "No, he was right. In all honesty I was never suited for the army. In a way I'm glad this happened. Now I can return to my family without shame."

"Like I said, mon ami, a blessing in disguise."

Momo tried to smile. "I'm - happy for you. And I wish you the best of luck with your bakery."

"Merci."

Momo watched the oddly matched pair leave, trying to smother the feelings their departure had stirred up.

She definitely wasn't going to make it.

"Midoriya, the captain would like to speak to you," Iida said.

A dozen curses she had learnt from Bakugou flashed through Momo's mind.

She hesitated outside the captain's tent. She took a deep breath. Then she turned on her heel and retreated. She crouched in an alley between two rows of tents and tried to gather her thoughts.

"I'm going to get kicked out," she said to Ochako and Jirou.

The dragon and the cricket exchanged a concerned glance.

"Would that really be so bad? There's no shame -"

"Yes, there is. For me there would be. I have to atone -"

"Oi, Deku, what are you doing?"

Momo turned to see Bakugou standing in the mouth of the alley.

"I - uhh, well, the captain called me in -"

"You're getting kicked out?"

Momo looked at her feet. "I think so."

Bakugou suddenly pulled her up and started pushing her towards the captain's tent.

"Then go tell him why dismissing you would be a mistake."

"What?!" she squawked in surprise.

"I didn't threaten Iida to keep you in the army for nothing."

"But I can't -"

He pushed her towards the tent, slightly more gently.

"Yes, you can. You can do it, Deku."

Even though she secretly thought his certainty was misplaced, it still made her feel more confident.

"O-okay."

"That sounded pathetic."

Ah, the blunt Bakugou was back.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Whatever. Now stop stalling and go."

Momo did just that, hoping that the nervous twisting in her stomach didn't show on her face.

Captain Shoto was sitting behind his desk reviewing papers that she assumed were reports of the recruits' progress. Judging by the fact that she was here, hers probably didn't say anything good. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything she burst out.

"Don't kick me out. Sir."

The words came out in a rush almost tumbling over one another.

The captain closed his mouth and blinked in surprise.

"Why?"

"Well, the army needs men. If they didn't, the emperor wouldn't have issued the conscription notice. It would be illogical to dismiss me when you need soldiers."

"Soldiers. Not cannon fodder."

Momo winced. If the captain thought that was all she was good for then she really had done terribly.

"But you didn't answer my question though," he continued, "I should have been more specific. You explained why I should keep you in the army, not why you want to stay."

He looked at her as though she was a puzzle that he couldn't quite put together.

"Every other person I've called in so far have been glad to be dismissed. Relieved. You're not, why?"

"I…" she struggled to put her answer into words when there were so many things swirling around in her brain. "It's not just one reason, sir."

"Then what are your reasons?"

"Well…" she thought of Sero and Kirishima and Bakugou, threatening Iida so that she could stay in the army, "I want to stay for my friends. They've had my back in training and I want to have theirs when the time comes for us to go to war. I can't go home knowing that they'll be in danger. And I also can't go home… because of my family."

The captain's eyes narrowed.

"Did they pressure you into joining the army?"

"What? No, of course not," she looked down and swallowed, "the truth is my father didn't want me to come. He was determined to do this himself."

Since she was staring at the ground she didn't see the look of surprise on his face.

"Then why did you come?"

"To protect him. My father has already lived through one war and… I knew that he wouldn't survive a second one. So please, sir, don't dismiss me. I know I haven't done very well in training, but I can improve. Please, just give me a chance."

There was a long silence during which Momo agonized in vain over what the captain would decide.

Eventually he said, "You have one week to prove yourself."

"What?"

"While I would like to honor the ideals that brought you here those ideals won't keep you safe in battle. So you have one week to prove to me that you can keep yourself safe."

Momo had to fight to keep from squealing - that would definitely have given her away. A week wasn't a lot of time, but she could work with that. She could do this.