Author's Note:

Xan: We're making a playlist with songs that coincide with each chapter. If you're into reading with music, we recommend you check it out.

Song of the Chapter: Uncool by Kuizz

Bold Text: Dream Sequence

Italics: Ai's Thoughts

Bold Italics: Other character's thoughts


Chapter 2: Ai's Anxiety

Ai's POV

Have you ever felt a cast iron skillet being thrashed against your skull about one hundred times a minute? If you answered no, be grateful. If you answered yes, seek professional help. Either way, my head was killing me. We had just finished the eighth and final test of our prerequisite course when I almost lost consciousness. The backlash from my quirk requires a tremendous amount of mental strain. That paired with the ever growing anxiety filled acid pit burning a hole in my stomach was enough to make me keel over immediately. Otou-san's little twist at the end of the Quirk Apprehension Test wasn't fooling me either. After careful analysis of the of the other students, I didn't think anyone was unqualified to be apart of class 1-A nor did I think Otou—...Aizawa-Sensei would want to put forth the effort to out right expel someone on the spot. If it was up to me though, Baku-Hihi might have gotten the chop.

"Ai-kun?" A sweet looking, short old woman called out to me. I was so out of it, I had completely forgotten where I was. "You've been standing there for quite a while. Is that ice pack really enough for you?" Her brow was raised inquisitively.

"P-Probably. I can usually just sleep things like this off." I respond cautiously. Ever since I was young, I have constantly been scolded about being "too uptight" and "untrusting." So naturally, being questioned by a stranger, even a faculty member, had me on guard.

"Don't push yourself. Mental injuries are just as damaging as physical ones," Her tone was reprimanding, but her facial expression showed signs of legitimate concern.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am," I bowed slightly before leaving the nurses office.

As I made my way back to my dorm, I couldn't help but continuously analyze my performance during the prerequisite course at a hyper-critical level. Every single missed step, even the most minor of details warranted a harsh critique. In the real world of pro heroes, a mistake could mean someone's life.

"..Hm?" For the second time today, I was caught off guard by my careless inner debates. "..." I was now face to face with one of my classmates.

"To..doroki-kun?" 'For god sake please don't tell me that isn't his name?' He nodded, giving me the que to breathe again. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." He nodded his head knowingly.

"Here, its melting." I was perplexed for a moment as the silver-red haired boy reached forward and touched the bag of ice Recovery Girl gave me. 'Ah..' I thought to myself. It was a strange sensation, watching him use his quirk. For some reason I found myself avoiding eye contact with Todoroki; I didn't want to get sucked into his two toned eyes. However, I couldn't help but notice the the depth of said oasis blue/sandy brown eyes. They reminded me of my favorite beach, the one I would visit as a child. Eyes as deep as the ocean and as rich as the rustic beige shores.

"..Thanks." I murmured as he pulled his hand away. He simply nodded before stepping to the side and allowing me to continue on my way. Subconsciously, my free hand clutched my chest. 'That was..intense.' My heart was pounding for some reason..and then it happened. A slight spark of electricity danced along my brow bone and a familiar pulsing sensation invaded my train of thought. 'Ai.. he did well during the Quirk Apprehension Test. He's..interesting.' I released an elicit breath. Hearing people's thoughts wasn't something that was completely new to me. But the tone of his voice had a strange soothing quality that made me want to pry and listen to him more. That was alarming to me. Feeling a level of intrigue like that towards someone I had only shared fleeting glances with was nerve wracking.

Time Skip - Later That Night

I was a bit late getting back to my dorm and I still hadn't met my roommate yet. Apprehension began to cloud my mind. I was unable to befriend anyone during class, I already had a squabble with Bakugo Katsuki that resulted in my Father reproaching me and now I have to attempt to make friends with another stranger, fantastic. Izuku-kun seemed like a pleasant person, as did Iida-kun. But I still felt ever so slightly like an outcast already, something I desperately wanted to avoid. With that being said, as I approached room 305B, I heard nothing but silence. 'Empty..' I thought.

Another Time Skip - 30 Minutes

Somehow over the course of half an hour, I had fallen asleep. Strangely enough, I didn't have a dream. It was just a simplistic, blissful, dark slumber..that was abruptly interrupted.

"Someone's here! GET UP, OR I'LL BEAT YOU—" A loud voice boomed, startling me out of bead.

"!" Everything happened in a split second. His arms were suddenly stony thorns and my bed was levitating off of the ground. You know, relatable, everyday introductions. "I-I-I'm your roommate! Please!" My bed fell immediately. The concussion from earlier today was still very prevalent and still affecting my quirk.

"Roommate?" His boyish face went blank for a moment and we sat in silence. "Hi! I'm Eijiro Kirishima! Nice to meet ya!" I stared at him incredulously as he approached me with a wide grin plastered onto his face.

"A-Ai Suzuka.." His infectious smile and exuberant demeanor was like an atmospheric injection of caffeine. Most people would probably really like something like that, but for an introvert like myself it felt like a lot to handle.

"Nice to meet you." He seemed to be looking me up and down, as if he was trying trying to assess me. "You gonna stay down there?" He quipped. His hand was extended. I'm assuming regular social cues would dictate a gripping of the hand followed by a prompt "Thank you." But being the awkward string bean that I am, I just stood and nodded awkwardly.

"...Alright." Eijiro Kirishima from that point on, unbeknownst to me, saw my decline of his hand gesture as a declaration of war.

…..

My body trembled as a sinister chill crawled its way down my back at a painfully slow pace. It almost felt like a sadistic witch was clawing at my flesh with her daggered nails. I tried to breathe, and choked. The air was heavy with the faint scent of rotting flesh hanging in the air. The horrid smell seemed to permeate and thicken as each second dragged on. I wanted nothing more than to alleviate my smoldering lungs by taking a deep breath, but a nagging feeling in the back of my mind told me to keep holding my breath for a bit longer. The pitch black room began to blur, further disorienting my vision. My throat constricted, signaling that my body was at its limit, I couldn't hold it in any longer. With a sense of dread I allowed myself to take a deep breath..indescribable pain followed. It was like all the foul, stagnant air in the room was being drained into my body all at once. I couldn't stop and it just kept coming. My chest heaved and I fell to the floor as the rancid smoke continued to funnel down my throat. I felt my consciousness waning and my weeping eyes were beginning to roll back into my head..and it stopped. My eyes still stung with tears after the horrifying ordeal was finished and I began coughing uncontrollably. My entire being felt as if I was just plucked and dipped into a vat of boiling oil. I wanted nothing more than for this very real nightmare to end, and it did. But not before a tall dark figure made their presence known. The silhouette seemingly belonged to a woman. The figure, doused in shadow, dug their wretched claws into my scalp and made me face them. My eyes burned with tears as I looked her dead in the face. It felt like I had looked into the eyes of god. The room suddenly turned white, and I felt smaller. I could vaguely see the scenery change, but my steadied eyes focused solely on the face of the woman holding me in her arms. Her features felt familiar, put I couldn't tell for sure. I could feel my consciousness fading once again, however, this time I didn't fight it.

"...Don't worry Ai. Daddy will be fine. We'll all be fine."

…..

My eyes snapped open. I had heard of 'cold sweats' but never had I experienced a nightmare as mind numbingly petrifying as that. I flinched a bit. Sunlight beaming directly in from the window blinded me but warmed my cold body. As I climbed out of bed and walked up to the blinds to promptly shut them, I couldn't help but wonder why that dream felt so familiar. Chunks of the ordeal were missing from my head, but I had enough to piece together the end. An unidentified woman's voice saying, "Don't worry, Ai. Daddy will be fine. We'll all be fine."


Author's Note: Xan: Let us know if you enjoyed! Also, in case you were wondering "Baku-hini" is equivalent to calling Bakugo a baboon. c: we love a baboon.