Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.
Yume was thrilled to learn Ayame had managed to create two summons. If Ayame was not just as excited when she was explaining to Yume, she would have thought that Yume was the one that had her Quirk. Still, her older sister was thorough in training Ayame once she got home and Ayame listened dutifully. Although it was difficult to recreate the multiple summons as it required more time, she can create little creatures easily.
Ayame hummed to herself as she thought back to the training from yesterday. One hand was clutching a thermos with homemade soup inside while her other hand was playing with her little summons. The black trails fluttered around into two little butterflies flying around her fingers. As long as she continued to practice like this, it would be in no time for her to do more.
"Oji-san~"
Ayame knocked on the teacher's lounge and let the butterflies disappear, smiling when she saw her still-mummified uncle sitting at his desk. When she walked in, she noticed another teacher in the room talking to Aizawa but had stopped as soon as he noticed her. Ayame blinked her lilac eyes, bowing politely to the tall blonde man who appeared to be skinnier than a skeleton wearing an oversized suit.
"Oh, hello, sensei," Ayame smiled politely. She never saw him around before. Was he a new professor?
"What do you want?" Aizawa asked briskly.
She gasped. "How rude! I came all this way to deliver some homemade soup for you!" Ayame set the thermos on the table and put her hands on her hips proudly. "Yume-nee made it! And I helped!"
Aizawa eyed the thermos suspiciously. "Is it poisonous?"
"No!"
Seeing the pouty look on Ayame's face, Aizawa cracked a smile and nodded his head.
"Fine, I'll drink it but I'm holding you accountable if I get worse," Aizawa leaned back on his chair to tease.
"Okay but if you like it, you have to say I'm the best niece!"
"I'm not going to lie," Aizawa deadpanned.
Ayame gaped again and crossed her arms. "Worst uncle ever," she mumbled.
"Don't you have a class to go to?" Aizawa hurried her along.
"Oh yeah!" Aizawa gave her another glare and Ayame quickly bowed to the two of them. "I'll see you later, sensei! Ah! Don't forget to return my autograph book after All Might signs it!"
Ayame left with those parting words, rounding the corner and closing the door behind her. Toshinari laughed good heartedly after she was gone, turning to Aizawa with a small grin.
"So that was your niece? I remember seeing her during USJ as well," Toshinari mused. "And what's this about an autograph book?"
"Ahh, that's one of them," Aizawa confirmed. He looked through his drawers and pulled out a purple notebook, handing it to the blonde. "Mind signing it for her? She's a huge fan."
"It would be my pleasure," Toshinari grabbed the book and pen, flipping through the pages until it landed on an empty one. "She's got quite a collection though… Nightmare? That's a hero name I haven't seen in a long time."
"Ah, yeah," Aizawa said, "That's her mother; my sister."
"She's…" Toshinari started hesitantly, not wanting to press for further details but he had heard the rumors before.
"Out of commission indefinitely," Aizawa answered for him, "It's been ten years already. No need to be nervous."
Toshinari laughed lightly, closing the book after his signature and handed it back to Aizawa. Still, he remembered Nightmare from before; she was as headstrong and fierce like his master.
"Has it been that long already?"
"Her first daughter is already a hero," Aizawa answered again.
"Really?" Toshinari was surprised yet proud; Nightmare must have raised her daughters well.
"Yeah," Aizawa barely nodded, "I believe you know the hero 'LullaCry'."
"Oh!" Toshinari knocked on his palm in recognition, "No wonder her Quirk looked so familiar. Aizawa-kun, your family is filled with amazing heroes."
Aizawa shrugged. "They're alright."
Toshinari laughed again, bright and joyous for the future prospects of heroes. Remembering an old fellow hero that had worked with him before filled him with pride to see their children aspiring to be the same as them.
"If you get the chance," Aizawa started hesitantly, "Can you say hi to that brat? She really admires you."
"Of course," Toshinari smiled and grabbed the little purple notebook, "The best time would be for me to return this, no?"
"Class 2-A," Aizawa smiled beneath the bandages, "Thanks, All Might."
Ayame still had time to chat with her classmates when she arrived. Because she had the opportunity to be an assistant to the class All Might was teaching for, her classmates often asked about him. Unfortunately, Ayame still haven't met the Symbol of Peace one-to-one.
"Nooo," Ayame groaned, resting her head on the metal table, "I wanted to talk to All Might too!"
"W-what did the other students say about him?" One of her classmates, Usagi, asked curiously, long bunny ears twitching once.
Ayame perked up again, laughing as she replied, "They said he was an amateur teacher! I really want to see it!"
The students laughed with her, trying to imagine the heroic Super Hero be a teacher to rowdy teenagers. The conversation slowly shifted to the Class 1-A students and the recent attack at USJ, Ayame endlessly complimenting them.
"They're so strong…! Especially these two, one with an incredible ice Quirk and another has an explosion Quirk! There's also a fearless one which I think is just adorable and another classmate has like, a shadow, living in him!"
Ayame was excited as she described a few Quirks she had seen. Some of her classmates paid close attention, taking the information in with wide eyes as she continued to talk.
"Aizawa-sensei had me fight against half of them yesterday and we're finishing up today!" Ayame grinned, puffing her chest out as she continued, "And of course, I won against them."
"Good luck, Ayame-chan!" Hotaru cheered.
"If you're so interested in 1-A, why don't you just join their class?"
Ayame whirled around, glaring at the class representative though Takarada looked bored in return. Yuu was smiling apologetically again but Ayame was not focused on him this time.
"What? Are you jealous you weren't chosen for the assistant role?" Ayame retorted back.
"Here they go again," someone sighed from the side, crimson eyes looking at them like the rest of the class.
"If I was ever jealous," Takarada narrowed his eyes against hers, "It would never be because of you."
"Noeru, that's enough," Yuu tried to pacify as always but the dark haired boy merely scoffed.
"I'm just saying if she's so invested in Class 1-A, maybe Sasaki should be held back a year. She will fit in just right," he smirked.
Ayame stood up abruptly, nearly causing the chair to fall down while Hotaru held onto her hand. Her eyes were glaring right into crystal ones and Ayame hated how Takarada always seem to go out of his way to provoke her.
"Takarada, I swear—"
"Here I am!"
Everyone stopped when the classroom door slammed open. The loud, familiar voice echoed in their ears when a large man entered with his trademark grin. Ayame's jaws dropped as she stared at the teacher, her argument forgotten.
"All…Might!"
"Yes," All Might gave the classroom a peace sign, "I am here to visit Class 2-A! And also…" He rummaged through his grey blazer and pulled out a familiar purple notebook, "To return this!"
"That's mine!" Ayame gasped and hopped over, rushing over to stand before the hero with sparkles in her eyes, "D-did oji-san ask you to sign it?"
"Yup," All Might still had the grin on as he handed the book back to Ayame.
She was star struck by the hero, not once leaving her eye contact with him and All Might laughed again when he remembered young Midoriya acting the same when they first met.
"I also want to thank you for helping me at USJ, Young Ayame. I know it must have been difficult during that time but you will turn out to be fine hero like your family," All Might set a large hand over her shoulder in assurance.
Ayame froze, mentally screaming in excitement that All Might knew her name, and paused when he mentioned her family. Right, Aizawa would have told him who she was related to in passing and she remembered her mother working with All Might before. The encouragement All Might had given her was more than what Ayame could ever ask for in her admired hero. She could only grin back proudly, determined to live up to his expectations.
"Un, I definitely will! One day, I will fight alongside you!" Ayame declared.
There was a slight pause with All Might, inwardly contemplating his current troublesome status but he cannot let it show. Aizawa's niece and the rest of the classmates were looking at him with such awestruck silence as the Symbol of Peace that he cannot let any weakness known. Instead, All Might let out a hearty laugh.
"Ohoho! That will be the day!" All Might turned to the rest of the class then, "Work hard, everyone! Until next time!"
Just like that, All Might dashed away as fast as he came. The majority of the classmates and passing students were staring at his back. Ayame clutched the notebook close to her chest, feeling super giddy and excited to see All Might personally deliver the signed notebook to her. She flipped open the page, grinning even more to see All Might's signature take over two pages and—a small comment in the corner added on.
You will be a hero!
Ayame nearly screamed. This was the best day ever! Not even the stupid class pres can ruin her mood!
And as expected, she turned around to look at him. Takarada had a stunned expression on his face—an expression that Ayame had never seen before because he's always been cold and emotionless like the rock he was. Seeing the faint spark of admiration in his eyes looking towards the spot All Might was, Ayame felt her ego swell up even more.
She hopped back to her desk happily, grinning at Takarada when he turned his attention back to her and she can nearly see the fire light up in his eyes. Oh, this was just too good to pass up.
"Well, you heard the mighty Symbol of Peace, All Might," Ayame deliberately pronounced every syllable slowly; "I will be a wonderful hero before you know it."
Takarada nearly corrected her, saying that All Might only said 'fine' but stopped himself. He's not going to boost her ego and he's definitely not going to stoop to her level. But still, a hard glare was in his crystal eyes as he stood up to tower over her. Ayame may be tall but, he was taller.
"Just wait until the Sports Festival," Takarada threatened lowly, "I'll show everyone how capable you are."
Ayame matched his glare straightforwardly. She's not one to back down from a challenge and especially not from him!
"Don't worry," she smirked, "I'll beat your pretty face out of the arena."
Everyone could only watch from the side with a sigh. Just when they thought these two would stop their childish arguments from their first year, they began again one week later into the school year! Ayame was not the type to confront anyone and Takarada usually ignores everyone else but—together, it was like an intense rivalry they cannot get in between.
Yuu merely kept the smile up, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth from laughing. Takarada never considered him (or anyone for that matter) a rival of some sort and yet seeing him so riled up against Ayame was far too entertaining. His icy eyes sharpened just the slightest, smile turning into a smirk behind his hand as he focused on the brunette.
This year's Sports Festival is going to be interesting.
"That damned class pres!" Ayame cursed at lunch, ripping a piece of meat from her drumstick in anger, "Who does he think he is?! Acting all high and mighty! Just because he won last year's tournament, is the heir to his company, has a formidable Quirk, and has a pretty face, does not mean he can just bully anyone!"
Hotaru watched Ayame rant, pausing in her eating to smile helpless at her friend. It wasn't unusual for Ayame to rant after the encounter and she does deserve a reason to but…why does it sound like she's complimenting him? The things she listed were all true; Takarada Noeru kinda do deserve to act a little haughty but…why was it only towards Ayame?
"C-calm down, Aya-chan," Hotaru comforted, "You know Takarada-san is only saying that to make you mad," she offered a small box of cookies towards the brunette, "Here! This will cheer you up!"
Ayame blinked at the cookies, sighing as she gave Hotaru a grin.
"You're the best, Hotaru-chan! What would I do without you?"
Hotaru merely giggled.
"Good afternoon, Ayame-senpai!"
A few cheery voiced appeared behind her and soon, the seats nearby was taken. Ayame turned to see a nearly half of 1-A students seated and smiled at Midoriya, Ochako, Iida, Sero, Kaminari, and…a floating plate? Wait not—Hagakure! Oh! There's also Ashido, Tsuyu, and Ojiro!
"Ah yes, now that my adorable kouhais are here I won't need to think about that stupid—"
"Did you say Takarada earlier—as in, Takarada Noeru-kun?!" Ashido wiggled around in her seat happily, alien gold eyes excited to stare at the two upperclassmen.
Ayame immediately groaned and would have slammed her head on the table if not for the food in the way. Hotaru smiled helplessly again.
"H-he and A-Ayame-chan…don't get along well…" Hotaru explained.
"How do you guys even know him? He's not even in the same grade!" Ayame was exasperated.
"How can we not?!" Hagakure joined in on the cheer, her uniform waving around excitedly next to Ojiro. "He and Shimizu Yuu-kun are the 'Two Princes' of U.A.! They have it all! Looks, fame, power…"
Hagakure drifted off to sigh dreamily with Ashido, leaving Ochako to laugh at her female classmates. Ayame was thankful Ochako and Tsuyu were the more sensible girls of them.
"I'm gonna barf," Kaminari stopped eating; "I only came because I wanted to strategize with senpai for later."
"I-I would also l-like to review," Midoriya spoke up hesitantly.
"Hey now, that would be considered fraternizing with the enemy," Sero laughed, "Are you trying to spy, Midoriya?"
"N-n-no-n-no! I-I-I was only—I wanted—I—"
Ayame laughed, deeply grateful for these distractions and waved her hand. "It's fine, it's fine! I much prefer talking about the training!"
The girls drifted off into their own conversation while Ayame turned to her teammates. From the side, she noticed Hotaru to be easing into the conversation with the 1-A girls but was still blushing lightly when Iida sat next to her. Ayame merely shrugged and turned back to the boys in excitement.
"Well since you all know each other's Quirks, explain them to me! You know mine fairly well too!" Ayame bargained.
"Class 1-A have a third amazing Quirk user besides Bakugo and Todoroki, you know," Kaminari flipped his blonde hair, grinning as he said, "And that would be—"
"Midoriya," Sero finished and Kaminari's jaw opened in disbelief.
"No way! It's totally—"
"Midoriya-chan's Quirk is quite powerful, I've seen him create a whirlpool in USJ," Tsuyu interjected.
"I-I-it's n-not th-that b-big of a d-deal," Midoriya waved it off shyly.
"Ohhhh," Ayame echoed in amazement, turning towards the shy boy nearly shrinking in his seat. "Ah! But, didn't you break your bones because of it?"
Midoriya nodded his head, moss green hair falling into his eyes. "I-I'm not…very good at controlling it yet."
Ayame reached over to pat his shoulder. "It's okay! You don't have to use it against me!"
Ojiro laughed. "Senpai, are you trying to convince Midoriya to forfeit?"
"Hey, I'm just trying to weed out the competition," Ayame said righteously.
They shared a laugh with each other, happy to have such an easy-going upperclassman and continued to talk about their Quirks. They also ended up reviewing the battles from yesterday, causing Hagakure to break out of her conversation with the girls to groan towards them.
"Don't remind me! That's my second time fighting Todoroki-kun and it's painful every time!" Hagakure waved her sleeves around again.
"That's a Quirk to be envious of though," Ayame sighed. A perfect control over ice, continuous large-scale attacks, what can't he do? Ayame thought Todoroki was simply hero material with power and brains to match.
Though it wouldn't hurt if he learns to smile a bit, Ayame thought.
"I-I think y-your Quirk is i-im-impressive too…senpai," Midoriya quietly added.
She blinked, lilac eyes staring at dark green ones before he turned away. Ayame grinned, finding him simply adorable and laughed.
"Thanks, Deku-kun but against those powerhouses, I'm not sure what I could do," Ayame popped a cookie in her mouth, "Besides, Totoro-kun was the one that won yesterday's match. I didn't really do anything."
There was a distant look in her eyes as she recalled yesterday's event. Although her tone was light and casual, Midoriya wondered if there was more than what Ayame let on. She quickly recovered, putting on a bright smile towards her kouhais.
"Let's do our best this afternoon, okay?"
"Yes!"
Off to the side, Ashido was asking Hotaru animatedly about 2-A's class representatives. Even Ochako looked interested in the two rumored 'princes'. Besides the fact that they were very attractive and are heirs to their family company, not much was known about them.
"I heard Shimizu-san is very friendly to everyone! Ne, do you think he will say hi to me if I waved?" Ashido asked.
"O-oh, yes, Yuu-kun is kind to everyone," Hotaru confirmed, "B-b-but T-takarada-san is a little harder to approach."
"A little?" Ayame scoffed, "That rock doesn't even know how to smile."
A low chuckle could be heard behind her and the students in front of Ayame stiffened. Ayame's eyebrows furrowed together and felt an ominous presence behind her. Sure enough, Yuu was laughing quietly to himself while Takarada's eyes look like they can murder.
"Rest assured, Sasaki, you won't ever see the grace of one from me," Takarada declared and walked away.
Yuu chuckled again, smiling to the students before following his friend. "Bye-bye, Ayame-san, Hotaru-san, and everyone."
Ayame snapped out of her daze once they left, first clenching together in frustration.
"That—stupid class pres!"
Ayame was still fuming a little after lunch. The girls had praised the guys again once they left, surprised that the two 'princes' even walked by at all—and even called her name! So what?! Ayame was their classmate—but that doesn't mean she gets along with one of them! She must really advise her female kouhais if all they cared about were looks. Yuu was an exception but Takarada, he was a fixer upper.
At that time, she crossed path with another student. His white hero uniform and ice stood out amongst the buildings and Ayame perked up, hopping over to Todoroki who looked like he hadn't even notice her.
"Totoro-kun!"
Ayame appeared in front of him and nearly startled the boy. The words she thought to say got stuck in her throat as she peered at him closely, humming to herself despite Todoroki narrowing his eyes at her.
What the hell was she doing?
"When you get older, you should try to smile more too," Ayame reached a suitable conclusion and nodded to herself, "Don't be a jerk like a certain senpai!"
With that, Ayame hopped away again, satisfied to have warned him. After all, Todoroki does have a pretty face himself but—she must guide him before he goes down the same path as Takarada! She's sure Todoroki will be more popular with the girls if he smiled, too!
Hah?
Todoroki watched his upperclassman skip away with perplexed eyes. What was that supposed to mean?
For today's training exercise, Aizawa instructed them to meet outside in the fields rather than the gym. Ayame still wore her gym uniform and stretched, waving to the other students that had already arrived. She saw Kaminari off to the side and headed over towards him.
"Yo, Kaminari-kun!" The blonde turned around to wave back, "Are you ready?"
"Yup," Kaminari grinned, "Like I said, I'll win this easily for you, senpai!"
Ayame hummed, not believing him in the slightest and he nearly cried out in unfairness. He was strong too!
Soon, the rest of the students and Aizawa arrived to the field. His dark eyes surveyed everyone, nodding to himself that everyone was here and prepared for the match.
"The gym is still being repaired from yesterday so we'll settle for outside," he explained briefly. "Team Ayame and Kaminari VS Kirishima, Koda, Asui, and Uraraka."
Kaminari cracked his knuckles, focusing on the other four opponents with a wild grin.
"Senpai, it would be best if can find a way to fly away," he whispered, I'll just be as cool as Todoroki!
Ayame blinked in confusion but nodded her head, smiling as black smoke emitted from her body. Well, maybe she can see what he planned to do first.
"Begin!"
A large bird appeared below her and Ayame hopped on without wasting a second. Kaminari was already charging electricity, his hair spiking up even more from the discharge. On the other side, Ochako immediately pulled her teammates together.
"One million volts!"
"Woah!"
Ayame flew up higher and gained a bird's eye view over the field. The electricity crackled beneath them but when she looked up, Ochako and the others were floating along with her. She was stunned; how can they fly?! When the electricity cleared, Kaminari was staggering on stage, his eyes were dazed and drool leaking from the corner of his lips.
"There it is; his signature move!" Jirou laughed loudly from the sideline, pointing towards the stupefied Kaminari.
He…he didn't hit anyone! Ayame screamed.
At that time, Koda propelled Kirishima forward while they were still in the air. Tsuyu waddled around with Ochako but her pink tongue was aimed towards Kaminari. Ayame motioned for the bird to descend quickly and managed to intercept Tsuyu's tongue before she can wrap around her teammate. The bird transformed into a large kitsune next, its jaws biting on the tongue to keep it steady while Ayame rushed to Kaminari.
"Ahhh, you dummy! If you knew this was going to happen, why did you try to show off?!" Ayame shook him.
"Whee?" Kaminari tilted his head, bringing two thumbs forward and Ayame scream again.
"Release!"
"Hyah!"
Kirishima crashed into the ground in his harden form, arms swinging at the kitsune to release Tsuyu. The summon jumped back and Tsuyu followed, not wanting to rip her tongue out. Ayame did not bother with Kaminari anymore and pushed him behind her, focusing on Kirishima charging towards them. From the side, Koda seemed to be focused on something while Ochaka was hunched over, one hand clutched on her stomach and another over her mouth. Ayame didn't have time to think about that now.
"No hard feelings, senpai!" Kirishima shouted and stabbed the fox.
However, the fox didn't disappear as he expected, red eyes wide in alarm while Ayame smirked. She raised her arm up and one of the nine tails moved to swipe Kirishima back.
"One point taken from Kirishima," Aizawa announced as the referee.
"No way!"
The kitsune tugged and jumped back from Kirishima. Still trapped in the fox's jaws, Tsuyu jumped forward to recline her tongue back. She landed on the kitsune's head and much like a frog and aimed a hard kick to its face. The fox finally let go but not before turning around again, large tails moved to swat her away.
"One point taken from Asui."
"Go, go, senpai! You can do this all alone!" Ashido cheered.
But I don't want to! Ayame cried in her mind.
Multiple chirps could be heard behind her and Kaminari's dazed 'whees' followed. She turned around, gaping at dozens of little sparrows trying to drag the boy off stage. Her eyes focused on Koda again and saw his mouth moving rapidly.
"One point taken from Kaminari."
"Ahhh!" This time, Ayame did scream and rushed over to her teammate.
"I kinda feel bad for her…" Sato whispered from the audience.
Ayame gritted her teeth. Whatever! She can't allow her kouhais to pity her! She should be able to handle something like this or else how can she prove that she's better?!
I need something bigger—stronger!
Ayame crouched down, her hands focused on the ground and more smoke emitted from her body. The kitsune returned back to her side and absorbed the smoke. Slowly, the fox continued to grow, and grow, and grow. Soon, it turned to a giant size nearly as big as a building.
"H-hey…this is kinda cheating, isn't it?!" Kirishima shouted.
One of the tails brought Kaminari into its body, shooing the birds away from the ring and Ayame remained crouched. Once she saw her teammate to be safe, she raised her hand again, the fox's paw following her movement. The ghostly paw slammed down on the ground, dust and gravel flying outwards from the power.
Kirishima withstood the attacks in his hardened form but Ochako was blown away. Koda grabbed onto Tsuyu's waist while the girl whipped her tongue towards Kirishima to steady them.
"Uraraka is out of bounds."
"Nooo," Ochako weakly groaned from the side, brown eyes looking towards the stage in discontent. Iida and Midoriya went over to help her, patting her back in assurance.
"Tch," Bakugo clicked his tongue, "Why didn't she do that while fighting against me?!"
"Oi, oi, we can't give up now!" Kirishima encouraged. Koda was cowering behind him from the giant summon while Tsuyu was trying to comfort her teammate. All three of them looked towards the giant kitsune and gulped.
I need to end this soon. It's already giving me a headache, Ayame clutched her head and while it was sore, it didn't hurt as it should. A small ray of hope formed in her; maybe she's gaining a resistance towards it.
The fox lowered its head and Ayame weakly got on. Kaminari was lying down inside the belly but he was safe. The kitsune raised its head again and ran forward towards the other three. It stopped just short of them and with a swing of its body, the tails knocked around the three.
Kirishima stayed harden and attacked the first few tails, able to dissipate them from his sheer power but his Quirk started to weaken by the fourth. Koda threw Tsuyu upward towards Ayame but the fox moved its neck, blocking her advance. Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around one of its ears and used the momentum to swing upwards. She maneuvered her body around as she got above Ayame, aiming down to kick her off the mount and—succeeded.
"One point taken from Ayame," Aizawa announced but his eyes were focused on his niece, watching as she fell off the mount yet—she wasn't making any movement to stop it.
Her ribs ached from the kick and her head continued to pound but she couldn't understand what was going on around her. Ayame just felt a rush of air from below before something soft caught her. Her eyes slowly opened, not knowing when she had them closed in the first place, and saw that she had landed on one of the tails.
Huh? Did I command it? Ayame questioned but couldn't remember anything from the past few seconds.
The kitsune shook its head to wave Tsuyu off and she ran to avoid him. Ayame narrowed her eyes against the three of them; it's time to end this. She pointed towards the opponents, a silent command for the kitsune. It dashed forward and with the rest of its six tails, it swallowed the three of them. It flicked its tail from the side, throwing them out of the ring effortlessly.
"Team Ayame and Kaminari wins."
As soon as she heard the announcement, the kitsune disappeared. Ayame collapsed on her knees, breathing deeply as she clutched her head and sighed.
"Senpai!"
A few students gathered around, various eyes peering down on Ayame's form. She blinked at the shadows surrounding her and straightened up, giving them a reassuring smile and thumbs up.
"I'm okay!"
Jirou went over to the still dazed Kaminari, smacking him in the head lightly with a scowl.
"How disappointing! You left Ayame-senpai to fight for herself!" Jirou scolded.
The blonde turned to Ayame then and she could see his watery eyes.
"S-sorry, se-senpai," Kaminari barely managed to sputter out.
"Ahhh Kaminari-kun, you need to work on your Quirk a little more," Ayame giggled. He reminds me of a little pichu.
"Gero, senpai, were you hiding that special move?" Tsuyu recovered and hopped over to them.
"Yeah! That scared the crap outta me!" Kirishima chimed in.
"Oi—you better do that again when we battle!" Somehow, Bakugo also joined in on the conversation and Ayame mentally sweated. She didn't know what she did exactly!
"Ayame, can you continue?" Aizawa asked from the podium.
Ayame turned to her uncle, thinking for one second before grinning. The headaches usually never last for long. She can handle another battle or so.
"Yesss! I'll be fine!" She waved.
Aizawa nodded. "Ashido, Midoriya, Sato, and Aoyama VS Ayame and Sero."
"Hm hmm, it's finally the dazzling—"
"Whoo finally!" Ashido cheered, cutting off any words Aoyama was planning to say, "I wanted to give it a shot, too!"
"Good luck, Deku-kun!" Ochako cheered, "You too, senpai!"
"T-t-thank you, U-uraraka-san!" Midoriya blushed before turning towards his two opponents, "L-let's have a good match!"
Ayame clapped her hands, turning to Sero as they both head upstage. She shook off the light bruises and brushed back her bangs, preparing herself for another mental strain.
"This match may be a bit tricky," Sero whispered, "Both Aoyama and Ashido have long range Quirks while Sato and Midoriya are close range."
She tilted her head and motioned towards the shining knight and pink alien. "What are their Quirks, exactly?"
"Ashido produces acid and Aoyama has a navel laser. He gets terrible stomach aches if he uses it too much, however," Sero snickered.
Ayame nodded dutifully and thought up of an idea, her eyes sparkling in Sero's direction. "Then we'll play the hit-and-run tactic! At least tire Aoyama-kun out. And—we can always lure their attacks to their teammates!"
"Wow…" Sero blinked at his upperclassman, "You're quite ruthless, senpai."
Ayame pumped her fists together. "It's strategy, Sero-kun!"
"Oiii! Are you guys done whispering yet!" Ashido called out from the stage.
"Yes~"Ayame sang back and both of them stepped into the ring.
"Same rules as before," Aizawa said, "Begin!"
"Here we go!" Ashido began to run forward.
"You can't outshine me!" Aoyama posed and fired his navel laser.
Ayame and Sero separated. Midoriya was off to the side as he studied his two opponents and Sato pulled out his sugar reserves. Sato bulked up within seconds and Ayame's eyes widened at the size. She had considered fighting close combat but not anymore!
Ashido was flinging spots of poison towards Ayame while Aoyama was focused on Sero. She dodged to the side of the poison, gulping when she saw the acid melt through the top layer of the ground and turned back to Ashido nervously.
Ahhh I wish I had my cape now! I can't get hit by that!
There was no time for regret when the pink girl launched another attack. Tired of running and decided she had recuperated enough; Ayame imagined the same bird from the previous round and hopped on. A flying target would be harder to hit than a ground one. Even if her bird summon was not as strong as her kitsune or ookami, it should still be enough to dodge.
"Try to catch me now!" Ayame taunted.
"Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Although Ayame was flying around, she was very aware of her surroundings. Midoriya has yet to join the fight while Sato and Aoyama were trying to pin down Sero. She flew over to the two boys, trying to get Ashido to slip up and hit her teammates as she chased her.
"Ashido-san—don't!"
Midoriya's warning came too late.
Ayame dodged from the acid at the last second, her figure revealing Sato to be right behind her. The bulky boy noticed the danger approaching and jumped back but the poison still grazed his arm. Sato howled from the pain and in his distress bumped into Aoyama. The blonde toppled over from the pain and clutched his stomach tightly.
"Mm! Non!" Aoyama cried.
"Wah—sorry, Aoyama!" Sato apologized hurriedly.
"One point taken from Aoyama and Sato."
"What? That counted?" Ashido gasped, "Sorry, Sato-kun, Aoyama-kun!"
"D-don't try to chase them! They're luring you to hit each other!" Midoriya shouted after witnessing the accident. Ayame may still be trying to recover from the last battle so he has no fear of her summoning the giant creature again. Still, she has proven to be a worthy opponent and upperclassman and the fact that she can still call upon something was not beneficial to them.
"Eh? Figure us out already?" Ayame tilted her head yet a playful smile was on her lips. "Then it's time to get serious!"
The bird reverted back into black smoke and Ayame ran forward. The smoke trails began to take form again as she pushed herself to imagine and think—forcing the images from her mind to come to life and go beyond her limit. Two wolves appeared on either side of her, this time more prominent and big as all three of them ran forward.
Seeing the approaching danger, Midoriya stepped out in front of his teammates. He raised one hand forward, index finger pulled back to aimed towards Ayame. Without giving her a chance, Midoriya flicked his finger once she was in range and suddenly—Ayame was blown back.
"AHHH!"
Her summons disappeared all together and she was flying through the air. How was she able to be twenty feet off the ground?! How can Midoriya produce such strength?! Even if he didn't attack her straight on—this shockwave was painful enough!
"Senpai!"
Sero thrust his arm outwards, a long shot of tape left his elbow towards Ayame. She saw the approaching tape and grasped it tightly, wincing when she felt thin cuts open on her arms from the shockwave. Ayame landed safely thanks to Sero's help and she kneeled down again, trying to catch her breath. Long strands of brunette hair fell over her shoulders and she hadn't realized her bun had come undone.
"One point taken from Ayame."
"Ahhh, Deku-kun, are you trying to kill me?" Ayame sighed. Just one more second—then she will get up and fight again.
"S-so-sorry, s-se-se-senpai! I-I d-didn't mean to-!"
Ayame waved it off, a thin trail of blood dripped from her arms. Well, she can't expect to not get hurt. She just wasn't expecting how powerful Midoriya's Quirk was. It was almost the same as when All Might fought that Nomu.
"I'll be bait again," Ayame whispered to Sero and pushed herself to her feet. "Capture Aoyama-kun first when they're distracted."
Sero eyed the blood but said nothing about it. If his senpai insisted on finishing the battle first then they can worry about injuries after. He reeled the tape back into his elbow and Ayame readied another stance. This time, she didn't bother with flashy summons and stuck with her trusty ookami. As soon as it appeared, she hopped on and rushed forward.
"Here they come again!" Ashido flung spots of acid in her direction.
The ookami swerved left and right to dodge. Even if it was somehow hit by the acid, Ayame quickly repaired the smoke trails before the summon disappeared. Aoyama was unable to keep fighting in his condition, barely able to stand in the first place while Midoriya was clutching onto the hand with the broken finger. Sato was the one to stand before them and pulled his arm back to a punch.
Ayame jumped off as soon as Sato punched her wolf, flipping to the middle of the group and surprising them all. Sato whirled around in an attempt to capture her but Ayame shoved Aoyama his way. With such close distance, Ashido did not dare to risk using her poison around her teammates and tried to fight Ayame in close combat.
She ducked as soon as she saw Midoriya aimed to punch her, light brown hair flying in the wind and Ayame slammed her hands down. The lingering black smoke from the dissipated ookami swirled around her and Midoriya rushed to pull Ashido back. A large paw formed, then a long snout, and familiar nine tails swiped at everyone's feet.
Aoyama fell on Sato and Sero took that chance to tie the two together with his tape. He ran forward to assist Ayame when Midoriya and Ashido were focused on her. Sero can clearly see how tired Ayame was and hoped he was quick enough to reach his senpai; he wasn't sure how much longer she can last.
"Please dodge, s-senpai!" Forced in a pinch, Midoriya pulled back his middle finger.
From their close proximity, there was a high chance Ayame would be severely injured again. The hit from last time only gave her thin flesh wounds but her stamina had been depleted. If she took a full hit from that blast—who knows what could happen?!
Instead of running away, the fox grew in size again. The black trails strengthened together and Sero launched his tape right as Midoriya released his hit. Mirodiya and Ashido recoiled back from the sheer power and landed right into the tape retraining them. However, the blast was still launched and everyone turned to Ayame.
The large kitsune swallowed the shockwave but the body began to expand. Ayame gasped, her head pounding in pain once more as she stayed in her kneeled position. One lilac eye glanced upwards to see her strong kitsune force back from the blast but—it was futile. The fox disappeared and the remaining shockwave hit her again.
"GAH!"
"Someone—catch her!" Aizawa shouted, startling the whole class by the sheer panic in his voice.
He cursed himself he wasn't well enough to move, cursed himself for being injured because he currently can't guarantee his niece's safety. Aizawa had seen Ayame push herself the past few days and secretly, he was proud of her progress. Truthfully, he had wanted to stop the battles after the last match but he wanted to see just how far Ayame was willing to try again.
However, now he regretted not stopping the battle midway. His niece was nearly on the verge of losing conscience and—she's still flying through the air!
Sero attempted to use his tape again but nothing would come out from his elbow. Ochako ran forward, tapping her fingers over Iida and the tall boy burst forward. However, Iida was on the whole other side of the field while Ayame was flying the opposite direction. She appeared to not have noticed anything, eyes closed and body limp in the air.
Suddenly, a large iceberg shot up in the middle of the grass field. Todoroki stood back up on the ice and reached his hands out to grab onto Ayame. He pulled her body towards him but her momentum caused them both to tumble forward from the iceberg. He cursed once and used his left hand to steady the girl while the right hand swiped mid-air to create an ice slide.
"Todoroki-san, right here!"
Below, Yaoyorozu created a large trampoline on the bottom of the slide at the right time. Todoroki slid onto the trampoline, bouncing lightly from the momentum but hands still clutched Ayame tightly. Once they were safe, everyone let out a sigh of relief and the brunette stirred.
Ayame felt something warm against her cheek; it was slightly hard yet soft but comfortable. She nearly snuggled closer but stopped herself, forcing lilac eyes to open from the sudden wave of headache. She saw heterochromia eyes of grey and turquoise first, white and red hair falling over his face as Todoroki let out a barely audible sigh.
"Am I dead?" Ayame closed her eyes again.
"Ayame-senpai!"
She grunted when suddenly, many arms attacked her in a startling hug. Ayame was pulled away from Todoroki and, based on the endless pain she felt all over her body, she was not dead.
"Thank goodness you're alright!" Yaoyorozu sighed in relief.
"You scared Aizawa-sensei really bad!" Kirishima said.
"You were just as worried too, Kirishima-chan," Tsuyu pointed out.
"I-I'm so, so, so-so, so sorry, senpai!" Midoriya brushed past his classmates to get on his knees to bow before her. He was ignoring his broken fingers, tears brimmed the corner of his eyes as he saw the unruly state of his upperclassman.
Ayame got up with the help of Ochaka and motioned for her to set her down next to Midoriya. A playful smile was on her lips as she ruffled Midoriya's fluffy green hair, causing him to look up with teary emerald eyes.
"Why are you apologizing? Your power is so cool, Deku-kun!" Ayame complimented loudly, "Ahhh! It wasn't your fault! You did warn me to dodge!"
"B-but, but, but…!"
"No 'but's!" Ayame waved her finger, "If you're still sorry, you can help me to the nurse's office. I think we both need some rest."
She grimaced at the purple and black fingers on Midoriya's right hand, wondering again how he managed to survive so far with his Quirk. Ayame hated pain and doubted she would be able to push her body to such limits if she were in his shoes.
Midoriya wiped the tears away and nodded his head. He got up quickly and helped Ayame up as well. Ayame avoided his broken fingers and put an arm around his shoulders as he supported her.
"Ah, oji-san! You were worried?" Ayame remembered to tease and forgo the formalities to call her uncle.
"Don't faint next time," Aizawa walked towards them but everyone could feel the glare he directed at Ayame.
Feeling cheeky, Ayame grinned and rubbed her tangled hair.
"Can't promise anything!" Remembering something, Ayame turned to her uncle one more time. "Oh right! Who won the last match?"
Realizing that Aizawa didn't announce the results, everyone's eyes turned towards the teacher.
"Team Ayame and Sero won."
Ayame cheered and waved to Sero happily.
"But, you still lost for getting hit twice. You're lucky you had Sero as a teammate," Aizawa reprimanded.
She gulped, feeling nervous all again by the sad truth and turned to the dark haired boy sheepishly.
"Thank you, Sero-kun! B-but it was a team effort, right?" Ayame attempted to justify.
"Y-yeah," Sero replied.
Ayame and Midoriya began to walk away, leaving the rest of the class behind. Sero was still watching their upperclassman's back, wondering to himself why Ayame dismissed her efforts so easily.
"But...you know," Sero began quietly, "I wouldn't have won without Ayame-senpai. She did majority of the fight…"
Everyone quietly agreed.
Bakugo clicked his tongue and turned around, the fire disappearing from his hands. He had almost been the one to fly out to catch that damn senpai but the half-and-half got there first. His crimson eyes studied the said boy, watching Todoroki flex his hands and walked away.
Tch, whatever! He didn't care anyways!
"Ahhh, man! Your Quirk is so powerful, Deku-kun!" Ayame sighed as she said to the shorter boy, "It's a shame you get hurt every time though!"
Midoriya blushed lightly from their close proximity and nodded his head. He knew his upperclassman was very friendly and talkative so he expected her to say something during their trip. He was still unprepared to be so close with her, however.
"Y-yours is strong too, senpai," Midoriya said again.
He really believed it. Since he first witnessed her powers, Midoriya had been jotting down notes regarding her Quirk. Ayame hadn't elaborated on her Quirk and from what it looks like; she still does not know the full extent of it. It reminded Midoriya of himself; she has a Quirk too powerful that her body could not keep up with.
"It's alright," Ayame scrunched up her nose, "I'm not utilizing its full potential, apparently. It's always so random whether they disappear or not."
Midoriya peeked at her shyly, gathering up the courage to speak.
"I-if you do-don't mind, senpai! I-I'd would l-like to help y-you with your Quirk!"
He ducked his head, dark green hair falling into his eyes as he waited for her reaction. Ayame paused, lilac eyes blinking in his direction before her lips turned up into a grin. He's so adorable!
"You'd do that for me, Deku-kun?" Ayame asked excitedly and tugged her arm around his shoulders tighter, "You're the best!"
Midoriya blushed furiously when Ayame shook them both. He thought his senpai was really…excitable but—it wasn't unpleasant. Even he found her antics funny and even—charming at times. He could understand why his fellow classmates enjoyed talking with her.
"Oh my, Ayame-san?"
At that time, a familiar voice reached their ears. Both of them looked up to see two tall boys walking their way. Classes should still be in session now so they hadn't seen anyone in the hallway. Ayame, however, stiffened at the sight of her class representatives.
Why was he everywhere today?!
"What happened?" Yuu looked shocked by her injured state. Takarada spared them a glance, eyes settling on their joined body once before looking away.
"Just some training," Ayame answered Yuu lightly. She noticed the stacks of papers they were holding and figured they must have some student council stuff to take care of. "We're heading to Recovery Girl now!"
"Mm," Yuu nodded his head in agreement, his gentle smile resurfacing, "Take care of your body. The days leading up to the festival are very crucial."
"Yup!" Ayame mentally sighed, wondering again how sweet-kind-caring Yuu-kun was friends with a rock.
"Let's go," this time, Takarada didn't bother to acknowledge her and led the way. Yuu gave them another smile and both walked off.
Ayame began to walk too but Midoriya seemed to be frozen still. She glanced down at him to see his dazed expression glancing at the two class representatives and she nearly groaned.
"Don't tell me you're interested in them too!" Ayame gasped.
Midoriya turned back to the girl and blushed furiously again. He waved his free hand 'no' rapidly and continued their way to the nurse's office.
"N-no I-I thought—" Midoriya looked down shyly, "I-I can't believe I was able to see them again. T-their victory during last year's U.A. Sports Festival was amazing to watch."
Ayame pouted. That sounded like he's interested!
Midoriya glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, silently deciding to keep the second statement to himself. He wanted to ask why Ayame was not in the tournament last year when she was so strong but when he remembered the two upperclassmen arguing, he figured it was not a topic Ayame wanted to talk about.
They arrived to the nurse's office with no more interruptions. Recovery Girl looked shocked by their injuries and with a simple kiss, Ayame healed. Midoriya's broken fingers were next but the nurse looked disappointed in the younger boy's direction. Meanwhile, Ayame only received light injuries since her headache resulted from her Quirk overuse but—it had already subsided.
"You should take it easy for a bit. It looks like your body is overworking itself," Recovery Girl advised Ayame. There were even a few days old bruises on the girl's body. "Here, have some gummies."
She laughed sheepishly for the advice, nodding her head in agreement with the nurse. Ayame perked up at the sight of candies and said a quick 'thanks!' She popped one in her mouth, watching as Recovery Girl kissed Midoriya's fingers. He flinched in pain and held back a scream but Ayame grimaced for him.
"Would you mind leaving first, young girl?" Recovery Girl asked Ayame kindly.
She blinked at sudden request and looked at the two. Midoriya offered an apologetic smile and, figuring it was none of her business, Ayame nodded.
"Okay! See you tomorrow, Deku-kun!"
Ayame hopped out of the office, opening the door and nearly stumbled into someone. The skeleton teacher with the oversized suit was standing before the door right as she opened it.
"Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise and bowed, "Excuse me, sensei."
"Oh-oh!" The blonde stepped back quickly, vibrant blue eyes staring at the brunette, "G-go ahead."
Ayame blinked again, even his voice sounded raspy. She gave Midoriya another wave and went her way to the locker rooms.
School was over by the time Ayame was done. She grabbed her school backpack and made her way towards the exit. Hundreds of other students left as well and amongst all of the students, Ayame recognized the red and white hair. Remembering how they had taken the same train to school before, she hopped over to Todoroki.
"Hey, Totoro-kun!"
Todoroki stiffened, instantly recognizing the bubbly voice of his upperclassman and continued walking. Why does she always pop up around him?
Ayame pouted. He was ignoring her!
She ran up to him quickly and blocked his way, not deterred by the sudden sharp look he gave her. So what? She was used to it by Takarada's glare, anyways.
"Ahhh, I only wanted to say thanks for rescuing me today!" Ayame huffed. She forgot to mention it earlier but she planned on thanking him the next day anyways! Now, she won't have to! "I won't walk with you since you don't want to."
She spun around; long tan hair flying behind her as Ayame walked away. Todoroki eyed the long hair for a second before continuing his venture home. Ayame was a couple steps in front of him and he followed behind in a steady pace. Other students walked and chattered around them yet both were lost in their own worlds.
Todoroki kept his hands in his pocket, walking behind Ayame with no intention on passing her. Thinking back to his senpai, he remembered the battles from the past day and so. It truly did not look like it but Ayame was…strong. Even during the attack at USJ, he had seen the dozens of villains lying unconscious from Ayame and Aizawa's defense. Todoroki had not seen her fight then but—he knew she must have been a helpful asset to Aizawa.
And regarding the sudden training Aizawa spurred on them, they were able to witness her Quirk even more. Yesterday, she was not able to use the full extent of her powers until today. Todoroki hadn't realized there was more than she let on and a small part of him wished that he was one of the students to fight her.
The giant summon she created and the multiple wolves were a surprising factor. What was even more confusing was—Ayame's shock herself. But no matter how hard she had tried, she faced serious repercussions afterwards. Even Midoriya was able to blow her summons to pieces.
Then what about him?
Would Todoroki be able to win against her?
They arrived at the train station and as expected, they took the same train home. Ayame was still not attempting to talk to Todoroki—because that was what he wanted anyways! She leaned against the side of the door in the crowded train, her reflection from the window showed the slight pout on her lips and Todoroki's blurred figure across from her.
She wouldn't be getting off for another few stops. Briefly, Ayame wondered which station Todoroki leaves at but quickly shook that from mind. He doesn't seem like the type to want to be friends so there goes all her wasted efforts! Maybe she was still feeling bitter about Takarada and his stone-face that Todoroki's own quiet nature bothered her.
A few more minutes passed and the intercom announced her exit. As soon as the door opened, Ayame stepped out without another word. Her feet took her upstairs back to the city yet before she even left the station, her shoulder was grabbed. Ayame tensed, turning her head to see a few high school guys she doesn't recognize.
What do they want?
"Hey, you're from U.A., right?" The tallest one had asked with a wide grin. "Wanna come with us to the arcade?"
Ayame glanced around. Ah, no wonder they asked her. She was the only girl walking alone. Already in a bad mood, she shook off his hand.
"No, thanks."
"Why not?" Another guy followed her as they slowly trailed behind her.
What the heck? Stop following! That's creepy!
"I don't have a habit of following sleazy guys around," Ayame answered truthfully with a cute smile.
"You—"
"Oi."
A cold hand reached out to swat the one trying to grab her. Ayame blinked, lilac eyes following heterochromia ones glaring at the guy. Todoroki reached out to tug her along and ignored the rest.
"Let's go."
Seeing that she wasn't alone anymore, the guys clicked their tongues and left. Todoroki led (dragged) her away, cold fingers clutching onto her wrist while she followed behind him.
"You didn't have to do that, ya know," Ayame felt her mood improved, slightly smiling behind him as he continued to march forward.
"Ahh," Todoroki agreed; really, he didn't plan on it but he hated seeing those types of people harassing others for no reason. "Are you able to get home by yourself?"
She nearly rolled her eyes. Ayame was the one older than him! Plus, her injuries were already healed! Why was he acting like her babysitter?
"I'll be fine," she answered and tugged on the still trapped wrist.
Realizing that he was still holding on, Todoroki let go. His eye scanned her appearance and seeing no visible injuries confirmed that she will be alright. With her hair untied and nonchalant attitude, Todoroki can understand why Ayame was stopped before.
"Which way is your home?" Ayame asked curiously; she wasn't the type to stay upset for long.
Todoroki pointed towards one direction and Ayame blinked. If she remembered correctly, his house should be on the upper (richer) side of town. While Ayame's house was decently sized and was actually a house, not an apartment, she wondered just how rich Todoroki was.
"Mine's that way," she pointed towards the opposite direction. Ayame took one step forward but paused again, turning back to Todoroki with a resolute face. "Thanks, again. And…uh, it's fine if you're…you. I just wanted to be friends with everyone but—I understand if you need your space."
Ayame ruffled her hair awkwardly. Why was it so hard to be a supportive upperclassman?! She just doesn't want any ill-relationship in Class 1-A—starting with him! Todoroki wasn't a bad kid, his assistance to her had proven it plenty of times, but he was just a little…cold! And that's fine!
Todoroki blinked, not expecting the random confession and couldn't form a reply. It didn't matter to him on what she or the rest of the class thinks of him. Todoroki went to U.A. for one reason: to be a hero on his own terms. Becoming friends with anyone wasn't part of the plan.
"W-well! I'll see you tomorrow!"
Hearing no response was just as bad. Ayame hastily said her goodbyes and turned to leave. She felt slight warmth on her cheeks and wondered if summer had come early. Ahh—no, it's fine! This was not weird at all!
Heterochromia eyes watched his senpai's retreating back and thought back to her earlier statement. Todoroki turned around to leave without another glance, reaffirming his convictions from before.
I'm only here to be a hero. I have no intentions on being friends.
A/N:
This is still Early-roki so of course he'll be a little cold still. And Ayame isn't falling in love that fast; she wanted to be a good role model and friend!
Gosh this chapter was excruciating long by accident but I hope you all enjoyed it! More OCs are introduced in this chapter and feel free to send me more!
The Sports Festival arc will be a long one since I'm writing the second year's event too. I just hope I can do the fight scenes and elimination rounds creatively! The class representatives are special OCs of mine so check my Twitter (CardyDesu) or Tumblr (toomuchpineapples) to see how they look like!
Oh, right, I won't be focusing on any side pairings despite a few hints. That's all I will write. Ayame x Shoto will be the main pairing here. And no, the 'Totoro' nickname won't stay. She just likes giving people nicknames though LOL
Reviews are much appreciated! I appreciate every favorite/story alerts and hope to hear some feedback as well.