Monday, after what feels like forever cleaning and writing essays and behaving, feels like a breath of fresh air.
Especially when we get to heroics.
"Today's activity will be a game of capture the flag," Sensei says as he surveys us in the main computer room of ground Beta. I shift, feeling my skin-tight uniform stretch and cross my arms, feeling oddly exposed without my hair. "The goal of today's assignment is to defend your flag while also extracting your opponent's. All of you will be participating in this exercise at the same time, and you've already been divided into five teams of four."
Sensei leans over, pressing a button so a list appears on one of the screens.
Like all my classmates, I lean forward in anticipation.
Hoki, Rin.
My name appears in the fourth group, second from the bottom.
Yaoyorozu, Momo
Shouji, Mezou
Aoyama, Yuuga
I frown, having to take a moment to remember who Aoyama and Shouji even are.
Laser and Ninja…
I walk towards Momo-chan, uncertain. I'd rarely ever worked with either.
"You may use capture tape to eliminate your opponents, anyone knocked out is immediately eliminated, and teams who lose their flags are also disqualified. Your flags are located by the exit door," Sensei says, his expression bored as he pulls one of those weird jelly pouches from his pocket. "Grab one on your way out, you have ten minutes to plan and place your flags. Your time begins now."
He takes a long slurp and I give him a weird look.
Why did he always do these weird things when we're in class?
He stares back, one brow rising.
I affix one of his stupid smiles on my face, making sure I look just as ridiculous.
He actually snorts, and I turn away, too amused.
"Mon chéri, what are you doing?" Sparkles asks, his voice a little higher pitch than normal.
I snort.
"Teasing Sensei," I answer, following him and Ninja to the exit. Momo-chan grabs the flag and I run a hand through my hair, remembering once again it's not long or even in a braid. I shove the loose strands behind my ear. "Momo-chan? What's the plan?"
The others look at her too, and Momo blushes as we quickly work our way away from the few we can see and towards the Eastern side of the mock-city.
"We should probably hide our flag inside a building," Momo says, her eyes scanning the buildings ahead of us curiously. "I think it'd be a good idea to set a few false ones as defense as well, in case Kyouka-chan tries to find them using sound."
I nod, listening as the other two agree.
"We'll need someone to take on our stronger classmates either for defense or as a distraction," Ninja says, one of his hand-mouths turning towards me. "Hoki-chan, you have the most raw power."
I blush.
"Oh…"
I… I guess he wasn't necessarily wrong, but it felt weird to hear him say it.
"I can also serve as a distraction!" Sparkles shouts, spinning excitedly before throwing out his arms. "My sparkling personality-"
"Actually," Momo cuts in, looking embarrassed for interrupting. The blonde doesn't seem to mind though, instead quieting and smiling happily. He poses as he waits, looking a lot like Aunt Nemuri when bored. "I- I was thinking you'd be better served as defense. You could use your laser to alert us if there's a problem, and—and maybe we can set up some mirrors? So that way we don't necessarily give away our base's position, but we'll all know if there's a problem? Or we could set up a fake base where one of us guards the real one and the other takes the fake one?"
"Then I'll collect the other flags?" Ninja asks, not really sounding surprised.
"I figured you'd be best at avoiding our classmates and figuring out where the other bases are. I… here!"
I glance over as Momo makes a face and several headsets begin dropping from her exposed arm. She passes one to each of us. I take mine with a quiet thank you echoed by the others.
"Now we can communicate!"
I push the headpiece into my ear and listen, a loud static breaking into sudden silence as Momo goes through several checks to make sure it works.
"Testing. Testing…"
"Five minutes remaining," Sensei's voice drawls across the area.
All four of us frown.
That's fast.
"Aoyama-kun, will you put this on the third floor in that building?" Momo asks, nodding over towards a rather short and fat building almost a kilometer to our 3 o'clock and handing him the original flag. She screws up her face and a moment later a smaller, darker flag expels from her belly. "Shouji-kun-"
"I'll hide some," Ninja says, one of his many appendages speaking as another turns into a hand. He pulls three of the flags close before a numb stretches into a mouth. It… stares directly at me. Can a mouth stare? "Hoki-chan, I can hear our classmates in that direction."
He points further East, and I nod.
"Do you want me to hide a flag then?" I ask, brows furrowing as Sparkles disappears into the short building.
"No," she huffs, looking a little drained. I remember, belatedly, that the creation costs her body fat. I wonder why she's not bigger? "I-I think we've got it! The buzzer is about to ring though, so if you'll head away from us before fighting, I think it'll help so people don't use your direction as a clue…"
I hadn't thought of that.
I nod and roll my shoulders, loosening tense muscles.
"Alright."
And then, because I'm not really sure what else to do, I lean forward and encase the taller girl in a hug.
She stutters and blushes, hands immediately rising. They seem to hang in the air, as if for a moment she forgets what to do with them.
"Good luck," I whisper, smiling up.
Ninja, flags in hand, makes a soft sound before moving away.
Momo's arms fall across my shoulders, and she squeezes, expression fond as she smiles back.
"You too! Let's do our best, Rin-chan! Plus Ultra!"
.
.
.
The buzzer to begin sounds a good thirty seconds into my jog across the city. As soon as it does, I let the shadows bubble up from my skin, the darkness swirling with thick strands of light and colors. It swells across my limbs, ripping past the open fabric on my back.
Massive wings sprout and explode, nearly slowing me in their drag as I run.
I pump them furiously. Wind blast through my hair and my feet skip on and off the ground.
I shift, banking for a turn, and nearly fall out of the sky as Sero, of all people, slams directly into my chest.
"Whaa-"
"Ack!"
The moment spins us both. My wings shudder and disperse, and it's only pure instinct that has a clawed arm shooting out from my quirk. It screech against a metal wall, slowing both of our descents. I use the motion to flip us, straddling the taller boy mid-air. He squawks, face going cherry red, before slamming back-first into the sidewalk.
"Aahh!"
His eyes roll.
"R-Rin-chan!"
Fire and excitement flare inside of me, my hair rising to swirl above me as silvery lights explode throughout my quirk.
Got you!
Capture tape in hand, I wrap the dazed boy's arms before a flash of movement appears in the reflection of Sero's visor.
There's no time to think. I roll left, a leg and flash of white passing over. I roll again, further, hands scratching against pebbles and loose debris, the cement under us freezing. I bend my legs, folding them to my chest, trying to spring back, but something thick and strong swipes against my ankles. I let the momentum carry me, spinning on one hand and balancing into a spinning one-handed handstand before flipping backwards. I sink into a defensive stance automatically.
Ojiro, grimacing, rears back for another attack.
"I've found a base," hisses a voice in my ear, and I nearly miss my first block remembering it's Ninja as Ojiro attacks. The blonde's tail crashes into my arm, and without the preparation, I'm slung backwards. "Ten blocks east and three north from the water tower."
I have no idea where the water tower is, but I'll figure it out in a moment.
I let the darkness pour from my skin and reach.
Black tendrils swirling with galaxies of light race forward. Ojiro jumps back, eyes wide, and I follow, feet pounding the pavement. Shadowy arms with sharp nails reach again. He avoids three swipes before I trap him against what's probably supposed to be a storefront.
I grab for the capture tape I just had, fully prepared to disqualify him, when the sound of a gunshot engine echoes like a train.
My entire body snaps to attention. A blur of white blurs towards us-
Shit.
I gag on tentacles, even as spider legs rupture from my back. I fly upwards, stomach churning, the world darkening at the edges. My foot knocks against something, and when I look down Iida grins up, helmet in hand, his tape extended like it'd only just missed my other leg.
"What-"
BOOM!
The explosion that rips through the field is deafening, followed quickly by Ojiro shouts as the tentacles from my mouth fall on him. The dark mass swirls around his shoulders and tightens. He pales beneath it, breath quickening.
Give me all your money.
You have one minute or she'll kill you!
Iida reacts instantly, reaching into the darkness without hesitation. He pulls the other boy out and slaps the capture tape on his wrist as he does. I swing from giant spider legs expanding from my back before letting them disperse. I drop to the rooftop below the impact rattling my teeth. I breathe deeply, desperately scrambling for control.
You shouldn't be here.
People don't want a hero that looks like a villain. They'll take one look at your quirk, your address, your fucking clothes, and know.
I shiver, sucking down several more breaths, preparing for the next attack when-
"Team two is disqualified, your flag has been captured."
I jerk at Sensei's voice.
"Iida, Satou, Hagakure, and Tokoyami, exit the field."
I turn.
Iida's expression becomes disappointed. His sweaty hair sticking in all directions as he frowns. Ojiro, beside him, doesn't look much happier.
"Mademoiselle!" cries Lazer's voice through the speaker in my ear. "Watch out! The skies!"
My eyes widen.
A sky full of specs above darken, expanding.
Are those…
"Rin-chan! RUN!" Momo shouts in the headset. It's enough. Black, nightmarish wings explode from my back. I turn and sprint, a massive explosion and column of ice detonating to the north.
Shit.
My wings thrum with power, lifting me up into the air, hot winds that taste like ash and dust burn my eyes.
You need goggles.
I need a plan, I think angrily, head whipping back to see the mass bigger and far too close. Birds. I'm being chased by fucking birds.
This has to be Kouda.
"I've got the one by the watch tower," Ninja says in my ear. "I'm heading back now."
"Team five," Sensei's voice crackles across the speakers. "Your team is disqualified, your flag is captured."
I jerk to the right, banking hard as the birds chase after me, their squawking louder than the wind in my ears, and the hum of their wings thunder in my ear. My heart races as I make another loop, trying to lose them.
A flash of green zips beside me, vibrant lightning arcing off a green uniform.
"Kaminari, Ashido, Sero, and Asui, remove yourselves from the field."
Midoriya.
"Hey Hoki-chan!" he shouts, grinning widely with capture tape in his hand and a suspicious glint in his eyes.
Dangerous.
I flare my wings, lips thin. He blurs ahead with a shout and the mass of birds crash head-first into my back. My wings disperse, claws and feathers and the sharp rake of beaks tearing at my back. I drop between them all, like a stone. The wings reemerge, pressed flat to my back until they expand at the last minute to glide.
A whirlwind of power blows through the space I just was.
The birds disperse, then reforming completely unharmed, their bodies turn as one, like an ominous cloud, they follow.
"Shit," I hiss, back aching.
I sprint again, the shadows clinging as they change, curling across my body.
Up, around, over, they follow like some sort of damn tracker. I press my hand against my ear, feeling for the radio, breathless and terrified, snarling.
"Where the hell is Kouda?"
Radio static clicks, and I round a corner. I use my shadows like a capture weapon, throwing them to the corner of a building. I swing up and into the air. Fuck this. When I find that bastard I'm gonna-
"Oui! I think I see him near the old warehouse district!"
"Shouji-kun, how are you doing with finding flags?" Momo's voice asks. "Rin-chan, hold in there-"
I have no idea where the fucking districts are around here.
"I'm fine. Coordinates?" I snap, muscles aching as I pull myself up and past the line of buildings to look.
A flash of heat and cold slam into me like a fucking wall, and I'm completely unsurprised to see Todoroki and Bakugou exploding maybe five of six blocks over.
"I'm near Bakugou and Todoroki."
"He's on the other side of the city," Ninja's raspy voice says. He sounds like he's whispering. "I'm closest, Yaoyorozu-chan, you've got two heading your way. I'll engage Kouda-kun."
I don't have time to think about it. A green blur crosses my vision again and I want to curse.
What the fuck are you doing? The though sounds uncannily like Bakugou. Do you want to be a hero or not?
I dip and spin, cracking the shadows cocooning my body and stretching them out into ratty, nightmarish wings. I glide across the field, trying to find space and a moment's rest.
Attack Hoki.
Part of being a hero is being able to stop villains and protect the innocent.
I glare at the mass of birds. They don't even look depleted, sharp red eyes burning. Pigeons.
They screech, circling, clearly gearing up for another attack.
You really gonna be done in by some damn birds?
I drop to a lower roof, gasping. My heart races. My back aches. My body shakes, knees weak. Now or never. The sleeves on my arms shred, darkness clawing its way from my scars like plagues. Talons dripping, mouths yawning.
Dust in my mouth. Sensei's blood leaking across the ground. Kagura-nee-chan crying.
Tentacles join them, knocking the birds away and into a building. Someone shouts.
Fight.
A body drops behind me.
I react instantly, my quirk exploding towards the person.
I turn, leave no openings.
My eyes widen.
Ochako.
She slumps against a wall, mouth opening, blood leaking from the side of her head.
The shadows flicker, my quirk falls away.
"Oh no," I whisper, rushing towards her in immediate panic. No, no, no- "Ochako-chan!"
The girl splutters, alive. I shake, dropping beside her.
"It's-It's okay, R-Rin-chan…"
I can't breathe. Emotions claw at my throat. I brush back her hair shakily, looking for the wound. Blood trickles on brown hair. She's so pale. Pale like Nee-chan. Pale like Yui-san—graying. Dead.
It's all your fault.
An explosion rocks the area again. I barely notice.
"R-Rin-chan," the girl says again.
I can barely focus on her words. She grabs my hands.
"Rin-chan. I-I was supposed to distract you."
My back stiffens.
The hairs on my neck rise.
"Wh-What?"
There's no attack at my back.
Midoriya.
Where's Midoriya?
The girl smiles crookedly, lip already swelling. I reach for my headset. Gone. No crackle of words, no static—the others—
I turn.
A blue beam pierces the sky like pure power.
Too far away.
My throat constricts.
Too late.
Momo. Laser.
Something dark and horrid inside me rises up. Like those birds, clawing and scratching at my insides. My hands feel numb, emotions swirling, turbulent. Inescapable. A thousand memories rise from seemingly nowhere. Dirty faces, shaking hands, my brother's scarred face.
You shouldn't be here.
I shake, breath catching.
"R-Rin-chan?"
Darkness bubbles out of my skin like tar. Faster, darker, thicker than ever.
Why are you even here? Do you even want to be a hero?
He rises over the car like a god rising from the waves.
If it weren't for you, they'd still be alive!
Mama screaming, Daddy's jaw broken.
What are you doing?
Wind spins around me. Like that time in the woods, it blisters. It rises. My hair whips into the air, black flames curling with it. The emotions spill out dangerously. My fists clench, my teeth grinding together.
The cement beneath me cracks and Ochako lets out a scream.
"R-Rin- R-Rin-chan!"
I tilt my head back.
I scream.
Every injustice. Every angry thought. Every horrid, terrifying fear.
He'll never love you.
They fell apart because of you. Your family broke.
You think this one won't?
What do you think you're playing at? Hero? You?
Fuck heroes.
The world seems to still.
"Heh, actually ready to fight, huh?" sneers a voice. My head snaps left, fury leaking past my lips in an inky drip. Bakugou grins back, his cocky expression marred by the thick set of scratches on his cheek. "Hell yeah, scar-head. Let's go!"
I don't think.
One second, I'm on the cracked rooftop, Ochako behind me. The next, I'm in front of the blonde, the taste of destruction on my tongue. Red eyes widen.
He doesn't even have time to blink.
My hand thrusts forward.
Shadows cover his face. He's blown back, a stream of darkness as thick as a tree slamming him through a wall.
Ice glitters on my right.
I twist.
Distance disappears in a breath. Ice and cement crackle beneath my steps. They shatter, like glass spraying into the air. My arm slides forward, flesh meeting my flesh. A distant scream, red and white hair fluttering. I fling it away.
Effortless.
Numb.
"TODOROKI!"
The voice is familiar. I turn, green lightning in my sight.
My mouth opens. Jaw unhinged.
A pillar of darkness bursts forth.
"BITCH!"
Explosions crackle behind me. I move. A grenade arm where I was. I reach out—crush it—something cries, the sounds swelling to a crescendo.
"HOKI-"
A kick at my head. I barely block, the force sending me sideways. Short hair whips in my face, my feet skid on stone. I steady, teeth bared. I rocket forward, green eyes wide. An arm reaches out. I pull, pivot. Drop.
Green lightning slams below me-
Pull back, fist clenched.
The ice is back, blooming between us.
I snarl and tear it away. It shreds, green disappearing beneath it. Claws gouge the rooftop breaking as my jaw unhinges again. Black flames pour.
"Damn it-"
"Fucking hell-!"
"Oi-"
"Ka-chan! Wait!"
I don't see the hit until too late. My head explodes in pain. Heat sears across my ear and face. I choke on it, on screams, on flames and emotions. A grenade arm smashes into my stomach, a knee at my chest. It knocks us both into the cement, the breath escaping my lungs. I can't breathe. Can't think.
The darkness evaporates instantly.
Red eyes glaring down.
Ba-Bakugou?
I choke on my own tongue. Suffocating on blood and dust and-
"What the fuck was that?" the blonde snaps, chest heaving. His brows furrow, face smeared in dirt. The grip on my shirt tightens, the weight on my chest shifting. It relieves the pressure, but I still can't breathe. I gasp for air I can't get, and it takes too long to realize he's on top of me, one arm cradled as the other pins me down.
"Ka-chan-"
"No! Fuck off nerd. What the hell was that?"
"Ka-chan!"
Midoriya kicks the blonde, knocking him off me, and I wheeze and roll. The cement below tastes like ruin, the smell of burning flesh filling my nostrils. I still struggle, unable to breathe, unable to think.
"It's a panic attack!" the green-haired boy snaps, reaching down and pulling me to my knees. The world spins.
"How the fuck am I supposed to know that?" the blonde snarls, dragging himself to his feet. "Oi, calm your shit."
"Seriously?" Midoriya groans. A moment later gloved hands are reaching out, wide green eyes and freckles filling my vision. "Deep breaths Hoki. Let's uh… let's count!"
It's almost as bad as Bakugou.
I slap away his hand, humiliated and horrified.
What the hell just happened?
You need to calm down.
Breathe.
Even knowing what to do, I can't. Something about the air, the destruction, the lack of control—what did I do? What did I do—makes it all feel hopeless. Helpless.
"Hoki-chan," Midoriya tries again, leaning forward and squatting in front of me. He's missing his sleeves, thick muscles and terrifying scars on display. "Hey! Hoki-chan! You're hyperventilating. You've gotta calm down. Come on, slower."
My whole body aches.
Tears sting at my eyes, the side of my vision blurs, and I can taste the metal in my mouth. My ears ring, the side of my face burning something fierce.
What did I do?
"Oi," Bakugou snaps. "Don't-"
"Bakugou," huffs a tired voice. Todoroki limps over, one arm wrapped over across his exposed and purpling abs. "That's still not helpful."
I choke on a sob.
A hand falls on my back.
I jerk, head snaping to the side and the world spins again, only to see Midoriya smiling weakly. I lean into him, breath finally regulating, though the world won't stay still. Sucking down deep breaths, I drag my knees up to my chest, folding my body forward as if to try and find something still. I lay my head against them, exhausted and aching.
"Did Sensei call the match yet?" Todoroki asks.
"Tch," Bakugou scowls. "No."
Something in that sentence finally clicks.
The match…
I flinch and cringe, waiting for the explosions or ice or blows.
Nothing comes though.
"Idiot," Bakugou snorts.
I from up at him, surprised to find him scowling, a blistered and bleeding arm hanging limp at his side. He glowers back, teeth bloody.
Not even seconds later, the speakers crackle to life.
"Team four is eliminated. Remove yourselves from the field. Team One, your flag is now also eliminated. Team Three wins. Everyone, return to the debriefing room."
Bakugou's eye twitches.
He glares between Midoriya and Todoroki before eventually snarling and stomping away.
"Oi! Shitty hair! What the fuck-"
I tune him out, eyes closing as the world spins dizzily still.
"Hoki-chan? We… We probably need to head back now."
Just the thought of standing makes my stomach churn.
"Where's Uraraka-chan?" Todoroki asks, his voice low.
"Probably with Kirishima-kun," the green-haired boy says. "She left as soon as Hoki-chan started losing control, so it would have been either her or Kouda-kun that took their flag. Probably Uraraka-chan, though. Last I saw, Kouda-kun was fighting Shouji-kun closer to the south. Hoki-chan, can you stand?"
Absolutely not.
I'm pretty sure I'm about to throw up.
"Hoki-"
"Move," I gasp. Then, crawling to the side of the building, I retch.
It burns, leaving me breathless. My cheeks flush, the taste of acid on my tongue and head throbbing in time with my heart.
I wish Hitoshi were here, if just to make a stupid joke.
Damn Rin, can't hold your quirk?
"Ugh."
I spare the red- and white-haired boy a sour look, wiping at my chin.
Fuck.
I just wanna go home.
"Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya scolds, elbowing the other boy. Then, shaking his head, he leans over with a boyish smile. Not for the first time, I can't help but wonder why he's still even here. "C'mon Hoki-chan, I can carry you. Let's get back before Sensei sends someone to come get us."
Strong arms reach out, gloved hands gliding across my uniform before he lifts.
I cling to him instinctively, a quiet whimper as my fingers dig into the fabric of his suit.
Midoriya freezes, and I twist in his grip, shoving my face into his shoulder, shaking. Crying. I want to snarl. I want to glare. I wipe at my face even as they fall, hating the stupid tears, hating my own helplessness.
"S-Sorry," I whisper.
"H-Hey it's okay!"
It's not. I close my eyes and feel his hands tighten, one under my knee and the other at my back. It's… grounding.
I bury my face.
Midoriya almost seems to shiver...
His arms feel safe though.
And closing my eyes, I breathe deeply, the smell of burnt flesh and debris layered with whatever soap the green-haired boy uses.
Eventually, I relax.
Both him and Todoroki talk for what feels forever, their voices low and soothing as the emotions of the day slowly drain away.
"That ice attack at the end, it was one of your new moves, wasn't it?" Midoriya asks, shifting slightly as they make their way down a set of stairs. "It looked thicker than usual, like maybe you redesigned the crystalline structure?"
"It was supposed to be more reinforced," Todoroki agrees, his voice low. "Not that it helped."
"Yeah… Hoki-chan was pretty impressive," the green-haired boy admits. I peek open an eye, surprised to see him smiling. It's ruined by the massive bruise purpling the side of his face.
My stomach churns with the realization I did that.
"Midoriya-kun?" I whisper, fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt. You lost control. "Are you… Are you o-"
"Hey, I'm fine!" the green-haired boy says, his voice weirdly brighter.
I catch sight of Todoroki at his side and grimace.
Liar.
They both look terrible. Hero costumes shredded, thick, purpling bruises, and Todoroki's limp…
What were you thinking?
"You know, coming up with a plan was pretty challenging. Our group… Well, we figured you and Ka-chan would be the hardest to stop," the green goes on, clearly trying to keep the discussion light. "If it were dark or nighttime, we'd probably have had to worry about Tokoyami-kun as well, not to say our other classmates aren't strong, but you guys are the most dangerous in terms of raw power! And… well, don't tell Ka-chan, but he's kinda predictable."
Todoroki, meeting my eye, snorts.
I feel my skin warm, the slight pink of my quirk spilling through my uniform.
"It- It was pretty obvious though that if Todoroki-kun attacked him, Ka-chan would be distracted by him for a while. He gets really caught up in rivalries, so the plan was for me to face you! But I didn't think you'd make yourself visible if you could help it. Since Aizawa-sensei is your guardian, I figured you'd probably stick to more of the alleys and shadows, since him and Present Mic-sensei taught you. So Kouda-kun was supposed to help us locate you. And, of course, you were taking down classmates. Your quirk is so versatile! It's a lot harder to predict what you'll do. I didn't expect you to fly, but your shadow wings are so cool."
I don't say anything, feeling my skin warm at all of his ridiculous praise.
Cool?
Me?
I want to scoff, but even the thought makes the room spin nauseously.
"It's so neat that you can manifest your emotions physically though," the boy says, and I stiffen at the quiet awe in his voice. "Like when you're happy, how you grow cat ears or fireflies or hugs. And when you're lost in thought, how you make your own clouds. Kouda-kun said you have a cat, so does that mean all the things that you manifest are related to your actual fears and emotions? Are you afraid of snakes and claws? I mean, it'd make sense. Snakes can be kinda scary… I bet your quirk makes you feel things a lot more strongly too, right? You seemed fine when you were fighting, but- but when Aoyama-kun's laser went off, that's what triggered everything? Right? You must have been really worried…"
My chest aches.
I…
My lip trembles, my eyes burning with tears.
The blue beam of light I couldn't reach.
Too far away, too late.
And all I could think of were those people, the quirkless, my brother—
The tears spill out unbidden.
"H-Hoki-chan?"
I curl closer, ignoring the way it makes my stomach heave. I hide my face in the thick fabric of his chest.
"S-Sorry."
Midoriya sighs. Todoroki, beside him, gives a loud huff.
"You don't always need to help."
I don't know what the dual-haired boy is talking about, but Midoriya strangely seems to slump.
"I-I know that…"
"Hn."
The rest of the walk out of the fake city is quiet.
.
.
.
Upon our arrival, Sensei is entirely unimpressed.
"Can you stand?"
I would shake my head, but one wrong move and I'm liable to puke on him.
Or Midoriya.
"N-No."
I'd tried earlier, concerned and unwilling to just be useless. Once on my feet, though, I could barely stay upright. Midoriya, the only one of the two not limping, had pulled me back, helping me onto his back without a word.
As it turned out, a piggyback ride versus being carried in his arms was still 100% humiliating.
This is so embarrassing…
"Hn," Sensei says, fingers carding through my hair and painfully examining my ear. I hiss at his touch, squeezing my eyes and cringing when he skims over the raw skin. He sighs, aggravated, before removing his hand. He looks completely exasperated. "Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugou, go see Recovery Girl. I'll address your performances separately. Midoriya, do you need assistance?"
"Oh, uh, no, sir."
Sensei huffs.
"Very well."
Despite the dismissal, the ride to Recovery Girl's office is just as tedious. Bakugou, in rare form, growls and grumps the entire way. Ochako had apparently been the one to take down Kirishima, floating him to the ceiling, and Todoroki, as if amused by this, instigates. A lot.
I hadn't realized he was so talkative.
Lulled by their weird friendship, I close my eyes, exhaustion and pain settling across my heavy limbs.
"What in the world!"
I stir against Midoriya's back to Recovery Girl's sharp tone.
Half-asleep, I blink burry eyes, vision full of dark, thick curls.
I touch them thoughtlessly, surprised by their softness.
"H-H-Hoki-chan?"
"What have you four been doing?" Recovery girl snaps, her cane clanking against the tile as she directs Todoroki and Bakugou each to a bed. "Aizawa-san is usually much better at controlling these exercises. Bakugou-kun, sit. Now."
Midoriya, still holding me upright, shifts.
I can feel the moment we catch Recovery Girl's attention.
"And what's wrong with her? Her legs—Is that a head wound? Midoriya, set her over there, yes, gently!"
"She said she was dizzy and nauseous," Midoriya confides immediately.
The world jerks, the firm warmth beneath me disappearing and instead replaced by stiff sheets. Part of me wants to cry out, but I don't. Latex, strong fingers press against my ear. It's like fire-
"Hold still now, dear. I'll need to get a look at this!"
I gnash my teeth, curling. My face wrinkles in pain.
"Looks like your ear drum's still intact. Good. I'm about to use my quirk, best just to relax. Boys, I'll get to you next."
Whatever else she says, I don't know. Lips press against my cheek and I sink, my body going slack.
.
.
.
I wake slowly.
Light pouring across my bed, the sound of familiar voices nearby. I blink, warm and content and remarkably pain-free. It feels good.
Safe.
"Damn!"
I turn my head, blinking in surprise.
Sensei and Hitoshi are both there, side by side beside the bed with heads bent forward. Sensei with his legs crossed, examines some sort of large document, spreading it in chunks across his lap. He spins a pen between his fingers, tapping it repeatedly, clearly distracted by whatever he's reading.
"How many times are you going to watch that?"
"Until blondie getting his ass kicked gets old," Hitoshi snarks, face glued to a tablet. I can see the lights of whatever it is reflecting across his skin. He leans forward lazily, some odd gadget around his neck and his expression gleeful as he fiddles with the screen. "I don't know which part's better, when he baits Rin and gets his shit pushed in, or the moment he realizes he's lost. Tch, Midoriya's team is a beast."
Sensei sighs, finally lifting his head to pin Hitoshi with a sour look.
"Kid, language."
Hitoshi smirks, tablet shifting enough that even I can see it. A frozen frame of Bakugou stares comically back, mouth open, arms waving.
He looks ridiculous.
"You can't tell me this isn't amazing. Can't we get it printed? Or, I dunno, framed? Shirts?"
"No."
I giggle.
The reaction is immediate, both Sensei and Hitoshi turn as one. They almost look related, eyes wide with their heavy dark circles identical with similar expressions.
Was it Todoroki that asked…
My cheeks heat.
"Um… Hi?"
"Heh, so you finally decided to wake up?" Hitoshi teases. He recovers first, straightening with a smirk. "Took you long enough princess."
I wrinkle my nose at the nickname.
"Princess?"
"Well, you did get carri-"
Sensei leans sideways and cuts him off, flicking Hitoshi's ear and eliciting a muffled yelp. I cover my mouth, smothering a laugh and ignoring Hitoshi's mock stare of betrayal.
It's his own fault.
He started it.
Sensei rolls his eyes, closing the thick folder he'd been working on and leaning forward with a look. His dark eyes meet mine, expression serious.
"How's your dizziness?"
And with that one question, it's like my peaceful bubble bursts.
Memories of explosions and panic attacks rush back at once. Embarrassment swells, followed quickly by guilt and shame and what feels like a hundred other horrid, tar-like and unwelcome feelings. I sit up, swallowing.
The sheets pool at my waist and all I can think is how much I feel like a stupid idiot for losing control and going overboard and-
"Rin," Sensei says, his voice dragging me out of my head.
I curl, shoulders hunching.
"Ah… fine."
I stare at the bed sheets, the fabric crisp as I pass my fingers over it. I frown, noticing suddenly my clothes, or rather, my lack of them. The hospital gown is… flimsy. I touch its softness, feeling weird.
"I'm… changed?"
Sensei gives me a look.
"You were covered in blood and debris," my guardian says, standing before turning to Hitoshi and reaching out for the tablet. The boy hands it over immediately, just a little too amused. Sensei pauses, eyes immediately narrowing. "It's unhygienic, especially since you had open wounds. She has to clean cuts before she can heal them. Considering the amount of damage you sustained, especially to your back, your hero uniform is probably in her biohazard bin. The clean gown is only temporary. There's a change of clothes for you in the bag."
I frown, noticing Sensei's familiar satchel, the same one from this summer.
Did he go home to get those?
"Oh…"
Sensei fiddles with the tablet, powering it on, then snorts.
"Hitoshi, really?"
The other boy snickers.
"I don't think I like that…"
Both Sensei and Hitoshi send me weird looks, and, somehow, I feel like I'm missing words again. Especially when Hitoshi raises his eyebrow.
"You don't like what? Getting clean?"
"What! I- No! Hitoshi!"
I wrinkle my nose, face heating as the other boy grins. Sensei shakes his head, hand moving steadily over the tablet, clearly undoing whatever nonsense Hitoshi has created.
Why would I ever say that?
"No, I meant waking up in different clothes."
I don't know what I was expecting… maybe agreement? Annoyance?
Sensei blinks, like I've just spoken English or something, and he almost seems to be processing that. Brows knitting, it becomes entirely too clear he has no idea what I'm talking about. Hitoshi, looking just as confused, cocks his head.
"What?"
I pout, not sure why they're being like this.
"Never mind," I huff. I'd just meant from the human trafficking. I didn't like waking up in those different clothes. I slide my legs out of the bed, only to pause.
I was barefoot.
"Ah… Sensei…"
"Here," Hitoshi snorts, reaching down and tossing me something. I catch them easily, smiling when I realize they're slippers.
"Thank you!" I beam, hurriedly putting them on and shuffling out of bed.
"Yeah, yeah… Now go get dressed and let's get out of here."
Sensei passes me the bag amused, and I take advantage of his distraction to hug him. My skin glows almost immediately, enjoying the way his hand slides across my head and pats at my back.
"Go get dressed," Sensei huffs, sounding entirely put upon.
With a flick of his wrist, he removes me, the hand behind my back becoming a push. He makes a scoffing noise at Hitoshi's clear laughter, and I have to almost jog to keep from falling over.
Something good must have happened for the purple-haired boy to be in such a good mood.
Normally he'd be stressing about school or hero work by now.
"I'm going," I whine, pulling the bag of clothes to my chest and sticking my tongue out at both of them. Sensei ignores me, but Hitoshi grins. I step into the bathroom and change immediately, shuffling out of the weird gown to change into whatever Sensei picked out.
It's my gym outfit.
I giggle as I pull it out, wondering if he just grabbed a spare or actually went home to get mine. I change quickly, conditioned by Sensei's short transition times, and reach down to zip it back up when I notice something I hadn't seen before.
A purple headband!
Fireflies break out across my skin, and, immediately removing it, I move to the mirror to put it on. I've never had a headband before! I sort my hair like I've seen other girls do and slide it on.
It looks terrible.
A huge bump in the middle of my head and hair flying upwards. I remove it instantly, combing my fingers quickly through my hair. This time I rake the strands to the side, I push it back on. It looks even worse, if that can even be possible. Short hairs fly out in every direction, my forehead looks like an exposed billboard. My glow flickers, I remove the headband, trying to understand how something so simple can possibly be this hard. Trying again, I just stick it randomly on the middle of my head and-
"Ugh!" I growl, glaring.
Why is this so hard?
"Rin," comes a knock at the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"
I drag the headband off scowling and unlock the door. Throwing it open, Sensei blinks owlishly on the other side, one hand in his pocket and the other raised as if to knock. He raises a brow, clearly taking in my mess of hair and outstretched hairband.
Behind him, Hitoshi leans back before letting out an obnoxious laugh.
"It isn't working."
"I see," he says, annoyingly amused. I glower, but the dark-haired hero ignores it, one hand seizing the headband, and the other slipping across my head. My muscles loosen, his hand smoothing back my hair. "You want to talk about it?"
I purse my lips at his smile. Absolutely not, and he picks some strands of hair and pulls them forward. The feeling of the band slides on a second later, and with a shrug, he removes himself, his hands back in his pockets.
"Better?"
I return to the mirror, mildly contented knowing Sensei was involved.
The purple headband actually looks kinda cute. Whatever he'd done, he'd made it so a few loose strands frame my face, the rest pushed back behind my ears. It makes the girl in the mirror look… pretty. Younger. She stares back with wide eyes, cheeks flushed and pink. She smiles attractively, her short hair flaring around her jaw, and it's distracting enough to almost not notice the crater-like scars running up her neck.
I touch them, feeling the texture beneath my fingers.
I'd actually forgotten they were there.
Even during the capture the flag activity, where they'd have been fully visible.
Nobody had stared.
I don't know what to think of that. I turn back to Sensei, still standing in the doorway with dark eyes watching me curiously. I twist my fingers, feeling suddenly shy.
"Thank you…"
Something around his eyes soften. He smiles, that tiny little smile he usually reserves for home.
"Sure, now come on. Hitoshi wants to test out his new support gear and I need to supervise."
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
:)