Attack On USJ
Estelle started off her day screaming awake from a nightmare. She, unfortunately, gave Nona a heart attack from shock as she ran upstairs to Estelle's room.
Estelle shook while Nona helped her down the stairs and turned on the pot to warm up some tea. Estelle slumped on the floor in front of the couch while staring into space as time ticked away. It was five o'clock in the morning.
Estelle awoke from her mind when the tea was placed in her hand. Nona sat behind her on the couch and tugged Estelle's head onto her lap. Her fingers trailed through Estelle's long black hair as if she was comforting a small child. In a way, she was. The girl laying on her lap was a far cry from the way the old woman had ever seen her, clutching onto her knee like a child struggling to let go.
They sat there for a while, Nona stroking her head as Estelle gathered her broken pieces and placed them back together. Once enough time had passed, Nona gained the courage to break the silence. "Do you want to talk about it?" She queried with a soft voice, aware and wary of the young girl's fragile state of mind.
Silence lingered on, and Nona accepted that as an answer. Estelle pondered on what to do. Throughout the short journey so far, Nona had been her sunshine. The old woman brought a warmth to her that she had long lost. With that thought, Estelle decided to trust her.
Estelle opened her mouth, and the words toppled out. Nona's hand froze on her head for a moment, taken aback at what she was hearing before continuing her hand motions and soothing the traumatised girl.
Estelle told Nona about life in a world surrounded by spirits and the battles Estelle had to survive, the people she lost, the people Estelle saved, those she couldn't, waking up in a new world and feeling lost.
Nona listened to it all without a word. She soothed her with just her fingertips as the words fell out of her mouth. At the end of it, they both sit in silence.
Estelle felt vulnerable, her wounds were wide open for Nona to see, and all of her hidden trauma was now brought up to the surface. This was the first time she had ever spoken of it.
Nona was astounded. To her, it all seemed like a fantasy. But Nona knew Estelle, and she knew that this girl would never lie about something serious like this. Her heart clenched for her. The pain that she went through could be felt by the empathetic woman. Nona silently cried for her. Because she knew Estelle wouldn't do it for herself.
Standing up, she took Estelle by the hand and dragged her into a gut-wrenching hug. Her tears fell on the younger girl's shoulder while they held each other like a lifeline.
"It's okay, I understand", Nona began, sniffing away her tears. "You have me now. We'll get through it. Just like you have been there for me, I want to be there for you. So, I'll support you in whatever you decide to do. In this short time, you have brought me so much joy. You have become like a daughter to me."
Estelle gripped Nona tighter, appreciation pouring out of her and into the hug. Once they let go, they stayed by each other's side, talking until the sun rose up and it was time for the cafe to open. "I can open the doors later. It's no problem, you know?" Nona asked.
Estelle shook her head. "No, it's okay. I need to get ready for school anyway."
Nona felt uneasy but agreed; before leaving, she reassured Estelle, "Whatever you tell me will never be said to another soul. I'll back you every step of the way."
Estelle's heart melted once again. She shyly beamed at the woman, thanking her profusely and pushed her out the door to go to work so she wouldn't be late.
Once the door clicked shut, Estelle let out a loud and exhausted sigh before dragging herself up the stairs to get changed. She hadn't escaped her funk yet, and it was time to leave. She didn't have time for this.
Shinsou Hitoshi's words rung out in her mind as she stared down at her hand; unfortunately, there was nothing to distract her. She still didn't have a phone; her thoughts were too wild for her to think anything through, so Estelle raised her hand and whipped it across her face. She winced when she realised it was done too hard; she practically punched herself in the face. But it did the job, and she left home, locked up and made her way to UA High School with her cheek glowing slightly red.
Estelle sat in her usual seat and looked up at Aizawa while he spoke. Her tired eyes instinctively closed, causing the solemn girl to keep shaking herself awake.
"Today's training will be a little different. You'll have three instructors. I, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you," Aizawa started.
"Sir! What kinda training is this?" She heard someone ask.
"Rescue. You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that." Aizawa answered.
The class spoke up in their enthusiasm. Estelle was too tired mentally and physically to listen, leaving the words to go right through her.
"Guys, I'm not finished yet. What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes but keep in mind that you haven't gotten used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities. This special training is at an off‐campus facility, so we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all. Start getting ready."
She got changed and headed to the bus. Estelle ignored Iida when he announced the seating plan for the bus. Noticing the girl not paying attention, he turned to discipline her but stopped himself when he saw the exhaustion on the girl's face. He looked at her in concern, but she had already turned and walked onto the bus before he could voice his unease.
Estelle sat next to the two-toned boy Shoto Todoroki and immediately closed her eyes and sighed in solace. He watched her from the corner of his eye, surprised at her actions. He had been watching her throughout their classes together and had noticed how alert she was. She checked the exit's whenever she walked in and observed anything that moved, so it was unlike her to do this.
When her breaths evened out, he turned his head slightly to get a better look at the mysterious female. She looked weary, like she had gotten no sleep last night. The bags under her eyes were evident to show that fact. When he scanned her, his eyes widened at the bruise on her cheek, was someone hitting her? Hmm.
His mind was working overtime. He had seen Estelle enough to know there was never any bruises visible on her before, it could be an accident, or she's just good at hiding it? Shoto had a lot to think about.
He was distracted by his name being mentioned: "Well, if any of our classmates have pro Quirks, it's Todoroki, Estelle and Bakugo."
"Sure, but Estelle is pretty cold, and Bakugo's always angry, so they'll never be that popular."
Bakugo stood up in outrage, roaring, "What did you say? I'll kick your ass!"
Estelle opened an eye and turned to face Bakugo slightly. "Shut the hell up. You're annoying."
Bakugo spun to Estelle "hah!? I wasn't talking to you, dark eyes! I'll kill you!"
Estelle scoffed, her lips tilted up with a hidden smirk as the words tumbled out. "That's funny; I'd like to see you try."
Bakugo glared down at the girl. Estelle returned the stare, causing her smirk to grow. His glare trailed down to her lips before flicking his eyes back up to her brown eyes. His mouth unconsciously mirrored her own.
"We'll make a day out of it; I'll crush you into the ground." He stated a little less aggressively.
"I'll check my schedule later", Estelle responded simply, ending the conversation before closing her eyes and going back to sleep. An audible 'Tch' from Bakugo could be heard as he retook his own seat. The conversing classmates watched the exchange with mild surprise.
'Did Bakugo really ask her out just to beat her up? and did she seriously just accept?' They all thought collectively with a sweatdrop.
The short conversation Bakugo held with Estelle caused a warm pit in his stomach to develop that he could not pinpoint. It was like her eyes could see his very soul. His face warmed, but he quickly shrugged the feeling off when Dunce Face spoke up.
"Ya see? Y'know, we basically just met you. So, it's kinda telling that we all know your personality is flaming crap mixed with garbage."
Bakugo growled, his anger from before shooting back up. He responded aggressively as usual but quieter as if he was minding the girl napping a few seats across from him. "You're gonna regret the day you applied to this school, you loser."
"Hey, hey, we're here. Stop messing around," Aizawa's voice rung out throughout the vehicle.
"Yes, sir."
Estelle was glum that she couldn't get more shut eyes but forced herself to get off the bus with the others. They made their way inside the building, causing everyone to stop and fawn at the view inside. The place held various different fake locations covering a wide range of natural disasters. Estelle looked on uninterested but was actually impressed by the school and their innovative ways to improve trainees. Estelle looked left and right in confusion since she felt eyes on her. She shrugged the feeling off when she couldn't find anything out of place. They were met by another hero once the class had quietened.
"Hello, everyone, I've been waiting for you!" The person exclaimed.
The students gasped in bewilderment while Midoriya excitedly informed, "It's the Space Hero, Thirteen! The chivalrous pro who's rescued a ton of people from disasters across the world!"
"That's me! I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. But you can call it USJ!"
Aizawa stepped forward to Thirteen and where All Might was. They conversed quietly after that. Unfortunately, Estelle couldn't make out the words until Aizawa spoke up. "Well, we should be okay with just the two of us. The clock's ticking. We should get started."
"Excellent. Before we begin, let me just say one thing. Well, maybe two things. Possibly three, four, or five," Thirteen started.
"We get it", stated the class, who were not entertained.
"Listen carefully. I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust."
"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before, haven't you?" Ochako responded in question and excitement.
"That's true, but my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill. Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous."
Estelle stood still; she was glad she was standing behind the rest of the class so they couldn't see her face drop in discomfort. Aizawa stood in front of thirteen as he watched the students. Aizawa was the only one who noticed. He added that to his growing questions labelled next to Estelle's name.
Her mind was running rampant, most likely due to the old wounds brought to the forefront earlier that day. It made it easy for the words to hit her. Her usual walls were weakened today, and she was paying for it. Due to the turmoil that she was in, she ignored the rest of the hero's speech.
A loud vibration from the ground brought her back to reality. It was strong enough that she didn't need to take her shoe off to investigate. With her eyes shut, she rapidly scanned the area. Something was coming.
She interrupted the class and walked forward quickly with venom in her tone. "Aizawa, something is here. The kids need to get out of here, stat."
The class and the heroes looked at her in confusion as Estelle's head whirred back and forward like she was counting the seconds.
Aizawa's hand landed on Estelle's shoulder; she held back her wince as she stared him down. "Intruders are coming. Now get them the hell out of here," she spat out. Her body vibrated slightly with adrenaline. She missed the euphoria of a fight.
Before he could respond in dispute, a sound from across the USJ rang out. A purple portal appeared, leaving villains to trickle in. A loud cackle rang out in the room. A man with blue hair and scattered hands across his face and body looked up at Estelle. His eyes glinted in recognition at the young girl.
"Perceptive you are! Pretty too! I might keep you," he said the words for all to hear. The class looked on with fright and confusion.
Aizawa grunted before telling thirteen to protect the students. The class observed in question whilst they debated on whether this was real or not. Estelle gazed at them in annoyance. "No, this is real. They are villains. "
Her body was tense and ready to jump into the fray any second. The man she saw yesterday seemed to be the leader of the group since he stood in front. "The only real heroes I see are Thirteen and EraserHead. Perplexing. According to the schedule we retrieved from UA, All Might should be here as well."
"So, you scumbags used the press as a cover and snuck onto campus. We knew you would show your face. You let yourself be seen by a student. So soon, though? Someone is eager," Aizawa responded while he placed his goggles onto his face.
The villain ignored his taunt. "Where is he? I went through the trouble of bringing so many friends who were eager to meet him. They want All Might. The great Symbol of Peace. I can't believe he's not here. Maybe if I kill a few kids, he'll come out to play."
The class remained in place, standing while discussing the villains before them and still questioning how they were here. Estelle looked on, her eyes not straying from the villains in vexation. These idiots would rather stay and chill with the villains rather than take the time to get out.
"Thirteen, get them outta here and alert the main campus. Actually, if the villains can block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too. Kaminari, try using your Quirk to contact the school." Aizawa finally ordered.
Estelle backed down from her stance; her indignation only increased from her teacher's words. Looks like she wasn't fighting like she had hoped. Ignoring Midoriya's worried words towards their teacher, they all made their way to the exit.
Estelle supported Aizawa from the sidelines as they walked away, using her air bending to knock villains off balance for him to take the finishing blow. She bumped into Yaoyorozu when they all stopped suddenly.
Looking away from the fight, she examined the villain in front and moved next to Thirteen. He spoke his monologue that Estelle pointedly ignored in favour of figuring out the best way to take him down. She was unfortunately interrupted as Bakugo and Kirishima ran into the fray with their quirks on full display.
Estelle had to remind herself that they were still trainees and not be so harsh when idiotic.
The villain unleashed his Quirk to scatter everyone, splitting them apart and plopping them in different vicinities inside the USJ.
Estelle landed on her two feet and surveyed the area. It looked like she was placed in the crash zone next to ruins and landslides. She walked to make her way back to the main villains but was stopped by a group blocking her way.
"If you could let me leave, that would be great. I'm too tired to kick your ass," Estelle groaned out, her previous adrenaline gone.
The villains looked down at Estelle with wide grins. One of them scoffed and voiced, "But that's no fun, love."
Estelle's aura darkened, and she scowled at the endearment. She quickly grabbed a smoke bomb and threw it onto the ground. The view was immediately skewered for everyone except Estelle because she used her earth bending as an aid to locate everyone. Estelle swiftly punched them in the throats and kicked their nether regions to take them all down. When the air finally cleared, all of the villains lay scattered on the floor, either in pain or unconscious.
Walking up to a man, still awake but curled up in a ball. She placed her boot on his face and squished him to the floor. As he attempted to escape her hold, she glared down at him coldly and asked, "What was the plan for you guys? What do you want with all Might?"
The man shivered in horror at the girls look; he was terrified. How did this school kid manage to make him scared? He answered her questions quickly. Estelle swung back her foot and kicked his head like a football when there was no information left to give. He immediately passed out while the rest of the villains watched with fear.
"How are you so strong! You're just a kid!" One of the villains shouted with his hands raised defensively.
Estelle looked down at them with manic and wild eyes. "That wasn't strength; that was nothing. Do you want me to show you what I can do? Fair warning, you'll never sleep peacefully again."
The villains who watched shook their heads wildly in response. The look of a future hero screaming murder was absolutely terrifying. The girl seemed like a villain in disguise. It was as if she wouldn't hesitate to rip them apart.
"Be good dogs and stay; I'll hunt you down if you don't", she finally said with an impassive look. The villains nodded quickly whilst they whimpered and clutched to each other in fear.
Estelle turned and made her way across the USJ. When she was passing the landslide vicinity, she saw a sliding Shoto Todoroki making his way towards her on his ice ride.
'That looks like fun", she imagined while she watched the view in front of her. Todoroki stopped when he reached the girl. Sharing a look, they both made their way to Aizawa. Estelle formed her own ice to follow.
'Huh. This actually is fun.'