Summary: Kagome, younger twin to Shoto, was regarded as a failure by their father. With her Quirk never showing during her youth, her father regarded her as a blight on his legacy. He gave her away. After sealing the well up, she's accepted into U.A. Her very presence serves to shake things up in the best ways!

Pairing: Kagome/Hawks

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Up in the stands, Kun-Loon automatically tightened her grip on Inuyasha's sleeve when Kagome fell forward, her shoulders slumping when the match was called. She sighed, letting her grip falter as a small smile appeared on her face.

"She made it so far," she said, her hand straying to the icy feline in her lap. Eira didn't react as Kun-Loon started petting her again. "I hope she doesn't feel disappointed for losing here."

"I didn't know she could do that whip thing!" Souta exclaimed, awe on his face. Kun-Loon looked at him, a smile on her face as she reached to pat his head.

The boy with spiky blonde hair, while this was the first time actually seeing him, was someone she'd heard about occasionally from her daughter. Usually grumbled complaints about his iron-brush-like personality. She couldn't help the way her smile deepened a bit- watching the way he held her up until she was gathered to be taken out of the ring. The way it was displayed on the screen certainly made it easier, as it was.

Even though he was rough around the edges, he wasn't bad.

"Can we go find her now?" Shippo asked, glancing up at Sesshoumaru. Impatience lingered in his voice. Instantly, the stoic demon knew the cause. Paired with her father's arrogance and the way their classmate held her, he was becoming irate with not being at her side. Sesshoumaru arched a brow at Shippo's apparent glare.

"Not yet," Sesshoumaru stated after a few seconds. "Give her some time."

Shippo huffed, a pout replacing his scowl.

A few seconds passed before Enya perked up from where she lounged on his lap. At the same time, Eira did the same from Kun-Loon's. There were no words spoken as they bounded off, though Kun-Loon did rise up onto her feet.

"Oh, you two!" she sighed in exasperation. "Get back here!"

"They'll be fine," Sesshoumaru assured, making Kun-Loon pause before she went off too far. "Since Kagome is no longer a participant, they can't do anything about them being with her."

Kun-Loon relented, returning to her seat. "I guess I'd rather them go to her than have her be alone," she admitted.

She wasn't down for long, but when she woke up, she was lying in a bed in the medical area. As she gazed up at the ceiling, her last few moments of consciousness flowed through her mind. A second passed and she sighed, pushing herself up with her hands.

"I overdid it," she stated in a flat tone as she let her legs hang off the side of the bed. Silence filled the room as she sat there, gazing down at the tiled floor. She lifted a hand and rubbed her eyes as she groaned. "Ugh, next time he's going down," she muttered under her breath.

Still…-

She pulled her hand away from her face as she finally got up from the bed she'd been placed in to recover.

She'd made it further than others, and she'd made her point.

She made her way to the door. Her senses were still recovering from her depleted energy, and she couldn't tell who was around as she gripped the handle and tugged it open. Stepping out into the hallway, she froze, her eyes going wide when a figure she had no desire to see standing there.

Blue eyes gazed down at her. For a moment, she felt like she'd gone back to five years old standing in front of the imposing hero. She glanced to the side, looking for anyone else who might be around, but there was no one.

"You and I should have a conversation, Kagome," Endeavor stated. He didn't leave it open for her to agree or disagree. He folded his strong arms over his chest, his expression impossible to read- especially when she couldn't read his aura clearly due to her exhausted senses.

Still, unsure of what came over her, she nodded. She didn't want to fight, not right now. She didn't miss the surprise that flashed briefly through his eyes before it faded.

"Yeah, we probably should, Endeavor," she stated. Her tone was reserved, guarded. The door behind her was closed as she stepped to the side. She leaned against the wall, folding her arms over her chest. Her stance mirrored his own. Even though she was uncertain, she didn't allow it to impact the way she presented herself. She hid what she felt with excellent skill.

Her anger had nearly evaporated. It was almost as if it'd been taken from her during her fight against Bakugo. Her head was clear, but being in his presence made her heart feel heavy. The disdain and hatred for him were still there, just below the surface, but she didn't have the energy to be angry. She didn't have the energy to fight and scream her way out of this moment.

He hadn't been expecting her to agree so easily. The silence that followed revealed as much. He must've been expecting her to brush it off and to try and leave, so he had nothing prepared. Admittedly, she thought it was funny. She had to fight to hide the smile she felt rising onto her face at that realization.

"Ahem… Right," he cleared his throat once he'd found it. "You have amazing potential," he stated. "How come you never brought this up before?"

Kagome arched a brow as she looked up, ice chilling her blue eyes. "I wasn't aware that this burden fell on my shoulders," she retorted flatly.

Heat entered his eyes at her comment. "I could train you, teach you to harness your flames," he stated, but she merely shook her head in response.

"Why would I accept that offer?" she challenged. "I already have a teacher," she stated, referring to the silver-haired demon from their prior encounter. "Though, I suppose I do have you to thank for that," she stated.

"Huh?" He was taken aback by her words. She nodded.

"Had you never tossed me aside, then I would've never gone down the path that I have," she stated. "You have everything to do with who I am today," she admitted. It was an awful feeling, saying those words, yet she knew she couldn't deny the truth staining them. "That's why I refuse to be anything like you," she continued. "I like who I am, and I know my worth," she continued when he offered no response. The path hadn't been easy, and it'd taken her so long to get to that point. "To you, someone's worth is based on their Quirk, when in reality, there's much more to it."

He was silent, and Kagome glanced back up to catch his stare.

"Unconditional love, compassion, empathy," she listed off as a smile rose to her face. It faltered a second later. "Those are all things that you are incapable of," she stated, Her tone was blunt yet sharp all at the same time. "You possess a strong spirit, yet it's worthless because you don't do good by it. The public may see you as a hero, but to me, you're nothing more than a monster," she admitted. She didn't know what had come over her at that moment, to so freely speak what lurked within her heart, but she didn't try and stop herself.

There was no anger in her eyes. There was no spite in her words. There was no remorse in her tone. The only thing that lurked within all three was sorrow.

She was met with silence as he stared down at her. She anticipated some sort of response, yet nothing came as they stood in each other's presence. There was a weight in the air, one she didn't even need her senses to feel as it settled over her shoulders.

"I… see," Endeavor finally moved to speak. Kagome glanced away from him when he looked to catch her gaze once more. The ice in her eyes was reminiscent of her mother, he realized then.

Her heart felt a bit lighter upon being able to freely voice her grievances, yet she didn't allow it to show on her face.

"You've… certainly made your point," he stated. "Still, with your potential-"

Kagome's hands tightened into fists, arms tightening around her frame as she closed her eyes to block out the tears threatening to spill. She didn't know why a part of her had expected him to leave the subject alone after all she'd just said.

Of course, he didn't care.

"And you've just proved me right," she stated. She wasn't surprised, not in the slightest, but it was hard to ignore the dull stab of pain in her chest. She pushed herself off the wall to leave. Her action was swift to catch his attention, and he followed after her.

"Kagome-!" He reached a hand out to her. It landed on her shoulder, hot and heavy.

She gritted her teeth and whirled around. Spikes of ice shot up from her flesh, just narrowly missing his hand on her shoulder. He didn't reach out a second time as she turned again, this time walking away.

000

She walked until she was sure she'd gotten far enough away from him. Once she was certain, she came to a halt and let her back rest against the wall. A second later, she slid down into a seated position. On her own, she let her facade falter and fade away.

For a moment, and only a moment, a part of her had been hopeful. Hopeful that he'd take her words for what they were worth and leave it be. It came as no surprise when he crushed that hope with ease.

What an exceptional talent he had for doing so, too.

She sat there for a few minutes before she was joined by the two scampering felines. At their appearance, she perked up a bit. They gathered on her lap together, and she smiled.

"At least you two managed to stay out of trouble for me," she mused softly. The two of them butted their heads against her hand.

"Oh, hey, there you are."

The new voice made her pick her head up. As she looked for the source, her eyes met a pair of familiar purple. Though she was surprised, she made no comment.

"I've been looking for you, you know," Shinso stated as he came over to where she sat. Eira and Enya perked up at his presence. Her silence wasn't glossed over, and he came to a halt across from her. "No response?" he hummed. Kagome stood up, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.

"Don't be silly," she stated in a flat tone. It wasn't healthy by any means, but she welcomed the distraction from the tumultuous feelings inside her chest. "I'm not worried about your Quirk, if that's what you're getting at." Silence hovered in the air for a few long seconds, and a small smile rose to paint her face. "You tried to use it on me just then, didn't you?" she asked.

His silence was telling, and she held her arms out for the two felines to jump into them. He broke it soon. "So it doesn't affect you," he said, exposing his prior intentions without shame. "I wouldn't have done anything if it did," he said then. "I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Between you and me, I've been under someone's control before," she admitted with a shrug. "I've built up my willpower to combat against it."

His silence made her glance up at him. She scruffed behind Enya's ear while Eira climbed up onto her shoulder.

"You have?" he eventually questioned. She nodded, unfazed by the question. "Then why are you so trusting? Doesn't that seem like a bad idea to you?"

Kagome arched a brow as she looked back up at him. "How come?" she asked. "You said it yourself," she reminded. "You had no intention of doing anything to me, and, if you did, you wouldn't have said that in the first place. Even if you were trying to lie and deceive me." She scratched Eira under her chin before looking back at him. "And anyway, you don't strike me as that type of person."

She'd observed the match against Midoriya. Certainly, if he were to use his Quirk as a hero, then he'd have exceptional potential. It was unfortunate that he'd experienced so much prejudice for a Quirk that was often associated with bad intentions.

"People can do and say stupid things without understanding the true weight behind it," she stated. "You have a great Quirk. People will think whatever they want, sure, but that doesn't mean any of it's true," she remarked. "Look at Bakugo, for example," she commented with a dry laugh. "His personality is about as soft as a bed made of glass shards and cactus needles with a sheet of barbed wire covered in lemon juice, but he'd still make a great hero. Enya here even loves him a whole bunch!" exclaimed. The fire cat mewed in agreement. She looked up, letting blue eyes meet his indigo. "My point is, that an individual's intentions will always make their character, so sometimes you just gotta show what you're made of!" she added, a bright smile on her face.

"You're strange," he responded, to which she arched a brow. "Not in a bad way," he amended then.

"Not at all," she retorted. "I just prefer to see the whole person than just what's on the outside."

She wasn't sure how, but the short run-in soon turned into them walking side-by-side as they made their way down the hall. When Eira got off her shoulder, hopping into his arms, she didn't so much as bat a lash.

"Anyway, Eira wouldn't like you if you weren't a decent person," she remarked in a kind tone as they walked down the hall. "She's more selective than Enya is."

There was a faint grin on his face that she didn't comment on. She held her tongue, keeping quiet as they walked down the hall in paired silence.

There was something so special about her.

A photo on the bar's surface held his attention, crimson eyes focused on the girl's features. Gentle, kind eyes. A sweet, innocent smile. They both managed to hide immense physical strength with ease. She was deceptive by nature, and she had his full attention.

He reached out to the photo, gripping it firmly. As he did, a wicked grin spread across his face as it quickly turned to dust within his hold. It wasn't the first picture he'd done it to, and it wasn't going to be the last one, either. As she became unrecognizable in the photo, the memory of her expression as he'd given the same treatment to her icy barrier back on that day lingered in his mind.

He couldn't help but wonder if that'd be the same face she made, had his Quirk affected her. What kind of expression would she have in her final moment?

"I'm so proud of you!" Kun-Loon wrapped her arms around Kagome's shoulders the moment she was within reach. "You made it so far! I knew you could do it!" she gushed. "Oh!" she exclaimed, pulling away from her abruptly. "Shouldn't you be with the rest of your classmates?" she asked.

Kagome nodded. "Technically yeah, but since Sesshoumaru's here, I was able to come see you guys for a few minutes," she said.

Her prior conversation with her father wasn't mentioned by her leaving the others with her oblivious to the fact that it'd even happened. Deep down, she felt that was better for everyone.

"Speaking of," Kagome said, glancing at Shippo, "you should probably head back with me."

He nodded, not putting up a fight at the suggestion. "Now that you're gonna be there, I might as well," he beamed. She stifled the urge to roll her eyes at his comment. It truly didn't surprise her any.

"Oh, well, then you two should get going," Kun-Loon said, waving them off with a smile. "We'll meet back up once the whole thing is over," she said. "I'd love for the chance to meet some of your friends, too!" she said.

Kagome smiled, nodding in excitement. "Yeah!" she responded. "I know they'd be happy to meet you, too," she said. With those words, she glanced at Shippo. "Are you ready to go?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yup! Ready when you are!" he beamed in response.

Auroua-chan: In the next chapter, Kagome will be joining her classmates just in time for Deku and Shoto's fight. We're nearing the end of the Sports Festival in the next few chapters. I can't wait to do the chapter with Stain, or when Dabi joins up with Shigaraki.

After that point, more demons (outside of Kagome's group) will appear and the rest of her classmates will learn more about her presence in the demon society.

In this chapter, Kagome and Endeavor had a one-on-one conversation, where she voiced her grief. Unfortunately, it seems like he didn't regard them much. Those same griefs will be revisited later down the line when it comes to his attempt at redemption.

Sooner or later, Bakugo will eventually warm up to her. After all, Kagome actually likes him (even if he really annoys her with his attitude and temper)

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~