Even now, buildings look strange. Tall columns of concrete wider than the huts in her village push into the sky. There are no small campfires or furs in the building for UA's entrance exam. It's temperate inside. She hears the hum of the AC.
Katara's a little resentful that she's here.
It all started when Endeavor had to decide who to recommend between her and Shouto. He went with Shouto, obviously, so Katara is taking the regular exam with the 'peons,' Endeavor called them unironically.
Katara sits down and sighs. She reminds herself of the name to write on the exam. Hikari Todoroki. Hi-ka-ri.
She has found herself writing the characters for Katara on too many exam papers. The teachers are always a bit dumbfounded at the consistency. They question, "Is Katara your nickname at home?" Katara doesn't know how to answer them—doesn't even know how to begin.
Katara takes the exam; she answers even the questions that she doesn't know.
After, she listens as Present Mic explains the robots. A boy with glasses points out an inconsistency in the rules, scolds someone for muttering, and then Present Mic finishes his speech.
Katara files out of the building with everyone else and heads to her battle center.
When she gets there, Katara sits outside the battle center and mentally prepares herself, tuning out others' small talk. She wants this.
Endeavor was reluctant to let her take part in the exam.
"With your quirk, I doubt you'll be able to pass the exam. You should go to medical school, away from the fighting."
His arguments remind her of someone else.
"I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding. You didn't tell me your friend was a girl. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn waterbending."
"I don't think women should be heroes. They should be making a home and a life for themselves, not fighting and getting injured. It's what's best for society," Endeavor said.
He decided that if he couldn't dissuade her, he would watch her fail the exam. He also didn't recommend her, which she's still upset about.
She understands some of his reluctance. Her 'quirk' is different. She's weaker now. She thinks it's because this world has no moon spirit to draw power from. At least, she hasn't encountered any spirits.
The only reason she can heal is her unlocking it when Shouto was injured by their mother.
Otherwise, all she can bend is a gallon of water, but Katara knows how to make do with limited resources.
"Katara! You're a genius! A sweaty, stinky genius!"
She thinks 'yes, I am.' She's carrying a gallon jug of water, causing some people to give her looks. It's allowed, she looked it up. She can't pull it from the air anymore, so this is all she can do.
The battle center opens. Katara prays that Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Zuko will wish her luck, and then everyone rushes in at Present Mic's countdown.
Someone with an explosion quirk shoots himself up to a robot near the entrance, yells 'Die, you scum!' and explodes its control panel.
There's an idea.
Katara runs down the street, takes a left and a right, and finds a robot of her own. She starts taking out control panels by boiling the coolant. Thankfully, the coolant is water-based. The robots overheat and smoke. She also hears components popping out of place.
3 points. 5 points. 12 points. She's not the fastest runner, but she gets more points.
Eventually, she encounters exploding boy again. He's flying up to the zero pointer when its leg catches him off-balance.
Katara pops the top off of the gallon jug and shoots a cylinder of ice to break his fall. His torso lands on it, and the thin sheet of ice starts cracking as she levitates it down to the ground.
He yells at her, "Hey! I didn't need your help! I would've been fine."
She gives him a blank stare, melts the water, and says, "You know, 'You're welcome' isn't that hard to say!"
He yells again, "Watch out, behind you!"
The zero pointer is moving again. Its hand is heading towards her. Katara boils its coolant, runs to the exploding boy, grabs his wrist, and runs away as it collapses onto the street, taking out part of a nearby building. She stopped it while it was off-balance.
She hears someone scream for help near the building. Katara curses.
She rushes in that direction and leaves exploding boy behind her.
She finds a boy crying with a gash in his leg. A piece of rubble is laying beside him, covered in blood. The boy is trying to put pressure on the wound. Katara pulls some of her water and focuses it on the wound, and then she starts healing.
The boy gradually stops crying; he's staring at her.
"Th-thank you!" he says.
"It's nothing."
The boy says, "I'm so low on points. No way I can pass now. Thanks for helping me. Everyone else is probably too far away or consumed in the exam."
Katara says, "It's not too late, you can still get back out there. There, almost good as new."
The boy pokes the newly scarred skin and his mouth drops open.
"Thanks!" he says, standing up, dusting himself off before running into the city.
Katara sanitizes the water and is about to continue taking down robots when Present Mic's voice rings through the arena. "TIME'S UP!"
Katara watches the boy freeze and turn his head down, shaking slightly.
"That's rough, buddy."