Spring Is Wind, Summer Is Light

The first years of class A of the prestigious UA hero academy were ceaselessly chattering. They stood in their PE uniforms, woven of breathable top-quality material. Only the best for the heroes after all.

They waited in the scorching sun, waiting for further instructions. Aizawa-sensei had told them to head off to the grounds, since he had something to do. He didn't specify just what the important thing was. It was Aizawa after all.

Suddenly, all their voices stopped, because a terrifying and raggedy Aizawa had arrived. He glared at them, and some of them shivered. Then, he said in a drowsy, ever-bored voice, "Better. I want that same rate next time."

A hand shot up in an exact straight angle to the person who raised it, and surprise, it was Tenya Iida.

"Sensei! I just noticed that there are only nineteen students in the class, when you said our whole roster would be twenty! Is this an inadvertent error? If so, it should be very embarrassing for such a respected institution to make such a fumble!"

Aizawa glared at Iida with such intensity that the bespectacled boy flinched and lowered his trembling hand.
"Kid, this time, I'm letting you off, but next time do not make assumptions and start rambling irrational slander." Their sensei said. Although his voice was level, the threat and seriousness underlying his words clearly conveyed that this wasn't to be taken lightly.

Iida managed to stiffly nod.

Aizawa waits for the stifling air to disperse, then says again, his voice flat and emotionless,

"Now that there aren't any more interruptions-", cue Iida quivering, "-I announce the last-minute addition to your class."

Everyone thinks to themselves, too scared to open their mouths, in case they attract the grouchy teacher's terror-inducing ire.

'Another one?' Kaminari raised an eyebrow. 'So this is the last one?'

'Maybe they're some kind of secret prodigy,' speculated Mina, bouncing on her heels. She had no idea how right she was.

"Tch." Bakugo scoffed, crossing his arms. 'Another extra.'

Even Todoroki looked up in mild curiosity, though his expression remained unreadable.

Meanwhile, ignorant of their thoughts, Aizawa waves his hands to the empty air to his left.

The class examines the empty air in palpable confusion. Hagakure wonders if the new student is invisible.

There's a brief flash and a sizzle. Then, followed by a thump! They're hit by a feeling anew.

It's only a feeling, but the feeling is shared between all the class members.

Warmth. That was the first thing they noticed.

Not the sight of him, but the feeling, like a shift in the air, as if the sun had suddenly peeked through stormy clouds. A presence both lighthearted and vast, as if his existence demanded attention without forcing it. The scorching heat of the midday sun they stood under dulls into a playful warmth.

A boy dusts himself off and grins with an easy confidence, the playful smirk on his lips absolutely radiant. His sun-kissed blond hair, streaked with hints of gold and orange, caught the light. His amber eyes shimmered, glowing faintly as if lit from within. He radiated an effortless, natural warmth, drawing them in before he even spoke. He walks forward, melting the class's tension with each short stride.

Then, in one fluid motion, he placed a hand over his heart, gave an exaggerated, sweeping bow, and flashed a grin.

"Hajimemashite, Akari desu (Nice to meet you, I'm Akari)! Just your friendly neighbourhood sunshine!"

He straightened, voice rich with energy. It was the sort of voice you'd think would come out of a person who's gulped down a tankard of risteretto.

"Haru wa kaze, natsu wa hikari (Spring is wind, Summer is light). I'll be your breeze when you need it, and your sun when you're ready to shine." He threw up his hands. "So… let's make it a fiesta! Yōrōshiku ne!"

Silence.

Kirishima burst out laughing, clapping Akari on the back. "Dude, you're awesome already!"

Sero beamed, looping an arm around him. "I like this one! Finally, someone with energy!"

Kaminari simply throws his arm around Akari and leans on the tall boy.

As if it isn't enough, Akari's smile widens even further.

Meanwhile, towards the back of the group, Tokoyami stiffened, feathers bristling slightly. Something about Akari unsettled him. It wasn't fear—more like… an instinct. A primal warning that made Dark Shadow twitch. Akari unnerved him.

Bakugo's eye twitched. "The hell was that introduction? 'Friendly neighborhood sunshine?' What kinda joke—"

Akari turned toward him, his smirk widening. "Jealous? I could call you 'Stormcloud' if it makes you feel better."

Bakugo twitched again, his muscles spasming, like he wanted to strangle Akari. "Wanna fight, sunshine?"

"Sounds fun," Akari said casually, grinning all the while. As if to emphasize his point, he cracks his knuckles. "But let's save it for later, yeah?"

Momo, who had been watching quietly, narrowed her eyes slightly. There was something magnetic about him. Not just his confidence, but the way he carried himself, as if he was effortlessly aware of everyone in the room. Spring is wind, Summer is light? That was unexpectedly poetic? 'Things are not always as they appear' the saying floated by her head.

Shoji tilted his head. 'Huh.' He decided to ignore the ball of energy. Such people were always a waste of time, and his time was precious.

Hagakure and Tsuyu shared a glance, though Tsuyu wasn't entirely sure if they were making eye contact.

The frog girl croaked, "He seems good, kero," summing up what most of the class was thinking.

Jirou frowned, arms crossed. Flashy quirk, flashy personality. She'd seen these kinds of people in her last school. She hated those kinds of people. She hoped he wasn't the kind of guy who'd overshadow others. Better to keep her distance for now.

Aoyama, for his part, flipped his hair dramatically. "Ah, mon dieu. He shines, but not quite as fabulously as I. Pity."

Akari chuckled, nudging Kirishima and Kaminari playfully. "Man, I guess I gotta work on my sparkle game!" His easy laugh was infectious, drawing in the more fun-loving classmates.

Kirishima grinned, already feeling like Akari was someone he could get along with, and Kaminari couldn't wait to ask for his help with his classic pranks.

Iida adjusted his glasses. Akari was too relaxed. Too carefree. A rule breaker. But there was something else. A seriousness that he could feel. Something that reminded very much of his older brother. He just couldn't place it. The same predatory cheeriness he'd felt from Tensei, his older brother, more commonly known as Ingenium. He'd observe for now.

Todoroki sat stiffly, face unreadable. He didn't want to interact. But he couldn't deny it either.

He, too, was drawn to the sun.

Aizawa barely reacted to Akari's presence, but the class noted that he didn't make any effort to stop him either. It wasn't just that Aizawa tolerated Akari's theatrics—he expected them. The way his gaze barely flickered, the way he remained unbothered despite the blatant flamboyance, it was as if he was already familiar with Akari's antics. He was waiting surprisingly patiently, standing just in the corner of their vision. Since when did Aizawa let someone be this… much?

For a teacher who had no patience for disruptions, his silence toward Akari felt unnatural. This wasn't just leniency; Aizawa had an understanding with Akari, like they'd discussed before.

The question arose not because of Akari's confidence, no, it was because Aizawa was allowing it.

Akari seemed unfazed, though. If anything, he was enjoying the reactions. He turned toward Aizawa, flashing a lazy grin. "You're quiet today, Sensei. Overslept, Sleeping Beauty?"

The class braced itself, expecting an outburst. Maybe Aizawa would retort with detention or a warning. But Aizawa simply moved on, completely unbothered by the nickname.

Aizawa exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just get on with it."

Silence stretched before Kaminari whispered, "Did… did he just get away with that?"

Mina snickered. "I think he did."

The class was beginning to relax when Ochaco, stretching her arms, smiled and said to no one in particular, "I just hope we have fun in this test."

Aizawa's gaze sharpened instantly. He stops in his tracks, and so does everyone."Fun?" His voice, though calm, carried an edge of amusement.

The up-and-coming pro-heroes stiffened, sensing danger.

"Alright then," Aizawa continued, his tone disturbingly casual. "Whoever comes last in this test… is expelled."

Dead silence.

"WHAAAT?!" Kaminari nearly short-circuited, almost frying Kirishma, who quickly leapt out of danger. Akari was completely unbothered.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Mina wailed, looking absolutely devastated.

Iida's hand shot up again. "Sensei! With all due respect, such a high-stakes consequence is highly unreasonable-"

Aizawa cut him off with a deadpan stare. "Would you rather I expel the bottom five?"

Iida promptly retracted his hand and clamped his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Akari simply scoffed, arms crossed. "As if you'd throw away such potential." But those watching closely noticed the tension in his shoulders, the slight way his fingers tapped against his arm.

Aizawa's lips curled ever so slightly, an eerie smirk forming on his usually impassive face. "Wanna bet?"

A chill ran down the spines of most students.

Momo, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes.

'This is clearly a psychological tactic. No matter how much leeway an institution gives a teacher, an educator from UA wouldn't expel someone based on one test when raw numbers don't dictate a hero's potential. You're measuring more than just physical ability. This is meant to push us past our limits, not eliminate us.'

'Now, should I voice it out loud? No, better not risk it. Let's see how it plays out. Besides, it'll be a great chance at observing other quirks and competing with the best.'

The students exchanged uneasy glances.

Bakugo, who had been half-listening while pretending not to care, tensed slightly. Tch.

"Akari!" Suddenly, Aizawa calls out.

"Yes boss?"

Aizawa gives him a meaningful glance, before, "The training balls, Akari, we need them for the test."

Akari straightens up, puts up a salute, and says in a mock serious voice, "Sir! Yes, sir!"

Then… he's gone.

He vanished—no sound, no warning. One second he was standing there, the next, there was nothing but a faint shimmer of light where he had been. Before Hagakure could think, 'He really is invisible!'-

Thump!

Akari reappeared just as suddenly, a basket of what looked like hybrid tennis balls in his arms, standing exactly where he had been before.

The class stared.

"What the-?!" Kaminari blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. "Did he just—?"

"Teleportation?" Momo muttered, analyzing.

Tokoyami narrowed his eyes. Dark Shadow twitched. He didn't like this human. Light was darkness's greatest enemy.

Sero scratched his head. "Dude, you can't just vanish like that and expect us to be normal about it."

Akari just shrugged, tossing a ball into the air. "What? Never seen a guy run an errand before?"

Kirishima looks for his jaw on the ground blinded by manliness.

"Akari!" Aizawa repeats impatiently, looking slightly peeved.

Akari drops the basket into Aizawa's waiting hands and rejoins the group.

Aizawa crossed his arms, surveying the students with his usual tired but sharp gaze. "The first test is the ball throw. You will each get one attempt. Use your quirks however you want, but I want to see how far you can go. This is to measure your raw power output."

His eyes swept over the class.

"Bakugo. You're up first."

There was a small pause. The class had been half-expecting him to call Akari first, just as he had earlier. But no—Aizawa had specifically chosen Bakugo. Why? A few of the more analytical students took mental notes. Was he deliberately not making Akari the center of attention?

Bakugo, of course, didn't care. He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "Tch. Easy."

He grabbed the ball, stretched his arm back, and let loose a massive explosion as he hurled it forward. Orange and white dance and harsh heat threatens.

KA-BOOM!

The ball vanished into the sky, a shockwave rippling through the air. The device beeped loudly before displaying a result.

705.2 meters.

Everyone collectively gasped.

"WHOA! THAT'S INSANE!" Kaminari shouted, practically jumping in place.

"Damn, that's power," Kirishima grinned, clearly impressed.

Bakugo scoffed, turning away with a smirk. "Hah. Weaklings."

"Momo Yaoyorozu."

Momo steps forward, accepting the ball and standing in the ring. She then turns to Aizawa.

"Can we do anything? Anything with our quirks?" She questions.

Aizawa nods, "As long as it's within the ring, you can do whatever you want."

Momo grins hesitantly, then crouches to the ground, eyes closed in pure focus.
They wait for a few moments, before-

Shwup!

Suddenly, something explodes outwards from Momo, who rolls out underneath the giant structure before it crashes onto the ground.

Et viola. A mini-cannon gleams proudly in the sunlight.

Some classmates cheer, some clap. Mostly confusion.

Momo pops the ball into the cannon, and then pulls a lever which had somehow appeared.
Ka-BOOM!

The cannon rolls backward and stops, but the ball, which was launched like a bullet, is nowhere in sight. They wait for a few seconds, and there's a beep.
Aizawa glances at it and lifts it for everyone to see.

520.4 meters.

Momo walks back, head held high. It wasn't Bakugo, but it was at least something.
Some people whoop, but it's nothing much.

"Half a kilometer. Damn! These guys are something else." Akari mutters, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Momo internally squirms. Maybe she should have used some more firepower. She'd have to look up advanced hydrogen compression loading and firing mechanisms and more compact cannon designs.

Aizawa looks at his hand, like it held the class's attendance sheet, and calls out the next person, "Mezo Shoji."

The boy takes a deep breath, reaches the ring, already having taken a ball.

Two arms grip the ball and interlace fingers. Both arms are pulled back, and another two arms grab the ball from the front. Shoji spins, like a professional discus thrower, and then lets loose a loud grunt.

Before they knew it, the ball disappeared.

Momo notes mentally how he could've done better, and then dismisses any other theories.

There's a beep, and the device reads a cool 223.8 meters.

Shoji sighs, and lumbers back. Kirishma raises a hand for a high-five, but Shoji ignores it, causing Kirishma's smile to falter and making him lower his hand awkwardly. Todoroki silently approves. Akari frowns.

"Toru Hagakure, where is she?"

"Here, sensei." She sighs.

She takes the ball somehow, surprising Aizawa and making him almost drop the ball.

No one realizes that she's ready, so she has to ask Aizawa if she can throw the ball. Aizawa gives her a go-ahead.

The ball floats backwards, suddenly starts spinning, and then launches into the sky. It goes on for a couple more meters and lands in sight.

Hagakure pouts, not that anyone can see that.

Aizawa sighs and shows the results, not even bothering to look at it properly.

82.1 meters.

Hagakure throws her arms dramatically and whines, "Come on, that's just rude!"
Some people chuckle good-naturedly at that.

No one saw her gesture at them in response.

"Ochaco Uraraka."

Ochako walks up hesitantly, grabbing the ball with all five fingers and then tossing straight diagonally.

They wait…

And wait…

And wait some more…

Then, the device gives dual beeps, and shows:

Out of Range.

Everyone just stares in disbelief.

Ochaco blushes in response and walks back a little more confidently.

(Far away, NASA is in panic as the labs catch footage of a mysterious object hurtling into space at speeds that didn't even come close to escape velocity.

The scientists there urgently call the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, where the scene is even more hectic as they try to convince the militia to stop loading anti-aircraft missiles to bring the seemingly innocent spherical object down.)

Suddenly, there's a distant flash, like lightning, and an extremely muffled boom. Everyone looks up and sees nothing but some ominously dark clouds hanging in a sphere above them.

(They'd failed.)

Aizawa frowns.

After a few more students-

Aizawa sighs through his nose and looks for something in his pockets. When he doesn't find it, he growls and mutters something.

Akari's smile that had disappeared in the debacle resurfaced.

"Senseiiii..." Akari drawls playfully.

"What?" Aizawa snaps irritably.

"Didja forget your eyedrops again? You keep lecturing me about hypocrisy, but really?" Akari teases.

Everyone starts. What was Aizawa-sensei going to say?

"...will you get it for me? I must've left it on the desk." Aizawa groans.

Everyone blinks in surprise, but that's all it takes. Akari disappears and reappears in a small twinkle of light, and tosses the teacher the drops.

Aizawa drips some of the fluid into his red, dry-looking eyes, blinking rapidly for a few seconds, before shoving the bottle into his pocket. Seeing Akari looking cocky, he decided to put him in his place.

He grabs a ball from the basket and tosses it to Akari, who catches it without missing a beat.

"Your turn, Akari. The class is dying to see you in action."

The class blinks and stares at their sensei.

How did he read our minds?

Akari shrugs nervously, then takes position in the ring.

The class watched carefully. Expectations were high. He had teleported, he had a magnetic presence, and there was something undeniably different about him. How would he handle this test?

He raises his free hand, and suddenly, energy starts to collect just above his palm. A small, radiant sphere of golden energy forms. The glow pulsed warmly, casting faint shadows. Some people immediately take a step closer, eyes locked onto the ball.

"Wait… what's he doing?" Kaminari whispered.

Akari tossed the ball into the air, and it glowed.

"Ka…" he declared dramatically, taking a stance, holding his arms back and lowering himself.

There's a pulse of heat, and time seems to slow. The ball hangs there, just floating with a sheen of gold on its surface. The orb of heat grows in size between Akari's palms.
"…Mei…" The orb grows to the size of a football, and the heat emanating from it becomes tingly.

"Ha…Mei…" Now the temperature is searing, and it's scorching to look at the energy ball, causing the class and their sensei to sweat profusely and look away.

"HAAAAA-" The ball of pure light and heat explodes in a beam towards the ball, moving in slow motion.

Beow-ba-KOOOOOOOOMMM!

The ball questions its life choices as it chillaxes in the air, before it completely disappears.

(Every space agency in the world is crashing as they try to understand why the hell there is a massive beam of radiation and heat and what it's doing just hanging there.

A few hours later, Nezu gets a call…)

"Whaa-!"

Everyone is in shock, trying to understand what had just happened.

They suddenly turn to Akari, their faces twisting into sneers, eerily at the same time.

"Freak! Get away from us!" They scream at him in unison.

Akari reels in surprise.

Aizawa grips his shoulders.

"AKARI! Enough of jokes already, throw the ball already!" Aizawa says impatiently, eyes glowing.

Akari snaps out of it.

Uhh… What?

He was daydreaming, again. Darn.

The class watched carefully, exactly as he'd imagined. He sweated at the possibility of their reactions.

He'd decided.

Expectations were high. He had teleported, he had a magnetic presence, had reacted and blipped to Midoriya's side without hesitation, forming some sort of shield, and there was something undeniably different about him. And why did he start daydreaming in the middle of a class? How was that even possible?

He raises his free hand, and suddenly, energy starts to collect just above his palm. A small, radiant sphere of golden energy forms. The glow pulsed warmly, casting faint shadows. Some people immediately take a step closer, eyes locked onto him.

"Wait… what's he doing?" Kaminari whispered.

Akari tosses the ball and swings his hand in a wide arc, and slams it into the ball.

"Rasengan!" He declares loudly.

There's a small pulse of light and a flash, and the ball shoots forward at an impressive speed with a rush of air—but when the reading came up, it displayed exactly 500 meters.

Aizawa simply yawned, completely unconcerned, as he showed the results.

...

"…That's it?" Sero muttered, tilting his head. "I mean, it was cool, but… I thought it'd go farther."

Kirishima crossed his arms, eyes narrowing slightly. "Nah, something's off. Did anyone else notice that he isn't even tired?"

Momo speaks up again, "Yes. His form was far too relaxed. The energy he generated was significant, but it was controlled and didn't create any drain on him."

Momo also noticed that the number was exactly 500, meaning he'd somehow calculated it and thrown it with the precision of an advanced calibrating system. Only high-tech, quirk-enhanced machines should be able to do that, and prediction was almost impossible. Wind speeds, angle plotting, and not to mention energy output control.

Momo didn't want to think about it. There was something at play here.

Todoroki, who had remained silent, spoke up. "Meaning he's hiding his full strength."

The class fell quiet as the realization sank in.

Akari simply grinned, winking at them. "What, you wanted me to send it to the sun?"

Aizawa exhaled. "Quit the dramatics and get back in line."

As Akari strolled back, the class was left with more questions than answers.

Kirishma nudged him, "How'd you do that? Like, what's your secret?"

Akari grins, and says, "Psh… Like I'd ever tell you."

"Come on, man, we're friends aren't we?" Kirishma says, pouting, although a smile tugs at the ends of lips.

Akari's expression suddenly flickers, morphing into one of pure joy, then shifting to fear, then something indiscernible. Momo could not for the life of her figure out what caused it.

"Sure. Where d'you train? We'll train together." Akari says, simple joy weaving through his voice, even though his face was still neutral.

Kirishma's smile grows wider, and his shark teeth gleam.

"One Gym Man. Five 'o' clock in the evening good with you?"

"Ahem! We have a class ongoing here." Aizawa reminds, interrupting them. He gives Akari a glance.

Akari suddenly is on full alert.

"Ugh. Now that that's done with, we've got fifty meter dash for the next round." Aizawa informs them, grumbling something under his breath.

Akari doesn't even need an instruction this time, because by the time Aizawa finishes, Akari has already placed down four poles. Each pair was fifty meters away from the other, and a two devices are placed on one pole on each end.

Aizawa clearly felt no need to explain what they needed to do. He broke them up into ten pairs.

Twinkles was with the Racoon Eyes, Froggy was with Four Eyes, Round Face was stuck with Tails, and Dunce Face was not-so-surprisingly paired up with Shitty Hair. That shitty clown lips was competing against the Rock Head, and most importantly Bakugo was paired up with Sunshine.

Great. Now Bakugo could show that extra who's boss. He was only a mere pebble after all.

Bakugo had kept an eye on Sunshine after he started teleporting, but he was nothing but an extra, and he'd nothing to worry about. He'd not even come close to Bakugo after all. He wasn't worth any attention.

But, Bakugo had enough of a sense of responsibility to put that extra in his place.

The race would be a good way to mix Sunshine's over-inflated ego with the dirt, where he belonged.

Bakugo didn't bother watching those extras try their hardest, whichwas nothing at all in the first place, but his eye caught on two people. There was that weird two color hair guy, and Four Eyes. Four Eyes was actually pretty fast, and that Half 'n' Half guy was able to use ice pretty well.

Interesting, maybe they could be his sidekicks?

"Bakugo, Akari, over here. Your turn." Aizawa-sensei calls.

Bakugo stomps over to the starting line. His goal was pretty easy to accomplish, even though his shoulders might get a cramp later onwards. Pain was for weaklings after all.

Sunshine is there in blink. Bakugo scoffs, what show off. He'd put that useless nerd to shame. Bakugo's face contorts into an evil grin, at the thought of that Deku.

He'd never made it in. That quirkless, useless nerd was still fantasizing about a time where he'd become a hero. Ha!

That ought to show him. He was no hero. He was nothing. Worse than the dirt under Bakugo's feet.

He didn't have a quirk after all.

Aizawa-sensei says something to Sunshine, but Bakugo ignores it. No sense wasting time on that.

Aizawa-sensei chops the air, and Bakugo tenses.

"Go." Sensei drawls, looking bored.

"HOWITZER IMPACT!" Bakugo shouts, all the sweat he'd gathered up detonating all at once.

That extra would've simply teleported, if Bakugo had decided to do it normally. By doing this, he could send that extra outta this realm and still win. He could easily claim that he was only propelling himself forwards.

Heh. Too easy.

There's a massive boom, and Bakugo is flung straight through the finish line. Tongues of fiery white, yellow and orange lick at the air, scorching anything in range. Smoke is spat out as it clouds over the whole racetrack.

There was no chance that extra would've come out unscathed. That was Bakugo's most powerful explosion after all. Hell, Bakugo wouldn't be surprised if that extra needed to be hospitalized.

Everyone must be too busy coughing. And that means only one thing.

Bakugo's shoulders hurt to move. He shrugged it off. No pain, no gain.

The explosive blond was huffing, because even if he didn't like it, that was very energy consuming.

"Zero-point-five-three seconds, Akari. One-point-three-eight seconds, Bakugo." Aizawa-sensei's normal, bored drawl penetrates the smog.

Wh-what?

H-huh?

He lost? But how? Bakugo was sure he'd blasted the explosion right at that damned Sunshine's face. How'd he have better reflexes than Bakugo? That was impossible, right?

He was the best of the best, right?

Bakugo shakes his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. He's very angry now. Bakugo is breathing very heavily and very quickly, his victory smile torn into a wrathful expression that even a demon from hell would have trouble pulling off.

He stomps over to the silhouette in the smoke right in front of the finish line.

Just when he's about to reach for it, the smoke suddenly blasts away, as a hot, dry blast of air pushes it away.

He must've quickly heated the air, increasing the pressure rapidly and sending a shockwave.

Bakugo didn't know the exact science behind it. Just go ask that Deku, he'd probably give a college lecture explaining the breakdown each second in the process.

The only reason Bakugo knows what'd happened is because he's already done the same thing before.

Suddenly, the world brightens. There's a considerable shift in temperature.

Despite that, for the second time in his life,

Akari stands in the middle of the mini air-plosion. He's grinning, as some might say, like a Cheshire cat, that is, ear-to-ear.

His eyes are squeezed shut, and his teeth are flashing. That comforting aura of his was gone, and a menacing, uncomfortably scorching heat aura stung Bakugo's usually heat resistant skin.

Katsuki Bakugo gave an involuntary shiver.

It was a horrifying smile. Like a serial killer's grin. The one they gave as they stabbed their victim to death, slowly.

He'd only shivered in fear two times. The first time, the slime villain nearly squeezed the life outta him, almost hijacking his body. The other time was now, when Akari, donning an insane, madman's smile was close to murdering him in broad daylight.

The brash, loud, rude bully of a boy steps back, animal instincts taking control. This guy… what was he?

He had to look small, look as inconspicuous as possible, and hide from this monster.

Before the blonde can take another step back, Akari is in his face.

Something cold trails down his spine, and slime collects in his throat.

Heat burns, sizzling the sweat as it ignited.

Akari is absolutely terrifying.

Even more so than that slime villain.

"Do not do it again."

No threat. No raised voice.

Just a statement.

Bakugo shudders. Because it's not a warning.

It's a fact.

Like divine law.

Something that simply is.

Something absolute.

'Do not do it again.'

It engraves into Bakugo's core beliefs and memories.

He felt like he was staring death in the face, and a sickle was placed at his neck. One wrong move and he was a goner.

His instincts were one of the best in the world, and always got him out a sitch, and this time, he owed his life to them.

His right leg, completely randomly gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

The terrifying aura vanishes. The heat wanes, and the light is no longer scorching.

It's comforting, magnetic, all-encompassing, just like it was a few years-wait. Was it only five seconds. Really? Was that insanity only a few seconds?

Bakugo felt like it had taken his lifetime for it to pass. Now he understood what the proverb 'life flashing before your eyes' meant.

He was on the ground. Dust flying.

No one was laughing, no one was mocking him, but no one could. Not when a demon was amongst them. Not when death was so close.

Even then, the humiliation, the shame, the embarrassment hit Katsuki like a hammer. He'd never been disgraced like this. No one could dare. This was the first time he'd tripped on fear and sat down on his butt.

The sheer terror vanished and even against the blaring signals his gut was giving him, he stood up, stumbling, the rushing adrenaline removing all traces of hesitation.

The cold sweat that had gathered in his brush with death now supercharged his fury.

He rushed forward, not caring what happened next.

He'd kill this bastard. He'd blow him to kingdom come and then stomp his corpse, if there even was one left.

No shout, no scream of war, just pure lethal intent.

Pure fury channeled into his palms. He raised them and-

Ssssrk-kashwich.

All his movements seized. Something really, really, strong wrapped around him, binding his moments. He tries to blow up the pool of sweat in his palms at maximum power, but nothing happened and the sweat that had collected just splattered onto the ground and let out a pathetic fizzle.

He grits his teeth, straining with all his might. What the hell?

How was this thing even able to keep him there?

Why was his quirk not working, dammit!

He growls in frustration, sounding like a feral animal, cornered and enraged.

Akari's back is just there. Right in front of him. He could permanently scar that basta-

"Stop it. I'm getting a dry eye over here. Your childish tantrums are getting old fast, so you better stop." A calm, irritated voice pierces his malicious, pure, murderous wrath.

He freezes. His struggles vanish.

The only thing he can think is, 'Oh, shit!'

"Oh, and, we are going to have a word about your behavior later. I will see you after school at six pm sharp." Aizawa-sensei continues.

The stuff keeping him in place tightens, and momentarily, Bakugo finds it hard to breath.

Then, it slinks off him, like a snake and hips right back to Aizawa and wraps back into his scarf.

Aizawa's red glowing eyes turn back to their normal raisin black the moment he blinks.

Suddenly, like a major part of him had just clicked back, he could feel the sweat on himself.

Then, he sees it. Aizawa is glaring at him through something odd. It's like an illusion. A shimmering, gold barrier stood between his teacher and the end of his hero career.

Akari's form flickers, and he's next to Aizawa-sensei.

The barrier blinks out of existence, gone like it never existed.

Bakugo's breath catches. A barrier. A freaking barrier.

What next, a nuclear bomb?

No, maybe one of Jupiter's moons tossed at the world? Maybe a megalomaniac purple titan-

Bakugo was going senseless; don't believe a word he says.

Oblivious to their classmate's existential crisis and very avengful thoughts, Class A murmurs between it's members, shaken to the core. They couldn't breath, couldn't think, when Akari glared down at Bakugo.

The silence is deafening.

Kirishima swallows thickly, finally breaking the tense silence with his shaky voice,"Dude… what the hell was that?"

Mina, usually easy-going, was riveted to the ground. Her eyes are blown wide, and her legs are tensed, ready to run. Just moments ago, she would've loved to smile along with her friend, but,"I-I don't know. B-but I never w-wanna see that s-smile again."

Sero mutters, voice low. "I thought we were going to die..."

Jirou, hands clenched, shivers. The sheer terror hadn't loosed it's grip on her. Her heartbeat would've probably toppled a skyscraper, it was beating so hard. She could only mutter, completely stunned, "What is he?"

Todoroki watches Akari, mind unreadable, but his fingers twitch.

Hagakure, invisible, whispers. "Never. Ever. Make him mad."

Everyone silently agrees.

Aizawa pats Akari's shoulders awkwardly.

He blips out of existence, holding the ball basket, flickering at random spots in the field and then twinkling back with a grip measurement device.

He puts it into Aizawa's hands and walks to Kirishma.

Kirishma tries to sidle away, feeling cornered.

But he doesn't want to, suddenly.

'Man,' he thinks, 'Akari's quirk sure is cool.'

Kirishma sneaks a glance at Akari's face. It's in a distant, faded land. Akari seemed to be deep in thought. A watery, weak excuse of a grin is plastered onto Akari's face.

'A wide, rip in the face, stretching from one ear to another, closed eyes. Burning heat.'

Kirishma shivers. Maybe walking away would be a good idea?

Something deep in him wrestles with his survival instincts.

How could Kirishma ever leave a friend in need, someone so nice, without a shoulder to lean on?

So unmanly.

He quickly shakes away any thoughts of moving away.

Kirishma has a rather simple quirk. Hardening. He believed in doing what was right and standing up for it. He felt that he was that one, reliable friend who'd stand next to you through thick and thin. After all, his quirk essentially made him a walking, talking rock.

He tentatively reaches out an arm to Akari's shoulder, not looking at him. His fingers tremble as they approach the end of Akari's collarbone.

When they make contact, he squeezes his eyes shut, fearing an Akari giving him a game over.

He doesn't. Obviously.

Akari's surprised.

At least, he looks that way.

He looks at Kirishma's unsure hand on his shoulder, and then to Kirishma, who's looking dead straight.

Something warm wells up in him.

'So this is how having friends feels like, huh? I gotta say, que bien."

Kirishma straightens his back when Akari doesn't respond, and is about to withdraw his arm when Akari, being taller than him, slings an arm around him.

It's really warm.

In fact, it's a little too warm.

GAH! IT'S LITERALLY ON FIRE!

HOT! HOT! HOT!

GET IT OFF!

AAAAAAAAAHHHH!

Kirishma hardens his skin and tries to endure it, not wanting to ruin the moment, but it's really, crazy hot! Tears prickle his eyes, and some make their way down his cheeks.

Kirishima's survival instincts slammed the panic button, but his honor refused to betray the moment.

So, he did what any true bro would do-

HE SUFFERED IN SILENCE.

Tears pricked at the edges of his eyes. His skin sizzled under the heat. He bit his tongue not to scream like a dying seagull.

Akari, seeing this, misunderstood entirely. He thought Kirishma was so touched that he was crying, but trying hard not to let it show.

Akari had never been so touched in his life.

So-

HE HUGGED HARDER.

FLUMP!

Kirishima collapsed like a sack of bricks.

Silence.

Everyone turned to Akari.

Akari blinked.

Then again.

Then he pointed to himself, looking around in mild panic.

"Wait, hold on, why is everyone looking at me like that?"

Aizawa sighed so hard his soul almost left his body. He introduced his palm to his forehead like a man who had officially given up on life.

"Akari," he said, voice heavy with exhaustion. "What did you do?"

Akari threw his hands up. "Nothing! I—I just—Kirishima! Bro! Get up, man, you're embarrassing both of us!" He poked Kirishima's unconscious form with his foot. "Hey! Wake up! It's not that embarrassing, is it?"

Kirishima did not wake up.

The class took a collective step back.

Bakugo's eye twitched dangerously. He was taking his grip strength test. He was very tempted to toss the device at Akari. Goddamn golden, shimmering barriers.

"Tch. Knew it. Should've fried this damn flashlight when I had the chance."

Akari sputtered. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN FRIED?!"

He knelt down dramatically, like he was a knight saving a princess, placing his hands over Kirishima's chest flamboyantly.

"Alright, alright, nobody panic. I got this."

Umm… Akari, I think you gave them more of a reason to panic by saying that.

A golden glow emanated from his fingertips.

Within seconds, Kirishima's body shimmered with heat, then cooled entirely. His eyes fluttered open.

Kirishima sat up groggily. "Huh? What happened?"

Akari grinned like an idiot. "I accidentally cooked you. Then I uncooked you. You're welcome!"

There was a long, long pause.

Bakugo snapped.

"OH, COME ON!"

He grabbed the grip measurement device.

He crushed it.

It exploded.

Everyone stared.

Aizawa reintroduced his palm to his forehead. Hey! Maybe they could be friends!

"Great," he deadpanned. "Now we don't have a grip measurement anymore."

Bakugo spun on Akari, pointing a shaking, rage-filled finger.

"WHAT THE HELL CAN'T YOU DO, HUH? YOU TELEPORT, YOU MAKE LIGHT SHIELDS, YOU GIVE HEATROKES LIKE FREEBIES, AND NOW YOU JUST CASUALLY HEAL PEOPLE?! WHAT'S NEXT, YOU GONNA FLY, SUPERMAN?!"

Akari tilted his head, considering.

"…I mean… I could try?"

Bakugo saw red.

Aizawa intervenes before blood is spilt.

By the time the class finished their tests (Akari had somehow managed to procure a new grip measurement device), it felt like Armageddon had come early.

The sweltering, suffocating heat had tempered down into tepid, half-hearted warmth.

They'd gathered around the entrance. Calling it an entrance was probably an understatement, because it looked more like a fortress rampart than anything. It was intimidatingly tall, and made of metal. The metal was dull, and didn't gleam in the sunlight.

Mina was on the verge of tears, imagining the worst because of her terrible long jump.

Aoyama, for once, had lost some of his usual sparkle- well, as dim as Aoyama could possibly get...

Poor Hagakure. She looked so distressed that anyone who saw her would feel an overwhelming urge to punch whoever was responsible for her distraught face. Oh, wait—no one could actually see her. My bad, sorry.

Bakugo was… Bakugo.

Aizawa gathered everyone up near the exit of the PE field, yawned for what had to be the millionth time that day and lazily tapped a random button on his phone.

He seemed too tired to realize that instead of the results, he had accidentally projected something entirely different.

The class blinked.

The screen displayed an army of tiny, fluffy kittens.

The damage was immediate. Their brains short-circuited from sheer cuteness overload. Eyes teared up, breathing hitched, and for a moment, the battlefield of their failed test results no longer mattered. The class had ascended to a higher plane of existence, one ruled by soft fur and sparkles.

Well, except Akari. He simply rolled his eyes at Aizawa's wallpaper choices and took advantage of the distraction, and while no one was looking, he used his quirk, snapping his fingers to put the correct results on display.

The leaderboard appeared: Bakugo in first place. Minoru Mineta dead last.

Aizawa, seemingly half-conscious, mumbled something.

Mineta collapsed to his knees, bawling, fists pounding the ground like a tragic shonen anime protagonist.

Then, Aizawa fully snapped back to awareness.

"Oh yeah," he muttered. "Mineta, you're expelled. You can pick up your documents from the receptionist's desk anytime."

Silence.

Then, without another word, Aizawa zipped himself into a sleeping bag he had seemingly pulled from thin air, leaned forward, and—full tilt—was asleep before he even hit the ground.

Except… he never hit the ground. Akari taps his shoulder while he falls, and Aizawa blinks away.

Talk about trust falls.

Mineta is full-on waterworks mode, his tears making people near him wish for an umbrella.

Akari manages to comfort Mineta, which no one thought was possible. But then, Mineta was finally able to speak, albeit very brokenly. What he spoke got everyone near him retching, and Akari paling. He teleports away with Mineta hurriedly and reappears looking seriously shaken.

"I'm gonna need to have a chat with Nezu about letting people like him in. Sorry you had to hear that." Akari says, his voice quavering.

'If that guy was able to stay anymore, who knows what he would've done?'
After a moment of stunned silence, the class collectively agreed—without a single word spoken—that they would never bring this up again.

Ever.

The atmosphere was tense, like a crime scene that no one wanted to acknowledge. A few students stole uneasy glances at Akari, still shaken by how even he had been disturbed. Others simply looked exhausted, ready to pack up and go home before anything else could traumatize them.

Akari sighed, rubbing his temples like he was trying to physically scrub his brain clean.

"Alright," he finally muttered, shaking himself off. "Let's pretend none of that happened. Move forward. Keep our sanity intact."

"Too late for that," Kaminari groaned, looking spiritually drained.

Akari clapped his hands together, forcing a smile. "Well, good news! The creep is gone, and we can all go home with our brains… mostly functional."

The class did not look reassured.

Ochaco sighed, stretching. "This has been the weirdest first day ever. First the quirk test, then the kittens, then-" she grimaced, deciding not to say Mineta's name. "-that… disaster."

Kirishima perked up, forcing a grin. "Hey, at least it's a great story to tell!"

"No, it's not." Jirou glared. "That story dies here."

Sero nodded solemnly. "Buried. Locked away. Never to be spoken of."

Hagakure shuddered. "Guys, I still feel like I need a shower."

"Join the club," Tokoyami muttered, sounding genuinely disturbed for the first time ever.

Akari cleared his throat, forcibly changing the subject. "So! Sensei's gone because the time's up. Class dismissed. Come on, guys, we gotta get back to the class before they lock it up."

The class shifts attention. There's authority in that voice. It wasn't something that made them follow the command, just made them want to follow the command. They normally would've thought, 'Who was this guy to push us around?'

The class perked up at that.

Momo sighed, following Akari as he motioned them.

"Finally." Bakugo scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Tch. What a waste of time." He seemed to be one of the only people unaffected. On the surface.

They group together and stagger to the class, exhausted. The tiredness of the day finally catches up to them. They drag their feet as they walk through the desolate hallways. Everyone else had already left. The sound of squeaking rubber fills the scholarly hallways of UA.

One by one, the students grabbed their bags and started heading out, their fatigue catching up to them. They could barely walk.

Mina, a little droopy, but nevertheless cheery, turned to Akari. "So, Sunshine, where ya headed?"

Akari blinked. "Huh?"

Mina leaned forward, hands on her hips, squinting at his expression. "Y'know. Home? You got one?" She grinned at her own joke.

The word 'home' hit him like a brick. He blinked, trying to make sense of what she was trying to convey.

For a split second, just a fraction of a moment, his body froze. The light in his amber eyes flickered. A sudden tightness gripped his chest. The temperature plummeted. His glow disappeared.

Then, just as quickly, he forced himself to recover. He exhaled, rolling his shoulders back, and grinned, just a tad bit too forced. The glow reappears, and his cozy warmth blankets everyone.

"Technically, UA is my home," he said, patting her head. "I'm a ward of the school, so…" He gestured vaguely around them. "Here I am."

Mina's smile faltered.

Something about the way he said it, his casualness, like it didn't matter, hit her like a gut punch. How could he say that so easily?

How could he still be smiling?

He was a UA ward. UA didn't take in permanent residents unless they didn't have anywhere to go. And they weren't an orphanage. Being a UA ward practically gave you a guarantee that you were going to be in the top rankings of heroes. You also had to pay for the expenses of staying there once you were a properly established hero.

Her expression flickered through several emotions in quick succession—shock, realization, guilt.

"I-" She swallowed the slime that was collecting in her throat.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Akari waved a hand, brushing it off like physical, non-existent dust. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Mina bit her lip, still looking troubled. She looked away, couldn't bear looking at him. She leans back on her heels. This was awkward.

But then Kirishma called her name, and she hesitated before finally giving him one last glance and heading off.

Akari stood still for a long moment, watching all the rest of them trickling out, pelting him with various forms of "Goodbye!" He returned the sentiment.

The school grounds grew quieter. The sky was turning a deep orange, the last bits of sunlight stretching over UA. The lights in the classroom were turning off, programmed to turn off after a certain period of time.

Tiny robots collected garbage and polished the classroom. He watched them work.

Too quickly, they're gone, and he's completely and utterly alone.

Without thinking, he lifted a hand. He pushed the stagnant energy in his blood, and forced it to take the form of a sphere, just above his palm.

A sphere of light flickered to life. It spun lazily, small at first, then gradually began to grow. The classroom is illuminated with a brilliant hue

A flash.

His vision flickered.

Suddenly, he wasn't at UA anymore. He wasn't holding a sphere of pure energy. He wasn't even of the same height.

He was standing in front of his childhood home. A small, aesthetic, and traditional Japanese house, with three words engraved into a plaque on the door. Warmth filled his chest. So familiar. Something he could call his.

Two figures stand behind him. A middle-aged man with black hair and a fond smile beams at him, and a woman of similar age and red hair side-hugs the man. She looks at Akari like he's the most precious thing in the world.

Then the image shifted.

The same people are lying on the floor, identical football-sized holes adorning them. Blood spurts out of their cooling bodies in rivulets, pooling around them in a puddle.

They're both smiling. Their eyes are closed, they're dead, but they're still smiling.

Smiles stretched too wide, blood trickling down their chins and gaping holes in their gut.

Horror wells up in him. He feels his blood pounding. Remnants of hate and anger throb in him. Directed at the perpetrator.

Then he feels hollow. Sheer emptiness. Completely numb. Devoid of any emotion or thought.

The scene warps again.

The wasteland.

Charred, blackened earth. Cracked, entrenched chasms. The echoes of flames still smoldering, smoke rising into the sky.

His stomach dropped.

Guilt wells up in him.

He feels like clawing his heart out.

Slime builds in his throat

His heart burns with agony.

Head feels like it's floating

Bile burns his gullet.

He doesn't know whether his eyes work, because he's too blinded by emotions.

He wants to vomit. He wants to-

"Akari."

A voice, low and familiar, cut through the haze.

The vision shattered.

He blinked back into reality, breath hitching. His hands, still splayed open, have no warmth between them. Cold sweat trails down his body. A headache, phantom and sneaking builds beneath his temples.

Aizawa stood a few feet away, arms crossed. His expression unreadable, but his eyes sharp.

"You were doing it again," he said simply. His eyes scan Akari for any residual tension

Akari exhaled sharply, trying to shake off the lingering ghosts in his head. "Right. Sorry."

Aizawa studied him for a moment longer, prompting Akari to strike a pose, grinning.

The Erasure hero rolls his eyes at Akari's antics and slides open the door to the classroom.

"Come on," he said, turning toward the dorms. "You need rest."

They walked in silence. Aizawa decided to escort Akari to his room, just in case one of his visions comes back.

UA's dorms were mixed. People of multiple classes came to sleep in the same building. The girls slept on the third and topmost floor, and the boys slept on the second floor. The first floor was where the younger, less fortunate children slept.

As was expected of an elitist premium hero school, everything was top grade. All the facilities were cutting edge and the furniture was the best money could buy. The rooms were soundproofed and super strengthened by quirks.

Akari's room was number three. Coincidentally, his favorite number, too. Supposedly his lucky number.

He didn't feel all that lucky just then.

Akari didn't realize how tired he felt until he saw his bed. His body suddenly felt heavy.

He leaped into the canopy bed face-first without a care in the world. He didn't even think about a teacher standing there watching him. The plush white down swallowed him and the air conditioning started up without any command. He didn't even bother changing out of his school uniform and showering, let alone about dinner.

He didn't feel hungry anyway. He never did.

Aizawa turned to leave, respecting his privacy. Just then, before exiting, he paused, like he'd forgotten something.

"…Goodnight, Akari." The gruff, practical teacher said, before closing the door behind him.

Akari froze. His eyes widened slightly. For a long second, he didn't know what to say. Aizawa-sensei usually didn't care about stuff like that, said it wasn't necessary and it was only a waste of breath. Had he forgotten the lecture he'd given Akari? Then, slowly, hesitantly, his lips curved into a small, genuine smile. His face was still in the bed.

Akari decided to let it go. Sensei was soft, even though he didn't show it.

"…Goodnight, Sensei."

Akari laid back, staring at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time, the weight in his chest felt a little lighter.


Heya guys. Don't mind me! I just wanted to let you know that this story was pretty tough on me to write. The chapter 1 was easy, I guess, but other than that, it was mostly a vent. I'd written it a few months back, so it might be worse than what you'd normally expect. Sorry about that! The more I read, the better I write, after all. Welp, if you guys want more my price is 5 requests in the comments. Yep, very expensive, I know. What to do? I have so much to do and so little time that I'm not motivated enough to write anything much. Apricity (My other Naruto fanfic) is going to come out next week same time, so look forward to it.

And no, artists, please don't ask me for a collab. I definitely don't want a comic or art for my characters... I'm broke as I am.