The Loyal Hero

She wasn’t part of the plan. His grand plan for the future— become the number one Hero, leave all the extras in the dust, win every fight and stop scumbag Villains.
That was all there was to it. There was never meant to be room for someone else to be a part of that plan with him. She didn’t belong in that plan. And yet…
He made the mistake of looking at her again, finding her already staring back at him, pinning him in place with that heavy look of concern.
Those eyes. A vibrant fuchsia, framed in lashes colored a rosy hue to match. But her pupils, they were a pale white, sharper than most ever bothered to notice.
That was it.
Yes, he was sure of it. It was her eyes. Those eyes had to be her real Quirk. They had to be.
Because why else would staring back into them make him feel like this?

Or, a sweet, bubbly, and oblivious girl ends up forcibly making a certain explosive blonde care about her, and throws off all of his future plans before they can even graduate.

Notes:

Did I seriously stay up all night writing this? Yes. Did I really start another fic even though I've got a ton of other unpublished WIPs? Yes. Am I totally in love with these new OCs? Yes. Do I care that I have a splitting headache and Aizawa-level dry-eye from lack of sleep? Nope.
(Fyi, Nori looks almost exactly like Kassim from Magi, so I highly suggest you look him up real quick)
Disclaimer: I don't, nor will I ever, own My Hero Academia (BNHA). But the Original Characters in this fanfiction all belong to me.

This fic is also posted on my FanFiction.Net account, by the same name. I just thought I’d put it on here as well.

Chapter 1: A Hero is born

Chapter Text

Imagine a world, where fiction and the impossible were reality. What's more than that even, a world where they were the norm.

A world where being abnormal was no longer something to simply jeer and gawk at.

A world full of billions of extraordinary people. Many of which with extraordinary abilities.

Now imagine your parents were in the majority of the extraordinary. And not only that, but they were seen as two of the greatest Heroes there ever was.

Silver Shifter and Golden Geist were thought of as the greatest Hero partnership to ever come out of UA, but it wasn't just because they worked well together, it was because they knew each other better than the backs of their own hands. Always moving in ways and doing things so in sync that you would think they had telepathy.

Naomi Tanaka and Riku Saito met in their third year of middle school, quickly hitting it off and becoming inseparable. And as fate would have it, they both enrolled and managed to get into UA.

Naomi Tanaka had the ability to transform any part of herself into that of an animal's. She could choose to have inhuman strength by turning her arms into that of a bear's. She could fly high to places other Heroes struggled to reach by making them wings instead. She could listen in on the subtlest of conversations by sprouting bat ears atop of her head. The list could go on.

She took on the title of Silver Shifter.

Whereas Riku Saito could make his enemy see anything he wanted them to. The Villain was afraid of spiders? He would make them see one the size of a building. He needed to calm down a child? He'd have them see their favorite animal. There were too many Villains to face off with? Well, he'd just make it look like he has an army of Heroes until more arrive. Endless possibilities at his disposal.

So, alongside his best friend, he declared himself Golden Geist.

It wasn't long after they became famous Pro Heroes at the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two, that they announced their marriage.

And once people started noticing Gold going at it alone only a few months later, rumours began surfacing. The two most popular ones on the internet being, they were separating, or, they were pregnant.

Once Silver returned ten months later, it was safe to assume the latter was correct.

After their return, Silver Shifter and Golden Geist continued raising in the ranks, even going as far as creating their own Hero agency, which they dubbed "Excel-lency". The public wouldn't see Gold solo again for almost seven years. This time there were no rumors of a divorce, just congratulations on another blessing.

What the civilians didn't know at the time, what no one knew, was that the second child the two esteemed Heroes were bringing into the world, would surpass even them, and become one of the world's greatest Heroes. Right alongside her closest friends, and former classmates.

Yes, it was that class.

"Nori, you might want to give her some space, okay?"

A seven year old boy with striking golden eyes nodded, but didn't bother stepping away from the frilly white bassinet. He distractedly brushed back his long maroon hair, not taking his eyes off of what laid in the tiny bed.

"Papa?"

A man with natural brown hair looked up from the report he was going over. His matching golden eyes looking through a round pair of glasses and at his son.

"What's the matter Nori?" The man questioned, already fearing the worst.

"Why's she got dog ears? And a tail too?" Nori asked, a slight lisp from a missing tooth laced his words.

The boy's father relaxed, eyes going back down to the report. "Well, that has to do with her Quirk."

Nori's brows furrowed. "But why's she got 'em now? I didn't get my Quirk 'til I was three."

The man smiled softly. "Everyone's Quirks are different Nori. She has a mutation type, which starts developing as soon as the baby's made. While it seems your sister will have a Quirk like your mother's, you took more after me."

Nori nodded along. What his father said made sense, as his own Quirk was almost nothing like his mother's. Rather, it was a warped version of his father's, where instead of making the conscious decision of what to make someone see, Nori could release a pheromone from his pores, that when anyone inhaled, would make them see their worst fear.

It wasn't a very happy or heroic Quirk, but then again, he never really wanted to be a Hero in the first place. He'd much rather make things. After seeing the emotional distress his Quirk could cause, he made a promise never to use it on anyone innocent, especially after he accidentally used it on his parents when it first manifested.

With his eyes still locked on his baby sister, he made her the same promise. If he could help it, she would never have to face her worst nightmare.

The infant in question was sound asleep, Tiny pointed orange ears flicking every few minutes, somehow managing to look massive on the baby's head. The flicking was always followed by her slightly curled tail wagging once or twice between her legs, the underside of the curl gleaming a shiny white in contrast to the orange. But the orange and white fur of her ears and tail couldn't have been more different from the bright light pink of her hair. And if she opened her eyes, the boy would be greeted by two, just as striking fuchsia irises. Both sitting under thick and matching rosy pink lashes.

When the baby was first brought home, Nori had been wary. Why should he like the thing that made his lovely mother swell up like a balloon? The thing that made his parents run off to the hospital in a panic in the middle of the night, leaving him alone with the nanny. The thing that seemed to have vocal cords of steel, using them to wail to her heart's content most nights. No, there was no way he would grow attached to the thing.

That mindset shattered like glass the second he heard her giggle for the first time.

Ever since then, Nori had appointed himself as her guardian. Watching over her and doting on her to the point that the seven year old even knew how to properly prepare a bottle for his sister (under supervision of course).

Both males looked up as the nursery door opened, the oiled hinges twisting almost soundlessly—something they made sure to do after a tiny squeak woke and frightened the infant one night. A tall woman with snowy white hair and tanned skin peeked into the room, taking in the adorable and somewhat hilarious sight of her boss casually sitting and doing his work on a giant puppy themed chair.

She quickly stifled a giggle, red eyes swimming with mirth. "Miss Naomi has finished preparing breakfast, Sir."

The man smiled good-naturedly, fully aware of how silly he looked. "Thank you Ayami. And what did Omi and I say about the whole "Miss" and "Sir" thing. You're practically family, there's no need for that."

A light blush rose on the young woman's cheeks, hands twisting in the skirt of her maid's uniform, an outfit she insisted on wearing, as it made her feel more like the real-deal, and nodded meekly.

Nori finally, and reluctantly, stepped away from his sister, watching his father as the man carefully picked her up, cradling her to his chest.

The three made their way through several rooms and hallways, finally reaching their enormous kitchen.

A woman older and taller than Ayami brushed her hands off on her floral printed apron. Her silver eyes lit with pride as she stared down at the large assortment of food she had made. Her relation was made clear once seeing the rosy pink hair tied up into a messy bun at the base of her head, just a few shades darker than the baby's.

"I brought them, Mi—Naomi." Ayami stuttered, quickly correcting herself.

The pinkette looked up from the food, placing her hands on her hips and grinning impishly. "Well, think it'll be enough, Riku?" Naomi asked sarcastically.

Her husband smiled in amusement. "Hmmm, I don't know. Nori might have to fend for himself." He joked in return.

Said boy stopped staring at all the food in wonder, instead sending his father an annoyed glare.

"But really, why did you make all this?" Riku questioned.

Suddenly a dark aura surrounded Naomi. "You try sitting on your ass for nine months straight because your husband's a paranoid helicopter-hubby." She hissed, still wearing a smile.

Riku gulped, brow twitching in fear. "O-oh..."

The aura suddenly disappeared as fast as it arrived. Naomi clapped her hands, a genuine smile now present. Riku could never get used to Naomi's postpartum mood swings.

"I just felt like doing something." She answered simply.

"Mmm."

The four people in the room who were standing, all looked over as the infant in her father's arms started squirming, making squeaks of discontent.

Nori's hand shot up. "I'll warm up a bottle!"

Naomi and Riku laughed softly, whereas the boy's nanny gave a faint sigh. "I'll help him." Ayami muttered, walking over to her charge before he broke anything.

Naomi held out her hands. "Here, let me take her."

Riku complied, and it wasn't long after being transferred to her mother that the baby fell silent.

Naomi stared down into her daughter's sparkling pink eyes, smiling widely as her tiny ears flicked back and forth, now taking in all the noise around her.

"Morning, Hitomi."

Time flew by, many months seeming to pass in a blur. Naomi and Riku were back in the grind of Hero work, and were once again the top dogs of any Hero partnership. One could argue the reason they worked so well was because neither one was the Sidekick. Both were equal, and would never doubt the other.

Ayami was back to working on the house chores, now that Naomi was off of maternity leave. She was honestly relieved to be doing them again, as the woman hadn't ever had the heart to tell Naomi when she was doing something wrong.

As for Nori and Hitomi... They hadn't changed much. Only now, Hitomi had the nasty habit of vanishing.

Nori was standing in the center of their living-room, frantically running his hands through his newly done dreadlocks, mentally writing his will.

Because he had been in charge of Hitomi for a total of five minutes, and had already managed to lose her.

She had been crawling for a few months now, proving to be a hassle to keep track of in the enormous house. Who had thought it was a good idea to leave him watching her alone?

Well, he did pester Ayami about it until she finally caved and let him watch the toddler on his own while she was working in the kitchen. But he still felt he wasn't to blame.

"How's it going in there?" Ayami called from the kitchen.

Nori jumped, finally darting across the room, looking under the coffee table and sofas for his sister. "F-fine!" Nori yelped, resorting to yanking cushions off the sofas in hopes of finding Hitomi hiding underneath.

Ayami slowed her stirring, knowing Nori's guilty voice all too well. She sighed, setting aside her batter and walking into the living-room, sagging in exasperation at the sight of the disarray that took hold of the once pristine room.

Nori dropped the cushion in his hands, guiltily looking around at the mess he made. He scratched the back of his head. "Um, well... I can explain this—"

"You lost her, didn't you?"

Nori looked down to his feet, nodding meekly.

Bark! Bark!

The woman and child jumped, sharing a startled look, before dashing off to the origin of the noise.

Nori's sock clad feet slid as he stopped in front of their gaming room. Ayami much more elegantly walked up to the room behind the boy. They both paused to take in what was in front of them, unsure of what to do. Or if they should even do something at all.

Hitomi was sitting a few feet away from the large flatscreen television, somehow having managed to turn it on. Her curled tail was stiff as a board, and her ears remained pinned in place, pointing at the TV. The program on, at the moment, was an animal documentary about lions.

Bark-bark! Bark!

Ayami and Nori jumped as Hitomi yipped once more, glaring heatedly at the lions on screen. Her barks were tiny and high-pitched, sounding more instinctual than deliberate.

Ayami couldn't help but giggle, dearly wishing she had grabbed something to film the scene in front of her with. Alas, she had left her phone sitting on the counter in her haste.

Nori, after finally calming down from finding her, walked further into the room and picked up the remote. Instead of turning it off, he quickly pressed a few of the numbered buttons in a pattern he had memorized.

Hitomi's tiny frame jolted in surprise when the lions disappeared, being replaced by the bright and fast colors of their local news channel.

Just as he expected, Silver and Gold were being covered, as Nori had learned this channel held a soft spot for his parents. He sat down beside his sister, taking on the same position as her, staring up at the TV.

Ayami sat down on the couch behind them, enjoying the calm moment. The news anchor was talking a mile a minute about the latest deed The two Pro Heroes had pulled off, excitedly ranting about how the two easily handled a serious hostage situation by themselves before anyone else could arrive.

While Nori and Ayami were smiling proudly, Hitomi sat stock still.

Her eyes were locked on the fast moving images of her mother and father. While she was too young to recognize the two on screen were her parents, they looked familiar enough to bring on a sense of calm, and cause her body to relax. As she watched, her tail slowly began wagging, hard enough to shake her pink onesie clad frame.

She slowly picked up on a familiar word that continued to be repeated.

"H-he..."

Nori's head snapped to the right, eyes wide as he watched his sister's mouth move soundlessly.

Ayami practically leapt off the couch, coming to kneel beside her charges.

Up until this point, the closest Hitomi had ever come to talking was whining, growling, and barking. It even got to the point where Naomi and Riku took her to their personal doctor to check that she had human vocal cords and not, in fact, canine ones.

(Too deep in stress, it never occurred to them that Hitomi's crying sounded very clearly human.)

Hitomi's mouth continued to move wordlessly, a crease forming between her round orange brows as she struggled with making the sound she wanted.

"Hi-hee..."

Nori grinned, his unusually sharp canines showing. "She's—"

Ayami quickly shushed him, not wanting him to potentially distract his sister.

Hitomi's eyes moved back up to the screen, the familiar looking Heroes were now shaking hands with others, clearly getting congratulations on the job well done.

The word was repeated again, and with renewed effort, she forced her lips to shape her voice.

"Heer-oh." She finally managed, getting close enough to the word to be happy with it.

Nori froze, while Ayami lit up.

"Did you hear that!? She said "Hero"! Naomi and Riku will love this!" Ayami gushed, picking up the baby and carrying her out of the room, planning to put her on the phone with her parents and try to get her to say it again.

Nori was left stunned, still kneeling on the ground in front of the television. The news was now white noise as he was trying to rein in the swirling thoughts in his head.

She said "Hero". Why did she say "Hero"?

He didn't like this. It gave him a sour feeling in his stomach.

No. No. He was just reading too much into this, that's it. After all, babies just repeat the noises and words they hear the most, right? So she probably just heard "Hero" said one too many times. No big deal.

He nodded to himself reassuringly, slowly getting to his feet and following after his nanny. Everything would be fine. Just as long as Hitomi never became a Pro Hero. And never put herself in that kind of danger.

He winced, too many memories of his parents nursing injuries coming to mind.

"Hmmmm... I like all of 'em!"

Nori sighed, running a hand through his shoulder length hair.

"You can't pick all of them Hitomi. You have to pick one."

Four years had passed since Hitomi's arrival into the world. In that time, she had proven to be just as troublesome as her brother. The only difference was, she never did any of it on purpose. While her brother purposefully caused mischief at every turn, Hitomi tended to try and stay in line. But more often than not, her happy and excitable nature always caused something to go wrong at one point or another.

The four year old girl pouted, turning back to the shelf of stuffed dolls in front of her.

They weren't any normal plushes sitting on the shelf, they were dolls of Pro Heroes. All Might, Endeavor, and so on. There was even some of the new and harder to find releases, like Gang Orca, and Vlad King.

Hitomi hummed, eyes going over the pile one more time before she decided. The choice was easy once she narrowed it down and thought about it. She grabbed two dolls.

She turned to her brother, holding the dolls to her chest. "Can I pick two?"

Nori sighed, not looking at the ones she picked as he was focused playing his well used Gamekid. "Mama and Papa said—"

"But they're always together! Can't get one an' not the other!" Hitomi argued.

Nori blinked as he looked up. "What are you talking about..."

He trailed off, seeing the familiar colors on the dolls.

One was wearing a black mask and golden cloak, while the other had on a pink and silver leotard. Both had matching utility belts, and metallic combat boots.

They were plush, chibi versions of their parents. Both were roughly six inches, though the plush Golden Geist was a couple centimeters taller.

Nori couldn't help but spot the inaccuracy, Naomi being just a hair taller than her husband.

Hitomi held the Silver Shifter and Golden Geist plushies to her chest, staring up at Nori with her 'Literal Puppy-dog Eyes'. The boy crumbled. Mainly because their parents were romantic saps and would completely agree that it would be wrong to separate the dolls.

Nori sighed. "Fine—"

"Yay!"

"—Let's go find Ayami." Nori put his game away and took Hitomi's hand. He paid for the dolls and stepped outside, hand in hand with his sister. The two started walking to the farmer's market, knowing Ayami was getting groceries.

Neither child was concerned about being without an adult, not with Nori's natural control over his Quirk.

As they passed by a window showcasing TVs, Hitomi started dragging her feet, eyes straying and remaining locked on what was flashing across the screens.

Nori noticed she stopped. "Hitomi, c'mon." He tugged on her hand.

Hitomi didn't say anything, and just continued looking at the display.

After not getting an answer, Nori looked over at the televisions too. He smiled as soon as he recognized the Heroes on screen.

"It's..." She breathed.

Nori nodded, swelling with pride. "Yep."

Hitomi's eyes lit up as the on-screen Silver took down two Villains easily, while Gold was distracting the others with illusions.

Naomi and Riku always made it a point to try and keep the violent part of their work lives out of their personal ones. The news was rarely ever on while they were off at work, as a result. So it was the first time in a while that the girl was seeing her parents in action while old enough to understand what, and who she was watching. And something about it...

"Nori?"

"Hmm?"

"How does someone become a Hero?"

Nori jumped, looking down at his sister in shock and apprehension. "Uh, well I—" He stammered.

If he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to explain that to her, in case she wound up as one of those little weirdos who would rave about becoming a Pro as soon as they got their Quirk. He had realized he didn't want the Hero life for her the second she said her first word. It was dangerous, and so many things could happen. So many horrible things.

He gulped as a horrifying image came to mind, of his sister broken and mangled.

Sometimes he hated his Quirk. Not just for its macabre nature, but because it came with drawbacks. An unfortunate side effect was that if he was scared, and closed his eyes, he would always be met with an image of what was scaring him, as vivid as the real thing.

Even he wasn't safe from the nightmares he created.

Feeling a tugging on his hand, Nori shook the thoughts away and looked questioningly at his sister. She was looking up at him in worry, and he realized he was probably silent for too long.

"...Ask Mama and Papa when we get back, okay?" He placated.

She nodded hesitantly, taking one more glance at the TVs, the sight of her parents hand-cuffing the Villains filled her with some unfamiliar feeling. It was warm, and almost felt like falling, but in a good way.

That day was the start of something unavoidable.

The rest of the evening, Hitomi spent asking any question about Heroes she could think of.

"Can anyone be a Hero?"

"Why do you need a license?"

"How do you get a license?"

"How do you get into Hero school?"

"How do you train your Quirk?"

"How do I train my Quirk?"

It was cute at first, and Riku had been more than eager to teach his daughter the ins-and-outs of Hero-ing. But it slowly became clear she had more questions than they probably did answers. Which was saying something.

"What did you do!?" Naomi hissed, stabbing her chopsticks into her dinner violently.

Nori glared, affronted. "Me? It's your fault for being on TV!"

Naomi gave him a warning look. "Watch it. And you were the one who led her past the damn TVs!"

"Language, dear." Riku faintly chastised, getting a venomous glare in return.

"It's probably a phase. Hitomi will stop asking questions eventually." Ayami added softly.

"No I won't." Hitomi plainly stated over her own food.

Riku and Naomi traded a look.

"Hitomi, what is with the sudden interest?" Riku asked kindly.

The pinkette looked down at her dinner, face flushing as she suddenly became bashful, mumbling something.

Naomi's ears quickly turned into that of a bat's, moving and now sitting atop her head. "What was that?"

Hitomi mumbled again, and Naomi's eyes widened.

"What do you mean "I don't know"?"

Nori's jaw fell open, as he dropped his chopsticks. "You mean to tell me she's been spouting off questions like a crazy person for no reason!?"

"I have a reason!" Hitomi defended herself.

"Then what is it?" Riku asked.

Hitomi's ears drooped. "I dunno..."

Nori made a sort of strangled noise, slamming his face on the table.

"Well, whatever reason it may be, I think it's great Hitomi's interested in something." Riku stated optimistically.

"Whatever..." Nori mumbled into the wood of the table.

Naomi nodded along to her husband's statement. "Yeah. And who knows, learning all this information could help her work at a Hero agency in the future."

"Yeah! Like costume design, maybe even business management, or..."

Hitomi zoned out, not wanting to listen as her father listed off every job that had something to do with Heroes. All except being a Hero.

The thought of being anything other than a Pro Hero filled her with a feeling she didn't like. Her stomach would get a swirly pit at the bottom, same as that time she ate onions for the first time by accident. But whenever she thought about being a Hero, she felt light, energetic, and so happy. The thought of helping people, of saving them, it was something she even found herself daydreaming of a lot.

Did that mean she wanted to be a Hero? Well, what other reason was there for her to be so curious about it? If there was no other reason, than that meant—

"I wanna be a Hero!" She shouted, slamming her hands down excitedly on the table.

Everyone at the table fell silent, sharing startled and worried glances.

Naomi's brows furrowed. "Hito—"

"Are you sure."

Naomi jumped, looking at her husband in surprise.

But Riku was staring at the other pinkette at the table, looking more serious than the child was used to.

She gulped, giving a sturdy nod.

Riku waited a few seconds, before smiling. "Well, the girl has spoken. She's going to be a Hero." He stated.

Naomi and Nori gaped, while Ayami and Hitomi seemed stunned.

"W-wha- Riku!" Naomi stood, staring at her husband and trying to figure out what he was doing.

The man shrugged. "It's in her blood Omi. And besides, look in her eyes."

Naomi hesitated, before doing as he instructed. Hitomi looked over at her mother, narrowing her eyes.

"I want to be a Hero!" She stated, more confident now.

Naomi blinked, falling back in her chair as her ears went back to normal.

"That's..."

"The look we had. Before." Her husband finished for her.

Naomi nodded slowly, left speechless that she hadn't seen it sooner.

Nori looked back and forth between his parents in disbelief. Growling, he stood, slamming his hands on the table similarly to how Hitomi had. "You can't be serious!" The boy bemoaned.

Naomi crossed her arms. "Nori, watch it—"

"No!" He cut his mother off. "Am I really the only one who cares about Hitomi!?"

Naomi scowled heavily. "Of course we care! But who knows, in ten years she might decide to be an engineer, or a doctor instead. But if this is what Hitomi really wants then it's better to help her than let her do it by herself!" Naomi snapped.

Nori stared down at the table, hands shaking at his sides. "She's four. And we don't even know what she can do..." The boy muttered.

"Well, we'll figure it out." Riku said optimistically.

Nori slowly looked up, wincing at the glossiness of his sister's eyes.

"Do... do you really want to be a Hero?" He asked his sister.

Hitomi hesitated at her brother's tone, before nodding vehemently.

Nori sighed, dropping back into his seat.

With their food now cold and long forgotten, the family decided to play some board games instead, to try to lighten the mood. Easily falling into a peaceful atmosphere.

But while he backed down this time, Nori definitely wasn't done trying to steer Hitomi away from the career path of Heroism.

Hitomi sat silently, picking at a loose string on her blue kindergarten uniform. It was currently snack time and the majority of the children were all sitting together and talking animatedly. Usually the small pinkette would be contributing to the noise of the classroom, but she didn't have it in her to be upbeat at the time. Ever since the night she declared she wanted to be a Hero, something had been nagging her.

What was her Quirk?

Sure, she knew she had some form of a mutation Quirk, but so far, the only abilities she seemed to possess was heightened senses. And the fact she hadn't yet showed any sign of something else made her worry that there was nothing else. And if that was the case, how could she ever be a Hero?

A timid tap on her shoulder startled Hitomi out of her thoughts. The pinkette turned to look at who wanted her attention, and was incredibly surprised upon seeing who it was.

A girl she had never talked to personally, but who Hitomi knew to be the smartest girl in the class, was fidgeting slightly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Her onyx eyes refused to stay locked with Hitomi's pink ones.

The girl rubbed the back of her neck, causing her spiky black pigtails to swing side to side.

"I, um... I wanted t-to see if you were okay. Y-you seemed s-sad." The girl mumbled, the blush turning darker.

Hitomi blinked, taken aback by the girl's concern. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "I'm fine! Thank you for asking!"

The black haired girl jumped, not having expected such an energetic response so soon after seeing the pinkette's downtrodden mood. "O-oh, that's good."

Hitomi's smile dipped as the girl turned around, walking away.

"Hey, wait!" Hitomi called.

The girl stopped, looking sheepishly back at Hitomi.

Her tail began to wag, and she gestured for the girl to sit down.

"Wanna play with dolls?" Hitomi asked, holding up a few from the classroom's toybox.

The black haired girl's eyes widened. "R-really?"

Hitomi nodded surely, patting the carpeted floor next to her.

The girl hesitantly sat down, taking the doll Hitomi held out for her.

Suddenly, Hitomi smacked her forehead, before holding out her hand. "Oh right! I almost forgot. I'm Hitomi Saito, what's your name?"

The black haired girl jumped, flushing as she realized she hadn't introduced herself either. She took Hitomi's hand, shaking it gently.

"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to m-meet you." Momo said sincerely.

Hitomi grinned, happy to have met a potential friend. Despite her excitable and happy nature, Hitomi always had trouble making friends. So this brightened her day.

For all of two seconds.

While the two girls were introducing themselves, a boy with spiky electric blue hair and elvish ears snuck up behind them, taking advantage of their teacher's short absence. His impish grin had a sort of malicious look behind it, and as he pulled a toy pail out from behind his back, it became clear why.

The girls were just letting go of each other's hands, when the boy dumped the pail's contents over Momo. The girl squealed, as cold water cascaded down her frame, soaking her uniform.

Hitomi froze, smile vanishing as she watched the other girl start shivering.

The elvish boy started cackling, holding his sides and falling on his behind while wheezing for air.

As soon as Momo started tearing up, Hitomi finally got past her shock. The more she looked at Momo, the more she started feeling warm.

No, warm wasn't right. She felt hot. She felt like her skin was sizzling, and she realized why.

Oh. She thought to herself. I'm angry.

"D-do you see the look on her face!? That was awesome!" The boy cheered to his friends as he got to his feet. It wasn't the first time he had targeted his classmates for some cruel prank or joke, but it was most likely going to be his last.

Hitomi numbly stood, turning to her bag and fishing out the lilac cardigan her mother packed her. "Here." She murmured, carefully draping it over Momo's shaking shoulders.

The girl looked up, tears on her lashes, at Hitomi. But before she could say anything, the pinkette was spinning on her heels, marching up to the still laughing boy. Hitomi's body, tensed and coiled for action, didn't feel entirely her own. It was almost like she was a machine, moving on auto pilot as she charged towards the bully.

What happened next was a shock to every person in the room. And would forever be remembered by a few. While the boy was distracted, wiping away the mirthful tears in his blue eyes as he stood, he didn't see Hitomi step in front of him.

But he did feel her tackle him back to the ground.

The classroom erupted into a sea of shouts, as they all watched Hitomi's tiny fists come down on the boy over, and over.

Momo gaped, moving to stand on her feet, clinging to the cardigan. "Saito, stop!"

But she wasn't listening, and over the sound of everyone yelling, either cheering or calling for mercy, a deep growling could be heard.

As the boy started fighting back, trying to use his Quirk (that seemed to have something to do with water, going by all the water bottles in the room shaking violently) Momo turned to a fellow classmate.

"Get a teacher!" She demanded, hoping to salvage the situation and keep Hitomi from being punished for defending her.

The cobalt haired boy nodded, darting out the room to do just that, speeding away with the use of his Quirk. The exhausts on his calves rumbling behind him.

Everyone's shouts started to die down, as Hitomi's fists stalled, trembling in the air as they hung above the boy.

And while she may have stopped punching, her frame still shook in fury. Her growls got louder, becoming deeper, to the point it almost sounded like an engine running.

The boy panted underneath her, nose dripping blood. He tried keeping up a vicious glare, but it slowly crumbled into a dumbfounded stare as something started happening to the girl pinning him down.

As Hitomi began shaking harder, it became clear that it wasn't from anger anymore, but something else.

Everyone paled when Hitomi's uniform started ripping, as she grew too big for it.

"What's going on!?" The teacher demanded as she barreled into the room.

The woman's jaw dropped and she paled at the sight of her once smallest student.

Hitomi herself was now confused. Everyone was staring at her. And everything to her now felt different, it was scaring her.

She looked down at the boy she had pinned, but froze as she saw herself.

Oh. So that's her Quirk.

The Saito household was in a peaceful silence. Nori and Hitomi were both in school, Riku was at the agency, and Naomi was keeping herself busy by crocheting one of her agent's a baby blanket. The quiet was broken, however, when the shrill ringing of the home-phone echoed throughout the house.

Naomi sighed, putting down the blanket, that honestly looked more like a sheet of tangled yarn.

She wandered into the kitchen, finding Ayami already there. The older woman held up a hand, silently saying she'd take the call. She picked it up, abruptly cutting off the ringing.

"Hello?"

"Er, yes, h-hello Missus Saito. I'm calling about your daughter."

Naomi blinked in surprise. "Hitomi? What happened?"

"Uh, well... It would seem she learned how to activate her Quirk."

Naomi froze, almost dropping the phone. Before she could bombard the teacher with questions, she was talking once again.

"A-and we need your help... turning it off."

"Ayami, get my keys."

After a tense ten minute drive, Naomi was practically kicking down the doors of the private kindergarten.

"Ah! Missus Saito—"

"Where is she?" Naomi cut the teacher off, storming up to her.

The skittish woman nodded, meekly pointing down the hallway. "R-right this way."

As the woman led them to Hitomi's classroom, Naomi restrained herself from asking any questions about her daughter's Quirk, wanting to see it for herself.

Once they entered the classroom, Naomi peered around, trying to spot her daughter. However, all she found was a group of four and five year olds huddled around and staring up at a...

Oh.

Naomi stiffly walked over, the children parting from her path and giving her a better look at her daughter. But if it weren't for the fluffy ears and curled tail, she probably would have needed to be told the situation.

Naomi slowly put a gentle hand in her daughter's new fur.

Staring back at her mother, now at equal height, with her bright pink eyes now faded to a deep purple, was Hitomi. Hitomi, who now seemed to be an Akita Inu.

Not just any Akita Inu though, especially not at her almost six foot height.

Hitomi wasn't even four feet tall to begin with! Naomi thought hysterically.

Naomi took a calming breath, knowing she needed to calm her daughter down before anything else, going off of the trembling underneath her soft fur.

"Do you know how you did this?" Naomi softly asked.

Hitomi gave a slow shake of her head.

"...Do you know how to turn back?"

A high pitched whine was her answer.

Naomi sighed, looking up at her daughter in concern.

This... She didn't know how to handle this. If she barged in the classroom and saw Hitomi with goat horns and beaver teeth, she could handle that. But this? Naomi had never even gotten close to a full body transformation. And now she had to talk her terrified daughter through one.

That was when Naomi noticed the tattered remains of Hitomi's uniform hanging off of her now much larger form.

Great, once she did turn back, she would be naked. Great.

A light tug on her pencil skirt brought Naomi's attention down, to a shivering girl.

"I-it was my fault. Saito was defending me." The girl timidly declared.

Naomi's eyes softened, noting the lilac cardigan over the girl's shoulders. But, that begged the question...

"Defending you from what?" Naomi asked suspiciously.

The teacher jolted. "A-ah, well, that was the other reason we called."

Naomi raised a brow, and the teacher gestured to the corner of the room. When she looked, Naomi's arms fell from their crossed position.

A boy with light blue hair was sitting in the corner, glaring daggers at her daughter. But what was more pressing, was the bloody nose, split lip, and bruising black-eye the boy was sporting.

Naomi winced, slowly turning back to Ayami, silently asking for her help. The red eyed woman only shrugged, still staring worriedly at her charge.

After sighing, Naomi put a comforting hand on the black haired girl's shoulder, offering her a smile as well.

"Hitomi will be just fine. So don't worry, okay?"

The girl gave a shaky nod, before handing Naomi her daughter's cardigan. "'Cause her uniform's ripped..." She murmured.

Naomi smiled, giving the girl's shoulder a pat in thanks.

"So w-what are you going to do?" The teacher questioned.

Naomi hummed, placing her hands on her hips. "...Still figuring that out. C'mon Ayami, let's get her home."

The white haired woman nodded, walking over and giving a few comforting pets to her younger charge's head.

"W-wait! We still need to talk about—"

As she was leading her wobbling daughter out the classroom, Naomi lazily held up a hand. "It's clear my daughter was standing up for a friend. And besides, we don't know how her Quirk affects her emotions or impulse control. I think me and my husband will handle this at home." Naomi challenged over her shoulder.

The teacher sputtered. "B-but I—"

But Naomi and Ayami were already out the door, giant Akita in tow.

Only then did Naomi realize...

"...Ayami, how are we going to fit Hitomi in the car?"

The last thing Nori expected to see as he and his father walked through the door, was a massive Akita Inu. But here we are.

"Um, Naomi!" Riku called his wife, tense with his eyes locked on the giant dog.

The pinkette calmly walked into the room, not looking at all concerned over the beast.

"Uh, when did we get a dog?" Riku stammered as he and Nori carefully walked around the Akita.

Naomi put her hand to her chin, pretending to ponder on it. "Hmm, about four years ago."

"Eh?" Riku dumbly replied.

But Nori was quicker on the uptake. He gasped, dropping his school bag. "She got her Quirk!?"

Naomi smiled, nodding in confirmation.

Riku's eyes widened, as he too now noticed the familiar ears and curled tail. "When—how did this happen!" He asked excitedly.

Hitomi, at this point bored of just sitting there, stood up and shakily making her way through the living-room and into the kitchen.

Naomi shrugged. "She was fighting a bully when it happened. That's all I know."

Riku nodded while the three leisurely followed Hitomi's swinging tail. "I see. I'm assuming she can't talk?"

Naomi hummed in confirmation. "If I'm being perfectly honest, I have no clue on how to help her change back." The woman lamented.

Riku put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine. If she instinctively changed into this form, then I'm sure she'll instinctively change back."

"But what if she doesn't?" Nori asked in concern.

Just then, a loud and heavy thump was heard from the kitchen. Riku, Naomi, and Nori all ran to check what happened. Finally realizing Hitomi had wandered off while they were talking.

Naomi immediately assumed the worst. "Ayami! What's—"

She cut herself off, as the family watched the white haired woman carefully drape a blanket over Hitomi's naked body.

The nanny sighed. "She stumbled in, then she just... fell asleep." Ayami told them incredulously.

Riku walked over, gently picking his daughter up, attempting not to stir her. But he realized the effort was moot, as Hitomi seemed dead to the world.

"It must have tuckered her out." Naomi theorized.

Riku nodded. "It makes sense. Keeping herself at such a large form, and using up however much energy it needed had to have taken its toll."

For a moment, they all wordlessly watched Hitomi sleep, wrapped in a blanket and curled up in her father's arms.

Now that the stress of helping her daughter was gone, Naomi finally took note of something.

"Riku."

"Hmm?"

"That's the Quirk of a Hero."

Riku paused his gentle rocking, looking up at his wife.

"Yes, I suppose it is." He chuckled.

Nori stood back, swallowing thickly at his parents' words

How was he supposed to stop her now? Now that she had such a Quirk, she would definitely be emboldened by it.

But then again. Maybe with a Quirk like this, she could protect herself, and keep herself safe.

At the emergence of his sister's Quirk, Nori felt better, and worse all at once.

"Transformation, huh?"

Naomi nodded eagerly, getting another mug out of a cabinet. It was well into the night, but that didn't stop her from getting a cup of coffee. "You should've seen her Kid, she was taller than me! We had to rent a pickup truck just to get her home!" She excitedly whispered.

A weary sigh came from her guest, his tired eyes staring at her, unamused. "You can't keep calling me "Kid" for forever, you know."

Naomi shrugged unabashedly, blowing on her steaming coffee. "Not like you can stop me."

Another sigh, as he was handed his own mug full of the dark liquid. "How does Nori feel about it? I always got the impression he didn't care for Heroes." He took a sip, before sardonically tagging on, "No offense."

Naomi rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, he's definitely not the biggest supporter of Hitomi right now, but I think he's just worried."

"And Hitomi?"

"What about her?"

He rolled his eyes. "Is she even more determined to be a Pro, now that she got her Quirk?"

Naomi turned sheepish. "Well, she hasn't said anything to us, because she hasn't actually... woken up yet."

Two tired eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Don't worry, she's fine." Naomi hurriedly amended. "It just... really exhausted her." She poured herself another cup. "You can stop by tomorrow, see her for yourself."

He sighed at her lack of subtlety. "You know that's a bad idea. There's a reason I only visit at night, while they're asleep."

Naomi pouted, looking down at the counter. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're taking this whole 'Stealth Hero' thing way too seriously. I just want my kids to get to know my favorite student."

"It's got nothing to do with being a Stealth Hero. And I was your only student..." He grumbled under his breath.

Naomi ignored him, giving a sly grin instead. "Anywho, how's Emi?"

His eye twitched. "Why would I know?"

Naomi furrowed her brows heavily. "Kid, pretending like she isn't head-over-heels for you, isn't gonna help."

"And humoring her, thus leading her on, won't help either."

"Humoring her?" Naomi giggled. "Is that a pun?"

Groaning under his breath, he glowered at the pinkette. "Why do I put up with you?"

"'Cuz I'm awesome." Naomi hummed as she glanced at the time. "It's getting late. You should probably head home and get some sleep."

Setting his empty mug down, he raised a brow. "You invite me over, give me coffee, then tell me to leave and get some rest?"

"...Yes?"

He sighed, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't any fondness to it. "Fine. Tell your sane half I said hello."

Naomi smiled at him as he stood. "I'll be sure to tell Riku that my favorite student said hi."

He opened the door, halfheartedly glaring at her over his shoulder. "Only student."

Naomi shrugged, eyeing him with something like a maternal look in her gaze. "Yeah, well that still means you're my favorite. Be safe."

He gave a lazy wave over his shoulder, closing the door behind him.

Chapter 2: Hitomi Saito: Origin

Chapter Text

Maybe she wasn't cut out for Hero work.

That's what Hitomi thought to herself as she laid in the grass, exhausted and panting. But she almost immediately shut that thought down.

Three years had passed since she obtained her Quirk. Three years of rigorous training from her parents.

"You want to be a Hero?" They'd ask. "Then work for it."

This would always be punctuated with an attack at the end.

Though, they did have their limits. If Hitomi was sick, or too sore from the previous day's training, they would take a break. And if Hitomi couldn't keep her form up after awhile, they would stop for the day. They wanted to help her achieve her goal, but were still careful about pushing her, not wanting to negatively affect the girl.

Early on, it became clear Hitomi needed two things to be able to properly transform. A full stomach, and at least eight hours of sleep. If she didn't have those two things, she could never hold her form for longer than fifteen minutes at the maximum, before she would fall unconscious for the rest of the day.

"Come on Hitomi, we're not finished yet."

The Akita-girl nodded, shakily standing up on all fours.

Riku grinned, him being the one in charge of training her for the day. "Good. Now let's work on your speed and accuracy."

Hitomi watched as an army of red ballons appeared, all floating several feet above her now six and a half foot height.

"Pop as many as you can." Riku told her, holding up a stopwatch. "You've got one minute."

Hitomi nodded, unable to answer him vocally.

As soon as the 'click' was heard, she was jumping up into the air, snapping at, and "popping" the balloons.

This form of training always felt odd to her. Her father's illusions had no mass, so anytime she touched one, it felt like nothing. So while it looked and sounded like she was popping balloons with her razor sharp teeth, to her it felt like biting air.

"Aaand... Time!"

Hitomi had managed to pop one last balloon before it was too late. Time running out before her paws even touched the ground.

"Forty-six. Better than last time." Riku praised.

Hitomi's tail involuntarily wagged.

"You guys done yet?"

The father and daughter turned, met with the sight of Nori, who was impatiently tapping his foot.

Riku grinned. "I think so, unless Tomi wants to keep it up?"

Her tail stilled.

The man chuckled, gesturing for the Akita-girl to go inside.

Nori stepped aside, letting his massive sister through the door. The thirteen year old sighed, walking further into their enormous backyard.

Riku raised a brow. "Planning to train?"

Nori gave a noncommittal grunt.

Riku smirked. "It wouldn't happen to be because you want to impress your teacher, would it?"

Nori froze, face turning a deep red.

Riku chuckled, still finding his son's crush to be highly humorous.

Not long after Hitomi started her training, Nori took a surprising interest in honing his own Quirk. Naomi and Riku were hit with an idea, and reached out to a friend of their's. A certain friend who happened to share a similar Quirk to Nori's.

To the couple's glee, she had readily agreed.

Now, every Sunday, Nori would be tutored by Nemuri Kayama. Also known as the R rated Hero, Midnight. Despite the title, the woman always kept herself strictly PG when in the presence of the Saito children, revealing herself to be great with kids over the many hours training Nori.

Inside the house, Hitomi carefully walked up the stairs, entering her room before changing back to her human form. After she was done putting back on her clothes, she raced downstairs, and darted into the kitchen.

"Can I go to Momo's now?!" Hitomi pleaded, energetically bouncing on her heels.

Naomi and Ayami shared an amused look over the dishes they were hand-washing.

"Did you finish training?"

"Yes!"

Naomi shrugged. "Well okay than. But we'll need to be back in a few hours to get the party ready."

While her daughter cheered, the woman grabbed her keys.

The party Naomi was referring to, was the annual Pro Hero get-together, hosted every December by the Saito family. It was a good chance for new and old Heroes to connect and swap stories, and there had even been a few deals between agencies stricken up years passed. It was an equal opportunity for Pros and up-and-comers alike, so it had grown to be a rather important fixture for the local Hero community.

Ever since the water incident, and Hitomi's discovery of her Quirk, Momo and the pinkette had grown inseparable.

After her revenge on the blue haired boy, everyone was too fearful of her to talk to Hitomi, let alone be friends with her. All except Momo. And with Momo's self-conscious attitude, nobody wanted to be friends with her, either. All except Hitomi. So in the end, the two were ignored by the majority of their classmates. All of those factors took the two's unlikely friendship, and made it as strong as steel. They were more like sisters than anything else now, really.

The friendship was definitely unlikely, the two being total opposites. Hitomi was loud, excitable, brash, and outgoing. Momo was poised, calm, intelligent, and self-conscious. The two were nothing alike, but they worked well with each other.

It was a good balance, and a great friendship, one that was sure to last a lifetime.

"What are you gonna wear?" Hitomi asked, head hanging upside-down over Momo's bed.

The ravenette hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I have plenty of dresses. I suppose we'll see what my mother picks later."

Hitomi righted herself, crossing her arms and resting her head on them. "Your mom's picking for you? Again?"

Momo nodded, focusing on practicing her Quirk. She was currently pulling a seemingly endless rope out of her left bicep.

"But I thought you wanted to pick your dress?"

Momo nodded again, reaching up and wiping the sweat accumulating on her brow. "I did, but Mother didn't like the one I picked."

Hitomi frowned, pushing herself up off of the bed. "Do you have it?"

Momo finally looked up. "Have what?"

"The dress." Hitomi said in an 'obviously' tone.

Momo paused pulling on the rope. "Uh—Yes, It's in my closet."

Hitomi nodded, immediately walking over and opening the door, entering her friend's walk-in closet.

"Ah, what are you doing?" Momo asked in concern.

Instead of answering her question, Hitomi stuck her head out of the door. "Point it out to me."

Momo hesitantly got to her feet, the last of the rope falling out of her arm. She walked in behind the pinkette, before taking a hanger off of the wall, and holding it out for her friend to see.

The dress was a plain sky blue, no glitter, sequence, and no unnecessary layers, either. And as she took a closer look, Hitomi spotted pockets. It was a miracle Missus Yaoyorozu even bought the dress.

The shorter girl's eyes were practically sparkling.

"I chose comfort over appearance." Momo said sheepishly, as if it were something to be embarrassed about.

Suddenly, Hitomi looked up into the slightly taller girl's eyes. A determined gleam shining within the sea of pink.

"You are wearing this dress." Hitomi sternly declared.

Momo sputtered, quickly putting a hand over her mouth to mask the unladylike reaction. "W-what? Why?"

"Because it looks comfortable and will be adorable on you." The pinkette said with a straight face.

Momo flushed, looking down at the dress in her hands.

"My mother won't—"

"Missus Yaoyorozu can suck an egg!" Hitomi shouted fearlessly, arms pumping up into the air, getting a scandalized look from Momo.

"Wear the dress that you want to! You look pretty in everything!" The girl continued heatedly.

Momo's eyes softened, suddenly understanding why her friend was so adamant on this.

Something that had changed in Hitomi with the emergence of her Quirk, was a sudden and ferocious appetite. Now, to keep up with her body's new metabolism, she had to eat, a lot.

And while the training helped, the change in her diet had left Hitomi... a little plump. Not to mention, ever since she transformed for the first time, she had slowly been becoming stronger. Dense muscle packed on steel-like bones, on her legs especially. Despite all of this, the girl wasn't over-weight by any means, but she was definitely bigger than Momo herself. And as a result, often couldn't wear things the ravenette could fit into.

Hitomi had at first handled it as she normally would. Her confidence unwavering. But, after overhearing so many whispers, and seeing so many contemptuous smirks from the petite girls in their class, the pinkette slowly but surely lost her confidence in her physical appearance.

Momo hated it. What kind of children make fun of each other's weight? The ravenette found it deplorable, both of the children, and the parents, who had undoubtedly instilled the behavior into the kids from the power of example.

The combination of not wanting to upset her friend, and wanting to decide something for herself, had Momo gripping the dress tightly. She stormed out of her closet, then her room, leaving Hitomi stunned and confused.

Not two minutes later, Momo came back. Face flushed, she set the dress down on her bed.

"I told my mother that I was going to wear this dress. Not the one that she decided." Momo explained, still catching her breath from sprinting back up to her room.

Hitomi beamed. "That's great! What'd she say?"

Momo paused. "Uh, she said "go to your room"."

The girls were silent, until Hitomi began giggling hysterically.

"I-it's not funny! I think I'm in trouble." Momo lamented.

Hitomi reined in her giggling, pointing at Momo dramatically. "Good! It's not normal for a kid to be as professional as you!"

Momo sagged. "...No offense, but as someone who gets in a slew of trouble regularly, I don't think I should take your advice."

Hitomi gasped dramatically, pretending to be hurt by her words. "But anyway," She dropped the act. "You're still wearing that dress."

Momo sighed in exasperation, but couldn't convincingly hide her smile.

Hitomi always hated these things, especially because they were always hosted at their own house. And she knew Nori felt the same way.

"Hey, you think you can use your Quirk and then bite my head off. I think that might be more fun." Nori whined.

Hitomi grimaced. "Ew."

"Alright, fine. How about you step on and crush me instead?"

Hitomi pondered this for a second.

"That's enough you two." Naomi warned, finishing putting Hitomi's hair in a bun.

The woman stepped back, checking her work.

The older pinkette was dressed in an expensive black gown. Her own hair done up in a fancier version of her daughter's. And she used the advantage of the floor-length dress to wear flats instead of heels.

"Well don't they look dapper!" Riku cheerily exclaimed as he walked into the room. He was dressed in a simple tuxedo with a gold silk bowtie.

Nori was wearing basically a smaller version of his father's tux, with his dreadlocks pulled back and out of his face in a ponytail.

Hitomi was wearing a lilac dress, customized to have a small hole to let her tail out. Her hair was done in a simple and small bun at the base of her head, as well as her bangs being held back with a lilac headband.

Naomi gave them all one last once over, before nodding in approval.

"I think we're ready."

Nori raised his hand. "My mental stability isn't ready."

Naomi ignored her son, walking out to confirm Ayami was ready too. If she was, then it was time to start.

By the time it was dark, the Saito household was holding more people than they had ever entertained before, the recent boost in Heroes making it actually feel crowded for once. Leaving the hosts with their hands full trying to keep up enough pleasantries and small talk for everyone.

Luckily for Nori and Hitomi, they didn't have to deal with any of the adults, as all of the Heroes that came who had kids, had been encouraged (read: threatened) to bring them.

Hitomi easily found Momo, grinning like a maniac when she saw the ravenette wearing her chosen dress.

Nori on the other hand, found and gained the attention of two of the older Todoroki siblings. Hitomi was surprised they were even there, as it was usually only the youngest Todoroki brought to these things.

Hitomi stayed away from them, though. She always got a bad feeling from Enji Todoroki.

Well, that was her plan. It didn't last long.

The pinkette was humming along to the paino music Ayami was playing. In her hands she held two cupcakes meant for Momo and herself, but while she was walking back to her friend, she spotted something.

She immediately identified him as a Todoroki, due to his mix of snow white, and maroon hair. But what made her stop, was the painful looking bruise marring his cheek, as if he had recently been struck, and definitely not lightly. Not just that, but there was a sort of deadened look in his eyes.

Hitomi's brows furrowed in concern, and she found herself moving towards the lone boy.

She walked up behind him without his notice.

"These things aren't very fun, are they?"

He flinched, spinning around and looking at her warily.

Hitomi ignored the standoffish feeling coming from him, and instead offered a large smile.

"I'm Hitomi Saito!" She declared proudly, transferring the second cupcake to her left hand before holding her right one out for him to shake. "It's nice to meet you…?"

The boy blinked, staring at her like she was insane.

"Shouto Todoroki." The boy monotonously replied, reluctantly shaking her hand.

Hitomi beamed, having feared she wouldn't get a response.

"Why aren't you over by your siblings?" She inquired, tipping her head over to where Nori could be seen having a contest on who could drink the most punch the fastest with a boy with a head of pure white hair.

Shouto's eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?"

Hitomi frowned softly. "'Cause you look lonely."

Shouto froze, once again staring at her strangely. But still found himself talking to her.

"I wanted to be alone." He said lowly, and part of him even believed what he was saying.

Hitomi looked at him skeptically. "You don't sound very convincing." She stated bluntly.

Shouto blinked, wrong-footed, before glowering at her. "It's the truth."

Hitomi gave him a shrug, relenting. "If you say so. But, if at some point you wanna not be alone, you can come find me!"

With that, she put her cupcake in his hands, turning on her heel and marching away.

Shouto watched her as she weaved between the mass of costumed bodies, disappearing and leaving him to wonder why on her earth she had bothered to come and talk to him in the first place.

Suddenly, a flickering shadow fell over him from behind.

"Do you know who that was?"

Shouto clenched his teeth, glaring down to the floor.

"That was Silver Shifter and Golden Geist's daughter. I hear she has a promising Quirk." Enji Todoroki continued.

Shouto stiffened, a sick feeling coming over him at what his father was implying.

"...I think I'm going to go find our hosts."

The heat on Shouto's back disappeared. And as he stared down at the cupcake in his hands, he mentally apologized to the pinkette for whatever was about to happen.

"You pig!"

The enraged shout was accentuated by a sharp slap ringing out.

Hitomi and Momo immediately looked up, recognizing the voice to be Naomi.

The entire room fell silent, as everyone turned to look at what was happening.

Riku was now holding his wife back, though he himself looked ready to lash out. Naomi panted, clutching her burned palm to her chest. Standing in front of the couple, stood the fuming Endeavor.

"Leave. Now." Naomi growled, sounding like a threatened lioness.

The second place Hero glared at the two, a red mark blooming across his left cheek.

After a few tense seconds, Endeavor turned, fire billowing behind him. Everyone in his way, parted to let him pass. All the Todoroki children followed after him without a word.

As he passed her, Hitomi gave a hesitant wave to Shouto. He ignored her. Studiously staring at the floor.

When the doors slammed shut behind them, everyone simultaneously looked back at their hosts.

Riku gave a sheepish grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I think that was enough excitement for one night. Don't you think?"

Naomi chose to glare at them all instead.

The guests got the message, and began filing out of the house.

Hitomi and Nori got pats on the heads by many leaving. And when the unjustly feared Hero, Gang Orca, gently tussled her hair on his way out, Hitomi's eyes were sparkling.

Nemuri gave a hug to both children. Leaving Hitomi beaming, and Nori a blushing mess.

In the background, a tall man wearing mostly black stopped and shared a few hushed words with Naomi and Riku. His perpetually tired eyes swam with concern. And after the situation was quietly explained to him, his gaze flickered to Hitomi, anger now mixed with the previous worry.

Momo and Hitomi hugged and reluctantly said goodbye. And the pinkette was amused to hear that Momo was still in trouble over putting her foot down about the dress.

Ayami approached the family after everyone was finally gone, all of them staring at the mess around them. For a party of Heroes, the place was typically left in varying states of disarray every time. Though, it was likely caused by Naomi's overzealous recipe for the "grown-up punch" that she prepared every year, always forgetting its effect on the guests until after it was too late.

"We never really remember the fact that we have to clean this up, huh?"

Naomi exhaled through her nose harshly. "We're never doing it here again."

She got murmurs of agreement.

Naomi was sweeping the floor, Riku was picking up the loose garbage, Ayami was cleaning the spilled food and drinks, and Nori was tiredly munching on the leftover hors d'oeuvres. As for Hitomi, she was passed out on top of a table. They weren't entirely sure how she fell asleep there.

Nori yawned loudly, jaw popping and eyes watering from the force of it. "Are we done yet?"

Naomi gave him an unamused look. "And you're asking because?"

Nori raised his head off the table. "Oh yeah, good point. G'night."

The older pinkette rolled her eyes fondly, and as Nori stood, she held up a hand.

"Hold it."

Nori groaned. He should have known there was a catch.

"Take your sister to her room." Naomi nodded to the miniature pinkette.

As Nori moved to do as instructed, he slowly paused.

"Hey Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you slap Endeavor?"

Naomi and Riku both stiffened, sharing quick looks.

Nori narrowed his eyes at their behavior. "What did he do?"

Naomi couldn't help smile at the defensive tone in her son's voice. "Nothing you need to worry about. I think we made ourselves quite clear."

"Clear about what?"

Naomi looked over at Riku, silently asking him what they should say.

The brunette thought on it, before setting down the half full trash bag and turning to his son.

"Have they taught you about Quirk marriages in school?" Riku asked tensely.

Nori slowly nodded, not sure where that question came from.

Riku crossed his arms. "Endeavor, well, he had a Quirk marriage."

"...Okay, but what does that have to do with—"

"He suggested his son Shouto and Hitomi get betrothed." Naomi cut her son off, glaring intently at the floor.

Nori paled, knowing full-well what that word meant, then flushed in anger.

"That's how your mother felt." Riku said at the look on his son's face.

"When we told that bastard no, he implied it would be in Hitomi's best interest. As if she's ever going to have trouble with finding boys, ha!" She scoffed angrily. "She's precious and adorable and—" Naomi hissed, fists tightening on the broom.

"A-ah, Honey—"

Snap

Naomi blinked, looking down at her polar bear hands, and the broken broom in them.

"Ayami!"

"Yeah?" The white haired woman shouted from the kitchen.

"I broke another broom!"

"Naomi!" Ayami's voice shouted in reprimand.

Riku ran a hand through his hair in fond exasperation. "Anyway, I don't think we'll be seeing any of the Todoroki family again anytime soon."

Nori nodded in agreement, not wanting his sister anywhere near them after tonight.

"Happy birthday!"

Hitomi made a sort of squawking noise, rolling away from the origin of the shout, and tangling herself up into her blankets as a result.

Momo giggled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

The night before, the two had had a sleep-over. As they always did the day before one of their birthdays, the tradition holding strong now for years.

A muffled voice came from the pillow Hitomi had smashed her face into.

"Pardon?" Momo leaned closer.

Hitomi turned her head slightly, glaring at Momo with one eye. "What time is it?"

Momo smiled sheepishly. "...Six in the morning."

Hitomi groaned.

"B-but look at it this way, you didn't have to train yesterday, so you're not exhausted!"

Hitomi continued to glare at her friend. But relented only a few moments later.

The day was March twentieth. Hitomi was officially eight years old.

The two girls sleepily walked down to the kitchen, and were immediately greeted enthusiastically by everyone.

"Happy birthday!" Was shouted by Riki, Naomi, Nori, and Ayami in unison.

Now that Hitomi was officially flustered from the attention, the girls sat at the table. Two plates of Belgian waffles sliding in front of them.

"Thanks Ayami." Hitomi yawned out.

The nanny smiled and shook her head. "This wasn't me, it was Nori."

Hitomi and Momo blinked, turning to look at said boy in shock.

Nori buried his head in his arms, flustered quite easily for a fifteen year old. "...Told you not to tell her."

Hitomi grinned, not wasting anymore time, and started digging in. Her heart swelled with pride. They were really good.

"Hitomi, we have to tell you something." Naomi started tensely.

Hitomi paused her eating, fork halfway to her mouth. Momo stopped as well.

"Riku and I, we have to go to an agency today."

Hitomi's furrowed brow softened. "Oh, that's okay."

The two parents blinked.

"Really? You're not upset we'll miss your birthday?" Riku asked, sounding somewhat stung.

Hitomi shrugged. "You're Heroes. Saving people comes first."

The two looked at their daughter in silence, before both of them broke out into matching smiles.

Riku checked his watch, before nudging his wife's shoulder. "The train leaves in twenty."

Ayami's brows pinched together, as she raised a mug to her mouth. "Train? What agency are you going to?"

"The Genius Office." Riku casually said.

Her eyes widened dramatically, she then proceeded to choke on her tea. "Y-you're working with Best Jeanist today?!"

"Who's Best Jeanist?" Nori asked without any serious investment in the answer, not familiar with the name.

"He's a Pro who's recently made it big, getting pretty popular with the female demographic." Riku explained, wagging his eyebrows at Ayami teasingly.

She flushed and ducked her head.

Naomi shrugged, calmly sipping her coffee. "They asked for our help, we said yes."

Riku sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "But we didn't realize they meant they wanted help today."

While the two Heroes seemed forthcoming about everything, there was something they weren't telling the table's occupants. Helping the Genius Office was only one facet of the day's events, though it was arguably the one they were looking forward to more, even though the second job was exceedingly more important.

After the family and Momo finished eating, Naomi and Riku hugged their children goodbye, as was the usual ritual before they left for work.

Naomi smoothed down Hitomi's bed-head, rubbing her ears for a second before pulling her into a hug. "We'll be back before it gets dark. Love you." The older pinkette softly told her daughter.

Hitomi hugged her mother tighter. "Love you, too."

Riku and Naomi switched kids, and Riku was now swinging Hitomi around in his arms. The girl giggled, halfheartedly fighting.

"We'll miss you sooo much!"

"You'll only be gone a day, Papa."

"That's far too long!"

The girl giggled again, squeezing her father tightly.

"Love you."

Riku stopped swinging her, simply holding her to his chest.

"Love you, Tomi."

Over their children's shoulders, the husband and wife shared a tense look.

They had a very bad feeling about today.

"This is stupid." Hitomi whined.

Momo looked up from her own work-sheet. "And why is that?"

Hitomi rested her chin on her fist, scowling at the offensive paper on her desk. "I'm gonna be a Hero. I don't need to learn all this."

Momo looked at the pinkette strangely. "You know, to get into UA, you have to take tests."

"Yeah, and that's why I've been training, Mo."

"I mean written tests. As in, what's on your work-sheet."

Hitomi blinked, slowly looking down at her homework again. A look of betrayal emerging, the longer she stared at it.

The bell rang, making the girl jump and wince, hands coming up to cover her sensitive ears. All their classmates packed up their things, rushing out the door. Momo sighed at the terrified look on Hitomi's face.

"You didn't fill out a single question, did you?"

Hitomi groaned.

Outside, the girls spotted both Momo's driver, and Ayami.

A quick side-hug was shared.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye. Happy birthday, again."

Hitomi hopped into the back of Ayami's car, sharing a smile with Nori, who had been picked up first for once.

The drive was silent, save for Ayami's strange mix of pop, anime openings, and classical music playing.

When they reached the house, Nori and Hitomi were met with a symphony of smells. The pinkette immediately recognized them to be her favorite meal and dessert. Steak and potatoes, with strawberry cake. Food she fell in love with ever since having it when visiting some of Naomi's extended family in America.

Hitomi smiled, but despite her best efforts, it came out weak.

She thought she would be fine without her parents there, but she was only a child after all. And found herself saddened by their absence.

She came too slowly. Softly roused by the pitter-patter of rain against her window. Another crack of thunder boomed, proving to be the thing that woke her up in the first place.

Hitomi's eyes fluttered open, and she blinked owlishly to try and get them to adjust to the dark. Sitting up, she kicked her legs off of her bed, slowly standing and trudging out of her room and through the massive house.

As she walked into their large kitchen, her intensions of getting a glass of water were stalled.

11:56 pm.

She blinked, staring at the microwave clock, wondering if it was wrong.

She shook her head, ears flopping around as she tried ignoring the pit that was forming in her stomach.

Her sock clad feet made almost no sound as she wandered into their entertainment room. Quietly, she picked up the television remote, turning on the TV and immediately lowered the volume to avoid waking Ayami or Nori. Her fingers punched in the numbers for the local news channel Naomi and Riku always watched.

A flash of bright colors, and fast movements caused her to blink rapidly, trying to get a handle on what was being covered.

Because she was still slightly dazed from sleep, only a small part of her, somewhere deep in her subconscious, was aware of why she was doing this. Why she felt the need to check the news.

Why it felt like something was missing.

Slowly, the fast movements and muffled rants became clearer, and she started taking it in.

"...found outside...are unsure who..."

Hitomi's brows scrunched together, as she cocked her head to the side.

"...Heroes helping investigate...sincere condolences..."

She didn't understand, not until the next words were spoken.

"The bodies found have since been confirmed to be the Pro Heroes Silver Shifter and Golden Geist."

The remote slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor noisily. But Hitomi didn't register it, ears ringing as all the color drained from her face.

Her mouth filled with blood, and she would later realize it was because she had bitten viciously into her tongue.

"Hitomi? What are you doing up?"

Behind the frozen pinkette, Ayami slowly approached. Having heard the remote hit the floor, she had rushed down to investigate.

As Hitomi remained still, back facing the woman, Ayami looked up at the television, hoping to see what was causing her charge's behavior.

As her red eyes roved over the scroll at the bottom of the screen, she turned nearly as white as her hair.

Breaking news: Pro Heroes Silver Shifter and Golden Geist found dead in an alleyway nearby to "The Genius Office", agency belonging to Pro Hero "Best Jeanist"—

A loud chime echoed from the antique clock in the corner, breaking Ayami out of her shock.

She numbly looked over, stiffening as she saw the time.

12:00 am.

That meant...

Riku and Naomi Saito, were killed on March twentieth.

On their daughter's birthday.

Chapter 3: First day, first meetings

Notes:

So a quick heads-up.
Hitomi's taking Hagakure's place in 1-A.
I know, I know, but I never really connected with Hagakure's character (that's not to say I connected with Mineta either. Ew.), And I didn't want to just drop Hitomi in, making everything a little off. But if you like Hagakure, have no fear, I'm thinking of putting her in the general department, so you might see her around here and there (no pun intended). Anyway, I didn't want to get rid of her entirely, because if it's a student, I 100% think she's the mole.
And not that anyone asked, but before Pixiebop was introduced I had envisioned Hitomi's voice actress being Cherami Leigh, known for voicing Lucy in Fairy Tail, and Asuna in SAO. But after that my second pick is Laura Bailey, the voice of Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket, and Maka Albarn from Soul Eater (all of that referring to the dubs of course)
(Also—last thing I swear— for the sake of having her sit in front of a certain someone, please disregard that Hitomi is in the wrong seating order alphabetically. By the time I realized, I was already too attached to the name, and a lot of their growth comes from sitting close, so, yeah.)

Chapter Text

A soft chime rang in the silent room, a pink phone covered in pastel cake and candy decoden charms lit up, vibrating on a mahogany bedside table.

A head of messy pink locks peeked out of her nest of blankets. Her hand slowly inched out of her cocoon of warmth, reaching lazily for her cell phone. As she brought the screen to her face, she squinted at the brightness, trying to read the message.

Mo: Where are you? I've already gotten to class.

Hitomi blinked, then blinked some more, until the cloud of sleep fogging up her mind disappeared.

A choked sort of sound tore its way from her throat, as she ripped her blankets away, scrambling out of bed. The cold air that her bedding fought to keep out, washed over her, wracking her body in goosebumps.

For the next ten minutes, the pinkette fumbled around, brushing her hair and putting on her uniform. Almost tripping over a stray baton on the floor in her haste.

Her and Momo had intended to meet up together at the train station that Momo would arrive at, but Hitomi had clearly overslept, thus ruining that plan. While the raven-haired girl had to commute to school via train, Hitomi was lucky enough to be in walking distance.

In an effort to not look like every other female student in UA, Hitomi switched out her regular red tie, for a red bow-tie. As well as changing out her normal black thigh-high socks, for white leggings.

Grabbing her phone, and lilac backpack, she raced down the stairs and through the living-room to the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something important?"

Hopping on one foot as she wrestled on her mary-janes, she looked over her shoulder.

Even almost eight years after her bosses' deaths, Ayami was still taking care of the two remaining Saitos, now as their legal guardian. Her hair was put in two low hanging buns, and she had long ago forgone her maid outfit, instead wearing a normal blouse and jeans.

Hitomi pouted thoughtfully, doing a mental checklist before shaking her head.

"Nope!" She chirped obliviously.

Ayami raised a thin brow, nodding to the kitchen.

The pinkette looked over, and was met with the tired glare of her older brother, now the mature age of twenty-two, as he sat at the island counter, grouchily eating a bowl of cereal.

Hitomi blinked, before grinning sheepishly. "Oh, right. Have a nice day Nori!"

Ayami sighed, face-palming. "I meant breakfast..."

Nori waved his sister off, before seeming to realize something. "What are you even doing up this early? School doesn't start for another half hour." The red-head grumbled, lazily checking a clock on the wall.

"I wanna be extra early! Besides, Momo's already there."

"Typical." Nori snorted.

Hitomi turned, opening the door. Taking one more look over her shoulder, she gave her brother and guardian a slightly shaky smile.

"Here I go."

Ayami gave her a warm smile, her eyes watering slightly, while Nori looked down at the counter, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Have a good first day."

"I'll try! Hug Hana for me when she wakes up!"

After getting a nod in response, Hitomi took a deep breath, before forcing her shaky legs to start moving.

She didn't need a map or anything like that, she knew where to go, after all, she had walked to the building not that long ago.

There was a sort of tense look in her eyes as she stared up at the famous school.

Her feet slowly walked her through the gate, swarmed on all sides by fellow adolescents.

But she wasn't there for the same reason they were.

Today was the day for students from all around to try their hand at getting into UA, but Hitomi had no intention of taking the exam. She was only there to get a look at the place, and see if she could really go for it.

It was kind of funny, really. When she was a kid it was her life's mission to become a Pro Hero. But then, her parents lost their lives to that very profession.

After that, her spiels about how she would become a Hero, died off. Any mention of it would only bring up painful memories. Not to mention it always set Nori off.

She became withdrawn from anyone who wasn't family or friends, almost never leaving the house, and when she did, it was always for something mandatory, like school.

But almost four years ago, something had thankfully changed.

Ayami got pregnant.

It was a total shock, considering the fact she didn't have a husband, boyfriend, or even a lover. It had come from a one-night-stand, and to top it off, she didn't even have the guy's number.

At first, the woman was mortified. Afraid of what her charges were going to think. But she found herself unable to go to a clinic and put an end to it.

It was two month into the pregnancy that Hitomi and Nori found out.

Hitomi had walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and as she was lifting it up to take a drink, she noticed something.

One of Hitomi's quirks (not the power kind) was being able to smell things like pregnancy with her heightened senses. And to her surprise, the kitchen smelled strongly of hormonal perspiration. The only reason she even knew the scent and could recognize it was because her math teacher had gone through the same thing not that long ago, still expected to be on maternity leave for another month or so.

"Ayami!"

When the woman and Nori both ran into the room in a panic to investigate what caused her sudden shout, Hitomi pointed accusingly at the white haired woman, practically shrieking—

"You're pregnant!?"

After that, the woman reluctantly sat the two down, telling them that, yes, she was pregnant. It was immediately followed by a stern talk about protection, and that the two would just be better off never having sex at all.

To say the two siblings were red-faced during and after the lecture, would be an understatement.

And just like that, it was like a switch had been flipped. Hitomi started getting up earlier, started talking more, started smiling again.

Because she had something important to look forward to for the first time in forever. Something that had nothing to do with the world of Pro Heroes.

Things only got better when, seven months later, Hana was born.

The tiny baby had to be born by C-section, as her mutation would have caused severe harm to Ayami if the woman had done it naturally.

Hana's mutation was, in Hitomi's opinion, the cutest and coolest thing in the world.

She had two huge and fluffy brown rabbit ears on her head, and her legs were that of a rabbit's as well, soft and furry with big pawed feet. She had light brown hair, something she must have gotten from whoever fathered her, and bright copper eyes. But Hitomi's favorite part about Hana's mutation was that she had small antelope antlers on her head between her ears, making the baby look like a jackalope.

The whole time during Ayami's recovery, Hitomi was right there beside her, ready and eager to help.

It really reminded the white haired woman of when Nori had taken such a huge interest in helping out with Hitomi when she was a baby.

Hana had managed to spark something back to life in the pinkette.

Until she got her letter.

The same one had been also sent out to Momo, telling them both that they had been recommended, and thus had full scholarships into UA. All they needed to do was come down to do a quick written and physical exam, and they would be all set.

Momo had been ecstatic. While Hitomi had been numb.

In the future, she would appreciate beyond words what her guardian did next.

Without discussing a single word about it, Ayami signed on the dotted line, scheduling the pinkette's exam. And as an extra measure, she also signed her up at their local gym. Ayami knew her charge well enough to know that if she was given the chance, she would over complicate things in her head, stressing herself out before even giving it a chance.

As soon as the initial shock and anger wore off, Hitomi was only left with feeling a combination of excitement and anxiety.

She and Momo took the written exam, with Momo acing it, while Hitomi just barely skated by. Afterwards they were put on a bus, and taken to the area where the practical was being held, thankfully it was just a race, so this time Hitomi crushed it, and Momo struggled. And so before she knew it, the teenager was back to training her body everyday. Building back up the muscle she had lost after going so long without pushing herself. It didn't help that she couldn't use her Quirk for almost all of middle school, due to something Hitomi was too embarrassed to talk about.

With not even a full year left to train before school started, she was truly down to the wire.

Every now and then, she would question why she was going through with it, spiralling down in a panic about how nothing was going to be worth it in the end. But just as quickly, she would feel a sudden rush of that same high she reached whenever fantasizing about Hero work when she was a kid. The result left her training for hours on end some days, only to have a mini crisis right after.

So, there she was, walking the halls of UA, getting a feel for her soon-to-be new environment. Trying to build up the courage to try and stand toe-to-toe with the world's future Heroes, all while trying to tramp down the guilt of her lapse in motivation.

What would Mama and Papa think of me? Hitomi cynically asked herself.

"Hey."

Hitomi stopped, slowly looking over her shoulder at the owner of the stern voice.

Before she could see any features of the person, the jacket hood she had over her head was jerked down.

She squeaked, spinning around to fully face the person.

Blinking up at him, she felt completely intimidated.

He had long black hair, and equally dark clothes. And he glared down at her from above a strange looking white scarf, his expression nearly shadowed.

Something about his tired looking eyes was familiar, achingly so.

As soon as he spotted the hue of her hair, and the fluffy orange ears sitting on top, something in his eyes softened. But he still kept his scowl in place.

"What are you doing wandering the hallways?" He demanded in a low voice.

Hitomi ducked her head, staring down at her sneakers. She internally kicked herself, she couldn't believably pretend to be an examinee, as the test had already started. A test she clearly wasn't taking as this man stared her down. Aunt Nemuri had let her in after making her promise not to snoop or cause trouble. Hitomi had no idea if this guy knew her surrogate aunt or not, and telling him Midnight herself had let her in wasn't very believable.

"Um... lost?"

The man gave her an unamused look.

She sighed in defeat, scratching the back of her neck. "I just... wanted to see this place, for real."

He was silent for a moment, and Hitomi didn't dare look up.

"...Let's go, Saito."

Her eyes widened, head snapping up to look at him.

"Eh?"

Later, once she got home, Hitomi told Ayami all about the tour some of the faculty staff gave her. The white haired woman making a face that Hitomi couldn't decipher at the description of the man who had caught her.

And she found herself feeling... Excited? Eager? No, it was something else...

...Oh.

She was feeling motivated.

Two big and fluffy ears bounced as Hitomi all but skipped down the sidewalk. She was absentmindedly humming a tune she couldn't remember the words to, as she turned down the last street.

Her feet stalled, as she was met with the overbearing sight of UA. And to her glee, she felt the sides of her mouth involuntarily curl up. She found herself jogging the rest of the way, wanting to get on school grounds as soon as possible. A warm feeling filled her chest as she ran through the gate, each step pulling her closer to the future she should have never taken for granted.

Her eyes were so focused on the top of the building, as she marveled at the height the school reached, that the body in front of her wasn't even a blip on the radar. Until she bumped into it, that is.

She squeaked, jerking back and looking down at the person she ran into.

He was just slightly taller than her, had blonde spiky hair, and as he turned around, she saw blazing carmine colored eyes.

Then, she belatedly realized, he was yelling at her.

"Watch it, extra!"

Hitomi blinked, brain momentarily short-circuiting.

Oh yeah, when was the last time I really talked to someone who wasn't Momo, Nori, Ayami, or Hana? She asked herself, as she couldn't seem to manage any words. Aunt Nemuri and Aunt Rumi didn't really count, as Hero work kept them busy most of the time, and she hadn't been able to have an in depth discussion with either in a while.

Her lack of people skills had her handling this with the first response her mind supplied her with.

"Sorry about that!" She chirped, sending him a blinding smile.

"When in doubt, be kind." Riku's voice whispered in her head.

So when he scowled and scoffed in response, she just kept smiling, and it surprisingly wasn't that hard to keep it on once she started. The blonde gave off the same sort of energy that Nori did when he was in middle school, and something about that was comforting.

The blonde turned, continuing on his way into the school. Hitomi followed behind, realizing she would have to basically walk with the guy until they parted ways for their own classes.

They were almost to the door of 1-A, when he snapped at her again.

"The hell are you following me for!?" He demanded.

Hitomi paused, trying to think of a response that wouldn't anger him further.

"I'm... not?"

When his hands sparked and crackled with mini explosions, she figured any response she could have given would have set him off anyway.

Maybe he's having a bad day.

Her ears twitched as she thought of something. "Oh, hey! What if we're just in the same class?"

At Hitomi's proposal, he scoffed. "Not a chance in hell."

Choosing to not take offence to that (like all his other comments), she merely shrugged good-naturedly, smiling at him as she walked past.

"Okay."

And she was honestly somewhat surprised as they both stopped to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling door labelled '1-A'.

"Hm, so I guess I was right." Hitomi hummed.

She left the blonde seething as she ran into the classroom.

She was immediately able to spot Momo, who was seated on the far left row in the very back. The ravenette waved sheepishly, as Hitomi waved at her like she was trying to flag her down in an airport.

Normally, the pinkette would have sat down right next to her only friend, but there was a specific seat Hitomi felt she needed to sit in.

She walked over to it, smiling softly. While she knew it wasn't really the same exact one, the spot was more important in her opinion, right by the towering windows in the very front of the class, UA's own personal forest clear in view.

She already couldn't wait to see what it would look like when the leaves began to change.

Without waiting any longer, for fear of someone else taking the seat, she sat down. Claiming the desk that was four seats in front of Momo.

It was the same seat Naomi sat in during her first year. Not to mention, the seat directly behind her was the one Riku had sat.

Who knows, maybe my future life-partner will sit down behind me. Hitomi thought to herself whimsically.

Then the explode-y blonde plopped down right behind her.

Nevermind.

It didn't take long at all for the blonde to start a fight with someone.

"Remove your foot from that desk! Such an action is insulting to those who came to UA before us! As well as the craftsman who made the desk!"

"Like I care. What middle school are you from, you extra?" The blonde hostilely replied.

Hitomi sighed, watching the back and forth argument between the blonde, and a vaguely familiar tall guy with glasses. It was really starting to hurt her sensitive ears.

"I'm from Somei private academy. My name is Tenya Iida."

Oh, that's why I know him.

The blonde scoffed. "Somei? A stuck-up elitist then. I should blow you to bits."

Hitomi blinked owlishly at that, feeling like it was a little extreme.

The tall guy, Iida, seemed thrown as well. "You're awful! Do you really wish to become a Hero!?"

Hitomi winced at the volume, deciding she was done putting up with the yelling.

"Excuse me."

Iida spun around, doing some weird, stiff hand gesture. "Yes?!"

Her ears flattened against her head. "I really don't think yelling will solve anything. Plus, it's making my ears hurt."

Iida paused, glancing up at her large canine ears, before seeming to realize she probably had heightened hearing because of them.

He didn't seem to take it well.

"Ah! I hadn't noticed! I sincerely apologize for any discomfort I've caused!" He said, finishing it off with a deep bow.

Hitomi's flushed violently at his over the top reaction. Having not expected anything more than an "Oh, sorry".

"N-no it's fine! R-really!" She tried waving him off, severely regretting her decision to say anything.

But someone at the door seemed to have caught his attention, and the bespectacled teen ran over to the newest arrival, after offering her a quick "Excuse me!"

Hitomi sat back, ears relaxing from their flattened position.

"Well, he was kinda intense, huh?" She mused, looking over to the blonde as she sat sideways in her chair.

A chill went down her spine when she looked at him.

He didn't seem to have heard what she said, as he was too busy glaring daggers at the poor nervous looking kid who had just walked in.

If looks could kill... Wait, what if someone had a Quirk like that...?

She shook herself out of her thoughts, taking a cursory look around the class, counting heads.

...17, 18, 19–

Her eyes widened, jaw going slightly slack.

Snow white, laying right beside maroon. Accompanied by grey, and icy blue irises.

For a split-second she doubted it, but that same dull look in his eyes gave away which Todoroki she was looking at. The pinkish scar covering his left eye was cause for great concern to well up inside the pinkette.

I wonder if he ever ate that cupcake...

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa. Pleased to meet you."

She was yanked out of her thoughts this time, as she snapped her head back to the front of the class. Even if he hadn't said his name, she would have known who it was, just by going off of his baritone voice, and scent.

When she saw him, she couldn't help but break out into a smile. Because of all the people to teach her how to be a Hero, she would want it to be him.

"Eh?"

"I know what you're thinking Saito, and I'm not about to let you squander this opportunity."

"W-wha— How— Do I know you!?"

"I'll go get some of the staff to give you a tour. Don't move."

Yeah, she had a good feeling about him.

Out of nowhere, he pulled out a navy blue tracksuit with the UA logo on it in red and white.

"Change into your gym clothes and head out to the grounds."

As everyone who was seated slowly stood, Hitomi remained in her seat, brows furrowed.

But before she could raise her hand, Aizawa was already looking at her.

"Saito."

She sat up, conscious of all the eyes on her. For some reason, the blonde's, Todoroki's, and the nervous looking kid's stares felt the most heavy.

"Y-yes sir?"

He held up the tracksuit. "This one's yours. It's been modified with your Quirk in mind. Don't lose it."

"Got it."

As she took the tracksuit from him, she tried to ignore the questioning murmurs coming from her classmates.

"Hi, I'm Mina Ashido!"

Hitomi jumped, looking over at the girl who reminded her of, oddly enough, a wingless moth. But in her opinion, the girl's mutation was amazing to look at.

And of course, her lack of social skills decided to rear its head again that very moment.

"Wow," Hitomi breathed. "You're beautiful."

Every girl in the locker-room paused, turning to stare at the two pinkettes.

Ashido's pink complexion turned a shade darker.

Hitomi wished the floor would swallow her up. "I-I mean— Well it's just, your mutation, it uh, looks really cool!"

Ashido seemed to recover from her shock, as she grinned at the Akita-girl.

"You're pretty blunt, aren't you?"

Hitomi nodded sheepishly. "I don't mean to be..."

"She hasn't really engaged in much small talk recently, I think she's gotten a bit rusty." Momo chimed in, pulling up her track pants.

"You two know each other?" The brunette girl who came in with the nervous kid, asked.

Hitomi nodded, steadily this time. "Yep, I've known Mo since before I got my Quirk."

"Well, it was the same day, actually..."

A punk looking girl with ears that resembled cords on a pair of headphones turned to Hitomi.

"That reminds me, what did the teacher mean by "it's modified with your Quirk in mind"?"

"Oh, well my Quirk..." Hitomi paused, hoping to find the right words without making herself sound like a beast. "...I've lost a lot of clothes in the process of learning to use it."

"Oooh, mysterious~" Ashido hummed.

After that, all the girls exchanged names with each other, before they filed out of the locker-room, meeting up with the rest of the class as they all made their way outside.

"Today, we'll be doing a Quirk apprehension test." Aizawa announced to them once they were all lined up in front of him.

Hitomi set her jaw, tense smirk stretching her cheeks. I knew it. Why else would we need our gym clothes?

Uraraka raised her hand. "But what about orientation?"

"No time to waste on that stuff if you want to become Heroes." Aizawa stated bluntly. "UA is known for its "freestyle" educational system. That applies to us teachers as well."

Hitomi swallowed harshly, once again beating herself up for the years of no training.

"Softball throwing, the standing long jump, the fifty meter dash, endurance running, grip strength, side-to-side stepping, upper body training, seated toe-touch. You did all these in middle school, yes? Your standard no-Quirks-allowed tests."

Hitomi had a feeling she knew where this was going. The no-Quirks-allowed tests were about to have a revision, if she was right.

"This country still insists on prohibiting Quirks when calculating the averages of those records. It's not rational. The department of education is just procrastinating." Aizawa finished, pulling a softball out of his pocket.

"Bakugou," Their teacher called. "How far could you throw in middle school?"

"Sixty-seven meters." Bakugou, as Hitomi now knew his name to be, shrugged casually.

"Great, now try it with your Quirk." Aizawa told him, tossing the softball to the blonde, as he walked up into a chalk circle lined in the dirt. "Do whatever you need to, just don't leave the circle."

"Give it all you've got." Aizawa instructed, as Bakugou stretched his arms.

"Awesome." Bakugou growled, a sort of feral smirk on his face

Hitomi frowned. He looks rabid.

He reared his arm back, opening his mouth, shouting—

"Die!"

Hitomi cocked her head. "Die?"

As he threw the ball, an earsplitting 'Boom' sounded out. A huge explosion erupted from his hand, launching the softball out of eyesight. The force was even enough to kick up dust as far back as where the rest of the class stood.

Aizawa pulled a device out of his pocket, looking it over approvingly.

Hitomi winced, her and a few others coughing at the smoke. Her hands were clamped over her ears, and to her embarrassment, her large tail was tucked between her legs.

"It's important for us to know our limits." Aizawa got their attention, holding up the device.

705.2

"That's the first rational step to figuring out what kind of Heroes you'll be."

"Whoa! This is awesome!" A guy with electric yellow hair cheered.

"Seven-hundred and five meters? Seriously?" Jirou mumbled.

"So we can use our Quirks for real! Man, the Hero Course is great!" A guy with spiky red hair said.

Hitomi was one of the only ones to notice the shift in Aizawa's expression.

"...Awesome, you say?"

A shiver raced down her spine.

"You're hoping to become Heroes after three years here... And you think it'll be all fun and games?"

"Right," Aizawa straightened up, staring them all down with an unwavering resolve in his— Are they glowing!? —eyes. "The one with the lowest score across all eight events will be judged hopeless... and will be expelled."

"Your fates are in our hands." Aizawa raked his hand through his hair, moving aside his bangs so he could stare them down properly. And if Hitomi thought his eyes were glowing before, she was sure about it now.

"Welcome, this is... The Hero Course of UA high."

Biting her lip, Hitomi looked back up at the ginormous school behind them. The school her parents went to. The school she would be damned before leaving.

I'm not giving this up. Not again.

"Atta girl."

Hitomi grinned.

First up was the fifty meter dash. Something that her Quirk would definitely come in handy for.

To her surprise, she was up against the nervous kid during her turn, who now looked even shakier than before.

As she stretched, she gave him a disarming smile.

"Good luck!"

The kid jumped, and Hitomi started wondering why she was referring to him as a kid in her head. For all she knew, he could be older than her. (Though not likely, considering certain things regarding her grade.)

Maybe it's his scent. He smells super innocent.

And yes, Hitomi was aware of how creepy that thought sounded.

"Y-you too!" The nervous guy stuttered back.

As Aizawa got ready to start the timer, Hitomi leaned down, touching the dirt with her fingertips.

She grinned as the familiar tingling took over her body. I missed this.

She was absently aware of all the surprised noises coming from her classmates behind her. But she was most conscious of the surprised and almost awed sounding gasp coming from the guy beside her.

At this point, she was now a towering seven and a half feet tall while in Akita-form.

She shifted around slightly, not liking the restricting feeling coming from the gym clothes. But like Aizawa said, they did stretch to accommodate her size.

"Ready. Go." Aizawa said as their only warning, clicking the timer.

Without wasting any time, she launched herself forward, tongue hanging out as she barreled on as fast as she could.

'3.4 seconds!' The robot at the end of the track chimed.

Hitomi's tail wagged as she grinned, which looked more like she was just panting while she was in her Akita-form.

'7.2 seconds!' The robot announced as the nervous guy finished. It was a good time, but clearly run normally.

Hitomi shrank back down, wanting to save as much energy as possible.

"Quirk's not suited for this type of thing, huh?" Hitomi guessed as soon as she could talk again.

He jumped again, as if he hadn't expected her to talk to him.

"W-what— Oh! Well, n-no, not exactly..."

Hitomi hummed, an easygoing smile still on her face. She was honestly kind of happy to meet someone who seemed more socially awkward than her. As mean as that may be.

She reached out her hand, deciding to ignore the tiny flinch it caused. "I'm Hitomi Saito. It's nice to meet you!"

He blinked as he seemed to need to process her introduction, before hastily taking her hand, face flushing a deep red.

"I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. L-likewise."

Hitomi smiled, glad to stop calling him "nervous guy" in her head.

"Your Quirk is amazing by the way! I've never seen a transformation one quite like it! Usually the size is comparable to the real life animal the Quirk takes after. But you were giant!"

It was Hitomi's turn to blush, and she realized Midoriya stopped stuttering as soon as he started talking about Quirks.

She sheepishly tussled the hair behind her ears. "I get it from my mom for the most part. But she could only ever change certain parts of her body. And there's also Ryukyu. So it's not that unique."

Midoriya's eyes widened, as something seemed to click in his brain. "Your mom... Saito... Are you—"

"Next up, Sero and Shoji."

At Aizawa's call, the two hastily moved out of the way. Hitomi missed the way Midoriya watched her calculatingly.

After everyone went up (Bakugou was a handful of mili-seconds slower than Hitomi, something that spurred a hateful glare from the blonde) the next test started. That being grip strength.

"So far I haven't been able to do much..." Momo murmured as she clenched her dynamometer.

Hitomi gave her friend a reassuring smile, though it was wobbly due to her exertion as she gripped her own dynamometer as tight as she could. "This is only the second one, and there's a ton of these, you'll be fine Mo."

The ravenette hummed, as her score came up on the tiny screen.

26 kg.

Momo frowned, brows furrowing. "I thought it would be higher..."

Hitomi's score came up right after, and she immediately tried to hide the score from Momo. But Asui poked her head around, glancing at the pinkette's score.

"Wow Saito, you got fifty-three? Ribbit."

Hitomi winced as Momo gave her a half amused, half exasperated look.

"You don't have to hide your score from me." She chastised. "I know how strong you are."

"I know, I just feel... guilty, I guess."

Hitomi had long-ago learned that her Quirk came with, well, unpaid DLC she would classify it as. Due to her mass while transformed, her muscle and bone density levelled up, in a sense. As a result, Hitomi had never broken a single bone, thanks to their inhuman strength. And her muscles were naturally heftier.

If she was being honest, she kind of hated it. As it felt sort of like cheating to be so strong after not training for as long as she did.

Momo stared in contemplation at her dynamometer, an idea sparking. This was all about using their Quirks to their fullest, testing the boundaries in which they could go. So, with that in mind, she produced a large monkey wrench out from under her shirt.

"Hitomi, could you hold this up for me?" She asked, handing the small device over, situating the metal tool around the handle while Hitomi held it aloft.

The pinkette's eyes sparkled. "Mo, you are the smartest and prettiest girl in the whole world." She said in a deadpan, but was completely sincere.

Momo smiled, used to the casual overinflated compliments. She tightened the wrench until the device threatened to break. After a couple of seconds, it beeped.

193 kg

Perfect.

The third test was the standing long jump.

"You can totally use your Quirk for this too!" Hitomi cheered excitedly to Momo. "Like, you could make a pole and vault over, or..." She trailed off lamely, quickly running out of ideas.

The taller girl nodded, smiling eagerly, yet still managing to look poised.

Once again, like with the fifty meter dash, Bakugou used his explosive palms to shoot clear over the course. Same with another blonde in the class, who used his technique of shooting his... navel laser?

Hitomi frowned dimly when she saw Midoriya only make it about five feet, before landing harshly on his rear. At the pace things were going, and if he continued to get these types of scores, Hitomi was concerned that he was going to be the one who got expelled.

"I wonder what his Quirk is." Hitomi mused.

Momo hummed, brushing the dirt off of her pants, having just gone and gotten an impressive score herself. "It could be anything, really. Technokinesis, invisibility, mind-reading—"

"Mind-reading?!" Hitomi squeaked, flushing at the thought that he might have heard her thinking about how he smelled innocent.

No wonder he was so awkward! It's because I made it awkward! She thought to herself hysterically

"We don't know anything for sure. I doubt he can actually hear what you've been thinking, calm down." Momo reassured her, seemingly able to decipher why she was panicking.

The fourth test, side-stepping, was in the same vein as the previous ones. In that pretty much everyone but Midoriya nailed it.

With every test coming and going, the green haired teen got visibly more and more anxious. To the point where Hitomi could easily smell the nerves on him. Putting her on edge too.

All too quickly, the next test was upon them. Throwing.

One-by-one, everyone took a softball and threw it with all of their strength. When Uraraka went up, she tossed the ball at a normal speed, instead of trying to chuck it as far away as possible. Her Quirk, anti-gravity, took care of most of it, as the ball flew up into orbit.

Everyone, minus Bakugou and a few stoic classmates gaped as Aizawa showed off Uraraka's score.

"Infinity!?"

"Wow the infinity symbol actually popped up!"

"Dang..." Hitomi breathed, feeling intimidated by the brunette girl now.

Next up was Midoriya.

"With his scores... It doesn't matter how he does, he's still way behind." Hitomi murmured.

"Well it's not like he'll actually get expelled." Momo pointed out.

Hitomi nodded. "Yeah, you're righ—" Eyes widening, Hitomi rounded on Momo. "What do you mean he won't!?" She whispered harshly.

Before Momo had the chance to reply, a dull 'thud' hitting dirt brought the two girls' attention back to Midoriya.

...Who's ball was only a measly distance away, still clearly in sight.

His eyes were blown wide in horror, as he stared at the ball slack-jawed. He shakily looked down at his hands, brows scrunched in shocked confusion.

"I erased your Quirk."

Everyone, including Midoriya, looked over at Aizawa, who's hair and scarf were floating around his head. His tired eyes were sharp and narrowed at Midoriya, his irises now glowing red.

"That ridiculous entrance exam." He growled, glare firmly placed on the green haired teen. "...Completely irrational when you consider someone like you got in."

Hitomi winced at the venom in their teacher's words. And she wondered what Midoriya could have possibly done to anger the raven haired man so deeply.

Green eyes flickered over Aizawa at a break-neck speed, until a dawning look of realization spread over Midoriya's face.

"Wait, I know you! You're the Erasure Hero! Eraser Head!"

Lips parting, Hitomi could have sworn she had heard that name somewhere before, but couldn't place anything concrete.

"I saw it, how you can't control your Quirk. You'd just be incapacitated again."

Hitomi's keen ears picked up Aizawa's voice as he chewed Midoriya out, seeming to be the only one who could hear from the distance the rest of the class was stationed.

"Were you hoping someone would step-in to help afterwards?" Aizawa asked, tone accusatory.

"N-no, it's not like that!" Midoriya stuttered, as Aizawa wrapped him up menacingly in his strange scarf.

"Whatever you were planning, it would have inconvenienced those around you." He tightened the scarf. "Way back when, a certain hot-blooded Hero saved over a thousand people during a disaster. He made himself a legend."

Wringing her tracksuit top in her hands, Hitomi's rounded brows furrowed.

Is he... Is he going to compare Midoriya to—

"You've got the same reckless streak, but you're totally useless after saving just a single person. Izuku Midoriya, you cannot become a Hero with that Quirk of yours."

Biting her lip, the pinkette refrained from moving toward the two, knowing that intervening wouldn't help anyone in the end. The only thing that would, was if Midoriya could prove himself, right here and now.

After glaring down at Midoriya a little longer, just for good measure, Aizawa blinked, and released the green haired teen from his scarf.

"You've got your Quirk back. Give it another go, let's get this over with."

As their teacher stepped away from him, Midoriya started muttering to himself. Too fast and quiet for Hitomi to hear.

"Seems like he received some special instruction." Iida mused, hand to his chin.

I wouldn't call it that. Hitomi frowned.

"Yeah, the instruction to leave this school." Bakugou added snidely.

Hitomi locked her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels in what appeared to be a carefree manner, though the action was more of a way to calm herself down. "I wouldn't rule him out just yet."

The explosive blonde scowled at her, brows twitching in irritation.

This time, when Midoriya stretched his arm back in preparation to throw, he looked much more confident, as if he had finally figured out the answer to some tough question.

It happened in a blink, as Midoriya threw his arm forward. At first it looked the same as the first throw, but right as the ball left his hand, there was a similar 'boom' to that of Bakugou's toss. This one less of an explosion, and more of a brutal impact.

Shielding her face from the shock-wave, Hitomi peeked through her arms, and gaped as Aizawa already held up his score.

705.3

Just a hair farther than Bakugou's throw.

Midoriya's right index finger looked broken, but he still curled his hand into a fist, and smiled triumphantly at their teacher.

"I... can still move." He panted through his wobbly grin, tears in his eyes from the undoubtedly awful pain.

Hitomi would have been relieved that it wasn't telepathy, if she wasn't so busy being floored by what a powerful Quirk Midoriya possessed.

"Woo! Now that's a Hero-like record if I ever saw one!" Uraraka cheered, arms waving in the air as she shouted out her excitement.

"His finger appears to be swollen." Iida mused. "Thinking back on the entrance exam... what a strange Quirk."

Hitomi cocked her head. "What happened at the entrance exam?"

Right after she spoke, her hair blew up into her face, as Bakugou let off an explosion behind her, launching himself furiously at Midoriya.

"Deku you bastard! Tell me how you did that or you're dead!"

Hitomi, spitting out what hair got into her mouth, jumped in concern for her freckled classmate.

But Aizawa thankfully intervened, whipping his scarf at the blonde, and halting him in his tracks as it wrapped around him like it had to Midoriya.

While the teacher chewed Bakugou out, Hitomi watched him, and frowned heavily.

Who just calls someone "Deku"?

After that, the only other eventful thing that happened was Aizawa making it seem like Midoriya was going to be expelled for having the lowest score. Then he ended up telling them that it was all just a ruse anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.

Hitomi let out a sigh, happy no one would go home in tears. Plus, she had a good feeling about Midoriya. There was just an aura around the nervous teen that reminded the pinkette of something warm and good, but she couldn't place a finger on exactly what that something was.

Once home, Hitomi groaned tiredly and flopped down onto the couch, burying her face into a cushion. Her backpack full of books was digging painfully into the small of her back, but she was too tired to move.

The only thing that would make that girl get up, was a tiny hand slapping her face.

Hitomi wrinkled her nose, but forced herself up, looking down to her right, she was met with two wide copper eyes.

"Hito! Hito! Hito okay?"

A tired smile showed two sharp canines, as Hitomi sat up all the way, lifting the newly minted three-year-old and setting her on her lap.

"Hito's okay, I promise. Just sleepy."

"Maybe Hito wouldn't be so tired if she didn't jump the shark and go to Hero school." Nori said snidely as he walked by behind the couch, flicking Hitomi in the ear as he passed.

Hitomi yipped, rubbing her stinging ear as she glared after Nori.

"And maybe Nori would have a girlfriend if he wasn't such a jerk!"

"Hah, nice one." He replied sarcastically, not even deigning to glance her way.

Hitomi stuck her tongue out at his back, an action Hana clumsily copied.

Looking back down, Hitomi started playing with Hana's fluffy rabbit feet. "Where's Mommy-bunny?"

Mommy-bunny was a name Nori had once jokingly called Ayami, that winded up sticking. It was a bit funny that after years of likening Ayami to that of a skittish rabbit, the woman ended up having a daughter with a rabbit oriented Quirk.

But Hitomi supposed that it must be a family trait. Ayami's daughter possessing almost the exact same Quirk as her sister.

Hana pointed off to her left. "Kitchen!"

Hitomi hummed questioningly. "You sure?"

Hana nodded, and continued to point.

The kitchen was to the right.

Hitomi shrugged and picked her up, walking to the kitchen.

She had plenty to tell her guardian about her first day. Especially about how Momo had beaten the entire class, her Quirk out matching them all in versatility.

Her friend really was the coolest.

Chapter 4: Feral

Chapter Text

On their second day, Hitomi actually woke up on schedule, able to make the trip to UA together with Momo this time. The taller girl walked with poise and silent elegance, while the pinkette beside her was anything but.

"Pretty crazy that we got in the same class as Todoroki, huh Mo?"

Momo hummed faintly, obviously lost in her train of thought.

Hitomi skipped ahead, backpack bouncing against her. Spinning around, she walked backwards to face Momo. "You're spacey, what's on your mind?"

Momo blinked, and her face fell in worry. "I'm just a little worried, that's all."

"'bout what?"

Momo frowned. "The class seems to have a few... interesting individuals, don't you think?"

Hitomi crossed her arms behind her head, looking up at the clouds. "I'd like to think we're interesting."

Momo shook her head. "No, I mean..."

While Momo talked, Hitomi got distracted by an oncoming figure, one who seemed to be in quite a rush. As it got closer, she could recognize the bushel of messy green locks.

Right arm sweeping in the air as she still walked backwards, Hitomi beamed at him. "Heya Midoriya! What's the rush?"

In his shock at being addressed, Midoriya tripped over himself, scrambling to avoid hitting the ground. The bulky duffel bag in his grip didn't help matters at all.

Taking quick long strides ahead, Hitomi put both hands on his shoulders to steady him. At the sudden contact and proximity, his face erupted into a shade of ruby red. Hitomi, oblivious of how her face was barely an inch from his, cocked her head questioningly.

"You okay?"

Stepping back, he nodded frantically. "Y-yes! Thank you!"

Hitomi shrugged. "I was the one who made you trip in the first place."

Momo sighed at the delay, knowing Hitomi was always one to make unnecessary conversation.

"What's with the bag?"

"O-oh, it's my Hero costume, actually." Midoriya stammered, but sounded proud. He jumped minutely, remembering something. "Ah, Saito, I wanted to ask you yesterday, are you related to the Heroes Silv—"

"Shouldn't your costume be on campus?" Momo quickly cut him off, not wanting him to go into that line of questioning already.

Midoriya quickly explained why he was in possession of his costume, which turned out to be that his mother made it for him. He looked rather proud of it, smiling warmly down at the bag.

A shameful jealousy burned its way up Hitomi's throat, but she worked to stomp it down with a tight grin. Midoriya seemed nice, and didn't deserve any wrongful ill will she was feeling towards him, all for the fact that he still had his mom.

She would have felt crushing guilt, if she had known his father hadn't been around for so long, that Midoriya would've forgotten what he looked like if it weren't for photos.

If she thought she was on his bad side before, then Hitomi for sure was now. The death-glare Bakugou sent her and Midoriya as they and Momo stepped through the door was burning brighter than the sun. But that might have been his palms exploding sporadically that gave that illusion.

While the green haired teen quaked under the glare, Hitomi only smiled at him, skipping to her seat and dropping down on it fearlessly. It wasn't that she thought the blonde was harmless, but rather that she felt there was no way someone would throw away a spot in UA just to throw a few petty punches.

Momo on the other hand, didn't hold the same fearlessness as Hitomi, watching the pinkette practically flaunt her courage to Bakugou as she herself was sitting at the edge of her seat, worried that she was going to end up having to break up a fight.

"She hasn't changed much."

Momo blinked, looking to her right, where a certain boy from their past sat. While she had almost no memory of ever talking to Todoroki personally, Hitomi had filled her in the previous evening about her encounter with him when they were all kids, specifically the night that Naomi had slapped Todoroki's father right across the face.

It made sense why he would ask that, seeing as how his experience with the bubbly girl was chipper on her end, and frosty on his. But she never wavered at the cold reception. Watching her casually ask how Bakugou's day was so far, get venomous curses back, and continue to smile and appear unfazed, was something that resembled Todoroki's introduction to her. Minus of course, the foul language and hateful glares.

But Momo was the only one who could see clearly, the true feelings beneath her smiles. While everyone else saw an admittedly ditsy girl, Momo saw the calculated and strong person Hitomi had become, all to be where she was sitting right now.

"No, she has."

Hitomi glanced back, grinning excitedly to the ravenette, while her eyes shined with a look of determination. She was ready for the trials ahead, so long as her closest friend was there with her.

Through every class the room buzzed with muted excitement as everyone couldn't wait until after lunch, because that was when—

"It's me! Through the door like a normal person!"

With a gust of wind, All Might bursted into the room, an ever present smile on his face.

Hitomi, along with the rest of the classroom, targeted their attention right on the Hero, dropping any previous conversations with each other. It was the pinkette's first time ever seeing the man in person, surprisingly, so it came to a bit of a shock to her that he smelled faintly like a hospital.

"For this class we'll be building up your Hero foundation through various trials!" All Might excitedly bellowed, reaching into a pocket behind his cape. "Let's jump right in with this!" He thrusted his hand forward, brandishing a card with "Battle" boldly inscribed.

"The trail of battle!"

Behind her, Hitomi could hear Midoriya and Bakugou's vastly different reactions to the announcement. The former's being of trepidation, while the latter grinned eagerly. Both repeating the words just spoken by the Hero.

"And to go with your first battle..."

The wall to their right hissed, as several shelves slid out, holding numbered briefcases.

"We have the gear we had you send in requests for to match your Quirk!"

Hitomi stiffened, leaning back in her seat while the rest of her class rushed to grab their costume. But there was a major flaw with this, that being the fact that she had received the news that her costume had been rejected late, leaving not enough time for her to send in a new request. With a Quirk like hers, it was difficult making a suit that would look cool, and be practical. Because of this, Hitomi's original concept had been shut down due to the effect of her power.

That meant that whatever was in that briefcase was not what she had planned to be her costume, but simply a placeholder one until she could send them a new, functional design.

By the time she stood and went to take her case, it was the last one there. Trudging after the rest of the aspiring Heroes, Hitomi worriedly looked down, eyeing the 16 marking her case. Hoping that whatever was waiting for her inside wouldn't be too different from what she had planned for.

"You're kidding." She whispered.

With a red face, Hitomi looked herself over in the mirror, frowning deeper and deeper at her appearance.

All that had been in the case was a plum colored top and bottom and a set of arm and leg warmers, no shoes or extra gear to lose when shifting into her Akita form. The costume was made out of a stretchy fabric that was meant to grow with her when she used her Quirk, similar to Mt Lady's suit. The bottoms were just a simple pair of skin-tight shorts, not even reaching mid thigh. Her problem with the costume wasn't those, but rather with the top. Starting right under her breasts, the tight and rubbery material clung to her in a way that left little to the imagination, it was sleeveless, with the neckline reaching halfway up and clinging uncomfortably to her flushed neck. But the worst part of it all was a design choice she had no part in making.

"What even is the purpose of this!?" She desperately squeaked to her best friend beside her, looking down at her chest.

In the middle of the top was a diamond shaped window, showing off a fair bit of cleavage.

Momo grimaced slightly, securing her bright yellow belt. The taller girl's costume was even more revealing than Hitomi's, but that was because she herself designed it that way.

"Guess a perv got ahold of it, sorry Saito." Ashido said apologetically.

Hitomi shuddered at the idea, suddenly wishing to wash the accursed suit. Uraraka patted her shoulder, smiling sympathetically.

"My costume's a bit tighter than I expected too. Maybe you'll grow to like it though, who knows!"

Hitomi smiled tightly, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, then settled them to cover her bare stomach. She highly doubted she would have the self confidence to keep the costume long.

Walking down the concrete corridor, flanked by her female classmates on both sides, Hitomi took a deep breath to ready herself as they stepped out into the light.

"Let's see what you're made of, you embryos! It's time for the trail of battle!" All Might crowed excitedly, seeming to be looking forward to this as much as they were.

Hitomi jumped slightly when All Might appeared to look right at her, before coughing something awkwardly in his hand. Her brows furrowed, and she glanced behind her. What she saw was someone in a teal jumpsuit, with... bunny ears?

Taking a good sniff, Hitomi was able to deduce that it was Midoriya in the costume.

"Sir! Regarding the performance ground we'll be using, is it the mock-city from the entrance exam?" Iida's voice echoed out of a white and cobalt blue colored suit of armor. His arm doing the same stiff gesture it did when he was arguing with Bakugou.

"You'll see! In fact, take two steps and you'll already be there! This will be an indoor battle trail!"

Hitomi perked up, eyes alight with anticipation.

"Villain cleanup is usually seen out in the open, but statistically the better portion of it is an inside job. Most acts of villainy are committed indoors."

Tail starting to wag, Hitomi grinned as All Might explained. Hostage situations where one of her parents' most handled jobs.

"For this test, you'll separate into "Hero" and "Villain" groups. For a two on two team battle!"

"How do we determine who wins and who loses?" Momo asked, always the practical one.

"How much can we hurt the other opponents?" Of course Bakugou was the one who asked that.

"Is there a threat of expulsion like Mister Aizawa's exercise?" Uraraka fearfully questioned.

Iida's hand shot into the air. "If we're separating into different groups, what would be the best way to do so?!"

"What's the scenario?!" Hitomi shyly threw her own question in.

"I can't hear you if you all speak at once!" All Might shouted over them. "For this training, we'll have some "Villains" guard a nuclear weapon they intend on deploying! The Heroes must stop them and their nefarious scheme before it's too late! If the Heroes capture the Villains or reach the nuclear core before the time runs out, they win! If the Villains manage to keep the core the whole time, or capture the Heroes they win!" All Might explained as he very obviously read from a cheat-sheet.

Pulling out a box from God-knows-where, All Might brandished it, saying "Your team-mates and opponents will be chosen by lottery!"

"Is that really how we'll do it!?" Iida floundered.

Hitomi stood straighter, just as Midoriya did next to her.

"It makes sense, sometimes they have to—"

"Pros are often forced to—"

"Make impromptu team-ups with Heroes they might not know very well! This is probably... testing... that."

Hitomi blinked in shock, looking at Midoriya as he too seemed stunned. Slowly, even through his mask, Hitomi could see red start to shine through. A wide smile split across her face, barring her canines in an unintentionally intimidating way.

"Wow Midoriya! I've only ever done that with Momo!" She placed her hands on her hips. "You really know a lot about Heroes, huh?"

"I-I—"

"Anyway, let's start this!" All Might shouted, either trying to move things along so Aizawa wouldn't get cranky about him going over his allotted time slot with the students, or he simply hoped to get the attention off of Midoriya, who looked like he was going into cardiac arrest.

The pinkette hid her disappointment when Momo got paired with a fairly short guy, who looked mighty happy to be teamed up with her. When it was her turn, Hitomi reached into the yellow lot box, pulling out a ball with 'I' brandished on the front.

"Guess we're teammates?" The blonde who had also gotten the 'I' ball said, scratching his neck nervously. His costume looked like a typical karate uniform, and behind his back, Hitomi could see a large tail, almost bigger than his torso.

Her own tail wagged. "Yep! I'm Hitomi Sai-"

"I know." The blonde said, and immediately started floundering for the right words when Hitomi's ears drooped. "I mean— I already heard you introduce yourself to someone else yesterday. Your voice kinda carries."

"Oh…" Hitomi mumbled.

To avoid an awkward silence, the blonde cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Uh, my name's Mashirao Ojirou."

Hitomi smiled, happily shaking his hand.

Once the teams were set, All Might reached into two more boxes, one with 'Heroes' scrawled across, and the other with 'Villians'.

"Team 'A' will be the Heroes, and Team 'D' will be the Villains." All Might announced, holding up the two balls.

Hitomi looked to her right, over to Midoriya and Bakugou. Fate did not seem to be on good terms with the green haired teen, as he practically trembled at the fact he would be going up against the angry blonde.

"Everyone else, head toward the monitor room."

"Yes, sir!"

Five large monitors greeted them as the class, minus the two teams, walked into the observation room, each screen showing off a different room or angle in the prop building.

"Now, let's start the indoor combat training with Team A and Team D!" All Might turned away from the monitors, securing a small listening device in his ear, so he could keep track of what the teams were saying to one another. "Pay attention, you should think about what you would do."

Next to her, Hitomi saw Momo create a small notepad and pencil. It brought a smile to the pinkette's face, despite the stressful situation.

At first it seemed rather laid back, with Uraraka and Midoriya slowly slinking through the halls in search of the bomb. But everything quickly changed gear when Bakugou jumped out from around a corner, blasting the Hero team ruthlessly. Even managing to blow off the left half of Midoriya's mask as the green haired teen tackled and shielded his teammate.

"He almost got the jump on him!" Ashido said, unclear if it was in praise or disapproval.

"What kinda man pulls cheap crap like that?!" Kirishima said in outrage. "A surprise attack isn't manly at all!"

"But isn't it like a Villain?" Hitomi pointed out, eyes locked on the monitors. "They aren't fussed with what is considered cheating or unfair, right?" She quickly looked to All Might, worried she was incorrect in his eyes.

All Might nodded in agreement. "That's right. He's playing the part."

"It didn't work! Midoriya dodged him!" Ashido cheered.

"Look, there he goes!" Kaminari pointed up to where Bakugou could be seen, charging at Midoriya.

To the surprise of the room, when Bakugou reached him, Midoriya reached under his left arm, grabbing onto him, and using the blonde's own momentum to throw him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. Bakugou clearly hadn't expected that of Midoriya, as did the rest of the class. Even All Might made a sound of shock when it happened.

"Hey, who is Bakugou talking to? I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?" Kirishima asked.

All Might gestured to his ear. "He's got a radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner. I gave it to him before the match started. Along with a map of the building." He reached into a pocket that Hitomi didn't realize he had in his costume. "Also this. A roll of capture tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."

Ashido pointed up at the large clock by the other monitors. "So there's a fifteen minute time limit. And the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?"

"Correct!"

"Then the Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here! A big one!"

"Real Heroes have to outwit Villains on a daily basis. That's life. Even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!"

The class seemed appeased by that, smiling and cheering at what their famous teacher had to say.

All Might threw a fist in the air. "All together! Let's hear a—"

"Plus Ultra!"

"Monsieur. He's on the move." The blonde in the sparkling cape said, bringing everyone's attention back to the monitors. Just in time to see Midoriya dodge another attack.

"Little guy's really good!"

"He's holding his own and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!"

"I think…" Hitomi mumbled, then spoke louder. "It's partially because the other guy— Bakugou, is, well…"

"Reckless? Ribbit."

"Careless?"

"I was gonna say," Hitomi winced as Bakugou blew apart a wall. "Feral."

Through the smoke, Midoriya ran away, vanishing in the maze of hallways, As Bakugou gave chase.

"He retreated. Smart." Momo crossed her arms thoughtfully.

They could see Bakugou's mouth moving, as he undoubtedly was snarling something vicious at Midoriya.

"That guy has some real anger issues. Kinda scary…" Kaminari chuckled awkwardly.

"At the rate he's going, there won't be a building left to train in for the rest of us." Jirou sighed, faintly annoyed.

At the six minute mark, Bakugou finally found Midoriya, right after Iida spotted Uraraka in the weapon room. He pulled some piece of his right gauntlet, revealing a pin, similar to that of a grenade's.

All Might, hearing what it was the blonde was planning to do, picked up the mic. "Young Bakugou! Don't do it, you'll kill him!"

"What?!" Half the class shouted in alarm, while the other half watched in silent shock.

Bakugou pulled the pin, a raging fireball shooting out from his gauntlet, aimed straight for Midoriya, who it seemed to hit, right before blowing a hole in the wall behind the green haired teen.

"This is nuts!" Kirishima gawked.

"Come in Midoriya! Come in! Young Midoriya!" All Might shouted worriedly into the mic, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"That was insane! Is he okay?!" The boy with tape dispensers in his elbows gaped.

"Sir, isn't this getting out of hand?" Kirishima questioned. "That Bakugou is getting real crazy. He's gonna kill him!"

"I—" Hitomi's ears went back as several pairs of eyes turned on her. "I don't think he will."

"What?! Did you see what he just did?!" Kaminari gestured wildly to the monitors.

"Yes." Hitomi nodded, looking up and watching the blonde march intimidatingly over to Midoriya. "But, this is UA. And who would possibly get themselves expelled so soon. It's only our second day, and while he definitely seems, well, feral, I don't think he's intending to actually kill Midoriya."

Everyone looked back over to All Might, who remained silent for a beat. Finally he picked back up the microphone.

"Bakugou! Use that stored up power again and I'll stop this fight. Your team will lose. To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy, whether you're a Hero, or a Villain. The penalty will be a massive loss of points."

Bakugou clearly hated the rule, but still lowered his arm. Instead he charged at Midoriya, going for hand-to-hand. At first it seemed like Midoriya would turn this attack back around on him, like the previous ones. But Bakugou switched gears, launching himself over Midoriya with a well aimed blast, turning in the air and shooting Midoriya in the back.

"Whoa! What was that move?!"

"He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy. But he's actually quite intelligent." Todoroki remarked from the back of the class, speaking up for the first time.

Hitomi stared at him in wonder, surprised to hear how soft and nearly velvety his voice sounded.

"What are you talking about?" Kirishima asked.

"He changed his trajectory while in midair using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen. Very clever."

"A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision. He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk." Momo explained, easily wording it in a way to show off her own intelligence, while also keeping it simple enough to understand.

"Ugh, Bakugou is uber talented. I hate it." Kaminari complained, sticking his tongue out.

In a flurry of attacks, Bakugou gave Midoriya barely any time to breathe, let alone fight back. Finishing it off by throwing him into the ground like what had been done to him shortly before.

"This is too hard to watch. All he has to do is wrap tape around him, not kill him!" Ashido covered her eyes.

"Bakugou certainly is acting like a Villain." Tokoyami, as Hitomi remembered his name to be, shook his head in shame at his classmate.

"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing at the start of the fight. But he's completely outmatched in terms of combat power. Not to mention, Bakugou seems like a natural at all this stuff." Kaminari lamented.

"You're forgetting." Hitomi looked back at everyone, arms crossed. "Midoriya still hasn't used his Quirk."

"He's running away!"

"Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice. He's outgunned, unless he's got some kind of plan. It's possible…"

Cornered, Midoriya shouted something at Bakugou, right before they ran at each other. Midoriya's right arm glowed, as he powered it up, and Bakugou's gauntlets sparked with crackling explosions.

"They're gonna kill each other! Sir!"

All Might seemed pained, as he raised the mic to his mouth. "Both of you, stop—"

Midoriya yelled something, which made All Might fall silent. Instead of hitting Bakugou, Midoriya aimed upwards at the ceiling. With the crater it made in the floors above, Uraraka used the debris as projectiles to hit at Iida with a stone pillar she made weightless. And as Iida ducked for cover, she leapt over him, landing on the bomb, officially winning the match in favor of the Heroes.

Right as the time ran out.

"You did it." All Might whispered, seemingly more aimed to one specific person. "The Hero team wins!"

Kirishima blinked. "That was…"

"Feral." Kaminari nudged Hitomi, winking.

The pinkette nodded, staring at the monitor with Bakugou and Midoriya. "Yeah…"

The face the blonde was making, shocked and almost broken, made something stir in her. A strong curiosity started forming inside her about the explosive boy, who until now had seemed so unshakably hostile.

Maybe one day, she would look back on this day, and mark it as the first time she considered there might be more to Katsuki Bakugou than just a feral bully.

Chapter 5: Of frisbees and rivals

Chapter Text

"Commence the indoor combat training! Team I, Team B your time starts now!"

"This is gonna be great!"

Ojirou didn't share her sentiment, instead choosing to watch the door in muted dread.

Hitomi bounced excitedly, until she realized that probably wasn't something a Villain would be seen doing in the middle of a high stakes job. So settling her expression into an evil smirk (or what she assumed one to be) she crossed her arms, throwing her head back and giving a maniacal laugh.

"Those Heroes won't know what hit them!" She deepened her voice, baring her canines. "Just wait 'til we get through with—"

"Shouldn't we be making a plan?" Ojirou sighed, staring at her as if she was insane. "We're up against Todoroki, he's one of the students in on recommendation."

Hitomi dropped her arms, losing the faux mask of Villainy. "So? I am too. What do you think we should—"

Her eyes widened, ears shooting back as the fur on her tail stood on end. Abandoning the floor, Hitomi launched herself into the air, bending her legs and keeping them close to her chest as, in a flash, the room was enveloped in ice. The ceiling, the walls, and most importantly, the floor.

Ojirou made a startled sound, as he experimentally tried moving his legs, but was disheartened to see his bare feet stuck in the ice.

"Why didn't you jump out of the way?" Hitomi asked, calmly clinging to the weapon as a safe ground.

"I didn't know it was coming!" The tailed student snapped, a vein popping from his forehead.

Hitomi blinked. "Oh."

Ojirou scowled at the crystalline ice caging in his feet. "This Quirk is insane!"

Hitomi hopped down, nearly slipping, and ran over to her teammate. She looked up to the doorway, however, when she heard ice crunching underneath someone's feet.

"Pry yourself up if you want. But it might be hard to fight me with no skin on the bottom of your feet." His voice was mellow and cool, but the look in his visible eye was downright predatory.

Hitomi frowned, moving to stand in front of Ojirou. "That doesn't look very practical, you know."

A puff of air left Todoroki's mouth, made visible by the chill in the building. He seemed unbothered by the surely hindering costume, which consisted of his left side being completely covered in ice.

"Step aside." He ordered calmly, walking toward them.

"No way!" Hitomi barked, crouching down with her fingertips grazing the icy floor. In a flash she was charging at her classmate, covered in orange and white fur, standing at seven and a half feet.

There was an exceptionally large downside to her Quirk, one that hadn't come up yet. But when Todoroki made a thin frisbee out of ice, flicking it out the window, her weakness was made known.

"Saito!" Ojirou chastised, staring at her in disbelief.

While using her Quirk, her common sense was thrown out, similarly to the frisbee she was now chasing. The ice cracked beneath her paws, as she dashed to the window, whining when she could only fit her head through.

"The Hero team wins!"

Like a bucket of freezing water dousing her, Hitomi jerked in surprise, regaining some of her dulled mind. Shrinking back down, she whirled around, mouth hanging open in shock and anger.

Todoroki stood by the bomb, hand held against it. His cool grey eye stared back at her, unfazed. The ice began melting, steam raising in the air.

"Huh? Heat too?" Ojirou gawked.

"That was a dirty trick." Hitomi pouted, crossing her arms. "How'd you even know it would work!?"

Todoroki only offered her a passing glance as he calmly strided to the door. "A hunch. It's not your fault, we're just playing on different levels."

Her ears and tail fluffed up in offense. Ojirou quickly intercepted her from going after the two toned boy.

"Come on, we already lost. It's best we don't get ourselves detention on top of that." Her teammate eased her, gently patting her back.

"I wasn't gonna fight him or anything." Hitomi mumbled, cheeks puffed out petulantly.

"Sure." Ojirou sighed wearily, trudging out of the now damp and humid room.

His pink haired classmate followed close behind, still pouting over the quick defeat.

After them went Sero and Kirishima vs Tokoyami and Asui. Then finally Momo went, with the small grape head guy, against Jirou and Kaminari. Hitomi paid no mind to any strategy used in her friend's fight, simply cheering and booing whenever Momo would do something cool or was challenged. It wasn't until she came back out and asked Hitomi what she thought, that the pinkette realized she hadn't come up with a single constructive thing to say, other than an energetic "that was awesome!"

"That's a wrap! Super work, you really stepped up to the plate. And we didn't have any major injuries, except for Midoriya. You should be proud. Excellent first day of training, all around!" All Might congratulated them all after the final match was completed.

"I lost so quickly." Hitomi whined, slumping dramatically against Momo. "It was over before I could do anything cool."

"You'll get another chance soon enough." Momo gently pushed her upright.

Hitomi perked up, tail swinging. "Yeah?"

Even despite being used to Hitomi and her occasionally slow attention span, Momo still couldn't help the urge to give her an unimpressed stare. "Hitomi, it's only our second day. You will have more than enough time to prove yourself."

Tail wagging at a fast pace, Hitomi pumped a fist with a determined grin. "You're right!"

The ravenette sighed through her nose, too spent to humor her friend's energy. Sometimes it felt like Hitomi was doing her best impersonation of an upbeat shoujo manga character. And it was occasionally, frankly, exhausting.

Asui raised a gloved hand. "It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our home room class. Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill."

All Might took the praise well, throwing his arms up excitedly. "I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my Alma Mater! That's all for now folks, I should go and check on Young Midoriya's progress. Now, watch how a Pro exits! Like he's got somewhere to be!" Turning on his heel, he charged away, leaving behind a cloud of dust and chunks of debris in his wake.

The class gaped at the display of speed, no trace of him being left behind once the dust floating in the air settled.

"Okay you guys, that is a Hero!" Kaminari gushed.

Ojirou sighed. "Aw, I'll never be able to run that fast."

"So awesome!"

Hitomi smirked, knowing another Hero that was almost able to match All Might's speed. Someone she had had the honor of learning under back in middle school, all do to lucky connections.

Her smirk waned. Yes, Hitomi was very much aware of the privileges she had been gifted throughout her life. Even Momo didn't have quite the amount of help as she did. So any pride in her abilities she took, was dimmed by the acceptance that she would never be where she was now if her parents weren't who they were.

"Can't wait to tell Hana all about today!"

Sitting at her desk in the front, Hitomi idly spun a pencil in her hand, her other fidgeting with the ends of her long hair. She was relieved to be back in her normal UA uniform, still feeling the effects of wearing such a skintight suit even after finally getting it off.

Momo raised a brow at Hitomi's inability to sit still. "Have you been remembering to take your medication recently?"

The pencil fell onto her desk, fumbled from her hand. "Uh…"

She was saved by the door to class being opened. A distinctly green haired figure stepping through.

"Hey, it's Midoriya!" Kirishima said with a grin, running over along with a few others to welcome their classmate back. "Good to see you back, Super! Ha, man I don't know what you were saying during that match, but you were all fired up, huh?"

"I can't believe you held your own against Bakugou. He's super strong!" Sero said.

"You did a great job dodging!" Ashido pumped her arms.

"You guys really turned it up in the first match. So none of us held back in our rounds either!" The biggest one in their class, Sato, tacked on gladly.

"You were far from elegant, but I suppose—" The blonde with the belly laser started to speak, but Ashido bounced in front of him, too wound up to notice.

"And the dodging was like whoa!"

Midoriya looked from each of them frantically, face flushing from the attention. He seemed like he wasn't used to being gushed over, which didn't make much sense considering how incredible his Quirk was.

Kirishima pointed a thumb to his face with a wide grin. "Hey, I'm Eijirou Kirishima. We've been goin' over training results while you were in recovery."

"Hi, I'm Hanta Sero."

"More importantly, I'm Yug—"

"I'm Mina Ashido! And I just gotta say, your dodging was awesome!" Ashido spoke over the flashy blonde again.

Asui peeked over the pink girl, having been behind but unseen due to her size. "Tsuyu Asui, but please call me Tsu."

"Hey, Sato." Sato was brief and to the point.

Midoriya waved his uninjured hand awkwardly. "Um, hey, guys."

"And my name's Mineta!" The grape-head jumped up into the air in order to be seen.

"Where the heck did you pop out of?" Kirishima stared at the small student.

"UA's shiniest star here—"

This time he was interrupted by an eager Hitomi.

"Hey! How you feeling? All healed up?" She leaned in between Kirishima and Sero, smiling cluelessly as Midoriya inched back away from her uncomfortably close position.

"Uh, kinda." He awkwardly tried and failed to wave his right arm, which was braced to his front in a sling.

"Tokoyami! Stop using that desk as a chair! Get off of it this instant!" Iida irately ordered, arms moving stiffly to accentuate his point.

"Dude, you need to chill." Jirou casually commented, making Iida twitch.

"You're carrying a lot of tension." Ojirou calmly pointed out.

Iida sagged. "No one understands… I cannot condone actions that disrespect these desks. Not when brave men and women, our upperclassmen, once used them!"

The passion in his voice made Hitomi feel for him, and with her own sentimentality for her mother's old desk (in spirit), she chose to give the blue haired teen a hand, parting from Midoriya, much to the boy's relief.

"Yeah! What he said!" Hitomi bounced over, pumping a fist in the air. "We're soon-to-be Heroes, not delinquents!"

Iida looked as if he could cry, smiling wobbly at the show of support.

"Exactly! Thank you Saito!"

"Do you ever calm down?" Ojirou asked.

Hitomi cocked her head. "What do you mean? I am calm."

The sound that came from Ojirou's throat was akin to wet choking.

"So, anyway, wanna grab a bite sometime?" Kaminari asked Uraraka as he and she returned to the classroom carrying stacks of books. "What kinda stuff do you like?"

"Anything sweet— Hey, Deku!" She noticed Midoriya standing by the door near the front of the classroom. She ran over, scanning his body with a concerned frown. "Why didn't she heal all your injuries?"

"Oh, uh… well it has to do with how much stamina I'm using."

"Stamina?"

Midoriya glanced around the room, noticing the empty desk behind Hitomi's. "Um, Uraraka. Where's Kachan?"

Uraraka scratched the back of her head, eyes falling to the floor. "We tried to stop him from leaving, but he wouldn't listen."

Hitomi stood to the side, listening with one ear aimed in their direction. She had missed the aforementioned interaction, as she had been the last to struggle out of her costume. The humidity Todoroki had made when using his Quirk made her skin damp and sticky, making the tight rubbery suit nearly impossible to get out of. By the time she returned and plopped down at her desk, Bakugou was already gone.

"You just missed him." Uraraka finished, and not a moment later, Midoriya was racing back out the door.

"Why's he going after that hothead?" Kaminari asked, not the only one to wonder why Midoriya seemed so concerned about the guy who could've killed him just earlier.

"I don't know, but that guy looked seriously torn up after he lost. Maybe Midoriya feels bad?" Sero suggested, crossing his arms behind his head.

"So not manly." Kirishima shook his head.

"Do you think he'll catch up to him?" Asui asked, index finger raised to the corner of her mouth.

"Let's go spy on 'em and see!" Ashido jumped up, running out the door much like Midoriya had.

Already knowing what was about to happen, Momo tried to grab Hitomi's sleeve, but the pinkette was quicker and slipped by, chasing after Ashido while cheering in agreement. Uraraka followed out of concern for her new friend, and Asui did as well, if only to know whether or not Midoriya was able to make it in time.

"There they are!" Ashido spotted them through one of UA's insanely huge windows, stopping to watch as Bakugou seemed to be yelling at Midoriya, big surprise.

"Ah, Saito, can you listen in from here?" Uraraka asked, staring as Bakugou threw his whole body into whatever he was saying.

Hitomi shook her head. "No, even I can't hear that well."

The four girls all flinched in surprise when a gust of wind trailed behind All Might, who suddenly appeared just in time to grab Bakugou and keep him from exiting the archway at the front of the campus.

"Whoa, what's All Might doing?"

"Giving a pep talk maybe?"

"Doubt it'll work." Hitomi commented, not with the hostile body language coming off of the blonde student.

Sure enough, Bakugou shrugged him off and stomped away, leaving All Might and Midoriya to stand there.

"Huh, I wonder what that was all about." Ashido mused.

"The fated battle between rivals." Uraraka stated, like it was common knowledge.

"Whatever Midoriya was saying, it looked like Bakugou really wanted to punch him."

Uraraka pressed her forehead against the glass, fists clenched. "Childhood friends turned enemies!"

All Might turned to Midoriya, saying something that made the teen flail and talk animatedly with his free hand.

Hitomi watched the interaction, fuchsia eyes pinned on them, unblinking.

"Hito home!"

Stepping into the living-room Hitomi threw her backpack onto the couch and raised her arms, echoing Hana's cheer.

Nori sat on the floor, the toddler sitting across from him at a miniature table, lined with pink plastic tea cups. He offered Hitomi a grunt in greeting, scooping Hana another imaginary helping of sugar to sweeten her "tea". His dreadlocks were pulled back with a pastel pink scrunchy, and his face was covered in stickers. It was obvious Hana had pretty-fied him, not an uncommon occurrence.

"Guess what!" Hitomi flopped down on the floor beside Hana, looking to her brother while laying on her stomach and kicking her legs.

Nori rolled his eyes, knowing she wouldn't continue until he participated. "What?"

"We trained with All Might today!" She sat up, tail wagging. When Hana clumsily handed her a plastic cup she took it gracefully. "It was so cool! Even though I got beat pretty fast."

"Yeah, who whooped your ass?" Nori absently asked as he pretended to take a sip of tea.

"Oh yeah, you'll never believe it. It was Shouto Todoroki!"

A wet raspberry sounded behind the lip of the cup, and the three sat in silence for a beat.

"...Nori, did you just do an imaginary spit-take?"

"I'm a method actor, shut up."

Chapter 6: Pack alpha

Notes:

Any of you guys read/watch The Promised Neverland? If so, would you be interested in reading a SI-OC fic I've been toying around with? The OC is an adult, unlike the few TPN fics I've come across, and it would follow the manga exclusively, because the anime original path they're going with season two is definitely not what I had hoped for. (Personally. I totally get why a lot of the manga readers are intrigued with the changes.)

Chapter Text

"How's your mouth?" Momo hesitantly broached, wincing at the dejected frown on her best friend's face.

"Feels weird." Her voice lisped in an odd way, and her teeth noticeably stayed stuck together in an irritated clench.

"Well, you know what the dentist said. They should be all aligned right by the end of our third year."

"Yeah…"

Momo sighed, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and picking up Hitomi's brightly colored backpack to hold out to her. "Are you going to be okay? I mean, so long as the braces are in, you can't…"

"I know." Hitomi huffed, running her tongue over the newly placed metal brackets lining her teeth. Her damn canines were too large for her mouth, pressing her teeth against each other so tightly her dentist told her it would cause some serious problems if they didn't put in braces now. Them combined with her reading glasses made her look like the resident nerd stereotype of Somei.

The worst part about it all, however, was that while she was like this, she was completely unable to use her Quirk, or risk seriously hurting her mouth.

Momo gave her a commiserating pat on the back, pursing her lips in a mirthless smile. "You'll be okay. You always bounce back."

Hitomi stood, debating the merit of that before following the taller girl out of the house. Sometimes that felt like all she ever did. Try to bounce back.

"Oh," Hitomi froze, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. "Well, shoot."

Clustered at the front gate of UA was a hoard of reporters, all clambering over each other to badger every passing student trying to get inside.

Of all the days not to walk with Momo.

The pinkette squared her shoulders with a frown, removing her backpack and shirking off her grey blazer, throwing it over her head, covering most of the brightly colored hair, and more importantly her large pointed ears. With a grounding breath, she marched onward, coming up to the mass of people blocking the way.

"'Scuse me, sorry." She murmured, squeezing through the gaps between bodies. She kept her head low, eyes on the ground, hoping no one would recognize her. Typically children of less famous Heroes weren't swarmed too badly, but that tended to change if said Heroes were dead. Hitomi and Nori stilloften had to duck away whenever caught in the crosshairs of the media.

Suddenly she was halted, bumping into something solid. Her nose was unexpectedly filled with the pleasant smell of burnt caramel, as it was buried in familiar grey fabric.

The body she stumbled into tensed, and Hitomi spotted the crackles sparking before he even turned to her. When he did, she was wholly unsurprised to see that same sneer she received the first time she collided with him.

Bakugou glared, hand raised and setting off sporadically. "You—"

Hitomi beamed. "Good morning!"

His eyes sharpened, blazing with anger she had no trouble shrugging off. Her unfazed smile must have only fueled his ire, and she noticed a stronger spike of that sugary smell.

She hadn't expected Bakugou to have such a nice scent, not naturally at least. It really didn't fit him, the sweetness. But it was nice nonetheless.

"Excuse me, kid!"

Hitomi flinched, ignoring the consequences and diving behind the still agitated Bakugou for cover. Before the blonde could demand the pinkette to back off, or yell at her in general, the female reporter who had called out to him was now in front of them.

The woman had an orange band around her left bicep, the initials HNA in bold across it. She held a microphone to her mouth, and a camera man stood resolutely by her side. "Are you in All Might's class— oh, hold on, aren't you that sludge Villain kid?"

Bakugou stiffened, turning and continuing on through the gate like he had before Hitomi stopped him. "Walk away."

The reporter seemed sufficiently affected by the venom in Bakugou's voice, backing off and rounding on the only other student in the crowd.

Hitomi, once again acting without thinking, whirled around and grabbed the back of the retreating blonde's blazer, keeping hold of it to escape the woman and her cameraman. He stomped forward, ignoring the girl latched onto him all the way to the entrance of the building, at that point he finally stopped and turned his head to snarl at her.

"Get. Off. Mutt."

Hitomi blinked, releasing her hold and taking a step back with her hands raised in surrender. "Sorry. I just didn't want them to stop me and notice who I was."

Bakugou's face remained unchanged, a scoff leaving his mouth.

After a few seconds she remembered her appearance, and sheepishly removed the fabric from her head, pulling it back down and sliding her arms through. By the time she looked back up, Bakugou had already put a fair distance between them, his hunched shoulders stiff, with his hands shoved angrily in the pockets of his drooping pants.

"Ah, wait up!"

"Izuku Midoriya. Shouto Todoroki. Ochako Uraraka. Mina Ashido. Bakugou… what was his first name?"

Momo sighed, sitting at her desk and redoing her ponytail. "I think it was Katsuki."

Hitomi nodded, legs kicking idly as she sat sideways in the seat in front of Momo's. "Right. Then there's Kyoka Jirou. Mashirao Ojirou. Uh, Eijirou Kirishima. Tsuyu Asui. Hanta Sero. Sato, didn't get his first name. Um—"

"What are you doing?" Kaminari leaned over from where he stood talking casually with Sero.

Ah, right, Denki Kaminari.

"She's trying to memorize everyone's names so she doesn't ever accidentally say one wrong or forget." Momo dropped her hands, her spiked black hair back in a pristine ponytail high on her head.

Hitomi nodded with a hum. "Yep! The sooner I memorize them all, the sooner we can all get better acquainted!" She chirped with a sharp toothed grin.

Sero shielded his eyes as if blinded. "So bright…!"

"Oh, so you want to get better acquainted then?" Kaminari raised a sly brow.

Hitomi nodded again, smile never wavering. "That's right. I hope we come to be great friends, Kaminari."

The blonde paused, wrong footed by the oblivious response he received. "Ah, yeah."

The pinkette hopped up, sidestepping him to return to her own desk. She may not have been the most honest with him about the name thing. Aunt Nemuri taught her that everyone likes hearing their own name, so if you happened to use it in conversation as often as you can without arousing suspicion, then it was a good way of garnering trust and friendship that much sooner.

Bakugou pointedly ignored her return, glaring out the window to their left, chin resting on his hand.

The door at the front of the classroom opened, and Aizawa stepped through, still looking tired and disheveled as he did every time they saw him.

"Alright, let's get this underway so I can rest." He sighed, stopping behind his desk and glancing over a few papers. To the class's great relief, he started out positive. "Decent work on yesterday's combat training, you guys. I saw the video feeds and went over each of your team's results." But it didn't last long, his eyes falling on a certain hothead first. "Bakugou. You're talented. So don't sulk like a child about your loss, okay?"

Hitomi's eyes widened, and she risked a glance back at him over her shoulder. To her immense shock, he only scowled tightly, looking away.

"Yeah, whatever."

Well that was unexpected. Maybe he could handle things better than they all originally assumed.

Aizawa looked to the desk behind Bakugou. "Midoriya. I see the only way you won the match was by messing up your arm again. Work harder. And don't give me the excuse that you don't have control over your Quirk. That line's already getting old. You can't keep breaking your body while training here. But your Quirk will be really useful if you can get a handle on it. So show a little urgency, huh?"

Midoriya, while taking the reprimands all in stride, even seemed emboldened by it, nodding once with a firm, "Right!"

"And Saito."

Hitomi winced, biting down on her bottom lip. She felt small under her teacher's heavy gaze, and prepared herself for a strict verbal lashing.

"You need to learn how to communicate. Your reaction time is impressive, but it won't do you any good if you abandon your teammates and assume they don't need your help. Not everyone can read what you're thinking, so work on how to share your ideas and concerns with others, got it?"

"Yes, sir." Hitomi nodded with a nervous half-smile.

Aizawa seemed satisfied, turning back to the papers. "Let's get down to business. Our first task will decide your future."

Hitomi sat straighter. Is it another Quirk test?

"You all need to pick a class representative."

Oh good, just normal school stuff.

Kirishima threw a clenched fist in the air. "Pick me guys! I wanna be class rep!"

Kaminari raised a relaxed hand. "I'll take it!"

"Yeah, you're gonna need me." Jirou threw in.

"Someone with style would be best—" Aoyama, Hitomi remembered his name to be, was again interrupted by Ashido.

"I'm, like, totally the right pick!"

Mineta leapt out of his seat. "My manifesto is for all the girls' skirts to end thirty centimeters above the knee!"

Hitomi's ear twitched, her smile going thin and tight. What?

"Hey, pick me damnit! I'm your only choice!" Bakugou raged behind her.

"Silence, everyone, please!"

Everyone turned to look back at Iida, the room quieting down.

Iida stood by his desk, arms moving stiffly to accentuate his point. "The class representative's duty is to lead others. That's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader!"

With sparkling eyes, Hitomi stared in awe at Iida. He managed to get everyone to calm down and listen to the very sensible points he made, all in the name of making sure the class received the best person for the job.

Like a pack alpha…

The pinkette looked back over her shoulder, raising a silent brow at her best friend.

Momo caught the glance, gleaning the message clearly from it. With an inaudible sigh, she nodded her reassurance.

Hitomi knew who she was voting for, and Momo was fine that it wasn't her.

"Is this really the best idea?" Kaminari asked.

"We've only known each other a few days." Asui put a finger to the corner of her mouth. "How do we know who we can trust?"

"Besides, everyone'll just vote for themselves." Kirishima added on.

"Most people will. But that means whoever does receive multiple votes must truly be the most suitable person for the job." Iida turned to their teacher, who was zipping himself up in that yellow sleeping bag he came out of their first day. "It's the best way, right sir?"

"Do what you want, just decide before my nap's over." He flopped down onto the floor.

"Thank you for your trust!"

"So, how do we do this?" Uraraka questioned, glancing around the room to see if anyone had any ideas.

"We could put our votes in, like, a hat or something. Kind of like a lottery draw, but counting them up!" Ashido eagerly suggested.

"Does anyone even have a hat in here?" Sero raised a thin brow.

"Ah, Mo!" Hitomi perked up, shooting up and turning in her seat, leaning over the back. "Can you make something?"

Momo blinked, cheeks flushing as everyone seemed to stare at her now all at once. With a faint murmur of confirmation, she reached under the bottom of her white button-up shirt. A light glow emitted from underneath, and after a few seconds she pulled out a plain ceramic bowl.

"Will this do?"

"Yes, thank you Yaoyorozu!" Iida took the bowl and set it down on Aizawa's desk. "Alright everyone, write down your vote and place it in the bowl. Don't try to write more than one, this needs to be honest and fair!"

Hitomi happily scribbled down her answer, using a pink glitter gel pen to do so. If she wasn't allowed to use it for homework, she was going to use it for everything else.

One by one each student stood and dropped in their ballot, monitored by Iida who stood by it, having already cast his vote.

In the end each of their names was written down on the chalkboard, with their number of votes next to them. Most had a single one to their name, some were clear that they had voted for themselves, but two at the top. Midoriya had three, and Momo had two.

Hitomi rested her chin on her hands with a soft hum. She was unbothered that she didn't receive a vote, but was a little down that no one else seemed to have been impressed by Iida's vigor and sense of justice, as he only had the single vote she gave him. It only went to show she was right, as he prioritized the class by not simply voting for himself.

"How did I get three votes?!" Midoriya sputtered, the most shocked out of everyone that he had won.

Bakugou slammed his hands on his desk, standing and scowling. "Okay you idiots, who voted for him?!"

"What, did you honestly think anyone was gonna vote for you?" Sero said snidely, unfazed when Bakugou's blazing glare turned on him.

"What did you just say?! You wanna go? Don't tell me you voted for that weak nerd!"

"One vote…" Iida stared at the chalkboard, seeming unable to decide between being upset that he lost, or being honored that someone had chosen to vote for him in the end.

Midoriya and Momo walked to the front of the class, the former shaking noticeably while the latter remained poised as always.

Aizawa sat up from his spot on the floor. "Alright, the class rep is Midoriya, and our deputy is Yaoyorozu."

Hitomi pumped a fist in the air. "Yeah! Deputy Momo!"

"Hitomi, please…" The ravenette ducked her head to hide her warming cheeks.

Midoriya still looked to be in shock. "Really? Uh, it's not a mistake?"

"How did this happen?" Momo sighed, hands clasped primly at her front.

"This might not be so bad." Asui said optimistically.

"Yeah, I can get behind Midoriya, I guess." Kirishima agreed.

"Yaoyorozu was totally on top of it when it came to our training results."

Just when the redness was leaving her face, Momo heard Kaminari and flushed again.

"Way to go Mo!"

Their teacher disappeared back under his desk. "Sit down Saito."

"Yes sir!"

"De-pu-ty! De-pu-ty! De—"

"Hitomi please."

"Sorry." Hitomi fell silent, sitting across from her friend in the cafeteria. "I'm just excited for you. This is so cool!"

Momo sighed, poking around at her food. "If you thought so, why not vote for yourself?"

Hitomi paused, looking down at the large bento Nori had made her, full of hearty nutrients and vitamins. Perfect to fuel her Quirk.

She'd make sure to thank him again later. As much as he pretended otherwise, he really did hope to see her excel in UA.

"Well, I wouldn't be a good pick for it. So I chose someone who I thought would be."

Momo nodded. "Iida."

"Yep." She took a heaping bite of rice and vegetables. "He got everyone to listen to him. Plus he smells trustworthy." She mumbled through the food.

Momo had long since grown used to Hitomi casually mentioning people's scents and what they said about their character. The pinkette had once said that Momo herself smelled like intelligence and compassion.

The raven haired girl wondered if smell even had anything to do with it, and if it was actually just Hitomi's instincts telling her people's true intentions.

"So, have you spoken to anyone in the class?" She tried to sound nonchalant in her tone.

Hitomi hummed questioningly and cocked her head, her mouth too full to open and ask for an elaboration, or risk spilling and making an embarrassing mess.

Momo frowned, gently stabbing her lunch with her chopsticks. "Well, I was just wondering if you had gotten around to really talking with anyone. And if… you had happened to mention anything."

Hitomi swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry. "You mean… mention that thing?"

Momo nodded once with a sigh. "Yes. I… I think Midoriya might already suspect something."

"I know."

Momo's head shot up. "What?"

Hitomi smiled, though it was rueful. "Every time we run into each other he gets this starstruck look on his face. I think my name and Quirk were enough to clue him in."

Momo reached a hand out. "Hito—"

An alarm bell rang shrilly through the cafeteria, causing Hitomi to wince and cover her ears.

"Warning. Level three security breach. All students please evacuate the building. In an orderly fashion."

"Mo?" Hitomi squeaked, tail tucking.

"Let's go!" Momo stood, taking Hitomi's hand and pulling her along towards the exit.

Of course, they weren't the only ones. The exit soon clogged with panicked students from every year and department, all pressed up against each other to try to squeeze through. The hall outside didn't fare any better. In fact, it was even worse, everyone packed like sardines, tight enough no one could even make much headway.

The deafening cacophony of so many raised voices drilled painfully in Hitomi's head, her hands instinctively raising to cover her ears. Which was a mistake, as Momo was pushed along and lost in the sea of students, leaving Hitomi to stand curled in on herself, eyes shut tight, teeth grinding. The mass of warring smells didn't help, and turned her stomach with sudden nausea.

"Hitomi!"

The pinkette flinched, raising her head and looking toward her friend's call.

"Mo— Ah!" Hitomi yelped as a body bumped roughly into hers, knocking her back. She careened towards the floor, and tensed in preparation for the painful landing. But two strong hands caught her from behind, holding her biceps and hoisting her upright.

"Whoa, you okay?"

"Yea—"

Oh, wow.

Hitomi blinked, the noise and smells dulling as she stared at the person who saved her from a nasty spill.

He was… Wow.

Towering over her, the very well built male student holding her was imposing to say the least. His arms and chest were muscled, enough that Hitomi could see them pressed against his white button-up, his blazer missing. He bore a kind smile, one that filled her chest with a warm feeling, and his sky blue eyes looked her over to make sure she was alright. They were… an interesting shape. And his shining blonde hair was perfectly coiffed atop his head.

Why was it always blondes?

"I— um… Thank you." Hitomi stammered, cheeks flaming.

The blonde smiled wider, showing off his white teeth. "No problem. Any idea what's going on here?" He looked up, peeking over the heads of the crowd. She noticed the way he kept his smile in place, despite his eyes now holding a gleam of calculation.

"D-did you hear the alarm?"

"I did. But everyone panicking is making it an even worse problem than it already is." He gave her biceps a reassuring squeeze, and with a start she realized he had never let go. "Stay here, close to the wall, I'm gonna go try to—"

Something flew overhead, the gust blowing Hitomi's hair in her face. There was a harsh slam, followed by a stern voice calling out for everyone's attention. She brushed the pink locks away just in time to see him stabilize himself before his voice boomed over the crowd.

"Listen up! Everything is okay!" Iida declared to the mass of students, his body held in a strange position under the exit sign over the doorway everyone had been scrambling to get through. "It's just the media outside! There's absolutely nothing to worry about! Everything's fine! We're UA students, we need to remain calm and prove that we're the best of the best!"

Hitomi stared, mouth parted in surprise. Like magic, everyone fell silent and stopped, looking around at each other, checking on those who looked a little jarred from the mob. It was really quite impressive, for Iida to be able to get through to them so quick and concisely.

Just like an alpha.

"Do you know him?" The blonde asked when seeing the proud look on Hitomi's face.

"O-oh, yeah." She nodded, sheepishly putting some distance between them now that she could move freely. "We're in the same class, his name is Tenya Iida."

The blonde blinked, then dropped a fist in his open palm with a nod. "Iida, yeah I thought he looked familiar."

"Mirio."

The blonde and Hitomi both looked toward the low voice, finding a black haired boy awkwardly trying to squeeze through the crowd. Once he reached them, he looked the blonde, Mirio, over worriedly. "You okay? You disappeared."

Mirio nodded with a smile. "Yep, everything's fine. A first year handled the situation pretty well."

The black haired teen let out a small sigh of relief, but tensed when he noticed Hitomi staring at him.

"A-ah…" He turned, aiming his face toward the wall.

Mirio chuckled goodnaturedly, patting his friend on the back. Before leading him away from the cluttered hallway, he glanced back to Hitomi.

"Welp, see you later, firstie!"

"Yeah." Hitomi murmured, waving as the flush returned to her cheeks. "Huh." She looked down at her shoes, shaking her head at her own silly feelings. Crushes were the last thing she needed while trying to become a Hero. So, with herculean effort, she forced it all down, not letting herself relax until she felt her face cool.

"Hitomi!" Momo rushed to her, splitting from the crowd and looking her friend over like the dark haired boy had done for Mirio. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to let you go—"

Hitomi waved her off. "It was my fault, besides, I'm totally fine."

Momo sagged, releasing a breath she had been subconsciously holding in. "I'm glad. Come on, we should head back to the cafeteria."

Hitomi started to nod, when she remembered they had left their lunches behind. Including her bento full of food made with care by Nori.

"Oh shoot you're right! Let's go!"

Momo had no time to protest, being dragged away by the frantic pinkette.

"It's time, class rep, let's begin."

"Um, okay." Midoriya practically trembled behind the podium. Standing patiently next to him was Momo. "So, we need to figure out who the other class officers will be." He managed to get out without stuttering.

Hitomi was looking down at her desk, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she tried making a tower of balanced erasers and pencils. However, it toppled when she peered back up to the front of the class, her ears pinned straight ahead at what Midoriya said next.

"But first, there's something that I wanna say. I've thought a lot about this." He closed his eyes and shouted his next sentence. "And I think that Tenya Iida should be our class rep!"

The class all looked to Midoriya in shock and confusion, though no more so than Iida himself.

Midoriya relaxed slightly, standing taller and speaking softer. "He was able to capture everyone's attention and get us in line. So I believe that he should be the one leading our class from now on!"

Hitomi's lips slowly turned up into a tooth baring smile.

"Yeah, you know what? If Midoriya vouches for him, I'm good. Plus he was a big help. He totally manned up and took charge, right?" Kirishima looked to Kaminari next to him.

"Yup! Oh, and did you notice he looked like the dude on the emergency exit signs when he was on the wall earlier?" Kaminari snorted.

"This is a waste of time."

The class turned to their teacher, who was once again wrapped up in his yellow sleeping bag.

"I don't care who the rep is, just hurry up." He laid back down.

Iida's chair squeaked as it was pushed back, the teen standing ramrod straight. "If Midoriya is nominating me for this job," His right arm shot into the air. "Then I humbly accept! I pledge to carry out the duties of class rep to the best of my abilities!"

Kirishima gave him a thumbs up. "Sounds good, Emergency Exit!"

"Emergency Exit Iida! Don't let us down, man!"

"Yes! Emergency Exit Iida!" Hitomi cheered, throwing her arms up and rocking her chair back. Tipping her head over the edge of her chair, she beamed at the upside down snarl Bakugou gave her.

His eyes narrowed with a realization. "Tch, you were the idiot who voted for him." It wasn't posed as a question, but a statement.

Hitomi blinked, smile vanishing, replaced by a slightly astonished gape. She had no idea how Bakugou pieced it together, and her stunned reaction led to her forgetting her position. The chair tipped, and with a yelp Hitomi fell to the floor, banging her head on the edge of the blonde's desk.

Laying there, holding the crown of her head with low whines, she again considered there must be more to Bakugou than just an angry jerk. Whether or not that was a good thing, she had no clue.

"Saito, quit goofing around."

"Yes sir."

Chapter 7: The USJ

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Today's training will be a little different."

Hitomi bounced her right leg, anxiously chewing on the cap of one of her gel pens. She was itching to use her Quirk, not having had the chance yesterday, what with everything that had gone on.

"You'll have three instructors. Me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

Hope swelled in her chest, and she pleaded with the universe for the third instructor to be her Aunt Nemuri.

Sero raised a hand. "Sir, what kind of training is this?"

Aizawa pulled a card from his pocket, one that resembled the cards All Might used when they trained under him in the mock exercise. But this one read Rescue.

Hitomi barely contained an ecstatic cheer. Rescue. While not as flashy as other factions of Hero work, it was what Hitomi dreamed of doing. Rescue Heroes arguably save the most lives. And that was what she needed to do. She needed to make sure as many people could get back to their families as possible.

"Rescue. You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that."

With every word spoken, Hitomi's eyes shined brighter.

"Disasters, huh? Sounds like we're in for a big workout." Kaminari looked to his left, at Ashido.

"Totally!"

"Real Hero stuff. This is what seperates the men from the boys" Kirishima leaned forward in his seat. "I'm shakin' with excitement!"

"Finally. I'll get to show off how good I am in water, ribbit."

"Guys, I'm not finished yet." Aizawa droned.

The class fell silent.

"What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes." Aizawa held up a remote, pressing a button that caused their costume cases to slide out from the wall. "But keep in mind that you haven't gotten used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities. This special training's at an off-campus facility, so we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all, start getting ready." He walked out of the room.

They all got up from their desks, walking over and claiming their cases. Hitomi sat thoughtfully, considering her options. Unlike the rest of the class, her use of her Quirk kind of hinged on what she was wearing, unless she wanted to flash everyone. And she didn't think to pack any of her clothes from home that were made specially to stretch just in case. So her costume was really the only choice she was left with, despite her distaste for the revealing design.

With a sigh, she went to retrieve her case.

"You're practically vibrating Saito, are you nervous?"

Hitomi spun on her heel, wearing the entirety of her suit. She also wore her pair of gym shoes, deciding she could kick them off later when the situation called for her Quirk. She shot Uraraka a pleasant grin.

"Nope! Excited!" She made a fist and pumped it in the air. "Rescue's what I'm gonna be known for! So this lesson is perfect!"

Uraraka smiled back, face settling into her own look of determination. "Right! We'll have to do our best and make the most of this trip!"

"Yeah!"

A shrill whistle broke up any conversation. "Gather around Class 1-A!" Iida ordered, wearing his costume, sans helmet. "Using your student numbers, form two neat lines so we can load the bus efficiently." He blew the whistle several times more for emphasis.

In the end his planning was made null, as the bus lacked the traditional layout he had charted. Half was an open layout, while the back had a few rows of regular seating. Everyone piled in, followed by a dejected Iida.

"The bus's open layout ruined my boarding strategy." He lamented, head held in his hands in a regretful pose.

"Iida, you really need to chill." Ashido patted him commiseratingly on the back. She sat with him, Kaminari, and Aoyama on one of the long side rows of seats.

Across from them on the other, sat Sato, Midoriya, Asui, and Kirishima.

"If we're pointing out the obvious then there's something I wanna say." Asui turned to her right to look at Midoriya. "About you, actually."

"About me? What is it Asui?" He asked nervously, his cheeks already tinged with pink.

From where she sat in the back, saddled next to Sero and Shoji, Hitomi sat straighter and listened in.

"That power of yours. Isn't it a lot like All Might's?"

Hitomi frowned when the scent of panic spiked from Midoriya, especially as he started flailing as if trying to physically grasp the right thing to say.

"W-what? Really? You think so, huh?" His voice trembled, and he looked away. "I never really thought about that."

Hitomi's frown deepened. He was lying. She was sure of it. But why?

"Wait, hold on Tsu." Kirishima spoke up, talking over Midoriya's anxious mumbling. "You're forgetting All Might doesn't hurt himself. That makes a huge difference."

Midoriya was turned away, but when he sighed, Hitomi heard it.

Thoughtfully twirling her hair, she wondered why he was so desperate for no one to make such an innocent comparison. Maybe he just didn't want to have to feel like he had to live up to someone as incredible as All Might? What other option really was there? None that she could think of off the top of her head.

"Still, I bet it's cool to have a simple augmenting-type of Quirk. You can do lots of flashy stuff with it." Kirishima raised his left arm out for them all to see. "My hardening's super strong and can destroy bad guys in a fight, but it doesn't look all that impressive."

"Oh, no way. I think it's really awesome looking. You're definitely pro material with a Quirk like that." Midoriya kindly objected, staring at Kirishima's suddenly coarse and jagged arm.

Ignoring the way Iida squawked at her disregard for the fact they were in a moving vehicle, Hitomi stood with a wide grin. "Yeah! And I mean, there have been so many top pros with subtle Quirks like that too! Midnight, Sir Nighteye, Ragdoll, Rock Lock, Pa— uh, Golden Geist, even Mister Aizawa!"

"Saito return to your seat at once!"

Kirishima looked between her and Midoriya with a hesitantly hopeful expression. "You really think so? Seems like it'd be easier to be a popular Hero if I had something flashier. But I guess Saito's got a point."

The pinkette sat back down, silencing Iida's stern warnings. She had almost slipped up there, and sincerely hoped no one had noticed. But still, it had been nice to get to add her father to the names of top Heroes with pride in her voice instead of melancholy. When Momo turned in her seat, looking back at her in concern, Hitomi was able to give her a genuine smile for reassurance.

"Well, if any of our classmates have pro Quirks, it's Todoroki and Bakugou." Kirishima said, garnering a glower from the blonde.

Hitomi really couldn't understand why, after all, he was being paid a compliment. The other one mentioned was seemingly asleep, sitting alone behind Bakugou and Jirou.

"Sure, but Bakugou's always angry, so he'll never be that popular." Asui casually commented.

Bakugou surged to his feet, snarling at the girl. "What did you say?! I'll kick your ass!"

"You 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." Kaminari shrugged with ease, unbothered by Bakugou's fury now aimed at him.

"You're gonna regret the day you applied to this school, you loser! I'll kill you!"

"Well, maybe he's just aggressive like this to new people." Hitomi mused aloud, then gasped. "Oh my gosh, he's a Pomeranian!"

Sero was unsuccessful in his attempt to muffle his laughter.

Bakugou could've gotten whiplash with how fast he rounded on her now. "Shut your trap you damned Mutt! I'll—"

"Jeez, so many death threats! You gotta chill dude." Kaminari seemed determined to get Bakugou to blow up the bus without the use of his Quirk.

"Hey, hey, we're here. Stop messing around." Aizawa informed them by the door.

"Yes sir." The class all chimed in, along with Bakugou's petulant "Whatever."

The bus stopped right in front of a massive domed building, and once inside, they were all greeted by the plush looking Hero, Thirteen.

"Hello everyone, I've been waiting for you." Her kind voice came out with a tinny quality due to the spacesuit-like helmet she wore.

Momo had to rest a hand on Hitomi's shoulder to keep her from jumping the Hero.

"I can't wait to show you what's inside." Thirteen swept an arm in the direction of the entrance to the main part of the building. Which in no way disappointed.

There were so many different factions of the place that were dedicated to one specific disaster situation, all there to teach versatility. Hitomi was more eager for this lesson than any ones previous.

"Holy crap, it looks like some kind of amusement park!" Kirishima said in awe.

"A shipwreck. A landslide. A fire. A windstorm. Et cetera. 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 the USJ!"

"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already?" Aizawa asked suspiciously. "Let me guess, he booked an interview instead."

The disparaging tone of his voice made Hitomi wince for their other teacher. Aizawa was capable of being much scarier than he let on, and that was just what she was gleaning from his mildly irritated scent.

"Actually, it's something else. Apparently he did too much Hero work on the way to school this morning and used up all his power. He's resting in the teacher's lounge." Thirteen explained in a low voice, holding up three fingers for some reason.

Aizawa sighed. "That man is the height of irresponsibility." He turned back to the students. "Clock's ticking. We should get started."

Thirteen nodded as well as she could. "Excellent! Before we begin, let me just say one thing. Well, maybe two things… Possibly three, four, or five—" She cleared her throat. "Listen carefully. I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk. It's 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?" Midoriya marveled, while Uraraka nodded excitedly by his side.

Thirteen's voice took on a heavier tone. "That's true, but my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill. Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous."

Hitomi's right hand came up, lightly pinching her ear between her fingers. She feared some days, what if she were to just go rabid? Her intelligence took a hit when her Quirk was in use, but what if at some point it didn't just take a hit, but a complete fatality? Would she have any control over herself if she didn't keep focused? Would she turn on her friends and allies? Just how close was she teetering on the edge of becoming an animal?

"In our superhuman society, all Quirks are certified and stringently regulated. So we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly. Even if you're trying to do something virtuous like rescue someone. Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests you have a solid idea of your Quirk's potential and because of All Might's combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a Hero is all about. Ensuring the safety of others."

The motto of Excel-lency, her parents' Hero agency, ran through Hitomi's head.

Never abandon someone in need of help. Otherwise you are only a Hero in name.

Thirteen bowed. "That's all I have to say. Thank you so much for listening."

The class cheered, showering the Pro in compliments and applause until Aizawa cut them off.

"Right, now that that's over—"

The hairs on the back of Hitomi's neck stood on end, and the sharp smell of ozone and static suddenly filled the air. The lights above flickered, sparks of electricity surging. A sour knot formed in the pit of her stomach, her instincts making her hackles rise, and canines bared as she stared out at the fountain in the center of the plaza, now sputtering and housing a swirling mass of dark purple.

Run. Run. Run. Her mind practically screamed at her, but her knees felt like they were locked in place.

Aizawa fortunately picked up on something being amiss, rounding on the fountain with an intense expression.

Run. Run. Run.

"Stay together and don't move!" Their teacher ordered, and turned to his fellow Hero. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Hitomi's body jolted, his words ringing her head, as she was suddenly overwhelmed with the scent of her classmate's fear. It washed over her, kicking something inside into gear, paired with Aizawa's words. The part of her desperate to run was silenced, replaced by something stronger.

Protect. Protect. Protect.

Momo grabbed her hand, the taller girl's shaking and sweating, clinging to Hitomi with adrenaline fueled strength.

Protect. Protect. Protect.

Someone stepped through the portal, followed closely behind by more lumbering figures.

"Wait, has the training started already?" Kirishima said unsurely. He hadn't yet sensed the change in atmosphere. "I thought we were rescuing people—"

Midoriya took one step forward, and Aizawa's voice snapped at them like a whip.

"Stay back!" He clenched his jaw, lifting his yellow goggles over his eyes. "This is real. Those are Villians."

The fear burned her nose, making bile rise on the back of her tongue.

Hitomi squeezed her best friend's hand back.

Notes:

Thank you guys so much for the support! I never imagined so many of you to be interested in Hitomi's story. She's an OC I came up with so long ago, right after season two released, so I'm really attached to her.
If you have the time, maybe drop a review? It would really mean a lot! Thanks again!

Chapter 8: Protectiveness and bloodlust

Notes:

Okay, was Kirishima's name always spelled "Eijirou"? I've been reading/writing it as "Ejirou" this whole goddamn time. I know there are different ways to spell a handful of the names, but I went back and fixed it (thankfully his first name has only been used twice. Bullet dodged)

Chapter Text

The air was heavy with fear, and coming in waves from the swirling mass of purple, was malice. The acrid stench burning Hitomi's nose and making her eyes water. Whoever stood facing them now, dozens of lumbering figures coming out like woodwork, truly despised her and her classmates. They had to, to make the smell reach all the way to them.

"The only real Heroes I see are Thirteen and Eraser Head." A low rumbling voice spoke from somewhere inside the purple portal. "Perplexing. According to the schedule we retrieved from UA, All Might should be here as well."

Mr. Aizawa took a fearless step forward. "So you scumbags used the press as a cover and sneaked onto campus."

Hitomi flinched, hanging her head in shame. She should have noticed! Should have smelled something. Should have sensed something—

No, no. She couldn't do that to herself. Even the legit Heroes hadn't felt anything was wrong, so of course she wasn't expected to be able to pick up on it either. Her instincts weren't infallible, they had their limits, and it was reckless to assume they didn't.

There must have been dozens of Villains approaching now, a seemingly nonstop stream of them coming from the swirling portal, all shapes and sizes, but not a single one looked friendly. The smell they brought with them made it hard to breathe.

The one in the center, with severed hands disconcertingly covering several places on his body— most notably his face —spoke up. "I went through the trouble of bringing so many friends who're eager to meet him." The rasped words held a tone that sounded unhinged, teetering on the edge of something seriously dangerous. "They want All Might. The great Symbol of Peace. I can't believe he's not here." He growled, body slumping with disappointment, until he perked back up like a marionette on strings. "Maybe if I kill a few kids, he'll come out to play."

Standing in front of his terrified class, Mr. Aizawa's black hair flew up, defying gravity along with his incredibly long scarf. It whipped up in a way that reminded Hitomi of a threatened cat, making itself larger with its fur standing on end.

"What? Real Villians? No way." Kirishima still denied, voice strained. "How could so many of them get into a facility this secure?"

"Yeah, Thirteen." Momo took charge, looking to their second instructor. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"

Thirteen looked up at the dead lights. "Good questions. I'm not sure."

"Is the entire campus under attack?" Todoroki asked. "Or is this their only target? Either way, if the alarm sensors aren't being triggered, then one of these Villains must have a Quirk that's masking their presence here. They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at a time when a class was being taught. They're fools for trespassing here, but they've thought this out." He surmised, easily exceeding the most Hitomi had ever heard him speak. "Whatever their plan is, they must have a concrete objective in mind. But what is it?"

"All Might."

A few of her classmates turned to her, including Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki. It only then occurred to her that she had been the only one able to hear what the Villain wearing hands had said.

"T-they're here for All Might." She hastily repeated, hands coming up to tug on her hair nervously. "That's what the one in the middle said. A-also…" She bit her lip, ears tucking back.

Mr. Aizawa turned his head just enough to look at her over his shoulder. "What else did he say, Saito?"

Hitomi winced, shoulders hunching. "He said… he said, maybe if he starts killing a few of us, All Might will show up."

Some of the classmates around her gasped in shock and horror, and she could hear a few of their heartbeats now, adrenaline making them race just hard enough for her to catch.

Mr. Aizawa tensed, hands clenched into fists. "Thirteen, get them out of here. And alert the main campus. Actually, if they've got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications too. Kaminari," without turning, he addressed the blonde, "try using your Quirk to contact the school."

"Yes sir." Kaminari put a hand to the white antenna-ed box over his right ear.

"Wait, what're you gonna do?!" Midoriya panicked, moving forward as if to stop their teacher. "You can't fight them on your own! There's too many of them. Even if you can nullify their Quirks, your fighting style's not suited for this! Your power works best in stealth and one-on-one fights." Midoriya looked down in dejection. "That's not gonna help with a group."

Mr. Aizawa glanced back at them over his shoulder, past his bobbing scarf. "You can't be a Pro if you only have one trick." He gave one last nod to his fellow teacher. "I'll leave it to you, Thirteen."

Giving no warning, Mr. Aizawa— Eraser Head, launched himself into the air, bypassing the long staircase down to the plaza, hands gripping his scarf with a measured ease. He hit the ground running, never faltering even as three Villains stood in his path, each one smirking and rearing up to attack.

They never stood a chance.

Hitomi's mouth fell open in awe, watching as Eraser Head erased their Quirks, wrapped his scarf— capture weapon, around them, and pulled. The three met in the air, heads colliding with enough force to knock them out of commission in one hit. He tossed them aside like it was nothing, his weapon unraveling from around them as if it were following direct orders from him. His control over it was enough to instil fear, even without considering his Quirk to go along with it.

Another Villain ran at him, this one with a mutation based Quirk, with rock-like arms sprouting out of his back, giving him two sets. One of them pulled back, aimed squarely at the Hero's face.

Eraser Head ducked and sidestepped to the left in one move, using the momentum from the quick change of direction to punch the Villain in the jaw first. It was strong enough to send the Villain flying back, but before he could hit the ground, Eraser Head threw his weapon out, getting it around the Villain's ankle. In succession so fast it was hard to tell exactly what happened, Eraser Head turned, slamming his knee up into the sneering face of a Villain sneaking up from behind, then pulled down on the weapon, bringing the four-armed man down so harshly he kicked up dust when he collided with the ground.

And he did all this while verbally ridiculing them as easily as breathing.

Eraser Head was amazing. Their teacher was amazing.

And Hitomi actually started to feel safe, despite being surrounded by people out to hurt them. Because she knew Mr. Aizawa wouldn't let that happen, not if he was still standing.

He smelled of determination, and protectiveness.

"Alright kids, let's go!" Thirteen ordered, herding them all toward the door, which unfortunately was fairly far back, leaving them open to attacks if Eraser Head didn't keep the Villains' focus entirely on him.

Momo dragged Hitomi behind her, pulling the pinkette's mystified gaze away from their teacher. But Hitomi wasn't the only one left stunned.

"Whoa. He's holding them off. I guess I shouldn't have underestimated him." Midoriya hesitated by the stairs, watching the fight play out as Eraser Head made a steadily growing pile of unconscious Villains.

"This is no time to be analyzing! We have to go!" Iida called, getting both Midoriya and Hitomi's attention.

She finally stopped dragging her feet, running to catch up with the rest of the class, Midoriya and Momo beside her.

About to reach the door, the worst possible thing happened. The purple Villain, who had used whatever his Quirk was exactly to help all of the Villains inside, materialized in front of them, blocking off the exit. Thirteen threw her arm out to stop anyone from coming any closer.

"There is no escape for you." A pair of angular yellow eyes narrowed at them from within the mass. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello. And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath? I believe he was supposed to be here today, and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been some sort of change in plans we could not have foreseen." Two wisps of purple folded out from the rest, resembling arms. "Ah, well, in the end, I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a role to play."

Thirteen uncapped one of her gloved fingertips, raising her hand in order to suck the Villain into her Black Hole. She would have been able to do it, if it hadn't been for two massive idiots.

Bakugou and Kirishima threw themselves at the Villain with a war cry, both poised to hit him, despite none of them having any idea as to if he even had a tangible body to strike.

Knowing what was about to happen, Hitomi hunkered down and covered her ears. Right after, the air lit up with a resounding explosion, Bakugou's one gauntlet he brought making his Quirk that much more powerful.

"Did you think we were just gonna stand around and let you tear this place to shreds?" Standing beside Bakugou, smirk on his face, Kirishima held his arms in an 'X', skin hardened in defense.

The smoke began to clear, and what they saw wasn't good.

"You live up to your school's reputation. But you should be more careful, children." The Villain reformed his fractured body, completely unfazed in doing so. "Otherwise, someone might get hurt." His eyes turned to slits.

The bloodlust coming from him was so strong, Hitomi wondered how no one else could smell it.

"You two, get out of the way, right now!" Thirteen shouted at Bakugou and Kirishima, hand still raised, but unable to be used with them standing in front of the Villain.

Before they could do as Thirteen said, the Villain drew taller, and blanketed them all in a haze of the thick purple miasma, making it nearly impossible to see anything, even each other.

"I'll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades and your deaths!"

"Momo!" Hitomi blindly reached to her left, where her friend was supposed to be. What encompassed them was so dense she couldn't sniff anyone out, and the blood rushing in her ears was disorienting enough that combined with everyone yelling it made it nearly impossible to listen for her. "Mo— AH!" Hitomi tried calling again, only to scream in fright as the floor suddenly vanished out from under her.

Stomach dropping, Hitomi attempted to get her hair out of her face in order to see clearly, but the wind rushing against her as she fell whipped it around chaotically. To her shock and concern, she heard another voice scream out in fear somewhere next to her. It sounded feminine, and unless it was Uraraka, she likely wouldn't be able to use her Quirk to slow herself down. And with how long they had already been falling, she would need to.

Hitomi finally acted, kicking herself for not doing so sooner, and activated her Quirk. Her hair left her vision, making the ground quickly approaching them visible. Holding her breath in preparation, she tensed all her muscles, wincing as she braced for impact. All four paws touched down hard enough to crack the concrete beneath her, shockwaves of pain shooting up and making her whimper.

The person with her yelped, and Hitomi heard the sound of fabric tearing. Shrinking down back to her regular body, Hitomi whirled around, looking frantically for her classmate. If she could spot them and transform again just in time, she could soften their landing.

Hopefully.

Something sparkly caught her eye, and she zeroed in on it eagerly.

Oh.

Aoyama dangled about ten feet in the air a couple yards away, his cape pierced by a wayward pole jutting out. It was then she noticed where they were, in the middle of what looked like a half-finished construction site.

"Are you okay?" She jogged over, stopping right below him.

Aoyama's face was a mixture of white and green. He nodded with a halfhearted hum.

"Okay." Hitomi murmured, taking a deep breath as she bent her knees until she was in a low squat. Snapping them straight, she managed to grab onto his ankles, holding on as she awkwardly kicked her legs and wiggled around. After a few seconds it worked, his cape ripping a bit more, and the pole getting pulled out of the wall as it stubbornly snagged on the glittery fabric.

Aoyama yelped as he hit the ground, laying there for a moment to collect himself.

Hitomi leaned down, picking up the barely bent rod of metal, inspecting it. It was solid iron, going by the hefty weight, and the length was almost as tall as she was, at about four feet. Just one foot and five inches short. (Not including her ears, which would have added another ten inches)

"What now?" The blonde sat up, too shaken to fret over his damaged costume. "Are we meant to fight serious Villains?"

Hitomi frowned, holding a hand out to help him up. "We might have to, yeah."

Aoyama made a sort of croaking noise, but took her hand nonetheless.

She sighed at the strong waves of terror coming off of him, and debated with herself on whether or not sharing something with him would help.

"Look, uh, don't worry, okay? I kind of know a lot about Villains and how they operate. My, uh… my parents, they—"

"Looky looky, what do we have here?"

He literally could not have been more cliche.

When Hitomi and Aoyama turned toward the slimy voice, they were met with a small cluster of Villains, eight of them in total. Most had mutations, which made it easier to tell what they were dealing with. She kept her eye on one which brandished razor sharp talons, each one almost two feet long.

Maybe if she was fast, Hitomi could transform, grab Aoyama, and run. The biggest problem with that plan, however, was it left her classmate vulnerable, dangling by his already shredded cape from her mouth. And she didn't know what kind of range or aim he had with his laser, so him shooting at them while they retreat was a shaky plan at best.

So that left her with a simple decision. Quirk, or no Quirk?

The metal weight in her hand gave her an idea.

"Aoyama, how good are you at hand-to-hand?" Hitomi settled on her choice, heaving the pole to rest casually on her right shoulder.

Aoyama's lips trembled. "A-ah, I haven't—"

"Like you even have a chance!" The clawed Villain mocked, charging at the teens without preamble.

Aoyama squealed, ducking behind his classmate.

Hitomi squinted.

In a series of what seemed like snapshots, several things happened nearly at once. The Villain, surprisingly fast on his feet, reached the two with an arm raised, poised to slice them in half. With an ease that spoke of much time being spent on similar maneuvers, Hitomi shifted her hands on the pole. Her left cupped the bottom of it loosely, keeping it from tipping over her shoulder when she released the hold she had on the base with her right. That hand, she held flat, thumb extended as a sort of hook, pressed lightly on the underside. Then, as fast as she could, she pushed her left hand down and toward herself, while her right hand shoved upward and out.

Just as the Villain got within reach of them, he was halted as the pole came down on the top of his head. A distinctive crack came from his skull, before he dropped like a sack of flour.

Hitomi blinked at his lax body, the rest of the Villains doing much the same. Slowly, she looked down at the metal rod.

"...I was trying to point it at him threateningly. It's longer than I'm used to." She shrugged, unbothered by the body, able to hear his breathing. But fortunately for her and Aoyama, the rest of them had no way of knowing that their comrade was still alive. "Oh well. Besides, this way's easier." Hitomi twirled the pole, making an effort to add enough flair to the show to make it seem like she knew what she was doing using it as a weapon.

Who knew Ayami forcing her into as many clubs as she could would ever actually pay off? Hitomi would never complain about how grueling baton twirling practice had been ever again.

Chapter 9: Overconfidence, into crippling defeat

Notes:

Posting this before having my face broken by a bone doctor. (A chiropractor is going to see if they can fix my messed up jaw) And it would be incredible to maybe come home to some reviews? Only if you have the time, no biggie if you can't, it would just mean a lot.

Chapter Text

Between panting breaths, Hitomi winced and whispered a weak "Ow."

Arms heavy and sore, she let the hefty metal rod slip from her hands, clattering on the ground noisily, making Aoyama next to her flinch. Her classmate was in worse shape, cradling his middle with a sickened expression and green palar.

Apparently his Quirk made him sick. Poor thing.

"These were Villains?" Hitomi incredulously asked, wiggling her arms to try to regain some feeling in them. She may be strong, but swinging around a solid pole of iron at extremely hard heads really put a burn in her biceps.

Around them, strewn haphazardly in heaps of twitching limbs, was the group of Villains sent after them. Half burned to some degree, and the other with some serious blunt force trauma. It was hard to say which got off easier.

The pinkette was shocked that they had barely managed to land a hit on either of them, only leaving Aoyama with a bruised and swelling left cheek, and Hitomi with a shallow gash across her right one. It was pretty pathetic all things considered. She knew that if they had been Villains worth their salt, then she and her classmate would have been in monsterous trouble. Vicious wounds would have been the best case scenario, but in all likelihood they probably would have ended up dead.

They hadn't even finished their first week at UA, which really went to show how weak these bad guys were. Quantity over quality at its finest.

"What now mon amie?"

Hitomi blinked at the sudden use of French, but recovered quickly enough. "Uh, well… we should get back to the others." She nodded once, as if to reassure herself that that was the right course of action.

Aoyama nodded along, but then shot her a dubious look. "But, where exactly are they?

"Ah, that…" Hitomi pointed at him with a strained smile, "is an excellent question."

Taking a cursory sniff of the air, the only smells to greet her were that of dust, metal, and the various body odors coming from the unconscious Villains. Any far off scents were masked by the overpowering ones she picked up on in the nearby vicinity.

So, they just had to play it by ear. Literally. Their best bet was picking a direction and walking until she picked up on any telltale sounds of battle. Hopefully Bakugou would go all out when and if he ran into any bad guys. His explosions were the most likely thing for her to catch, no matter the distance.

"Alright," she pumped her fists, spinning on her heel, choosing a random path, and marching onward, "let's go!"

Hitomi made it ten feet before she noticed there were no footsteps following behind her. Looking back, she saw her classmates standing in the same exact spot, still cradling his stomach, now with an even more strained expression.

"Um, Aoyama? Are you coming?"

The blonde did a quick flair with his right hand, before it shot back down to rejoin the left, a sparkle shimmering from his faintly squinted eyes. "I'm afraid I cannot."

Hitomi scratched the spot behind her ears, head cocking. "Uh, why?"

Aoyama's ever present smile twitched. "...If I move, it will not bode well for either of us."

Blinking twice, Hitomi ignored her raging curiosity at whatever that could possibly mean, and accepted it with a shrug. "Alright, I'll come back to get you after I find the others."

With one last glance back to check and make sure he wasn't about to change his mind, Hitomi retrieved the pole, and took off. Thankfully the area they were dropped into was pretty simplistic for what it was, a flat cityscape in varying levels of destruction, so it really didn't take too much energy for her to run through the empty streets. Now if it had been the rockslide zone, or someplace similar, she probably would have had to transform in order to get around in decent time, using the superior height to leap and bound over obstacles. And until she knew if they had backup coming, she needed to reserve as much time spent using her Quirk as possible.

Hopefully, wherever she was, Momo was already figuring out how to save the day. And Hitomi didn't doubt for a second that she could.

The collapse zone was on the opposite side from the entrance, she remembered seeing when they first entered the building. At first she lamented her luck, knowing the longer it took her to get back there, the more likely it was she would run into more Villains. And who's to say they would be as weak as the last ones. But as she was sprinting past a crumbling office building, she heard a miniature explosion coming from within, light flashing from a window on the fourth floor.

A sharp toothed grin split across her face. Easy-peasy, Aunt Rumi had her climbing up to five stories with aid from her Quirk.

Of course, that was almost a half a year ago, before she grew even bigger in popularity and was sought out for more frequent work. She barely had time anymore to even come and see her adorable toddler niece, let alone dedicate hours to show off the dos and don'ts of parkour.

Taking a steadying breath, Hitomi backed up a few paces, and shot toward the nearest wall of the building. The pole was hastily put in her mouth to hold— something she would severely regret later, as chewing with the sore muscles would become an absolute chore— and reached high as she stepped onto one of the first floor window sills, straightened that leg in a snap and launching herself up to the second level. She bit down on the pole, grimacing at the feeling of it against her teeth, and gripped the second sill with both hands, knuckles quickly turning white.

One great thing about her costume, she decided, was the arm warmers. They reached down to her fingers, actively shielding her palms from the rough bite of the concrete.

Grunting lowly, Hitomi began pulling her upper body up by the sill, while she tried using her legs to help boost her, walking up the side. With one last great heave she stood crouching on the sill, panting through her nose, mouth full of the taste of metal. Careful to keep balanced, she peeked out, looking up at the third and fourth ones with a tired sigh.

At least it sounded like Bakugou was finished fighting. Maybe if she was lucky she wouldn't have to fight anyone for a bit, and give her sore arms some much needed rest.

Of course, that was after she got herself up to the fourth floor.

Could she simply drop inside and find a staircase to walk up? Definitely. Was she going to waste the opportunity to make a surprise entrance and admittedly show off? Absolutely not.

"...If we're both still in the USJ, then everyone else probably is, too."

Oh hey, it's Kirishima! Hitomi perked up, recognizing the voice coming from above. A flare of annoyance struck once she remembered about the two throwing themselves at the purple Villain, but it petered out before she even finished situating herself on the third sill.

"And not all of them have the offensive skills we do. We gotta make sure they're safe." Kirishima said determinedly, reminding the pinkette of her classmates like the really quiet one, Koda, who likely wouldn't last long alone. When he spoke again, Kirishima's voice was tight with regret. "Especially since we screwed things up when we got in the way earlier. If Thirteen had been able to suck up that Villain, then we never would've been separated like that! We have to make it up to the others!"

Hitomi could smell the remorse rolling off of him in waves.

The sight that greeted her when she crested over the final sill was rather impressive. Strewn about the floor were clobbered Villains, scorched or bruising, much like the ones she and Aoyama left in their wake. But these ones were decidedly bigger, and with more offensive looking mutations on some.

"You wanna track everyone down, have fun. But I'm gonna go destroy that warpy bastard." Bakugou spat determinedly.

Hitomi dropped the pole into her right hand, casually crouching in the window, looking back and forth between her classmates. Ears flicking, she glanced up and left, barely making out some distorted shape crawling along the ceiling.

She raised a hand, vaguely pointing at it. "Uh—"

Kirishima's brows furrowed in clear disagreement. "Our physical attacks didn't hurt that guy. C'mon, don't be an idiot, man."

Bakugou's jaw clenched harder with every word the redhead spoke. "Shut up! I'm gonna take him down because he's their way in and out!"

Hitomi perked up in surprise. He actually had a very solid reason that didn't hinge on mindless revenge. She decided to remain silent, listening in as neither of them noticed her obvious presence yet.

And they didn't notice the camouflaged Villain either, who was now on the floor and creeping toward Bakugou.

"If I cut off their escape route they'll be stuck here and have to pay for what they've done. We'll just have to figure it out!"

The camouflaged Villain struck, launching himself at the angry blonde.

...Who caught him by the head midair, and soundly ignited the same palm, effectively knocking him out. The camo fell away, revealing a humanoid iguana.

"Anyway," Bakugou carried on, casually giving the Villain a once over. "If all these Villains are small fries like these guys were, then our classmates can handle 'em."

"That reaction time was insane!" Kirishima praised openly. "Also… since when do you act so calm and rational? Usually you're all like—"

"Like an angry Pomeranian!" Hitomi piped up chirpily.

Bakugou rounded on her furiously. "Who're you calling—"

Both he and Kirishima paused, finally taking stock of her appearance.

Yeah, it was so worth scaling the building to see their faces.

"Saito!" Kirishima gawked at his classmate.

Hitomi waved. "Yo."

"How did you get up here?!" Kirishima cautiously approached her.

Bakugou glowered with narrowed eyes, suspiciously watching her.

"I climbed."

"You say that as if it's just something totally normal!"

Hitomi cocked her head. "It is. My Aunt Rumi trained me in parkour. She said my legs are my greatest asset, second only to my Quirk."

"How long have you been there?" Bakugou growled.

An admittedly sly grin spread across her face. "Heh, awhile~"

Bakugou scoffed, turning to leave. "Go find the others if you want to, or sit around with your thumbs up your asses, I don't care."

"Wait, hold up!" Kirishima called out to him before Hitomi could. "I think what you're really saying, is that you believe in our classmates. And that's thinking like a man, Bakugou!"

The blonde scowled, spitting out a "tch", but still paused to give either of the other two the chance to follow.

Hitomi smiled at his uncharacteristic show of tolerance. "Well then, I'll come t—"

Her ears went back, eyes widening as her face fell. Far off, carried as it bounced and echoed their way through the collapse zone, she heard it.

"Argh!"

Mr. Aizawa's agonized shout, followed by something snapping.

No.

Kirishima and Bakugou had no time to ask her why she suddenly looked so stricken, as she spun around on the sill, and leapt off. When she touched down, the pavement cracked under the weight of her shifted body, but the drop did nothing to her but cause a faint shock to shoot up through her legs. It had nothing on the fall earlier. The metal pole was carelessly left behind, of no use to her anymore now, not when she was utilizing her Quirk.

"Wha— Saito!" Kirishima called after her, but she was already halfway down the block before he could shout out to her again.

The air whipped against her harshly enough it likely would have stung if she didn't have fur protecting her skin, and she tucked her ears back to avoid hearing it whistle by.

The sound came from the middle of the USJ, close to where the Villains spilled out of that portal in the first place. The closer she got, barreling out of the collapse zone, the stronger the tang of blood hung in the air. Hitomi could only pray it wasn't Mr. Aizawa's.

But, nearing the origin of the cry, Hitomi was greeted by a massive figure, crouching over a crumbled black-clad body.

A certain capture weapon spooled out around him, soaking up crimson red from a still spreading puddle of blood.

The animalistic part of her that took over when transformed howled in rage. Her mind— dulled down to a more emotionally guided consciousness, drove her forward like a cannon, shot right at the dark indigo skinned beast hurting her teacher, with every intent to harm and draw blood in restitution.

She paid no mind to the hand-wearing Villain standing a short distance away, or the misty warp one Bakugou and Kirishima were after, bypassing both of them to launch herself at the large one's back. All four of her clawed paws scrambled to find purchase on its back and left shoulder as she lowered her head and sunk her teeth into its right one. A furious growl rumbling through her chest and throat.

She had taken down several Villains before this with Aoyama, she had been the first one to get to Mr. Aizawa, she had been raised by two of the best Heroes in the world, she was going to take down this Villain and rescue her teacher.

Confidence surged in her chest, a true belief that she could handle this and help brimming. This was what she was meant to do.

I can do this! Her teeth tried sinking deeper, finding rubbery resistance, but she was not deterred. I can save Mr. Aiz—

A massive hand raised up, and fisted the loose skin and fur of her scruff, grip pinching and unrelenting.

Wha—

The shoulder disappeared from her mouth, and Hitomi got a glimpse of the domed ceiling above before her body was whipped down to the ground savagely.

Pain. Horrible, sharp, sudden, agonizing pain erupted from the back of her head. A grunted scream broke through her throat unintentionally, sounding like a wail from an injured and fearful animal as her Akita form fell away, her consciousness flickering along with it.

Hitomi blinked blurrily, thoughts lagging at a snail's pace to figure out what just happened.

Mr. Aizawa attempted to grunt something out, but it was unintelligible with his face pressed into the ground.

She wanted to spring to her feet, and charge again, but her body wouldn't move. If only she could move.

"Perfect," that dry raspy voice belonging to the hand wearing Villain spoke, sounding disconcertingly smug, "I'll just start with this one."

Hitomi tensed, picking up on the way that Mr. Aizawa began struggling harder in the large one's grasp. She could smell thick panic underneath the scent of blood, and to her hazy confusion, she could detect it not only coming from her teacher, but—

Something slimy coiled around Hitomi's bare midriff, wrapping itself tight before she felt herself being yanked away. She shut her eyes as she was made airborne, vertigo threatening to cause her to vomit. Thankfully she was pulled back down quickly, the slimy thing around her waist retreating. Belatedly Hitomi realized she was now being held by someone, chest deep in water.

"I've got you, ribbit."

Hitomi's eyes fluttered open, and she felt something in her chest loosen at the sight of Asui at her side.

That explained the slimy appendage that grabbed her.

"Great, now he knows we're here!" Mineta shrieked, frantically hiding behind Midoriya.

Sure enough, the move to get Hitomi away from him had revealed the three to the Villains, leaving them all in a vulnerable position, especially with Hitomi's pounding head and uncooperative limbs.

The hand wearing Villain stared at them in eerie silence, the pale severed appendage on his face masking whatever expression lied underneath.

Hitomi had no way to tell if what happened next was thanks to her sure concussion, or if it really played out at the speed she saw it.

Because suddenly, he was in front of them, left hand outstretched, aiming for Asui's face. He was just there, too close for any of them to do or even think of something in defense.

Forcing her body to move, Hitomi managed to turn and shield Asui as best she could, closing her eyes and bracing herself for what was about to happen. Asui saved her, and she was prepared to do the same.

But… Hitomi felt the Villain's hand settle on the back of her head, and the only thing to happen, was a jolt of pain from the tender bump there. She hesitantly cracked an eye open, meeting Asui's wide and terrified gaze.

The Villain huffed, glancing back over his shoulder.

"You really are so cool… Eraser Head."

Hitomi wanted nothing more than to turn and look at her teacher, but with the hand still touching her she was frozen in fear. She didn't know what his Quirk was, but she could guess it was something horrible if Mr. Aizawa forced himself up to prevent it from being used.

Their teacher cried out in pain again, the sound of something slamming into the ground accompanying it.

The scent of fresh blood made Hitomi's stomach drop and roll.

The Villain's Quirk, Mr. Aizawa couldn't detain it anymore, and the Villain was still touching her—

"You, let her go! Now!"

Midoriya disappeared from their side, having launched himself out of the water and at the Villain.

"Smash!" He roared All Might's iconic battle-cry, his right arm seeming to glow for a second, before he shot his fist out ruthlessly at the Villain.

Hitomi remembered the ball test, the speed and distance it soared, and that was just with one finger.

The hit created an aftershock, gusts of harsh wind throwing all their hair around and almost making it feel hard to breathe. Behind them in the water, large waves rolled back, and the sound of shattering glass came from somewhere above. If the Villain survived it, he would surely need immediate medical attention if he wanted to stay that way.

When it finally dissipated, Hitomi noticed the hand was gone from her head, and finally looked back to see if there was anything left of the Villain. What she saw, however, was the Villain perfectly intact, now with the massive one standing between him and Midoriya, acting as a human shield.

Midoriya stared at where his fist connected with the large one's abdomen, with no signs that it did remotely any damage.

"You're pretty powerful," the hand Villain mused, "this smash of yours… are you one of All Might's disciples?" He shrugged, raising his hand again. "Doesn't matter. I'm done with you now."

The hand Villain reached for both Hitomi and Mineta's faces. The huge bug-eyed Villain grabbed Midoriya's right arm and poised its own to slam down on the teen. Asui pulled Hitomi back and shot her tongue out to wrap around Midoriya and snatch him away. And despite no longer being held down, Mr. Aizawa wasn't moving.

Hitomi clenched her eyes shut tight, her chest shaking with withheld sobs of fear and defeat.

Mama, Pa—

The entrance boomed open, a cloud of dust billowing out, visible all the way to the plaza. Heavy steps hit the floor audibly, carrying forward a towering silhouette from within the slowly falling cloak in the air.

The hand Villain stood straight, abandoning his previous goal of touching Hitomi and Mineta, turning to watch the arrival of their guest of honor.

"Have no fear, students."

Hitomi's eyes welled up, thick tears rolling shamelessly down her face in overwhelming relief. They were going to be okay. They were saved.

All Might's ever present smile was gone, replaced by a glare strong enough to make any Villain's blood go cold.

"Because I am here."

Chapter 10: How to protect her

Notes:

In honor of season five starting, here's the conclusion to the USJ Arc!
(Because I crave the attention, I think from now on I'll answer any questions you guys have in an Author's Note at the end of every chapter or maybe in the comments. Of course, I won't spoil things if it gets answered in the future, but feel free to ask anything else really!)

Chapter Text

All might.

Hitomi sagged, her eyelids drooping in exhaustion and her adrenaline ebbing away. With it dulling, the pain in her head became more pronounced, a throbbing matching her pulse coming from the base.

"We're saved!" Mineta cheered tearily, forgetting about the Villain still very much too close to them all.

"He's here… All Might." Midoriya croaked, staring up at the entrance with a nervous crease between his brows. "And he's not smiling."

The hand-clad Villain stood, turning away from the three in the water in favor of watching All Might's approach.

"After all this waiting… the heroic piece of trash shows up."

It was bold words, considering in the next second All Might mowed down every single minor Villain standing between him and Mr. Aizawa's crumpled form. His moves were too fast to try to follow, a blur and gust leaving behind a trail of unconscious bodies. But he was the opposite when picking up his fellow teacher, slow and gentle as not to hurt him any further. As it was, Mr. Aizawa dearly needed immediate medical attention, with two broken arms, the muscles and tendons visible on his right elbow, and his face caked with a mask of blood. The damage done was monstrous.

Still cradling Mr. Aizawa, All Might turned to them, and—

Hitomi blinked, vaguely aware that she and the others were now a good twenty feet away from the three Villains. The sudden shift, along with now holding up her own weight without the help of the water, made her wobble and teeter, just barely keeping herself standing straight.

Maybe it was a little bit more than a concussion.

"What the heck?!" Mineta squawked at their new position.

"Everybody, back to the entrance." All Might ordered sternly, setting down Mr. Aizawa in front of them. "And take Aizawa with you. He doesn't have much time."

Hitomi's mouth went dry, her eyes unable to settle on the mangled teacher for long without a sick roll in her stomach threatened for her to lose her breakfast. When she tried stepping forward to help hoist him up, she found herself being supported by Asui in a flash.

"You started to fall, ribbit." Asui explained after the confused noise that came from Hitomi's throat.

Okay, so definitely something worse than a concussion.

Midoriya lifted Mr. Aizawa up onto his back, carefully holding onto his arms above the breaks. Mineta then picked up his ankles so his feet wouldn't drag across the ground behind him.

"All Might, you can't!" Midoriya warned him, panic lacing his voice. "That brain Villain took One for—" he faltered, eyes flickering to his classmates. "I-I smashed him and didn't break my arm this time, but he wasn't fazed at all! He's too strong—"

All Might threw a hand out to stop him. "Young Midoriya," he closed his hand and pointed his thumb up. His smile was firmly back in place. "I got this!"

While the two boys carried away Mr. Aizawa, Asui held onto Hitomi for her support, her wide eyes keeping watchful of the pinkette. Especially when she noticed a thick trail of blood slowly leaking down the back of her neck. For Hitomi's part she just focused on staying awake, wincing every time All Might threw a hit at the large Villain behind them, the collision loud enough to make her ears ring.

The final hit came louder than the previous ones, a shroud of dust erupting with whips of wind shooting out all the way over to them. Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta all looked back curiously, and Hitomi would have done the same if she could manage to even lift her head higher.

"Whoa, are you guys seeing this?" Mineta said in awe. "That suplex looked like a huge explosion!"

Explosion… what was that word making her think of? It was right there on the tip of her tongue…

Spikey ash blonde hair. The smell of burnt caramel—

Crap.

Hitomi tensed, remembering Bakugou and Kirishima's plan to find and take down the warp Villain, who was currently spectating the fight between All Might and the big one. If the two crashed onto the scene, All Might would have to divide his attention to also keeping them safe.

Hitomi opened her mouth, trying to call to Midoriya and warn him, but a wheezy cough kept her from it. She must have inhaled some of the upended dust when she was slammed down a few minutes ago.

Unaware of her struggle, Asui chimed in about the top Hero. "And yet he still has to look at his notes when he's teaching us."

"Get that guy!" Mineta cheered over his shoulder. "Punch him right in the balls!"

"Maybe we were worried about these bad guys for nothing." Asui mused. "All Might's unstoppable."

But… the overpowering smell of concern and uncertainty coming from Midoriya made Hitomi doubtful.

"M-Midoriya," Hitomi got out after clearing her throat, "Bakugou and Kirishima are—"

All four of them came to an abrupt halt. Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta because they could see what was going on behind them. And as for Hitomi, she smelled a new source of blood.

Finally forcing up her head, which felt weighed down by a ton of bricks, Hitomi checked over her shoulder, seeing what had left the others frozen.

All Might was bent backwards, still holding the bug-eyed Villain's torso to slam him into the ground. But, the warp Villain had opened two portals, one for the massive one's upper half to go through, and one under All Might for it to come out of. Its clawed left hand was digging into All Might's left side, sinking them in deep, leaving blood to soak through that side of the Hero's white shirt.

"Asui…" Midoriya croaked lowly.

"Yeah, what is it, Midoriya?"

"Will you carry Mr. Aizawa for me?" His eyes were overshadowed by his curly hair, giving no indication of what he was planning.

Asui looked to Hitomi, who carefully pushed herself upright and gave a reassuring nod. "Ribbit? Sure, but what're you gonna do?"

As soon as Mr. Aizawa was gently transferred to Asui's back, Midoriya turned and staggered toward the fight. After a few shaky steps, he launched forward, sprinting to their endangered teacher.

"Are you crazy!?" Mineta screeched at his back.

Hitomi went cold. All Might, the number one Hero, was getting hurt by these guys. What could possibly make Midoriya think he could take them on?

"Midoriya!" Hitomi screamed as the warp Villain appeared right in front of him, looming with a promise of death. Without conscious thought, she tried running after him, because he was going to get himself killed. But her vision faded in and out, and she was suddenly on the ground before she could even take more than a few steps.

No… She tried pushing herself up, gritting her teeth stubbornly. She had to get up. She had to help him. She had to—

A booming explosion, that brought the smell of burnt caramel with it, sounded from up ahead.

"Get the hell outta my way, Deku!"

Hitomi's arms gave out, a wave of relief and new concern welling in her chest. Bakugou had arrived, presumably so had Kirishima, but would they be enough to help Midoriya and keep themselves alive?

"One of my classmates told us you're here because you think you can kill All Might." Another voice evenly stated.

Todoroki. He was there now too. Hitomi cracked a smile, her eyes fluttering closed without thought.

The tables had turned. The Villains were in trouble now.

"Saito!" Asui called, sounding as if it wasn't the first time she tried getting her attention.

Hitomi hummed, or at least she attempted to, she wasn't sure if she actually did.

Asui seemed to pick up on that she was barely there consciously, and wrapped her tongue around her middle again, slowly lifting her.

"C'mon, we need to hurry." She spoke around her tongue, picking up the pace toward the entrance.

Hitomi was limp in the air, arms and legs dangling lifelessly under her, her hair laying as a curtain over her face. Facing downward, she felt blood leaking into the edge of her hairline, and distantly wondered how much she had lost already, remembering that head wounds tended to bleed heavier than other areas.

Once the three of them were spotted by the portion of the class hanging by the entrance, Uraraka and Shoji came down to help. Uraraka used her Quirk to gently float Mr. Aizawa onto Shoji's broad back, then once Asui lowered her, she took Hitomi's left arm and slung it over her shoulder. Asui did the same with her right, and the two practically carried her up the towering set of stairs.

Once at the top, she saw Sero, Sato, Ashido, and Thirteen. It made Hitomi worried to see that neither Momo or Aoyama had made it back yet, and she was starting to doubt leaving the blonde alone earlier. For all she knew he had run into more bad guys as soon as she left.

"Hurry up! Let's get out of here already!" Mineta urged, emphatically gesturing toward the exit while Sero and Sato hefted Thirteen up and supported her.

"But the others—" Ashido started to protest, but was cut off by a thunder-like clap, followed immediately by a part of the glass dome above shattering.

Those who were facing the direction of the sounds, gaped at what caused it.

"Uh, did a Villain just fly by? Or am I going crazy?" Sero gawked at the hole in the dome, where the indigo Villain had been sent soaring.

"It was that big dude." Sato confirmed.

"Such power." Shoji voiced what they were all thinking.

Mineta stared teary-eyed, his enthusiasm for leaving waning with the scariest Villain now gone. "That's All Might for you. That's why he's the most amazing Hero in the entire world!"

"Hm, Saito?" Uraraka looked down inquisitively, feeling the way Hitomi tensed and tried standing straighter.

Her ears flicked, and her tail languidly swung side to side. The barest hints of a smile spread across her face.

They were here.

"Sorry everyone, I know we're a bit late."

Snipe. Ectoplasm. Cementoss. Present Mic. Hound Dog. Power Loader. Vlad King. Principal Nezu. And...

"Aunt Nemuri!" Hitomi croaked thickly.

"I got the teachers over here as fast as I could." Principal Nezu said atop Vlad King's shoulders, his voice still cheery as always.

Snipe lifted one of his guns, shooting off three shots, one toward the plaza, and the other two toward the mountain zone.

In front of the lineup of Heroes, Iida stood proudly, hair windswept from his race to UA.

"Your class rep has returned! I've fulfilled my duty. And I've brought reinforcements!"

Hitomi clumsily slid her arms off of Uraraka and Asui's shoulders, stumbling forward while ignoring the way every step gave another pound to her skull.

Midnight's face softened in concern, approaching her with open arms despite the pressing situation. "Oh Hitomi, your head."

Hitomi took the silent invitation, letting herself slump limply in her pseudo aunt's arms, tension ebbing away in the older woman's embrace. "S'rry… shouldn't bother you right now. And 'm sure this can't look pr'fessional."

Midnight sighed, gently petting the back of her head, pausing and sighing heavier when she felt the large bump already forming at the base. The wet and dried blood matting the pink locks wasn't something to brush off either. "I think we're already past that point. I recommended you, remember?"

Present Mic inhaled deeply, and Midnight wordlessly cupped her hands over Hitomi's ears right before he let loose on the Villains who were only now recovering from All Might taking them down. Before they could even think of getting up after the vocal shockwave, Ectoplasm gave them no time, making a dozen clones that began whaling on them. It was a wonder that so many were still conscious.

"Our priority is to protect all of our students!" Principal Nezu delegated with a smile, pointing onward toward the thick of Villains.

"Yes sir!"

"Don't move, alright?" Midnight softly ordered Hitomi, parting from her with a carefully placed pat on the head.

Down at the plaza the hand Villain ran to the warp one, assumably to retreat. But Snipe ruthlessly shot him in both arms and legs, the warp Villain shielding him before he could be hit anywhere else. His mist enveloped the hand Villain, and with half his body still sticking out, Thirteen stood on trembling legs and opened Black Hole with both hands. The power and reach managing to suck up much of the warp Villain's smoke, slowing him down considerably. But despite their efforts, he finished pulling the hand Villain through, disappearing himself in a shrinking swirl right after.

And… that was it. It was jarring, after so much chaos and danger, it was suddenly quiet, almost deafeningly so. All the minor Villains were already being subdued by Hound Dog and Vlad King, or knocked out by Midnight, and the rest of the scattered class was being retrieved by the rest of the Heroes and some clones of Ectoplasm. Everything was being handled.

It was over. They survived their first encounter with Villains.

Hitomi tentatively ran a hand through her bloodied hair.

Some better than others.

...

Nori Saito was many different things to many different people.

To Ayami he was a stubborn yet caring "kid" she still considered under her care. To Hana he was a mix between an uncle and older brother, always willing to humor her and goof around. To his colleagues he was a stern and serious hard worker, dedicated to doing his best and live up to being promoted to sous chef. To the public he was the tragic dead Heroes' son who could never follow his parents' footsteps due to his macabre Quirk. And to Hitomi, he was a lot of things.

A big brother. A pain in the neck. A friend. A confidant. A heckler. A protector. A role model.

But there was one thing Nori tried his damnedest to be. And that was a constant.

And the first time it really occurred to him that his sister might not always be there for him the same way, was before she got her Quirk. And it was something that he still did his best to ignore to this day.

School had let out finally, and Nori meandered along besides his three friends at a leisurely pace, hands in his sagging pockets. He was in no rush, as for once Hitomi was granted permission to play at the nearby park, so he didn't have to pick her up from her school first thing.

When they grew closer to the playground, Ryuji spotted a vending machine and they naturally congregated over.

"I gotta go soon." Nori commented after checking his watch. "Hitomi needs me to walk her home."

Sai scoffed as he retrieved his drink from the slot at the bottom. "Dude, don't you guys have a nanny or something? Why doesn't she do her job instead of pawning the midget off on you?"

Nori frowned at the unwarranted jab at Ayami, sliding a bill into the machine and absently looking over the options. "It's not a big deal, it's not like I mind."

Kazuto shook his head in dismay. "I don't get it, man."

"Get what?" Nori asked, settling on a simple bottle of decaf green tea. He knew Hitomi liked it, so he could share during the trip home.

"Get how you put up with that little pest."

The button for green tea was jammed violently in a jerk.

Sai and Ryuji noticed, and attempted to silently signal for Kazuto to zip it.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Now Kazuto took stock of Nori's darkened expression, and frantically tried to backtrack.

"Wait— I mean— It's just that…"

The air around Nori grew heavier, and all three other boys were given an abrupt reminder of what his Quirk was capable of.

"L-look man, I didn't mean anything by it." Kazuto chuckled nervously, carefully taking a few steps back, with Sai and Ryuji doing the same. "It's just that she's… you know? Kinda… annoying?"

Nori's eyes almost seemed to glow, the gold burning molten in anger. He didn't even need to use his Quirk to instill fear into them, not with that look.

Kazuto did his best to save face, spitting out a weak scoff, and turned away while still keeping an eye on Nori over his shoulder.

"Tch, whatever. Let's go guys."

Sai and Ryuji sent uncertain glances back, but ultimately followed after Kazuto, escaping the stifling cloud of fury Nori left hanging in the air.

The redhead watched them retreat, a mixture of emotions warring in him. He wouldn't put up with anyone who spoke ill about Hitomi… but at the same time, those three had been the only ones in his year to not judge him for his Quirk, and now he chased them off.

Nori scowled, right fist clenching tight. He reared it back and slammed it into the vending machine, unbothered by the harsh sting it left behind in his knuckles. Again and again, he punched it, all while his aggravated thoughts shifted.

If only he didn't spend so much time with Hitomi. If only his friends didn't have to see her so often. If only she was less excitable all the time and a little quieter—

"Nori!"

He froze, fist stopping just short of connecting with the glass again. Nori turned his head, staring as Hitomi cheerily raced over, her face flushed in delight.

"Nori!" She repeated once in front of him. "Nori, I met someone at the park! With the most prettiest hair I've ever seen! I went over to say something but then I smelled tears, an' so I asked what was wrong an'—" she cut herself off, ears going back in a telltale sign of distress. "Nori, you're bleeding!"

Nori blinked, numbly looking down at his split knuckles. "Ah… yeah. I'm okay though."

Hitomi frowned doubtfully, and with a start, Nori remembered what he had just been thinking just before she showed up.

He was wishing she was different. More subdued. Less… herself.

Kneeling down, Nori swallowed the guilt of it, and instead focused on giving her a convincing smile. "I promise. Now, tell me about this person with pretty hair?"

Hitomi perked up right away, her tail turning into a blur behind her. "Oh yeah! So I asked him what was wrong, and he said his Quirk's scary an' now his friends won't play with him."

Nori's brows furrowed. Didn't that sound familiar. "Is that so…?"

Hitomi nodded quickly. "Yeah! But I told him that that's stupid, and that you got a scary Quirk but you've got friends."

Nori flinched. "Right." Then he noticed something he had missed in the rush of information. "Wait, it was a boy?"

Hitomi nodded again. "Mm-hm! And he had the prettiest hair ever! It was… what did you call it? The purple flower color?"

"Lilac." Nori supplied with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah! Lilac! An' after I said his Quirk's perfect for a Hero, he said my hair's pretty too! And gave me this." Hitomi carefully retracted a single daffodil from up against her left ear.

Nori's eye twitched. "How old was this boy?"

"Same as me!" She blinked, staring at him with a cock of her head. "Why d'you smell like Mama when the neighbor lady talks to Papa?"

Nori stood, picking her up without preamble, holding her against his side while walking toward their neighborhood. "Don't worry about it. I just need you to promise never to date anyone. Especially boys. Boys are terrible."

Hitomi cocked her head again. "Okay? I promise."

"And promise you'll never stop being loud and happy."

She nodded. "Promise."

Nori stopped, gazing contemplatively at the ground. "...And promise me you'll let me look out for you. From boys, from mean kids, from everything, alright?"

Hitomi took longer this time, ears tucked back once more. "...Okay Nori, I promise."

Nori sighed, a weight he hadn't realized was there lessened, allowing him to breathe just a bit easier.

(It took until he was unlocking their front door to realize he forgot about the green tea.)

He was supposed to be worrying about her making the wrong kinds of friends, or start dating like he always dreaded. Those kinds of things he could protect her from.

Nori couldn't protect her from Villains, but he would do his best to make sure the school meant to teach her safely didn't make another fuck up like the one currently leading him to the hospital in the middle of his shift.

Hitomi got a major concussion, maybe even a fractured skull, all under the watch of UA.

Nori was going to raise some hell.

Chapter 11: Hello, again

Chapter Text

When Nori barged into his sister’s hospital room, he expected to find her lying there, looking worn out and still scared. But what greeted him instead made the concern choking him take the back burner behind sudden irritation.

“Hi Nori!” Hitomi merrily greeted, sitting upright in bed with thick bandages wrapped around her temple.

Momo sat next to her, quietly trying to get her to calm down.

Nori’s eye twitched. “ Tell. Me. What. Happened .”

Hitomi spread her arms and flopped wordlessly on her back.

“They gave her something for the pain.” Momo whispered to him after walking over.

Nori glowered. “What? Don’t they have that one doctor Hero who can heal people?” He asked accusingly, remembering from when he looked up the staff and did his own background check on each of them.

Ayami had called him overprotective, but look who’s laughing now.

...Hitomi, that’s who. Staring at the ceiling with giggles spilling out of her mouth.

“Recovery Girl is busy at the moment, taking care of one of our classmates and two teachers. But she’ll be here soon to heal Hitomi as well.”

Nori felt like he could spit acid. “The doctor said she has a chipped skull. A chipped skull Mo— You sit back down!”

Hitomi froze from her spot crawling halfway off of her bed, blinking like a deer in headlights at her brother, then slumped sadly and returned with a pout.

Momo sighed. “I know, but she’s fine for now and can wait. It could’ve been a lot worse.” She grimaced, thinking about their homeroom teacher, and that the same Villain to do that to him, had been the one to hurt Hitomi.

Nori swallowed dryly, wondering how he was supposed to be expected to trust the school after everything that happened today.

“Nori, heh, hey Nori, guess what?”

Taking a measured breath to try to regain some patience, Nori turned to his sister. “What?”

Hitomi’s face split into a wide grin. “I bit a nine foot tall Villain. What did you do today?”

Nori stared, blinked, then ran a hand down his face, keeping it over his mouth, muffling his voice.

“Hitomi, I will literally disown you.”

He wouldn’t, and they both knew it. But when you gave as many threats as Nori did, you’d inevitably run out of feasible ones.

“Where’re Ayami and Hana?” Momo questioned, finding it odd only he showed up.

“Hana’s at daycare, ‘cause Ayami got called in to work. Told her only one of us needed to miss a shift, and that I’d come.”

Momo nodded in approval. Hitomi would already feel guilty enough about Nori skipping work, no need to add Ayami to that as well. She let him take her seat, murmuring about getting Hitomi something to eat as he sat down beside the bed.

Hitomi turned her head, smiling at him with blurry half-lidded eyes. Her white pupils nearly eclipsed her irises.

Nori shook his head with a huff. “Oh, you are high out of your mind right now, huh?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Nori snorted, crossing one leg over the other and reclining back. It was futile though, the hospital chair still hard and uncomfortable no matter the position.

But he would stay exactly where he was. Watching over her until UA sent over the medical Hero to fix the damage they had caused.

Apparently a serious bump on the head wasn’t something Recovery Girl felt safe in healing all in one go, especially with a high dose of painkillers in Hitomi’s system. So much to Nori’s obvious ire, she was sent home still in bandages and with a bottle of more of the medication. A slip of paper given to her instructed the time she should be in the senior Hero’s office the first day back at school to finish the healing.

Midnight met her at the entrance of UA that morning, leading her to the infirmary before classes.

“How’s Mr. Aizawa?” Hitomi clutched the straps of her backpack tightly, trying not to clench her teeth, as it made the pain in her skull worse.

Midnight smiled at her reassuringly. “Don’t worry, he’s already up and about.”

“What!? He should be resting!”

“Try telling him that then.” Midnight huffed under her breath, stopping at one of the towering doors, opening it and gesturing for Hitomi to go in.

Immediately upon stepping inside, Hitomi decided she liked the infirmary. While it smelled like antiseptic and soap predominantly, there was also the presence of sugary candies, and the scent of someone compassionate lingering under the usual hospital-like smells.

“Good morning Saito, take a seat and I’ll get to work.” Recovery Girl kindly told her, hopping down from her chair and coming out from behind her desk. “I should be able to finish today, but I warn you, you’ll feel fatigued.”

Hitomi perched herself on one of the cots, nodding along only to wince and remember to keep her head still.

When the Hero motioned for her to lean down, Hitomi complied, facing the floor while she started working on removing the wrappings, revealing the still shrinking bump and stitched gash. Making the customary hum through her puckered lips, Recovery Girl stood tall to plant a kiss on Hitomi’s forehead.

Sure enough, along with the pain fading away, her energy went with it, leaving her eyes drooping and limbs heavy.

“Class doesn’t begin for another twenty minutes, so you should lay down and take a nap to regain some of your strength.” Recovery Girl said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small package of candy, putting it in Hitomi’s hands. “These will help too, if you're still feeling sluggish later.”

Hitomi mumbled a quiet “thank you” and promptly laid down on the cot. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but with how tired she suddenly was, it felt wonderful.

Hitoshi Shinsou was having a terrible day, and it hadn’t even started yet.

First it kicked off when walking through the halls, he overheard some second years talking about a Villain attack that happened to 1-A during a training exercise. Apparently their homeroom teacher had been badly hurt, one student broke both his legs, and another nearly had her head caved in.

Hitoshi assumed there was some level of exaggerating going on, but that didn’t take away from the fact that they had encountered real Villains, and it was only the first week .

He made the mistake of asking them about it, assuming it would be fine and that they likely didn’t know about his Quirk. But before one could answer, his friend smacked his arm and hissed something nervously. The first guy’s eyes went wide, and he allowed himself to be dragged away by his friend. Nether one dared to utter a single word in response.

It really set the mood for the morning, as he trudged his way to the general department, the more and more eyes he felt on him, each and every one pinning him with suspicion and fear. Likely attributed to the stressed suspicion already hanging in the air after the news about the attack leaked.

He bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead, doing his best to pay no mind to any of the whispers surrounding him.

He was used to this. This was fine. This was fine .

“What is your Quirk?”

“I can’t tell you! You’ll just think I’m a Villain too!”

“No I wouldn’t! My big brother’s got a scary Quirk and he’s super nice, so I’m not scared of you neither!”

Hitoshi almost smiled at the memory. Almost. But that was over ten years ago, and still remained one of the only times someone hadn’t recoiled at his power. A fact that, with time, had twisted the meeting into something bitter and fleeting.

I wonder where she is now—

A streak of bright pink appeared, fluttering by like fine ribbons in a dash right past him. Hitoshi’s steps faltered, the color so strikingly familiar that it made something swoop in his abdomen.

Just when he decided to think nothing of it, knowing there was no possible way, a female voice called out.

“Hey, you! With the brown messenger bag!”

Hitoshi grumbled underneath his breath, scowling when several stragglers in the hallway paused to watch in obvious fear for the girl.

What’s he gonna do to her? He could practically hear them whispering already. Damnit, he really didn’t want to deal with this today.

Just keep walking. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn —

Hitoshi turned, settling his face into a look of disinterest. But it cracked when he finally looked at her.

A wide toothy grin assured him that she truly didn’t fear him. The light giggle to follow stirring something in his chest, making his cheeks warm.

“That’s a perfect Quirk for a Hero! You could use it to make bad guys give up! Or to talk people outta doing something bad before it even happens! It’s so cool!”

Hitoshi’s throat felt tight, those same fuchsia eyes boring into him like when he was a kid.

The girl was looking at him intensely, and immediately apprehension struck him. It was a long time ago that she had unwittingly made an impact on him by casually praising his Quirk, but who knew if she still felt the same about it?

She opened her mouth, and he prepared for the worst.

“You have beautiful hair!”

“I came over to say you have pretty hair, but then I saw you crying. What’s wrong?”

Hitoshi blinked, completely unsure of how to respond to that. Just like the first time.

It didn’t matter, however, the girl spinning on her heel and darting off down the hall before he could get his voice to work.

He stared, not daring to blink until she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. A mirage of cherry blossoms seeming to follow in her wake.

Hitoshi swallowed, closed his tired eyes, turned, and kept walking to class.

She grew her hair out.

“I’m here I’m not late I have a note!” Launching herself through the classroom door, Hitomi waved a slip of paper while crowing her explanation, her words rushing together in her haste.

She panted, free hand resting on her knee. It had been a mad dash to class when she awoke from her nap ten whole minutes later than intended. Recovery Girl assured her that she had let her sleep on purpose, and scribbled down a note excusing her tardiness, but Hitomi still tried getting there as soon as possible. Probably a bad idea with how she was still feeling groggy.

On the bright side, on her way she had passed by a boy with lovely lilac hair, and decided the time lost was worth telling him as much. It was almost funny, how startled he looked.

“Take your seat, Saito.”

Hitomi nodded, doing so without any ache coming from the back of her head, and moved to do as ordered. “Yes sir, Mr. Aiz—“

Hitomi twitched, slowly looking to her right. And standing behind their teacher’s desk was—

“Why are you here?! You should be resting!” Hitomi choked out, pointing accusingly at Mr. Aizawa. “You can’t use your arms! And can you even see through the bandages?!”

A very brief flash of red confirmed that he could, and that he didn’t appreciate her skepticism of his abilities.

“ Take your seat .”

She scrambled to do so, practically throwing her backpack under her desk before sliding into her chair. Their teacher was intimidating before the USJ attack, no way were any of them going to challenge him now .

“As I was saying,” Mr. Aizawa started again now that the whole class was present, “your fight isn’t over.”

Hitomi tensed, looking back over her shoulder to see a matching expression of apprehension on Momo’s face. She knew that if she had to get right back to a training exercise on the same day that she was made fully better, Nori was going to have an aneurism.

“Our fight?” Bakugou parroted lowly behind her.

“Don’t tell me—“ Midoriya breathed anxiously.

“Not more bad guys!” Mineta quaked, holding his head in fear.

Mr. Aizawa stared them all down through his bandages. “The UA Sports Festival is about to start.”

Hitomi clenched her fists atop her desk, lips parting.

The sports festival… it was a huge deal. But at the same time, she knew personally how overblown it was. Neither of her parents ever ranked that high during their time at UA, but they still wound up making big names for themselves.

Did that mean Hitomi wasn’t going to give it her all and more?

Take a wild guess.

Kirishima pumped a fist in the air. “Let’s go kick some ass!”

Kaminari put a hand in the redhead’s face, pushing him down slightly with an apprehensive look. “Wait a second.”

Jirou carried on for him. “Is it really such a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after the Villains snuck inside?”

“They could attack once we’re all in the same place.” Ojirou pointed out.

Mr. Aizawa sighed. “Apparently, the administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled, and our school is safer than ever. Plus they’re beefing up security compared to past years. This event is a huge opportunity for all students at UA. It’s not something we can cancel because of a few Villains.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, but why not? It’s just a sports festival!” Mineta rebutted.

Midoriya turned in his seat. “Huh? Mineta, don’t you know how important this competition is?”

“Of course I do, I just don’t wanna get murdered.”

While Mr. Aizawa went on to explain how important the festival was, Hitomi studied her desk with a frown. Nori was going to have a fit once he heard about this. And she wasn’t looking forward to it. Then there were the extra steps she didn’t even know how to take to be allowed special clothes to wear, so she wouldn’t flash the audience after use of her Quirk.

This sports festival was already proving to be work.

By the time she refocused on what their teacher was saying, he had moved onto a topic she actually knew a lot about.

“It’s true that joining a famous Hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity. That’s why the festival matters.”

Hitomi felt another bout of that guilt brought by her privileges. The only other person in the room likely to inherit an agency of their own was Todoroki. And even then, it wasn’t the same as Hitomi. On her eighteenth birthday the rights and ownership of Excel-lency would be fully transferred over to her solely. A gift left behind by her parents in their will.

What teenager could say they owned their own agency?

“If you wanna go pro one day, then this event could open the path for you. One chance a year. Three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring Hero can afford to miss this festival.” Mr. Aizawa narrowed his eyes, and for a split second, Hitomi was sure they landed on her. “That means you better not slack off on your training.”

She gulped, ducking her head in shame.

“ Yes sir! ”

As soon as the bell rang, dismissing class, Hitomi whipped out her phone and opened one of her top contacts.

(Aunt Rumi!! ❤️)

Hey, I need to your help with something
but only if you’re not busy (^_^;)

I’ve always got time for you
babycakes, whatcha need?

You remember the time you told me about
how you trained for your first sports festival?

Oh ho ho, I’m picking up on what you’re
putting down. I’ll be over tonight to drop
them off for you. But I warn ya, you’re
gonna hurt like a bitch for weeks.

You don’t have to stop by! I know
how tight your schedule has been!

Nah, it’s an excuse to see my
adorable baby niece.

What about Ayami? Lol.

Her too ヽ(´ー｀)┌

Thanks Aunt Rumi! ＼(^o^)／

—

And just like that, Hitomi felt a little better about the sports festival.

After an intense declaration from Uraraka about her doing her best at the festival, the class split into groups and made their way down to the cafeteria. Momo had to lead Hitomi along as the pinkette kept her eyes on her phone, texting Ayami a list of high protein groceries to pick up. She was going to have to butter up Nori to get him to make her hearty meals in the days leading up to the sports festival, already imagining the look of deadpan refusal on his face as soon as he caught wind of the event.

Hitomi figured he wouldn’t support her training plan so easily, the young man familiar with the extreme lengths Aunt Rumi would go, which she was now mimicking.

“I wonder what he wanted with Deku.”

Standing in the line of Lunch Rush’s cafeteria, Hitomi turned her head slightly, her ears pointing back in the direction of Uraraka’s voice behind her.

“I heard that when All Might was attacked by Villains during the USJ incident, Midoriya tried to stop them himself. Perhaps that’s what this is about.” Iida theorized with her.

Hitomi kept looking ahead, brows furrowing in curiosity, her head tipping to the side subconsciously.

“Oh yeah!”

“Also, remember what Asui said on the bus?”

“That power of yours. Isn’t it a lot like All Might’s?”

Yeah, and the smell of panic on Midoriya as soon as she pointed it out. That part was still tripping her up.

“Since their Quirks are so similar to each other, it’s possible that All Might’s taken a liking to him. How lucky!”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Hitomi wondered how someone with such a powerful Quirk, that even gained the attention of the number one Hero, could be so nervous all the time with so little self confidence.

There were so many questions regarding him and All Might, some of which overlapped. But Hitomi put them out of mind, heading over to the table Momo already claimed.

It wasn’t like it was any of her business. Especially considering she wouldn’t appreciate someone prying into her own affairs the same way.

(But that didn’t stop her from later noticing how Midoriya now also smelled of green tea and hospital soap. With the faintest undercurrent of bile mixed with blood. Something entirely different from his own scent.)

At 3:20pm the class packed up to head home, making idle conversation as they did. It all came to a hushed standstill, though, when Uraraka opened the classroom door.

“U-um… why the heck are you all here?!” She floundered in front of the packed hallway, staring at the large crowd blocking them off.

“Do you students have some sort of business with our class?” Iida gestured stiffly at them.

Hitomi leaned sideways, peeking past the class rep and blinking at the throng of teens.

“Why are you blocking our doorway? I won’t let you hold us hostage!” Mineta said angrily, pumping his fist.

Unexpectedly, their resident hothead was one of the only ones to remain totally calm, sauntering over to the door with a look of disinterest

“They’re scouting out the competition, idiots. We’re the class that survived a real Villain attack. They wanna see us with their own eyes.” He stopped in front of them, glaring them down. “At least now you know what a future Pro looks like. Now move it, extras.”

Hitomi stifled a giggle. Ah, so she wasn’t the only one he called that.

Iida chopped his arm through the air repeatedly. “You can’t walk around calling people “extras” just because you don’t know who they are!”

“So this is class 1-A.”

Hitomi looked toward the new voice, straightening when she saw a certain head of hair making its way through the crowd.

“I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the Hero course delusional, or just you? How sad to come here and find a bunch of egomaniacs.”

The accusation went in one ear and out the other for Hitomi, who bounded over while Bakugou growled in fury.

“Hey, it’s you again! With the pretty hair!” Hitomi stood next to the enraged blonde, her hands clasped behind her back and a gleeful smile on her face, an absolutely opposite image to the boy standing next to her.

The purple haired boy blinked lazily at her, then focused back on the rest of the class, pointedly ignoring her.

“I wanted to be in the Hero course, but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life.”

Bakugou scoffed, while Hitomi frowned in sympathy.

“I didn’t cut it the first time around, but I have another chance. If any of us do well in the sports festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the Hero course. And they’ll have to transfer people out to make room.” The purple haired boy narrowed his tired eyes at each of them, sans one particular pinkette. “Scouting the competition? Maybe some of my peers are, but I’m here to let you know that if you don’t bring your very best, I’ll steal your spot right out from under you. Consider this a declaration of war.”

The boy and Bakugou stared each other down wordlessly, neither one’s gaze being exactly friendly.

It was easy to miss with him standing by so many people, but the scent of desperation clung heavily to the purple haired teen.

Hitomi blinked at him, and for a second a flicker of something familiar flared in her mind, before petering out.

“Hey you!” Jumping out from the packed hallway, a silver haired boy with thick pale eyelashes raised a fist to the air. “I’m from class 1-B next door to you! We heard you fought some Villains, and I came to see if that was true. But you’re just a bunch of brats who think you’re better than us! Talk all you want, it’ll just be more embarrassing when you’re KO’d!”

Bakugou turned away from the loud 1-B student to walk through the crowd like they weren’t there.

“Don’t you ignore me!”

Kirishima ran over to the blonde. “Dude, where are you going?! You gotta say something. It’s your fault they’re all hating on us, Bakugou!”

Bakugou glanced back at him over his shoulder. “These people don’t matter.”

“Huh?”

Bakugou’s voice now was even and calm compared to his usual. “The only thing that’s important is that I beat them.” Then he left, the students who were blocking the way parted to let him, a lot looking stunned by his gall.

“Hey! I’m coming for you!” The silvered haired boy declared.

Hitomi watched Bakugou until he disappeared in the sea of teens, then turned back to the one with beautiful hair. She gave a start when she saw he was already staring at her. Mind blanking for some reason, she awkwardly waved with a sheepish smile.

The purple haired boy’s throat bobbed with a swallow, and he turned on his heel, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked away without another word.

Her hand lowered, and her lips parted.

Behind him, mingling with the desperation, the smell of something akin to longing drifted by.

I wonder why.

Chapter 12: Let the games begin

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Here they are! As requested!"

Aunt Rumi proudly held up a dusty dufflebag, the muscles in her arms rippling visibly.

When she dropped it, Hitomi was fairly certain that it cracked the foundation.

"Oh no, absolutely not." Nori shot down immediately, shaking his head and wondering if he was the only sane one around. "Ayami, you can't seriously be thinking about letting Hitomi do this?"

The white haired woman hummed contemplatively, holding her daughter. "Well… Rumi did it when she was Hitomi's age, she can probably—"

"Definitely." Aunt Rumi interjected, snatching Hana away to give her sister's arms a break.

"—definitely handle it."

Hitomi beamed, diving for the bag and unzipping it.

Nori muttered something about 'maniacs' and 'health insurance getting dropped' and sighed. "She just had her head cracked open like a walnut! And I'm starting to think it's because the Villain mistook it for one! It's an easy slip-up!"

Aunt Rumi crouched lowly next to Hitomi, casually holding Hana as if she was light as a feather. "Why didn't you ask Yaomo to make you some?"

Hitomi pulled out the first one, wincing at the sheer weight. "Making tungsten takes a lot out of her. One of these would probably take a day alone, not to mention four. How heavy are they again?"

"Sixty pounds each."

Nori choked.

Two ankle weights, and two wrist weights. Hitomi was meant to wear them all the time, only removed when sleeping and bathing. It was an idea Aunt Rumi got from an old anime about ninjas that she saw as a kid.

"Wear these up until the night before, and you'll kick some major ass."

Hitomi nodded determinedly, securing the straps.

She had to push herself. Had to bring her body to its limit. The USJ was a wake up call that was dearly needed, and in a way she was thankful for it. The weak Villains she took down with Aoyama had gone to her head, making her overconfident and reckless when facing off with the real-deal. She very easily could have died that day, and almost did, if that exposed-brain Villain had thrown her down any harder. She had to become stronger, while keeping herself in check to not foolishly challenge anyone who was her better.

Over the next two weeks UA left its facilities open for the students to use in training, including the gym, and mock city they did the battle simulations with All Might in. Lunch times were heavily forgone in favor of taking the time slot to get some extra work in, and the cafeteria almost looked barren because of the lack of students eating there. The area outside that they had done the Quirk tests in their first day was claimed by many of the emitter types, such as Bakugou and Kaminari, who could use the wide open space to unleash their Quirks without fear of causing any damage to buildings or people.

While Hitomi focused on the physical side, Momo spent much of those two weeks held up in her room, memorizing every book she could get her hands on that would tell her how to make certain items. Hitomi also managed to convince Nori to make plenty of fatty meals for the girl so she could store up plenty in preparation. It was imperative that she have enough lipids to make whatever she may need.

Then their time was up. And they awoke the morning of the festival.

Hitomi bounced on the balls of her feet, dressed in jean shorts, sneakers, and her father's old grey UA hoodie. Slung over her shoulder was a mint green dufflebag carrying her gym uniform, ready to be changed into once inside.

Her arms and legs felt light, almost like they could float away, after fourteen continuous days of being weighed down. It was hard to tell at first if it did much, but then that morning she nearly accidentally threw Hana into the air instead of just playfully lifting her up.

"Alright, you got everything you need? Gym clothes, snacks for Momo, a sports drink, your phone, what else…?"

Hitomi's tail wagged at her brother's fretful support. "It's all there! I gotta go! See you later!" Then she took off.

Nori reached after her, standing by the entrance of the festival with Ayami and Hana. "Ah— hang on a sec… and she's gone." He sighed, then after a moment of silence, peered thoughtfully at Ayami. "You think they have anyone selling dragon's beard?"

Hitomi raced past the seemingly hundreds of stalls, mouth watering at all the delicious smells coming from every direction. But she was running late, and didn't have the time to grab a quick bite.

But then she flew by a crepe stand, and came to a halt.

She could smell strawberries.

...Maybe if she was fast about it.

One hastily placed order and impatient wait later, Hitomi jogged to the stadium while trying not to make a mess of herself from all the toppings threatening to spill over. Just as she was shoving the last bite into her mouth, crushing the paper plate up to tuck in her pocket until locating a trash can, she heard a woman's voice call out.

"Hey kid, which stall did you get that from?"

Hitomi swallowed, turning toward the direction it came from. "I—"

It was lucky she had finished getting it all down, because otherwise she would've choked.

Mount Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms approached her, the two men following the blonde woman with resigned expressions.

Kamui Woods sighed, putting a hand over his masked face. "Do you plan to eat everything here?"

Mount Lady narrowed her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"U-uh, it was about halfway down that way," Hitomi pointed back from where she came, "between a ramen stall and a dragon's beard one."

Mount Lady smiled, giving Hitomi a casual pat on the head. "Thanks kid."

"Yeah, no problem." Hitomi dazedly watched the three newer Heroes start to walk away, when she remembered something about a certain classmate.

"Ah, wait!" She unzipped her dufflebag, rifling around in it for something specific. "Could you three do me a quick favor for a friend of mine?" She found what she was searching for, pulling it out and holding it up for them.

The three Heroes easily agreed, taking the offered item one at a time. After they were done she thanked them profusely before dashing off to the stadium again, now sufficiently late.

The waiting room door flew open, slamming loudly against the wall, giving several of her classmates a start.

Hitomi panted, now dressed in her specialized gym uniform, her previous outfit taking its place in the dufflebag instead.

"Where have you been?!" Momo hissed, wringing her hands in stress.

Hitomi chuckled guiltily, scratching the back of her head. "Ah, well, you see…"

Momo's face fell flat. "You stopped for food, didn't you?"

"Crepes." She nodded. "Yes."

Momo sighed tiredly.

She went on to lecture Hitomi about how important it was to have a proper breakfast, especially with how dire it was for her to eat well to use her Quirk for very long. All the while, Hitomi absently nodded, slowly peering past her at a certain freckled classmate. Once she figured Momo was done, she mumbled "yeah sure," and slipped away, heading over to him. Leaving Momo to question her taste in best friends.

Midoriya was muttering something frantically to himself, hand held up to his chin. The few words she could make out clearly were "power", "prove myself", and "am here", making it fairly obvious what he was stressing over. (At least that's what she thought.)

When she stopped to stand in front of him and he gave no reaction, Hitomi cocked her head and slowly extended a hand out, her index finger pointed. She soundly poked his bicep, brows shooting up when it felt like it connected with solid stone.

How could someone with such a soft face and unconfident scent be so thoroughly jacked?

Midoriya yelped, snapping his head up to face her, hands raised in premature apology.

"A-ah, sorry! I was just—"

Hitomi giggled, shaking her head. "You know Midoriya, for a Golden Retriever, you're really high-strung."

Midoriya blinked, completely thrown. "Golden Retriever?" He considered it for a beat, then straightened when he remembered something. "Oh, like how you called Kachan a Pomeranian on the bus?" He kept his voice low, anxiously eyeing his childhood friend across the room.

"Mm!" She liked that he recalled something as small as that. "It's easy for me to recognize people's personalities as dog breeds. Scents have a large hand in it."

"Scents?" His hands twitched as if he was holding a pen and wanted to write something down.

Right, that reminded her, she had a reason for coming over to him

"Oh yeah, I have something for you."

Midoriya floundered. "W-what? Me?"

"Mm." Hitomi nodded, opening her bag and retrieving a notebook, very carefully ripping out one page along the perforation. "Yeah, I overheard you talking to Iida the other day about Kamui Woods and his recent team-ups with Mount Lady and Death Arms, and wouldn't you know it, guess who I ran into on the way here."

Midoriya carefully took the offered paper, holding it so lightly between his fingers as if he thought he would rip it by accident. "Saito…"

Scrawled across the paper were three signatures, belonging to the three aforementioned Heroes.

Hitomi preened at the awe in his voice. "I thought you might like it."

"I— I don't know what to say! Thank—"

"Everyone!" Iida swung the door open just a bit more subdued than Hitomi had. "Get your game faces on! We're entering the arena soon!"

As if he was waiting for that as his queue, Todoroki approached the green haired teen with a look of borderline disinterest.

But his scent was laced with withheld anger. Hitomi could only hope it wasn't actually aimed at the person he was currently staring down.

"Midoriya."

"Hey, Todoroki. What's up?"

The fur on her ears and tail stood on end as the room fell silent, almost everyone turning to listen to what Todoroki had to say.

"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you."

Midoriya winced, head lowering in timid agreement. "Uh— um, yeah."

"However," Todoroki narrowed his icy gaze, "you've got All Might in your corner, helping you out."

Midoriya gasped quietly, and just like that, there was that smell of panic that came with keeping secrets again.

Todoroki plowed on. "I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two. But know that I will beat you."

Going by his voice, and scent, Todoroki was telling the absolute truth. Or at least his version of it. He really didn't have a doubt in his mind about winning, and for whatever reason, it felt entirely different from how Bakugou spoke of beating everyone in the packed hallway two weeks ago.

"What's with all these declarations of war lately?" Kaminari tried easing the tension, chuckling uncomfortably.

Kirishima put a hand on Todoroki's right shoulder, frowning defensively on behalf of Midoriya. "Yeah, what's the big deal? Why are you pickin' a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started—"

Todoroki roughly batted away Kirishima's hand. "We're not here to be each other's friends." He turned and started toward the door. "Don't forget. This isn't a team effort."

Hitomi wanted to call out to him, and argue that it was. If they all graduated and became Heroes, it was important for them all to know how to work well with one another, but Midoriya's soft voice called out to him first.

"Wait a second, Todoroki. I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you'd need to tell me that you'll beat me. And yeah, of course you're better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the Hero course. That's why you got in so easily."

Kirishima tried waving him off. "Midoriya, maybe you're being a little hard on yourself, and us."

"No." Midoriya's mouth fell into a firm line. "He's right, you guys. All the other courses, they're coming for us with everything they've got. We're all gonna have to fight to stand out." Midoriya lifted his head, and there was something fierce shining in his eyes when he leveled them on Todoroki. "And I'll be aiming for the top, too."

Todoroki's expression didn't change, but his tone was lower when he responded.

"Fine."

"Hey! Make some noise, all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras prepped, media hordes! This year we're bringing you some of the hottest performances in sports festival history, guaranteed! I've only got one question before we start this show: Are you ready!?"

Present Mic's voice boomed over the stadium, echoing down the corridor the class marched through, heading toward the light on the other side.

"Let me hear ya scream, as our students make their way to the big stage!"

Stepping through the arching doorway, Hitomi's ears went back at the deafening cheer the crowd gave at the class's entrance, accompanied by fireworks shooting off above. Just in case a camera was on them, she struggled to keep the smile on her face from twisting into a grimace at the nearly painful influx of noise.

A slender hand slipped into her own, and she squeezed it gratefully.

Hitomi glanced around the stands, knowing there was no way she could spot her small family from down below, but it was worth a shot. It helped in knowing that even if she couldn't see them, they could see her.

The smile turned into something more genuine.

"Welcome back to the annual UA Sports Festival! Where up-and-coming Heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame and celebrity! This first group are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a Villain attack, the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid-gold skills! The Hero course students of Class 1-A!"

No pressure, right? Hitomi could practically hear Nori chiming snidely to her.

"They haven't been getting nearly as much screen time, but this next group is still chock full of talent! Welcome Hero course Class 1-B!"

Hitomi looked to her right, watching the class she had yet to meet any of.

"Next up, general studies classes C, D, and E!"

A flash of dark lilac had Hitomi scoping out the general students, barely spotting the head of messy purple hair weaving in the masses.

"Support classes F, G, and H! And finally, business classes I, J, and K! Give it up for all of UA's first-year contestants!"

Once the horde of students were standing in front of the high podium in the center of the field, the year's umpire, Midnight, cracked her whip to grab their attention, as if she didn't already have it.

"Now, the introductory speech!"

Kirishima dipped his head, his cheeks flushed. "Uh, someone should talk to Ms. Midnight about what she's wearing."

Kaminari nodded, his face a matching shade. "Yeah, that costume should come with a warning."

Hitomi frowned, cocking her head. "What? Why? What's wrong with it?"

Mineta's eyes widened, almost seeming to pop out, and he took a sharp inhale as if he was preparing to go on an eager spiel. "It's—"

One of Jirou's earphone jacks shot out, piercing into his forehead before he could get another word out.

"Silence everyone!" Midnight ordered over the sound of the crowd's pleased reaction to her, and Mineta's pained shriek. She snapped her whip again once it quieted down. "And for the student pledge, we have Katsuki Bakugou!"

"Ah— he's the first-year rep?" Midoriya gawked, as did most of the class.

Bakugou ignored them, face settled into a seemingly calm expression as he made his way up the podium.

Sero scratched the back of his neck. "Guess that hothead did finish first in the entrance test."

A brunette girl from the general department sighed in irritation. "Only for the Hero course exams."

Midoriya looked down guiltily. "Oh, right."

"That girl obviously hates us." Sero whispered uncomfortably.

Kaminari pouted, glowering up at their explosive blonde. "Yeah, and we've got Bakugou to thank for them not liking our class."

Said teen reached the top with Midnight, standing in front of a microphone. While ascending the steps his hands never left his pockets, which Hitomi thought was needlessly dangerous.

Glancing a bit down, she noticed something she hadn't before, thanks to them now being in her direct line of sight.

"I just wanna say… I'm gonna win."

Hitomi put a finger to her mouth, speaking as though everyone around her hadn't just erupted into outrage or disbelief. "I like his shoes. It's a pretty shade of orange on the black."

Momo covered her face. "Hitomi…"

"Hm?" She blinked cluelessly at her friend. "Is something wrong?"

All Momo could do was sigh.

Notes:

F.Y.I. Don't ever dive headfirst into wearing super heavy weights. It's dangerous and will only hurt you. If you ever do this sort of thing, start small and slowly work your way up.
That being said, this is anime, and these are superpowered children, so take it with a grain of salt.
(And yes, it's 110% inspired by Rock Lee. I feel like he and Hitomi have a lot in common personality wise, which may be because he's my all-time favorite Naruto character.)

Chapter 13: Plan horsey

Chapter Text

The giant screen hanging high in the stadium changed, now reading: first game.

"Without further ado, it's time for us to get started!" Midnight announced. "The first game is not what you could call a small one. This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the festival!" She raised her hand, pointing her whip up at the screen, which now showed a sort of slot machine, blurring around at an intense speed with building music playing. "What could it be?"

The music came to a head, cutting off as the slot settled on the chosen game.

Hitomi beamed.

Obstacle race. Perfect.

"Ta-da! All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest. The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. I don't wanna restrain anyone, at least in this game." Midnight licked her lips with a giggle. "As long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires! Now then, take your places, contestants!"

A doorway much larger than the ones the classes had all filed through lit up three bulbs at the arch, and everyone quickly headed over to it.

Hitomi excitedly turned to Momo. "Hey, how about we execute Plan Horsey?"

Momo's brows furrowed. "Hitomi, we never agreed on it being called that."

The first bulb went out with a loud buzz.

"What's wrong with calling it 'Plan Horsey'?"

The second light went out.

Momo squeezed her shoulder. "Later."

The last light went out.

"Begin!"

The classes bursted into chaos. Everyone charged forward without much thought, causing the massive doorway to become clogged despite its size. And Hitomi was reminded of the incident on their second day, when the media tripped the alarms.

This time she didn't make the same mistake of covering her ears, keeping her right hand clasped tightly with Momo's to avoid separation. With how close everyone was being pressed up against each other, she would have to wait until they reached the other side of the doorway to initiate the plan.

"This— ah, t-this is the first obstacle!" Momo grunted, getting pushed around roughly.

Oh, that made sense.

Suddenly Hitomi's ears went back, and her canines bared.

Momo knew that look well enough. So when the pinkette wordlessly jumped, tucking her legs close, Momo copied her. Good thing too, as the floor was instantaneously overtaken with ice not a second later, leaving almost half of the contestants frozen in place.

"Come on!" Hitomi surged forward, dragging her friend through the stationary students, now with reckless abandon.

When they ran through to the other side, they were met with even more stuck students, with the ground now a smooth sheet of slick ice.

Hitomi was glad she bothered to wear shoes.

Bakugou and Aoyama used their Quirks to launch themselves over the last cluster of the crowd, and Momo followed suit. She gripped Hitomi's hand like a vice, and produced a steel pole out of the palm of her free hand, vaulting them over. Though Hitomi's added weight made the move clumsier, and they both stumbled upon landing.

"I won't let you get away so easily! You icy-hot bastard!" Bakugou roared, propelling himself through the air with well-timed explosions.

"Mo, we—" Hitomi came to a full stop, halting her friend as well.

"Hitomi, come on!" Momo urged, pulling on her hand.

Hitomi's mouth fell open, her eyes wide and fearful, while her ears twitched and followed the approaching sound of—

Gargantuan tactical robots, with their sights locked on everyone. One of them surreptitiously swatted Mineta out of the air like a fly, foiling his attack on Todoroki.

"Targets acquired. Terminate them."

"Eh?" Hitomi stared wide-eyed up at the giant green robots, letting herself then be jerked back by Momo all while she kept on gawking at them.

"Oh! Enemies have shown up out of nowhere!" Present Mic's voice broadcasted over them. "I bet we're in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning, it's a robo inferno!"

"Are these the zero-point Villains from the practical test?!" Kaminari sputtered somewhere to their left.

The what?!

Hitomi was suddenly very much glad she had been recommended.

"Where'd the school even get the funding for these things?" Momo hissed incredulously.

Todoroki, the one furthest ahead, leaned down, touching the ground with his right hand. Ice sprang up around him, and he threw his right arm upward as if tossing something. The ice shot out, hitting and freezing the robot before it could get any closer.

The whole thing was covered in his ice. And he carried on as if he hadn't just shown the incredible power he possessed.

"Look, between the legs! We can get through!" A student in the back of the crowd pointed out.

Hitomi tried to charge forward, but Momo held her back with surprising force.

But before she could ask what was wrong, she barely caught what Todoroki said to them over his shoulder.

"Careful now, I froze them while they were off balance."

The robot's arms broke off, the cold making the metal more brittle. It careened— sure enough —right over them.

"Plan Horsey!"

"Wha—" Momo yelped as Hitomi dove and stuck her head out between her legs from behind, standing and lifting the ravenette onto her shoulders.

Undaunted as it threatened to fall on and crush them, Hitomi aimed for the open space the random student called attention to, kicking off her shoes and running unhindered even with the girl riding her.

The robot slammed into the ground with a boom, pushing up a huge plume of dust

When the girls emerged from the dust on the other side, Momo was riding Hitomi— now in her Akita form. Hitomi barreled forward, absently hearing Present Mic yelling about Todoroki's skill, but not listening.

All that was on her dulled mind was getting herself and Momo through the finish line.

(And that the stupid gym uniform felt uncomfortable and restricting.)

Momo, well used to being in this position, knotted her hands in the thick fur of Hitomi's neck, tugging in the direction she wanted them to go, much like pulling reins on a horse.

A barrage of crackling explosions sounded from above, Bakugou flying past them overhead.

With Hitomi's enhanced speed, they began to gain on Todoroki, something that Momo considered the merits of.

"Slow down." Momo pulled two fistfuls of fur. "If we overtake him, we'll become a target."

Hitomi followed the order without hesitation, slowing to a trot, a few of their classmates catching up to them. But Momo didn't seem worried.

Sprinting through the empty portion of course between obstacles, Momo made a handful of smoke bombs, tossing them back to obstruct the sight of the other contestants behind them.

They turned left, and found themselves at the second obstacle.

Momo paled.

A canyon. Somehow, UA set up an actual miniature canyon as part of the race. There were scattered pillars, with thin taut wires connecting them together, making it clear what they were expected to do.

"Alright, we need to—" Momo started, yelping when Hitomi began to back up a fair distance from the drop off. At first she thought Hitomi was just scared, and wanted to get away, but then Momo felt how her muscles tensed in preparation. She only had a second to hold on tighter before Hitomi launched forward, and leapt from the edge onto the closest pillar, barely managing to land on it.

Momo panted, her stomach somewhere lower than normal, and panicked when she felt Hitomi gear up for another jump.

She wrenched Hitomi's fur back. "Heel!"

Hitomi froze, and sat obediently. Momo slid off of her back, trying to catch her breath.

"Okay… we're doing things my way this time." The ravenette stated with no room for argument.

Releasing her Quirk, Hitomi shrunk down and changed back, standing from her spot on the ground. She scratched the back of her neck sheepishly, flinching at the sting of the abused skin.

"What now?"

Momo pursed her lips, glancing back at the students who reached the canyon after them. An idea came to mind, but she was a bit hesitant to suggest it.

However, they were already far behind Todoroki and Bakugou, and would be overtaken soon if they didn't act fast.

With a sigh, Momo held her hands out in front of her stomach, producing a sturdy rope, a zip-line hook, and two harnesses.

The pinkette's eyes lit up at the items, catching on to her friend's plan.

The rope was tied around Hitomi's waist, then the zip-line hook. Both harnesses were fixed tightly on them and attached to the obstacle wire. Then Momo would hold onto the hook, and Hitomi would be in front of her, crawling the wire connecting the pillars, and pulling her along. Momo wouldn't even have thought of bringing up the idea if it wasn't for Hitomi's habit of crawling the monkey-bars upside down when they were kids.

Carefully keeping from glancing at the monstrous drop, Hitomi crawled onto the wire, bending her knees and using them to catch the wire when she let herself fall to the side, swinging down to hang under it.

As she began the tedious process of slinking along, bringing her knees close to her chest, then stretching to reach with her hands as far as she could, and repeating the maneuver, Hitomi wished she had focused on some core muscle exercises during their two weeks.

"Hito! Doggy Hito!"

Ayami patiently bounced Hana in her lap, quietly shushing her. On the large screens high up in the stadium, the audience watched the race taking place outside. The camera had just cut to footage of Hitomi in her Akita form running with Momo riding on her back.

"She's faster."

Ayami looked to her right at Nori, brows raised at his comment.

He didn't elaborate, sitting with his arms crossed with an air of nonchalance. But the way he was intently watching the screen gave him away.

It seemed like those ridiculous weights were good for something after all, if her speed was anything to go by.

The announcer— who was a Hero Nori remembered being on the UA roster —introduced the second obstacle as the kids came to it.

"Oh you've got to be joking." Nori growled.

Because that wasn't an obstacle. That was a fucking safety hazard. The robots were bad enough, but now these children had to traverse an honest-to-God canyon?

"We should have enrolled her in Shiketsu."

"Well, it's too late now." Ayami weakly replied, holding Hana tight as she watched her pseudo-daughter reach the dangerous cliff.

Nori sighed irritably, waiting to see his sister change back, and follow whatever plan of action Momo cooked up— and oh Jesus Christ she actually just jumped.

"Are you fucking serious?!" He barked, shooting to his feet, staring in undeniable concern as her massive body just somehow managed to land on the first pillar, completely bypassing the wire that was meant for them to use.

"You absolute—"

"Nori! Language!" Ayami admonished before he could get a chance to finish.

Nori gestured to the screen with a look of outrage, a choked retort clinging to his throat.

"She's going to get herself killed!"

Ayami grabbed the hem of his jacket, pulling back down to his seat. "No, she won't. See, Momo's talking to her.

Nori huffed, slumping as he watched Momo say something to Hitomi— now human, then produce some gear he couldn't quite recognize due to the distance the camera was filming. With any luck, Momo had already concocted a plan to get them both safely across.

But then he was left staring at his sister dangling herself upside down over the killer drop.

I fu— freaking hate UA.

Hitomi's palms and crooks of her knees burned with a raw sting, the skin made red and irritated by the strenuous trek to the other side of the canyon. In the time it took her and Momo to finish getting through the obstacle, several others made their way through without losing any speed, overtaking them and putting an even larger distance between them and first place.

As soon as she had her feet planted back on the ground, Hitomi ripped the harness off, and startled Momo by shooting under her again, wasting no time reactivating her Quirk and barreling after the others with a vengeance.

She distantly heard Momo try to tell her something, but Hitomi ignored her, much to the ravenette's displeasure. Though, in her defense, it wasn't entirely her fault, driven by instinct rather than logic.

But it would have been nice if she had listened, as maybe if she did, she wouldn't have launched herself headfirst into the last obstacle.

Hitomi's right front paw came down, and a burst of pink exploded from the ground. She stumbled back, coughing and hacking as some of the colored smoke entered her lungs. Her paw stung worse than before, tingling with the signs of a minor burn.

"Hitomi, stop! It's a minefield!" Momo pulled her fur, urging her to back up even further, covering the bottom of her face in her elbow to keep from inhaling any smoke either.

The words didn't fully register, and Hitomi made the mistake of trying again, stepping forward— albeit slower this time —and triggered another mine.

A growl bumbled up from deep within her chest, scaring a few other contestants that were close by.

Momo leaned forward, looking down so Hitomi would see her face. "Hitomi," she started slowly, "it's a minefield. Bombs in the dirt, understand? Don't step on them, or they'll blow up. Take careful steps, and no more boom, okay?"

Hitomi slowly nodded, lightly jostling Momo leaning on her head.

When the Akita-girl went again, it was notably slower, her large paws finding the gaps big enough to put her weight down on without setting off any more landmines. She sniffed around the ground, finding the small traces of gunpowder in each explosive, and avoided them.

While she focused on not stepping on any more mines, Momo looked around, frowning at the amount of other students who had surpassed them. At the rate they were going, it was very possible that neither of them would continue on to the next game. So, with a weary sigh and silent apology to her friend, Momo made a snap decision.

"Hitomi."

The pinkette paused, lifting her head up to try to see her friend, but was unable to at the angle.

Momo's stomach glowed, and she winced at the dizzy spell that hit her from the effort of making something large. In her hands she now held a huge muzzle of sorts, that resembled something more like a gasmask.

"After I put this on you, I need you to run."

Hitomi whined confusedly, and Momo patted her head softly before fastening the muzzle on her.

Burying her face in her elbow once more, Momo lightly kicked Hitomi's sides, signaling for her to go.

Not able to question her friend, or having any forethought to even try, Hitomi took off, taking on the breakneck speed she was going before they reached the canyon. Of course, with the reckless abandon, the mines she landed on went off one after the other. The muzzle did its job, keeping the pink smoke out of Hitomi's heaving lungs, but nothing shielded the pads of her paws. Fortunately, a convenient side effect of her racing forward so fast, was that some of the mines didn't activate in time, minimizing the blow to them.

"Just like that, a new student take the lead!" Present Mic crowed over the loudspeaker, drawing attention to the two boys almost at the end of the mine-obstacle. "The media here is going crazy! There's nothing they love more than an upset! Hey, hey, hey! The rest of the competitors are catching up too!"

Momo glanced back over her shoulder, biting back an uncouth swear at the horde of students filling into the minefield. There was a fair chance they could fall behind any number of them.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an exponentially larger explosion rocked the ground, with a blinding cloud of pink smoke bursting obscenely high into the sky.

"What's with that huge explosion in the back!? That was way more powerful than it should be!"

Hitomi came to a stumbling halt, her ears tucking back with a pained whine at the deafening blast. Momo urgently tried to get her to continue on, thankful that the unexpected explosion distracted everyone enough for them not to be passed.

Then, to stun everyone even further, they all watched what was very clearly a student sail through the air, launched by the force.

"What. Just. Happened!? Whatever the case, Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya is suddenly in hot pursuit of first place!"

How could he tell who it wa—

"Scratch that! The lead is his!"

"Damnit," Momo spat, deciding it was a waste of precious time to baby Hitomi, not with everything at stake, "Hitomi, fetch!"

The Akita-girl's head snapped up, locking her sight on the still flying Midoriya, and charged. Momo held on tight, hunkering down and practically wrapping herself around her friend like a koala to keep from getting knocked off. With her sole focus on chasing Midoriya, Hitomi bounced around to haphazardly avoid other contestants, and outrun the mines, her eyes never leaving the slowly descending boy.

Bakugou shifted his focus onto Midoriya, predictably, leaving Todoroki to rush after them. He prioritized speed, making an ice path for himself to run on, despite it giving other contestants the ability to use it after him. Something that Momo wasted no time in steering Hitomi to do.

"Look at that plot-twist! Those two aren't fighting anymore! They're chasing Midoriya! That's what having a common enemy will do in this competition! This fight is still far from over, though!"

But the boisterous commentary may have been too soon, as Midoriya lost his momentum, and came falling down over the other two boys. But as if to prove that his earlier stunt wasn't shocking enough, he flipped midair, holding onto the cord attached to the robot's panel he had picked up, and swung it down between on the ground the two under him.

A boom, and blast of pink smoke knocked aside Bakugou and Todoroki, while also giving Midoriya one last boost forward. Though his landing (finally) was less than graceful, he hit the ground running, sprinting ahead without giving himself a moment to breathe.

"In a stunning move, Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1-A! I don't believe it— he cleared that minefield in an instant! Eraser Head, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them!?"

"This has nothing to do with me. Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."

"There you have it, Eraser Head is a terrible teacher!"

"I'm what?"

"Come on Hitomi, fetch. Fetch!" Momo cried, kicking Hitomi's sides, desperately egging her on.

Hitomi panted through the mask, lowering her body closer to the ice covered ground to add just a bit more speed.

Up ahead, Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki all entered the tunnel back into the stadium, ensuring their places in the top three.

"Who would've imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises!? The first to make it back into the stadium, and is the first-place winner… is our champion, Izuku Midoriya!"

The closer they got to the looming entrance, the harder Momo's heart raced. And by the thundering she could feel in the taut muscles beneath her, it was safe to say that Hitomi was feeling the same way.

"The contestants are pouring in, one after the other!"

Come on…! Almost…!

Hitomi jumped forward, and was shrouded in the shade of the tunnel. Their heavy breathing suddenly sounded deafening, echoing off of the concrete walls on either side, somehow adding more unneeded pressure. But then, with one last push, they made it through to the other side.

Hitomi came to an unsteady stop, ducking her head at the bright light, and cacophony of cheers coming from the audience. The sight, the sound, even the smell, it all became so overwhelming so quickly.

Momo recognized the signs of sensory overload, hurriedly sliding off of her friend's back, and undoing the mask.

With it off, Hitomi took in gulps of air through her mouth, slowly shrinking back down to her normal size. Biting back a feeble whine, she crouched down, closing her eyes and covering her ears, curling herself into a tight ball. In that moment she really didn't care how she looked, she just needed everything to soften.

Momo ran a soothing hand over her back, keeping her touch light.

"Let's hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results!"

"The first game for the first-years is finally over, and what a game it was! Now let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?" Midnight took back the loudspeakers from Present Mic's enthusiastic narration from the commentators' box.

Hitomi, still breathing through her mouth and covering her ears, cracked an eye open.

On the large screens popped up a chart, showcasing the scorings.

(Class 1-A) Midoriya: 1st place.

(Class 1-A) Todoroki: 2nd place.

(Class 1-A) Bakugou: 3rd place.

(Class 1-B) Ibara Shiozaki: 4th place.

(Class 1-B) Juzo Honenuki: 5th place.

(Class 1-A) Tenya Iida: 6th place.

(Class 1-A) Hitomi Saito: 7th place.

(Class 1-A) Momo Yaoyorozu: 8th place.

—The hand left her back.

(Class 1-A) Tokoyami Fumikage: 9th place.

(Class 1-A) Eijirou Kirishima: 10th place.

(Class 1-A) Sero Hanta: 11th place.

(Class 1-B) Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: 12th place.

(Class 1-A) Mashirao Ojirou: 13th place.

(Class 1-B) Yosestu Awase: 14th place.

(Class 1-A) Tsuyu Asui: 15th place.

(Class 1-A) Rikido Sato: 16th place.

(Class 1-A) Mezo Shoji: 17th place.

(Class 1-A) Ochako Uraraka: 18th place.

(Class 1-A) Mina Ashido: 19th place.

(Class 1-A) Koji Koda: 20th place.

(Class 1-A) Kyoka Jirou: 21st place.

(Class 1-B) Sen Kaibara: 22nd place.

(Class 1-B) Kosei Tsuburaba: 23rd place.

(Class 1-A) Denki Kaminari: 24th place.

There were many more names after that, a lot of which Hitomi didn't recognize. It was gratifying to see all of her class up there.

"We made it into the top twenty." She huffed a tired laugh, turning her head to smile up at her friend.

But the heavy expression on Momo's face made her falter.

"Momo?"

The ravenette jumped, blinking and looking down at Hitomi.

"Right… we made it."

Before she could ask about the strained tone in her voice, Midnight continued on.

"Only the top forty-two will advance to the next round. But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut. We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine, hm." She licked her lips with a low chuckle. "Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best!" She snapped her whip toward the screen once more. "Let's see what we have in store for you next. Will your wildest fantasies come to life? What could it be? The waiting is torture. Prepare yourselves… for this!"

The slot on the screen stopped, settling on—

"Cavalry battle? I'm terrible at those." Kaminari groaned.

"It's not an individual event. I wonder how they'll split us up." Asui mused.

"Allow me to explain." Midnight gestured to the screen, which now depicted— hilariously enough —All Might riding Thirteen, and Present Mic. "The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit. In theory, it's basically the same as a regular playground game. But there is one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course."

"I get it, a point-based system, like the entrance exam. That seems pretty simple." Sato surmised.

Hitomi stood, approaching where her classmates clustered together.

"So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it." Uraraka said, and Hitomi tried as subtly as she could to motion for her to shush before Aunt Nemuri—

"Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you!" The Heroine snapped her whip irately.

Too late.

"Now then, the point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, 42nd place is worth five points, and 41st place is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the first place contestant is… ten million!"

Huh, did the crowd smell like bloodlust there for a second?

"That's right," Midnight went on, despite most of the contestants all pinning their focus on the frozen Midoriya, "it's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"

Yeah, it definitely smelled like bloodlust.

Chapter 14: Making friends

Chapter Text

"First years!" Midnight crowed, pointing her whip at the screen. "These are the rules you'll abide by. The game itself will last fifteen minutes. Individual point values will be added together to reach your team total. Everyone will know how much you're worth thanks to your headbands. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team's score. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up, so the more you steal, the harder it'll be to manage them. And another thing, even if your headband gets stolen, or your team falls down, you can keep playing until time's up!"

Hitomi grinned widely. This was the perfect game for her. Her Quirk acted as a one-man team all on her own, so all she needed was a rider. And she already knew who that would be.

"This is going to be rough. You may use your Quirks as much as you like. But there are still rules! Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card. You'll be disqualified!"

Somewhere from her right, Hitomi heard Bakugou scoff.

The screen changed again, showing a timer.

"Now, you've got fifteen minutes to build your teams. I recommend you get started!" As soon as the last word left Midnight's mouth, the timer began ticking down.

Before Hitomi could even move toward Momo, a voice called out from the crowd.

"Hitomi!"

The pinkette jumped, blinking at Ashido as she came charging at her.

"Team up with me please! Your Quirk was made for this!" Ashido gripped her biceps and shook her back and forth.

"Uh, sorry Mina," she said, assuming they must be on a first-name basis now, "I'm doing this with Momo. Ah! But you can join us if you'd like!"

Mina perked up, but then furrowed her brows confusedly, looking around. "Um, where is Yaoyorozu? You two are usually right next to each other."

Hitomi whirled around, floundering when she saw Momo gone. A quick scan of the surrounding crowd gave no sign of her either.

"She… she must've thought I was following her, heh." Hitomi sheepishly tugged on her hair. "I'll go look."

Mina opened her mouth to say something, but Hitomi missed it, rushing off into the masses of contestants. A glance at the screen told her that she only had thirteen minutes to find Momo, and listen to any strategy she would come up with.

But the more and more teams she passed, the tighter her chest became. Even Mineta had already found a team in Shoji, and it looked like Asui was joining them. Mina was over by Bakugou and Kirishima now, showing off her Quirk animatedly. That was good, she would do well on a tough team like that. Sato was talking with Ojirou and a still sick looking Aoyama. And there was still no Momo.

Hitomi stopped, taking a deep breath through her mouth. If Momo were with her, she would be telling her to count to ten and relax. But instead, Hitomi was left to anxiously tug and twirl her hair.

"Saito!"

For the second time, Hitomi gave a start, looking to the approaching person who shouted her name.

Midoriya, closely tailed by Uraraka, stopped in front of her, his eyes alight with such determined fierceness that it took Hitomi aback.

"Will you join our team? With your Quirk in play, Uraraka could make you weightless, essentially turning you into an untouchable tank with your speed." Midoriya pressed on, leaving Hitomi to gape like a gasping fish. "With my ten million points, we wouldn't need to go after anyone else's headbands, all we'd need to do is evade."

"U-um… sorry Midoriya, I'm teaming up with Momo. Have you seen her?"

Both Midoriya and Uraraka's eyes widened, before they winced and glanced at each other.

A pit formed in Hitomi's stomach. "Is something wrong?"

Uraraka turned her gaze to the ground, and Midoriya frowned sympathetically.

"She… already joined a team. We saw her with Iida."

Hitomi nodded uncomprehendingly. "Huh, I wonder why she wanted him to work with us."

"No, Saito," Uraraka spoke up, "she's on a team. With Iida, Todoroki, and Kaminari."

Hitomi stared, the knot in her stomach turning into a ball of hot lead. "Oh…"

Despite their sound strategy, neither of them tried to stop Hitomi when she turned and walked away, able to see the hurt and confusion on her face.

Trudging through the crowd, all Hitomi could wonder was if she had done something wrong. Or if she had somehow missed Momo telling her a plan to split up. But she didn't, meaning she left Hitomi on her own without a word of warning. Hitomi wasn't sure what she was feeling, something too cool to be anger, and too resigned to be betrayal. She was just… confused.

But then she caught a passing wisp of lilac in her vision.

Her feet were taking her over before she could think better of it.

"Hey! It's you, the guy with the beautiful hair!"

He stopped, his back to her. But it was most definitely the same guy. She wouldn't mistake such a pretty color.

After a moment where he didn't move, either onward or to peer over his shoulder at her, Hitomi darted to stand in front of him, met with the tired eyes she saw two weeks ago.

"You're still in the game! That's great. You're hoping to transfer into the Hero course, right?"

Hitoshi squinted at her calculatingly, masking the way he was taken off guard by her sudden appearance. "Why aren't you with a team?"

Saito masked a flinch with a strained giggle, something that didn't go unnoticed. "Ah, I don't have one yet."

Now his eyes narrowed sharply. "Your Quirk, it's some kind of transformation, right? Into a big dog."

"Akita Inu, yes." She nodded in confirmation.

"Seems perfect for a game like this."

"...One would think." Saito shook her head, as if to banish any negative thoughts. "Anyway! I never introduced myself," she shot a hand out with a bright smile, "my name's Hitomi Saito. It's nice to meet you!"

Hitoshi took her hand, shaking it slowly. "Hitoshi Shinsou."

Saito perked up, her tail swinging. "Hey, our names sound really similar! And our initials match! I wonder… is your favorite color pink?"

"Why do you think my hair is pretty?"

"Because, that color's my favorite!"

Before Hitoshi could answer, Midnight's voice called out in warning.

"Five minutes left to assemble your teams!"

"Ah! I have to go, maybe Midoriya will still take me." She mumbled the last bit to herself.

Hitoshi swallowed, a conflict warring in his mind. It would be so easy, and her Quirk was so perfect for this challenge. But this was the girl. The first person to ever learn of his Quirk and not recoil and clam up in fear of being used. And that's what she would be if he did this. Used.

The question came down to, what was he willing to do in order to get into the Hero course?

"Saito."

"Mm?" Saito stopped her anxious mumbling.

(Just ask her to team up.)

Hitoshi clenched his fists tight, reveling in the pinch of his nails digging into his palms. He deserved the pain for what he was about to do.

(She doesn't know you. She'll say no.)

"We've met before. When we were kids."

Saito stared, and he stared back. It was quiet, even the talking of the other contestants seeming to fade away. Then, Hitoshi watched as her eyes widened in remembrance.

"You're—"

Saito's voice trailed off, her face going slack, and her eyes— those fuchsia eyes —went white and sightless. Any vibrant cheerfulness Saito perpetually carried with her, was locked away in a now mindless husk of herself.

Hitoshi took a measured breath, steeling himself. He made this bed, now it was time to lie in it.

"Turn into your Akita form."

"Mm…"

Hitomi lifted her head slowly, her senses filling in one by one. Sound, smell, sight, touch, and finally the cottony taste on her dry tongue. She felt… weird. Like she was going to float away, but with soreness weighing her limbs down.

A hand appeared in front of her, and she didn't hesitate in taking it, using its help to hoist herself up. When she thought to bother to check who it was, she was met with tired eyes. For a split-second, she thought of Mr. Aizawa, but no, it was Shinsou.

Shinsou, who was wearing several headbands around his neck.

"In first place, Team Todoroki!"

Hitomi snapped her head up to the commentators' box, not understanding how the winners could already be decided. The game hadn't even…

"In second place, Team Bakugou!"

Her ears went back, and she slowly turned to Shinsou.

He pursed his lips, looking off to the side, as if unable to meet her questioning gaze.

"In third place is Team Tetsute— wait, what?! It's Team Shinsou? When did they come back from the dead?"

All Hitomi could do was stare at the scoreboard, her brows low and mouth agape. Sure enough, the top four teams were Todoroki, Bakugou, Shinsou, and—

"And in fourth place is Team Midoriya!"

"Were… were we on a team?"

Shinsou gave a single nod.

"Ah." Hitomi croaked numbly, mind and body reeling.

The cavalry battle was over before it even started, and she and Shinsou apparently made it into the next round without her conscious help. Well… that wasn't a great feeling.

"These four valiant teams will advance on to the final round! Now, let's take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See ya soon! Hey Eraser Head, let's grab some food."

"I'm taking a nap."

Shinsou didn't offer her any words, taking off the headbands and brushing past her. Hitomi watched silently, unable to come up with anything worth saying. They won. So what did she have to be upset about?

"You could've just asked me."

Shinsou stopped in his tracks, his grip on the headbands tightening.

"Yeah." He didn't try denying it.

Hitomi's shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh passing through her lips.

"Yeah."

"He did what?!"

Hitomi kicked her bare feet lightly, absently wishing she had Quirk-adaptive shoes. "It's not really that big a deal. We won—"

"He stole your bodily autonomy! I'm gonna come down there and break that kid's—"

"Nori!" Ayami's voice crackled through the background.

A staticky sigh sounded through the phone, followed by an irritable mumble, too low to make out.

Hitomi smiled faintly at the show of protection, touched and a bit validated. She was still concerned that she had done something to make Momo upset, so without her around to talk to, she did the next best thing and called Nori. His reaction to the situation was expected, but still reassuring.

"Thanks, Nori."

"...Have you eaten anything? You should eat."

She bit back a giggle at his lame attempt to shift the focus away from her gratitude. "No, not yet."

"Idiot, go eat! You've used your stupid Quirk twice already."

She was feeling low on fuel. The first round was taxing enough, and there was no way to know how hard she worked during the second, only aware that it lasted for fifteen minutes.

"Okay, okay, I'll eat. And don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'm just a little… out of it."

"Yeah, not surprised. Now shut up and rest."

There was a click, and dial-tone, something Hitomi was used to. Nori never cared for talking over the phone, and was always the first to hang up, so she didn't take it personally.

Feeling marginally better, Hitomi stood from her chair in one of the waiting rooms, tucking her phone away back in her bag. Despite her promise to get some food, she was reluctant to go into the cafeteria, knowing there was a fair chance of Momo and/or Shinsou being there. She had some fatty snacks in her bag, but those were for Momo, and her bottle of Pocari Sweat would only go so far. So she went for the next best thing.

Standing in front of a snack food vending machine, Hitomi wondered to herself how furious Nori would be at her for not getting some actual food. Then she proceeded to get four large packages of melon pan, and decided it was something he didn't need to ever know.

The first one was gone in a flash, her hunger not making itself known until she actually began eating. The sugary treat was good for her in the short term, but she would need some protein soon enough. The second one went the same as the first, washed down with gulps from her drink, and she was just opening her third when she rounded the corner and came upon a strange sight.

Bakugou was leaning against the wall, staring straight ahead with an expression she had never seen on him before. It resembled shock, and something that teetered on the edge of pensive. Very strange on Bakugou's ever-scowling face.

She stuffed half of the melon pan in her mouth, slowly approaching. Then, she heard something come from the next hallway down, just to the right of Bakugou.

"I was overwhelmed." Todoroki's cool voice carried from the hallway.

Her mouth fell open, the melon pan clumsily caught in her hands. Anything she was about to say was halted by Bakugou. His eyes were on her now, as he raised a finger to his lips. It stunned her to see him so quiet, and lacking his usual snarl, enough so that she obediently fell silent, coming up to stand beside him and listen.

"And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago. Iida and Kaminari… Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami… Uraraka… none of them felt it. In that moment, I was the only one who could sense your true power. It reminded me of something. Experiencing All Might's Quirk."

"O-oh yeah? Okay… Is that all?" Midoriya stammered, revealing himself to be the person Todoroki was confronting.

Oh, she felt like a terrible friend for eavesdropping like this.

"I'm saying, the power coming from you felt the same as All Might's."

There was that smell again. That spike of fear, and panic, and guilt, and desperation. The faint sound of his heart grew loud and fast enough for her to hear. For whatever reason, Midoriya reacted strongly every time the comparison came up.

"Midoriya, tell me… are you really All Might's secret love-child or something?"

Hitomi choked on her melon pan, her plight to breathe while not coughing and hacking went ignored by an apathetic Bakugou.

After receiving no response after a few stunned seconds, Todoroki pressed. "Well, are you?"

"Wha— No, no way! That's not it at all! B-but I guess even if I was I'd totally say I wasn't, so you probably won't believe me no matter what, I bet. A-anyway, I promise, you've got the wrong idea!" Midoriya rambled. "And… why would you even think that about me?"

All Might turned to Midoriya, saying something that made the teen flail and talk animatedly with his free hand.

"That power of yours. Isn't it a lot like All Might's?"

"Smash!" He roared All Might's iconic battle-cry.

"You're pretty powerful," the hand Villain mused, "this smash of yours… are you one of All Might's disciples?"

Hitomi went cold. All Might, the number one Hero, was getting hurt by these guys. What could possibly make Midoriya think he could take them on?

"I wonder what he wanted with Deku."

"I heard that when All Might was attacked by Villains during the USJ incident, Midoriya tried to stop them himself. Perhaps that's what this is about." Iida theorized.

The Pocari Sweat bottle crinkled, clenched in her hand.

"That's not it at all is an interesting wording." Todoroki pointed out coldly. "It suggests there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about."

Midoriya sighed a shuddering breath.

"...My father is the Hero Endeavor. You must've heard of him."

Bakugou gave Hitomi a sideways glance, noticing the way she tensed up at the name.

"Which means you're aware that he's the number-two Hero. So if you're connected to the number-oneHero, All Might, in some way… that would mean that I have even more reason to beat you. My old man is ambitious. He aims for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a Hero. But he was never able to best All Might, so the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He's still at it though, trying to take down All Might. One way or another."

A chill went down her spine at the withheld fury in Todoroki's tone. The sheer disgust and hatred for Endeavor was palpable, even if she couldn't smell it on him.

"I'm not really sure what you're getting at." Midoriya admitted. "What are you trying to tell me, Todoroki?"

"...Have you ever heard of Quirk marriages?"

The bite of melon pan in Hitomi's mouth suddenly tasted like ash, and went down hard.

"They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships. They were simply viewed as old-fashioned arranged marriages. But, clearly, it was unethical. My father has not only a rich history of accomplishments, but plenty of money to throw at his problems. He bought off my mother's relatives to get his hands on her Quirk. And now he's raising me to usurp All Might."

"You pig!"

Hitomi stared heavily at the floor, wondering morbidly what her life would look like if her parents had considered Endeavor's offer. Her and Todoroki's hypothetical children could be incredibly powerful, with beastial and elemental powers thrown together to make something truly frightening. In a way, Endeavor's proposition made sense. If only they weren't children, and the goal wasn't so twisted.

"It's so annoying. I refuse to be a tool to that scumbag." Todoroki's voice trembled with malice. "In every memory of my mother, I only see her crying."

Mrs. Todoroki never came to any of the Hero banquets or parties, even on the rare occasion that the older Todoroki children were brought. Maybe that was why. Maybe she just couldn't bear to immerse herself into the life of her husband, the stress of what her children were being raised for constantly eating away at her.

Todoroki's voice shook with a different emotion when he spoke next. "I remember she called my left side unbearable, before she poured boiling water on my face."

Hitomi's breath hitched, her body slowly slumping against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the floor, curling in on herself.

"The reason I picked a fight with you, was to show my old man what I was capable of doing. Without having to rely on his damned fire Quirk. You see, I'm going to show him that I reject his power, and that I can take first place without using it." With that final declaration, Todoroki started to walk away, through the other end of the hall, exiting outside. "You're obviously connected to All Might. Even if you won't tell me about it. But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future, I will defeat you using only my right side. I can assure you of that."

Midoriya didn't respond, staying quiet until Todoroki was leaving to make his way around the stadium. When he finally moved, his red shoes thundered on the floor as he ran to catch up.

"Hey, wait!"

Hitomi pushed herself up, shoving the last bite of her third melon pan in her mouth. She leaned past Bakugou, unbothered by the glare he gave her, and peeked out into the hall leading outside. Both Todoroki and Midoriya were out of sight, but it was still easy to hear them.

"I'm only here because others have supported me. I've been really lucky. In fact, I've had even more help since I've come to UA. All Might is constantly saving people with a fearless smile. He's the greatest Hero, and I want to be just like him. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one. I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours. But still, I can't lose this either. I owe it to everyone who's supported me to try my best. You declared war on my earlier, well, right back at you. I am going to beat you."

Whoa, Midoriya's really going all in on this, huh? Well, he's made it this far.

A rough hand grabbed the back of her shirt collar, dragging her along without warning. She yelped, scrambling to follow Bakugou despite the awkward angle he held her at, forcing her to walk backwards. When he didn't let go, even with her cooperation, she slumped, letting her feet drag across the floor. Bakugou's stride didn't even falter, showing off that his Quirk wasn't the only strong thing about him.

"You grew up with Midoriya." Hitomi observed quietly, wishing she could see what kind of face he was making. "Did people always compare his Quirk to All Might's?"

Bakugou stopped, and for a second she naively thought he was going to answer. Instead he released her collar, letting her land painfully on her rear. To anyone else they would take this as the hint that it was, and while Hitomi was very much aware of the not-so-subtle brush off, she sprang back to her feet, hurrying to keep pace with him.

The thuds of rushed footfalls approached the two, until a figure came skidding out from the end of the hallway.

Hitomi blinked, perplexed at what her classmate was wearing.

"Mina…?"

The pink girl panted, though she now looked relieved. "Hitomi, we've been looking everywhere for you! Come on, we gotta hurry!"

"Uh, Mina, why're you wearing a cheerleader uniform?"

Mina shook her head, snatching up Hitomi's wrist, already pulling her along by the time she answered. "No time! Explain later!"

Hitomi stumbled, regretful that she didn't have the time to ask Bakugou anything more. Before Mina could yank her away down the next hall, Hitomi reached into her pocket, retrieving the last melon pan. With a glance over her shoulder, she tossed it to Bakugou, who caught it with a look of distaste.

"See you later, Bakugou!" She smiled, and let herself be stolen away.

Eavesdropping on a tragic backstory together meant they were friends now, right?

Chapter 15: Branching out

Notes:

Do you guys have any guesses as to what Hero name Hitomi is going to go by? I'd love to hear them if you do, and I'll mention your guesses in the chapter that the real one is revealed.

Chapter Text

"Cheerleading competition?"

Uraraka nodded, struggling to hold her pompoms without activating her Quirk on them. "That's what they said."

"Who's they?" Hitomi inquired, hiking up the orange skirt given to her. Momo had apparently made the uniforms for everyone, and thankfully knew Hitomi's measurements by heart at this point, after having to make so many emergency clothes for when her Quirk shredded what she was wearing.

"Kaminari and Mineta told us. Mr. Aizawa must've forgotten to give us the heads-up." Jirou fidgeted with her top, face flushed at how high the hem sat, just under her bust.

Alarms bells rang, but Mina was shoving Hitomi's top over her head before she could say anything, rushing her to get ready.

The uniforms were cute, bright orange, a white and green UA logo across the chest, with thigh high socks and yellow pompoms. There was just one problem. They had to be seen in them.

"Come… on… Hitomi!" Mina grunted, trying to shove the pinkette out the door.

Hitomi dug her heels in, whole body rigid with nerves. The skirt was short. The top was short. Her stomach was exposed. If she didn't stand perfectly straight she would show off her rolls. On live television.

"No. Nope." She frantically shook her head, grabbing onto the door frame to halt Mina's valiant efforts even further.

Mina groaned, giving up with a huff. Hands settling on her hips, she turned to Jirou.

"Go get Yaomomo."

Hitomi tensed worse.

"I-I don't think—"

But Jirou was already gone, running off to bring in their trump card. When she came back, Momo was beside her, frowning at the scene.

Hitomi resisted the urge to curl into herself, standing tall, and holding the door frame tighter.

"Could you all give us a moment?" Momo requested, never taking her eyes off of Hitomi.

The girls shared a few looks and nods, murmuring their agreement. Mina slipped out from under Hitomi's arm, going with Uraraka, Asui, and Jirou to head down to the field and wait for them there.

Once alone, Momo let out a deep sigh, making Hitomi wince guiltily. But what she said next threw her off guard.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joined a different team without telling you."

Hitomi's mouth fell open, but Momo wasn't finished.

"And because of my actions, you missed out on the cavalry battle entirely. And were used like a tool."

Ah, Nori must have told her what happened. She couldn't say she was surprised.

"...Why, uh… why did you pick a different team?" Hitomi slowly let her hands relax, sliding them down and off of the frame.

Momo fidgeted, her cheeks flushing. "I felt like… like the only reason I even made it this far was because of you. You did all the work in the obstacle course, and I was just, well, along for the ride."

Hitomi's brows lowered in a look of shock and disagreement. "But Momo, I've been relying on you too heavily."

"What? I've been the one relying on you!" Momo protested right back.

Hitomi frowned. "No way, alone I'm just a meathead with no direction. You're the one who shows me what to do."

Momo shook her head, a fist resting against her chest. "You're wrong! Without you, I'm just an encyclopedia. You're strong enough all on your own."

They paused, absorbing the other's outlook.

Hitomi's shoulders fell, her ears going back. "I'm not smart."

"And I'm not strong." Momo looked to the floor in shame.

After another short beat of silence, the ravenette took a deep breath and raised her head.

"Maybe… maybe this is what we need."

"Hm?" Hitomi cocked her head.

"We've always been there for each other. So neither of us have really had to branch out and get better at certain things." Momo gestured to Hitomi. "When I'm with you, I don't need to be strong. You have that handled."

"And when I'm with you, I don't need to be smart." Hitomi softly finished, understanding washing over her at what her friend was trying to get at.

"Exactly. I think that, to get better, we have to start doing things on our own. Or, at least without each other."

That was a bitter pill to swallow, but one Hitomi could see was needed. It never occurred to her before that being so close might hinder their own growth. With a start, she remembered the indoor combat training.

If she had been with Momo, she wouldn't need to broadcast what she was doing or thinking. Momo would have been able to recognize her body language and act accordingly. It was a dynamic Hitomi was so used to, that she had just assumed Ojirou could do the same, and was immediately proven wrong.

"If that's what you think is best." She slowly nodded, reluctantly accepting that this was the wisest course of action for the both of them.

Momo smiled reassuringly, but it was tight. "Hey, it's not like we won't be friends anymore. It just means we should make some more, who have similar drawbacks as us."

That sounded fine enough, but making new friends opened the door to them drifting apart, spending more and more time with the new ones as opposed to each other.

Momo outstretched a hand, that Hitomi grasped without hesitation.

"To becoming stronger." She said, shaking it once.

Hitomi swallowed. "To becoming smarter." She shook it back.

Momo knew everything about Hitomi, including her weaknesses. And never let it be said that she wouldn't use them on the pinkette. For instance, the ditzy girl was fully distracted once pulled into a conversation about any of her interests, making the rest of the world and any responsibilities fade away.

And that was how they wound up in their current position.

Hitomi hung onto the top of the entryway, her body weightless while the rest of the girls were trying to pull her the last five feet out onto the field. Momo had kept her from remembering what she was wearing, and where they were going all the way up until she saw the entrance back into the heart of the stadium. Her panicked mad-dash away was thwarted when the rest of the girls jumped out in an ambush.

"No!" Hitomi howled, her hands beginning to slip.

Uraraka had touched her so she couldn't run effectively, and Asui whipped her tongue out, wrapping it around her ankle, making the girl resemble a very displeased balloon.

"Come on, the sooner we do this the sooner it's over." Jirou tried reasoning.

Hitomi shook her head vehemently, grunting as Mina jumped up and clung to her waist, kicking her legs to try to weigh her down.

"Can't. Live TV. Uraraka, Asui, please! They'll see me."

"Call me Tsu." The amphibian-like girl was unmoved.

Jirou sighed, coming closer. "Let go, Ashido, I have an idea."

Mina dropped down and stepped aside, and before Hitomi could question what was about to happen, she felt a squeeze and a tug.

"Ah!" She shrieked, hands dropping from the top of the entryway in favor of grabbing onto her tail and pulling it close protectively.

"Go, go, go!"

Uraraka and Tsuyu didn't waste a second, both holding onto an ankle each, and ran through the entrance.

Hitomi whined, slumping in the air for a moment, before she tensed and straightened herself, sucking in.

"Release." Uraraka huffed, her cheeks lacking the usual rosing pink in favor of a clammy white. It made Hitomi feel a bit bad for making her use her Quirk for so long.

That was until Mr. Aizawa and Present Mic's voices came over the loudspeakers.

"What are they doing?"

"Uh, what's this? Looks like Class 1-A is goin' full-on fanservice!"

"What?! You tricked us? You're gonna regret this!" Momo raged at Kaminari and Mineta, who stood back, proud of their work. She dropped down, sitting on the ground in defeat. "Why is it I always end up falling for that little pervert's stupid schemes? I even used my Quirk to make these outfits."

"Ugh, I hate those guys!" Jirou growled, throwing her pompoms on the ground.

"I'm going to maul them." Hitomi stated, her whole face steadily growing warmer, and used her pompoms to hide her bare midriff. She eyed Jirou enviously, noticing how the shorter girl could cover her entire stomach with just her slender arms.

"What's the big deal? I'm pretty sure this uniform covers more than your Hero costume does." Mina innocently pointed out.

Hitomi twitched, a depressed aura blooming around her head.

"I think you made it worse, ribbit." Tsuyu observed, finger to her chin.

"Have fun competing in these little side-games, everyone!" The monitors changed to show a bracket with sixteen slots. "After they're over, the sixteen students from the top teams will be duking it out one-on-one in a tournament-style fighting competition!"

Hitomi cocked her head, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. If she remembered currently, and hadn't messed up the basic math, then there were only fourteen students in the four winning teams.

"I promise you're not gonna wanna miss these epic match ups!"

"Come closer and draw lots to see who you're up against." Midnight instructed, holding up what very well could've been the same box from the training exercise on their second day of school. "Then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start. The finalists have the option of participating in those activities or sitting out to prepare for battle. I'm sure you all want to conserve your stamina. But before we begin, you may have noticed the extra two spots in the bracket. As it were, there wasn't enough contestants in the four teams to make an even match-up, so we'll be adding two participants from the team who came in fifth place."

Hitomi glanced to the side, catching sight of a head of lilac hair. They won as a team of two, instead of the expected four person group, throwing everything off because of it.

Itsuka Kendou, the leader of the fifth-place team raised her hand.

"We were frozen most of the time. Honestly, we barely did anything in the cavalry battle. Isn't that right, girls?" She questioned her teammates, who nodded along in support. "You should choose from the group that kept fighting the whole time. Team Tetsutetsu."

Tetsutetsu, the boy who challenged and was subsequently ignored by Bakugou two weeks ago, gaped at the girl. "Kendou?!"

She shrugged. "I'm not doing this as a favor, it's just fair."

Tetsutetsu was clearly deeply moved by this, and shouted out his appreciation.

Between the team, it was decided that Tetsutetsu, and a girl named Ibara Shiozaki— who had a head of long vine-like hair —would take the two empty spots.

"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have advanced to the finals!" Midnight officially announced.

And with that, the slots were finally drawn by each contestant. None of the cards had actual names, which left them each wondering who they got until Midnight brought their attention to the screen.

"Take a look at the bracket, my dears! These are your opponents!"

With a series of chimes, all the blank windows were replaced with their names. Hitomi started to read them in order, and her stomach tightened already with just the starting match-up.

First to fight was Izuku Midoriya, versus—

Oh no.

Hitomi looked to the green haired teen, his intense expression telling her that he knew that this was serious as well.

—Hitoshi Shinsou. And it only got worse, because the next match was Shouto Todoroki versus Hanta Sero, so if Midoriya won his fight, and Todoroki won his...

A streak of lilac passed by, and Hitomi panicked.

"Midoriya!"

The teen jumped, startled by Hitomi's sudden call, and was only taken more off guard when she sprinted by, snagging his wrist and hauling him along after her.

"S-Saito! What—"

The shoes Momo made her skidded on the ground as she made a jarring stop, causing Midoriya to careen forward until she yanked on his arm and jerked him back upright.

"You're up against Shinsou!" She stated unhelpfully, her expectant face giving the impression that this information was in some way game-changing.

Midoriya scratched the back of his head, awkwardly pulling back his other hand. "Ah, yeah—" he straightened, her meaning clicking in his mind. "Wait, Saito, you teamed up with him for the cavalry battle! Could you tell me about his Quirk, and what to expect?"

Hitomi frowned, ears drooping, the sudden change making Midoriya flounder to undo whatever it was he did.

"I don't really know."

"What? But you—"

Hitomi hugged her middle, but not for the sake of modesty this time. "I mean, I do, I just… I don't know how it works exactly, or anything that goes on with it. I just know he calls it Brainwash."

"Brainwash?" Midoriya murmured to himself, then gasped quietly. He studied her with tentative concern. "Saito, did he brainwash you? To make you do the cavalry battle with him?"

Hitomi couldn't seem to lift her gaze from the ground. "Ah, w-well… yeah. I would have done it with him, if he just asked me, but… I guess he didn't think I'd agree."

"Are you okay?"

Hitomi cracked a smile, touched by his genuine concern over her. "Yeah, I'm fine." She was mostly just bothered that Shinsou had seen her as a Quirk to be used, and nothing more, but after smelling how much he longed to be in the Hero course, she really couldn't find it herself to be angry he did it. She understood his desperation, and following choices.

"Okay, so you don't know how he activates it?" Midoriya grew more serious, entering his theorizing pose, his hand to his mouth.

"Nope."

"Was he touching you?"

"No."

"Were you looking him in the eye?"

"Yeah, but not the whole time I was being controlled."

"Did he ask you a question?"

"N—" Hitomi's eyes widened, and Midoriya noticed.

"He asked you something? Did you answer?"

Hitomi frowned, nodding slowly. "Yeah, but before I could even finish the first word, the next thing I know, the battle is over."

Midoriya nodded once, then pumped a fist. "Right, that must be the trick, then. A question, and a verbal answer."

Hitomi shifted unsurely. "Just to be safe, I wouldn't say anything to him. We still don't know anything for sure."

Midoriya nodded again, staring at the ground thoughtfully. "Right." When he lifted his head, he was smiling much more confidently than his scent gave away. "Thank you, Saito, this helps a lot."

Hitomi flushed, sheepishly tugging on her hair. "Yeah, no problem."

With that dealt with, Hitomi came to the shameful realization that she hadn't even checked her own opponent, too focused on making sure Midoriya wouldn't immediately lose his match. Checking the monitor, she saw her name right after Todoroki and Sero's match, paired up against Mina. After them was Kaminari versus Shiozaki, Iida versus someone named Hatsume, Tokoyami versus Momo (oh that's not good) Kirishima versus Tetsutetsu, then the last one, Bakugou versus Uraraka.

Hitomi physically flinched. Not even the winner of that match would come out unscathed, she was sure.

Fortunately for her, it was only a second after she finished scanning through the bracket that the screen changed to text reading "recreation".

"Okay, let's press pause for a momentary interlude! Before the battles begin, it's time for some pulse-pounding side games!"

Present Mic announced the first game was a scavenger hunt, and despite having the keen senses to make such a game a cinch for her, Hitomi decided that getting some proper food was more important.

"Aren't you gonna make yourself sick?" About twenty minutes later, a very disturbed looking Ojirou questioned her in the cafeteria.

Hitomi, dressed back into her gym uniform, didn't give a verbal response, too busy trying to fit as much scrambled eggs into her mouth as she could. Lunch Rush had either been fearful or impressed when she asked for an entire carton cooked up, with a side— or rather, plate of sausage links to go with it, but his costume and mask made it hard to tell.

After making a mighty swallow, she explained. "My Quirk needs a full REM cycle of sleep, and large amounts of protein to work long, so if I wanna last to the final round, I need to pack it in." The next forkful stopped halfway to her mouth, the scent of burnt caramel drifting by. But when she looked around, she didn't see Bakugou anywhere in the cafeteria, and was left to assume it was just in her head.

She didn't notice the disappointed frown pulling down on her lips.

Chapter 16: Olive branch

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"I've never seen something so impressive, yet terrifying."

Hitomi pouted, face flushing in embarrassment. "Well, you didn't have to sit there and watch!"

Ojirou stared unblinking at the clean plates sitting around the table. "You just… ate it all. Like it was nothing."

Hitomi huffed, standing and crossing her arms. "W-well…" when she couldn't come up with a retort, her cheeks turned a vibrant rosy hue. "Whatever! Let's head to the stands."

Half of their class was already sitting in the box that was meant for Class 1-A when Hitomi and Ojirou arrived, watching Cementoss make the battleground. Hitomi scanned the seats, and considered sitting beside Momo, but thought better of it.

Make friends. Momo said to make friends.

She took a deep breath, and chose an empty seat by someone she recalled had the same drawbacks as her.

"Ah, hey, Saito." Kaminari awkwardly greeted as she sat next to him, obviously fearful of any lingering wrath from the cheerleader situation.

And while she definitely didn't appreciate the trick, she was willing to move past it for the sake of potential friendship.

"Hey!" Hitomi chirped back.

That was all it took for Kaminari to deflate in relief, a much more genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Thank you, Cementoss!" Present Mic said over the loudspeaker, as Cementoss finished his work. "Hey sports fans! Are ya ready!?"

The stadium cheered.

"After all the action you've already witnessed, it's time for the real battles to begin! Can ya feel the excitement!? Our competitors are on their own now! Sometimes, Heroes have only themselves to rely on!" Present Mic's voice lowered in what sounded like his attempt to sound edgy. "Heart. Skill. Strength. Wisdom—"

Hitomi winced.

"—Courage. They'll have to use all of these things to rise to the top!"

The four corners of the stage erupted with piers of fire, thrashing in a high inferno, then mellowing slightly.

"Alright, audience! Let's cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer! Welcome our first fighters!"

The screen changed to two portraits with a flashy "VS" cutting between them. In his picture, Shinsou looked calm and composed, while Midoriya was pale and stiff.

"Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn't he? It's Izuku Midoriya from the Hero course! Versus, Hitoshi Shinsou from general studies, who really hasn't done anything to stand out yet." Present Mic casually commented, then continued on with his spectator voice. "The rules are simple. Immobilize your opponent or force them outta the ring!"

Hitomi cocked her head. But the stage was a rectangle? Not a ring.

"You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries 'cause we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! So put your morals aside and don't be afraid to play dirty! But of course, no life-threatening crap, folks. It's not allowed! Real Heroes use their power to throw the Villains in jail, not kill them!"

Kaminari snickered, risking life and limb by nudging Bakugou snidely. The blonde on Kaminari's other side growled, a vicious red fury hovering visibly over his head. Kaminari smartly chose to shrink away, adhering himself to Hitomi's side for protection.

"I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough." Cementoss spoke from a concrete throne he made next to the battleground.

Midoriya stood straighter, and if she squinted, Hitomi could see Shinsou's lips moving.

She shot to her feet, ears flattening. "Don't—"

"Ready!? Begin!"

Midoriya ran forward, and to her dismay, she could hear him respond to whatever it was Shinsou said.

"Don't you talk about her that way—"

His angered demand cut off suddenly, and he froze mid-stride.

Hitomi held onto the back of the seat in front of her, staring in disbelief at how quickly Midoriya threw aside his plan to keep silent. Going by what he said, Shinsou must have berated someone Midoriya knew.

Midoriya must be a very protective friend, Hitomi mused, just to defend someone's honor like that, forgetting about how it would throw the match.

"Wah!? Hey, hey, what's the dealio!? This is the first match! It should start out with a bang! But the fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is completely frozen!?"

"Come on, Deku!" Uraraka fretted, standing with Iida.

"Why in the world isn't he moving?"

Hitomi frowned, fidgeting with her hands. "I think Shinsou's mind-controlling him. That's his Quirk."

"Wait, Saito, weren't you teamed up with that guy for the cavalry battle?" Uraraka asked with a lilt of concern.

"Yeah. When I was under it, it was like my body wasn't my own anymore. I think he could've had me do anything he wanted, really."

A bleed gushed from Mineta's nose, incoherent babbling falling from his mouth until Sero slapped some tape over it.

"He's not moving a muscle! And what's with that look on his face? Could this be a Quirk at work? Hitoshi Shinsou seems to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned! He didn't stand out in the first rounds at all, but it's possible Shinsou's crazy powerful!"

Mr. Aizawa— who it was easy to forget was commentating with Present Mic —went on to explain that while he isn't in the Hero course, it's not Shinsou's fault, but the faculty's for letting someone with such a powerful Quirk slip by, thanks to the impracticality of, well, the practical exams. It made sense, because a mental Quirk like his was impossible to use against the robots from the exam.

Hitomi sat back down, a heavy feeling in her chest.

"No I wouldn't! My big brother's got a scary Quirk and he's super nice, so I'm not scared of you neither!"

A part of her had always been glad that Nori detested the Hero career path (despite the heckling she regularly received) because if he had decided that he wanted to be a Hero, he would've been met with the same things that had clearly worn Shinsou down to the point that he was at now.

The last dregs of negativity lingering from being used in the cavalry battle, dried up. A hope for him to succeed in his goals replacing it.

But that didn't mean she didn't want Midoriya to win.

Slowly and rigidly, like one of those old wind-up toys, Midoriya turned and started walking toward the edge of the arena.

"What?! It looks like Midoriya's obeying him?!"

"Oh no, Deku, what are you doing?" Uraraka gasped.

Iida chopped his left arm tensely in the air. "He can't walk out of the ring! He'll lose the match if he does!"

Hitomi bit her lip, glancing between all of her fellow classmates. The only one looking unperturbed was Bakugou, who was instead… uninterested?

No, that wasn't right. Hitomi took a discreet sniff, and identified it with bewilderment. His scent was calm, with an undertone of… was that expectance? With the startling discovery, Hitomi realized that Bakugou must think that Midoriya was going to break out of the trance, and win the match.

Bakugou believed in Midoriya. At least, subconsciously he did.

Hitomi got the district feeling that if she brought this up to him, she would be promptly murdered.

Ten feet. Seven feet. Five feet. Two feet. One foot left, before Midoriya stepped out of bounds. His red shoes, the ones he always wore even with his costume, reached the barrier line, and one lifted to go over and finish the match. When out of nowhere, on Midoriya's left side, a small scale burst of wind kicked up dust and forced Midnight and Shinsou to shield their faces from the force. It was much less than what was caused by his all-out punch during the USJ incident, but it was still scary how powerful it was, given the fact that it hadn't even looked like Midoriya moved

"What's this?! Midoriya stopped just in time!"

The dust cleared, and both the toes of Midoriya's shoes flirted with the edge of white tape. The last-minute save was cheered for by the amazed audience.

"That's the way to do it!" Iida threw his hands in the air in celebration.

"Whoa, I was about to freak out!" Uraraka sighed in relief.

Hitomi stared, wondering just how he managed to do it, when she couldn't even remember anything after Shinsou activated his Quirk.

"You're not supposed to be able to fight back! What did you do?!" Shinsou shouted, sounding shaken.

Midoriya slapped his right hand over his mouth, ensuring he wouldn't let anything slip out again.

Shinsou visibly tensed, and said something again to try to get Midoriya to talk. But the green haired teen didn't utter a single sound, running toward Shinsou. He kept trying, getting louder with desperation.

"...But someone as blessed as you wouldn't understand that! You're lucky enough to have a heroic Quirk! It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal!"

Hitomi winced, her ears drooping in despaired sympathy. A whimper escaped from her throat, as Midoriya charged at Shinsou and physically began pushing him back toward the boundary line.

"You okay?" Kaminari caught the noise, looking at her in concern.

Hitomi managed to plaster on a smile. Nodding once. No one else heard the pained words Shinsou hurled at Midoriya, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. About the lilac haired boy, or about who he made her think of.

Midoriya took a right-hook to the face, and didn't falter, continuing to force Shinsou to his defeat. But Shinsou then aimed a fist at Midoriya's left hand— the one that he used to break from the mind-control, and ducked away, trying to turn the tables by grabbing Midoriya's shirt collar and heaving him over the line. Midoriya dug in his heels, gripped Shinsou's wrist, and used his momentum against him. In a move Hitomi recognized from the indoor combat training, Midoriya threw Shinsou over his shoulder, and slammed him down onto the ground on his back.

That's what he did to—

Yeah, the expression on Bakugou's face said it all.

It was the same move he used to trip up Bakugou at the beginning of their "Heroes vs Villains" mock fight, that ended up becoming worryingly real.

There was a stunned moment of silence, until Midnight raised a hand.

"Shinsou is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next match!"

The crowd erupted in elation, rightfully taken aback by the quick change of events, and Midoriya's unwavering determination to get Shinsou out of the arena.

"And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals! Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya!"

"Ugh, that was so nerve wracking!" Uraraka slumped in her seat.

"Turning the tables at the last second, a classic Midoriya maneuver!" Iida said with pride.

"He's pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?" Kaminari mimed the move at Bakugou.

"Shut your fucking face, Sparky."

Hitomi patted Kaminari on the shoulder, finding guilty amusement in the way he suddenly resembled a stone statue.

"Hitomi."

The pinkette leaned back in her seat, peering over to where Momo sat with Mina and Jirou.

"Now's your chance, he's leaving the arena." Momo said in a low tone, pointing down at Shinsou, where he was standing by the exit. The audience of Heroes near that area seemed to be discussing him.

Hitomi shot up, bolting out of the room. Momo must have gotten the same feeling from Shinsou that Hitomi did, and figured she would want to talk with the boy. And like always, Momo was spot-on.

A few of her classmates tried calling after her, asking where she was off to in such a hurry, but she didn't have the time to answer, not having any idea where Shinsou planned to go now that he was finished competing.

Using her senses, she ran through the winding hallways, nearly tripping over herself in her haste to slip away when she caught a whiff of fire and malice. Right when she was beginning to worry about missing Sero and Todoroki's match, she finally picked up the trail of cinnamon and longing.

Shinsou's scent.

"Hey! Shinsou!" She just about cheered when she rounded the corner and found him leaning against the wall.

He lifted his head, brows furrowing in shocked confusion.

She couldn't blame him, after all, she herself was surprised with how fast she put everything behind her.

"You almost won." Hitomi said the first thing that came to mind, still panting slightly.

Shinsou pursed his lips, fists clenching at his sides. "But I didn't."

Hitomi frowned, approaching and standing herself next to him. "No, you didn't. But I'm sure you will next year."

Shinsou didn't understand the olive branch she was holding out, shaking his head. "Why… why are you here? Talking to me?"

Hitomi inhaled deeply, letting it out with a shrug. "Well, I guess 'cause I wanna be friends before you transfer into the Hero course. That way I'll have a one-up on everyone."

The wrong-footed stare he aimed at her made her shuffle sheepishly.

"Friends?"

"Mm-hm!"

Shinsou scoffed, shaking his head again. "I used you for your Quirk. I made fun of you to get Broccoli Head to say something. And you seriously want to be my friend?"

Hitomi's shoulders fell. "A-are you saying you don't want to be friends?"

Shinsou blinked, then laughed. Throwing his head back, he laughed so hard tears came to his eyes.

But Hitomi could smell the difference between tears of laughter, and tears of…

"You— you can't be serious!"

Hitomi put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern pout. "Yes I am! I wanted to be friends when we were little, and I wanna be friends now!"

Shinsou slowly calmed, a strange look entering his eyes.

"So, you do remember."

Hitomi let her hands drop. "Oh, yeah. You gave me a flower."

"Daffodil." He softly elaborated.

Hitomi nodded slowly, then cocked her head. "Hey, Shinsou? How come you remember it so well? After all this time?"

The boy paused, turning his head to gaze thoughtfully at the wall across from them.

"...The answer to that, is the same as the one I gave Midoriya."

Hitomi opened her mouth, but Shinsou pushed himself off of the wall, and started strolling away, hands in his pockets.

"Shinsou!"

He halted, glancing back over his shoulder with a low "Hm?"

Hitomi pointed at him with the same intensity she did back in the hallway two weeks prior, when she complemented his hair for the second time.

"I expect to see you in the Hero course before our second sports festival!"

A drop of sweat beaded on his forehead in exasperation. "Don't you think that's not giving me much time?"

Hitomi huffed, crossing her arms. "No. I believe you can do it before we even change into our winter uniforms." She finished with a firm nod.

Shinsou sighed, but there wasn't any actual heat or annoyance to it.

Hitomi— satisfied with her work, went to leave, but before she could, Shinsou stopped again. Not looking back this time, he said one word in a low voice.

"Fuchsia."

"Huh?"

His shoulder rose and fell stiffly. "You asked me my favorite color, before the cavalry battle. It's fuchsia."

Hitomi blinked at his back, mind whirring slowly with the new information and what it meant.

"Ah man, my hair's pink, not fuchsia!" Hitomi lamented, tugging on said hair in dismay. "I don't even know what that color is!"

Shinsou looked back, an expression of vague disbelief on his face.

Hitomi shrugged, her despair already forgotten. "Guess the coincidences end there. Anyway, see you later!"

Shinsou watched her skip away, and not for the first time, wondered what the hell he was thinking.

"Midoriya!" Like an eager puppy seeing their owner again, Saito pounced on Izuku just as he stepped out of the infirmary.

A shout of startled fear was quickly muffled by his bandaged hand, and he barely heard an expletive hissed by All Might, who ducked back into the room before Saito could see him.

"S-Saito?" Izuku stammered after lowering his hand, pressing his back to the door, and prayed that she wasn't here to get treated by Recovery Girl.

"What did you ask Shinsou?" She barreled on, wide eyes pinning him unnervingly in place.

"Wha—"

"And what was his answer?"

Izuku swallowed, taking momentary relief in her disregard of the infirmary. "Ah, why, exactly?"

Saito sighed and slumped, making him wonder— again, what he had said wrong.

"I asked him a question and he said his answer was the same one he gave you so I was wondering what you asked him and what he said." She rattled off without a breath, any sadness swirling around her dissipating.

"O-oh, well. I asked why he wanted to be a Hero."

"And his answer?" She cocked her head, in a motion that reminded Izuku vividly of an expressive dog.

"He said," Izuku tried remembering the exact wording, which was easy, as they left something aching with solidarity in his heart, "that you can't help the things your heart longs for."

Saito seemed to soak this information in, staring contemplatively at the floor.

"Well, that doesn't make any sense." She broke the bout of seriousness with a pout and crossed arms.

Izuku knew he should try leading her away, that way All Might could sneak out, so he gestured for her to follow him as he carried on the conversation. He could have cried in relief when she obediently trailed behind him.

"What is it you asked him?"

Saito stopped, and Izuku bit back the urge to scream when he saw All Might scurry back into the infirmary again.

"Well, we actually met once when we were kids."

"Oh really." Izuku couldn't take his eyes off of the door, slowly creaking open again. He had never before felt so frustrated by his own idol and mentor.

Just stay in the room!

"Yeah, and he remembers it really well, apparently. So I asked why he did."

"D-did what?" Izuku stuttered, pulling himself back into the conversation after shooting All Might a warning glare.

(Something he would later think back on, then die inside.)

"Remember it well." Saito patiently reiterated, and suddenly Izuku felt like a jerk for not giving her the attention she deserved.

She gifted him several autographs— for no reason! And she was singlehandedly the reason he knew what to do against Shinsou.

Speaking of—

"Wait…" Izuku repeating everything she had said in his mind, and the answer Shinsou had given him. "...Saito?"

"Hm?"

"You asked why he remembered you?"

She nodded.

"And he said, indirectly, you can't help the things your heart longs for?"

"Yeah, like I said, it makes no sense."

Izuku, for only a fleeting second, was sure she was just messing with him. But Saito wasn't like that, and the frustrated confusion in her eyes was way too genuine.

She sighed, shrugging while oblivious to Izuku's incredulous stare.

"Oh well. Can't be helped, I guess. But hey, do you know what color fuchsia is?"

Izuku, thrown by the sudden topic change, nodded slowly. "Er, yeah, why?"

He only knew because his mother was always watching those home renovation shows, and that was a popular accent color for girl-themed nurseries. But standing across from her, Izuku only then realized that her eyes were also a bright shade of f—

"Well, when I asked him his favorite color, he said fuchsia. And I don't think I've ever heard of it before. Is it a green? It sounds like it's a green."

"It's… a sort of, pink, actually." Izuku haltingly said, not even noticing when All Might finally took his chances and fled.

Saito hummed, then hopefully twirled a strand of her hair. "Is it a light pink?"

"No. It's kind of… darker."

Saito's whole body drooped, and Izuku was still too taken aback to get worked up over it. But just like every time before, she righted herself again quickly, smiling like nothing happened.

"Ah well, that's too bad. Anyway, congrats on your match, and I hope your hand doesn't hurt too much!" She chirped— or maybe it would be more fitting to say she yipped, and flounced away. Leaving Izuku there to comprehend everything that just happened.

Once confirming with himself that— yes, that all just happened, Izuku felt a sting of guilt as he came to a conclusion that she could never hear.

Hitomi Saito was likely the least observant girl Izuku had ever met.

But, as he stared after her bouncing form, he decided that it really wasn't such a bad thing, on someone as cheerful and compassionate as his dog-eared classmate.

(The taunt during Midoriya and Shinsou's match, that I couldn't find a place for)

"My teammate for the cavalry battle," Shinsou started, grabbing Izuku's attention, "she came in handy for the challenge. Akita Inu. It's a pretty powerful Quirk. Too bad it's wasted on such an idiot of a girl."

(And yes, it almost physically pained Shinsou to add insult to injury after what he did to her)

Notes:

Okay, just to get this out of the way. Is Shinsou in love with Hitomi?
Not… exactly?
He met a sweet girl with hair as beautiful as she claimed his to be, who didn't hesitate to believe in his dream along with him, and didn't once falter in talking with him after learning his Quirk. This girl has been on his mind for over a decade, and in a way, became this idealized version of Hitomi that he built entirely in his mind. The kindness she showed him made it difficult to relent any affection he grew for her, and he couldn't stop from wondering how she was doing from time to time throughout the years.
Then there's the real thing. While he always hoped to meet her again (whether he'd admit it or not) he always expected to find this mature, intelligent, harmless girl. Instead he gets, essentially, the same little girl from that day, only now she could bench-press him. What he thought was childhood naivete and kindness, turned out to actually just be who she was as a person.
So, in a way, Shinsou's in love with the Hitomi he always imagined, and is still getting used to the real her. But once he reconciles the Hitomi he harbors attraction for, and the one standing in front of him, then the answer will be different.

Chapter 17: First match

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"That's… a lot of ice."

Hitomi nodded along to Kaminari's awed statement.

To say Todoroki went overboard for his and Sero's fight, would be a massive understatement. A glacier now sat on the field, arching skyward, and threatening to crush the audience nearest to it. And poor Sero stood half frozen, with frost covering what wasn't encased, taken out of commission before he could even do much. Todoroki didn't just beat him, he took a lot of prospective scouts' attention away from Sero completely.

"Sero has been immobilized. Todoroki advances to the second round." Midnight, seemingly unfazed by the frost covering half her body, announced.

As well meaning as it was, the crowd's chant of "Nice try!" Just sounded patronizing after such a merciless defeat.

"Man, Midoriya, you are screwed." Kaminari pointed out.

Right, now it was set in stone. Midoriya had to go up against Todoroki.

That… could end in a lot of bad ways.

Taking a deep breath, Hitomi held it, then released it stiltedly. She repeated this process a few times, until her hands stopped shaking.

"Welcome back to the finals, everyone! Sorry for that long wait! The insane amount of ice from the second match has finally been cleared, though! So it's time to welcome new competitors!"

The flames on the corners of the arena grew stronger again, signaling it was time to step out onto the field.

"While both these Hero course ladies look sweet and fluffy, they're both packin' a mighty punch! Class 1-A's acid-slingin' Mina Ashido! Versus, 1-A's resident guard dog, Hitomi Saito!"

Standing up on the platform, Hitomi shot Mina an unsure smile.

Her friend and classmate grinned back, giving a thumbs-up.

"No hard feelings after this?"

Hitomi stood straighter, the horrible nerves that were eating away at her gut receding. "Yeah!"

"Ready!? Begin!"

"Don't take this personally!" Mina was immediately on the offensive, globs of acid filling her hands.

Hitomi did the first thing she could think of, which was really all she could do. Charging at Mina, she transformed mid-stride, bounding forward in her Akita form. While it would turn her into a bigger target, and make it pretty much impossible to come up with any kind of strategy, it was the right move when faced off with a Quirk like Mina's.

"Huh!?" Mina stumbled back, staring at the several handfuls of acid she had thrown, now clinging to Hitomi's fur.

The smell of burnt hair stung her nose, but it was much better to have some singed and matted fur, than chemical burns on her bare skin.

Mina, now only a short distance away, panicked. Using her specialty gear shoes, she skated away on her acid. Retreat was all she could think of in the face of a gigantic dog with its sights set on her.

(Her brain unhelpfully reminded her that she had read somewhere once that Akita Inus were bred to fight bears.)

Hitomi changed courses clumsily in her lumbering body, but was back to closing in on Mina once she righted herself.

Then, in a move Hitomi couldn't have predicted in the form she was in, Mina spun to skate backwards, and flung another blob of acid right at Hitomi's face.

She reared back with a high pitched yelp, falling on her haunches while she tried to rub away the acid stinging her snout, where the fur was too short to offer protection. It could have been much worse, if it had gotten into her eyes. A ruthless move like that would have given Mina the match, but despite having Recovery Girl on standby, that still would have felt like taking it a step too far.

When Hitomi got off as much as she could, she lifted her head. Her eyes were watering from the sting and scent of the acid, but they found Mina easily enough.

The girl hadn't made a move, knowing very well that she was at a disadvantage, unable to physically force Hitomi anywhere when she was big like this.

Hitomi shook her head, standing. She just had to… what did she need to do? What were the rules?

Out— out of bounds? Past a big line?

Hitomi cocked her head to herself, and Mina took the motion as some sort of tell, widening her stance in preparation.

Hitomi zeroed in on the space between Mina's legs, something familiar tickling at the back of her mind.

Then a voice sounding suspiciously like Momo's whispered in head.

"Plan Horsey."

With an excited bark that startled Mina, Hitomi bounded toward her, tail wagging wildly.

Carry there! Carry there like Momo!

Mina stumbled back, not moving quick enough to get away in time.

Hitomi slipped her head between Mina's legs, craning it up to slide Mina down onto her neck. Mina sat facing backwards, and gripped fistfuls of fur to avoid falling off, too stunned to do anything else.

Hitomi dashed over to the nearest boundary line, sprinting hard enough to harshly jostle her unwilling rider. Just as she reached it— her front claws threatening to scratch into the white line, she came to a dead stop. With the momentum, she lowered her front half, and lifted up her back, effectively bucking Mina off and out of the arena.

The pink skinned girl grunted, landing painfully on her behind, and Hitomi cocked her head in concern.

Momo lands? Lands on her back-paws every time.

She couldn't understand why Mina didn't land on her feet, until she shrank back down and had the clarity to grasp that of course she wouldn't know how to catch herself, having never ridden Hitomi before, unlike Momo.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to throw you like that!" Hitomi anxiously fretted, offering Mina a hand up, which she thankfully took.

"Ashido is out of bounds. Saito advances to the second round!"

Hitomi flinched, almost having forgotten that this was a fight until Midnight declared it over.

"Don't sweat it." Mina waved her off, but grimaced slightly with a meek point to Hitomi's face. "Ah, sorry about that." Glancing down, the grimace worsened. "And that."

Hitomi's ears flattened, the crowds cheering suddenly sounding like jeering. "Ah, w-what?"

"You've got a little… burn, on your face. And, uh, your shirt."

Hitomi slowly looked down, met with the tattered singed remains of her gym shirt, which didn't do a thing to hide her light blue sports bra, or the naked expanse of her stomach. She blinked, face slack.

Is this shock? Is this what shock feels like?

"Come on, let's get you fixed up." Mina put an arm around her, leading her away into the stadium.

As soon as she was out of sight from the audience, and the cameras, Hitomi's shoulder fell from their raised position, and it grew a little easier to breathe.

"Recovery Girl first, or new shirt?"

"Um." Hitomi looked down, weighing her options. After having it pointed out, the burn on the bridge of her nose was throbbing incessantly, while at least she still had her sports bra intact. Besides, Recovery Girl was a sweet old lady. Mind made up, she nodded down the hall to their left. "Recovery Girl."

After having to treat Sero for mild frostbite, Recovery Girl shook her head at essentially the opposite problem, sighing about the reckless endangerment that happened every year.

Instead of taking away some precious stamina— considering Hitomi still had at least one more match, Recovery Girl just slathered on some antibacterial cream meant for chemical burns, and laid a white bandage over it. The cooling effect of the cream made Hitomi sigh in relief.

"Sorry again, I just panicked and threw it." Mina apologized once more while the girls went to slip into the waiting room for Hitomi's gym bag.

Hitomi shook her head with an easy-going smile. "Don't worry about it, it was a smart move."

"So was yours! The way you swooped me up and knocked me off." Mina mimed with her hands the way Hitomi got underneath her.

Hitomi's ear twitched skeptically. "Not really. I kinda just did what I always do when I need to move Momo."

"But you applied it to our fight! So, smart." She tapped the side of her head, opening the door with her other hand.

Hitomi huffed a laugh, deciding it wasn't worth the debate. If Mina wanted to think she was smart, then might as well let her. Sitting right where she left it, Hitomi went over to her bag, digging around and pulling out her father's old UA hoodie.

Mina stared at it curiously as Hitomi slipped it on over her head.

"That looks old."

"It is." Hitomi chirped, flipping her hair out from between it and her back. She pulled the oversized sleeves down over her hands, finding immediate comfort in the action. "It was my dad's"

"What? No way!" Mina gasped. "Your dad was a UA student?"

Hitomi hesitated, shuffling her feet. "Uh, yeah, he was."

"Is he a Hero?"

Hitomi bit the inside of her cheek, passing Mina and walking to the door.

"Yeah."

Mina paused, and it seemed like she could sense the change in atmosphere, because with a wry grin, she dropped it.

"Cool. Now c'mon, we're gonna miss Kaminari get his butt whooped." She ran past Hitomi, stopping at the door like it was some kind of finish line.

Hitomi let the topic shift with appreciation. "How d'you know he'll lose?"

"A gut feeling. I'll bet ya a thousand yen?" Mina wiggled her brows.

Hitomi giggled, following her out of the room. "Nah, something tells me you're right."

"I can't tell if this is good, or bad for me." Hitomi mused with a thoughtful pout.

In a display akin to what happened to Sero, but on a much smaller scale, Shiozaki beat Kaminari in a flash. She shielded herself from his electricity, then wrapped him up in her vines. In his now dumbed-down state, he couldn't put up much of a fight, cementing Shiozaki as the winner.

And now Hitomi had to fight her in the second round. That was going to be a hurdle.

"You better beat her, or you'll make me look bad." Mina slapped her on the back, carelessly putting on more pressure.

"Man, she's good." Jirou appraised.

"Guess he was right." A head of blonde hair popped over the wall between spectator boxes, and a boy with cold blue eyes leered at them. "That match really was over in just two seconds. I wonder if his real Quirk is the ability to tell the future. Hey, wasn't Class 1-A supposed to be so much better than us?" He spouted off without taking a pause, and cackled. Though, it was cut off with a grunt when the orange haired girl, Kendou, chopped him on the neck.

"Sorry 'bout him."

Hitomi hummed peacefully. "He seemed nice."

The classmates sitting around her turned to give looks of disbelief and confusion.

"I think we have different definitions of nice, Saito." Jirou sighed.

Hitomi waved her hands. "No, no, I mean. Sure he came off as super rude, but he smelled defensive. Like, in a protective way, you know? He must really care about his class."

This didn't seem to sway any of them, and their attention was grabbed by a certain green haired boy, scribbling away in his battered notebook.

"I've seen Kaminari in action— he's super strong. But Shiozaki placed fourth in the entrance exam. And those vines, I wonder if she's studied Kamui Woods' moves. Binding attacks can be really powerful. I hardly ever see anyone break out when they're used. It would be impossible to get close to her while avoiding all those thorns and vines. You'd have to find some way to tear them off or just hack your way through using brute force. Oh, but in order to keep you from doing that, she'd probably go after your hands first, so then what do you do?"

Hitomi was surprised when Bakugou didn't lash out at him, smelling the uptick in burnt caramel that she was learning to be a signal of his ire.

"Uh, maybe you should take a sec to relax before planning too many matches ahead." Uraraka lightly suggested, breaking him from his mumbling.

"Ah! O-oh, sorry! Sometimes I don't realize I'm talking out loud when I'm taking notes. I-it's not every day I get to see incredible Quirks from people outside our class."

Hitomi leaned forward, making Midoriya jump when she positioned her head right over his shoulder on his other side. "Well I think it's super endearing!"

Uraraka giggled on his left, nodding in agreement.

Midoriya flushed, hiding his face behind his notebook. He was brought out of his flustered state once he got back to talking about Quirks again.

"Uh, actually… I've been taking notes on everybody in our class, too!"

"Really? That's so cool!" Hitomi leaned closer, watching him flip through until he got to a part dedicated to Uraraka.

"Here's what I've got on your Zero Gravity, Uraraka."

The girl didn't seem to know how to handle the attention, stammering for a second. "Ya know, Deku, I've always known that you're amazing. You've got so much drive and focus in you. And the sports festival's reminding me of that." She finished quietly.

Hitomi itched to ask to see the page about herself, but Present Mic interrupted her chance.

"Let's keep pumpin' out these hits and move on! Time for the fifth match! Get ready to watch two new players duke it out! He's the kid with engines in his legs, Tenya Iida from the Hero course! Versus, a fully-equipped gadget dynamo. The Support course's Mei Hatsume!"

"So it's Hero class versus Support." Jirou summed up.

Tsuyu put a finger to her mouth. "I have no idea what this fight will look like."

"Uh, what's up with Iida?" Sato pointed out, curious over the things Iida was strapping to his body. "Where the heck did he get all that gear from?!"

Their class president was outfitted with some heavy-duty looking machinery, going down his legs, up his back, and even protruding over his shoulders like a pair of metal wings. It was strange for someone to give their opponent such an extra advantage, especially when you looked at the power imbalance between Iida and Hatsume in particular.

Hitomi mused that she must have had her reasons for giving the handicap.

After Midnight gave her approval of the gear, Present Mic called the start of the match.

Off like a shot, Iida ran toward Hatsume without delay.

The Support course girl didn't move, but instead—

"Bet you love how fast that gear makes you! Huh, Iida?"

The girl's voice was amplified, reaching the audience as if she was in the same commentators' box as President Mic and Mr. Aizawa.

"Don't your legs feel lighter than usual? That's to be expected. I designed those leg parts specifically to increase the wearer's speed and mobility. But of course—" when Iida reached her, she didn't have to move out of the way herself, her bulky backpack shooting a piston out into the ground, simultaneously shifting her to dodge, and tripping up Iida. "I can still easily evade you with my hydraulic attachments!"

For a little over ten minutes, poor Iida was subjected to being the unwilling participant of an impromptu commercial for Hatsume's gadgets, paraded around using her gear, and also foiled by her gear. Thoroughly showing off all of the innovative devices she created, before she willfully exited the stage.

"Uh, Hatsume stepped out of bounds, so Iida advances to the next round."

While the crowd cheered commiseratingly, Hitomi looked past Midoriya— who was mumbling to himself again, and at Uraraka. The brunette rose from her seat, slipping away without anyone's notice.

Except for Hitomi.

The pinkette weighed her options. She could go check on Uraraka, and maybe give some words of encouragement, as she was probably worrying about her own fight coming up soon. But…

"We're gonna charge right along to the sixth match! Offense and defense in one! The dark samurai and his darker shadow! From the Hero course, Fumikage Tokoyami! Versus, the great creator! She was admitted because of recommendations and I think we can all see why. Also from Class 1-A, Momo Yaoyorozu!"

Hitomi had to stay. She had to see this match.

"Man, why're everyone else's intros cooler than ours were?" Mina whined, leaning her head onto the back of her seat.

Hitomi didn't respond, eyes pinned on the arena.

"How do you think this one will end?" Ojirou inquired to Midoriya, sitting a seat behind and to the left of the boy, close enough to hear all the ramblings he had been going on. "Any clue?"

"Timing is going to be the key here." Midoriya turned his head, but didn't look away from the stage.

"Oh? How so?"

Because Momo wasn't physically strong enough to fight Tokoyami head-on. She had to think of a strategy quick, and act it out even faster.

Come on, Momo. Do what you do best.

"Let the sixth match, begin!"

Notes:

Btw, I have an instagram (redvelvetpanpan) where I've been posting artwork of Hitomi, so, yeah, go check that out if you're interested.

Chapter 18: Equals

Chapter Text

"Yaoyorozu, you're out!"

No…

"This match goes to Tokoyami!"

"Yikes! Another fast, overwhelming victory! Is it possible that Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is the greatest Quirk ever!? I think so!"

"S-Saito?"

"What?" Narrowed eyes snapped to, and struck daggers at Kaminari.

The blonde ducked behind an unamused Sero. "Uh, you're kinda… growling?"

Hitomi blinked, only then noticing the distinct rumbling in her chest and throat. She swallowed, cutting off the noise, now acutely aware of all the eyes watching her, either in concern or apprehension.

"Okay, let's see who we've got for ya next!"

Hitomi stood, willing to miss the next fight in exchange for finding Momo and comforting her. However, before she was even fully on her feet, her phone chimed from within the hoodie pocket.

(My favorite Peach! :D)

Stay and watch the match.

But what about you?

I'll be alright. For all we know,
you'll end up fighting one of them.
So it would be best for you to get
an idea of how they fight.

Okay, I guess. If you
need anything, just tell me.

I know.

And thank you.

—

Hitomi frowned, letting herself fall back into her seat.

"The seventh matchup includes two completely redundant Quirks! One of them's a passionate, manly fighter made of steel! The Hero course's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Versus, a passionate, manly fighter made of rock! The Hero course's Eijirou Kirishima!"

The fight was as expected. A stalemate. But that didn't stop the two boys from trying to whale on the other, despite being given no result. Up until they both delivered brutal blows to each other's faces, simultaneously knocking one another out. Midnight called the match a draw, and the two boys were carted away on robotic gurneys.

That meant it was time for the last match of the first round.

"Ribbit, this might be the most disturbing matchup."

Jirou rubbed her arms uncomfortably. "I know. I almost don't wanna watch it."

"The eighth and final battle of the first round of matches. He was kinda a hot-shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face! From the Hero course, Katsuki Bakugou! Versus— the one I'm personally rooting for —also from Class 1-A, Ochako Uraraka!"

"Midoriya, I'm curious. What was that strategy that you came up with that would give Uraraka an advantage against Bakugou?" Iida asked.

Midoriya opened his notebook, skimming through until finding the right page. "Honestly, it wasn't really that much of a plan. Kachan's so strong. When it comes to close combat he almost never has any openings. And the more he moves, the more he sweats, which just makes his Quirk more powerful. He's gotten really good at using his explosions to move around in the air. But if Uraraka is able to touch him, she can use her Quirk to make him float. She could send him out of bounds. That's why, it's obvious what Uraraka needs to do to get the upper hand."

No, it really wasn't that obvious, not to Hitomi at least.

Oh hey, the autographs! Hitomi noticed the paper poking out between some of the wrinkled pages of Midoriya's notebook. She had wondered where he tucked those away for safekeeping.

"Let the eighth match begin!"

With Present Mic's voice still lingering in the air, Uraraka bolted low to the ground, right hand poised outward toward her target.

"Strike first." Midoriya finished. "That's a good start, and all she has to do is touch him one time!"

"But it won't be easy. You know Bakugou's not going to let her get too close to him." Iida pointed out, though he grinned proudly.

"Which is why he won't dodge. He'll focus his energy on counterattacking."

Like Midoriya described, Bakugou didn't move, instead widening his stance and raising his right hand. His palm crackled, then lit up in a flaming blast he aimed right at her, blowing her back.

"Uraraka!" Midoriya and Iida called out in unison.

"He blasted her!" Mineta trembled.

"Looks like Bakugou's not planning on showing her any mercy." Tsuyu observed.

"Why would he?"

"Eh? Are you kidding?!" Jirou turned in her seat to gawk at Hitomi.

Fuchsia eyes remained pinned on the battle, flickering around to locate either contestant through the smoke he created. Through the thick dark cloud, the navy blue of their gym uniforms became visible. Bakugou slammed his igniting hand down on it.

"It wouldn't make sense. They both came this far. They're both in the Hero course."

The smoke dispersed, revealing the empty shirt Bakugou had pressed into the ground, and the brunette coming up from behind.

"And they're both strong." Hitomi spoke with a tone of finality. "So, why would he go easy on her?"

"Whoa! She flew her jacket over as a decoy! What incredibly quick thinking!"

But, Bakugou threw back the largest explosion yet, sending her flying through the air across the stage.

"Look at that reaction time!" Sero reluctantly marveled.

"Seriously, the dude's insane. You can't get the drop on him. And since Uraraka can't use her Quirk unless she touches him, his lightning-fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage. E-even if she's strong too." Kaminari tacked on the last bit while eyeing his canid classmate.

Uraraka started sprinting toward him again, and Bakugou sent another wall of fire and smoke at her. And another, and another. So long as Uraraka kept getting up and coming back, he kept shutting her down with ruthless blasts from his palms. Not a single physical blow had been dealt yet, in the whole match, neither one ever getting close enough to trade them.

Then, from the audience, the Heroes made their disapproval of the fight known.

"Listen kid, you really wanna be a Hero? Then stop acting like a bully! If you're so good, just send her out of bounds!"

Hitomi stood, lips pursed with her ears and tail puffing up in offense.

"Stop toying with the girl and end this match!"

"Yeah, you heard the guy!"

With that, like a pact of silence being lifted, the whole crowd broke out into crows of boos and hisses. All directed at Bakugou.

Hitomi snarled, canines prominent. This wasn't fair. They had no right to shame him for treating Uraraka like an equal.

"The crowd is now booing Bakugou! …And honestly, I kinda agree with what they're sayin— Hey, whoa! What the crap!?" A dull thud interrupted Present Mic halfway through.

"Where is the man who started this uproar?" Mr. Aizawa took the microphone, his voice low and cutting. "Are you a Pro? Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I'd suggest looking into another career. Bakugou's fierceness is an acknowledgment of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay, and come out on top."

Hitomi sighed, sitting down. She inwardly thanked her homeroom teacher for doing what she couldn't.

Finally, Uraraka stopped relentlessly attacking, standing back and enacting her plan. With a cry, she steepled her hands, connecting all ten fingertips together, deactivating her Quirk.

And the debris cluttering the sky above, dropped down.

Uraraka charged, ignoring the dangerous pieces of concrete that could hit her, focused solely on getting to Bakugou.

Bakugou lifted his right hand skyward, holding his wrist with the other to keep it steady.

She touched herself, making herself weightless to give her extra speed.

He squared his shoulders.

And with Uraraka's hand outstretched to use her Quirk on him and end the match, Bakugou's palm sparked. The largest explosion Hitomi had ever seen him make before without his gauntlets, blew away any falling stone coming down over him, and knocked back Uraraka from the force, sending her all the way to the other side of the stage.

"Bakugou bangs out a huge demonstration of power! He blasted apart Uraraka's finishing move and remains untouched!"

Hitomi slowly uncovered her ears, glad to see Uraraka get to her feet again, even after her attempt failed and being blasted for the upteenth time.

Once she was standing, the dynamic shifted, and Bakugou came at her for the first time in the match.

But—

Her knee buckled, and she fell roughly to the ground.

"Uraraka is down!"

Body trembling from the overexertion, Uraraka still pushed forward, crawling and inching Bakugou's way. After a moment, she stopped, and Midnight stepped in. The Heroine held out a hand to halt Bakugou, and knelt down, checking on the girl

"Uraraka is KO'ed. Bakugou advances to the second round."

The crowd's cheer sounded wrong after hearing them booing him not five minutes prior.

Present Mic called for a short intermission in preparation for the next round, and Hitomi would have taken the opportunity to go search for Momo, but the ravenette wasn't responding to any of her texts, and she got the distinct feeling that her silence was a sign of her still wanting to be left alone.

The first fight of the second round would be Midoriya and Todoroki, and there was no telling how much damage would be dealt between the two. But first came the draw-breaker for Kirishima and Tetsutetsu, which was a simple arm wrestling match. Kirishima's Quirk proved to be just a bit stronger than Tetsutetsu's, lasting the extra second it took for him to slam the 1-B student's arm down.

That completed the bracket, and made way for a fight likely to be more destructive than any previous.

Burnt caramel.

"Hey, Bakugou! Playin' the Villain, huh?" Sero goaded upon the blonde's arrival. "Must've been tough."

"Even if it was just because of who you were up against, you did make a pretty convincing bad guy." Tsuyu added.

"Come on, guys." Hitomi chided quietly. "It wasn't that bad."

"Shut up, idiots. Or else!" Bakugou raged over her.

"For real, dude. I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back against Shiozaki."

"She completely overpowered you, Kaminari." Tsuyu didn't hesitate to call him out.

Bakugou sat with a sharp sigh. "I definitely wouldn't call that girl frail."

Hitomi beamed, leaning forward to look at him past Sero and Kaminari. "A much more fitting word would be, tenacious."

Carmine eyes flittered to her, squinted in a perpetual scowl. But he didn't say anything against it, so Hitomi counted it as a win.

"I can feel the anticipation in the stadium! And that's because the second round is gonna be epic! It's the guy who won his last fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen! The Hero course's Shouto Todoroki! And this kid almost walked out of his first matchup, but made a stunning comeback by showing off some impressive moves! Also from the Hero course, Izuku Midoriya!"

Rose water, and tears.

"Momo!" Hitomi's hair swung high at the speed she turned her head.

The ravenette smiled, waving as she entered the box. She kept her red-rimmed eyes studiously on her friend, avoiding the avian boy sitting a few spots away.

Hitomi gestured to the seat next to her, and relaxed slightly when the taller girl took the invitation. It was with no amount of resistance given, that Hitomi glued herself to Momo's side, cuddling up to the girl in loving support.

Mineta made a strange drawn-out noise, sounding suspiciously like the word "yuri", which jarringly turned into a scream when an earphone jack pierced his skin.

"Both of the Heroes-in-training have been frontrunners in the sports festival! But which one of these rivals will advance to the next round!? Prepare for Midoriya versus Todoroki! Begin!"

A barrage of jagged ice sliced through the air, at Midoriya. The attack was almost immediately rendered pointless, as Midoriya flicked a single finger, and sent the shattered pieces of it flying. The wind alone would have pushed Todoroki out of bounds, had he not made a smaller wall of ice behind himself to press up against.

"Whoa! Midoriya managed to break Todoroki's insane opening move!"

But it wasn't a sustainable method of defense, proven when Todoroki did his first attack again, forcing Midoriya to already break another finger in order to destroy the ice.

Hitomi sat hunched, her ears sitting back on her head. The boom of Midoriya's Quirk, and the sound of splintering ice were both ridiculously loud. Then there was Present Mic's enthusiastic commentary.

Gentle hands coaxed her ears up, before covering them with a pair of noise-canceling earmuffs.

Now that Momo was done competing, she didn't have to ration her lipids, allowing her to make something frivolous. The tension left Hitomi's shoulders, and she gave her friend a bright smile in thanks.

The ruinous series of attacks by both fighters was muffled to next to nothing. The quiet almost felt eerie while watching. Especially when Midoriya eventually resorted to punching with his entire left arm, blowing back the hair of even those at the top of the stadium.

Worry became palpable in the air, once Midoriya used one of his broken fingers to flick again, no doubt completely obliterating the bones. But the move did almost manage to knock Todoroki off stage.

The bi-colored teen ran at his enemy, but after seeing him during the obstacle race, his gait was noticeably—

"Slow." Hitomi's brows furrowed.

Slow enough, that he couldn't stop Midoriya's right fist burying itself into his gut. While Todoroki was sent sprawling back, Midoriya held out his hand in agony, splatters of blood decorating the ground in front of him. And it looked like Todoroki managed to touch his left arm before he was hit, leaving the broken forearm covered in ice.

The following attack of ice was sluggish as well, slow enough for Midoriya to simply dodge.

Though Todoroki's movements were dragging on more, Midoriya was also reaching the end of his rope. Having used all four fingers on his right hand at least three times, he countered the next wall of ice by putting his thumb in his cheek, and flicking it out. Before Todoroki could fully recover and make more ice, Midoriya charged and slammed his head into the same spot he had punched him earlier. Left arm broken, right fingers broken, Midoriya threw caution to the wind, and struck his stomach again with a right-hook, breaking those bones as well.

It started as a light wisp billowing on his face, before a raging inferno erupted around Todoroki, melting the ice frosting his right side.

It was breathtaking, the way the fire seemed to flutter around him in a dangerous dance, threatening to incinerate anyone who dared get too close.

Midoriya stood his ground, despite being so heavily injured. And despite the onslaught of both fire and ice headed straight for him. His broken arms lit up like they did every time he started to activate his Quirk, any and all pain being brushed aside. It was all too much, and both Cementoss and Midnight rushed to intervene.

Not one, but five barriers of concrete erected upward to act as a buffer between attacks, and were soundly obliterated. Even through the earmuffs, Hitomi could hear the reverb of the destructive display of power.

Hitomi hesitantly removed them, listening for a verdict of the winner, or some kind of sign the two boys were okay. The cloud of steam and dust obscured visibility of the field, leaving imaginations to run wild.

"What happened just now?" Present Mic asked in an uncharacteristically subdued voice. "What the heck is up with your students?"

"The air around the ring cooled down, and then rapidly expanded when heated up."

"Wait, that's what caused the explosion? How hot did that get?! Jeez, I can't see a thing! Is the match still going on, or what, huh?"

The fog began to dissipate, revealing the teen who was sent off the stage.

Midoriya's body was slumped against the wall on the other side of the field, and slowly slid down limply.

Todoroki was still standing, conscious and within the battleground.

"There." Midnight started breathlessly. "Midoriya is… out of bounds. Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round."

The audience voiced their amazement.

"Saito, if you win, you have to fight that guy." Kirishima unhelpfully pointed out.

Oh yeah, she was next. And if she won, she had to fight Todoroki.

"Ow— hey!" Kirishima shielded the back of his head to avoid receiving another blow from Mina.

"That's the last thing she wants to hear!"

"It's true though—" Kaminari was rewarded with a smack of his own.

Hitomi tugged her sleeves over her hands, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Hitomi?"

"Eh?"

Uraraka— she called me Hitomi, that means she can be Ochako now —gestured to the small group standing behind her, consisting of Iida, Tsuyu, and Mineta. "We're gonna go check on Deku. I know your match is next, so do you want us to give him a message or something?"

Hitomi considered it, wishing she could go visit him in person, but knew she should be planning instead. Then, with a start, she remembered something.

"And those vines, I wonder if she's studied Kamui Woods' moves. Binding attacks can be really powerful. I hardly ever see anyone break out when they're used. It would be impossible to get close to her while avoiding all those thorns and vines. You'd have to find some way to tear them off or just hack your way through using brute force. Oh, but in order to keep you from doing that, she'd probably go after your hands first, so then what do you do?"

She nodded, looking up at Ochako. "Yeah. Could you tell him thanks? For helping me with my match against Shiozaki."

Ochako seemed thrown off by this, but nodded all the same. "Sure. Good luck out there."

Hitomi stood, reluctantly slipping out of her hoodie, leaving her in her sports bra. Modesty be damned, she would not let any harm come to Papa's hoodie.

Before Mineta could back out of checking on Midoriya in favor of sticking around for what just happened, Sero slapped some tape over his eyes and punted him out of the box, letting Tsuyu take over from there.

"Hold onto this for me?" Hitomi passed the clothing off to Momo, who still would've taken it without being asked.

"Of course. Good luck."

"Avenge me!" Kaminari cried dramatically after Hitomi, helping ease a bit of the tension.

"Next up we have the last two ladies in the tournament, going head-to-head! She's a gentle soul with a killer head a' hair! From Class 1-B of the Hero course, Ibara Shiozaki! Versus, the most dangerous puppy in all of Japan! Also from the Hero course, Class 1-A's Hitomi Saito!"

Standing across from each other on opposite sides of the repaired stage, Hitomi and Shiozaki sized one another up.

"Begin!"

Chapter 19: Unintentional advice

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Aunt Rumi, I'm scared."

Rumi grinned unabashedly, repeatedly tossing a softball in her hand and catching it. "Ah, don't be like that, baby-doll. This'll help you out loads in the future, I guarantee it."

Hitomi pursed her lips, reluctantly pulling the blindfold down over her eyes.

"O-okay, when do we star—"

The pinkette was cut off with a grunt, falling on her back and cradling her stomach, where the softball painfully hit its mark.

"Damnit Rumi, aren't you supposed to be training her? Not kicking her ass?!" Nori angrily chastised the woman, coming over and helping his eleven-year-old sister onto her feet.

"This is training, beanpole." Rumi reached into the sack she held at her side, retrieving another ball. "Now step aside."

Nori grumbled, never a fan of Rumi's penchant for tough-love when it came to her grueling way of teaching.

"It's okay Nori," Hitomi lifted up one side of her blindfold, smiling up at him reassuringly, "I'll be alright."

Nori gritted his teeth, stomping just out of the way enough not to be in the line of fire.

"Can you at least explain what this achieves?" Nori hedged, wincing when another ball was lobbed straight at Hitomi's neck.

Rumi spoke over the pinkette's raspy sputtering, rearing her arm back to throw another, unbothered. "Baby-cake's got some super senses. All we're doing is teaching her how to rely on some without the others."

"We?"

The sack was tossed his way, hastily caught by reflex.

"Yep, we."

The ball made a hollow thud against Hitomi's skull.

"Begin!"

"Agh!" Hitomi roared, shifting as fast as she could, sprinting at Shiozaki.

The girl from 1-B extended her vines, coiling them in the air, and sending them out and into the ground like in Kaminari's match. With them rooted, they sprouted back up and came at Hitomi like green whips.

Hitomi moved impulsively, catching the vines in her mouth, biting down hard and whipping her head to the side. But the bards lining the vines cut into her mouth, the metallic tang of blood quickly coating her stinging tongue.

Growling in a low rumble, Hitomi dug her claws in and continued to pull. The vines tore from the ground, ripped away and tossed aside. Giving Shiozaki no time to bury more, Hitomi barreled at her, doing her best to coherently repeat the things Midoriya had been mumbling earlier. They were her ticket to winning this match.

But it turned out she failed in uprooting all of the vines in the ground, as a handful more shot out. They quickly snared themselves around both Hitomi's wrists and ankles, immobilizing her temporarily. Hitomi growled and snarled, tugging and wrenching at them, finding no give from the resilient vines.

No, no no nonono—

Her heart raced, and it felt like walls were closing in around her. She felt trapped. She was trapped, she couldn't get out she had to get out—

Something different from a bark or a howl escaped her throat, sounding more primal and desperate. When it cut off it echoed in the stadium, and rang in the audience's ears as she tried ripping out of her bounds again.

The muscles visibly rolling on her back, Hitomi first tore out of the vines on her hind legs, then her front. Panicked adrenaline giving her just enough of an added boost to do so.

Baring her canines, Hitomi continued on with her sprint towards Shiozaki, irritably finding that the girl hadn't needed to move yet. Until now.

Mouth opened and preparing to bite down on any more vines, Hitomi finally reached her opponent.

Only for Shiozaki to slam her hair onto the ground, launching herself into the air.

Hitomi jolted, an unexpected weight falling heavily on her back.

"I'm truly sorry about this."

The words hung in her muddled mind for just a second too long, registered right when something snaked around her neck, tightening and cutting off all airflow.

"Whoa there! Pretty ruthless move for someone who's supposedly not an assassin!" Present Mic jabbed, obviously still bitter about Shiozaki calling him out for her introductions before her and Kaminari's match.

Hitomi gasped for breath, stumbling around unsteadily on her paws. She lowered her front half, scraping the vines across the ground with no effect. She sat upright, trying to buck off Shiozaki, but only tugged painfully on the noose around her neck. Again, more of that desperate panic fueled her body, forcing her to keep moving and keep trying to remove the girl.

The clear answer was unusable. If she changed back, Shiozaki would have her thoroughly ensnared, and would be incapable of getting free. Even in the state she was in, Hitomi would rather lose the match fighting until her last breath, then give in prematurely.

But God, she just wanted to lay down and breathe—

Oh .

Hitomi stopped, body stilling for the first time since Shiozaki began choking her.

Then, with dark spots dancing in her vision, Hitomi dropped. She landed heavily on her left side, and promptly rolled over onto her back.

The crowd's silence was deafening.

There was a black tunnel now, closing in on her view of the sky above. Her chest burned, her lungs aching in a way she had never felt before. With the last cloud in the sky flickering out, the vines coiled around her neck finally retracted.

Hitomi heaved a massive breath, becoming lightheaded but cherishing it nonetheless. Waiting for everything to come back into focus, she only hoisted herself up once she could see clearly again.

Shiozaki coughed, squinting up at the Akita-girl, the sunshine momentarily stinging her eyes after unexpectedly being smothered in the dark. With a grimace, she stuck out her tongue and picked a long orange hair off of it.

Hitomi leaned her head down, lightly nipping Shiozaki's shirt, holding it between her teeth carefully. In a single bound, she stood at the boundary line, and gently deposited Shiozaki down on the other side.

"Shiozaki is out! Saito advances on!"

When she shrank back down, Hitomi winced and rubbed her neck, the beginnings of a bruise starting.

"I apologize for my merciless behavior. It was all I could think to do." Shiozaki bowed, looking thoroughly shameful.

"Don't sweat it. I'm sorry too, about squishing you." Hitomi rasped, hugging her middle, and trying to ignore the fact that she was being broadcasted topless—

Oh God, everyone in Kanagawa and Italy is going to eventually see this.

The bracket changed on the monitor, making it official.

Her next match was with Todoroki.

Hitomi could practically hear Nori yelling at her to forfeit, after what he and Midoriya did to each other. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Mama and Papa never forfeited a match during their three years at UA, no matter how much stronger their enemy was. Her parents were proof that you didn't have to win every fight to come out on top. It all just depended on what exactly you were at the top of.

"My honor is restored!" Kaminari threw his hand into the air upon Hitomi's return to the box.

"Is it though? By Saito winning, all she proved was that she'd kick your butt too." Tsuyu once again pulled no punches.

"Call me Hitomi." The pinkette quietly requested, taking the hoodie back from Momo, and quickly slipping it on.

"Ribbit, Hitomi can kick your butt, then."

"Are you doing okay?" Unexpectedly, it was Ojirou to pose the question, pointing at the slowly darkening ring around her neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine. For a second there, I thought I was going to pass out, though."

"Why didn't you just turn back?" Jirou asked.

Hitomi sheepishly scratched the backs of her ears. "Ah, well… I didn't want to give up. If I was going to lose, it would still be while fighting."

The third match of the second round, was between Tokoyami and Iida. Tokoyami was objectively stronger, but Iida was no doubt faster. But anyone could see the imbalance, and serious disadvantage their class rep was at when facing off against the avian boy's emitter type Quirk. Despite this, the way it unfolded felt almost as equal as Kirishima's matches, likely thanks to how smart and adaptive Iida was. He was able to think quick on his feet— no pun intended.

But with Tokoyami's Dark Shadow standing guard, with no blind spots for Iida to exploit, the fight slowly started to resemble someone trying to swat a particularly persistent fly from the air. And in the end, the fly lost. With one vicious swipe from Dark Shadow, Iida was sent skidding back, and his heel just barely touched outside the boundary line without his notice. With Midnight's call, Tokoyami was declared the victor, leaving Iida standing there, looking at the ground akin to the way Momo had after her defeat by the same boy.

Hitomi was positive that her position still in the tournament was entirely thanks to lucky matchups. Which had clearly run dry after Shiozaki.

"He countered!"

Kirishima's jagged skin carried trails of smoke, scorch marks left by Bakugou's latest barrage of blasts. Though the blonde himself sported a deep cut along his right cheek, courtesy of Kirishima's hardened fist.

"Come on! You got this!" Hitomi leaned onto the railing, watching as closely as she could.

"Who are you even rooting for?" Sato questioned.

"I dunno." She chirped.

Should've known. Her classmates thought to themselves in unison.

"Kirishima! Go straight for his chin! His chin!" Tetsutetsu encouraged from the box to their left.

"Bakugou's having a heck of a time dodging Kirishima's fierce attacks!"

The redhead didn't falter, snapping out his fists without a break, slowly inching Bakugou back. Forcing the blonde to go on the defensive. Until he had had enough.

"Whoa! Bakugou is countering again! But what's this!? It seems to be working this time!"

The explosions from Bakugou's hands finally started to do something against Kirishima, leaving behind more than just ashy scorch marks.

"You've been straining to keep your body rock-hard this whole fight, right? But that means you're overusing your Quirk! And sooner or later, you'll fall apart!" Bakugou roared.

Mineta snorted into his hand. "Rock-hard…!"

Hitomi didn't bother glancing back, not willing to risk missing anything, though she cocked her head. "What's funny about him being hard?"

From the look on Mineta's face, it would have seemed like he was just gifted his own personal harem, or something in the like. He jumped to his feet, eyes lit with glee for the opportunity of a lifetime just presented to him.

"Because it sounds like he's talking about Kirishima's di—"

An earphone jack stabbed into the side of Mineta's head, and at the same time, a strip of tape was slapped over his mouth, subsequently muffling his pained shriek.

Both Jirou and Sero blinked, staring at each other's contribution, then locked eyes and gave matching nods, expressing something silently.

(Hitomi stood, unaware that she had just gained a secret protection detail.)

With Kirishima's Quirk weakening, Bakugou dealt a crushing wave of blasts, taking up the offensive position. With one last attack, he roared his usual "Die!" And blew Kirishima away.

"Kirishima has been knocked out." Midnight announced, as if the redhead laying there unmoving wasn't sign enough. "Bakugou is the winner!"

"With that vicious carpet bombing, Bakugou advances to the third round! Ladies and gentlemen, our final four!"

The screen changed, showing off pictures of Todoroki, Hitomi, Tokoyami, and Bakugou.

Hitomi swallowed, feeling a familiar kind of pressure. The one that came with expectations, and the weight of what possible failure might bring.

She supposed it was just a good thing that she didn't have to deal with the usual from her classmates, her parentage unknown to all but Momo, and the boy she shared the same burden with.

"Time for the first match of the semifinals!"

Hitomi stepped up to the plate, trying not to sweat under Todoroki's indifferent stare. Glancing around, she locked eyes with a camera, and nervously waved with a wobbly smile.

"Get ready for the fated battle of the next generation of Pro Heroes!"

Hitomi went cold.

"Mic—"

Present Mic continued, undaunted. "Both students of the Hero course, in Class 1-A, we have Shouto Todoroki! Son of the number-two Hero, Endeavor! Versus, Hitomi Saito! The daughter of the legendary Hero duo, Silver Shifter and Golden Giest!"

Hitomi stared ahead numbly, suddenly finding it very hard to breathe again.

"Ow— Eraser! What gives— Ah! How are your punches so strong!? Your arms are supposed to be broken!"

Caged. Caught. Trapped. She couldn't breathe.

"Just start the match— begin!"

Hitomi shut her eyes, holding her turning stomach.

"Uh, is he serious?" Kaminari asked, despite that the paleness of Momo's cheeks said it all.

The ravenette sat in the stands with the others, hand over her mouth in horror.

"I don't recognize the names." Uraraka sheepishly admitted.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Midoriya who elaborated, but Kirishima who spoke first, sitting straighter. "They were a duo of Heroes from UA. They still hold the record for fastest built agency right out of school, even beating out Endeavor. They were also responsible for taking down thirty of the most notorious mafia rings in all of Japan. They were super manly."

Ashido casted a look to the old UA hoodie draped across Hitomi's seat. "What happened to them?" She quietly asked.

"They were killed on a mission, eight years ago." Momo answered lowly, causing them to wince.

"W-well, at least the Villain was caught, right?" Kaminari tried to lessen the grave tension.

"No. The culprit still runs free." Momo practically snarled.

Kaminari made no protest to the two smacks he received on his head from Mina and Sero.

"Wha— what's she doing?!" Jirou drew their attention back to the field.

…Where Hitomi was still human, and gracefully dancing around the spears of ice launched at her. With her eyes closed.

Momo sighed, just a small portion of her nerves ebbing away. "That, is years of being bullied by Rumi, coming to fruition."

Hitomi kept her eyes closed, blocking out the sight of the stadium watching her, knowing who she was. The only people that existed were her, and Todoroki.

She listened to the arches of ice whistle toward her. Smelled his scent moving around on the other side of the stage. And felt the rumbling underneath her bare feet, telling her exactly where the next bout of ice would strike. So far he hadn't used his fire, so she had to hope that he wouldn't be using it this round if she had any chance of winning. If he wasn't going to use it, then that meant her goal was to draw the match out, and make him overuse his ice, slowing him down like during his fight with Midoriya.

It didn't feel great to know she could only win if he kept himself at half-power, but she was being realistic.

His scent was spiked with growing anger with every attack she dodged. But also, with that, something tickled the back of her mind, telling her something here was off.

"Why won't you use your Quirk?"

Hitomi knew why. It was because she couldn't think straight when it was in effect. But why did Todoroki care?

She paused, her stance loosening. None of his attacks had been reaching their mark. It was almost like…

"Why do you want me to use it?" Hitomi opened her eyes, and cocked her head.

Todoroki scowled, and the next ram of ice nearly got her.

"My father still seems to think we'd make a good pair."

"What?!" Hitomi yelped shrilly, recoiling, then wincing. "Ah, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with you, I just—"

This time the ice sliced a shallow cut across her left side.

"So I'm going to show him that your Quirk isn't as great as he thinks it is." His breath puffed visibly from his mouth, but there still wasn't enough frost hindering his right side.

Hitomi pursed her lips. She had firsthand experience with the drawbacks of her Quirk, but she didn't have the option to stand there and list to him the reasons Akita Inu sometimes sucked. What she could do, was what she had been putting off.

Hitomi huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Fine. But it's because I want to. Not because you asked."

Todoroki eyed her strangely. "I didn't ask—"

Hitomi lunged, landing in a four-legged sprint. In this form, Todoroki's scent evolved, her nose able to pick up more layers to it.

Confusion. Regret. Hope. Shame. Fear. And bitter, bitter resentment. Borderline hatred.

Maybe if she hadn't been busy studying his complex emotions, she could've prevented his next attack. Though, it wasn't so much of an attack, as it was a finishing move.

Timed with perfection, so it would be most effective, Todoroki waited until all four paws touched down as she ran.

'Shink.'

Hitomi lurched, momentum carrying her, while her paws remained in place. And when she looked down, it was clear why.

"It looks like Todoroki has Saito completely immobilized! Is this the end of the line for our Heroine!?"

Hitomi growled, shifting her weight, and experimentally tugging upward. But the pads of her paws were stubbornly frozen.

No, fight! Have more fight!

Midnight stepped closer, starting to raise her whip.

No! Not yet!

"Saito is—"

("Pry yourself up if you want. But it might be hard to fight me with no skin on the bottom of your feet.")

Fight. Fight. Fight. Win—

With a growl that resembled something more of a roar, Hitomi pushed all logical thought from her mind, and jumped.

The crowd gasped in horror, aghast at her desperate actions. Todoroki didn't look much better, surprise coloring his face as he stared at her incoming form.

Her feet hurt, her hands hurt, and the pain was only exacerbated when, middair, she changed back to normal, her left leg bent to her chest while the right was poised straight, aiming for Todoroki's head as she came down.

Hitomi had never wanted to win a fight so badly before in her life.

And she didn't even really know why.

Shouto acted fast, shooting forward a few steps just before Saito landed. When her feet touched the ground, she nearly slipped from the ice and slick blood covering the skinned sole, but that didn't prevent her from immediately pivoting on the damaged appendage. In a move that was strangely reminiscent of a dance. Saito twirled, her left leg coming up high.

Shouto staggered back, his chin barely getting caught by her foot, leaving behind a smear of crimson. His right arm reached up and out at her.

Saito completed the twirl in a blur, then ran at him low to the ground, fists curling despite the blood gushing out from between her fingers.

As soon as she was within range, Shouto grazed her left forearm with his right hand, leaving a crust of ice in its wake before she grabbed his wrist in a crushing grip. He winced, feeling his bones grinding together, her raw and bloody palm seeming to not be hindering her at all.

She caught on. Shouto breathlessly thought, his left and only free hand useless to him. He couldn't bring himself to do it again. Not yet. Not until he just had some time to think.

Saito yanked his wrist, pulling him toward her, and snapped out her right fist, burying it viciously in his gut. The same place Midoriya had repeatedly hit him.

Shouto grunted, staggering back and trying to keep his breathing even, the air knocked out of him for the fourth time.

Saito let his wrist slip from her grasp, somehow ignoring the agonizing sting surely coming from her hands. If she were smart, she would just forfeit already, and to get herself to the nurse.

Shouto stood back, separating them by several feet, panting. He studied her, taking stock of the damage he had done so far, and how it somehow didn't seem to be bothering her.

No, he narrowed his eyes. It was affecting her.

It was subtle, but he could see the way she kept her stance wide but with the weight carried mostly on the front of her feet, likely where the least skin was torn. Her hands were held out in front of her, almost made into fists, just not fully clenched. Her whole body was trembling in minute shivers, chilled exhales quickly huffing visibly from her mouth. Her left arm was starting to turn purple under the ice he encased it in, the beginnings of frostbite setting in.

And what did she have to show for it? Giving him a bruised wrist and stomach.

So why the hell didn't she look worried?

The one thing unaffected by him, was her face. Set in a determined expression that he had never seen on her before. Her eyebrows furrowed and drawn together, her eyes pinned solely on him with something predatory gleaming inside.

This fight was going far differently than he expected. This wasn't that ditzy, cupcake-sharing little girl anymore. He should have acknowledged that by now. But that bastard's prolonged idea of them being perfect together had sowed the seeds of bitterness. If he gave her so much as a crumb of attention, Endeavor may take it as permission to pursue the ridiculous idea.

That was why Shouto needed to wrap this up. To show the bastard that Saito wasn't anything special—

The girl took a deep breath, then smacked both her cheeks with her damaged hands. Leaving behind morbid crimson prints on her face.

What—

"Argh!" Saito screamed, clenching tight fists, and dashed at him at a full sprint.

Foolish, on her part.

Shouto waited, all the way up until Saito was rearing her right fist back, and tensed.

The punch landed across his left cheek, surprisingly stronger than he expected. The thought that she dislocated his jaw flickered by, before he shoved it aside.

It worked, she stared at him for a second, stunned that the hit landed without resistance.

And a second was all he needed.

By the time Saito noticed the ice creeping up her left side, it was already too late.

She gasped, and immediately tried wiggling her way out of the growing prison, grunting and growling. But it was no use, and her whole body was encased in a flash.

Shouto packed it tight, poising spikes in certain places, so she couldn't transform without subsequently impaling herself.

There. It was over.

Grey and teal eyes narrowed up at the glowing figure in the stands.

And it didn't even take your Quirk.

"Saito is immobilized! Todoroki wins!"

Hitomi stopped, looking down at the ice keeping her in place.

Well… shoot.

"I didn't think you would resort to tearing yourself out of my ice." Todoroki admitted, putting his left hand on the block entrapping her.

It steamed, melting away, and Hitomi smiled wryly. "Eh, well, you're the one who told me to do it. Back in the indoor combat training."

Todoroki blinked, eyes widening a fraction when it seemed he remembered.

The robotic gurney rolled up, and Hitomi gratefully sat herself down in it. Her feet didn't even hurt too badly, until she got off of them.

Third place. Along with either Tokoyami or Bakugou.

Hitomi could live with that.

Notes:

Because I haven't found a place to slip this info in, I'll just mention it here. So, Hitomi was born in March, and the Japanese school year doesn't start until April. That means Hitomi's the youngest in the class, right?
Hitomi's actually the oldest. She turns sixteen (edit: i accidentally wrote "seventeen" originally, but it's sixteen. Thank you BethxAngel on ff.net for pointing it out) the March before UA.
How does that work? She was in the same grades as Momo too, right?
Due to an incident shortly before she turned three, Hitomi missed the first year of kindergarten. She has been behind a grade ever since. We'll get to the accident that caused this at some point down the road. I just wanted to clarify Hitomi's age, and why she is where she is.

Chapter 20: Wrapping it up

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Recovery Girl tsk'ed in disapproval, wrapping bandages around Hitomi's hands. Her feet had been given the same treatment.

"You'll have to take it easy, and they'll still feel raw, but I've healed as much as you can handle right now."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Standing by the bedside, Nori nodded his thanks.

Hitomi winced, waiting for the inevitable blowout once they were no longer in her presence. It was miraculous Nori had even lasted this long.

"Alright, let's go." He sighed, lowering down in front of Hitomi, letting her slide onto his back. He had come down from the stands to help move her around so she wouldn't have to walk on her hurt feet.

The reveal of her parentage went unmentioned.

"I lost." Hitomi stated while he carried her through the halls back up to the class's box.

"Yep."

"I got third place."

"Uh-huh."

"Did I do enough?" She meekly asked into his shoulder.

Nori stopped, hands squeezing the undersides of her legs. "Yeah. You did plenty. Got farther than Mom and Dad ever did, that's for sure."

Hitomi smiled faintly, taking a moment to rest her eyes. She could always count on Nori for the blunt truth. So reassurances from him always felt all the more meaningful.

"Bakugou, Tokoyami! You're still here!"

The cheerful pinkette pointed out the obvious as she was carried in by an older male, with maroon dreadlocks.

"Saito!" A few of the extras greeted loudly.

"They can't start their fight until they clean up all the ice. And blood." Sparky stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"You were crazy manly out there!" Shitty Hair needlessly hyped up. "Even if you lost."

The pink haired mutt grinned sheepishly. "Thanks. I tried getting justice for Sero."

Tape Arms chuckled, scratching the back of his head with a dust of red on his cheeks. "Heh, thanks Saito."

Ridiculous.

"You can put me down here." Mutt chirped once her ride stopped at the spot a few seats to Katsuki's left, next to Sparky.

Dreads very carefully deposited her there, turning and watching her attentively.

"You need anything else?"

Katsuki scoffed, practically able to hear the female portion of the class's flustered thoughts.

He's so sweet!

"Nope! Thanks Nori!"

"Good…" Dreads stood to his full height, and— slammed his fist down on her head.

Something in the girls seemed to audibly shatter.

"You idiot! First your head and now this? It's like you're just askin' for trouble at this point, Jesus!" He raged while Mutt pathetically held the spot he struck and whined. "Don't ever pull something that stupid again, got it?!" He huffed, crossing his arms. "Ridiculous."

Katsuki didn't appreciate him being on the exact same wavelength.

"I'm sorry! It was all I could think of!"

Mutt's weak defense was rewarded with another whack to the head.

"Nearly gave Ayami a heart attack." He grumbled under his breath, turning and walking toward the door without another word.

Mutt craned her neck back, so she could watch him go. "Thanks for carrying me!"

"Uh, who was that?" Raccoon Eyes scratched her head.

Mutt beamed dumbly, like usual. "That was my big brother, Nori! He's super sweet once you get to know him!"

Katsuki ignored anything more from his classmates, standing once he saw the stage was almost finished being cleared. He would be going up against Bird Brain, who's Quirk was admittedly strong. The key to the fight was going to have to be persistence and—

"Good luck!"

Katsuki paused, glancing back from the door.

Mutt sat backwards in her seat, grinning at him over the back of it.

Katsuki scoffed, continuing on out of the spectators' box.

"Like I need luck to win this."

In a way, Bakugou and Tokoyami's intense match was Hitomi's saving grace. Capturing everyone's focus, enough so that the unexpected announcement of who her parents were was momentarily set aside, in favor of taking in the fight.

Just like with every fight previous, Bakugou didn't let his guard down or underestimate his opponent, treating Tokoyami like an equal. The result was like a no holds barred battle, with dangerous swipes from Dark Shadow, and hazardous blasts from Bakugou.

The light from the explosions made Dark Shadow shrink back the longer Bakugou kept them up. In the end, it resulted in Tokoyami's defense wavering just enough for Bakugou to tackle him to the ground, pinning his beak down to his chest.

With a gruff utterance of "I yield." From Tokoyami, Bakugou's spot was secured.

The last match would be a brawl between Bakugou and Todoroki. The two biggest heavy hitters.

"I totally thought the bird would win for sure." Sero observed.

"I guess that means his Quirk's not invincible after all." Kaminari said, sounding relieved.

Kirishima put a hand to his chin. "So light is his weakness. Interesting. And Bakugou's the kinda guy who would exploit that."

"Well, sure." Hitomi looked at him strangely. "If your enemy has a disadvantage, you have to be ready to use it against them."

"That sounds weird coming from someone like you, Hitomi." Tsuyu pitched in.

"Eh?"

"I wonder what this match will be like. Besides intense." Midoriya stared up at the monitor displaying Bakugou and Todoroki.

"Dude, they're gonna wreck the stadium." Sero concluded with certainty.

"Alright, place your bets! Who's gonna obliterate the other!" Kaminari sat up, looking around expectantly at his classmates.

"You can't wager on a fight like this! It's unethical!"

Several heads turned back, aiming toward the door.

"Iida!"

The class president smiled and nodded at Midoriya and Ochako, giving no signal that he was still torn up about losing his last match. The way his body suddenly began shaking was cause for concern, however.

"It's just my phone." He calmly explained, easing his friends' nerves. He checked the caller ID, and quietly excused himself back out into the hallway.

"So… Saito," Kaminari drawled, clasping his hands in a picture of innocence, "Present Mic sure did say something interesting."

Hitomi fisted the sleeves of her hoodie, the ends balled up in her hands.

Before Mina could swoop in and clobber him, Sero continued for him, his voice a bit gentler.

"Why didn't you ever mention them?"

Hitomi's ears sat low on her head. "In Somei, things were… different after people found out. I didn't want things to be different here too. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Jirou quickly assured. "We all probably would'a done the same if we were in your position."

Some of the weight lifted, and Hitomi relished the soft hand now petting her head. Leave it to Momo to always know when to give her wordless support.

"Welcome to the final battle of the UA High School Sports Festival! In just a moment here, we'll see which first years come out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this, folks! From the Hero course, Shouto Todoroki! Versus, his classmate, Katsuki Bakugou! Now, begin!"

Given absolutely no time to prepare for it, Todoroki sent out a glacier, just as big as the one he froze Sero in during the first round.

"Todoroki starts with a crazy ice blast! Bakugou seems to have been completely buried! Is it possible we're already got a winner down there?!"

Ignoring the painful pinch on her raw soles, Hitomi stood and leaned over the railing to get a closer view.

Her ears twitched, and she cracked a smile.

The ice splintered, and shattered apart to reveal a man-made tunnel, with Bakugou standing in the opening.

"He used his explosions to tunnel through the ice like some kinda mole man!" Sero gawked.

Kaminari almost looked offended at the absurd show of power. "These two are insane."

Bakugou launched himself through the air with precise shots of his Quirk, maneuvering himself out of the way of Todoroki's right side. Midair, he grabbed Todoroki's hair and shirt, throwing him with a blast toward the nearest boundary line.

"Are you underestimating me? Idiot!" Bakugou roared, sending the other teen flying.

Hitomi felt something pull in her gut, her ears pinned straight at the unfolding fight. The odd sensation in her stomach faded, however, when Todoroki caught himself on a ramp of ice, and skated back around.

"Todoroki surfs an ice wave to avoid going out of bounds! Looks like fun!"

Bakugou came at him again, and this time, Todoroki caught his arm with his left hand. And for a moment, everything stilled.

"Do it, Shouto!" Came the distant order from the stands.

Hitomi shuddered, remembering that voice vividly. Always followed in her mind by the harsh ringing of a sharp slap.

Todoroki threw Bakugou aside. Not a single ember sparking to life.

"Bakugou timed his explosions and grabbed Todoroki's left side on purpose. He's done his research." Mr. Aizawa took the reins for a moment. "His aptitude for this becomes more apparent with every fight. Todoroki's doing well so far, but his attacks are too simple. It almost seems like he lost his spark after the match with Midoriya."

"You bastard!" Bakugou raged, fire crackling between his hands. "I'll tell you what'll happen if you make a fool outta me! I'll kill you! I don't want there to be any doubt that I'm the best student at the festival! That's only possible if you come at me as hard as you can! There's no point if you don't fight with the same power you used against Deku! If you don't wanna win this, why are you even here?! Show everyone you're trying to destroy me!" He finished and raced at his opponent.

Todoroki stood there, not moving to dodge or deflect. He didn't move at all.

Not until Midoriya appeared at Hitomi's side, cupping his free hand around his mouth.

"Come on, Todoroki! Don't give up! Do your best!"

Hitomi stared at him, and with something stirring in her chest, she followed his example.

"You can win this! Beat him at full power!"

First a faint flicker, then an outburst of fire. Just like his fight with Midoriya

Bakugou blasted himself into the air again, aiming his palms on opposite sides to spin his body like a drill at Todoroki.

"Howitzer Impact!"

But right before Bakugou reached him, Todoroki's fire trembled and died, burning out.

The ensuing boom from Bakugou's attack destroyed the ice littering the field, and sent a wave of heat up into the stands.

Hitomi hunkered down, covering her ears. The smell of burnt caramel was so strong she could almost detect it on her tongue, a strange mixture of bitterness, and sugar.

"Woo-ho-ho! Bakugou combined speed and rotation with a huge blast like he used against Uraraka! He turned himself into a human missile!" Present Mic said this all without taking a breath. "Todoroki didn't fire off the flame attack that wow'ed us in his match with Midoriya! So what has become of our two top competitors?!"

The smoke slowly cleared, making the stage visible once more.

Hitomi frowned sympathetically, watching Bakugou force himself up onto his feet. He started in a shaky stumble, then broke into a sprint. He reached Todoroki, who sat unconscious out of bounds, and lifted him up by his shirt.

"You— stop messing around! This isn't a win for me unless you try harder! It can't end this way! Now get up—"

Standing behind him, Midnight activated her Quirk. Breathing in the pheromones, Bakugou trailed off, and fell. He laid slumped beside Todoroki, knocked out.

Midnight raised her right hand.

"Todoroki is out of bounds! That means, Bakugou is the winner!"

"And with that, the final match is officially over! The first-year champion of the UA Sports Festival is… Katsuki Bakugou from Class 1-A!"

The audience went ballistic, making a cacophony of cheers and applause.

But Bakugou wasn't awake to hear it.

"The first-year students have completed all of the events for the UA Sports Festival. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the awards ceremony!"

After Midnight's announcement, a series of fireworks set off, lighting up the sky above the stadium. And with a pop of confetti, the podiums rose from the ground.

Hitomi meekly played with the drawstrings of her hoodie, head ducked. Beside her, sharing the third place spot, was Tokoyami, who was handling the attention much better than her.

On the second place level, Todoroki stoically stared off to the side, his left hand clenched.

And then there was the winner. Bakugou stood on his panel, chained up to a pillar to keep him from jumping off. A metal box was cuffed entirely over his hands to keep his Quirk from setting off. And finally, there was a bulky muzzle over his mouth, muffling his enraged yelling.

"Now, let's break out the hardware! Of course, there's only one person worthy of distributing the awards—" Midnight said leadingly, her voice followed by the iconic laugh they all knew.

"Citizens!" Standing atop the stadium dome, and jumping down as if it was no big deal, All Might made his presence known. "I am here with the medals—"

"—The Number One Hero!" Midnight finished, being loudly talked over by All Might, though unintentionally

He landed, and there was a noticeably awkward pause.

"Ruined that, didn't I?" Midnight sheepishly asked. Clearing her throat, she lifted the medals out for him. "So, now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation?"

He took the two bronze medals first, and despite having been trained under him for a few classes, suddenly the Hero's presence felt overwhelming.

"Young Tokoyami, congratulations." All Might put the ribbon around his neck, speaking in a more subdued tone compared to his usual boisterous voice. "You showed great strength out there."

Tokoyami lifted his head. "Your words humble me, sir."

All Might opened his arms, embracing the boy gently. "However, you've more training to do if you're going to be able to fight against different kinds of Villains. You're not going to be able to rely on your Quirk in every battle you face." He pulled back.

Tokoyami gazed at his medal. "Yes, sir."

"Young Saito,"

Hitomi twitched, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Y-yes?"

For a second it looked like All Might's smile softened, before he lifted the ribbon of her medal, carefully avoiding her ears as he slid it over her head. "Like Young Tokoyami, you must hone your skills. Your strength is only reliable when you know what to do with it.

Hitomi's shoulders fell. She knew that already. What good was her Quirk if she was rendered mentally incapable because of it? It would only lead to more incidents of reckless actions that had sent her to Recovery Girl's office.

"That being said," All Might took her in his arms like he did Tokoyami, patting her lightly on the back. "Your parents would be so incredibly proud to see how far you've come today. Congratulations."

Hitomi's eyes widened, and started to sting. When All Might stepped back, she was grateful he didn't mention the fresh tears dripping down her cheeks.

"T-thank you, sir." She sniffled, reaching up and clasping her hand around her medal tightly.

He moved on to Todoroki, bestowing the silver medal with some hushed words. Then came Bakugou.

"All Might…" The blonde growled as soon as the muzzle was removed. "Winning first place this way… doesn't prove that I'm the best one here! Even if the world considers me the winner, I refuse to accept it like this!"

All Might, taken aback, cleared his throat. "In a world where we're constantly being compared to one another. There are very few who can keep their eyes focused on the top spot. You're one of them." All Might held up the gold medal. "Please accept this medal. Even if you have to think of it as a scar. Something you'll never forget."

Hitomi was surprised by what a good analogy that was. But unfortunately it wasn't her that needed to be swayed.

"I don't want that piece of garbage!"

"Come on, now." All Might tried putting it on him.

Bakugou leaned his head back, catching the ribbon on the bridge of his nose, not letting it get any further. "Get that shit off'a me, you idiot!" The ribbon slid down, hooking in his open mouth.

Good enough.

"Here they are! The winners of this year's sports festival! But listen closely. Any of you first years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you've done today. You've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer toward your goals of being Pros. I think the next generation of Heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet!" All Might pointed a finger to the sky. "So I have one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me! You know what it is—"

"Plus—"

"Thanks everyone for your hard work!

"—Ultra!"

"Eh?" Hitomi cocked her head.

"What?! That was the perfect time to say Plus Ultra, All Might!"

"W-well, yeah, I guess… but everyone did such a good job!"

"Hito! You won!"

"I mean, not really, but—" Hitomi chose to shrug it off, hoisting up Hana and holding her on her hip.

The little girl beamed, playing with the shining medal hanging over the pinkette's chest.

"How're you feeling?" Ayami fretted, wringing her hands while eyeing the bruise around her neck, then all the bandages on Hitomi's hands, and the one on her nose. And she knew there were even more hidden by the girl's clothes.

"Fine. Mostly." Hitomi started, then admitted when Nori scowled in warning.

"Let's get some food in you." He groaned, as if he actually considered it was a chore, fishing out his keys. "Lord knows you'll need it."

Hitomi chuckled, the small family keeping close in the masses of exiting audience members.

"Where's Momo?" Ayami peered around, expecting to see the familiar ponytail of spiky raven hair.

"She's checking out some of the food stalls. Said she wanted to restore her lipids." Hitomi bounced Hana, ignoring the pain in her hands, the little girl's giggles being worth it. "Anyway, did anything interesting happen while I was kicking major butt?"

She had asked the question as more of a joke, but Hana perked up, her long ears sitting straight atop her head attentively.

"Nori met a girl!"

Hitomi snorted, but paused when she saw Nori stiffen as if caught.

She gasped. "Wait, is she serious?!"

Nori rounded on her, his cheeks dusted pink. "Is it really so surprising that a girl would be interested in me?!"

"No," Hitomi deadpanned, "it's shocking."

Nori moved as if he was planning to throttle her, but Ayami held him back.

"It was over by the candy string! She was so pretty! An' tall! An' she had blonde hair, and she was wearing a cos—"

"It's not a big deal! She just gave me her number, that's all!"

"Well, are you gonna call her?" Hitomi interrogated him eagerly, her tail swinging. "You gotta call her!"

Nori grimaced, crossing his arms. "Look, I'm sure she's too busy for me to bug her. Besides, she's not exactly… my type."

"You have enough options to have a type?"

Nori mimed strangulation at her.

"I'm sure she wouldn't have given you her number if she didn't have the time for a relationship." Ayami reasoned.

"What'd you even do to get her attention?" Hitomi questioned, unbothered that Hana was now braiding a random lock of her hair.

Nori scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well… I kinda called her out for cutting in line."

Hitomi waited, and when he didn't continue, she gawked. "She gave you her number for publicly embarrassing her?!"

"It's not like that! She seemed, I dunno, impressed? Like she hadn't ever had anyone call her on her bullshit before."

"Might've helped that you were holding Hana." Ayami chimed in.

Hitomi nodded slowly, mouth forming an 'O' in understanding. "I get it now. It was 'cause you had the whole, responsible prospective dad thing going on. I told you that flaunting around how good you are with Hana would one day land you a date. I'm taking partial credit for this."

"Like hell you are!"

"Language."

"Yeah, language, Nori!"

"You little…!"

Hitomi smiled, finding comfort in their back-and-forth. It was nice after the stressful day. She was just glad they had the next two days off school to recuperate, and knew those forty-eight hours would likely be spent sleeping.

Yeah, sleep sounded pretty good.

Walking side-by-side through the crowded streets of Kamino Ward, two men in their thirties carried an equal share of groceries, making soft and easy conversation as they went.

"So then she was reported to HR, which I think was a little overboard, in my opinion." The first man said to the other walking beside him. His dark brown hair was combed back out of his face, some matching scruff dusting his chin. His eyes were as dark as coal, making it nearly impossible to tell where his pupils stopped and iris began. "But I wasn't there when it happened, you know, so I can't say for sure if…" The man trailed off, noticing his partner was no longer next to him.

When he looked back he saw his partner had fallen behind, staring transfixed in the window of an electronics store, watching the setup of televisions through a pair of aviator sunglasses. His hair was longer, swooped up and to the side in a gravity defying style, and was colored the shade of ash.

The brunette opened his mouth to ask what it was that got his attention, but when he himself checked what was being shown on the TVs, he sucked in a sharp breath.

It was a broadcast of the UA Sports Festival, and the scene unfolding onscreen was shared by a white and red haired boy, and a dog eared pinkette.

He pursed his lips, when it did a zoom-in, first on the boy, then on her.

"Are you okay?" The brunette cautiously asked, tentatively resting a hand on the other's shoulder.

The grey haired man jerked, as if snapped out of a trance. He hastily looked away from the screen, trying to shrug off how seeing that girl made him feel.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, ye-yeah. Just…"

He made the mistake of glancing back up, just in time to see those wide fuchsia eyes lock with the camera. She blinked, then put on a sheepish smile, and waved.

His heart stopped, or maybe it leapt? It did something, and a mixture of sickness and something elsestirred his stomach.

"Come on, let's head home? Take your mind off of it…" The brunette gently took his hand, leading him away from the screens.

But he knew when these things— these reminders —happened, his partner tended to shut down for a few days, until he could successfully push it all out of his mind once more.

Hitomi Saito was a name expressly forbidden from ever being uttered around his husband, and for good reason.

Notes:

What she said:
"Beat him at full power!"
How it sounded:
"Beat him at (your) full power!"
What she meant:
"(You can) beat him (when he's) at full power!"
As of right now, Hitomi likes Bakugou. She thinks he's cool, interesting, and driven, among other things. Does this mean she likes him? Absolutely not. And not for a while. But having grown up with Nori, she's used to the tsundere sort of attitude, and is all-in-all unfazed by it. And unfortunately for Bakugou, Hitomi's now got her heart set on them becoming friends, which means that it's inevitable.
(And no, I will not tell you who those two men are.
…But yes, their designs are essentially copy-and-pasted from a different famous shounen anime. Can you guess which?)

Chapter 21: Her own name

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The cold air stung her lungs and dried out her throat. Her nose was congested from her tears, so her breath huffed harshly from her open mouth, fogging visibly.

It wasn't supposed to snow again. It was late March. There wasn't supposed to be snow.

But there was, and she ran on the white covered ground, her black stockings growing damp and frigid. Her pumps slipped several times, not made with traction against sleet in mind. The black dress did nothing to shield her from the icy winds, the sleeves long, but sheer.

But Hitomi didn't feel the cold.

Her thoughts raced at a dizzying speed, words she overheard ringing painfully in her head, louder and louder.

"We know whose fault this is, Ayami!"

Hitomi whimpered, falling to her knees for the fifth time, unsteadily forcing herself up again.

She had to run. She had to get away. Nori and Ayami blamed her for what happened, and Hitomi did too. If she had just been selfish for once, and acted like the kid she was, then they would've stayed home, and still be alive.

Her hands felt funny, as did her ears and tail, like they were full of buzzing bees.

Hitomi kept running, until she came upon an empty park.

There was a phonebooth to her right, something that was exceptionally rare to see anymore, and the paved pathway was lined in tall iron lampposts. At the end of the path was a large playground, blocky and colorful, standing out against the white snow coating everything.

Hitomi swallowed thickly, the action oddly hard, and approached. Of course, in the weather it currently was, no one was around, with not a footprint in the snow giving away if there had been anyone there at all recently.

It was so… quiet.

Hitomi sniffled, the sound seeming loud in the silence she was surrounded by, and tiredly shuffled to the structure.

She climbed up the first level, then the second, and shimmied her way into the opening of the hard plastic shelter. Leaning against the wall, she curled into herself, her ears touching the ceiling even once she made herself smaller.

Her body was shaking now, trembling violently, making her teeth chatter until she shut her jaw tight.

What did she do now? She couldn't go back, not when she knew everyone thought it was her fault. But she was only eight, how could she live on her own?

Hitomi huffed, repeating the action when the warm breath felt nice on her numbed hands. Her eyes were heavy, drooping lower with every blink. She hadn't gotten a full night's sleep ever since her birthday.

Maybe she should just take a quick nap.

But the crunch of hurried footsteps brought her back to full awareness.

She curled tighter, but whoever was out there must have seen her, their shadow falling over the murky window of the fort.

"Kid?" Came a male voice she didn't recognize.

Hitomi bit her lip, scooting back.

There was a sigh, and in a much softer tone, he called again. "Come on out, Hitomi. Everyone panicked when we couldn't find you."

Her bottom lip wobbled, and she didn't even care how this man knew her name. "Can't go back. It's all my fault!"

He gave a sharp intake of breath, then his hand entered the fort, held out to her. "No one thinks that. And don't you ever go thinking it either. Now come on, last I saw, Nori was a mess."

Hitomi, tired physically and emotionally, felt something give. Tears filling her eyes, she started to sob as she took the hand.

He pulled her out, immediately draping his jacket over her quivering shoulders, hoisting her up into his arms. He turned and started walking, taking them back to the funeral service.

Hitom blinked slowly over his shoulder, resting her wet cheek there when her head grew too heavy to keep upright. She watched the playground shrink in the distance, before her eyes fell closed. She relaxed completely in the strong arms cradling her, relishing the warm hand rubbing up and down her back.

Her nose was filled with the strangely comforting mix of smells coming from the man.

Chamomile tea, exhaustion, the salt of tears, and a fierce protectiveness.

Waking up with a start, Hitomi laid in her bed, staring blankly up at her ceiling with a growing sense of shock. Remembrance giving way to realization.

The man had been dressed for the funeral, at the time, with his long dark hair tied back.

And his signature scarf missing.

Hitomi continued to lay silent, eyes wide. She was only ever broken from her reverie when Nori shouted for her, calling that breakfast was made, and that she would be late to school if she didn't hurry her ass up.

It was with much reluctance that she stood, and the task of dressing for school had never felt so daunting.

School meant class. Class meant seeing their homeroom teacher. Seeing their homeroom teacher, meant seeing Mr. Aizawa.

How was she supposed to deal with that, after what she just remembered? She knew her teacher from childhood, and just didn't happen to recall that fact until now.

Suddenly, a whole lot of things made sense.

"Bad memory association" my butt.

After her parents' deaths, the therapist Ayami made her see had gone on about how it would be perfectly normal for Hitomi to hate storms now, because of the role thunder played in waking her up that night.

Yeah, no.

While Hitomi definitely didn't like thunder— for a few reasons, actually —she adored rain.

Rain was wonderful. It looked nice. It added a needed chill on hot days. The dark overcast was beautiful in the sky. And not to mention her favorite aspect.

The smell.

Hitomi ran under her umbrella, wearing a bright yellow raincoat over her uniform, and sadly wished she didn't have to spend the perfect day indoors.

Rain had the nifty little tendency to mask every other smell, while also working together with plants to make one of the most wonderful smells in the world.

Petrichor. It was an oil produced by plants to help them retain moisture, and was the smell people often assumed was coming from the rain itself.

Hitomi was so busy thinking about how much she loved the smell, that she didn't see the tall figure in front of her until she bumped right into it.

She yelped, stumbling back.

The man she ran into turned, and promptly paled.

Hitomi stared at him in concern, checking over his appearance. He was incredibly tall, and lanky. He wore a baggy raincoat over what looked like an even baggier suit. He had blond hair, with two bangs framing his gaunt face, and what she could barely see of his eyes, was a familiar shade of crystal blue.

"Young Sai—" The man cut himself off with a bony hand slapped over his mouth.

Hitomi cocked her head, brows knitted together worriedly. "Are you alright, sir? I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

The man waved her off, coughing weakly into his head. "It's fine Y— uh, Miss. no harm done."

"Well, if you're sure?" Hitomi glanced over him one last time, before nodding. "Okay. Sorry again, have a nice day!" She chirped over her shoulder, breaking into a run to avoid being late.

Toshinori watched Young Saito hurry off, reminding him that he too was running late. But he couldn't follow her to UA yet, the last thing he needed was for her to see him again like this.

He sighed, putting a hand to his racing chest. It was a miracle it was raining, otherwise he was positive she would've caught his scent and figured him out. He had to be much more careful around her, as she unknowingly had the likeliest chance of uncovering his secret.

Riku and Naomi's daughter sure was proving to be a handful.

"There she is, Miss Bloody Mary!" Kaminari called as Hitomi entered the classroom.

Hitomi sat her bag on her desk, absently wondering if Mr. Aizawa would let her open a window. "Bloody Mary?"

"He's been trying to think up a cool name for you all morning." Sero groaned, earning a jab from Kaminari.

"It's 'cause you messed yourself up and bled all over the field."

Hitomi flushed at the call-out. "I wasn't thinking clearly! I-I just really didn't wanna lose."

"Either way, I think Bloody Mary is a pretty feral nickname, eh?" The blonde winked conspicuously.

Hitomi blinked. "Huh?"

Kirishima gave his friend a flat look. "Dude, stop trying to make feral a thing."

"Oh come on! Saito's the one who started it!"

"Yeah, but she didn't say it as a new slang term! She literally just used it to describe Bakugou, that's all!"

"Whatever, you can't stop me from using it." Kaminari crossed his arms. "And in a few years from now, by the time we're all Heroes, you'll all be saying it too."

To heck with it. Hitomi cracked open the window beside her seat, and sat down. The light spritz of rain that made it through hit her face, making a wide smile stretch across her cheeks.

The door slid open, and Mr. Aizawa entered with a baritone "Morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Aizawa!" Most of the class chimed back.

"Ribbit? Mr. Aizawa, you don't have bandages anymore. That's good news." Tsuyu kindly noted.

Hitomi tried to not be obvious as she stared at his now uncovered face. A slightly older version of the one from her dream, now sporting a scar underneath his right eye as well.

"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment. Anyway, we have a big class today on Hero Informatics."

Oh no. Hitomi pursed her lips, racking her brain for everything that could entail. If there was going to be some surprise test, she would undoubtedly fail, without the proper time to prepare. The smell of fresh panic filled the room, comforting her in an odd way.

At least if she was going down, it wouldn't be alone.

But with three simple words, Mr. Aizawa broke the tension.

"You need codenames."

Hitomi stared wide-eyed. They were making their names already?

"Time to pick your Hero identities."

The class bursted with excitement, reveling in the first laidback and downright fun job they had yet been tasked with.

Fun, assuming you didn't have expectations to live up to.

Hitomi glanced to her right, watching Iida's reaction to the news.

Mr. Aizawa's eyes flashed red, his hair billowing up for a moment. It worked in calming everyone down, and bringing the attention back to his unfinished explanation.

"This is related to the Pro Hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the drafts yet. Not until their second or third year, actually. But your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first-years like you, Pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though."

Hitomi felt a spike of guilt, knowing full well that she was all set for her future, already guaranteed a steady job with Excel-lency. While most of her classmates didn't have that security.

"Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." Mr. Aizawa lifted a remote, clicking it. The chalkboard/monitor changed to display a chart with a beep.

Todoroki: 4123 offers.

Bakugou: 3556 offers.

Tokoyami: 360 offers.

Saito: 314 offers.

Iida: 301 offers.

Kaminari: 257 offers.

Yaoyorozu: 108 offers.

Kirishima: 68 offers.

Uraraka: 20 offers.

Sero: 14 offers.

"In past years it's been more spread out. But there's a pretty big gap this time." Mr. Aizawa needlessly pointed out.

Kaminari threw his head back with a groan. "Gah! That's no fair!"

Aoyama stewed, while still maintaining his usual smirk. "What about the real star? Moi."

"Todoroki got the most, ahead of Bakugou?" Jirou raised a brow.

"Yeah, it's the opposite of how they placed in the festival." Kirishima added.

"They probably weren't excited about working with the guy who had to be chained up at the end." Sero ribbed quietly, but not enough, as Bakugou heard him.

"If I scared a Pro, they're just weak!"

Hitomi craned her head over the back of her chair, shooting an upside down grin at the angered blonde. "Their loss!"

"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with Pros. Got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers. Mr. Aizawa said.

"Oh, so we're all interning? Midoriya asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Yes. You already got to experience combat with real Villains during the attack on the USJ facility. But it'll still be helpful to see Pros at work. Up close and personal in the field. Firsthand."

"And for that, we need Hero names!" Sato summed up.

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Ochako pumped a fist.

"These Hero names will likely be temporary, but take them seriously, or—"

The door opened with a slam.

"You'll have hell to pay!"

"Aunt Nemuri!" Hitomi exclaimed, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. Only to regret the action when her palm gave a pained throb. Plus, it really wasn't that big of a deal anymore, she supposed, if she slipped up when referring to certain Heroes familiarly.

Midnight gave a wink to her, not missing her excited gasp, and strutted into the room. "What you pick today could be your codename for life. You better be careful, or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent." She stopped besides Mr. Aizawa, behind the teacher's podium.

"Yeah. She's got a good point. Midnight is going to have final approval over your names." Mr. Aizawa bent down, retrieving his yellow sleeping bag. "It's not really my forte. The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of Hero you want to be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might, for example."

Hitomi swallowed, that same claustrophobic feeling constricting her throat. It only got worse when Midnight handed her a stack of dry-erase boards and markers. She took one of each, then passed the rest to Bakugou, who repeated the process until everyone down their line had them.

Fidgeting with the thick black marker, Hitomi stared long at the white expanse. So long, that her vision started to warp slightly. She clenched her eyes tight, and shakily uncapped the marker.

"What's this?"

"I'm making my Hero name! I've got a whole list, wanna see?!"

Mama laughed softly, her silver eyes warm. "Of course."

Hitomi eagerly passed over the crayon scribbled paper. "What d'you think?"

Mama hummed thoughtfully, able to make out the messy handwriting in that way only mothers seemed capable of. "Tomi, love, are you trying to match your father and I?"

Hitomi nodded energetically, pointing emphatically at the name at the very top. "Yep! And that's the one I'm going with!"

Hitomi opened her eyes, wincing faintly as the marker tip squeaked against the plastic board.

Br—

Her bottom lip started to taste of blood, unable to weather the abuse of Hitomi anxiously gnawing on it.

On—

Her hand twitched, forcing her to rewrite one of the characters.

Ze—

"But, Tomi, are you sure?"

"Huh?"

Mama stroked her big ears so gently. "You're going to be your own Hero. So don't feel like you have to follow in our shadow. Okay?"

Hitomi stopped, staring at the shaky lines making up what she had written so far.

Bronze…

Bronze Beast. Bronze Barker. Bronze Baron. Bronze Berserker. She had come up with every version of the name possible. And once upon a time, she had fully intended to use one of them.

When did that change?

"Now, students. Who among you is ready to share?" Midnight coaxed.

The first to gather the guts to stand, was Aoyama of all people.

"Hold your breath…" He slowly raised his board. "The Shining Hero. My name is I Can Not Stop Twinkling! Mon amis, you can't deny my sparkle."

Hitomi took the distraction with appreciation, favoring anything else over the sudden identity crisis she was having.

"It'll be better this way." Midnight took the board, editing it slightly. "Take out the 'I', and shorten the 'can not' to 'can't'."

"It's stunning, madamoiselle."

Hitomi's tail wagged through the open back of her seat. She actually really liked it. It was unique, like Aoyama himself.

Mina hopped up, skipping to the podium. "Oki-doki, lemme go next!" She plopped the board down for them all to see. "My codename: Alien Queen!"

Midnight grimaced. "Hold on, like that horrible monster with the acidic blood? I don't think so!"

As much as it sucked for Mina, it was a fair veto. People would immediately associate her with a movie monster. It would be a PR nightmare. But Mina sulking back to her desk definitely pulled at the heartstrings.

After a slightly fearful pause, Tsuyu raised her hand.

"Ribbit, I think I've got one. Okay if I go next?"

"Come on up!"

"I've had this name in mind since grade school." She turned the board to them. "Rainy Season Hero. Froppy!"

"That's delightful! It makes you sound approachable! What a great example of a name everyone will love!"

The amphibian-like girl unknowingly just cleared the air, easing away some of the jitters lingering from the first two oddball names.

"Froppy! Froppy! Froppy!"

Hitomi looked back down at her board.

"Whatcha reading?"

Nori groaned, holding up the thick book as if he intended to chuck it across the room. "I've got this stupid essay coming up, and I've gotta pick a mythological creature to write about. How will I use this information in everyday life?! Huh?"

Hitomi snorted, taking the book without resistance. "Just find a movie about one of these things. There, problem solved."

"You're a bad influence on me."

"You're the one who taught me that trick!" Hitomi rebuffed, pausing when she spotted a detailed illustration while idly flipping through the pages. "Hey, what about this thing?"

Nori leaned in, glancing it over. "Eh, why not. Could be interesting."

Hitomi stared at the drawing, then skimmed the passage underneath it.

"You okay?"

"Hm?" She dully hummed, slowly reading it over more carefully.

Nori shook his head with a fond smile. "Jeez, shoulda known you'd hyper-fixate on it. Can't blame you I guess, it does bear a striking resemblance."

"The Sturdy Hero. Red Riot!"

Hitomi blinked, raising her head. Kirishima was revealing his, an homage to the Pro Hero, Crimson Riot.

Midnight warned him goodnaturedly of the responsibility of taking on such a mantle. To which Kirishima didn't falter.

Lowering her head, she was met once more with "Bronze" scrawled across her board.

"So don't feel like you have to follow in our shadow. Okay?"

Her jaw clicked, and with halting movements, Hitomi hovered her hand over the ink. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she pressed down, and swiped. Ink stained her bandages, and the hem of her white button-up, but she didn't care. Clearing the board, while such a simple thing, felt empowering. That uncomfortably tight feeling faded away, leaving behind something light and airy.

The marker tip touched down, gliding cleanly across the board.

This. This felt right.

"The Hearing Hero. I'm Earphone Jack!" Jirou declared herself.

"Now that's a good one!"

Then Shoji chose, "The Tentacle Hero. Tentacole."

"The Taping Hero. Cellophane!"

"Martial Arts Hero. Tailman!"

"I'm The Sweets Hero. Sugarman!"

"Pinky!" Mina announced her second choice, which was shortly approved.

"Stun-Gun Hero. I am Charge-Bolt! Electric, don't you think?"

After the back-to-back name reveals, there was a lull, a few of them sharing probing looks. After no one stood, Hitomi took a measuring breath.

Acutely aware of the stares burning her back, she couldn't help the way her ears instinctively twitched around for any signs of oncoming danger.

Standing behind the podium, Hitomi held the board close to her chest.

"I-I… for a long time, I've had a codename picked out. For most of my life, really. B-but… it occurred to me recently, that if I used it, I would be putting myself into a box. And limiting the way even I see myself. So…" she slowly lifted her head, finding every pair of eyes in the classroom pinned on her. Even Bakugou was peering up through his bangs. "So, while I strive to stay faithful to their legacy, I've chosen a name that's my own."

The board clicked against the podium, set down firmly with confidence she never would have expected to be given by the meager choice of a name.

"I am The Loyal Hero. Ōkami!"

"Isn't that that scary wolf spirit in the mountains?" Kaminari questioned, though not unkindly.

Hitomi tensed, and began to worry that Midnight would dismiss it like she dismissed Mina's, for being too scary.

"Actually," Midnight started, smiling proudly at the pinkette, "the Ōkami is considered a messenger for the spirits, and would ward off animals who were notorious for destroying crops. The mountains were seen as a dangerous and sometimes even deadly place, and the Ōkami was fabled to be an escort for those who needed a guide, offering its service in keeping wanderers safe until they were home with their families. The Ōkami is a very protective and honorable spirit, and as such, I think the name is perfect."

Hitomi stared at her Aunt and teacher, eyes stinging with unshed tears. Her grin wobbled, and she scurried back to her seat with a warmed chest.

She clenched her hands atop her desk, unbothered by the sting in her palms, too busy beaming widely. She wanted to cheer, jump around, and just all-around celebrate that she had an actual Hero name, and it was entirely her own. But she couldn't, so she contained herself to shaking excitedly at her desk.

After the pinkette, Momo went next.

"I hope I can live up to this name. The Everything Hero. I'm Creati."

"Shouto." Todoroki softly revealed his board, bearing his first name alone.

"Just your name? Is that it?" Midnight asked, getting back a low hum and nod.

"Jet-Black Hero. Tsukuyomi."

"I'm The Fresh-Picked Hero. Grape Juice!"

Koda wordlessly held his board aloft, displaying his name. "Petting Hero. Anima." It read.

Now, on the complete flip-side of that—

"King Explosion Murder." Bakugou snarled, voice gravelly.

"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent." Midnight calmly turned down.

"Huh?! Whaddaya mean?!"

"Why don't you be Explosion Boy?" Kirishima sassed from his desk.

"You shut up, Shitty Hair! Why don't we go outside and I'll show you exactly why murder should be in my name!"

Bakugou was ultimately sent trudging furiously back to his seat to think of a different name, and Ochako took his place at the podium.

"This is the name I thought of. Uravity!"

"I just love that!" Midnight approved, sending Ochako off back to her desk. "To be honest, choosing names is going faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugou, who needs to rethink his."

Hitomi noticed the spike in burnt caramel in the air.

"And Iida. Oh yes, and Midoriya, too."

Hitomi once again studied Iida, and his noticeably stiff posture. Which for him was normal, but not to this degree.

She could imagine what exactly he was feeling. She knew it intimately, actually. After hearing about Ingenium being attacked and nearly killed by Stain, the Hero Killer, Hitomi was taken back to that night all over again. It pained her to know that her classmate was dealing with something so horrible. And now he had to deal with the responsibility of deciding on a Hero name on top of it all.

When Iida went up, he set his board down with his head lowered.

"You're using your real name too?" Midnight raised a suspicious brow at the "Tenya" signed across, smudges left behind making it clear he had started to write something different.

One of the last two left, Midoriya stepped up, and presented his name.

There were scattered gasps, and Hitomi could understand why.

"Really, Midoriya?" Mineta hedged.

"You sure about that? Kaminari questioned.

"Yeah, man, remember, that could be your name forever." Kirishima warned.

Midoriya nodded slowly. "Right. I used to hate it. But, then something changed. I guess someone taught me it could have a different meaning. And that had a huge impact on how I felt." He broke into a smile. "So, now I really like it. Deku. That has to be my codename!"

As he passed by her on his way to his desk, Hitomi stopped him with a hand raised.

Midoriya smiled, lightly high-fiving her, minding the injuries on both their hands.

That just left—

"Lord Explosion Murder!"

"That's basically the same thing."

"Now that everyone's decided on their Hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships." Mr. Aizawa didn't mention Bakugou's lack of a suitable one. "They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those of you who were on the board will choose from among your offers, everyone else will have a different list. You have a lot to think about." He held up one of the sheets of agencies. "There are around forty agencies across the country who've agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its Heroes focus on. Keep that in mind. Think carefully before you decide."

"Yes, sir!"

The stacks of paper were passed out, and Hitomi flushed when she saw just how thick hers was. It was nothing compared to Bakugou or Todoroki's, but it was still a lot. Despite knowing where she was going to go, she started leafing through, mainly to get an idea of who took note of her.

"I want to fight crime and bad guys in a big city." Kirishima shared his goal.

"I just hope I can intern someplace where there's a lot of flooding. Or maybe a lake." Tsuyu put a finger to her mouth.

"Turn in your choices by the end of the weekend." Mr. Aizawa walked with Midnight to the door.

"We've only got two days?!" Sero sputtered.

"Yeah, so you should start now. You're dismissed." The door slid shut behind them.

Instead of filing out of the classroom to head down to the cafeteria for lunch, the class stayed put, lounging around while reading through their options.

"Do you know where you're planning to go, Saito?" Shoji looked to his left at her, startling the girl with the unexpected question.

"Uh, well… I'll probably just intern at Excel-lency. I know my way around the place enough, and I have good rapport with the Heroes there." Hitomi leaned forward, absently twirling a lock of hair while flickering her eyes over the third sheet.

"That's your parents' agency, right?" Kirishima asked carefully.

"Mm." Hitomi nodded, waving the first paper from the stack, with Excel-lency's name printed right at the top. "It's been run by some of their Sidekicks for almost a decade now, but they've stayed true to our family all this time.

"Hey Deku, who's on your list?" Ochako turned to her friend, coming to find him mumbling intensely over his sheet.

Hitomi started to giggle, flipping to her last page. The laughter died in her throat, the fur on her ears and tail standing on end.

What the hell was his agency doing in her offers?

Closing her eyes, she pressed them tight, then opened them and checked again.

It was still there.

"Huh? Gunhead's a big brawler, though." Midoriya's tentative voice broke Hitomi from her shock. "Are you sure that's where you wanna intern, Uraraka?"

"Yep! He sent me an offer!" Ochako punched the air with a grin.

"Whoa, really? But, I thought you were trying to be a Hero kinda like Thirteen. More into rescuing than fighting."

"Ultimately that's the plan. But I've been thinking ever since the festival— well, at least since I faced off against Bakugou," she threw another punch, taking on a battle stance, "the stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from a battle Hero will give me a different perspective, right?"

Hitomi turned in her seat, catching Bakugou's narrowed eyes over the sheet he was reading.

"You really lit a fire under her, huh?"

He scowled. "Do you ever shut up?"

Hitomi pouted, slumping down. All she wanted was a distraction from the anomaly that marked one of her papers.

And what its presence tempted her to do.

Notes:

Once I post the next chapter, I'll be changing the cover image (on ff.net) It has Hitomi's Hero name, so that's why I'm holding off until next time, so less people risk being spoiled.
Now, as for the guesses (there was only one lol.) BethxAngel (on ff.net) said either Hachiko, or Misao. And you know what, I actually was going to use Hachiko in my earliest drafts of TLH, but more recently I decided to go with Ōkami. But, yeah, Hitomi having an Akita Quirk is a result of my intention of naming her Hachiko, so the guess was pretty spot on.

Chapter 22: The number-four Hero

Notes:

I've settled hard on the VAs that Hitomi and Nori would have. Like, they are perfect for them in my mind.
Hitomi dub: Tia Ballard
Hitomi sub: Suzuko Mimori
Nori dub: Sean O'Conner
Nori sub: Daisuke Kishio
Tia Ballard and Suzuko Mimori voice Nanami in Kamisama Kiss (one of my favorite anime) and Sean O'Conner and Daisuke Kishio voice Kurama in Kamisama Kiss as well.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Hitomi, gimme your phone!"

The pinkette blinked, reaching down into her backpack underneath her desk. "Uh, sure."

Mina didn't expect the cellphone to be tossed to her, and scrambled to catch it.

"Don't worry, it's a sturdy case."

Mina doubtfully stared at the bright pink phone, covered in charms. With a shrug, she took out her own. "We're all gonna trade contact info."

"We are?" Kirishima looked up from his sheet of agency offers.

"Yep! So hand 'em all over!" Mina held out an open hand.

"So we can stay in touch during the internships." Tsuyu deduced, retrieving her own phone in a well-used waterproof case.

Even Todoroki and Iida passed theirs off to the pink girl, understanding that she would take them by force if need be.

Bakugou sneered. "This is stupid. I'm not—"

Kaminari, clearly in a lapse of intelligence, blindly swooped in and reached into Bakugou's book bag. Using the shock of the fearless action, he fumbled his hand around until finding something thin and rectangular.

"Do your thing!" He tossed the plain phone to Mina, who eagerly caught it.

"You wanna die?!" Bakugou raged immediately once the disbelief wore off.

Kaminari squawked fearfully, holding his hands up in surrender as Bakugou stood and grabbed him by his collar.

"If you hit him you'll get detention and might even miss the internships!" Kirishima blurted out the first thing he could think of, spouting it all off without a pause.

Bakugou snarled, his hands smoking and searing Kaminari's shirt.

"All done!" Mina chirped, going around and passing out everyone's phones back. As if the act of hijacking them all to add the contacts then depositing them back not two minutes later was no big deal. Though she did have the help of Jirou, Aoyama, and Sero to swiftly add the twenty names to the twenty different phones, it was still impressive how quick work they made of it.

Hitomi checked her new contact list, quirking a smile when she saw everyone's numbers under their Hero names. All except Momo, who was already on her phone, Iida, who was "Emergency Exit", and Bakugou, his number listed as "Explosion Boy".

She had never had so many numbers saved before. It was always just Momo, Nori, Ayami, and Aunt Rumi and Nemuri. Along with a handful of her extended family. She had never had a friend's number other than Momo's. And now she had nineteen more.

Well, it would be eighteen if no one hurried up and rescued Kaminari.

"Internships, huh?" Snipe stopped behind Shouta's chair, peering down at the small pile of forms.

"Yeah. A few students already chose theirs." One-by-one, the homeroom teacher looked them over.

"It's an important time for them. Make sure they do it right. Plenty of third-years around here still regret their picks." Snipe imparted before leaving.

"Of course." Shouta concurred, pausing upon a specific form

Class 1-A: Tenya Iida ( 飯田天哉 )

Desired Internship Agency—first choice:

Hosu City, Tokyo. Normal Hero, Manual Agency.

His only pick was a Hero agency in Hosu… the very city his brother was attacked. A foreboding sense of worry weighed down Shouta's stomach, and it only grew worse when he moved on to the next form.

Class 1-A: Hitomi Saito ( 彩都瞳 )

Desired Internship Agency—first choice:

Shinjuku, Tokyo. Fiber Hero, Best Jeanist Agency.

Excel-lency was written nowhere on the page.

Damnit, just what the hell was that girl thinking?

"I'm gonna die." Kaminari groaned, swinging his arms, one of which was weighed down with his costume case. "What kinda monster made us get up at five-thirty in the morning?!"

"The kind that grades your homework." Sero pointed out after a yawn.

The blonde shut his mouth, looking around in a panic, worried if Mr. Aizawa overheard. Thankfully he was still busy getting everyone's tickets.

With her lilac backpack slung over her shoulder, and costume case in hand, Hitomi anxiously rocked on her heels, twirling and tugging on her hair with her free hand. The bandages were removed the night before, her palms just slightly pinker than normal. And thankfully her feet were the same.

Momo noticed her inability to stand still, and raised a brow. "You should take some of your medication before we all board our trains."

Hitomi groaned, her head falling back. "But they don't even do anything!"

Momo's eye twitched. "As someone who sits behind you, and can see when you go from vibrating in your chair, to lightly tapping your feet, I can assure you, they work."

Hitomi frowned petulantly, but caved and dug into her bag for the bottle. She made a big show of unscrewing it, taking out a pill, then putting it in her mouth.

"Good." Momo nodded her approval, handing over a water bottle for the pinkette to take a sip from and wash it down. "Now was that so hard?"

Hitomi stuck out her tongue.

The ravenette ignored her, causing her to sulk more, and watched the last few of their classmates arrive at the station. "So, how did Nori and Ayami take the news?"

Hitomi straightened, the put-on show of displeasure being replaced by genuine annoyance. "Well, I'm sure you can guess."

"Internships? That's fast."

Hitomi nodded nervously, fidgeting with the paper in her hands, crinkling it unintentionally. "Yeah…"

"Least it's not a far commute." He considered, shrugging.

Hitomi winced. "Well, the thing about that is… I'm not going to Excel-lency."

Ayami recovered first. "Oh?"

"Did Nemuri make an offer?" Nori cluelessly guessed.

"No."

"Uh, Aunt Rumi?"

Hitomi shuffled her feet, staring down at them. "No."

Nori paused, glowering thoughtfully. "...Gang Orca?"

With a shake of her head, Hitomi handed him the paper. "No. None of them."

The redhead looked down, and froze.

Ayami cautiously leaned in, reading the form with a thin frown. Right after she spotted the issue, the paper was rolled up tight, and brought down over Hitomi's head.

"Are you fucking serious?!"

Ayami didn't even bother chastising his language.

"But, I mean, he still drove me here. So that's a win, I guess." Hitomi said after retelling the events of the night previous. "Also said something about me bringing him back a souvenir."

"You won't have time for that." Momo logically warned.

"That's what I told him! But he just yelled "excuses", and—"

"Alright everyone, line up and grab your tickets." Mr. Aizawa waved a handful of slips, and in his other hand was a list of who needed to board which train. "Sato, Kirishima, Jirou, Aoyama, Uraraka. Your agencies are close enough for you to ride the first train together. Same as Kaminari, Ojirou, Shoji, Mineta, Ashido, and Yaoyorozu. And Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki."

Lastly, Sero and Koda were paired up, and Tokoyami and Tsuyu were on their own.

That just left Hitomi, and Bakugou.

The pinkette beamed at him, her tail wagging eagerly. It was almost enough to make her forget just where she was heading.

Almost.

Bakugou grunted, snatching his ticket, and sending a fierce glare at her when she skipped forward and gently claimed hers.

"Alright, I better not get any calls saying any of you ran late or didn't show up at all. If you get lost, you have the faculty's number, so use it." Mr. Aizawa leveled them with a stern look. "Everyone has their costumes, right? Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don't lose them or anything."

"Gotcha!" Mina lifted her case up with a bounce.

"Speak properly. It's yes sir, Ashido."

Mina deflated, hugging her case with a pout. "Yes, sir."

"Make sure you mind your manners with the other Heroes during your internships. Now get to it."

"Yes sir."

"Sure thing, Dad." Kaminari sassed under his breath, just loud enough for Hitomi to catch.

She slapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking with poorly contained giggles.

"This is it." Momo said, some of her nerves leaking into her voice. She cracked a weak smile, putting a hand out. "To getting stronger."

"To getting smarter!" Hitomi clasped it in return.

"Well then, see you in a week." Momo declared, her smile growing more sincere, but still with lingering worry.

Hitomi gave a thumbs-up. "One week!"

"Hurry your ass up, Mutt! I won't have you slowing me down!"

Hitomi moved back, placed her hands on her hips, standing tall. "Yes. One week to make him my friend!"

Momo put a hand on her cheek in dismay. "Oh no. Hitomi, please reconsider—"

Hitomi lurched back, her collar yanked by a smoking hand. Like the way he did after they listened in on Todoroki's backstory, Bakugou dragged her away, her legs sliding limply on the ground in front of her. And once again, he seemed unfazed in lugging her full weight.

"Have fun interning with Uwabami!" Hitomi called, waving merrily.

Momo raised a hand to wave back, but it was stiff, her face twisted in apprehension on behalf of her friend.

"Our train should be leaving in about five min— Oof!" Hitomi groaned, pouting at Bakugou's back after he dropped her unceremoniously upon reaching the terminal, earning her a strange look from the clerk.

She sprung to her feet, dusting herself off. Seeing that Bakugou was already entering the train by the time she did so, she hurried to hand over her ticket. Immediately after being ushered through, she ran to catch up with the blonde.

"The hell are you following me for!?"

"I'm... not?"

Hitomi giggled to herself, recalling his look of total disdain when she suggested they may be in the same class.

And lo-and-behold, look where they were now.

Bakugou seemed to find a suitable seat after making his way almost to the end of the train cars, only stopping once they came across one that was as empty as could be found.

He set down his case and travel-bag on the seat next to him, making it obvious that she was not welcome there.

Hitomi took advantage of the mostly empty car, and promptly claimed the seat right across from him.

The twitch in his eye told her that he had miscalculated, and dearly regretted it.

Hitomi smiled.

He started to stand.

Unfortunately for Bakugou, however, the train chose that moment to start moving. And say what you would about him acting like a thug, but Hitomi was noticing that when it came to rules, Bakugou tended to follow them, albeit reluctantly.

And there was a firm rule about people moving around while the train was traveling. In that, it wasn't allowed.

So, with a vein popping furiously from his forehead, Bakugou settled back down.

She interlaced her fingers, propping her chin up on them. "So…"

Bakugou's jaw clenched, his eyes drifting upward, as if he was praying for the patience to deal with this.

"You like train rides? I like train rides. Better than cars or planes. Trains always feel smoother and safer, y'know? Not to say cars and planes aren't safe! I just mean—"

"Do you plan to talk the entire trip?" Bakugou snarled, brow twitching.

Hitomi opened her mouth, let it fall closed, then shrugged. "Maybe."

If she wanted to befriend him, talking was really all she knew how to use to do so. With any other person, she'd be able to strike up a conversation and get some rapport going with them. But Bakugou was different. It was like talking to a brick wall. If a brick wall could glare at you like you're the bane of its existence.

Maybe she was going about this the wrong way. He clearly wouldn't participate in idle chitchat with her, which meant she needed to get on his level, and bring up a topic of interest.

Her gaze landed on his costume case.

Ah, there we go.

"Hey," Hitomi risked speaking up again, smelling a wave of immediate irritation, "why'd you choose Best Jeanist to intern with?" Her high, bubbly tone was set aside for something more tame. Not quiet, but relaxed.

Bakugou glanced to her for a moment, before staring back out of the window at the slowly brightening world. "He was the highest ranked Pro on my list."

Hitomi kept her face carefully neutral, her tail standing stiff as she refrained from letting it wag.

He didn't yell or glare at me!

Then, to thoroughly stun her, he narrowed his eyes and returned the question.

"Why the hell did you choose him?"

Hitomi tensed, her lips falling into a thin, insincere smile.

The question hadn't been asked with pure curiosity. It was posed with suspicion.

She squeaked a strained giggle. "Why wouldn't I? He is the number-four Hero, after all."

It took everything in her to keep the disdain out of her voice.

If anything, this only made him more suspicious.

"You were going to intern with your family's agency." Bakugou pointed out, scowling heavily.

For a moment Hitomi wondered how the heck he knew that, then she recalled the fact she sat right in front of him in class. How was he not supposed to hear her plan?

"A-ah, well…" Hitomi scratched the back of her head, scanning the train car around them as if it would supply her with a decent explanation.

Luck seemed to be on her side, as a beam of light broke through the window, shining into the train car and drawing her attention. Hitomi turned her head, eyes widening in awe at the view outside. The early morning sun bathed everything in soft light, and the morning moisture in the air created a thin fog floating low to the ground. She wished she could crack the window, knowing the morning air had to smell wonderful.

It was enough to distract her from the question, and Bakugou wasn't going to tamper with the sudden peace and quiet by asking again.

Even if something in his gut told him there was more to her choice than the simplicity of Best Jeanist being ranked the number-four Hero.

"Ah! You must be Ōkami and Bakugou, correct?"

Hitomi felt her brow start to twitch, her hands tightening around her case handle and backpack strap in irritation.

The Sidekick waiting for them at the station was wearing an amalgam of a Hero costume, and denim civilian clothing.

She was starting to wonder if something was wrong with her. Never before in her life had Hitomi felt so much hatred for someone that it branched off to other people who were only associated with that person. And here she was now, internally seething at the mere sight of one of Best Jeanist's Sidekicks.

Was this how Nori felt all the time? This constant simmering anger toward the world that kept on wronging him?

The Sidekick— whose name was Flairescence —shared a similar sort of attitude to Aoyama, but much less… just, much less. As he walked them from the station to the agency, he rambled about how lucky they were to be interning with Best Jeanist so soon, and that they'd be learning so much working under him.

The longer the man gushed about him, the stronger the sour taste on the back of her tongue grew. It bittered into something even worse once they reached the building. Looking up at the agency with her own two eyes, Hitomi morbidly wondered if it was the last thing her parents saw, before being slain in the neighboring alley.

Right under Best Jeanist's nose. In the city he lured them into.

Flairescence took them up to the ninth floor, where their temporary rooms were prepared, and instructed them both to change into their costumes before he led them to Best Jeanist's office on the top floor.

The suites set up for them were large and felt more like an apartment than a room. With a common area, master bedroom with adjoining bathroom, and an open kitchen. They were probably two unused dorms meant for Sidekicks, if Hitomi were to guess.

She set her backpack on the end of her bed, deciding then and there that all her things would be staying in the bag, despite there being available dressers and a closet. She didn't want to settle in, not even a little. Her UA uniform was switched out for her costume, and was stowed away in her backpack as well.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Hitomi peered around, acknowledging that this was her lodging for a week. It felt so bare, and lifeless. Like a hotel room— which in a way, it practically was. At least she could smell some food essentials stocked in the kitchen.

Meeting up back out in the hall, Hitomi was reminded again of her costume's unfortunate simplicity, comparing it to Bakugou's intimidating, and much cooler one.

That really was a nice shade of orange on black.

"Best Jeanist, sir! I've brought the students from UA." Flairescence announced after pushing open the double-doors to Best Jeanist's office.

Hitomi wrinkled her nose, the overabundance of hairspray in the room making it a chore to breathe.

The number-four Hero stood with his back to them, decked out fully in denim. And much to her horror, every single Sidekick in the room had some form of the fabric incorporated into their costume as well.

What kind of narcissistic—

"It's about time." Best Jeanist drawled, turning to face them. His arms crossed, and his eyes narrowed above his ridiculous mask. "Ōkami, and Bakugou, hm? So you haven't chosen a Hero name, then?" He aimed the question at the blonde.

Hitomi curled her fists, struggling to keep her expression measured.

He already knew that! He would have had to when Bakugou sent in his form! What's he trying to accomplish by bringing it up?

"To be perfectly frank… I don't like you very much."

"Hah?!" Bakugou was rightfully dumbfounded by the unnecessary critique.

"I know full well why you chose my agency." Best Jeanist laid into Bakugou, unprovoked. "It's because I'm one of the top five most popular Heroes."

Fuchsia eyes rolled dimly. Ah, yes, take the time to brag. We'll wait.

"Hey, look, you're the one who made an offer for me." Bakugou pointed out gruffly.

Best Jeanist sighed deeply, fixing his hair, despite the shell of spray that made sure not a strand was able to move out of place.

It could not be normal to hate someone this much.

"Recently, all my recruits have been perfect little angels, so you certainly stood out." Best Jeanist spoke with a mirthless laugh. "I watched the way you fought at the sports festival. You have a good handle on your powerful Quirk and a decent grasp of its application as well. You're an outstanding talent. I'd say you're already good enough to take on as a Sidekick."

But…?

"However, you do have a fatal flaw. You believe you're the best, and display that belief without regard for how it reflects on you, or your image. You have a ferocious nature."

Well hey, at least Bakugou didn't put "best" in his Hero name. Only a huge tool would do something so— oh wait!

Bakugou shook in withheld anger. "Don't tell me you brought me here just to give me a lecture!" He took a step forward— and immediately locked up. His arms and legs were bound to each other, tied together with hundreds of sheer strings, all coming from Best Jeanist's costume.

"I have to correct people like you. It's part of my duty to society. Heroes and Villains are cut from the same cloth. So your job here is to watch me." Best Jeanist practically growled. "I'll show you what makes someone a Hero."

You think you can judge what makes a great Hero?!

Hitomi looked down at herself, opening and closing her hands. She felt… hot. Like she was burning up with a fever. People could get hot from anger? Seriously?

"What in the hell are you doing?" Bakugou snarled, still unable to move.

"Isn't it obvious?"

No! No it's not! Because not everyone is narcissistic enough to blindly assume everyone's always on the same page!

"I'm educating you on becoming an exemplary Pro. That includes being aware of the way you speak, your appearance, controlling your emotions, your morals." Best Jeanist coldly stared the blonde down. "There are countless things you need to learn. But in the brief period of one week, I will stitch these things into the fabric of your being."

"Right, right. Because you're such a great role model. Manhandling an intern, and all. Setting an amazing example already."

Hitomi stood, arms crossed, absently staring out of the massive window behind Best Jeanist's desk. She only bothered to look away when the short silence carried onto something much longer, and tenser. Her gaze locked with her blonde classmate's, who for once didn't look the least bit feral.

He looked downright floored.

Hitomi blinked, once, twice, then froze.

She said it out loud.

Reluctantly, Hitomi slowly turned to Best Jeanist, wondering why he hadn't snapped back at her yet.

The Hero leveled her with an indecipherable stare, and she couldn't glean anything from his scent, with the strong cloud of hairspray overriding everything.

Finally, he moved to do something. But it was just releasing Bakugou with a flick of his wrists.

"You both will be escorted to the wardrobe. We'll need to tweak your costumes before heading out to patrol. Flairescence."

The Sidekick jumped, and nodded hurriedly. "Y-yes, sir. Let's go." He gestured for them to follow him, shooting unsure looks at the pinkette all the while.

Hitomi's brows scrunched, her lips pursed in an unsure frown.

What the heck was that?

"Why is this necessary?"

A few of the Sidekicks "helping" Hitomi alter her outfit shared uncomfortable glances, no answer being given for an awkwardly long time.

"All the interns wear some form of denim. That's just how it is." Flairescence finally explained, his scent much less judgemental than the others'.

Her comment had not made her any friends.

Hitomi huffed, glaring at the room of clothing wracks. Almost every single one was primarily full of denim.

If she never saw the fabric again, she could die happy.

It was with great reluctance that she swiped a soft, slightly distressed jean jacket from a hanger, shrugging it on with a petulant pout.

If Best Jeanist's head got any bigger, he wouldn't be able to fit inside the building.

After she put on a pair of tennis shoes as well, the Sidekicks were satisfied enough to lead her out. While passing by a wall of hat hooks, Hitomi spotted a plain white beanie within reach. She snatched it up, stowing it away into one of the jacket pockets.

Nori said he wanted a souvenir. And it wasn't like it would be missed.

Stepping out into the hallway, Hitomi was met with the sight of Bakugou grinding his teeth, his hands clenched so tightly in fury that they trembled at his sides. His mask and gauntlets were gone, leaving behind the gloves and bracers. And his baggy black cargo pants with the metal knee pads were replaced by a pair of fitting blue jeans.

And his hair.

For the first time since they got off the train, Hitomi smiled sincerely with a small giggle.

"Nice helmet." She stared at the blonde locks, sprayed down to mimic Best Jeanist's style.

She kind of missed the floofy Pomeranian spikes.

Bakugou rounded on her, eyes ablaze with rage. As if made to move by sheer fury alone, his hair poofed back up into his usual style

Hitomi gasped delightedly. "It's back!"

"Alright, it's time to go." Best Jeanist sauntered by, heading toward the elevator without waiting for either of them. He paused when he spotted Bakugou's hair, casting it a disdainful sneer.

Hitomi's hands clenched in the jacket pockets. This was going to be a trial of patience.

The question was, whose?

Hitomi character sheet on my Instagram

Notes:

So, as you can see, Hitomi is an unreliable narrator here. Best Jeanist isn't as malicious as she's making him out to be, and all the little things— such as the Sidekicks wearing denim —she's interpreting the worst way you could. The Sidekicks aren't required to wear denim, they choose to because of how much they respect Best Jeanist. Which is an idea so unreachable to Hitomi, that she assumes they're being forced to.
By no means is Jeanist innocent, though. He is narcissistic, and he's one of the people who assumes Bakugou's going to become a Villain if not "groomed" correctly. But he's not the heartless egomaniac that Hitomi sees him as. I'm fully intending for Hitomi to kinda come off as childish, petty, and downright catty here. It's a side we haven't gotten to explore with her yet. And don't worry, she will get a wake-up call.
Was it stupid to give up her internship and chance of growing as a Hero-hopeful, in favor of giving Jeanist a hard time? Abso-freakin-lutely. But she's sixteen. And we all know how dumb and impulsive teenagers are. (I say as if I'm not still emotionally one.)
Anyway. We all know about Horikoshi's love for punny names, using different kanji spellings to reference or hint something about that character. Well, I did my best to replicate it with Hitomi's name.
瞳 (ひとみ) (Hi-to-mi) meaning "pupil"
彩 (さい) (sai) meaning "color"
都 (とう) (to) meaning "all, everything"
I of course know what this means in terms of future events. And I revel in your ignorance! Mwah ha ha!
Anyway. Do with that information what you will.

Chapter 23: A new kind of feeling (hatred)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Guilty fuchsia flittered to the right, and were once again met with a vengeful aqua glare.

Hitomi pursed her lips, ducking her head with hunched shoulders. Her hands played restlessly on her lap, fingers intertwining again and again in an anxious dance, invisible knots tying them together in some phantom game of cat's cradle. She did her best to block out the sound of her mother's irate voice as it batted back and forth with the principal and her classmate's own mother.

Her classmate, a boy with spiky sky blue hair, and aqua eyes. Ones that hadn't stopped piercing the side of Hitomi's head since they were both sat down to wait out in the hallway.

She swallowed, tongue heavy in her mouth, weighed down by the remorse that threatened to refill her already wet eyes.

"I-I'm really sorry."

Her classmate scoffed, and she winced.

She tied the knots tighter. "I don't know what came over me. Honest."

It was the truth, Hitomi had no idea what had possessed her body only a short while ago, and that scared her.

Hitomi had a horrible day. First, she woke up late because her alarm hadn't gone off. Then while she was rushing to get ready, she tripped and slammed her face into her floor, knocking out a premature tooth that still hurt. The test she had spent so much time on with the encouragement of Momo, came back covered in red ink and a failing grade. Nori mixed up their bentos, and Hitomi was left with stir fry full of garlic and onions— her allergies making it impossible to eat. And it all culminated into a session of crying isolated in the girls' bathroom.

Tired, sad, embarrassed, and hungry, there was really no hope for her when it happened.

The boy had been walking back from lunch with his group of friends, and as they passed Hitomi and Momo, a jeer was uttered just under his breath.

"Look, it's the stray and her high-and-mighty owner."

Hitomi went rigid.

She really didn't care about people calling her names, she could take it on the chin and move on. When you had hearing as good as she did, you had to get used to hearing things about yourself that stung. But going after Momo simply because she was already a beautiful girl who would clearly only come to be more lovely, and easily maintained the highest grades in their class, was different.

Later, Momo would tell her that she began to growl, her canines growing, (and maybe her eyes flashed red? Momo insisted she was probably just seeing things), before she whirled around and tackled the aqua eyed boy in a flurry of swift but harsh fists.

So, here they were. Hitomi and the boy— who's name was apparently Aoi Hamasaki, both sitting in sullen silence, waiting for their mothers to handle the situation they wound up in.

And in the end, it was no surprise when the child without a scratch on her, was the one the blame was pinned upon.

Hitomi took the heated lecture from the principal with a wobbling lip, but elevated head. She didn't remember attacking the boy, Hamasaki, but nevertheless, she did it. So while his snide comment about the two girls was uncalled for and crude, he wasn't the one who took it to a physical level, even at her age Hitomi could clearly grasp the difference.

Anything the principal said was put to shame, though, compared to when Naomi gave her a disappointed shake of her head.

"I just don't understand what got into you!" The woman exclaimed once they were both in the car. "You almost broke his nose, if his friends hadn't pulled you off of him!"

Hitomi shrunk down in her seat, shame turning her stomach. "I'm sorry."

Naomi sighed, refusing to look at her daughter, for fear of giving in to those big teary eyes. "I know. But, Hitomi, this isn't the first time."

Right, she was in the same sort of altercation when her Quirk activated for the first time. It was even with the same boy, if she recalled correctly. Maybe it was Hamasaki's doing, somehow. He was the only consistent connection so far.

Him, and his bullying of Momo.

"I-I don't know why I did it." Some of her uncertainty and fear seeped into her voice, making her mother frown with concern. "My body felt hot, a-and it was like I could jump around, you know? But I was all, like—" Hitomi, lacking the right words, tensed up stiffly for example, "but then— well, I mean, I guess I started hitting him…"

Naomi glowered at the road thoughtfully, her hands tightening and relaxing on the wheel. "Hitomi, when you get angry, how does it feel, exactly?"

The pinkette lifted her head, her brows drawn together in innocent confusion. "Um, I… I don't know. I guess how I said? I get hot, and all weird, and then I, uh, hit people…" she mumbled the last few words sheepishly.

Naomi glanced at her daughter, her expression slightly uneasy. "Baby, how often do you get angry?"

Hitomi sat back, eyes staring unseeingly at her lap. "Um… there's this time, and when I got my Quirk."

After a beat, Naomi looked at her with a probing expression. "And?"

Hitomi cocked her head, blinking up at her. "And what?"

Naomi sputtered. "Wh— Hitomi, there has to be other times you were angry!"

"N-no? I've only ever felt hot like that two times." Her ears sat low on her head.

"B-but being angry is more than just feeling hot! You— you get this pit in your gut, and you breathe deeper, and you may say things you never would otherwise! But there are lesser angers, too! Like annoyance! Frustration! You've felt those, right?"

Hitomi slowly shook her head. "I don't know. Sometimes when Nori teases me I get kinda quiet, and don't wanna play with him anymore, but that only lasts like, a minute. Is that what you mean?"

Naomi pulled into their driveway, casting a contemplative stare at the dashboard once the car stopped. "...You two never argue. Ever. Thinking about it now, I don't think I've ever heard you raise your voice over something. You're five, and you haven't thrown anything like a tantrum since you were in diapers." She whispered, stunned by the revelation. "How did I miss this?"

Hitomi wrung her hands, which were starting to become sore. "Is it bad?"

Naomi snapped out of her shock, blinking at her antsy daughter, and rushed to reassure her. "Oh, no! Not at all! I'm just a little surprised, is all."

"You smell scared." Hitomi meekly pointed out.

Naomi huffed a tired laugh. "Not scared, honey. Maybe a little worried, but not scared."

Hitomi nodded slowly, trying to push her senses to gage if that was a lie or not. She had been practicing, but she still got emotions mixed up sometimes, and telling if someone was being truthful or not really depended on the person and their ability to lie.

Recently, she had come to find out that both her parents were either always being honest, or that they were exceptional liars.

You might assume that being the number-four Hero, Best Jeanist would be dealing with plenty of problems and Villains when going out on his patrols. And as a result, Hitomi and Bakugou would be seeing some level of action unfold, hopefully giving them some experience.

But, no. And for once Bakugou wasn't unjustly angry. The completely boring and pointless time walking around the city gave merit to the blonde's easily stoked ire. And Hitomi was right there along with him.

"Nothing! Nothing at all! Not even, like, a petty purse-snatcher!" Hitomi ranted into her phone, irritably foraging through her suite's cupboards, uncaring of the disarray she left them in.

"It could be worse. All Kendou and I did with Uwabami was man her schedule and watch her three hour long photoshoot."

Hitomi faltered, settling on a bag of chips with a pout. "Okay, yeah, you win."

There was a pause, before Momo cautiously made an observation. "...Are you sure you're upset about patrol being dull, and not who it was you were on patrol with?"

Hitomi wedged her phone between her shoulder and cheek, opening the bag and walking into the main room. She picked up the television remote from the coffee table, absently flicking it on to some late evening sit-com she'd never heard of before.

"Not at all. I happen to enjoy Bakugou's company."

"You know that's not who I meant—"

"Can't hear you over my chips! Sorry, bye!" Hitomi hung up, ignoring the sting of guilt it caused. She knew Momo was only trying to look out for her.

But sitting down and having a moment to think about what she signed up for, was only going to make her sick with regret. So, turning up the volume on the TV, Hitomi pushed it out of mind.

Hitomi kept her eyes straight ahead, studiously avoiding the denim clad narcissist that was currently trying to impart some wisdom onto them.

It was too bad that her resentment drowned out every other word he said.

Glancing to her side, her eyes locked with Bakugou's.

Who was already watching her.

Hitomi jumped, whipping her head away. After a few seconds, she risked peering back, and was met again with Bakugou's narrowed gaze.

"Erm, hi?" She squeaked, keeping quiet enough so Best Jeanist wouldn't hear from where he walked ahead of them.

Bakugou settled her with an expression she couldn't discern. And the hairspray Best Jeanist doused his hair in to get it to stay down this time, hindered her sense of smell enough that she couldn't just pick up on his emotions by scent.

"You hate him."

Hitomi stiffened, her steps slowing.

He didn't pose it as a question, but an accusation. And she was reminded of the train ride, and his suspicion over her agency choice.

She knew she hadn't exactly been being subtle, but being called out on her attitude towards Best Jeanist was unexpected, especially considering it was Bakugou.

"W-what? No! I just—"

"Are either of you listening?" Best Jeanist stopped, turning to look back at them with a displeased arch of his brow. "You're not going to learn anything if you don't pay attention."

Oh.

"Right…" Hitomi tipped her head up— what was she doing?— eyes half-lidded and aimed down her nose— her mouth burned like it was full of lava —at the Hero. "Of course. Teach us all about mimicking your wonderful fashion sense, and how that will somehow affect our Hero careers at all." —Why can't she stop?

Best Jeanist leveled her with a strange look. It wasn't angry, or offended, or even hurt. The stare he was giving her was one of pity.

And that just made the heat licking at her skin, burn worse.

Hitomi scoffed— an action that felt so wildly foreign, and marched on.

Best Jeanist gave no reaction when her shoulder clipped his.

What the hell was that?!

Katsuki glowered thoughtfully, keeping his eyes on the tense back of his— until now —annoyingly sweet classmate.

Saito was a fucking enigma, and it came out of nowhere. The way she was constantly on the verge of sneering at Best Jeanist, blatantly so, was such a reverse of how infuriatingly kind she was to anything with a pulse.

Katsuki scoffed under his breath. No, it didn't stop at a pulse either. He distinctly remembered an incident about a week ago, when she had bumped into Tentacles' empty desk and apologized to it.

The desk. She apologized to the desk, and drove the whole situation home by offering it a gentle pat in remorse.

So, that all begged the question—

What the hell was that? Her little outburst at Jeanist from their first day went completely ignored. The Hero brushed it off like nothing, and Katsuki was positive that if he had said what she did, he very well could've been sent straight home.

But Saito went unpunished, and unacknowledged.

...He didn't acknowledge her at all, actually. From the moment they stepped into his office, to when they left for patrol, Jeanist didn't address her once past saying both their names. Thinking back on it, Katsuki wasn't even sure if he looked at her before she threw the (almost admirably vicious) barb at him.

And now, here they were again. With her jab at Jeanist still ringing in the air, with no sign of any response coming from the Hero.

Watching her back, her posture and stance, Katsuki recognized her gait. The high shoulders, straight spine, and heavy steps.

He recognized it, because it was his.

Just what the hell was going on?

The curiosity eating away at Katsuki almost made him forget how fucking stupid his hair looked.

Almost.

Wandering around in her suite, Hitomi kept herself entertained by singing a song under her breath. Oddly enough, though, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember where she learned it.

"I know you're scared~ that fear we share~ but we gotta live our lives. You're not alone~ so keep on smiling~ and riding on that wind."

She was growing restless. Best Jeanist was proving to be a (very obviously) inexperienced teacher. And if there was any sign that Hitomi was at her wits end, it would be the fact that Bakugou of all people had been acting as a buffer and mediator between her and the Hero. Maybe it was because it gave him something better to do than walking around aimlessly, who knows.

In spite of her boredom, Hitomi refrained from calling or texting Momo, knowing the ravenette would inevitably bring up Best Jeanist and how this wasn't solving anything. Momo was always right, so hearing her lay out the reasons why this all was a bad idea, didn't sound very appealing.

Idly clicking through the countless channels, Hitomi leaned back on the uncomfortably firm sofa, yawning from a mixture of her aforementioned boredom, and exhaustion.

When she blinked away the tears it brought, her vision was full of fire and destruction.

Wha—

Hitomi shot to her feet, adrenaline jolting her wide-awake. From an aerial view, the chaos shown on the TV screen was fiery and violent, with a handful of Heroes trying to put out the raging fire enveloping a crashed bus. But while that was being doused unsuccessfully, the more pressing issue was the two brain Villains attacking people. They looked so much like the one from the USJ, that there was no doubt about it. It had to be the League of Villains' doing.

She looked down at the corner of the screen to see where this was going on, and discovered that it was in Hosu.

Iida was in Hosu. Iida was in trouble.

Hitomi's ears pointed forward, subconsciously on high alert for any approaching sounds of danger. A horrible feeling started to swell in her stomach. "Those are called "instincts", sweetheart. And I bet you've got some of the best. I'd listen to them if I were you." Her mother once proudly said.

"The Heroes seem unable to hurt these strange Villains! There's no telling how strong they—"

The newscaster's commentary was cut off when one of the Nomu-look-alikes threw a car at a Hero. It hit its mark, and the vehicle blew up.

Hitomi put a hand to her mouth, a shudder running down her body.

After seeing that, the newscaster wisely told the person manning the helicopter to fall back, for fear of having something hurled at them.

It was all going on over in Hosu, someplace Hitomi clearly wasn't. So what could she possibly do to help? There was no way she could make it all the way over there before the situation was handled, so it would probably be best to just stay—

Her phone pinged, a text alert from Midoriya lighting up her screen.

No words, just a location. In Hosu.

Her blood went cold.

Acting on impulse, feet bare and dressed in short-shorts and one of Nori's old t-shirts, Hitomi dashed across the room and threw open her door.

Wide carmine eyes locked with her equally startled fuchsia ones.

Stopping in their tracks, both Hitomi and Bakugou stared at each other, left standing stunned in the hallway. Gripping her own phone so tightly it pressed creases into her hand, Hitomi looked down and saw Bakugou holding his the same way, his screen still glowing with Midoriya's cryptic message.

Something in her chest eased. "You got it too?"

The words, breathed out in relief that she wouldn't be doing this— whatever it was she planned to do —alone, snapped the blonde out of his stupor.

A snarl pulled at his face, before he took one step back—

And promptly slammed his door in her face.

Hitomi jumped, gaping at the plank of wood for a few seconds, then knocked frantically.

"Bakugou! Midoriya needs—"

"Fuck off!"

Hitomi stumbled back, wincing at the venom in his voice. A remorseful acidity burned the back of her tongue, brought by the likely assumption that if she hadn't come out of her room at the same time as him, effectively catching him in the act, he would have continued on. But with that pride of his, Bakugou couldn't let her see him showing concern over anyone, especially not Midoriya.

"B-but— I— he— Argh!" Hitomi threw up her arms, feeling that same heat searing her skin.

Anger. Hitomi really hated how she was coming to be so familiar with it.

Fine. Fine. She didn't need Bakugou. She could get there on her own… on foot, all that way, heading into a fight with unknown perils, completely unprepared.

"Shi—shoot." Hitomi glowered at the floor, gripping her phone so hard something audibly creaked.

Who was she kidding? With Bakugou maybe she could feasibly run off and help Midoriya in his mysterious troubles, but alone? She would probably just wind up getting in the way.

Plus, there was the serious issue of it being too dang far.

It was with crushing reluctance that Hitomi turned, dejectedly walking back into her room. After she shut her door, she paused and aimed her ears out toward the hall, waiting to hear if Bakugou was going to try to sneak out undetected.

But there was nothing, and Hitomi lowered her head.

Please be okay, Midoriya.

Notes:

Happy Fourth of July to any of y'all who celebrate it!
Credit for the "Let It All Out" lyrics used in this chapter go to Amalee (LeeandLie) for their English cover on youtube.
So, now you know why Hitomi's unfazed by Bakugou's bullshit! And it's not because she's got OC-love-interest-foreknowledge!
I had the plan for Hitomi to be kinda, well… happy and forgiving to a fault, pretty early on. Dogs are notorious for being big dumb sweethearts, and while they do get angry (which is scientifically proven) ones who haven't been mistreated and such are ridiculously quick to forgive. That being said, the easiest and most dangerous way to anger a dog is to threaten— physically or emotionally, because they can understand hostile body language —someone they care about.
See where I'm going with this?

Chapter 24: It actually was.

Notes:

(Pardon any typos. I'm too tired to proof read.)
Crazy long chapter. I kept looking for a part where I could split it into two, but I didn't want to disturb the flow. I did my best to keep Bakugou in character, but the thing with him is that it can be so easy to write him as a one-note asshole who only ever yells and makes death threats if you're not careful. But at the same time, he's not friendly and chill either. You have to get into the sweet spot between those two, and then maintain it. Needless to say, it's hard.
On the bright side, I pushed through and you guys get a surplus of Hitomi/Bakugou content! Plus, you finally get to learn their official ship name!
(Lastly, would y'all be interested in a separate fic that's a collection of oneshots in the TLH universe? I could take suggestions and stuff and write anything from drabbles, to AUs. If that's something you're interested in.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Let's take a moment to talk about the incident last night in Hosu."

Hitomi did her best to mask a yawn. After the message from Midoriya she hadn't gotten to sleep until he sent a follow up, hours later, confirming that he was alright.

"The Hero Killer Stain was arrested. There were also incidents with the Villains who resembled Nomu from the UA attack. You're likely worried how this all stitched together."

Oh God. It took every last shred of restraint to not gag at his themed wordplay.

"Well, I too am concerned. People tend to come apart at the seams—" (she cracked, hiding behind a Sidekick, Hitomi stuck out her tongue and pointed a finger in her mouth) "—in times like this. That's why we Heroes must remain calm despite our fears. Don't let chaos tempt you into thoughtless overreaction." Best Jeanist leveled his two interns with a look. "Remember, we're here to protect others, not seek out vengeance."

Hitomi lowered her eyes, something uncomfortable wedging itself into her throat. There was that burning heat again, but this time accompanied by something else.

She chose to ignore that something else.

"It'll be business as usual today. Standard material. May your minds and bodies be as sharp as your jeans."

"Thank you, Best Jeanist!"

Okay, that something else was gone now. Only the heat left behind.

Bakugou stood trembling in withheld rage beside her. And Hitomi felt a strange kinship start to root itself between them.

"Rain's coming…"

Bakugou caught the absentminded murmur, and eyed her strangely. "The hell are you talking about? There's not a cloud in sight."

Hitomi wordlessly tapped her nose, giving the blonde pause.

"You can smell it?"

"Mm-hm!"

Patrolling the busy city streets, as usual, Hitomi and Bakugou kept vigilant for any trouble, and were left with either heavy silence, or idle conversation. It was obvious which Hitomi would pick, but it took two people to talk, and Bakugou didn't seem willing.

"Now, our continuing coverage."

Hitomi stopped, craning her neck to peer up at the large monitor on the side of the building they were passing.

"Three Villains were captured in the Hosu riots. Their identities and motives are yet unknown." Photos taken of Nomu after the USJ incident popped up on screen behind the newscasters. "Based on their distinctive appearance, however, and the presence of two people our reporters filmed nearby, many are speculating they're connected to the League of Villains that attacked UA High last month."

A whole month… it hardly felt like it.

The female anchor continued on. "The Hero Killer Stain claimed many lives. In fact, he has more victims than any other criminal since All Might burst into the scene. With his arrest, everyone in this country can rest a little easier tonight."

A certain report flashed by in her mind, the words memorized after years of pouring over them obsessively. Before Nori caught her with it and took it away, too afraid of the answer if he were to ask how she obtained it.

Signs of a struggle on Mr. Saito's hands and arms. Cuts consistent with the ones on the rest of his and his wife's bodies. One blade used, 9 inches in length, 2 inches in width, and 0.45mm in thickness. In line with an average household kitchen knife. One clean slash across Mrs. Saito's throat, severing left carotid artery, leading to her d—

Hitomi's stomach turned. No. The Hero Killer wasn't around at the time of her parents' murder. It couldn't have been him.

But it would be so much simpler if it was, now that he was put away.

"It's possible some Villains were inspired by what happened in Hosu. That means they could be feeling bolder. This may just be a patrol, but keep your guard up."

"Yeah, yeah." Bakugou only sighed, showing a surprising amount of restraint.

Best Jeanist glanced back over his shoulder. "Here's a question for you. Patrols are mainly to deter Villains from committing any crimes. But they also have a secondary purpose. What is it?"

"If we see some bad guys, we can beat 'em up on the spot!" Bakugou grinned, eager for some action.

"Incorrect. Ōkami?"

Of course she knew the answer. It was to make their presence known by citizens in a laid-back manner, without the violence of a fight, so they were reassured. Nonetheless, Hitomi huffed, glaring off to the side. "You're the oh-so wise teacher. You explain it to him."

"Hey, it's Best Jeanist!" A group of middle school girls fawned over the Hero from across the street.

"Thank you so much for keeping us safe!"

Best Jeanist humored them with a dainty wave.

"I'm gonna hurl." Hitomi hissed under her breath. But going by the way Bakugou twitched next to her, he heard.

"The answer is: to remind people who we are. Our presence gives the public a peace of mind. This helps weave a tapestry of trust between the protectors and the protected."

"I think you just like getting recognized." Bakugou growled, ignoring her when Hitomi barked a laugh.

"Hey! I've seen that blonde guy on TV before!"

Three young boys ran up to them, staring up at Bakugou with wide eyes.

Bakugou clenched his jaw, tilting his head up as if asking a higher power for some patience.

But the boy who had spoken in the first place, continued. "Yeah, an ooze Villain caught him and he almost cried like a baby!"

Blonde hair poofing back up like a mini explosion, Bakugou rounded on them, enraged.

"What did you say!?"

The three boys' scents spiked with fear, and tears welled up in their eyes.

Hitomi sighed heavily, hand covering her face.

"Have you really forgotten everything I've taught you? Talk with them, like a Pro." Best Jeanist scolded.

"Yeah, fine." Bakugou grumbled, but relaxed his posture and strode over to the boys. "Listen up! I wasn't helpless. I was just coming up with ways to fight him. Sometimes a Hero has to pretend he's been caught. You really think I would lose? You'll eat those words when I'm the new number-one Hero! You dumb kids'll never laugh at me again if you know what's good for you!"

How did this derail so fast? He was doing so well.

While the boys cried in fright, Hitomi calmly walked over, and delivered a solid strike to the back of Bakugou's head.

"Hey! The hell—"

"I'm sorry about my friend here." Hitomi smiled gently, squatting down and balancing on the front of her feet to get on their level. "He seems mean and scary, but he's actually working really hard to become a good Hero. So please try to be patient with him. Do any of you plan to be Heroes?"

The first boy sniffled, and he nodded hesitantly.

Hitomi clasped her hands. "That's great! But you gotta remember, Heroes do their best to be nice to those around them. And bringing up a painful memory for someone isn't that nice, is it?" She didn't know what this incident was that she'd heard brought up in reference to Bakugou twice now, but it couldn't have been something small and harmless. "So, as two Heroes in training, let's make a promise, yeah? We'll both do our best to be nice and helpful to people, that way we can both become great Heroes, how's that sound?" She outstretched a hand, pinky pointed out.

The boy sniffled again, rubbing away any lingering tears, and meekly laced his pinky with hers. "P-promise."

Beaming proudly, Hitomi stood with a nod. "Alright then. Do you boys need someone to walk you home?"

One of the previously silent two, shook his head quickly, knocking his glasses askew. "No! W-we'll be okay!"

The three skittered off, casting glances back at Bakugou and Hitomi, with fear and shy hope respectively.

"While Bakugou, your attitude was abhorrent, Saito, you handled the situation well, taking charge of damage control like it was second nature."

The smile slipped off of Hitomi's face, replaced by a sneer of disdain.

"As if I want praise from you."

Best Jeanist sighed harshly, and for the first time, his scent turned sharp with anger.

"Saito—"

Hitomi's ears shot pin-straight, flicking and rotating on her head until they locked on the direction of an alarm ringing someplace downtown.

In a split-decision— probably fueled partially by her resistance to hear whatever Best Jeanist was going to say —Hitomi charged off like a shot, pumping her legs as hard as she could in an effort to lose both the Hero and her classmate. Bakugou coming would only slow her down with his Quirk prohibited. Granted, so was hers, but Aunt Rumi drilled into her head the importance of not simply relying on one's power to win a fight.

Her borrowed tennis shoes skidded on the pavement as she rounded the street corner, and she was met with the sight of broken glass littering the sidewalk, in front of the store where the alarm blared from.

Robbery. Looks like a jewelry shop. Sounds like more than one. Weapons? Quirks? Can't use Akita Inu. That means hand-to-hand against an unknown number of criminals, who may or may not be armed.

Finally, something more than just dull patrols.

The glass crunched beneath her feet, and drew the attention of the people inside. Hitomi stood in the open doorway, casually glancing around at the trashed displays and jewelry strewn around.

"The door was open, so why break the windows?"

Three men stood mid-theft, hands full of sacks meant to carry the valuables. None of them even bothered to wear any face coverings, lord knows why. Maybe they were in it for the infamy.

"So… shopping for a lady friend?" Hitomi rocked on her heels with a put-on air of nonchalance.

That seemed to do the trick, the men snapping out of their shock.

"Get her!" The scrawny one aimed the order at his accomplices, rushing to finish filling the sack.

Talk about determination.

The first to charge at her wasn't anything special. He was portly, with hair that definitely needed a wash, but in a flash he vanished from sight almost completely.

His downfall was that his clothes were still there and visible.

Going by the location of his shirt collar, Hitomi was able to deduce where his chin likely was, and delivered a clean right hook to the jaw as soon as he was in reach. The floating clothes dropped, and the man in them reappeared, his Quirk wearing off upon his quick knockout.

Did you know, a solid hit to the jaw at just the angle can render someone unconscious immediately? Aunt Rumi did, so that meant Hitomi did as well.

"You bitch!" The next man came at her, taller and fitter than the last one. He also seemed to have a more offensive Quirk, smoke billowing from his nose after he took a heaping breath.

Hitomi tensed, spotting the light crawling up the man's throat as he opened his mouth wide. Whether it was lava, or simple fire, she wasn't willing to find out. With a stride forward instead of scrambling away— taking the man aback —Hitomi snapped her fist upward, catching him with an uppercut, forcing his mouth to snap shut right as he was letting the sweltering breath go.

The man's eyes widened, and he clutched his throat, hacking as he choked on the smoke and fire he meant for her. It was almost enough to make Hitomi feel bad.

She swung a high kick, slamming it into the side of his head, his limp body sprawling out by his still unconscious colleague.

Hitomi turned to the last guy, opening her mouth to say some kind of witty one liner that would make even Nori proud, but she didn't get the chance.

Practically shaking hard enough to rattle, the man raised his trembling right hand, palm facing her, showing off a tiny hole sitting in the middle.

Hitomi had no time to prepare, completely at a loss for what it could possibly do to help him out of the situation.

But, then a shrill ringing pierced her ears, so high, and so, so loud.

Crying out in pain, Hitomi dropped to her knees, not even feeling the shards of glass shredding her skin. Her hands covered her ears unsuccessfully, the ringing so horrible that her head noticeably throbbed, blood filling her mouth from where she bit viciously into her tongue.

Make it stop! Make it stop! Please !

She didn't realize she was actually screaming the words, until her raw throat rasped and made her choke on them.

Then, silence. Blissful, sweet silence.

Hitomi slumped, cradling her head as a much duller ringing was left in her ears as an aftereffect. With blurry, half-lidded eyes, she saw the floor light up, the glass glittering like stars.

Burnt caramel. Bakugou.

The fact she couldn't hear his Quirk going off, made her mouth go dry.

When she managed to lift up her head— which felt weighed down by a ton of bricks, Hitomi saw her classmate staring at her with an indiscernible expression. Then, there was Best Jeanist, who had the last criminal bound tightly in his own clothes. His hands were forced together, and wrapped tightly to keep him from using his Quirk again.

He saved her.

The heat grew worse than ever.

Best Jeanist offered her a hand up, but she slapped it away, snarling to the side. Her knees stung when she straightened them standing, rivulets of blood falling down her unsteady legs.

The police arrived shortly after, taken aside by Best Jeanist and— presumably —filled in on the situation. Hitomi stood back, fists shaking at her sides.

A hot hand landed on her shoulder, the warmth strong enough to feel through her stupid jean jacket. When she turned her head she saw Bakugou next to her, staring up at her ears, his mouth moving silently.

Hitomi squinted, and thought she saw his lips shape the word "blood". She lifted a hesitant hand to her ears, feeling around at the bases of them. When she lowered it, it came back slick with blood. A lot of it.

Best Jeanist must have said something, because Bakugou gave him a nod, before taking Hitomi's wrist and pulling her along with him outside. He wasn't exactly gentle about it, but it was different from the ways he had hauled her around previous times.

It was hard to tell how long the Hero spoke with the police, but it did take enough time for all the blood on her to harden, and her hearing to slowly start to return, though everything sounded muffled.

A drop of rain hit her cheek, and Best Jeanist sauntered out of the store, completely unruffled.

It was like a pot finally boiling over.

"You— I—" Hitomi's face burned red, a visual representation of her bubbling rage. "I didn't need your help!"

Best Jeanist arched a prim brow, rain speckling his costume, forming small dark spots on the denim. "Oh really?"

"Yes!" She shouted gutturally. "God— I'd sooner die than ask for help from you! I had it handled!"

"So curling up on the floor, begging for mercy, is considered handling it?"

Thunder clapped, and somewhere distantly in her mind, Hitomi registered that she was steadily growing soaked. But none of that mattered. Not when her head was pounding and her chest felt full of lava.

"You have no idea what— Argh!" She threw up her hands, turning and stomping away a few steps, before spinning back around, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I don't care what rank you are! To me, you're nothing more than a second-rate, pathetic, joke of a Hero! And no matter how many people you have— or will save, that won't ever change! Not after what you did! So take your narcissistic "help" and shove it!"

Her body shook, and she turned her back to him—

"Saito!"

Hitomi's eyes widened, and her tail tucked.

He sounded furious.

"I have let you disrespect me and undermine my authority these past few days without saying a word. But that ends now." Best Jeanist's eyes narrowed into slits. "If all you aimed for this internship was to berate and disparage me then you have succeeded. So if that was your only goal, then I suggest you go get on the first train back home." He spoke with finality.

Hitomi felt her stomach drop to her feet.

W-wait… wait no, that wasn't— she didn't—

Bakugou watched them with barely concealed investment.

"Think about what it is you've gained from this internship, and based on the answer, leave early, or come back to the Genius Office with a new attitude." Best Jeanist turned on his heel, sauntering away. "I'd think long and hard on it. Come, Bakugou."

For what it was worth, her classmate hesitated for a second, before following after the Hero, glowering slightly.

Hitomi stood frozen in place, numbed to the cold. Her clothes and hair plastered themselves to her shivering body, sopping wet from the sudden downpour of rain.

The fire burning her from the inside out, finally died. It flickered weakly into nothing, leaving behind that previous feeling of something else.

Oh, it was shame.

By the time she blinked away the haze clouding her mind, Bakugou and Best Jeanist were gone, neither one in sight. She was left alone, standing dumbfounded in the rain.

What… what did she do now? What could she do?

If she hopped on a train back home, she had no doubt Mr. Aizawa would catch wind of it, and punish her severely for her lack of professionalism. He could even expel her, if he was feeling extreme.

But if she walked back to the Genius Office, head low in shame, would she be able to keep civil? Could she set aside all of her hate, and treat the Hero like the authority he was? Would he even accept her back? Maybe he was banking on her going home, that way he could focus more on his temperamental intern.

Hitomi was at a crossroads, quite literally.

She stood at an intersection, not having realized she was walking until she came upon it. Now, she was left facing her choices. The Genius Office was to the left, while the nearest station was to the right.

Was she strong enough to face Best Jeanist, containing her anger and shame? Was she strong enough to face Mr. Aizawa, and the disappointment he would surely feel toward her?

Hitomi never had to question if she was strong enough for something before. She didn't like the uncertainty.

There was a bench and awning a few yards away, and Hitomi— maybe trying to stall for time —meandered over and sat down. The awning shielded her from the rain, but it didn't make much of a difference since she was already thoroughly doused.

Then, she just… sat there. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, her slack expression giving away none of the turmoil eating away at her. Her heart raced, and her breathing stuttered. She felt helpless. No one else could do anything about the situation she put herself in, and it was like she couldn't either.

God, she was an idiot, wasn't she? She threw away her internship— a chance to grow and make her family proud, and instead she chose to give it up just so she could give Best Jeanist some trouble. Shewas the pathetic one.

A soft, high pitched gasp pulled Hitomi from her bout of indecision and self deprecation. When she whipped her head to the left in search of the one it came from, she locked eyes with a pair of incredibly wide, slitted ones. They widened even further, and vanished behind the bench, along with the rest of the girl.

She was young, probably only a year or two older than Hana, practically swimming in an oversized raincoat. Underneath the hood, two small points of fur flicked around nervously, and a long fuzzy appendage swung anxiously behind her.

A cat Quirk.

Hitomi softened, cracking a weak smile. "Hello."

The girl jumped, then slowly shuffled out from behind the bench, her face flushed red, making her whiskers stand out against her skin. A glance cast over her shoulder, brought attention to a woman standing a short distance away, an umbrella perched in her hand to keep her dry. The woman gave the girl an encouraging nod, and her tail swung faster, more erratic.

With a deep breath to steel he resolve, the girl stepped out fully into view, digging around in her backpack, then thrusted her arms out.

Hitomi blinked, then stared at the item held in the girl's hands.

A single piece of paper, dotted with a few stray drops of rain. Across the face of it was a busy crayon drawing, so big and chaotic that it took Hitomi a second to recognize what she was seeing.

Off to the side was a male figure, wearing a navy blue and white uniform, with white and red hair split down the middle, and blocks of light blue surrounding him.

And there, right in the middle, big and prominent and impossible to miss, was a big orange dog. An Akita.

Something in her chest squeezed.

"Is… is this me?"

The girl nodded meekly, paper fluttering as her hands started to shake.

Hitomi tentatively took hold of the edge, keeping the pressure light, as if it would tear if she wasn't careful.

As soon as she had a grip on it, the girl let go, and scurried back out into the rain. The woman held out a hand, and the girl took it with a small, giddy bounce. With more confidence than she had yet to show, she shot a smile at Hitomi, waving her free hand excitedly.

"Bye!"

Hitomi returned the wave slowly, the motion made weaker by her sheer shock of what just happened.

Sure, after the sports festival Hitomi had her fair share of people approaching her, some to congratulate her third place victory, some to comment on the unsettling lengths she went to escape Todoroki's ice, and some to say that they remembered her parents and the good they did.

But this was different. This was the respect of a child, signified by a single piece of paper. The girl hadn't said a word, no verbal declarations of her appreciation of Hitomi's role in the sports festival, but she didn't need to. The drawing was enough.

And it was with a pit in her stomach, that Hitomi realized she would do anything to earn that little girl's admiration. And she couldn't do it while sitting idly on a bench.

Hitomi stood, tucking the paper safely away inside her jacket, and ran.

The office doors opened with two slams in succession, thrown open by the panting pinkette.

Best Jeanist didn't bother to look up, continuing tapping away on his sleek computer, only deigning to raise a brow.

Hitomi gasped deep, ragged breaths, and her knees were bleeding again from the sprint to his agency.

At least the rain washed the blood out of her hair.

"J— Be— Sir." She stumbled over what to call him, Jeanist being too casual, and Best Jeanist putting a sour taste in her mouth, so Sir was probably her best option. Though a part of her writhed in disgust at the formal and respectful name.

Put it aside. Lock it up. Be bigger, and ignore the heat.

Best Jeanist finally lifted his gaze, setting it on her. It was heavy with assessment.

"Something you need?"

Hitomi closed her eyes, reaching into the jacket and brushing her fingers against the drawing.

She could do this.

The number-four Hero stared, taken aback as Hitomi leaned down in a deep bow.

"Sir, I truly hate you. As a person, and as a Hero. I find it incredibly difficult to consider you an authority and show you respect as a result."

"Go on." His tone wasn't offended, but curious.

Now came the hard part.

"That being said… you're still the number-four Hero, and I'm only a first-year student. The internships are meant to be a chance to learn, and I've disregarded that. No matter what I think of you personally, my goal is to become a great Hero, and that outweighs any grudges I may have. With the two days we have left, would you please continue to teach me what you can?"

Not once during her speech did she stand straight again, keeping her eyes focused solely on her wet shoes.

"You sincerely hate me?"

"Very much. I'd go so far as to use the word despise."

"Will you refrain from making any more remarks about me, and at least keep the pretenses that you consider me a Hero deserving of respect?"

"Yes."

"Alright then."

Hitomi jolted, looking up in shock. "Wait— just like that?"

Best Jeanist leaned forward in his chair, putting his elbows on his desk, and steepling his hands. "Not quite. There is one thing you have to do first, as punishment for the comments you've made.

Hitomi frowned, swallowing down any refusals sitting on the tip of her tongue.

It would have been so much easier to go home.

Several sturdy knocks wrapped on his door, and Katsuki glowered with suspicion.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the heat down on the stovetop, giving one last stir before stepping away.

When he flung the door open, ready to snap at whoever was interrupting his cooking, he was surprised to see who was on the other side. (Though he masked the emotion well.)

Saito's face was flushed all the way down to her neck, and her chest rattled with desperates breaths. Her hands were on her bloody knees, her body bent over, clearly over exerted. Her hair and clothes were darkened considerably, completely drenched— likely from the storm raging outside. It didn't look like there was an inch of her that was remotely dry, a theory supported by the way she trembled hard enough that flecks of water flew off of her.

Katsuki opened his mouth to ask what the hell she wanted, but he didn't get the chance.

Saito removed her hands from her knees, only to lean down in a deep and proper bow, similarly to how the class rep tended to do.

"I'm sorry! I prioritized my bitterness and resentment over your internship. I jeopardized yours and Best Jeanist's time by causing trouble. I'm sorry!"

Katsuki stared. Her words ran together, taking him a second to grasp it all as a result.

Well, he wasn't really expecting an apology from her. To be honest, he didn't really consider that he needed one.

Saito stood, watching him hopefully.

Oh god, she wanted reassurance that he forgave her. Fucking hell.

"Whatever, who the hell cares?"

Her shoulders went lax, and her breathing evened out— but still came in pants.

"Oh thank goodness." She put a hand to her chest, as if his "forgiveness" eased some kind of weight. "I already talked to Best Jeanist, and he agreed to keep me as an intern."

Whoopty-fuckin-do. It wasn't like either of them were even learning anything from the Hero in the first place, she probably would have been just as well off if she left. Katsuki rolled his eyes, moving to slam the door in her face.

A vicious growl rumbled from her stomach.

Saito pursed her lips, flushing sheepishly.

Rightfully so. It sounded like a fucking lion roaring.

"Have you eaten anything?" Katsuki huffed, the question coming from a place of judgement, not concern.

Saito shifted side to side on her feet, which she kept her gaze aimed toward. "Erm, no, not yet. Best Jeanist made me run one hundred laps around the building after I talked to him. Soon as I was finished I came here to apologize to you."

Well, that explained why she was so wet.

He spotted the way her nose twitched, and eyes widened with unconcealed hunger. Even he could smell his stir fry while standing in the door of his suite, so it was no wonder that she could. She wasn't exactly subtle about it.

"You can smell the rain?"

"Mm-hm!"

A small part of him— that he set aside as irrational —was very glad he took a shower before starting on dinner.

Speaking of…

Inhaling sharply in resignation, Katsuki took stock of the girl in front of him, who just presented a solution to a nonproblem he was faced with only a few moments ago.

"I'm making stir fry. You want some?"

Saito's mouth fell open, and she fixed him with a stunned look.

"Seriously? That's so nice!"

Did she have to sound so goddamned surprised by that?

"Tch, I'm used to cooking for more people, so there's extra! That's all! Besides, doesn't your stupid Quirk not even work if you don't eat? I won't have you slowing me down tomorrow because you were a dumbass!"

But despite his angry explanation, Saito grinned pleasantly, her tail blurring behind her as it wagged excitedly.

"Thanks Bakugou!"

Katsuki grumbled something irritably under his breath, trudging back to the kitchen and his— thankfully not burnt —stir fry. Without looking back, he scolded her over his shoulder.

"You're dragging water in. Should've dried off before coming over here."

(The fact that his admonishment would encourage Saito into drying off and warming up had nothing to do with why he said anything. Katsuki just didn't want there to be trails of rain water around his suite. That's all.)

Saito made a quiet noise that he interpreted as something embarrassed, which was proven the case when he glanced her way.

She stood stock-still, staring down at herself with a guilty frown. It seemed that she was stuck between staying right where she was, to avoid spreading the water further, or going back to her room, and making her previous trail even worse.

Did he have to do everything?

"There's towels in the bathroom, idiot. Hurry up." Katsuki ordered, removing the large pan from the burner.

He heard Saito let out a relieved sigh, before tiptoeing away, as if being quieter would help keep from tracking in water.

What a fucking dumbass.

By the time she came back— a towel pulled over her shoulders like a cape, and another draped over her head —Katsuki was already finished plating the food.

"It smells delicious." She chirped, sitting herself down on one of the barstools lining the island counter, pulling one of the two plates toward her. But as she picked up a pair of chopsticks, an odd expression settled on her face.

"Um… is there any onion or garlic in this?"

Already eating his, Katsuki chewed and swallowed a bite, arching an unimpressed brow. "Why?"

Saito fidgeted in her seat, a hand coming up to twirl her hair in a nervous tick. "Ah, well, I'm kinda… really allergic."

Katsuki paused, the next bite poised halfway to his mouth. Usually he would put those very two things in his stir fry, but the lackluster stock in his pantry was missing them and several others. The so few options were actually the reason he even made the dish, with it's simple ingredients.

"No, there's not. And aren't those deadly for dogs?"

Saito's ears went back, tucking close to her head. And for a second, Katsuki wondered if they were still hurting.

"Yeah, they are. I also can't have chocolate, grapes and raisins, avocados, macadamia nuts, and alcohol or caffeine." Saito listed the things off with her fingers, grimacing with an embarrassed flush to her cheeks. "Oh, and large amounts of sodium. Basically, if it's harmful to a dog, then it is to me too."

Katsuki wouldn't outright say it, but inwardly he acknowledged that that sounded pretty shitty to deal with.

Every Quirk comes with a price.

There was an unfamiliar chime, coming from somewhere on her person. Saito sat up, rummaging around in her jacket pocket and pulling out her ridiculous looking phone. The case was bright and cluttered, with way too many cutesy charms hanging off one corner. She tapped on something, and Katsuki kept his face neutral when he saw her brows furrow in disbelief.

"Bakugou, have you seen this?"

She turned the screen to face him, and suddenly, he was staring into the face of the Hero Killer.

"What the hell is it?" His voice was tight, the title of the video not doing anything to ease his concern with what it was.

The twisted but just ideology of the Hero Killer Stain.

The fuck was this?

Saito leaned over the counter so they could both see the screen, and tapped play.

"The Hero Killer Stain. Real name, Chizome Akaguro." What sounded like a teenage boy spoke over news footage of the Hero Killer. "As a child he was greatly inspired by All Might's debut. He enrolled in a private Hero high school, but was dismayed by what he viewed as the educational system's skewed understanding of what it meant to be a Hero. Throughout his teenage years, Chizome advocated for a return to the early days of Heroes, but quickly realized that words had no power. For the next ten years, he trained in killing techniques in order to fulfill his self-appointed duty. During this time his parents passed away in what police eventually ruled as a tragic accident. His focus was on a return to the old days. He believed Heroes should not seek compensation. That one should epitomize the idea of self-sacrifice. He believed that present-day Pros were frauds. Through his violent purges he hoped society would eventually side with him."

Then, to both his and Saito's chilling shock, it cut to a clip of poor video taken the night of his arrest. And there, standing in the street beside a dead Nomu, The Hero Killer towered over the downed form of a certain green haired boy.

Deku, dressed in that stupid fucking costume, was prone on the ground right next to the man who singlehandedly murdered a dozen of Pro Heroes. What the fuck was he doing there?

Then, the deep and raspy voice of the Hero Killer replaced the teenage narrator. And Katsuki couldn't fight down the shudder that wracked his body.

"These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites! Hero! I will reclaim that word! Come on! Just try and stop me, you fakes! There is only one man I'll let kill me. He is a true Hero. All Might is worthy!"

The video cut off abruptly after that. Maybe driven by some sick curiosity to see just how many bastards were siding with the bullshit, Saito clicked on the comments section. But when the page reloaded upon her cautious tap, the video was gone. Already deleted, or taken down by the website. Probably the latter.

"Well, that was…" Saito trailed off. She didn't need to say it, the discomfort and nerves clear as day on her face.

It was bad, to say the least. Because even Katsuki could pick up on the allure of what the Hero Killer was spouting. The thought of a world where Heroes just went about their lives saving people without the responsibility of having to provide them with compensation for their work, sounded like a dream for those who didn't want to enter that field. But it just wasn't sustainable. Being a Hero was a job— a noble one, but a job nonetheless, and people needed to be paid for doing their job.

The Hero Killer was a fucking idiot if he thought he could make a positive change by killing people for just doing their job.

"That night— the one he was arrested, that was the night Midoriya sent his location." Saito slowly said, her voice shaky and riddled with fear. Not for herself, but for what could have happened to Deku.

Katsuki shoved some more food in his mouth, using it as an excuse not to say anything.

Mercifully, Saito didn't speak up again until both their plates were close to empty. Katsuki appreciated the reprieve for the little time it lasted.

"Hey, Bakugou? How do you…" Hitomi toyed with her chopsticks, looking anywhere but at him. "How do you handle being angry all the time?"

The scent of burnt caramel spiked, and she rushed to elaborate.

"I-I mean— you just—" Hitomi waved her hands around as if hoping to physically grasp the right words. "You're angry a lot, but you also, like, keep a lid on it?"

The children from earlier in the day would disagree, but Hitomi knew better. Yeah, he had plenty of outbursts, but to be as irritated as Bakugou was as often as he was, it was impressive that he kept civil a lot of the time.

"Is this about Jeanist?"

Hitomi looked up, nodding once reluctantly. But her gaze soon fell back to the counter. Just to do something with them, her hands gripped the edge.

"I'm not… used to being angry. It's foreign to me. So when I am, it's kinda hard to, uh…"

"Keep from blowing a fuse?" Bakugou's voice was gruff, but held a note of understanding.

"Exactly. I've never hated someone as much as I do him, and it's just— I want to—"

Something cracked, and Hitomi jumped. Looking down, she was dismayed to see the marble countertop splintered with fractures. It must have been faux marble— cheaply made, at that.

"Ah, sorry!" She pulled her hands away, holding them close to her chest.

But Bakugou didn't seem upset, despite this being much worse than dragging water in. He stared at the counter considerately, then pushed the empty plates aside. Leaning forward, he placed his right arm on the counter, elbow down and hand held out to her, palm facing to his left.

Hitomi blinked, recognizing the position, and frowned unsurely.

"Um, Bakugou, I don't think that's a good idea…"

Of course, the blonde took this poorly. "The fuck is that supposed to mean, huh!?"

Hitomi's brow twitched. "Bakugou, I just broke the counter with my bare hands, I don't think an arm wrestling match could end well."

A feral grin split across his face. "Wanna bet?"

Hitomi opened her mouth, then paused. A bet?

Suddenly, the idea of crushing him in overwhelming defeat sounded pretty good.

"Alright, but if I break something, I'm not paying the hospital bill." Hitomi put a finger to her chin, gaze skyward in thought. "Hmm… let's see. If I win, you have to come up with a new nickname for me. And it can't be as or more derogatory than my current one." She tacked on the second part knowing he very well might pick something like "Mangy" or "Bitch" if he chose while still bitter over the loss.

Bakugou clicked his tongue, but didn't voice any outright refusal. His eyes narrowed in a calculating glower, and he made his wager.

"Fine. When I win, you have to tell me what the hell your problem is with Best Jeanist."

Hitomi's ears went back, her head dipping down, while Bakugou watched the reaction closely.

That… that was a tough wager. Were they close enough for her to go and dump all her baggage on him? Even if he was asking? She did consider him as something like a friend, but was that enough?

"Or you can just admit I'm stronger and forget about the stupid bet."

Hitomi's head snapped up, ears now pinned toward him. Because unlike what you would expect from the seemingly abrasive sentence, Bakugou's voice was... calm? No, that wasn't right, it sounded almost… careful.

It was careful. He knew he was in uncharted territory, and was giving her the opportunity to usher him out. It was uncharacteristically sweet.

First the food, and now this.

Hitomi smiled, leaning forward and putting her right elbow atop the counter, her hand held out for him to take.

"I just have one favor to ask."

Bakugou smirked, sitting straighter and taking her hand in an already crushing grip. "I'm not going easy on you."

"I know." Hitomi was unfazed. "I just wanted to ask you not to blow up my hand."

"I don't need my Quirk to kick your ass."

She let herself smirk at that.

"I'll let you count down."

"Tch, I don't need to count down. You do it." Bakugou scoffed in offense at the perceived handicap.

"Alright, I'll say three, two, one, go. And we'll both start at the go, okay?"

"I know how a countdown works!"

Hitomi giggled.

"Okay then. Three. Two. One. Go!"

His hand was still bruised.

Hitomi did her best not to stare at it, not wanting to set him off again, as he would assume her prolonged gaze was some kind of taunt. And he was already furious enough, with his hair refusing to go back to normal.

She was getting pretty good at figuring out Bakugou's triggers.

"I'd like to think I've imparted some valuable lessons upon you both, despite the two of you fraying my patience."

Hitomi rocked on her heels, back in her regular school uniform, her costume case held over her shoulder, and backpack hanging at her side in her other hand.

Best Jeanist rubbed his temple, eyes shut in exasperation. "Only time will tell." When he reopened them, they settled sternly on the two. "Just try to remember, it's important to keep favorable in the public eye. And you should alway do your best to keep personal feelings outside of Hero work. Lastly, Bakugou, try to think about what I said."

Clueless as to what he was referring to, Hitomi started toward the train, ready to go home where she wouldn't have to hear any more fabric related puns.

There were no more words exchanged between her and the Hero, just his vague warning, and a mutual understanding that she hated him, but was willing to use him as a tool for her growth.

"Your hair's really stuck like that, huh?" Hitomi couldn't help but smile at the blonde in guilty amusement.

Bakugou snarled, smoke billowing from his clenched hands. It was lucky his case handle didn't melt, or his dufflebag strap didn't catch fire.

She was sure if she asked how his hand was doing, he really would explode.

Like the first day of their internship, the two walked the length of the train until coming upon a nearly empty car. But starkly different this time, was how Bakugou seemed unfazed by Hitomi taking the seat across from him.

Hitomi felt a sense of deja vu, wishing she could open the window next to them so she could smell the morning air.

The train started to pick up speed, and she watched the city pass in a blur, with the beautiful backdrop of a pink and orange sunrise. A lot had happened during their internship, some of which she never would have expected. She hadn't forgiven Best Jeanist for anything, just as she had told him, and likely never would. But at least in the end she had tried to learn something from him instead of just using the trip as an outlet for so much of her pent up anger and grief.

Then there was the other thing she didn't anticipate working out when the trip started.

Discreetly glancing across from her, Hitomi studied her friend and classmate.

He was stewing silently, irritably running his hands through his stubborn hair. But despite his best efforts it was refusing to go back to the tall spikes she was used to seeing.

(It usually looked pretty soft. And if it were literally anyone else she would have asked to touch it by now. But the darn hairspray had turned it into an immovable helmet. Shame.)

She could hear the beginnings of a storm of swears through his clenched teeth, and sighed in resignation.

Well, she was supposedly getting a new nickname, so why not go all in?

After all, they were friends, right?

Just when a growl bubbled up from Bakugou's throat, she spoke and brought him to a complete halt.

"My parents died on my eighth birthday."

Katsuki froze, hands stilling in his hair. When he looked over, he saw Saito staring out her window with a far off glaze in her eyes.

Oh fuck this. He never agreed to listen to her sob story. Overhearing Icy-hot's during the sports festival was bad enough.

But no matter how hard he tried, Katsuki couldn't get his damned mouth to open to tell her to stop.

(To tell her she didn't owe him this.)

She drew in a breath, and to his discomfort it sounded nothing like any noise he had ever heard from her before. How the fuck did she manage to make an inhale sound heartbroken?

"I woke up that morning, and everything was normal. Happy." She continued on, never once checking to see if he was even listening.

How could he not be?

A smile graced her lips, but it was mirthless. "My brother made Belgian waffles. Momo was there from a sleepover. Everything was perfect." The smile slipped away, and even though it had been weak to begin with, once it was gone she looked wrong without it. Her face blank. "But Mama and Papa were called in by a different agency. They wanted help with something, and if I'm being honest, I don't even remember what that thing was. They felt bad about working on my birthday, but I told them that they were Heroes, that it was fine and that I understood. So they left to catch an early train, and said they would be back sometime later in the evening. But…"

Katsuki frowned, unable to keep staring at her mournful expression, choosing to follow her example and watch the world fly by.

"I woke up some time in the night from some thunder, and got up to get a glass of water. I had a bad feeling though, saw it was almost midnight, and knew they weren't home yet… They would always come into our rooms and let us know they were home safe, no matter the time." Her voice wavered, going softer. "So… I turned on a TV, changed it to the news, and there it was. Plastered all over the screen, Silver Shifter and Golden Giest found dead. In an alley right by the very agency that asked for their assistance."

"The Genius Office." Katsuki quietly finished for her, already figuring it out. It made sense, why she held such hatred for the number-four Hero, and found it hard to judge her for her behavior towards the man. He may fight constantly with his mother, but he knew if something happened to both his parents, in the same night no less, he would be destroyed.

Saito took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When they opened, they had regained some of the spark he had grown used to seeing. "So, that's why I hate Best Jeanist. And that's why I wasted my internship just to give him trouble."

Katsuki forced out a scoff, hoping she wouldn't notice the lack of heat in it. "The guy put in an application for you. He knew what he was signing up for."

That wrangled a thin smile from her, and Katsuki ignored the way it made it just that much easier to breathe. The almost tangible cloud of grief hanging over her made the car feel stifling.

"Yeah. Maybe." Saito said under her breath, clasping her hands on her lap.

Katsuki scowled. "Tsk, no maybe about it Cherry, he was askin' for you to come and ream his ass."

It was probably some weird guilt thing. Like the Hero felt he deserved for her to knock him down a peg, after the role he played in her parents' deaths.

Saito started to nod, until her ears flicked and her eyes widened. Her head snapped up, and she blinked at him in shock.

Katsuki tensed. What— what did he say? Why was she—

"Cherry?" She whispered, a genuine and unhindered smile spreading across her face.

Did he say that? Did he call her Cherry of all fucking things?!

Katsuki bit back every curse tumbling around in the back of his mind, instead plastering on a sneer. "Yeah, so what?! You won the damn bet and said you wanted a different name!"

Saito giggled. "I did. But… why Cherry?"

Katsuki growled, and his face was not getting warmer, fuck off it wasn't— "Your hair is fucking pink! That's all!"

"But Bakugou, cherries are red!" Saito broke into full-on laughter.

Any of that lingering sadness darkening her eyes was gone now, replaced by something much lighter.

And Katsuki was not relieved. He wasn't.

(But his shoulders did lower, and his hands did unclench.)

"Well, I like it anyway." She announced once calmed down. "Thank you, Bakugou." Saito said with a minute tilt of her head, eyes closing with a grin.

Katsuki huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back, looking away out the window. "Whatever. It's not a big deal or anything."

(Fun fact: it actually was.)

Katsuki could already hear his mother's cackled laughter, brought by the state of his hair. But no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't just skip out on going home. If only his fucking hair would just—

Something landed on his head, pulled down over his eyes with a firm tug.

Katsuki stumbled back, hands crackling. "The hell—"

"See you tomorrow!" Saito's annoying voice chirped, before he heard her running footsteps dash away.

He angrily ripped off whatever it was that she put on his head, and paused upon seeing it.

A plain white beanie.

Katsuki stared at it, a bit stunned. He hadn't thought to put a hat on to hide the horrible hairstyle, and he felt somewhat flustered that the thought never crossed his mind.

Saito was already long gone, so it wasn't like he could return it. And tossing it away would be a waste.

With a weak grumble, Katsuki put it back on, making sure it covered most of his hair.

With that, he started toward home.

He didn't live far from the station, so he didn't bother calling one of his parents for a ride. But maybe he should've, just to avoid a certain stretch of the way.

Katsuki glared upward, his right hand tightening around the strap of his bag. The wisps of his hair that were sticking out from the beanie swayed lightly from the breeze, and his glare only grew stronger when the soft wind rustled the canopy above.

He scoffed, clicking his tongue irritably at himself, and shook his head. He kept his gaze studiously forward the rest of the way, refusing to lift it any higher, and catch another glimpse. But as if to taunt him, another gust of wind blew by, knocking some off of the branches and down into view.

"But Bakugou, cherries are red!"

The bright pink cherry blossoms fluttered their way into his path, and were pointedly ignored.

Notes:

Cherry-Bomb. The ship name is Cherry-Bomb. I've peaked.
Also, I just wanna thank you guys so much for the support ❤️ TLH has a total of 17 reviews over on ff.net and it can get a little discouraging to see. But then I come over here and almost cry from how sweet you all are. So just, thank you so so much 🥰

Chapter 25: Ridiculous

Chapter Text

"So then she finally took us out on patrol, but all it really felt like was a tour around town to give the paparazzi a chance to spot her."

Hitomi frowned sympathetically. "Geez, I woulda thought Uwabami would be a better teacher than ours was, but now Best Jeanist sounds like a seasoned master."

Momo sighed defeatedly, hanging her head. "At least you got to see some action."

Hitomi winced, absently steering Momo through the busy hallways as the ravenette was too caught up sulking. "Well, I told you how that ended though."

Momo gave a conceding nod, lifting her head. "I suppose so. I'm surprised though, that you weren't punished for using your Quirk."

Hitomi hesitated, the two coming to a stop in front of the 1-A door. "I didn't…" her ears went back, "but Bakugou did."

Oh no. Hitomi gripped her backpack straps tightly, a knot of guilt tying up her insides. She remembered smelling the sweetness and smoke, and seeing the light flickering across the floor, reflecting almost beautifully on the shattered glass littering the ground.

He used his Quirk, in the presence of Best Jeanist. Did he get in trouble? If he did, it would be Hitomi's fault.

Momo opened the door, ushering the pinkette in after her.

And Hitomi was surprised to see Sero and Kirishima saddled up next to Bakugou's desk.

The blonde's hands sparked with mini explosions, his face twisting into an enraged snarl, and his hair was still laying flat on his head.

Where's the— oh. Sero held up the white beanie, keeping it away while he and Kirishima cackled.

He must have a death wish, to just swipe it off of Bakugou's head. The danger was on par with when Kaminari grabbed his phone.

An elbow nudged Hitomi's side, and the slight static shock given told her exactly who it was before she even looked. Plus, his smell was unmistakable. It was like he bathed in Hatchet body spray.

"I'd say he's lookin' pretty feral, eh?" Kaminari's brows shot up, a large and hopeful smile splitting his face.

Hitomi shrugged lightly. "Sure?"

"I'd like to see you try, pretty boy!"

"What'd you call me!?" With a poof, Bakugou's hair sprang back up.

"There it goes!"

She slipped by, tucking her backpack away under her desk. She tried to subtly check if Bakugou would give any reaction to her arrival, fearing he might be mad about being punished because of her. But he was too busy bringing reckoning upon Sero and Kirishima to notice her. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved.

"What about you, Ochako?" Tsuyu questioned the brunette, a finger to her mouth. "How was your week?"

An aura permeated around Ochako, an intense expression on her face as she practiced a battle stance. "I'd say that it was very enlightening." She punctuated the end with a solid punch thrown at the air.

"I think she found her fighting spirit…"

"Yeah, that battle Hero must've been something else." Jirou shuddered.

Kaminari sat down atop a desk next to Mineta, watching her uneasily. "After one week she's like a totally different person."

"Different? Don't be fooled, Kaminari." Mineta wagged a chiding finger, before his eyes glazed over and he anxiously began chewing his nails. "All women are demons at heart. They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces."

"What the heck did Mount Lady do to you?"

Hitomi bit back a smirk. She would have to meet the blonde Heroine again at some point, specifically to thank her.

"Everyone at my internship loved me. It was actually kinda great." Kaminari admitted, caught off guard by everyone's vastly different experiences.

To be honest, Hitomi wasn't surprised that he was well liked. Kaminari was very charismatic. When he wasn't tricking them into cheerleader uniforms, that is.

"Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed, it was those three."

Todoroki sat at his desk, Midoriya and Iida standing on either side of him.

"Oh yeah, the Hero Killer!" Sero chimed in, grinning despite his predicament, held by the back of his collar by a smoking hand.

"Glad you guys made it back alive. Seriously." Kirishima shared sincerely, in the same position as Sero.

"I worried about you, too." Momo put a hand to her chest.

"I couldn't sleep until getting the text that you were okay." Hitomi sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

"You were lucky Endeavor showed up, and saved you guys." Sato said in a reprimand for their reckless actions.

After a second, Todoroki looked down at his desk, expression tight. "Yeah, that's right. He saved us."

Hitomi cocked her head, brows knitting together in confusion at the mixed signals she was getting from him, because his tone and smell were both giving clear signs that he was actually…

Midoriya noticed her look, gasping sharply as he realized what was about to happen.

"Huh? Why are you lyin—Mff!"

Midoriya cut off her low murmur with a hand hastily put over her mouth, his eyes wide and apologetic.

Hitomi blinked at him, staring until he removed his hand slowly, in case she tried finishing her sentence.

Well, that was weird.

"Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" Ojirou asked. "Everyone's been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains." He scratched his temple with a nervous frown, looking to Sato and Shoji. "Can you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?"

"He's scary, yeah. But did you see him in that weird video? It's all over the internet." Kaminari pitched in.

Hitomi migrated back to her seat once Midoriya seemed confident she wouldn't say anything, casting a tense look to Bakugou over the back of her chair. One he shockingly returned with one of his own.

They hadn't really spoken about their views on the whole thing, their disagreement for the Hero Killer's ideology going mutually unsaid, as neither one thought it necessary to bother voicing it.

(Also, when did he plan on letting Sero and Kirishima go?)

"I didn't even know there was a video of him." Ojirou said unsurely.

"Yeah. Stain's a pretty evil Villain, but, like, super tenacious. He's almost kinda cool, don'tcha guys think?"

Hitomi sucked in a sharp breath, fretfully looking at Iida.

"Kaminari!" Midoriya scolded anxiously.

It took a second, then Kaminari gasped quietly, covering his mouth with a remorseful grimace. "Uh— Oh, dude!"

Before he could apologize, Iida easily brushed it off.

"No, it's okay. You're fine." He spoke lowly, studying his bandaged left arm. "It is true that he's quite a tenacious Villain. I understand why people might think he was cool. But instead of helping the world, his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned."

Kaminari lowered his hand, face contrite with guilt over his thoughtless words.

"To keep everyone else from suffering like me, well, I promise—" in true Iida fashion, he chopped the air, raising his voice sternly. "I will strive to be the perfect Hero!"

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Midoriya raised a scarred fist.

"It's time for class to begin! Everyone please take your seats!"

Hitomi sighed, smiling slightly as he continued on, waving his straight arms around.

Good, he really seemed okay.

"I am here!"

Hitomi grinned, happy to be in her costume for once, now that she didn't have to pair it with Best Jeanist's add-ons. Though, she supposed the tennis shoes hadn't been too bad.

"I hope you're ready to return to our lessons." All Might crowed, his scent proving he himself was eager to begin (that's adorable) "Today is Hero Basic Training. Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back."

Warm fuzzies swelled in Hitomi's chest. He was truly happy to see them.

"Now then, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you've learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training."

Yeah, that wasn't much. But thankfully you didn't need strategy to win a race. Just speed.

Hitomi smirked.

Iida's hand shot up. "If it's rescue training, shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?"

"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare!" All Might's ever-present smile turned sharper. "You're about to step into Field Gamma! Inside, is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around."

It just kept getting better. Hitomi glanced to her right, locking eyes with Momo. She discreetly rubbed her nose, then gave a wink.

Momo rolled her eyes goodnaturedly.

"You'll be competing in groups of five. Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I'll send a distress signal, and you do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins! But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please." All Might blatantly aimed a finger at one specific student.

"Why're you pointing at me?" Bakugou growled, glaring to the side.

The teams— or rather, groups of opponents, were split up randomly. Group A was Midoriya, Mina, Sero, Ojirou, and Iida. Group B was Hitomi, Aoyama, Koda, Kaminari, and Mineta. Group C was Momo, Bakugou, Sato, Jirou, and Ochako. And Group D was Todoroki, Tsuyu, Tokoyami, Kirishima, and Shoji.

"Alright, first group, get to your places!"

"Iida hasn't completely recovered yet, right? He should sit this out." Kaminari spoke up worriedly.

"Man, everyone in this group has really good mobility." Kirishima pointed out.

Momo sat on the ground next to Jirou. "Huh, I'd say Midoriya is at a heavy disadvantage against those four."

"That's what I think. Moving around quickly isn't really one of his strong suits, that's for sure." Jirou tacked on.

"He could, like, give a huge punch and propel himself through the air? Sure, it'd break his arm, but he'd win." Hitomi suggested, watching the large screen in front of them, seeing Midoriya stretching with a confident smile.

A really confident smile. Did he have a plan?

Oh, right, it was Midoriya. Of course he had a plan. That reminded her, though, she still wanted to see her page in his Hero notebook.

Jirou stuck her tongue out, clearly ill at the thought of Midoriya shattering his bones again.

"Who's your pick? I'm bettin' on Sero." Kirishima grinned over at Kaminari.

"Oh yeah?" Kaminari hummed thoughtfully. "I got odds on Ojirou."

"I choose Ashido! 'Cause she's got a super athletic butt!" Mineta predictably said.

"I know Deku will be last." Bakugou said flatly.

"Even if he's still recovering, I think Iida's got this one." Ochako murmured, and Tsuyu nodded beside her.

"Is everyone ready? Begin!"

A horn blared once, and the group wasted no time hurrying to follow it. Sero used his tape to swing from pipe to pipe, resembling an old American Hero who's powers mimicked that of an arachnid's. Mina slid fearlessly around, her acid acting as a slick slide for her feet to glide easily across. Ojirou's muscular tail slammed into the ground, pushing his body up and forwards. Iida stayed on the ground, running by the screen in a blur.

Sero quickly took 1st place, traversing the area like it was a breeze.

"Look at him go! In a maze like this, it makes sense to be above everything else!" Kirishima was obviously excited that his pick was the one winning.

"So that means Sero's at an advantage because he can take to the sky." Shoji spoke through his hand.

Hitomi eagerly bumped herself against Bakugou's side. "Hey, I guess you've got your race in the bag—"

Green sparks filled the screen.

"Whoa, Midoriya!" Both Kirishima and Mineta gawked.

The green haired boy almost seemed to glow, bright sparks crackling around him as he leapt over the pipes and buildings, speeding through and leaving Sero in the dust.

"Since when can he do that?!"

Hitomi's lips parted, staring at the movements that were strongly familiar.

Ochako marveled at her friend. "Crazy. Those jumps… he looks just like—"

Bakugou shook, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. He glared at the monitor, so furious that Hitomi was afraid he may chip a tooth from clenching his jaw so hard.

She watched him with concern, smelling the shame and the disappointment for himself underneath all the rage trying to mask it.

Of course. If she wasn't satisfied with what she learned during their internships, then there was no way Bakugou would be either.

Absentmindedly, she started to reach a hand out, coming so close to landing on his bicep in some show of comfort. But… Hitomi looked down dejectedly, letting it drop to her side. Bakugou wasn't the type to take someone's attempts at reassurance for what it was, and she figured that after getting him in trouble with Best Jeanist, there was definitely no way he would accept it.

On the screen, Midoriya's rush to All Might was cut short, his shoe slipping off of a pipe. In his panic, he couldn't catch himself in time, and fell to the ground with a painful sounding thump.

Sero passed right by him, using his mistake to beat him and make it to their teacher first. Cold blooded.

"I felt kinda bad…" Hitomi admitted, slipping off her sash. The words "thanks for saving me" were scrawled across, and there was something funny about All Might presenting it to her as if she actually saved him.

Her, save All Might? Hah.

"Why?" Jirou was still rubbing her ears. Bakugou set off explosions during their race when she was trying to listen and figure out what exactly All Might's position was.

Hitomi pouted, pausing with her thumbs hooked in her waistband. "Did you see Koda's face?! Poor thing tripped and fell while chasing after us, he got a split lip!"

"But Recovery Girl already healed him." Ochako pointed out, buttoning up her under-shirt.

"I'm sure it still hurt, though!" Hitomi went to continue, but fell silent, her ears flicking around.

The rest of the girls stopped, recognizing the movement as her listening intently to something.

Her eyes narrowed, her ears aiming at the wall to the left. She wordlessly pointed at it, and they all quietly crept over.

"...'Cause you can't stop me!" Mineta's nasally voice was audible from the other side.

Jirou— the only other one who had hearing strong enough, listened in by putting one of her jacks in the wall.

"I wanna see Yaoyorozu's curves, Ashido's slender waist—"

"It's Mineta." Jirou snarled, scanning around to find whatever opening the boy made or came across.

"—Uraraka's super-fine body, Asui's unexpectedly nice boobs—"

"Found it." Mina scowled, tearing down and crumpling up a poster, revealing a small quarter-sized hole in the wall.

Jirou leaned down, carefully extending a jack, and shooting it through.

"—Saito's dangerously chubby thighs—"

Hitomi hugged her middle, face burning with humiliation. Mercifully, Jirou must have hit home, as Mineta was cut off by a pained shriek.

Faintly, almost overridden by Mineta's screaming, Hitomi thought she could hear cracks and pops. But when the screams were suddenly muffled (likely by tape) there was only silence.

She must've imagined it.

Katsuki clenched his fists, stifling the explosions trying to set off.

It was just because he was pissed about shitty Deku, and his waste of an internship. That's it.

Tape-arms wrapped up most of Grape-head's face, silencing his annoying as hell voice.

The sparks died, and a fraction of the tension in his shoulders eased.

He slammed his locker door shut.

Ridiculous.

Chapter 26: New and old friends from Isami High

Notes:

Okay, so originally I only ever planned on covering the movies, and the most recent OVA two parter out of the anime-original content. But, when I saw this one for the first time recently, I got an idea I couldn't pass up. One of the anime-original characters in this will definitely be OOC. Because he's technically a non-canon character, I decided to take some liberties with him, as he's the reason I wrote this chapter, essentially. You'll see why.
(Btw, this chapter was almost named "A rival appears!" as a hint)
All of the anime-original content that I cover now and in the future, will be 100% canon in The Loyal Hero. Things will be referenced. Things will be hinted at. Things will develop and stay that way when re-entering canon. That's just how I'm handling things.
(Also, I'm an idiot and forgot Tia Ballard voices Ragdoll, but honestly idgaf, she's the perfect voice for Hitomi and I'll die on this hill… partially because I've already been compiling voice clips for Hitomi-edits.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Well, it's almost time for summer vacation."

Hitomi listened to Mr. Aizawa with one ear, and the lovely cicadas chirping with the other.

"Don't get too excited. You can't just relax an entire month."

Kaminari gasped. "Does that mean…?"

Mr. Aizawa carried on as if he hadn't spoken. "You'll be training while you're camping in the woods."

"I knew it! Alright!"

"A big sleepover!" Mina cheered.

"Baths!" Mineta jumped up.

"Fireworks." Tsuyu's eyes lit up.

"Hot springs!" Mineta clenched his fists.

"And s'mores." Iida lifted a stiff hand.

"Skinny dipping—" a strip of tape flew through the air, and landed its mark over Mineta's mouth.

Sero smirked, his elbows still pointed out, and basked in Jirou's impressed thumbs-up.

Hitomi cocked her head. "What's skinny dip—"

Kaminari leaned into her view, pointing at her sternly. "You are not allowed to finish that question!"

"We've been training in cities, so these will be very different conditions for most of us." Momo mused tensely.

"No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant. Yes, very wise." Tokoyami crossed his arm, giving a solemn nod.

Hitomi— having recovered from Kaminari's blunt shut-down —pumped her fists, quietly chanting, "Road trip. Road trip. Road trip."

"However…" Mr. Aizawa's eyes flashed, and he received an instant hush. "Those of you who don't pass the final exam before the semester is over… will have summer school."

Hitomi froze, smile numbly stuck on her face, the color seeming to leak from her body. "Eh?"

"Everyone, do your best!" Kirishima called to the room at large.

"This is so stupid." Bakugou grumbled under his breath.

"All you girls better pass this thing!" Mineta shook Midoriya's shoulders, much to the green haired boy's embarrassment for being involved in some way.

Hitomi stared blankly down at her desk, only brought out of it when their teacher spoke up again, his voice accompanied by the door opening.

"And lastly, it's a little sudden, but for our next Hero exercise four Hero-class students from Isami High School will be joining us as special guests." Aizawa drawled.

Stepping up to his side were three— wait, he said four students, two guys and two girls.

"She's a glasses girl!" Mineta shook Midoriya's shoulders (again) in glee, tears of joy coming to his eyes.

Well then, Hitomi staunchly decided she was never going to wear her glasses in Mineta's presence. Ever.

Kaminari saddled up next to the girl with shoulder length white hair, crystalline blue eyes, and wireframe glasses.

"Hey, pretty lady, can I get a number?"

While the Isami girl shuffled away awkwardly, an earphone jack stabbed into the side of the blonde's head.

"Damnit, stop showing off your stupidity." Jirou grumbled while Kirishima and Sero cackled behind her.

Mr. Aizawa's eyes flashed with impatience, and everyone was back in their seats and silent immediately. Twice in one day, dang.

"Introduce yourselves." Mr. Aizawa instructed dryly.

"Ah, right." The white haired girl cleared her throat. "We'll be running exercises with you today. Isami High School, Hero Class, I'm Kashiko Sekigai."

A boy with gravity defying light brown hair, small black eyes, and a round nose nervously dabbed away the sweat beading his forehead. "S-same class, I'm Dadan Tadan. Pleasure to meet you." He gave a meek bow.

The second boy had disheveled dusty blue hair, with narrow eyes that lacked brows above. "I'm Fujimi."

He glanced over the room at large, and froze when he locked eyes with a pair of fuchsia ones.

Fujimi's face steadily grew red, his lips pursing the longer he stared.

Hitomi stared right back, head cocking slightly. She didn't understand why he seemed so taken aback, or why his scent was slowly changing into something sweeter. Completely different from the disdain coming off of him when they first entered the room.

Behind her, Bakugou sneered, the temperamental blonde noticing the Isami boy's prolonged gaze aimed near his direction, and interpreted it as some kind of challenge.

"We're supposed to have one more." Mr. Aizawa pointed out, prompting the last student to come out from behind Sekigai.

The girl looked physically normal, all but for the neck up, which was that of a snake's. The mane of bright red hair she had looked out of place on her scaly scalp.

After her reveal, Tsuyu perked up, and the two met in the middle of the classroom in a tight hug.

"Tsu!"

"Habuko!"

"That's Tsuyu's friend?" Ochako's voice was high with surprise and borderline concern.

"I'm getting a little nervous." Midoriya admitted, watching the two friends who couldn't possibly be more different. "This shouldn't happen in nature."

"Mongoose! Don't get all friendly with these UA guys!" Fujimi angrily warned, but glanced in Hitomi's direction, checking her reaction.

She was used to Monama, and was unfazed by it. But the boy behind her…

"What did you just say?!" Bakugou shot to his feet. "You think you're too good for us, Isamishit bastard!?"

"Stop, Kachan!" Midoriya anxiously whisper-shouted.

"Shut up, you shitty nerd!"

"Take your own advice and sit down, you're disrupting class." Mr. Aizawa glowered.

Bakugou growled, slumping back down into his seat. When he caught him staring again, Bakugou gave Fujimi the most menacing snarl he could.

Fujimi gave one right back.

"It's time to go." Mr. Aizawa announced once the bell rang. "Change into your costumes and make your way to Ground Omega. Iida, guide the Isami students."

"Understood!"

"I knew it! You two went to the same middle school." Ochako clarified while putting on her bracers.

"Yes, we were very good friends." Tsuyu happily confirmed, smiling merrily at the reptilian girl.

"I-is that so?" Mina and Ochako chorused as Habuko— which she insisted they called her —flicked her tongue out with soft hisses.

"I can't help but feel uneasy around her." Ochako admitted quietly.

"She seems sweet. A bit shy too." Hitomi slid on her arm warmers.

"So you're the class president?" Momo asked Sekigai as she fastened her belt.

"Yes, but it's a stressful job for sure. Mostly because of a... troublesome student."

The fact it was obviously Fujimi, went unmentioned.

"Well," a sheepish bead of sweat formed on Momo's forehead, "we've actually got the exact same problem, too."

"Momo's our deputy!"

"Hitomi, please…"

"Alright, is everyone here?" Mr. Aizawa's tired eyes roved over them all. "Today's Hero exercise will be observed by me and one other faculty member."

"I have—" a massive form hit the ground beside Mr. Aizawa, kicking up a cloud of dust. When it cleared, they were met with the grinning face of All Might. "—like a special guest— arrived!"

"A-All Might!" Fujimi stammered in awe.

"In the flesh!" Sekigai covered her mouth.

"Such power!" Tadan squeaked from within his bulky suit.

"I'm jealous of UA!" Habuko's tongue flicked out sporadically.

"So, about our little exercise. We're going to have you all go through some survival training!" All Might held up a remote, turning on a monitor bearing instructions. "Let me explain! With four students per team, and six teams overall, you will start at the predetermined positions that we have chosen! There is but one objective! To survive! To run or to fight, anything goes! Victory will go to the last surviving team!"

"If you run into another team and manage to bind your opponents with this capture tape," Mr. Aizawa held up one such roll, "you can take them out of combat. This should be a familiar item."

"Now, let's announce the teams!" All Might eagerly crowed.

Team A was composed of Midoriya, Mina, Tsuyu, and Ochako.

Team B was Momo, Shoji, Kirishima, and Bakugou.

Team C was Todoroki, Hitomi, Koda, and Ojirou.

Team D was Iida, Tokoyami, Sato, and Sero.

Team E was Jirou, Mineta, Kaminari, and Aoyama.

And Team F was made up of the Isami students.

"All teams, move to your start areas. The exercise will begin without warning in five minutes."

"Make sure you survive!" All Might's enthusiasm clashed blatantly with Mr. Aizawa's nearly bored attitude.

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's do our best, Deku!" Ochako cheered, running next to the green haired teen.

"Right!"

"I won't lose, Tsu!" Habuko warned her friend goodnaturedly.

"I'll give it my all too!"

"I might let you smell my victory!" Fujimi taunted behind Bakugou.

"Go ahead if you think you can!"

"This'll be so much fun!" Hitomi skipped along.

Only five minutes passed into the exercise before two explosions were let off somewhere in Ground Omega. They were followed by a lot more soon after, and Hitomi thought she could hear Jirou scream. It was pretty obvious who was attacking other teams instead of hiding out. And it still would be, even if the explosions themselves didn't give it away.

Team Todoroki was hiding out deep within the forest, a cave of ice shielding them from any unexpected visitors. It wasn't impenetrable, but it would give them enough protection to prepare if they were challenged.

"It seems like Bakugou is on the offensive." Todoroki observed, watching through the ice how the sky lit up with blasts.

Hitomi giggled. "Of course, what else would you expe—"

A different kind of explosion shook the ground, their detonation leaving a deafening ringing to be heard.

The shrill sound pierced Hitomi's ears painfully, leaving her to cover them and curl into a ball, grimacing as she rode it out.

"What was that?" Ojirou anxiously questioned, despite knowing none of them could answer.

A bittersweet, almost sour smell grew from someplace nearby. Hitomi sat up, sniffing the air with a frown, all of her fur standing on end.

Koda shot up, hands waving while he opened and closed his mouth in a panic.

"Koda?" Ojirou frowned. "What's wrong?"

His distress worsened, and with a dry swallow, he shut his eyes and spit it out.

"T-the animals are fleeing from a strange gas! W-we have to g-go!"

The shock of hearing Koda speak was overridden by the heavy fear hanging over them now. Whatever could drive the silent boy to actually say something— loudly, at that —had to be serious.

"Come on." Todoroki melted away an opening in the ice-cave. Once they all slipped out of the hole, they sprinted in the direction Koda pointed out to them, rushing to escape the danger.

Fortunately, it was while they were running that they stumbled upon the same path as Midoriya's team, in the mountain-zone.

"Todoroki!" The green haired boy gaped at them with their sudden appearance beside his team.

"Midoriya, now is not the time to fight." Todoroki said in a clipped tone, preemptively shutting down any idea of a challenge.

"R-right!"

"Do you know what that gas was?"

"It's probably the Quirk of one of the Isami students." Midoriya logically surmised. "I don't know what it does, but—" He trailed off, coming to a stop.

"Huh, what's wrong Deku?" Ochako worriedly asked.

"Someone's coming." He warned lowly, looking toward the tree line.

The silhouettes walked in the border of the shade, just barely out of clear sight.

Hitomi took a deep inhale, and smiled. "Don't worry, it's Momo and Bakugou's team!"

"That's not too reassuring…" Mina mumbled.

"Ribbit. Did they run from the gas too?"

"Hey!" Ochako waved. "Over here! Over— h-here…?"

Shambling out into view, Momo's team became visible. To their shock and horror, they all had pasty grey skin, sunken black eyes, and gaping mouths that groaned and rasped at them.

"Z-zombies!?"

It wasn't just Momo's team though, coming out after them was Jirou's, Iida's, and most of the Isami team. They were all like that, lumbering around and setting off their Quirks randomly.

"Habuko…" Tsuyu croaked, watching her friend sadly.

"Everyone… what's happening?" Ochako's voice trembled.

"It's because of that gas!" Midoriya guessed. "They've been zombified completely!"

Hitomi covered her mouth, brows furrowed as she watched Momo pop out her wooden dolls one after another. If she didn't stop soon, she would pass out.

Iida was almost worse off, repeatedly running into a tree, headfirst.

A cackle from behind drew their attention, Fujimi meeting their stares with a confident grin.

"What do you think of my Quirk?!" Much to her confusion, Fujimi turned his gaze onto Hitomi. "Bet you wished you had enrolled in Isami instead, huh, Beauti—"

Too busy caught up in his posturing, Fujimi didn't notice the zombified Bakugou shuffling up behind him. He was only clued in when the blonde sunk his teeth into Fujimi's shoulder.

"Oh fu—" Fujimi's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he dropped to the ground limply. After a beat, he twitched and lifted himself, groaning and zombified like the rest.

"It's just like the movies!" Midoriya gawked fearfully. "You turn into a zombie if you get bitten!"

"If the Quirk user is down, there's no way to reverse all of this." Todoroki irritably growled, watching the rest of the infected teams climb up the cliff side toward them.

Once they reached the top and stood level with Todoroki and Midoriya's teams, Todoroki encased the ground in ice, caging in their feet so they couldn't approach further.

But Bakugou simply crushed the ice trapping him, one-handed, and Momo showed abnormal strength as well by breaking out with her legs alone.

"It really is like the movies! They're stronger now!"

"Damnit!"

Both Ojirou and Koda were snuck up on by the zombified Kirishima and Tokoyami, bitten and turned before anyone could help.

"Koda!" Hitomi fretted, having to be pulled back by Mina when she instinctively stepped forward.

"He's even silent as a zombie!" Midoriya pointed out, unnerved.

The zombified Mineta was latched stubbornly to Zombie-Sekigai's bust. She groaned angrily, hitting him to no avail.

Hitomi watched on with disdain.

"What're we supposed to do?!" Mina flailed her arms.

"We should leave, right now!"

Hitomi felt wrong leaving behind her teammates, and Momo. And abandoning Bakugou caused an unexpected sting in her chest as well. Nonetheless, no one had to be told twice, following Midoriya's lead to the edge of the cliff. They each carefully started to slide down, the decline not too steep for them to fall. Toward the bottom, Tsuyu tripped on a protruding rock, sending her face down on the ground.

Everyone stopped, having heard the thud, and looked back with panic.

"Tsuyu!" "Asui!"

Habuko launched herself down to follow, landing right behind Tsuyu, leering over her.

"Habuko…" Tsuyu croaked, not moving despite the threat her friend posed.

Miraculously, Habuko stopped, her groaning cutting off abruptly.

"Habuko?" Tsuyu repeated, hopefully this time. She stood, cautiously taking her friend's hands. "You remember me, even as a zombie? Thank you, Habuko! We'll always be frien—"

Aoyama popped out from behind a tree, charging at Tsuyu without her notice.

"Tsu!" Hitomi dashed toward her, putting herself between the amphibian-like girl and the zombified Aoyama. She put her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him back, but her shout had snapped Habuko out of her docile trance, and she pulled away from Tsuyu to attack Hitomi's defenseless back.

"Saito!"

Hitomi felt teeth sink painfully into her bare shoulder, and collapsed onto Aoyama with a whimper.

Midoriya's team, and Todoroki (the last remaining member of his) watched helplessly as the pinkette sat up stiffly, her head lolling to the side, her sunken eyes hungrily zeroing in on them.

The fog in her mind cleared, slowly at first, but then evaporated completely when she could feel the wind whipping in her face. When Hitomi opened her eyes, she screamed upon finding herself fifty feet in the air, freefalling along with all those who had been turned into zombies.

"What the heck's going on?!" Mineta shrieked, too busy freaking out to see if any of the girls' were falling in any compromising positions.

"What's happening?!" Aoyama parroted shrilly.

"Wheeeey…" Kaminari drawled, thumbs up in his usual brain-fried pose.

"They turned back to normal?!" Midoriya shouted from somewhere down below. "I-I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, Shit-nerd!" Bakugou roared, triumphantly holding the collar of Fujimi's costume, who was beaten pretty badly. "You wanna fight me?! Sounds fun!"

It was clear he had taken whatever just happened as some kind of challenge. There was no telling why.

"Y-you've got the wrong idea!" Midoriya waved his hands frantically.

"No! You've got it wrong! I'll crush you—" he released Fujimi, propelling himself at Midoriya with well aimed blasts in a fiery blur. "—with everything I've got!"

"Wait!"

Hitomi sighed, defeatedly covering her ears, still falling. Poor Midoriya.

Ka-boom!

Standing out in front of the school in the orange evening light, the Isami students and a few of 1-A were lined up across from each other.

"Everyone… we're so sorry this happened!" Sekigai, her arm in a sling, bowed remorsefully.

"Don't worry about it." Momo sighed, a few bandages on her face.

"We too ask for your forgiveness!" Iida bowed deeply. "Bakugou, you apologize as well!"

"Tch…" Bakugou snarled off to the side.

"Fujimi, you too!"

"Tsk…" Fujimi mirrored the blonde almost perfectly.

Neither boy said anything, and Sekigai and Iida snapped at them with a simultaneous "Apologize!"

"Come on, guys. We don't want to leave on bad terms." Hitomi pouted, unintentionally batting her eyes.

Fujimi twitched, his face shifting back and forth with reluctance and disgust. Lifting his arm haltingly, he held out a stiff hand.

Hitomi looked to Bakugou, eyes widening pleadingly.

Bakugou scoffed, a vein popping at his head as he took the hand with crushing force.

"Damnit, Cherry! Fine! Only to get you to stop bitching!"

Fujimi tightened his hand so hard it was a wonder Bakugou's didn't break.

Oh no, his bruise only just healed…

"Don't talk to her like that, Bakagou!" He snarled furiously.

Bakugou's free hand ignited. "The fuck did you just call me, Isamishit!?"

With speed that made it so neither boy could stop it, Hitomi fisted a hand in both heads of hair, gripping the strands tight, before bringing them together hard.

Bakugou and Fujimi grunted as their foreheads met with a harsh thwack, pulling away as soon as Hitomi released them.

Her hands settled on her hips, her pout having turned into a stern frown. "That's enough! Both of you!" Her eyes blazed, and for a fleeting second they almost looked red. "Say you're sorry! Now!"

"Sorry!"

Both Bakugou and Fujimi froze, looking at each other in a cross between disbelief and hatred. The word had just slipped out, totally unintended and insincere, but spoken nonetheless.

(It felt like how you would immediately do exactly what a teacher or parent said when they were clearly angered and impatient.)

The intense show of authority… and her glare that had promised punishment if they refused… A trickle of blood dripped from Fujimi's nose, his face flushing. Bakugou noticed and shook with rage, jaw clenched shut to keep from starting anything up again.

Hitomi beamed, cocking her head with her eyes closed blissfully. "See! That wasn't so hard!"

"Alright, it's time to go." Sekigai grabbed Fujimi's sleeve, tugging him along.

He stammered, dragging his feet while staring after Hitomi. "A-ah, wait! Kashiko—"

"No! I'm not letting you pick another fight!"

All he wanted was one minute to talk with her alone, but Sekigai was giving him no choice. Fujimi growled, cheeks burning from what he was about to resort to.

"I never caught your name!" He shouted loud and clear, drawing not only Hitomi's attention, but everyone else's, and watched the surprised pinkette intently.

Hitomi blinked, before smiling brightly. "Oh, it's Hitomi Saito! It was nice meeting you, Fujimi!"

His eyes widened, whole face glowing red. "Y-yeah, you too… Hitomi Saito." He breathed, expression dazed.

Sekigai successfully dragged him away, trailed after by Habuko and Tadan.

Hitomi rocked on her heels, clasping her hands behind her back. "See, he was nice! Just had to give him a chance."

Bakugou gritted his teeth, turning sharply and stomping back to the school entrance.

"I'm gonna marry that girl."

"You didn't even know her name two minutes ago! And I thought you hated UA "elitists"."

"I did. I do. But she has to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Just wait, Kashiko, we'll meet again and I'll win her over."

"Oh lord…"

(Omake: Recruitment)

Denki blinked at the sudden influx of light, squinting to try to make out the room he was brought into. All he knew was one second, he was walking home, the next, there was a bag over his head and tape restricting his arms.

Tape… Wait a second—

"Sero?! Jirou?! What the hell?!" Denki's eyes finally adjusted after the bag was ripped off, and he stared fearfully at the two before him.

"Kaminari, after your contribution today, we think you might like to join our cause." Sero spoke seriously, his usual grin gone.

Jirou nodded. "While you've done things in the past…" her brow twitched, and Denki figured she was thinking back on the cheerleader incident, "you've shown a desire to preserve the same thing we've dedicated ourselves to."

"W-what thing?" Denki swallowed dryly, assuming this was some kind of cult, and wondered what he could have possibly done to gain their approval. "What are you talking about?!"

"This." Sero and Jirou stepped aside, the former holding up a remote and pressing play.

A projector lit up the wall in front of him, displaying footage of Class 1-A that morning. Denki had no earthly idea as to how they got ahold of the recording, and watched with fearful curiosity.

Hitomi cocked her head. "What's skinny dip—"

Kaminari leaned into her view, pointing at her sternly. "You are not allowed to finish that question!"

The projector was shut off, and Sero and Jirou took their places in front of him again. They shared a look, before nodding in agreement. Then, they dropped the bomb.

"We're the Saito Purity Protection Squad. Our sole goal is to shield Saito's innocence for as long as possible. And with you on our side, I think that this ambitious dream might just become a reality."

Denki blinked blankly, taking a second to digest everything laid out before him. "Uh… I dunno, guys. How do you even go about protecting something like that—"

"We have t-shirts." Jirou opened her jacket, revealing a shirt with a graphic of an adorable chibi Akita Inu.

"I'm in."

(In actuality, Sero and Jirou calmly pulled Kaminari aside during lunch— as they didn't want to risk a kidnapping charge. But the above story is what they like to say happened.

And yes, Sero had his mom make t-shirts. Jirou choked when he showed her.)

Notes:

Okay, so to explain why I bothered to write this one, it was because Fujimi is a blatant mirror image of Bakugou. Like, they're the same person, really. And it occurred to me that having a character identical in personality to Bakugou, fall in love at first sight with Hitomi, and not even be subtle about it, would just be too good to pass up. Like, here he is, being Great-Value-brand-Bakugou, until Hitomi throws him off his rhythm.
Now we've got a "Bakugou" who's actually gonna be blatant with his affections for her. A juxtaposition to the actual Bakugou's future handling of his feelings.
Anyway, while currently Bakugou sees Hitomi as a tolerable acquaintance (who's really on a similar— though distinctly different—standing as Kirishima, but he won't admit to it) he was more annoyed that Fujimi's pathetic crush was getting in the way of him being taken seriously. (read: Hitomi was taking attention off of him, and he was angry because Fujimi had the same competitive spirit as him, but now the knockoff wasn't bringing as much heat as Bakugou was)
However, in the future, when we see Fujimi again— and we will —Bakugou's irritation with the Isami student will have shifted into a different kind that he can't pinpoint the source of, which just makes him angrier.
*cough* green-eyed monster *cough*

Chapter 27: Bugs and sharks

Notes:

I wanna hear any of y’all’s ideas for prompts/AUs so I have an excuse to go through with making a TLH one-shot collection.

Chapter Text

"Alright, that's it for class today." Mr. Aizawa tapped a stack of papers even on his desk. "There's only one week left before your final exams begin. I'm sure you're all studying constantly, right? Don't forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There's also the practical portion to worry about. Good luck." Their teacher drawled, and shut the classroom door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, all hell broke loose.

"I've barely even taken notes this semester!" Mina and Kaminari both yelled. Though Mina had a happy-go-lucky smile, while Kaminari looked horrified.

Rightfully so, as he came in twentieth place in midterms. While Mina at least was one above that.

"And with the sports festival and internships, I didn't have time to read the textbook!" Kaminari held his head as if in pain.

"It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately." Tokoyami sighed, clearly ashamed of his rank of fourteenth place.

Hitomi sunk into her seat, wishing she could vanish. Along with her place as fifteenth.

"We'd barely learned anything when we took our midterms, so they didn't seem all that hard. But I'm kinda worried about these." Sato confided in a nodding Koda, their ranks being twelfth and eleventh respectively. "We've been through a lot, and they probably won't pull any punches when it comes to testing us."

Hitomi let her face fall flat on her desk, letting out a muffled whine.

"As someone who ranked in the top ten, I'm not concerned." Mineta cackled, showing off his score.

"What?! You were ninth in the midterms!?" Mina and Kaminari gaped, scandalized.

"Oh man, and here I thought you were one of us!"

"Don't you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likeable if they're kind of stupid?! Who's going to love you now?!"

"Everyone. Trust me."

"Ashido, Kaminari! We've still got time to study!" Midoriya assured them, being an absolute sweetheart to them, despite landing fourth place. He was such a nice, humble guy. "That way, we'll all get to go to the training camp together! Right?"

"Yes!" Iida, ranked second, chopped a hand. "As class rep, I have high hopes that we'll make UA proud!"

"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?" Todoroki deadpanned, secure with his rank of fifth.

Hitomi shot to her feet, whirling around to glower at the boy. "It's not that simple! The longer you sit there, and the more you try to focus, the harder it gets! First you notice something like a smudge of chalk still on the board, then you think about how much you like the smell of chalk, then you notice you can smell the person next to you, and you notice that they actually smell really good! So then you're thinking about that, and soon you're trying to distinguish everyone's scents to see if anyone else smells nice, and while you're doing that, you get sidetracked wondering how they got to smelling that way! Is it their soap? Perfume? Deodorant? Or did they lay in freshly cut grass, and that's why it's so strong on them! And… and…" Hitomi cocked her head, brows furrowed with a fist put to her mouth. "Where was I going with this?"

Momo sighed. "Getting sidetracked?"

Hitomi waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, I know, but I can't remember what point I was trying to make."

After a beat of silence, one general consensus was reached between everyone, sans the pinkette.

(She can't be serious?)

The ravenette sighed again, then smiled ruefully. "Don't worry about it, Mina, Kaminari. I can catch you up to speed on the important topics, if you want." As the one holding first place, she was the perfect one to tutor them.

"You're the best, Yaomomo!"

But in a flash, she was shadowed by a cloud of shame. "I'm afraid I won't be any help when it comes to the practical, though."

Over their internships, Hitomi hadn't managed to get smarter, while Momo didn't get any closer to becoming stronger. It was clearly eating at her.

"I've been studying but… could you help me out, too?" Jirou, placed seventh, held up a notebook. "I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic functions."

Momo perked up. "Really?"

Sero, ranked seventeenth, barreled over, clapping his hands together pleadingly. "Tutor me, please! Classical Japanese is killing me!"

Ojirou sheepishly shuffled over, toting the reasonable score of eighth place. "Is there room for one more? I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little."

"Pretty please!" They chorused desperately.

Momo's eyes shimmered, her cheeks flushing. "Ah! This is wonderful!" She stood suddenly, knocking her chair back. "Yes, let's do it!

"All right!"

"Okay then, we can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend!"

Mina bounded over. "Seriously! I can't wait to see your fancy digs!"

"Oh, I must call Mother and have her prepare the great hall for us to set up! It'll be the perfect spot!" Momo practically vibrated in excitement. "What kind of tea does everyone like? I'll have her make sure we're stocked! In my family, we always drink Harrods or Wedgwood, and we have strawberry tea for when Hitomi comes by, so if you have any other preferences, let me know! When we're finished, you'll all be model students! I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward!"

Hitomi was scribbling doodles with her pink glitter pen when she felt a harsh tug on her collar. When she peered back, she was met with a judgemental scowl from Bakugou, who was ranked third.

"How the fuck are you failing when you've got her—" he jabbed his thumb in Momo's direction, "—in your corner?"

Hitomi slumped, letting her weight go, forcing Bakugou to hold her up. "We've tried studying together. But it somehow always ends with her grade dropping! I've just resigned myself to my big brother's method."

"Sounds like I should be studying with Yaoyorozu." Kirishima, placed sixteenth, came over, smirking teasingly at Bakugou.

Hitomi yelped as she was dropped, leading to her falling off of her chair.

"You think I don't know enough? Maybe I should beat the lessons into your skull!"

"I'm counting on it."

"Wait," Hitomi brushed herself off, sliding back into her seat, "you two are studying together?" A smile spread across her face. "Does that mean you two are friends!?"

"Yep!"

"Hell no!"

While everyone else was finalizing their study plans as they filed out of the class for lunch, Hitomi knelt down by her desk, searching for her glitter pen that fell when Bakugou dropped her.

By the time she located it, she was the only one left in the room— wait, no she wasn't.

Hitomi stood, curiously twirling her pen in her hands.

"Koda?"

The tall boy jumped, trembling noiselessly.

Cautiously walking over, Hitomi looked around for whatever could be making him react the way he was. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she smiled gently.

"Koda, is there something bothering you in here?"

He tensed, fidgeting with his hands, wringing them until they started turning red. Finally, he pointed wordlessly at his desk, his scent riddled with humiliation.

Hitomi looked down, not spotting the issue at first, until a small dot of red slowly traversed the front of one of his textbooks.

With a soft gasp, Hitomi lightly reached down and let it crawl into her hand.

"Aw, a ladybug! Koda, make a wish—"

When she lifted her head, she saw Koda had scurried to the other side of the room, shaking even worse than before.

She stood, cradling the ladybug gently, and it hit her.

"Hey, are you afraid of bugs, Koda?"

He jolted as if struck, and shrunk into himself shamefully.

Oh, Koda…

"Here, let me take care of it." Hitomi quickly assured, heading over to the windows. Opening the one by her desk, she carefully deposited it on the other side of the pane before closing it. Twirling on her heel to face him, she swiped her hands clean theatrically. "There, problem solved! Do you need a minute to calm down before we head to the cafeteria?"

Koda's face flushed red, his mouth pursed so tightly his lips quivered.

"Y-you must th-think I'm pathetic." His voice cracked, his hands shaking as they raised to cover his face.

Hitomi flinched, frowning worriedly. You don't come to that kind of assumption for no reason. He must have been teased for his fear in the past for that to be his expectation of her.

Knowing that, she understood that her denials and reassurances wouldn't amount to much. But maybe there was something she could do…

Taking a deep breath, Hitomi flicked her ears, checking to see if anyone was around to hear what she was about to tell him.

"Koda, for starters, you don't have to be ashamed of being scared of bugs. And secondly, you're not alone."

Koda slowly risked looking up at her, still shaking.

Hitomi smiled softly. "This'll sound silly, but… ever since I was a kid, I've been deathly afraid of sharks."

Koda stilled, surprised enough for his trembling to stop. "R-really?"

Her smile widened. "Yep! I can only do the doggy-paddle 'cause I'm always freaking out too much to spend time learning different techniques. Even in pools and stuff. I've only ever swam in the ocean once, and I almost passed out." She leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "And sharks weren't even common on that beach. So, do you think I'm pathetic?"

Koda stared at her, the humiliation leaking away and being replaced by understanding and gratitude. He shook his head soundly.

Thank goodness.

"So," she straightened, hands clasping behind her back, pen held between them, "you wanna join me for lunch?"

Koda's head dipped, and his hands went back to fidgeting.

Hitomi had a hunch on what his problem may be.

"Hey, don't worry, you don't have to keep conversation. I can talk enough for the both of us!"

Koda opened his mouth— not to say anything, but instead to match his wide eyes.

Hitomi beamed as he gave a hesitant nod.

"All right!"

"This'll be super easy if it's just robots!" Kaminari smiled serenely.

"Such awesome news!" Mina matched his expression.

Upon returning to class, Midoriya quickly informed everyone of the tip Kendou shared with them. That their practical exam would be against the same robots used in the entrance exam.

Hitomi really hoped she wasn't talking about those big ones used in the sports festival obstacle race.

"Why do you sound so happy?" Shoji asked through his hand. "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks."

"Yeah, but I can let loose with robots!" Kaminari threw his arms up joyfully.

Mina did the same. "And melting them'll be a cinch for me!"

"Now you just need Yaoyorozu to help you study and you'll be all set for the finals!" Sero gave the two fingerguns.

"We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now!"

"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people. Why are you morons so excited?" Bakugou scoffed.

"Hey, who are you calling a moron?!" Kaminari called in offense.

Bakugou glared at them furiously. "Shut up! You need to learn how to control your damn Quirk! Ya got it?!"

Hitomi winced, tugging on her hair. She knew that what he said was aimed at Kaminari, but it could very well be applied to her as well.

"Hey, Deku!" Bakugou leveled Midoriya with a cold scowl. "I don't know what's going on with your power, but I saw the way you're using it now, and I want you to know, it's seriously pissing me off."

His words, while sounding in line with his usual threats and insults, were heavier. He sounded so… serious.

"I won't have another half-assed win like the festival. We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings." Bakugou lifted a hand, pointing intimidatingly at Midoriya. "So we'll all know exactly where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am." Then, he rounded on Todoroki. "And Todoroki, I'll kill you, too."

With that, Bakugou stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

But it was thrown open a second later, a head of pink hair hastily bouncing after him.

"Wait, Bakugou!"

The blonde stopped in the middle of the hallway, slowly turning his head. His eyes blazed over his shoulder at her, wrathful.

"What?"

Hitomi ignored how the word was hissed with such venom, knowing he must've still been steaming from his declarations of war. "Well… I-I just wanted to…"

"If you don't spit it out in the next three seconds, I am going to kill you."

She bowed slightly, hands clasping at her front. "I'm sorry for getting you in trouble with Best Jeanist!"

At that, he paused, confusion replacing a small portion of the fire in his eyes. "Hah?"

Hitomi's ears drooped as she straightened. "You used your Quirk in front of him, in the jewelry store. And, well, we weren't authorized to use them. So, because of my reckless actions, you had to step in and get punished. I just wanted to apologize for that."

After getting no response, she tentatively looked up, and was met with a glower that was half annoyed, and half something else.

"You're a fucking idiot." Bakugou grumbled, giving her a look that had nothing on the one he gave Midoriya. "He told me it was fine when we came onto the scene. So no, I wasn't punished for using my Quirk."

A weight faded from her shoulders. "Really? That's great! I'm so glad!"

He rolled his eyes, turning back ahead and continuing on down the hall, all the while muttering something she couldn't quite hear, only managing to catch "fuckin' Cherry" in the middle.

But she didn't care. She was just happy he wasn't reprimanded for helping her.

"Hana." Hitomi started gravely, setting the tone. "I know this is selfish of me to ask, and that every day you will crave a loving embrace that I can't give you. But will you wait for me?"

Hana nodded, her expression just as serious. "Yes."

Hitomi hugged her close, blinking away tears. "I would write to you every day. But Nori stole my stationary—"

"Oh for the love of—" Nori lifted Hitomi by her shirt collar, and threw her into the room, shutting and locking the door. "You're not off to war, you're studying for a test!"

"Well it feels like war!" Hitomi whined, breaking the intense aura she held while talking to Hana.

Said girl sat herself down by the door, crossing her arms. "I'll wait! Starting now!"

"Oh Hana, my dear, thank—"

"Hey Hana. I'll give you some ice cream if you come downstairs with me." Nori held his hand out.

Hana gasped, hopping to her feet. "Okay!"

"Nori, you monster! You merciless warden of my condemned soul! How could you—"

"Hito's real upset…" Hana looked over Nori's shoulder as he carried her, watching Hitomi's door.

"Nah, she's just not kennel trained."

I signed up for this. I signed up for this… Hitomi looked around her scarce room, now missing everything from her flatscreen to her manga collection. There was nothing left for her to do, but study.

...darn, he even took her batons and flute with him. Proving he knew she would inevitably grow bored enough to even resort to messing around with those. The key to this study method was to get to that breaking point, where she would stoop to anything to pass the time, and use it to cram with the only things she had left.

Her textbooks.

But first, her spirit was yet to be broken, so she sat by her door, whining to anyone who could hear.

"I'm so bored! I'm gonna die! I promise to study if I can at least have my phone!"

Bargaining. The first stage of grief.

Nori groaned, standing in the kitchen as he listened to his sister's cries. Hana sat at the table, eating away at her large bowl of ice cream.

When he and Hitomi made the arrangements, she warned him that she would end up caving in, and that he would have to ignore whatever pleas or deals she would try to make to get out, no matter what. But he had expected her to last at least five minutes.

Goes to show, he was right in taking away even her batons and flute.

From within his pocket, her phone chimed, and he fished it out with a sigh. On the screen was an invite to a group chat.

On a whim, he clicked "accept".

(You have been added to the The Kool Kidz group chat)

(Charge-Bolt): heyyyy wassup guys

(Sticky): for the love of god someone change the chat name

(Charge-Bolt changed group chat name to: Bad Lemon)

(Alien Queen ;3): someone take his phone away from him

—

What the fuck? These were the people his sister associated with? Did he even want to know why someone named themself "Sticky"?

—

(Hitomi Saito): Hitomi can't come to the phone right now. I've locked her in her room with only the bare essentials for survival. You'll see her again. But only if she makes it out alive.

—

Nori turned off the phone, several more frantic chimes making it through before the screen went black.

"Nori I will literally rob a bank for you, please!"

He sighed. This was going to be a long week.

(Omake: A Lesson in Tsunderes)

(1) The serotonin is stored in the Bakadere.

Chapter 28: Big-Bro-Mezou

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Alright, put your pencils down."

Hitomi stiffened, forcing her hand to release her pink and white striped pencil. she filled in all the questions to the best of her ability, but there was no way to tell if it would be enough.

"The last person in each row, bring the answer sheets to me."

As Momo took Hitomi's, she gave a pat to the pinkette's head, smiling reassuringly.

"Thanks so much for your help!" Mina beamed at Momo.

Kaminari pointed to himself with his thumb, grinning. "I didn't leave anything blank at least!"

"Settle down."

Hitomi let out a full body sigh, concentrating on making each muscle relax. She didn't want to pull anything before the practical exam could even start. Stretching her arms high, she let her chair lean back, dropping her head over the back of it. She gave an upside down smile at Bakugou.

"You accept the invite yet?" She whispered to avoid gaining the attention of their tired teacher.

Bakugou repeatedly pressed the end of his mechanical pencil in irritation. "No. I won't join something that's fucking called Bad Lemon."

"You know we won't stop spamming you until you do."

"I'll block all of you."

"My family's rich, I'll buy more phones."

"I'll get a restraining order."

"I'll… I'll… shoot." Hitomi pouted, letting her chair drop back down.

For a moment so fleeting that she figured she must have imagined it, Hitomi thought she caught a glimpse of an upward tick of his lips.

No, he was probably just sneering at her again.

Ectoplasm, Cementoss, Power Loader, Snipe, Present Mic, Mr. Aizawa, Thirteen, and Aunt Nemuri all stood before the class, out in front of the building that was connected to the main entrance to UA's mock city.

The fur on Hitomi's tail stood on end, and she bit her lip at the uneasy feeling. Her gut told her there was bad news coming.

"Now then, let's begin the last test." Mr. Aizawa started. "Remember, it's possible to fail this final. If you wanna go to camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."

Hitomi flinched. Stupid mistakes… like ripping her paws out of ice.

"Uh, why are all the teachers here?" Jirou was the one to ask.

"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you'll be faced with today."

"We're fighting those big ol' metal robots!" Kaminari cheered.

Mina pumped a fist giddily. "Fireworks! S'mores! Here we come, camp!"

"Actually…" a high voice came muffled from Mr. Aizawa's scarf. "This year's tests—" Principal Nezu popped out, perched on the unfazed homeroom teacher's shoulder. "—will be completely different, for various reasons!"

"Principal Nezu!"

Hitomi's eyes were wide, her tail flicking erratically behind her. His smell was so strange. She couldn't figure out what he was, or what exactly his scent could be described as. Weird…

"You're changing things?" Momo's voice was tight with nerves.

"The tests now have a new focus." The principal explained, climbing down Mr. Aizawa's side. "There will be Hero work, of course. But also teamwork and combat between actual people. So what does that mean for you?" He pointed at them with his round paw that had no right to be so intimidating. "You students will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed UA teachers! Isn't that fabulous?!"

Ah, there it was.

"We're… fighting the teachers?" Ochako fearfully parroted.

"Additionally, your partners and your opponents have already been chosen." Mr. Aizawa told them. "They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. First, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team…" he smirked, grabbing ahold of his capture weapon. "Against me. Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugou."

Whoa. Hitomi stared as the two childhood friends turned to each other, equally stunned.

But it only got worse, because—

"And their opponent is—"

Making his usual entrance, their last teacher landed from high in the sky, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

"I am here, to fight!

"We're up against All Might!?"

Well hey, Hitomi was pretty sure that was the first time the two had ever spoken in sync.

"You're going to have to work together, boys, if you want to win."

Midoriya turned to Bakugou, while the blonde returned his anxious look with a vengeful scowl, as if Midoriya had caused this somehow.

"And now, let's announce the teams and teachers they'll be fighting in order!"

"First, Sato and Kirishima versus Cementoss." Mr. Aizawa read off of a list that Hitomi was pretty sure was just there for show. "Then Asui and Tokoyami versus Ectoplasm. Iida and Ojirou versus Power Loader. Like I said, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki against myself. Uraraka and Aoyama versus Thirteen. Kaminari and Ashido versus Principal Nezu. Jirou and Koda versus Present Mic. Saito and Shoji versus Snipe. Sero and Mineta versus Midnight. And finally, Midoriya and Bakugou versus All Might."

Hitomi twirled her hair, frowning tensely at the gas mask wearing teacher she and Shoji were faced against. Why him? She wondered. And why was she with Shoji?

"To complete the exam, you'll have thirty minutes. In order to win, your objective is to put these handcuffs on your teacher." Principal Nezu held up a large pair of yellow rimmed handcuffs. "Or you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage."

She couldn't help herself, and raised a hand. "Um, sir, can a team really win if only one person exits?"

Principal Nezu nodded. "Yes. That's all you need to do to win your match for both you and your partner."

"It's gonna be much different than that combat training y'all went through earlier." Present Mic mimed record scratching, then struck a pose. "After all, you're up against people way better than you!"

He kinda reminded her of Aoyama, actually…

"Better? Really? Wait, aren't you just the announcer?" Jirou pointed out, oblivious to Koda trying to gesture for her to stop.

"Hey, watch your mouth, girl! Have some respect!" Present Mic scolded in offense, amplifying his voice with his Quirk to around the volume it would be if he had a megaphone.

Needless to say, it was loud.

Hitomi flinched, holding her ears tenderly. Ever since the criminal at the jewelry store, anything overly loud left a slight ringing behind.

"Ack— Eraser, what gives!?"

Mr. Aizawa, held up a fist like he was planning to strike the back of the blonde Hero's head again if he kept on shouting.

"Stop yelling. It's too early for this much noise."

"Anyway," Thirteen cleared her throat. "This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is, please think of us as Villains."

"Assumin' you come across your enemy." Snipe's voice reverberated within his mask. "If you think you can win against them, then fight. However…"

"In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away and find help. Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure the three of you understand." Mr. Aizawa's implication weighed heavily on the three boys.

Iida raised his left hand, staring thoughtfully at it. "I won't make that mistake again. I will pass this test and prove that I'm a Hero!" He closed it into a fist.

"So, we fight to win, or run to win." Midoriya surmised lowly.

All Might went on to explain the thing that made all of this remotely fair, that being, the ultra compressed weights designed for them by Mei Hatsume from the support course. They would add half of their personal body weights divided between their wrists and ankles, slowing them down and eating away at their stamina.

"You think we need a handicap to win against you?"

It took everything in Hitomi's power not to scream "YES!" At Bakugou's clear distaste for the weights' hand in the matches.

"Well, think again."

All Might laughed, the beginning of it almost sounding like a cough (oddly enough) and his smile twisted into more of a smirk.

"This'll be fun."

Oh my God, they're gonna die.

"Let's begin. The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called. We have a stage prepared for you. Sato, Kirishima, you're up."

"Yes sir!"

"Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team. It's your choice." Mr. Aizawa turned to follow his fellow teachers inside. "That's all."

There was that word again.

Strategize.

Hitomi's stomach flipped, and she froze to try to keep her breakfast from coming back up. By the time it settled somewhat, she was already the only one left outside. Except for—

"Better?" Shoji spoke through his hand, his eyes showing concern. "You got pale there for a second. If you still need a minute, I can go wait inside."

Hitomi opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, taken aback by his careful handling of her obvious distress. But it just made her stomach cramp up worse, and that was when she identified the feeling.

Ah, guilt.

"I-I'm sorry, Shoji." Her eyes began to sting, and she tried combating the tears by blinking them away. "You got stuck with me, and now we're both gonna lose and it'll be all my faul—"

"Hang on." Shoji cut her off, not unkindly. "Take a deep breath."

Hitomi inhaled shakily.

"Now let it out. And tell me what makes you already think we'll fail."

Hitomi flushed shamefully, ducking her head. "I'm… not smart. I can't strategize like Momo or Midoriya, which is what we'll need to even hope to beat Snipe."

Shoji hummed thoughtfully, putting a normal hand to his masked chin. "Well, during the sports festival, you rolled over on Shiozaki. That was some quick thinking."

"Yeah sure, followed right after by my match with Todoroki. I'm sure you remember how that went."

Instead of getting irritated by her stubborn self deprecation, Shoji kept on calmly. "Saito, how do you get your impressions of people and their intentions?"

"I, uh," Hitomi stammered, at a loss for how to explain it, "it's kinda, like, one part their scent, the other part… intuition?"

"Okay, so if you struggle with preemptively planning, maybe it means you work better under pressure. Try to focus more on the intuition, rather than the strategy."

Hitomi considered it, thinking back on how she had gone into each of her sports festival fights without an inkling of how she would go about beating her opponent, and in the end, won two out of three. Could it really be that simple? Thinking faster on her feet by not thinking at all?

Shoji broke her from her reverie, gesturing toward the building. "Let's go watch the others. Get a bit of an idea of what we're up against."

Hitomi nodded once, feeling less queasy after talking to him. "Okay. And thank you, Shoji, for believing in me. I'll do my best to make sure we win. Oh, and you can call me Hitomi, by the way."

Shoji's eyes squinted, the only evidence that he was smiling beneath his mask. "Then feel free to call me Mezou." He changed his right hand from a mouth, to a regular hand, holding it out to her.

Hitomi cracked a smile, happily taking and shaking it.

Any ease Mezou coaxed her into, evaporated shortly after entering the building.

"Sato and Kirishima have been knocked out. Exam over."

"You're kidding." Hitomi looked up to the speaker hanging in the hallway. "Already?"

"Looks like they're not pulling any punches." Mezou grimly observed, then motioned her to follow. "Come on, I think the monitor room is this way."

Stepping inside the dimly lit room, they were greeted with dozens of large screens, showing off different angles of the match currently going on— which was Tsuyu and Tokoyami's.

"I hope the guys are okay." Hitomi fretted, unsure of exactly how hard the teachers would go.

"Nothing major. Just bumps and scratches. And in Sato's case, fatigue." Recovery Girl's creaky and comforting voice answered as she reentered the room from a side-door, that was connected to an infirmary.

"That's good, at least." Ochako sighed. Her and Midoriya being the only other two who were spectating.

Hitomi was half surprised that Bakugou wasn't watching the fights, but the other half figured that whatever room Midoriya was in, Bakugou would be avoiding.

Ectoplasm was already giving them a hard time, surrounding them with what had to be at least twenty clones right out the gate.

But they acted fast, Tokoyami instructing Dark Shadow to throw Tsuyu away to a higher level of the building they were in. She landed and stuck herself on a wall, and sent her tongue shooting out to grab Tokoyami, pulling him out of danger.

"Nice!"

"An escape only the two of them could pull off!" Midoriya marveled.

"That's good communication. They're talking to each other." Recovery Girl pointed out from her chair. "It may not seem like much, but it's important. I don't just mean having a Sidekick or teammate that you know you match well with. Real Heroes need to be able to communicate with anyone."

Hitomi pursed her lips.

"Um, so…" Midoriya started meekly. "We were talking about these finals and how each student is supposed to be facing their weaknesses…"

"That's right." Recovery Girl turned back to the screens while confirming his unspoken question.

"Okay, so, what do Tokoyami and Asui have to work on? I'm having trouble seeing how Mr. Ectoplasm's Quirk is a bad match-up against theirs."

"Oh? Well, it's not good… for Tokoyami at least."

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Ochako asked.

"Keep watching, you'll see." Recovery Girl sing-songed in response.

The challenge the two were faced with became more obvious the longer it went on. Tokoyami was weak against close-range attacks, and it was testing his agility and physical skill. While Tsuyu, the all-arounder, was there to make sure the boy kept a level head. But it seemed like their efforts were fruitless, as Ectoplasm made a massive clone that entrapped them both halfway when it made itself corporal.

But in a series of events that Hitomi didn't quite understand, Tsuyu somehow handed off the handcuffs to Dark Shadow, who hid that he had them, and slapped them on one of Ectoplasm's legs when the Hero kicked him.

"Whoa, they legcuffed him!" Ochako gasped.

"Does that count? It counts, right?" Hitomi anxiously badgered Recovery Girl.

The elderly woman smiled, nodding. "Yes, it counts."

"Yes!"

"Team Asui and Tokoyami have passed the final!" The almost monotone announcement sealed the victory.

Iida and Ojirou went up next, and won rather quickly. Working together to get Ojirou through the gate. Hitomi had still been skeptical that only one person exiting would end the fight, so it was relieving to have it confirmed conclusively by their win.

"Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. Practical exam. Ready, go!"

Hitomi swallowed dryly, wringing her hands to hide the tremble in them.

Come on, Momo…

On screen, Momo and Todoroki traversed the mock-neighborhood. While Momo was continuously popping out her Russian nesting dolls, Todoroki took the lead.

The conflicted frown on the ravenette's face was obvious, even from the monitoring room.

The two stopped, talking inaudibly, and missed Mr. Aizawa's arrival, only noticing after it was too late.

As Todoroki was getting wrapped up in the Hero's capture weapon, and hoisted up to dangle from a power line, Momo ran away, putting some distance between them.

Hitomi gnawed on her bottom lip. What was she doing? This wasn't working out like her usual plans.

Mr. Aizawa threw down a large amount of caltrops under Todoroki, so he wouldn't be able to recklessly burn away the scarf holding him above. Then Mr. Aizawa administered his eye drops to himself, and took off after Momo.

He caught up quickly, snagging Momo's left arm with the spool of scarf he still had. But Momo slipped out of it by creating a buffer between her arm and the scarf, and as soon as she was free, she changed direction and started running back toward Todoroki's position.

Upon reaching him, she stopped, clearly stuck on saving her teammate or fleeing. And with Mr. Aizawa right on her tail, it was made even harder to decide. That is, until Todoroki shouted something to her, and her expression steeled.

She took a handful of the Russian nesting dolls she had held onto, and threw them into the air. Mr. Aizawa batted away one that got close, busting it open.

And inside, was a flash grenade.

Hitomi pumped her fists. "Yes!"

The timid and uncertain girl at the start of the fight was gone, and in her place, was the brilliant Momo Yaoyorozu that Hitomi knew and loved.

Notes:

(I’ll be doing Horikoshi inspired sketches every-so-often from here on out, so be on the look out for that 😊)
I debated long and hard on who Hitomi was gonna be teamed up with, and against who, because I didn't want it to feel as if I was just like "welp here's an oc who takes Hagakure's place, so lemme just have her have all of Hagakure's scenes!" So at first I was going to completely cast aside her and Shoji's match. But the more I thought about it, the more I grew to like the potential these two have. Shoji is so underrated, and no one ever acknowledges that not only is he crazy smart and a great strategist, but he's also really protective and has this older brother aura to him (despite being the youngest in the class lol), which are both things that Hitomi would greatly admire. Then I was thinking about how supportive he would be of her and her efforts to get smarter, and just how easily he would slip into big bro mode with her and I just— gah, I fell in love with the idea of these two, okay? I'm trying to make their match unique, but I just wanted to clarify why she was paired with him.
I will say, however, (SPOILERS) Hitomi also takes Hagakure's place during the Class 1-A vs Class 1-B and Shinsou arc. But that's because she has to go against a certain someone to further develop a plot point I can't disclose at this time.

Chapter 29: Lovely little diversions

Notes:

Not *super* happy with this chapter, but oh well.
Anyway, uh… how y'all feel about Yuuji Itadori, from Jujutsu Kaisen?
Cuz… I'm kinda feeling… inspired.
(Also, check out Cherry-Bomb. The companion fic to this, and feel free to suggest ideas for AUs and oneshots.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu have passed the final exam!"

"Team Aoyama and Uraraka have passed the final exam!"

"Team Ashido and Kaminari have failed due to the time expiring."

"I think you'll need these." Momo pulled out a pair of noise-canceling earmuffs from her stomach, her Quirk shimmering brightly in the dim room.

Hitomi, Mezou, Momo, Midoriya, Ochako, Tsuyu, and Iida all stood in the monitoring room now, watching as Koda and Jirou's match was about to begin.

"Thanks." Hitomi sighed, slipping them on gratefully.

But they couldn't block out everything. When Present Mic used his Quirk it was loud enough to shake the foundation, reverberating up through everyone's bodies

Hitomi didn't want to imagine how painful it was to take point-blank. She was lucky he wasn't her opponent, otherwise there would be absolutely no chance at victory.

But, it turned out to be a good match for Koda, specifically. The boy set aside his fears in order to save Jirou from any more pain, using his Quirk to order the insects of the forest to attack Present Mic. The Hero didn't do well with bugs, apparently, foaming at the mouth and passing out, leaving the exit gate wide open.

Koda carried out a beaming Jirou.

"Team Koda and Jirou have passed the final exam!"

A strong hand landed on Hitomi's shoulder.

"We're up." Mezou said lowly.

Like Tsuyu and Tokoyami's, Hitomi and Mezou's fight was taking place inside a building. It was a massive, decaying multi-leveled warehouse, with dust clouding the air and the smell of mildew overwhelming everything else.

When Hitomi tried taking an experimental sniff to gage where Snipe may be, she broke into a sneezing fit.

That wasn't even the worst of it though. The floor creaked loudly with every step, bending and threatening to cave in under them if they weren't careful. So Hitomi couldn't use her Quirk without running the risk of falling through.

"Team Shoji and Saito. Practical exam. Ready, go!"

"Do you have a plan?" Hitomi looked hopefully at Mezou.

"Right now, I think our best bet would be to focus on escaping. But the gate is on the ground floor, and Snipe could be hiding anywhere between here and there."

Hitomi grimaced, studying the floor they were started on. Most of the windows were broken and boarded up, leaving only slivers of sunlight to manage to get through. She was born with better night vision than normal people, but it wasn't infallible. When in her Akita form she could see in the dark clearly, but now… every shadow looked like the gunslinging teacher they were meant to fight.

"Let's go." She forced her voice to sound stronger than she felt.

Every floorboard whined beneath their feet, and Hitomi winced each time. Snipe would hear them coming long before either of them would see him. The exit was two levels down, leaving plenty of time and space for the Hero to ambush them.

But it also gave them a chance to plan. Or rather, gave Mezou a chance.

Intuition… intuition… Hitomi repeated the word in her head, trying to determine whether or not it would even make a difference.

Then, the hairs on her ears and tail stood on end, and her canines bared themselves.

She moved to jump away, but—

Communication—

"Get back!"

Both her and Mezou leapt apart, just in time as two bullet holes appeared in the floor where they once stood.

Hitomi knew the bullets were designed to not cause serious harm, but her heart still sat in her throat all the same.

But they didn't have time to be scared, as more holes started littering the floor, leading toward them.

Hitomi scrambled back, bumping into something big and wooden. It felt like an old crate, heavy, but not immovable.

Intuition.

Another hole, right by her feet, and she felt a chip of wood go flying, nicking her left cheek.

Her hands gripped the edges of the crate, stinging as probably countless splinters pierced her skin, and with a low growl she heaved it up, and chucked it as far from her and Mezou as she could.

It clattered— almost deafeningly in the oppressive silence —to the floor about ten feet away, kicking up dust.

Everything was still, and neither one of them dared to breathe, until—

A few shots went off, coming through the floor and hitting the crate.

"Now!"

Mezou grabbed her hand, and sprinted forward, heading in the direction that the bullets came from. Hitomi almost protested, but then spotted the staircase leading down. The thing that Snipe had been trying to cut them off from. A ratty tarp was hanging over the doorway, blocking out any meager light, making the steps hard to see.

They dove down into the stairwell, taking temporary refuge behind its walls, which mercifully looked to be concrete.

"He must be on this next floor." Mezou whispered, squinting out into the darkness at the bottom of the steps.

Hitomi stiffened. "How do you know that?"

"His ammo, they're designed to hurt and incapacitate us, but not to break through skin. They could probably only get through one barrier at most, so that means he was shooting from right below us."

Hitomi tugged on a lock of hair, her stomach doing a dance between rolling and dropping down to her feet.

Then, she caught the sound of spurs clinking, growing louder as they approached.

She tapped Mezou's arm, pointing at her ears, then down to the bottom of the stairs, and slowly brought her index fingers together.

I can hear him getting closer.

"Sai— Hitomi, at the sports festival, Ashido threw her acid at you and it didn't look like it hurt you until it got in your face." Mezou spoke fast and quietly.

"Yeah, so?" Her voice came out high and tight with nerves.

"So your fur and skin are tougher when you're in that form, right?"

Hitomi blinked, his point clicking. "B-but, I can't use it in here! I'll be too heavy and break through the floor!"

Mezou looked up toward the old and torn tarp.

"I'm counting on it."

With their clock running low on time, the two jumped into action.

Before Snipe could reach the staircase, two bodies cloaked in pieces of an old tarp leapt through the doorway, landing in his direct line of sight.

Snipe raised his twin pistols, aiming one each on the two students.

One teen darted off toward the staircase on the other side of the floor— likely planning on making a break for the exit gate. But the other one came charging at him, their hand sticking out visibly from the tarp, holding onto the handcuffs.

The Hero— and everyone spectating from the monitoring room —assumed that they were trying their hand at either method to win, a desperate and reckless decision.

And that was exactly what they wanted Snipe to think.

The Hero shot off a few rounds at the one running toward the stairs, and did the same to the one closing in on him.

But, considering it was the only item in the team's arsenal, and that it could end the whole match, Snipe kept an eye on the bright yellow handcuffs. Even as they were pulled back, and thrown across the room.

What—

By the time Snipe looked back down at the one in front of him, they had grown bigger, the tarp falling away.

Saito, in her Akita Inu form, came down upon him, landing with all her weight. The Hero was pinned underneath her, as the two crashed through the floor.

Dust clouded his vision, and he coughed at the harsh pang in his chest. He still had one hand that wasn't pinned by the girl, and used it to aim one of his pistols at her. With the awkward angle, he could only manage to shoot her left side.

After the third round, Saito growled and forced more of her weight down on his chest, and Snipe got the message, letting his hand drop.

The buzzer sounded, followed by the announcement of the match's end.

"Team Shoji and Saito have passed the final exam!"

Snipe sighed, letting go of his pistol, and patted her in congratulation.

"Nice work, kid."

Her tail wagged.

"That was amazing!"

The two were greeted back in the monitor room after Recovery Girl healed Hitomi's cuts and bruises. Mezou hardly had a scratch on him.

Hitomi ducked her head, smiling sheepishly at Midoriya's enthusiastic praise. "Thanks. It's because of Mezou's plan that we won, though."

"That's not true." Mezou shut her down immediately. "You're the one who thought to throw aside the cuffs. Who knows if it would've worked in the end if you hadn't used them as a diversion."

"You're the one who got through the gate."

"You're the one who immobilized our opponent."

Hitomi's face flushed, her gaze falling to the floor. "Okay, fine. We both contributed to the win. There."

Mezou chuckled, and Hitomi felt that same pride she got whenever she managed to impress Nori.

"Mezou, do you have any younger siblings?"

He looked rightfully thrown by the sudden topic change. "Why do you ask?"

Hitomi smiled, clasping her hands behind her back. "You just remind me of my brother, that's all."

"Team Mineta and Sero. Practical exam. Ready, go."

"Hey, Deku, isn't your match up next?" Ochako turned to her friend. "Shouldn't you be waiting in the exam area?"

"Oh, probably." Midoriya admitted. "But I wanna make sure I see everyone else fight. It's definitely interesting to see how each team uses their Quirks. But I also feel like I'm getting stronger watching them. Our classmates are just so amazing. Even if they didn't pass, they fought until the very end. Every one of them embodies what it means to be a UA student!"

"You're so sweet!" Hitomi blubbered, launching herself onto Midoriya's back, startling him. "You're cool and amazing and awesome too, Midoriya!"

"Ah, t-thanks, but could you maybe get off of me, please?"

"You might want to revoke that statement, Midoriya." Momo deadpanned, glowering at the screens.

"Looks like one of our peers is giving up." Tsuyu pointed out.

On the monitors, they all watched Mineta run away in tears.

"W-what's he doing? He was looking forward to the training camp so much. Why is he ready to give up now?"

"I don't know if he can bounce back from this." Recovery Girl intoned. "As far as the practical exams go, All Might, Present Mic, Cementoss, and Midnight are especially hard opponents for you kids to best. It's not hard to imagine someone feeling as though they have no possible way to win."

Midnight already had Sero down for the count, putting him to sleep after he used his tape to toss Mineta away from her pheromones. Now Mineta was wasting away his efforts by running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

"It might be hard for a kid like that to make it out of this school." Recovery Girl warned.

Midoriya looked at her, shocked. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"UA is constantly creating new obstacles that our students have to overcome. In order to keep moving forward successfully, students need to have a concrete goal to focus on. If your desire is just to be a Hero for no reason, your path isn't going to be easy. If someone who's only wish is to become a Hero reaches their goal, then they have no real future."

Hitomi's hands felt numb, her eyes cast low and staring blankly.

But… that pretty much was her goal. To become a Hero. One her parents would be proud of. Was— was that enough? She had as basic a goal as you could get. She just wanted to save people so they could come home to their families.

…Right?

"I wonder… is there a goal in that child's heart he can focus on to win?"

Mineta stopped running, standing there, frozen in fear or contemplation.

Until Midnight's whip struck the back of his head, knocking him down.

Hitomi slapped a hand over her mouth, unsuccessfully muffling her cackling.

Though, no one— especially not Midnight —was expecting what he did next. Mineta took the strip of tape that was still stuck to him, and put it over his nose and mouth to block out the pheromones. Then he chucked balls from his head at her, many of which landing on her whip. One stuck her hand to the handle, then another stuck the whip to the ground.

Midnight pulled experimentally, trying to release the handle or dislodge the end from the ground. When it didn't give, she grinned with approval.

Midnight was a sadistic Hero. But Aunt Nemuri was a proud teacher.

"He managed to trap her far away from the gate!" Midoriya exclaimed. "There's no way her Quirk can stop him now!"

"Oh, so he's pretty clever. I think that kid pulled one over on all of us." Recovery Girl simpered.

"Saito's dangerously chubby thighs!"

Hitomi shuddered, hugging her midriff. "Sure. He's still a creep, though."

"Team Mineta and Sero have passed the final exam!"

So that only left—

"Team Midoriya and Bakugou. Practical exam. Ready, go!"

Bakugou left Midoriya standing at the entrance, giving nothing but a sneer over his shoulder.

"He's not gonna make this easy for Deku, is he?" Ochako sighed, hands clenching at her chest.

Hitomi didn't bother to confirm it, figuring she already knew.

After a moment of hesitation, Midoriya hurried after him. The green haired teen tried talking to him, but Bakugou just picked up the pace. Back and forth this went, until the blonde snapped and sent a punch flying at Midoriya's face.

Hitomi flinched, frowning in concern as Midoriya laid on the ground, cradling his nose.

God, Bakugou must be furious. But it was no excuse for striking his teammate.

"Oh dear, there's absolutely no teamwork between those two. Don't they realize the trial ahead of them?" Recovery Girl chastised.

Even without the audio, it was clear that the two were yelling at each other. Which was a shock, because Hitomi couldn't remember a time where Midoriya got even close to raising his voice in anger.

Then, a gust of wind so violent that it shattered every window in its path, and overturned every car, threw the two boys back, lifting them clear off the ground.

All Might stood before them when the dust cleared, his normally reassuring smile now coming off as a dark grin.

Midoriya started to run away, but Bakugou launched himself at the Hero, setting off an explosion that whited out the screen for a second. He tried attacking All Might, only for the Hero to grab him by his face. Somehow, Bakugou wasn't deterred, and continued to blast at All Might. All the way up until the Hero reared his arm back, and slammed Bakugou head first into the ground.

Hitomi gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

He was going to kill them.

Her tail puffed up, and a growl came rumbling unintentionally through her throat.

She didn't like this. She hated this. She felt scared, and concerned, and protective, and angry.

He's hurting them— He's hurting them!

"Whoa, Hitomi…"

She blinked, and some of the intense emotions clouding her mind faded.

Ochako was staring at her, her brows furrowed in shock and worry. "Are you okay? You were growling, and your eyes… they almost looked red—"

"Oh my…"

Recovery Girl's sigh brought attention back to the screens, where they saw Bakugou and Midoriya collide midair, in their own individual and uncoordinated attacks.

When they landed, it was right back to arguing, with Bakugou trying to push forward, while Midoriya got in his way and tried talking to him.

Then, All Might came at Midoriya, hitting him in the back with a broken piece of thick metal fencing, stomping it into the ground and pinning the boy beneath it. Turning deftly on his heel, All Might then went for Bakugou, slamming a ruthless fist into his gut. The punch was so harsh that when Bakugou went flying, so did the contents of his stomach.

Hitomi clenched her jaw tight to keep her canines from extending too far.

Bakugou forced himself to his feet, and Midoriya struggled to remove the fencing. And All Might took his sweet time, raising his fist in preparation to land it upon the blonde again.

He can't be serious!

Hitomi's voice cracked shrilly. "Baku—"

A fist struck Bakugou's face, but it wasn't All Might's.

Midoriya shouted something at Bakugou, then threw him over his shoulder and took off, racing down an alley and away from All Might. His body aglow with the green sparks of his Quirk.

For a few minutes All Might sprinted through the mock city, looking around for the boys. Then, after he passed by a random alley, Bakugou came barreling out of it, his right hand immediately shooting off blasts at the Hero.

But, where was his other—

From behind All Might, Midoriya jumped through the smoke left by Bakugou's Quirk, and aimed Bakugou's other gauntlet directly at All Might, pulling the pin that would set off—

An outrageously volatile explosion bursted out from the opening, letting loose all the sweat Bakugou had been storing for who knows how long.

While All Might was recuperating, they took off. Bakugou using blasts to propel himself through the air, and Midoriya using his Quirk to push his legs faster and harder.

The two got so close to reaching the gate, when All Might just appeared between them. In a blink, he crushed and shattered the two gauntlets with his bare hands, giving them no time to use the second blast that was stored. He then kneed Bakugou in the jaw, and grabbed Midoriya's right arm. When the blonde came blazing back, All Might swung Midoriya down on him like a ragdoll, leaving them both laying bruised and battered. He hoisted up Midoriya, who dangled limply, and put a boot down on Bakugou's back to force him still.

Hitomi's shoulders fell, and she dipped her head in dejection. She couldn't watch. It looked so painful, so she couldn't imagine what it was actually like to experience the number-one Hero hurting you with reckless abandon.

After a beat, the floor shook, and the others gasped.

When Hitomi lifted her head, she stared in awe as the screen was lit up in yellows and oranges. It was so…

"Look, Deku's got him!" Ochako excitedly pointed to one of the screens that wasn't full of an inferno. Instead, Midoriya was visibly limping toward the gate with Bakugou carried under his arm.

"Team Midoriya and Bakugou have passed the final exam! All matches for the practical portion of Class 1-A's final have now been completed!"

Once again in her school uniform, Hitomi waited nervously, shifting her weight side to side. After a bit longer, the door in front of her slid open.

Recovery Girl smiled up at her reassuringly. "You can see them now, dear."

Hitomi tried to smile back, but it was tense and weak.

Stepping inside the infirmary, she was met with her two friends and classmates laid up in bed.

And the teacher who put them there.

"Er, hello, Young Saito." All Might twitched, standing poised to exit the room. "Are you hurt at all?"

Hitomi opened her mouth, but Recovery Girl answered first.

"She's just fine, All Might. She's actually here to check on Bakugou and Midoriya."

All Might twitched again, harder this time, with an awkward grimace. "Ah, I see…"

There was something satisfying about making him uncomfortable, after what he did. And it was a little surprising that she could do it with just a simple scowl. Then again, not many people ever saw such an expression from her.

"Are they alright, ma'am?" Hitomi questioned, all the while keeping her eyes on All Might.

Was that steam coming off of him? Was she making him that nervous?

"They'll be fine with some rest."

Hitomi hummed, continuing to stare unblinkingly at the muscular Hero.

All Might coughed into his hand, the action sounding wet and raspy, then gave her a rushed wave.

"Congratulations on your win, Young Saito! I'll be off now!"

Hitomi's hair whipped around, her eyes forced shut as a gust blew around in the small room. When she reopened them, he was long gone.

Recovery Girl shook her head with a tsk, hopping down from her chair. "I wasn't done lecturing him yet. Feel free to keep the boys company while I go find him."

"Oh, uh, a-alright then." Hitomi stepped aside so the woman could pass.

The door shut with a resounding click, and Hitomi stood stiffly in the middle of the room.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly went over to Bakugou's bedside, taking up the chair by it.

He was out cold— as was Midoriya in the next bed over —and was covered with scrapes and bruises even after Recovery Girl's healing. Despite this, his face was lax, making him look calm for once.

He was strangely pretty, when he wasn't snarling.

She suddenly remembered the blaze filling the monitor.

"Hey, your Quirk… it's really beautiful. I never noticed before… how lovely your explosions look."

She cocked her head, clasping her hands on her lap, and smiled softly.

"I'm glad you guys could beat him by putting aside your pride and working with Midoriya. You were really cool out there."

"Is there a reason why Young Saito looked as if she would maul me?"

"Well, you did nearly cripple two of her friends."

"...Her and Young Bakugou are friends? To be frank, I hadn't realized he had any. Other than Young Midoriya, of course."

"Midnight told me that she's quite smitten with the boy."

He sputtered. "W-what?! Those two? Together?!"

"Not in that way. From what I gather, Saito is determined to get Bakugou to consider her his friend as well. She seems to admire him, and is unfazed by his brutish behavior."

"...Huh."

Body fatigued and feeling half dead, Hitomi groaned when her phone chimed on her nightstand, rousing her from her much needed sleep. Usually she wouldn't ever go to bed at the ungodly early hour of 7:00pm, but after the exhausting day she had, sleep was all she wanted.

With a heavy arm, she reached over and fumbled around until she grasped the device, pulling it close and squinting at whatever it was that lit up the screen.

(King-Explosion-Murder has joined: Bad Lemon)

(King-Explosion-Murder has changed group chat name to: now stop fucking spamming me)

Hitomi set her phone down, and fell asleep with a smile.

Notes:

For real, tell me if any of y'all would want an Itadori/OC fic. I've got a concept laid out. And he's criminally underrated.

Chapter 30: A day of fun— What could go wrong?

Notes:

Short chapter this time, but the next one will more than make up for it.

Chapter Text

"E-everyone, I'm looking forward to hearing all your stories of how fun camp was." Mina said between sniffles and hiccups. A cloud of gloom hanging over her, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sato.

"Maybe they'll end up letting you go!" Midoriya tried reassuring. "There might be a last-minute twist or something!"

"Stop, Midoriya." Sero put a hand on his shoulder. "By saying that out loud, you're just jinxing them."

"They said whoever failed the exams would have to skip training camp and live in summer school hell. We didn't pass the practicals, so we're doomed. Don't you get it, Midoriya?!" Kaminari jabbed his fingers in Midoriya's eyes. "Or did All Might knock all the brains outta you?!"

"Ease up, Kaminari." Sero urged. "I'm not sure I'll get to go either. Our team only passed thanks to Mineta. I got knocked out, and since we don't know how they're scoring stuff, I might have flunked."

That didn't sit right with Hitomi. "Well, actually—"

"At least bring us back lots of camp souvenirs, please?" Kaminari begged tearily.

The door slammed open, revealing Mr. Aizawa standing there with a scowl.

"Once the bell rings you should be in your seats."

Everyone was obediently at their desks, fallen silent.

"Morning." Once behind his podium, Mr. Aizawa greeted them, much calmer. "Unfortunately, there are a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So when it comes to the training camp in the woods…" a grin split across his face. "Everyone is going."

"It's a last minute twist!"

"We really get to go to camp?"

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah." The grin dropped, replaced by his usual expression. "The good news is that no one bombed the written exam. Five failed the practical badly. Two teams, of course, and then Sero failed as well."

"Ah crap, I knew it." Sero covered his face. "Mineta made it to the gate, but I didn't do near enough to pass."

No, this didn't sit right at all.

"Um, sir?" Hitomi risked raising her hand to interrupt. "Mineta wouldn't have won if it weren't for Sero."

"Excuse me!?" Mineta shrieked in offense.

Mr. Aizawa narrowed his eyes, and Hitomi rushed to explain her view.

"Well, I mean, Mineta just stood there when Aunt— uh, Midnight showed up. If Sero hadn't acted fast he would've been knocked out too. Instead of saving himself he held his teammate's safety above his own, allowing himself to be caught so that Mineta could get away, which in the end turned out to be the right call, as he did end up getting them both out. Not to mention Mineta was aided heavily by the tape Sero left behind."

The classroom was silent for a beat, making her fidget nervously in anticipation for his response.

Mr. Aizawa sighed through his nose. "While you make a good point, the faculty and I have already decided that he wasn't able to do enough in the exercise to prove that he deserved a pass. Though his actions during the test have been acknowledged by us personally."

Hitomi frowned faintly, turning her head and mouthing an apology to Sero.

He smiled back, waving her off with a thumbs-up. Even if it didn't work, he dearly appreciated the advocacy for him all the same.

"Allow me to explain. For the practical battles the teachers made sure to leave a way for the students to win. Otherwise, you never would have stood a chance. We were interested in observing how you each worked together and approached the task at hand."

"But didn't you promise that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?" Ojirou asked.

"That was just to get you on edge. Besides, the training camp will focus on building your strength. Those who failed need those lessons the most. We were never going to separate you."

Hitomi smiled, peering back at Sero, who gave her a wink.

The grin was back. "That was just a logical deception we used."

"A logical deception?!"

While those who failed were celebrating, Iida shot to his feet.

"Mr. Aizawa, this is the second time you've lied to us! Aren't you afraid we'll lose faith in you?"

"Uh, a little blunt there, Tenya." Ochako chimed in.

"That's a good point. I'll consider it. But I wasn't lying to you about everything. Failure is failure."

Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, and Sato all froze.

"We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you. Frankly, they'll be far tougher than anything you'd face at summer school."

Hitomi had never been more glad about a passing grade.

"This is gonna be great!" Ojirou gushed as they all packed up for the day. "I'm so glad we're all going together."

Iida leafed through his pamphlet— one of the only ones who bothered to. "Looks like we'll be at the training camp a full week."

"I've gotta find a bigger suitcase." Midoriya mumbled, reading it at Iida's side.

"Yeah, I don't even have a bathing suit. Guess I need to buy some stuff." Kaminari said.

"Like night-vision goggles!" Mineta added.

Mina gasped, looking at everyone with delight. "Oh my gosh, shopping trip! Let's all go tomorrow, now that the exams are out of the way!"

Hitomi perked up, recalling that she still needed a few things, along with a new dress for the I-Expo.

Now that she thought about it, she also needed to choose the two guests she was going to invite…

"Hey, yeah! We've never hung out as a class before." Kaminari agreed.

"Bakugou, see you there, right?" Kirishima turned to the blonde, who was already headed for the door.

"I can't think of anything more annoying."

"Don't underestimate yourself!" Hitomi chirped, unfazed when he responded with a certain finger raised.

"You know, I never realized how smart you were, Hitomi." Tsuyu put a finger to her mouth.

"Eh?"

"The way you analyzed Sero's fight. It was a lot like Midoriya."

Hitomi blinked, then giggled sheepishly. "Nah, no way! Midoriya's way sharper than me! If I came off as smart then it was just a fluke. There's no way I could do it on purpose."

Tsuyu stared wordlessly with her wide eyes, and hummed faintly.

The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall was a massive district, full to the brim with anything you could ever need. Hitomi often shopped there for specialized clothing that would accommodate her tail and ears, and it was always high quality.

Because of its size, however, it was ridiculously easy to wind up lost, even for someone who went there regularly. Which was exactly the predicament that Hitomi was in after the class decided to split up and meet again after an hour.

She absently toyed with the drawstrings of her father's old hoodie, subtly breathing through her mouth to block out the overwhelming cacophony of smells.

Her plan was to head to a dress shop for formal wear, then maybe some more charms for her phone…

As she passed by a smaller store, light reflected off of a piece of metal, catching her eye.

Safety Gear for Everyday Civilians. The storefront read.

She paused.

With how normalized Villain attacks grew over the years, it became common for civilians to fear something as laidback as a grocery run. Soon after the rise of Pro Heroes, there were shops set up that specialized in small weapons people could carry with them. Similarly to gun laws, if the weapon could cause lethal damage then you first had to have a license to own and carry it, but then there were simpler things, like bats or brass knuckles that anyone could pop in and purchase.

It was after some deliberation that Hitomi entered the store, peering around for a very specific type of weapon. She'd had the idea for a while now, ever since the USJ incident, and hoped to pursue it once she put in a new costume design, but nothing was stopping her from getting a head start.

She left the shop with a small paper bag in hand, and her wallet twenty-thousand yen lighter. (Figuratively, of course, she used her card)

After that she made a stop at her favorite formal-wear store, and picked up a nice watercolor floral patterned cocktail dress, and a pair of pearly white heels to go with it. There went another forty-thousand yen.

Nori was going to have a cow.

Hitomi was idly browsing, waiting for the hour to pass by, when she stumbled upon Koda, who was looking consideringly at a short-sleeved hoodie. She bounded over, smiling at the small logo stitched into the fabric on the left of the chest.

"Oh, hey! This is that brand that donates all the proceeds to animal shelters, right?"

Koda, after jumping at her sudden arrival, nodded eagerly.

"Y-yeah. They've done a lot of great work."

Transferring all of her bags to one hand, Hitomi looked through the rack, searching for one in her size.

"How about we both get one! So we can match."

Koda turned red, mouth opening and closing with nervous stutters.

"Oh hey, here we go!" She lifted up two in bright yellow. One in her size, and the other looking to be Koda's.

He timidly took the offered hoodie, checking the tag, then gave a meek nod.

"Is the color okay?"

Koda nodded again, this time with a small smile. "Yeah, yellow's my f-favorite, actually."

Hitomi beamed, filing that information away. "Great! Come on, let's ring 'em up!"

As they were leaving the store, a text came through on her phone, and she juggled her purchases to fish it from her pocket, finding it to be a mass-text from Kirishima.

(Red Riot!)

me & Kaminari are starving,
do you guys wanna meet up
at the food court?

—

Everyone but Midoriya quickly responded with approval, leaving the green haired boy's silence noticeable.

"Hm. Koda, I'm gonna go find Midoriya." Hitomi tucked her phone away, experimentally sniffing the air. "Save a seat for me, would you?"

Koda gave her a thumbs-up, and she didn't waste anymore time, heading out into the thick of the crowd.

So many people, so many scents. Locating Midoriya's in the sea of conflicting smells was not going to be a simple task, but not necessarily an impossible one either.

Riding an escalator down to the ground floor, Hitomi kept her head high and nose tilted upward, breathing deeply. She fought down the growing nausea, toughing it out long enough for her to catch a sharp tang in the air.

Fear. So powerful and potent that she almost fell in shock. And laced with it, was lavender and healing cream.

Midoriya.

Rushing down the last stretch of the escalator, Hitomi frantically looked around, running toward where the smell seemed to originate from. If only her hands weren't so full, she could easily reach down and grab the first thing she bought. She didn't know why Midoriya was so scared, but the cause had to be something, or someone dangerous.

Dodging random bystanders, and weaving through the masses, Hitomi almost missed him.

"Mido—" She grunted, stumbling back from the chest she bumped into. "Oh, I'm so… rry…"

"Hitomi!"

"Saito!"

Hitomi stared, unable to move, think, or breathe. Because glaring down at her with such disdain, was—

"T-Tomura Shigaraki." She croaked.

His face was bare, lacking the severed hand that masked it the last time she saw him. His dry and cracking skin was pale, making his ruby red eyes stand out starkly.

A different pair of red eyes flashed through her mind, and Hitomi felt her bottom lip tremble. She hated that Shigaraki shared anything in common with Bakugou.

She had never thought someone could be undeserving of a color, until now.

Then, his hand was reaching up, and she couldn't move.

"No!"

"Get away from her—"

It stopped at his hood, thumb and index finger pinching the fabric, and pulling it further down over his face.

As he passed her, shoulder clipping hers, he rasped something that made her blood run cold.

"You're lucky I'm not supposed to touch you."

Her knees shook, and buckled. Ochako was there, holding her up and rubbing her back, whispering shaky words of comfort even as her own hands quaked. Midoriya stood over them, frantically speaking to someone on his phone, probably informing the police or Mr. Aizawa about what just happened.

And all Hitomi could do was sit there, stomach turned to lead. Because…

Who had the authority to keep Shigaraki from hurting her. And why would they care?

Chapter 31: Two Heroes

Notes:

Use of italics between Melissa and Hitomi means they're speaking in English.
(I'm too tired to proofread this monster, sorry in advance for any errors.)

Chapter Text

"Villains! At the mall! This is getting ridiculous!"

"Well, actually, Nori, there was just one Villain…"

Nori's face twisted between rage and exhaustion.

Hitomi ducked her head, fidgeting nervously.

After making a call to him— in which she very sheepishly informed him of what had just occurred and was yelled at thoroughly as a result —Nori hurried over to come pick her up from police custody. Now the two of them sat in his car, finally on their way home.

Hitomi was still reeling from everything, and the residual stress from the police interviews, quick as they were. It was worrying that no one could come up with a harmless answer for why Shigaraki had said what he did.

"You're lucky I'm not supposed to touch you."

It was completely different from his disregard of her life during the USJ incident. So what changed?

"You're like a magnet for trouble!" Nori fumed, throwing a hand up defeatedly. "None of these things started happening until you entered UA!"

He waited, expecting the usual rebuttal she would give when he started bagging on UA. But it never came, and he glanced over at her apprehensively.

Abrasive as he was, Nori wasn't going to push her. What she just went through was traumatic, and very easily could have been even worse. From what he had been told by one of the officers while picking her up, it appeared that the Villain had only approached kids of Class 1-A. Kids who Hitomi often gushed to him about.

She could have lost a friend.

Hitomi was staring out of the passenger side window, eyes tired in the way that didn't demand sleep, but comfort. The setting sun casted orange and yellow light on her face, making her hair glow a sort of grapefruit color.

Nori sighed deeply, forcing some of his frustrations to ebb away. He got worried easily, and when he got worried, it got channeled into anger. And when Nori was angry because he was worried, he acted similar to when he was angry because he was mad. He knew that Hitomi could smell the difference between the two, but that didn't mean she deserved to face the worried-anger, especially when it wasn't her fault.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight until you leave for that stupid camping trip, or whatever it is."

Hitomi didn't react at first, but once realizing what that entailed, she whipped her head around to gape at him, her brows furrowed in shocked betrayal.

"What about the trip to I-Island?!"

Nori nodded sternly. "I won't let you run off on your own. Not now. And especially not overseas."

"What? No! Nori, please! This is a huge deal for me, and—"

Nori held up a hand to silence her. "You don't get it. I'm not saying you can't go. I'm saying I won't let you go alone."

Hitomi blinked, and after taking a few seconds to grasp what he meant, she gasped.

"Y-you mean…?"

He sighed again, long and wearily. "You're allowed two guests, right? So I'll take up one of those spots."

Hitomi bit her bottom lip, fighting down the massive grin threatening to spread across her face.

The events of the day— that had started out so happy and carefree, before warping into a nightmare —were temporarily set aside, in favor of the one good side effect it offered.

Nori was finally going to take part in the lifestyle their parents' led.

"I'm totally stumped."

There was Mezou, Koda, Sero…

"Well, I'm taking Uraraka and Jirou, so you could take Ashido or Tsu."

Hitomi hummed, leaning her head side-to-side in consideration despite Momo being unable to see it. "Yeah. But they're already coming to the island, just not as special guests, like us."

"So?" The ravenette's voice filtered through the phone, put on speaker and set aside while Hitomi preemptively packed her bag.

"I dunno…" Hitomi shrugged, another gesture lost through the call. "I just wish there was someone I could take who'd really appreciate it, you know? Like, someone who's never had the chance to do anything like it before."

Momo was silent for a beat, until she hesitantly made a suggestion.

"Well… what about that general department student?"

Hitomi dropped the shirt in her hands.

"Aunt Nemuri!"

Midnight lifted her head from her computer screen, eyes wide behind her wireframe glasses she wore when out of costume. She stood, staring at Hitomi curiously behind her desk.

"Hitomi? It's summer break, if you don't remember."

The pinkette nodded, panting from the run. Waking up first thing, she sprinted to UA in hopes of finding her pseudo aunt still getting some work done.

"Y-yeah… I need… something…" She rasped between gasps of breath.

Midnight arched a perfect brow. "What could you possibly need that would bring you here so early?"

Hitomi straightened, face flushed and hair windswept, her breathing evening out. "I need Hitoshi Shinsou's phone number!"

There was a pause, during which Midnight slowly began to smirk.

"Oh? Why's that? Do you intend to ask him out somewhere?"

Hitomi smiled, nodding once. "Mm!"

The smirk slipped right off of the woman's face. "Wait. You're serious?"

"Yes! I was invited as a special guest to I-Island, with early access to the I-Expo, and I'm allowed to bring a plus-one!"

Actually it was a plus-two, but Nori already staked claim to one.

"Ah." Midnight sat back down, and shook her head apologetically. "Well, either way I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't just pass out anyone's information like that. Not even to you."

Hitomi deflated, shoulders slumping. "Oh. I understand." She tried plastering on a smile, and made her tail swing stiffly.

Midnight could see right through it, and wracked her brain for a way to help. And that was when she remembered a certain homeroom teacher mentioning something to her in passing.

"Hitomi, I can't give you his number, but I can tell you to go down to Gym Gamma."

Admittedly, it took Hitomi a few seconds to pick up on what she was getting at, but as soon as she did, she gasped and dashed out of the room.

Gym Gamma was a large cement building full of different terrain and gym equipment that was almost exclusively used by the Hero course students, and occasionally the support course, when they wanted to test a gadget out there. So Shinsou being there raised some questions, mostly as to who allowed him inside.

And the answer was given quickly.

The closer she got to the building, the clearer her keen ears picked up on the conversation inside, and she recognized Mr. Aizawa's baritone drawl.

"The key is balance. In your stance, in your throw, and in your pull back—"

"Shinsou!" Hitomi barged through the doors, coming upon the strange pair.

"Saito?" Mr. Aizawa and Shinsou chorused, taken off guard by her sudden appearance.

While her homeroom teacher was dressed the same as usual, Shinsou was wearing the standard gym uniform, along with a long scarf spooled around his neck, identical to Mr. Aizawa's.

Unconcerned with what exactly the two were busy doing, Hitomi ran up to Shinsou, grabbing his wrist and dragging him along out the door.

"I need to borrow him I'll bring him right back I promise!" Hitomi called over her shoulder without taking a pause.

Standing face-to-face outside the building, Shinsou watched her dubiously, adjusting the scarf around his neck. "What is it?"

Hitomi took a deep breath in preparation for her prepared spiel. "I was invited to I-Island as a special guest with early access to the I-Expo and I'm allowed to take a plus-one and I thought that because your goal is to become a Hero you might want to go with me!"

Shinsou's eyes widened— but only by a fraction, as if he was trying to mask what he was feeling.

But Hitomi could smell the shock, hope, and longing.

He swallowed, his expression steeling. "Why not take a classmate? I'm sure you're closer to them than you are to me."

"They'll already be on the island. But you weren't given the same opportunity, so I'm offering it."

"I can't afford the airfare."

"Don't need to! The invite has the travel expenses covered. All you need is a passport and luggage. Oh, and some formal wear."

Shinsou lowered his head, studying the ground with a tight expression.

Hitomi softened, smiling faintly. "I know it's last minute, and traveling overseas is always stressful. So just think about it, okay? The plane leaves tomorrow morning, so try to let me know your answer by tonight. Gimme your phone."

The out of nowhere command snapped Shinsou out of the contemplative reverie he was caught in, moving him to dig into his pocket and sheepishly hand the battered flip-phone over.

Hitomi took it gratefully, pressing away on the small buttons before giving it back with a satisfied hum.

"There! Call or text me when you decide. See you later!"

Before Shinsou had the chance to say anything, she was already running off back to the campus entrance.

Peering down at the small screen, he took a moment to simply stare at the new name added into his contacts.

(Hitomi Saito :D)

It wasn't until later in the evening that her phone finally gave a familiar chime. Pausing the movie she had playing on her laptop, Hitomi swiped it up and read the short text sent.

(Unknown)

i'll go. when and where?

My brother and I can swing
by and pick you up!
Just tell me where to meet you.

{...)

—

An address popped up, and Hitomi grinned, bouncing excitedly on her bed.

(Contact saved as "Pretty Hair")

"Why the hell does the plane have to leave so early?" Nori grumbled rhetorically, blinking away the tears brought on by his fifth yawn, and shooting a glare at the clock above the radio.

4:03am. The sun wasn't even up yet. They would arrive at I-Island sometime around noon.

"Turn left." Hitomi completely ignored him, looking up from the address on her phone. They were on his street now, so she kept an eye out for the house with the right numbers.

It turned out she didn't need to, as it was made abundantly obvious which house it was, going by the tired teen standing in the driveway with luggage in hand.

Hitomi gasped, sticking her upper half out of the passenger window. "Shinsou!"

Shinsou lifted his head and stowed his phone away, walking over once Nori stopped the car.

Hitomi hopped out, bounding over and helping him put the bag away in the now full trunk. He hesitated only a second before sliding in the back, the weight of Nori's stare making him tense.

"You packed formal wear, right?" Hitomi turned almost completely in the passenger seat ("Damnit Hitomi, sit normally!"), beaming at him over the headrest.

"Ah, yeah." Shinsou nodded slowly, awkwardly watching as the older sibling tried to force the younger to sit down and buckle up, while keeping one hand on the wheel.

Hitomi— despite Nori's best efforts —remained where she was, unfazed when her brother yanked her seatbelt over her back with a curse, pressing her chest into the seat. "Awesome! Passport too?"

"Yes." Shinsou wasn't sure if he should feel amused by her double checking for the important things, or offended that she thought he would forget so easily.

"Perfect! The airport's about half an hour away, so do you have any music preferences?"

Shinsou opened his mouth, then closed it with a shrug. "Uh, not really?"

Hitomi nodded, finally sliding down and turning around to sit properly. With a flick of her wrist she started the radio, twisting the dial on the volume up to a point that was decently loud, without drowning out anyone if they tried to speak.

But it seemed like she was the only one who was going to bother with conversation out of the three, if Shinsou's awkward frown and Nori's irritated glower were anything to go by. How the girl could sniff out what people were feeling, but still consistently fail to read the room, was a mystery.

"We will now begin the immigration process." A cheery feminine automated voice announced over them.

"This is… a lot." Shinsou mumbled, perturbed as they stood on something akin to a long treadmill, several beams and sensors roving over them and their luggage.

A photocopy of each of their passports popped up on a monitor high above them, followed by the automated voice.

"The immigration inspection is complete!"

Reaching the end of the treadmill, they stepped off, picking back up their bags and cases.

Nori looked up from his phone, peering around. "Alright, Momo's supposed to be around here somewhere, so let's—"

"Come on, let's explore!" Hitomi squealed, grabbing Shinsou's wrist and pulling him along.

"Damnit— slow down!" Nori called after them, quickly left behind in the crowded airport.

"So, your friends are here?" Shinsou asked tensely, eyes lingering on where her hand almost wrapped around his. If only she moved it a little lower—

"Yeah! Momo invited Ochako and Jirou, and I'm guessing Todoroki and Iida must be here, because of who they're related to. Most of our class is on the island, but only some of us have early access to places. Whoa…" She stopped upon exiting the building, the sight outside stunning her.

"Yeah…" Shinsou whispered, eyes wide.

It was almost like an amusement park, with the whimsical transportation, and fountains performing water shows. Individuals and families alike all marveled at what the island already had to offer right out the gate, the sound of laughter and upbeat chatter giving off a nice sort of comfort.

Hitomi practically vibrated with excitement, her hair whipping her in the face as she looked to-and-fro at the scenery.

"Maybe we should drop our luggage off before sightseeing?" Shinsou proposed, dreading the idea of having to lug his bag around all day.

"Right, right. But I don't know where our hotel— gah!"

Shinsou stepped back, blinking at Hitomi, and the hefty bag that had just flown through the air and struck the back of her head.

"What did I say about leaving my sight!?"

Walking through the streets of I-Island, it just grew more and more obvious how inventive and open the place was. Every building was uniquely shaped and constructed, and things as mundane as street lamps were clearly made with care and intuitive design. Then there was the fact that Quirks were free to use in public so long as they wouldn't cause injury or damage, so there were plenty of people milling around who were letting loose with their powers. It almost made Hitomi wish she'd thought to put on some of her Quirk-accommodating clothes, instead of her simple jean shorts and old UA hoodie.

With how many pictures she was snapping with her phone, it would be a miracle for the battery to last until the end of the day.

She giggled, looking down at the quick shot she took of Shinsou when he wasn't paying attention.

Hitomi wasn't the only one keeping busy on a phone, however, as Nori kept his eyes glued to his, texting away to an unknown person. Anytime she questioned him he got defensive and sulked for a bit before getting right back to it. So, when instead of a small ping from a notification, the phone rang with a call, both brother and sister jumped and stared at it.

Nori took a few seconds, then sucked in a sharp breath.

"Uh, you two go on ahead, I'll take your stuff to the hotel!"

"What? But—"

Before Hitomi could protest further, Nori swiped up the straps of her and Shinsou's bags, before running off with his phone held to his ear.

"...Something tells me he didn't want me to hear that conversation."

"You don't say."

Hitomi's brows furrowed. "He's been texting someone a lot. More than I've ever really seen from him."

Shinsou shrugged, just glad to be rid of his luggage. "Maybe he's got a girlfriend."

Hitomi didn't move, hand frozen, poised thoughtfully at her mouth.

"Uh, Saito?"

"Ah!" She exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and getting in his face. "Oh my God I think you're right! There was that blonde woman who gave him her number after the sports festival! I can't believe he started dating her and didn't tell me!"

"We don't know that for sure." Shinsou raised his hands in front of him, beating back a flush in his cheeks while leaning his face away from hers.

Hitomi mercifully stepped back, clenching a fist. "I knew he's been acting weird! He started wearing a new cologne and everything! I wonder how serious they are…"

Shinsou sighed, gently putting a hand on her back and steering her forward. "Like I said, I could be totally wrong."

"I'll have to meet her sometime. Oh my gosh, I could get a big sister!"

Shinsou was eventually saved from her excited rambling by both their stomachs giving a roar in unison. After that it was wordlessly acknowledged that they needed food, and began their search for it.

One would typically have trouble locating a specific place in a city they had never been in before, but most people didn't have the heightened senses that Hitomi did.

"There's…" her ears flicked attentively around, "a cafe down this street, and it sounds like they're open." Hitomi hopped down from her perch atop a lamppost, having used the high ground to get a better vantage.

As they were coming up to it, Hitomi gasped upon catching a familiar scent.

"Momo!"

The ravenette looked up, sitting with Ochako, Jirou, and a blonde girl at an outside table.

"Ah, Hitomi!"

She stood just in time to get barreled into by the gleeful pinkette.

"You're here! I missed you!" Hitomi rubbed her cheek against Momo's, crushing the taller girl in her embrace.

"We saw each other yesterday." Momo grunted out, standing limply to allow Hitomi to sate her hunger for cuddles.

"Saito! Shinsou! You're both here?!" Midoriya gaped, seeming stunned by the purple haired boy's presence.

"Ah! The brainwash guy!" Kaminari and Mineta cried, grabbing and holding onto each other.

Shinsou glowered, opening his mouth—

"His name is Hitoshi Shinsou!" Hitomi detached herself from Momo, rounding on the boys and putting her hands on her hips, frowning sternly at the two in reprimand. "And you will be nice to him, because he'll be joining us in the Hero course soon enough!"

"Did you invite him?" Ochako asked curiously.

Hitomi bounced back over to him, throwing an arm over his shoulders— completely oblivious to the way he stiffened and flushed.

"Yep! I thought he'd appreciate it, you know? It gives him a chance to experience some Hero course stuff before he gets transferred."

"You talk as if it's already a done-deal." Shinsou murmured, though he did so with a faint smile.

"It might as well be!" Hitomi nodded once, then turned to the unknown blonde girl. "Hi! My name's Hitomi Saito. It's nice to meet you!"

The girl blinked behind her oval wireframe glasses, standing and offering a hand to shake.

"Oh, I'm Melissa Shield! It's a pleasure."

Hitomi perked up, tail blurring behind her. "You're American!"

Melissa grinned, nodding happily. "I am! Are you fluent in English?"

"Mm! I have a lot of family that live in the states. In Italy too, so we all kinda know some mix of the three."

"Really? I know English— of course, and Japanese, but I've been studying German and French for a few years now."

"That's so cool! I've always thought about learning French, but I don't think I have the attention span for it." Hitomi giggled.

"What are they talking about? They're going too fast for me to follow." Ochako whispered to Midoriya.

He shook his head slowly, watching with something that resembled fear. "I can only catch every other word…"

Unfortunately for Kaminari and Mineta, who were dressed as waiters, they were very clearly not working. And it just so happened that a responsible class rep stumbled upon them.

"Why are you two slacking off?! You wanted to make money, didn't you?! But you're not willing to work hard?!"

"Iida!" Hitomi cheered as he skidded onto the scene, his engine smoking from the run.

"Whoa, you're here too?" Ochako gasped, her hair going wild from his backdraft.

He stood proudly in full gear, sans his helmet. "I come from a long line of Heroes," he turned to them, arms doing their usual stiff chopping motions. "It's to be expected that we receive an invitation to the expo. But my family was busy, so it's just me."

"Still hoping to transfer to our class?" Kaminari groused quietly to Shinsou.

He sighed. "If I can't handle this, how am I supposed to handle Villains?"

Kaminari slapped him on the back in an odd show of comradery. "You say that now. But just wait until you meet Bakugou."

"He's the one who won the sports festival, right? With the explo—"

The ground rumbled, smoke rising high from someplace nearby.

"—sion Quirk…"

Hitomi jumped up, sniffing the air in hopes of smelling— ah, there it is.

Burnt caramel.

She darted off, followed closely by the others, that weren't aware of who it was.

Reaching the origin of the explosion, they came to a rocky arena paved over twenty feet down. A metal fence went around the edge, keeping any audience members from falling in.

"Look at that time! Only fifteen seconds!" A female voice marveled, this one real, instead of the automated one from the airport. "First place!"

Sauntering casually from the destroyed robots scattered around, Bakugou rejoined Kirishima, who looked like he already did his turn.

Hitomi leaned her upper half over the fence, tail wagging, and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Nice job!"

Bakugou visibly twitched, his head shooting up.

The grin on Hitomi's face fell into a smaller smile, an odd tightness settling in her stomach when his shocked carmine red eyes locked with hers.

Yeah, no one could own that color like Bakugou.

"Hey, it's Saito! And isn't that Midoriya with her?" Kirishima pointed out to the blonde.

Bakugou stiffened.

With twin blasts from his hands, Bakugou launched himself up, landing on and gripping the fence. His snarling face stopped inches from Midoriya's.

"Damnit, what are you doing here, Deku!?"

Midoriya chuckled nervously, stepping back. "Oh, hey there Kachan. M-maybe you wanna calm down a li—"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!"

Iida intervened, standing between the two. "Bakugou, behave yourself!"

Hitomi held her middle, giggling while Bakugou argued with Iida.

"You're… completely unfazed by this." Shinsou stared at her oddly.

Hitomi sobered, cocking her head. "Unfazed by what?" Then, before he could answer, she reached a conclusion of her own. "Oh, you mean because everyone else is in their Hero costumes and I'm not? Nah, it doesn't really bother me."

Shinsou took a measured breath, inwardly questioning his taste in girls. (How did she seem more mature and compassionate when they were barely older than toddlers, than she was now?)

"So, Kirishima, you two got asked to I-Expo as well?" Momo questioned down to him, figuring she wouldn't get an answer from the irate blonde.

"Nah. Bakugou was invited since he won the UA sports festival." Kirishima grinned proudly, pointing to himself. "I just tagged along with him! So are you guys gonna do this Villain course, or what?"

Hitomi pouted, recalling Nori taking her stuff— including her costume —away with him.

"Don't even try it." Bakugou growled at Midoriya. "There's no way you'll get a better score than I did."

"Y-yeah, you're probably right. Yep!" Midoriya nervously agreed.

"Huh, I'm not so sure. Only one way to find out, I guess." Ochako demurred.

"Yeah, you're probably right— eh?!"

Bakugou vaulted over the fence, stomping past Midoriya with a shoulder-check. "Just hurry and get your pathetic attempt over, you damned nerd! Then you get outta here!"

"R-right! I'll do that!"

Shinsou gave him an unimpressed glower. "Is he always like this?"

"Mm!"

Despite his stammering and sweating, Midoriya went down to the arena and zipped around, leaving broken robots littered in his wake.

"An incredible run! He's at second place, with sixteen seconds!"

"Wow!" Ochako was at a loss for words when Midoriya returned.

"That was a good showing, Midoriya." Iida praised.

"I didn't think I'd be able to get so close to Kachan's time!"

Bakugou growled furiously. "What!? No way! I'll go again and blast your score to ash—"

"Ah! This is insane! Fourteen seconds!"

When they all looked back to the arena, they saw it was now encased halfway in a glacier of ice,

"This gentleman has jumped to the top of the pack!"

"Todoroki's here too?" Midoriya stared down at him.

"Another one from UA?" Melissa asked.

"Yep." Momo confirmed.

"Your class is amazing! You're gonna be such great Heroes."

Hitomi nudged Shinsou, her sharp canines bared with a beam. "That goes for you, too!"

Shinsou huffed a weak laugh, turning away and scratching the back of his neck.

Yeah, there was the scent of longing again. He must really dream to be a Hero.

Bakugou blasted himself down to the bi-colored boy.

"Outta the way, Icy-Hot bastard! You can't just appear outta nowhere and show me up!"

"U-um the next person is waiting—"

"Shut up! I'm doing it again!"

"Everyone please stop! You're going to make the world think UA's full of degenerates!" Iida ran out onto the field.

Midoriya and Kirishima jumped down over the fence to help with damage control.

"So, this is what you deal with every day." Shinsou summed up, brow twitching as Bakugou fought off anyone coming close, all the while spitting swears and insults.

"Mm!" Hitomi nodded, watching on with a smile. "It's pretty great, right?"

At first Shinsou leveled her with an incredulous look, but the longer he witnessed her take all of this chaos in stride, and even find the good in it…

He sighed, a small upturn pulling at his lips. "I guess it is."

"Where do you get off vanishing like that?!"

"But Nori, you're the one who left us!"

He delivered another swat to the back of her head. "That's besides the point!"

"How— ack! Stop hitting me, you jerk!"

"You're lucky I recognized you're dumb friends." He jabbed a thumb toward where Kaminari and Mineta were moping on the ground.

"Hey, we're not dumb!"

"And he's not my friend." Hitomi pointed at Mineta, who recoiled as if stabbed in the chest.

"So… this is your brother?" Midoriya asked, his hands fidgeting.

"There's not much of a resemblance." Jirou commented.

Nori put a hand down on the top of Hitomi's head, pushing down so she'd have to bend over awkwardly ("Nori! Cut it out!")

"Yeah, I take after our pops, while she—" he added more force, making her stumble and yelp, "—has the stubbornness of our mother."

Midoriya, Ochako, Shinsou, and Jirou all watched on in morbid fascination. Momo was used to their behavior, and Iida had siblings of his own, so he was desensitized to it.

The class rep approached Kaminari and Mineta, holding out two slips of paper.

"What are these things?" Mineta yawned.

"Invitations to the big expo reception later tonight." Momo smirked.

"There's a party?" Mineta asked thickly.

"These are for us?" Kaminari added in a small voice.

"Melissa took pity on you for some reason." Jirou shrugged.

"She figured you could use a break!" Ochako chimed in.

"I had a few extras. Please, I'd love for you to have them." Melissa kindly assured.

Tears welled in the boys' eyes.

"A beautiful angel has rewarded us for all our hard work!"

"You better have formal wear packed, as this is a formal event." Hitomi stressed. She wouldn't be surprised if they showed up in their waiter's uniforms.

"I heard there'll be quite a few Pro Heroes attending tonight's party as well. It's imperative that we don't tarnish UA's reputation. We'll change into our formal clothes and go as a group. Everybody meet in lobby seven at the central tower at 6:30pm sharp." Iida assigned to everyone, then aimed the next bit at Kaminari and Mineta. "Don't you dare be late. Now, I'll contact Todoroki and Bakugou and share this information. Thank you, dismissed." Once finished he took off, engines whistling.

"Well he's…" Nori started, then cut himself off when Hitomi gave him a dark look.

"He's responsible, is what he is! Don't talk bad about the pack Alpha!"

Nori slapped a hand over his eyes. "You're telling me that guy's your Alpha? Are you serious?"

"Yep! So be nice."

"This all just keeps getting worse…"

"On a white wall~ someone has drawn~ a small flower that's so delicate, it sways~ in the wind."

Singing under her breath, Hitomi zipped up the back of her floral cocktail dress, adjusting the straps until they sat just right. The skirt was plaited, with a light floral pattern near the bottom. After slipping on a pair of sheer grey pantyhose, she strapped on her short white heels. Momo had saved the day by coming over to her hotel room and fixing up her hair, curling it before collecting the pink locks into a high ponytail, with her bangs clipped back by some plain white barrettes.

After some subtle eyeshadow and lipgloss, Hitomi thought she actually looked pretty good.

"Hurry up!" Nori grumbled, banging on her door.

Hitomi rolled her eyes, picking up her phone and sliding it away in one of the hidden pockets on her dress. (Just another reason she loved it.)

Then, as she moved toward the door, she was hit with a heavy feeling. She hesitated, lips pursing.

Intuition…

Twirling on her heel, Hitomi quickly rummaged through her bag until finding the item she had purchased back during the mall trip, before things went wrong. It was then tucked safely away with her phone.

She swung the door open, coming face-to-face with Nori's fist, which was poised to knock again.

"I'm gonna go get Bakugou and Kirishima, can you and Shinsou go meet up with the others and wait for us there?"

Nori glowered. "You want me to mingle with those brats?"

"I could convince Shinsou to brainwash you, if you'd like!"

He considered her, clenching his jaw.

"Then I'll make him ask you about that mystery person you keep texting—"

"Central lobby, 6:30 he said? Don't wanna be late. Oi, Bedhead!"

Hitomi smirked as Nori stomped away toward Shinsou's room.

According to Kirishima, the two were sharing a room because of some kind of mixup, and were located on the top floor.

"Let it all out~ let it all out~ it would seem there are many things you seek." She skipped along, toying with the ends of her hair. "But don't mind it~ no one's perfect~ if we were then I don't think we would've met~ oh whoa."

When she knocked on their door it was much lighter than Nori's impatient thumps, but it still got a faster response.

"Oh— hey Saito." Kirishima grinned, slipping on a charcoal blazer over a black button-up. "Wow, you look great! Bakugou just got finished getting ready—"

"Let's get this over with." The blonde pushed past the redhead, still frowning, but much less harshly than usual. He wore a maroon button-up, with a floral patterned vest overtop.

Hitomi gasped. "Hey, we match!"

Bakugou paused, and probably debated if burning the vest then and there because of it's similar design was worth it. That was the only logical conclusion she could come to, for why he was staring at her dress so intensely.

"Let's go!" Kirishima took charge, marching ahead of them. "Don't wanna be late! Iida said 6:30, in the central lobby, right?"

Hitomi nodded, recalling that that was what Nori said. And he was always good with places and times.

"Alright… how do we get there exactly?"

Oh… maybe she should have gone with Nori and Shinsou.

Nori clicked his tongue, venting his frustrations to Yu.

(Yu Takeyama)

I swear I'm going to
bust some heads.

Aw, it can't be that bad.
They're just kids.

Yeah, kids who wanna be Heroes.
So smarmy little shitheads.

Oh fuck

Wait

Sorry

No offense.

You're fine lol.

—

Nori's face burned with embarrassment and guilt, because his stupid self forgot his own girlfriend's fucking occupation—

"Something wrong?" Bedhead smirked, hands buried in the pockets of his too-big blazer.

Nori got the feeling he probably had to rush to get formal wear when Hitomi told him he'd need some.

He started to growl something in retort, when the door to the lobby slid open.

"Sorry about that you… guys…?" Curly panted as he ran in, before trailing off upon seeing most of the group missing. "Uh, where is everybody?"

"They're not here yet." Engines fumed (ha, nice). "Does a proper meeting time mean nothing to you people?!" He chopped his arms strangely.

Nori shook his head. His sister joined a fucking circus.

Like he set off a chain reaction, the rest of the kids showed up one after the other.

"Sorry I'm late. It took me a while to get ready." Pinky smiled sheepishly.

"Best night ever!" Dumb and Dumber chorused like the hormone driven boys they were.

Nori tensed. If he ever saw one of them getting too close to Hitomi…

"Apologies for the tardiness, Jirou's feeling shy." Momo giggled, letting Punk hide behind her

"Jackpot, yes!"

"This is fancier than anything I've ever worn before. It feels like a costume." Punk fiddled with the leather jacket she wore over her dress.

"I'm just glad you're not in a t-shirt." Sparks gave a thumbs-up.

Shorty nodded along. "Even the jacket can't ruin it—"

Punk extended two earphone looking probs, stabbing them into the sides of Dumb and Dumber's heads.

"Shut up!"

"Why would you do that? It was a compliment…"

"No it wasn't."

"I'm not used to this sort of thing either." Bedhead said lowly, getting a nod of comradery from Punk.

God, he was in a room full of children… pulling up his contacts, he tapped on one at the top.

(Tomi)

The photo to coincide with it was from when she was six, her hair messy, and a top incisor missing, giving her an adorable gap-toothed smile.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I can't come to the phone right now! Leave a message and I promise I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can! Thanks!"

Nori frowned, a pit forming in his gut.

Her phone probably died. That's all. Yeah…

"Hey, hurry up and get your ass over here. I'm not gonna stand around and keep your friends company."

"Let's head down to the party!" The blonde girl from earlier, (Melinda? Matilda? Melanie?) led the way inside.

Nori sighed, putting his phone away with reluctance.

He didn't miss the way Bedhead watched the door with a matching expression of concern.

"Cherry, you're absolutely positive we're going the right direction?"

Hitomi scratched the back of her neck, smiling nervously. "Ah, well… the sounds of the party are definitely getting closer."

Maybe if she hadn't taken so many photos her phone wouldn't have died on her. The battery gave out right after she got a shot of Bakugou and Kirishima each. Much to the blonde's ire. Plus, both boys left theirs behind in the hotel room.

Hitomi stopped, inhaling as deeply as she could, holding the breath in, then letting it out.

"All I can smell is us three. So we're still probably a few floors away."

"Hey, Saito… what do I smell like?"

"The fuck kinda question is that?!" Bakugou snapped back, giving his friend a judgemental sneer.

"Come on man, don't tell me you're not curious about how you smell to her." Kirishima defended.

"Hmm…" Hitomi hummed thoughtfully, putting a finger to her mouth. "Kirishima, you smell like… metal, and leather," she took another sniff, "and pine? Yeah, pine."

"Nice." He pumped a fist, then gestured to Bakugou. "And what about him?"

Bakugou opened his mouth to cut her off, but she blurted the answer out too fast.

"Sugary sweet. Like burnt caramel."

They stopped, the two boys staring at her with varying expressions of shock.

Hitomi flushed, tugging on her hair. "He sits behind me, and it gets stronger when he uses his Quirk… It's nice, so I noticed."

Bakugou scoffed, clearing his throat and continuing on, leaving her and Kirishima to hurry after him.

"Whatever. Keep listening for the stupid party."

"Yeah—"

The lights dimmed, taking on a red hue.

"This is an announcement from the I-Island security system. We have received a report that an explosive device was discovered somewhere on the I-Expo grounds. I-Island will now be in high alert mode. Your safety is our top priority. Residents and tourists should return to their lodgings at this time. Anyone remaining on the street after ten minutes, will be in violation of the law. Please stay out of wardened off areas. As a precautionary measure, most of the main island buildings will now be sealed off. I repeat: we have received…"

"Hey, you okay?"

Hitomi flinched, not expecting Kirishima to rest his hand on her arm, too caught up in the warning.

"My… my brother's here too. He's with the others, and is probably freaking out 'cause I'm not answering my phone…"

Kirishima tried smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry, I bet they're keeping him plenty calm."

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

The island, the expo and very building they were standing in, was overtaken by Villains. Like, kill you to reach their goal, Villains.

And Hitomi still wasn't answering her goddamn phone—

"We've received All Might's orders loud and clear. He's our teacher. I suggest we follow his instructions and escape this place. Otherwise we'd be going against his will." Engine— a literal child, was somehow keeping a level head.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I can't—"

"Damnit." Nori's grip threatened to crack the screen. He dialed again.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with what Iida is saying." Momo— who Nori saw grow up since she was five, sounded only the faintest bit concerned. "We're still only students. We can't fight these Villains if we don't have our Hero licenses."

"Hey, I'm really sorry—"

Fuck.

"I'm not even in the Hero course yet." Bedhead raised a hand, leaning against the wall, slightly hunched over, as if subconsciously trying to make himself smaller. "And there are way too many Villains, from what you said. I could only control so many before they catch on."

"Why don't we get out of here and tell the Heroes outside?" Sparks reasonably suggested.

"It's not going to be very easy to escape." Blondie warned. "The security system here is on the same level as that of the Tartarus prison, which is where they keep the most dangerous criminals in the world."

"Then all we can do is sit, and wait until everything's over, I guess." Sparks slumped.

Something in Nori's chest threatened to crack.

"She's still out there…"

"What was that, Saito?" Pinky timidly asked.

Nori's jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder he didn't chip a tooth. "Hitomi. She's out there, somewhere. Maybe alone. Maybe hurt—" He covered his face with a sweaty hand. "Oh god, what if she's hurt?"

The kids all traded unsure and worried looks, clearly feeling some level of his concern as well.

"She's strong. A lot stronger than she ever gives herself credit for." Momo put a careful hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly. "She'll be okay. She has to be."

"We can't just sit here." Punk— Jirou, he recalled, stood straighter.

"Hey come on, those Villains have even got All Might trapped, there's no way we can stop them ourselves if the actual Pros are stuck." Shorty argued.

A boy Nori recognized as a Todoroki— the one who got second place in the sports festival, looked down at his left hand.

"Aren't we trying to be Pros ourselves?"

"Well, yes, but we're not allowed to work as Heroes. You know that." Momo refuted.

"Does that mean… that it's right for us to do nothing at all?"

"I— no… it's complicated."

The room fell silent, and Nori was conflicted. Part of him wanted them— the children, to sit and wait like they were supposed to. But the other part… it selfishly hoped that these kids could find Hitomi.

"...I wanna help."

Nori's head shot up, turned toward Curly— Midoriya.

He was glaring determinedly to the floor.

"Wha— really, Deku?" Pinky questioned quietly.

His green eyes blazed with something fierce.

"And there's also Midoriya— he's super cool and smart! He's like, the best analyzer in the class, maybe even beating Momo. But he's also way too gutsy. I mean, he tried to fight that Villain that was giving All Might trouble."

"You're one to talk! You tried to fight that one too!"

"Heh, yeah…"

"I want to go save them."

Yeah… Hitomi was right. This kid was way too ambitious. But… maybe that was a good thing.

"You wanna go fight those Villains?!" Shorty caterwauled. "Did you learn anything from the USJ, Midoriya?!"

"This is totally different! We don't have to fight them. We just need to think of a way to rescue All Might and everyone else at the party without facing the bad guys."

"That's easy to say, but you know it won't be that simple." Sparks crossed his arms.

"It could be." Bedhead said lowly, pointing his thumb at himself. "With my Quirk, anyone who catches us would let us go, none the wiser."

"Yeah, but only if they fall for—" Sparks face went slack, his eyes going milky. After a few seconds he was released, shaking his head with a groan. "Okay, that totally sucks…"

Bed— Shinsou smirked.

Midoriya smiled gratefully. "Right. We can figure out what our best plan of action is, and keep these criminals from winning. We can save everyone!"

"Are you sure?" Pinky hesitated, but watched Midoriya with almost a sort of reverence.

"I know where the security system is." Bl— Melissa spoke up. "It's on the top floor of this tower. If these criminals managed to take control of it, then the authentication locks and passwords have probably been disabled. We should be able to restart the system ourselves. We just have to stay off of the Villains' radar until we can get to the top floor. Shinsou's Quirk should help with that. If we do that, the whole island will be safe again."

"Then it's possible…" Midoriya breathed.

Nori watched on, as it became increasingly obvious that this was happening. That he was about to witness these children head off into a life-or-death situation, undaunted.

"Sure, but how do we keep on the low for that long? Running into bad guys in person is fine, Shinsou can just brainwash them, but what if we're spotted on cams or something?" Jirou mused.

"Well, the security system hasn't discovered us yet, that means the Villains probably don't know how it works very well."

"So we avoid fighting anyone, and try to get the place back to normal." Todoroki surmised. "It could work."

"Not bad. What do you think?" S— Kaminari asked the room at large.

"Let's do it!" Jirou nodded.

"Many of our enemies are likely gathered there on the top floor…" Momo quietly pointed out.

"If we're fast we won't have to fight them! And we have Shinsou as our contingency plan. When the security system goes back to normal, All Might and the others will be released!" Midoriya spoke passionately. "They'll immediately jump into action and stop the Villains, I know it!"

All Nori felt he could do was stare. How were these kids even real?

"Let's do this, guys!" Uraraka declared. "I don't wanna sit around here being helpless! Not if there's something we can actually try! What's important is that we're helping people, even if we're not real Heroes."

Midoriya grinned at her proudly. "That's exactly the way I feel about things! We'll follow our hearts and save the island!"

"Yeah!"

"Midoriya, I'll go with you too." Todoroki said.

Jirou gave a thumbs-up. "I'm in."

"Well, I thought it went without saying." Shinsou stood away from the wall, scratching the back of his head.

"Todoroki, Shinsou…"

"Thanks, Kyoka!"

Wait, was he going to let this happen? He was the only adult here. Was he really going to stand idly by as these kids marched on into battle?

"The moment I think we've gone too far, it's over." Iida concluded sternly. "If that's something you can agree to, I'll join you as well."

I guess maybe he could be good enough to be her Alpha…

"Okay!"

"Alright, if that's the case, I'll go too." Momo— of all people, said.

"Obviously I'm in!" Kaminari cockily declared.

"Have you all lost your minds?! Alright I'll go!" Mineta shouted, tears streaming down his face.

Midoriya approached Melissa, smiling with an air of comfort. "Melissa, you can wait down here for us, okay?"

"No, I'm going too." She immediately shot down.

"B-but, without a Quirk you'll be in danger."

Shinsou's eyes widened. "She's Quirkless…?"

"I don't suppose any of you know how to change the settings on the island's security system." She challenged brazenly. "I'm a student at the academy, I'll be useful to you. I know I might just get in your way… at least until we get to the top floor— but I want to help! People are in danger! Please."

Midoriya considered it, lips pursed. "...Yeah, alright then!"

Then, to his utter bewilderment, Nori was then rounded on by the spunky green haired boy.

"Saito, what's your Quirk?"

Nori froze, a weight dropping in his stomach.

"My— what?"

Midoriya nodded, still with that damnable look of determination. "You want to find Sai— uh, H-Hitomi, right? You could come with us! You must have a powerful Quirk, right?"

Nori swallowed dryly. "Y-you mean… Hitomi never told you?"

At that, Midoriya blinked.

Oh, great, time to have this conversation…

"My Quirk… I can't use it on people."

Momo reached out, murmuring hesitantly. "Nori—"

Uraraka cocked her head faintly, and something in him ached— "But you can use them freely on the island—"

"No, you—" He took a deep breath, counting to ten in his head. "No. My Quirk isn't like Hitomi's. Or either of our parents'. My Quirk is… wrong. I've made it a personal law of mine to never use it. No one deserves the kind of pain it brings." He finished weakly, gaze cast low.

After a heavy beat of stifling silence, Midoriya spoke again.

"You should still come with us."

What?

"Deku…" Uraraka whispered questioningly.

The green haired boy stepped forward, standing before Nori. And despite being much shorter, the boy almost felt imposing, in a way.

"A while back, S— Hitomi told me about how you were trained under Midnight, and that's how she's such a close family friend. So you must know some amount of self defense, right?"

"Y-yeah?"

Oh god, what was she sharing with these kids—

"And you want to help find her. Don't you?"

Nori stiffened, gaping at the boy who managed to see right through him.

Midoriya's expression cracked, his smile returning, and Nori couldn't fight the way he relaxed slightly.

"She's your sister, of course you'd want to help us make sure she's alright. So, I'm asking, Quirk or no Quirk, will you come with us to save everyone?"

His heartbeat was noticeable in his chest, and something tugged painfully with every thump.

When had anyone— other than Hitomi, ever purely given him the chance to help? To see past the morbid and macabre, and trust that he could actually do some good?

He looked down, studying Midoriya's scarred outstretched hand.

When had Nori ever been given the chance? If he had when he was younger, would things be different? Would he be different?

Nori took the hand, and felt a weight lift.

"Let's do this! We'll save everyone!" Midoriya vowed.

Yeah… the chance to save people.

Heh, you seeing this, Mama, Papa? Who would've thought, little Hero-hating Nori, pretending to be one to save the day.

…Nah, he wasn't Heroic like these kids. The sole reason he took Midoriya's hand at all, was the same one that got him out of bed everyday after their parents' passing.

Hang in there, Tomi.

"Jeez, it's gotten late." Kirishima muttered, looking out at the starry sky.

They were definitely lost, going by the fact they were now on a giant greenhouse level.

"I bet we've missed most of the party." Hitomi slumped, having half a mind to let her hair down just to ease the tightness on her scalp.

"Maybe if someone actually decided to listen to directions." Bakugou grumbled, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Are you griping at me, or Saito?"

"Both!"

Hitomi raised a hand, her expression giving the two boys pause.

Her brows furrowed, and she frowned heavily at the two figures approaching them.

"What's wrong?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Danger."

They tensed.

"Hey, we see you, stupid kids." One of the figures called out in a high, nasally voice.

Bakugou twitched. "What'd you say, you bastard?"

"What are you three doing here?" The much shorter one asked, his voice comically deeper.

Kirishima opened his mouth, moving to step forward.

Hitomi put a hand on his chest, and put herself in front of them both.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm a real ditz with directions!" She giggled daintily into her hand, flicking her ears and tail to draw attention to them, and batted her eyes. "Gosh, we've just been wandering around allevening, you two gentlemen wouldn't happen to know where we could find the party, you know…" Her eyes and voice hardened. "Full of Pro Heroes?"

The taller one clicked his tongue, sweat beading his forehead. Then, his right arm branched out into a fleshy funnel, which he aimed directly at her.

Hitomi tensed, hand diving into her pocket, and whipping out—

"Hey! Watch out—" Bakugou called, sounding more panicked than she'd ever heard from him.

"Hitomi!" Nori's voice called out somewhere to their right.

The strange tube of air that was headed straight for her, was cut off by the miraculous appearance of a glacier.

"This looks like…" Bakugou panted, standing at her side.

When did he get there?

"Todoroki?" Kirishima gasped.

The glacier shook, and splintered.

"The four of us can keep them busy down here!" Todoroki reached down, spreading ice beneath the feet of his group, sending them upward by making a spire of ice.

"Wait, I can—" Shinsou approached the edge.

"We still need you in case we get caught!" Kaminari pulled him back.

"Hitomi!" Nori attempted to jump down, but Midoriya and Iida grabbed him, seeing they were already too high up.

"It's too dangerous!"

"You can't fight Quirkless against these Villains!"

Hitomi did her best to smile convincingly up at his receding form. "Don't worry about me! I've got a thick head, remember!"

His face twisted, a cross between panicked concern and anger that he couldn't help.

"Be safe!" Momo called pleadingly down to her.

"You too!" Before they were completely out of range, Hitomi then shouted to the two boys holding Nori back. "Take care of my brother, would you?!"

"You got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

"Thanks guys…" She murmured gratefully, knowing they couldn't hear her anymore.

Now, the situation.

"What the heck's going on, Todoroki?" Kirishima questioned tensely.

"Didn't you hear about the broadcast alert?"

"About the bomb?"

"It's not a bomb. Some Villains have taken over the tower."

"Wait, that's what this is about?" Bakugou faltered.

"I'll explain more when I can, no time now." Todoroki finished sending the column of ice up, and just in time, too.

Three holes suddenly appeared in the glacier, the chunks of ice vanishing with a disconcerting suctioning sound.

"What's with this guy's Quirk?!" Bakugou raised his sparking hands.

"Stay on your guard."

"Shut up! I know that!"

The short one stepped up, body shaking as he started to undergo a transformation.

"So you wanna pick a fight? Let's see how strong you really are!" He roared, his skin turning purple, and his body growing about twice the size it was before.

Hitomi cocked her hips, unable to fight off her smirk. "Aw, you're so cute! I could turn about that size when I was ten!"

"Is now really the time?" Todoroki shot her an unimpressed glower.

But Hitomi was more interested in the way Bakugou was staring at her.

Why'd he look so stunned? Was it really so surprising for her to sass the Villains like she did Best Jeanist?

Todoroki sent more ice the purple Villain's way, which he easily pushed his way through with wildly swinging fists.

Right, good thing she had that gut feeling and brought along her new toy.

In Hitomi's hand, she held a thick metal cylinder, with a few buttons in the middle. With a firm press to one, the two ends shot out, extending two feet each.

Hitomi twirled the combative staff experimentally, testing the weight and grip. Thankfully, it wasn't that far off from her batons.

They all leapt out of the way when the Villain reached them, and Bakugou spun around middair, aiming his glowing palm at the Villain's vulnerable back.

"Die!"

A point-blank blast went off against the Villain's back, surely taking him out and leaving them with the other—

Through the cloud of smoke, the Villain bursted back out, reeling back a fist.

"Bakugou!" Hitomi and Kirishima cried out in warning, but only the redhead was close enough to reach him.

Kirishima body-checked him out of the way, hardening his skin and taking the brunt of the punch. Which was violent enough to send the boy flying and crashing into a stone wall.

"Kirishima!"

"Dodge!"

Both Hitomi and Bakugou turned just in time to see Todoroki about to send a ram of ice past them and at the other Villain. Hitomi moved to dive away, but felt a searing hand grab the back of her dress. With a blast, Bakugou was airborne, with her hastily jerked up and over his shoulder.

She almost screamed, caught off guard by his manhandling. But it worked to get them both out of the line of fire.

However, the funnel-Villain did his little trick again, vanishing chunks of the approaching ice and making it harmless.

And there was the purple-Villain, standing ready on their other side.

Hitomi, Bakugou, and Todoroki stood in a semi-triangle, keeping watchful of the Villains prowling around them.

She thumbed the other buttons on the staff, thankful that she splurged on the "multi-purpose" design.

"You kiddos know how to fight, don't you?" The funnel-Villain chortled patronizingly.

"Where'd you come from?" The purple-Villain rumbled.

Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it—

"Your mom's house!"

It wasn't her fault that Nori was a bad example, and let some of his affinity for vicious barbs leak out into her. She didn't even fully get what was offensive about the retort, but remembered her brother frequently using it.

Todoroki made a sound of disbelief, while Bakugou actually cackled.

Okay, it was worth it.

"I have to— go back!" Nori grunted, punching the wall in frustration. "She was right there!"

"And Todoroki and Bakugou are with her, two of the strongest in our class." Momo reasoned calmly, studying the room for any exits.

"Hey Melissa, where does that little vent up at the edge of the ceiling lead to?" Midoriya pointed to a small, square plate of metal above them, that he somehow spotted.

"I think it runs under the maintenance room for the sunlight system…"

Iida grinned. "There's probably an emergency ladder in the maintenance room, right?"

"Yeah, there is, but it's a manual release. So someone would have to be inside to let it down for us."

Nori straightened, eyeing the vent.

"I'll go."

"W-what?! Saito, you can't!" Midoriya protested.

Nori shook his head stubbornly. "I have to. Whatever it takes to help Hitomi."

"Uh, no… I mean, there's no way you could fit."

"...Oh."

"But I know someone who could." Shinsou smirked, eyes falling on the shortest person in the group.

"Alright!" Momo's Quirk lit up her chest, a small device forming in her palm. Once she finished making it, she threw it accurately at the vent, which it stuck to and—

"You made a bomb!?" Nori shouted incredulously. "And you held it in your hand?!"

Then, with the vent hanging wide open, they all turned to Mineta.

"You can't be serious! No, I can't!"

Shinsou looked to Midoriya. "You want me to make 'im?"

Mineta shrieked unintelligibly, scrambling back and covering his mouth.

"Hold on…"

Uraraka and Jirou came up to him, hands clasped pleadingly.

"Please! You have to, Mineta!"

"You're the only one who can do it!"

"You idiots!" Mineta flailed tearily. "Do you have any idea how high up we are?!"

Kaminari saddled up to him, grinning mischievously. "But if you save everyone and become a celebrity, they'll interview you on TV and then you'll be popular with girls everywhere!"

"Come on!" Uraraka and Jirou pushed.

"Just imagine the harem." Kaminari whispered in his ear.

"Oh man… Okay, fine! I'll do it, whatever!"

Nori sneered at the boy, some of what little respect he had for UA dying out.

"Hah!"

The purple-Villain stumbled back, barely avoiding the kick Hitomi aimed at his chin. She had already tossed aside her heels, not needing to deal with the added burden.

The purple-Villain snapped an arm out, his hefty hand wrapping around her entire calf.

Uh-oh—

She yelped, trying to keep her body perpendicular with the ground as he chucked her, like she was as meager as a small pebble.

When she landed it forced a rattling cough from her chest, followed by a deep aching rocking her whole body.

She cracked her eyes open (when had they shut?) and stared at her staff dropped beside her.

All those nice sounding features had yet to help at all—

Hang on a second… what if—

"Todoroki!" Hitomi pushed herself up, peering through a curtain of her hair that had fallen from her once pristine ponytail.

The boy glanced over his shoulder, the question in his gaze. "What have you come up with?"

Her hand wrapped around the staff, her knuckles bruised and bleeding.

"I need water! And lots of it!"

With how much ice he had already made that littered the battlefield, it was a simple matter of melting one of the blocks.

Trusting she had something in mind, Todoroki called over to Bakugou.

"Start melting some ice!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugou's shout was followed by his Quirk, blasting the ice and doing exactly as Todoroki told.

While he was working on that, it left the purple-Villain free to charge at Hitomi.

"Crud."

At least in her normal body, when pitted against a much larger and stronger opponent, Hitomi still had one ace.

Speed.

Biting back a scream, she ducked away from the purple-Villain's swiping fist, darting away low to the ground, sliding on her knees and hugging her staff, waiting for her chance.

Then, the most obvious thing occurred to her.

"Sprinklers! The sprinklers!"

A small fire flickered, then raged into a blazing inferno, reaching high up to the rafters, where emergency water sprinklers hung.

With a booming explosion, Bakugou went as far as destroying the side of a water fountain in the center of the room, providing as much water as possible, for a plan he didn't know the details of.

With the boys preoccupied, both the Villains turned on her, charging at her still downed and vulnerable form.

The water spread, reaching under funnel-Villain's feet, then purple-Villain's, and finally, got within her grasp.

Oh, this was gonna hurt.

"Get off the ground!" Hitomi called as loud as she could, before raising the staff high, holding down a certain button, and thrusting it back down.

Crackles of electricity branched out over the standing water, racing up the bodies of those unfortunate enough to be in it.

Namely, Hitomi and the two Villains.

Her body burned, and every muscle seized. If it wasn't for that, she would have reflexively let the button go to end the horrible pain. But she physically couldn't relax her thumb, only able to press down harder.

"Argh!"

"Saito!"

"You have to let it go!"

She couldn't. And even if she could, the Villains were still standing— though, clearly in just as much pain.

Just gotta hold on. A little longer…!

The funnel-Villain dropped first, followed by the purple-Villain. And finally, Hitomi herself saw her world go sideways.

The staff slipped from her hand, the water went still, and she hit a warm body instead of the cold floor.

"A-are they out?" She mumbled, her eyelids heavy and refusing to lift.

But she knew who caught her. She could smell him.

Such a nice smell…

"You fucking idiot." Despite the harsh choice of words, they came out low and rough, in an unfamiliar way. "You trying to get yourself killed?"

Hitomi giggled, and that was her first clue that maybe electrocuting herself wasn't a good idea. "Yeah… I mean, no."

Bakugou sighed, slinging her arm over his shoulder, and standing slowly.

"They out?" He aimed the question at Todoroki.

"Seems like it." In case they weren't, Todoroki encased them both in ice. "Hopefully we haven't fallen too far behind the others."

Hitomi stood straighter, regaining some clarity at the reminder of the danger her brother was neck-deep in.

Before they could pursue the bigger group, they first had to check on their tough-as-nails redhead.

"Kirishima!"

"Are you okay?!"

Kirishima grunted, arms splayed at his sides, stuck in the Kirishima-sized crater he was slammed into.

"Um, I can't move. Can you get me outta here?"

Hitomi tried stepping forward to help, but Bakugou kept hold of her wrist.

"Are you that stupid? Just turn your damned Quirk off, you idiot."

"Oh, right." The jagged edges of his skin faded away, smoothing out back to normal. "Guess I shoulda thought of that." He leaned out of the crater with a cute laugh.

"I'm just glad to see you're not injured."

"Yeah, same to you guys. Er, actually, you okay, Saito?"

Hitomi gave a thumbs-up in affirmative, squeaking when Bakugou turned away sharply, forcing her along with the motion.

"Thank you."

Hitomi blinked, lips parting. Standing so close, she could see the slight tinge of pink coloring Bakugou's ears.

Aw, he's totally a softie!

"Whoa, where'd that come from?" Kirishima chuckled. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried!"

Hitomi giggled, earning a heated red-eyed glare.

At least he didn't just drop her or anything.

"Right, let's catch up with the others."

"Don't order me around! And you stop dragging your feet!"

"Sorry, I still can't really feel my legs…"

Bakugou clenched his jaw, looking to the side sharply.

But it almost felt like he held onto her tighter.

"Todoroki, time to give us some details." Kirishima prompted.

But any explanation was cut off before it could even start, as several dozen robots started spilling into the room, sounding off small sirens, and flashing red lights.

"Looks like they've gotten serious…"

"That stupid staff got any more charge left?" Bakugou asked lowly in her ear.

Hitomi grimaced. "It's only good for one high-voltage shock. The next best it can do is shoot a net."

"Just one?"

"Just one."

"Fuck."

"Damnit, why's it always gotta be robots?" Shinsou grinned bitterly.

Midoriya, Uraraka, and Melissa all got away to continue working toward the control room, and fixing the security system. While everyone else stayed behind to hold off the army of dumpster-sized robots out to detain them.

Kaminari was already tied up in some thick wire, his drooling and mumbling attesting to his overuse of his Quirk. One by one, they were picked off, getting caught as the robots flung the wires around at anything that moved.

The way the robots moved and attacked, almost seemed like they had been programmed to combat the group's very own Quirks. Which meant the Villain's must've realized the advantage they had, and thwarted it.

Momo kneeled by a cannon she made, panting from the energy it took out of her, along with every goopy cannonball she loaded into it, that along with Mineta, was sticking up as many robots as they could.

Nori stood back, hands shaking as he, Shinsou, Momo, and Jirou were soon the only ones left.

If they were being apprehended, and left there on the floor, then that meant eventually, someone was meant to come and get them.

A grim acceptance washed over him.

"Momo."

The ravenette hummed weakly, taken aback when she met his gaze.

The usual sunny gold was dimmed, muddied into a dull brown.

"I know you must be at the end of your rope, but I need you to make some gas-masks. One for each of us."

Momo paled, tears welling in her eyes. Because she was smart enough to know that Nori was proposing a viable solution to their predicament, and she couldn't turn it down, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Okay."

When two darkly dressed Villains sauntered into the room, they smirked at the state of the group.

Surrounded by the now docile robots, Momo, Iida, Shinsou, Jirou, Kaminari, and Mineta all sat tied up, each with steely eyes, and a gas-mask over their faces. And sitting in the middle of them, Nori slouched casually, watching the Villains approach with half-lidded eyes.

"Ah, the henchmen arrive." Shinsou spoke up.

The Villains gave tight lipped smirks, silent. Proving the group's fear, that they must have checked what powers the kids had, likely upon seeing them through the security cameras.

That just left their wildcard.

Nori tipped his head back, and cocked it to the side. "Took ya long enough.

"Big talk for someone backed in a corner." One scoffed, sneering down at them.

Nori stared down at his lap with empty eyes, a mask of his own dangling uselessly around his neck.

"Yeah…"

The Villains twitched, noticing the temperature seemed to drop.

"But you know, the moment when something's backed into a corner…"

Golden irises blazed molten.

"Is the time it's most dangerous."

By the time they noticed a purple miasma emanating from Nori's exposed forearms, it was already too late.

"W-what the—" The first Villain scrambled back, his face stricken with unbridled terror as he stared into space. "How are— what are—"

The second Villain was worse off, falling to the floor, holding his head and screaming. So raw and primal that it shook the air.

The first Villain fumbled for his gun, whipping it out and shooting blindly at nothing, until his clip ran out, the gun clicking hollowly each time he panickedly pulled the trigger. The front of his pants darkened, a puddle spreading around his feet, that he fell into, limply on his knees.

Nori watched on with a blank expression— to anyone unfamiliar with him.

But Momo's heart ached, catching the tightness around his eyes.

Midoriya and Melissa were both weightless in the air, Ochako holding them up with her Quirk on the ground.

And there were a dozen more robots closing in on her.

The brunette tensed, preparing for whatever she had to do, to hold on and keep helping Midoriya and Melissa to the top of the tower, even if it meant she fell at the mechanical hands of the security bots.

Thankfully for her, though, someone intervened.

Ochako gasped, a fiery explosion blasting away the ones in front of her, and a wall of ice cutting off the ones approaching from behind.

And finally, she relaxed fully when a large, furry body landed next to her, a big snout bumping her chest and a curled tail swinging side-to-side.

"Bakugou, Hitomi! And Todoroki and Kirishima!"

"That was close, are you okay?" Todoroki stood by the girls, right hand raised, frost covering it.

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

Hitomi's tail wagged harder.

Good. Good. She all good.

Her dress mournfully hung around her, mostly in tatters. But instincts had taken over when she saw Ochako in trouble, and this was the result of that.

"I used my Quirk on Deku and Melissa. They should be able to reach the top!"

'Chako so strong. 'Chako Pitbull.

"Good job. Now you can help us stop these things!" Todoroki knocked aside another row of the robots.

Hitomi barked, dashing forward. With a swift swat of her paw, she sent one flying clear over the railing, and down the insanely tall drop.

Oh. Fun!

If dogs were capable of laughing, Hitomi would be having a fit.

"Oh no! They're blowing away!" Ochako gasped up at Midoriya and Melissa, who were veering off from the tower.

Oh. Shit .

Todoroki threw his blazer off, running to enact a plan that Hitomi couldn't discern in her Akita form.

"Bakugou! Aim the propeller at Midoriya! Quick!"

"I told you not to give me orders!" Bakugou roared, then did as ordered.

With a fire from Todoroki, the turbine pointed hot air toward the two, blowing them back on track.

Flying to the side of the tower, Midoriya punched a hole in the wall, making an opening for him and Melissa to get through.

"Release!"

Bakugou blew the robots away.

Kirishima dented and pierced their armor.

Todoroki froze them in place.

Ochako made them useless, floating in the air.

And Hitomi bit many of them in half, mouth filling with the taste of oil and blood.

Her dentist was going to be so mad.

It was almost like they would never stop coming, an endless hoard of metal soldiers, until simultaneously, the lights went out on each one, and they hunkered down, immobilized.

"Huh? What happened?" Bakugou panted, hands pinkened by the non-stop use of his Quirk.

"They just stopped." Ochako tentatively touched her fingertips together, the ones she had airborne dropping down.

Hitomi almost started shifting to normal, then froze with the very startling loud thought of I'm practically naked.

"I-Island's security system is now operating in full."

Hopefully that was a good thing, going by the robots' surrender.

Catching the echoes of some kind of battle above, Hitomi pointed her ears up, keening them with as much focus she could put into it.

"Hitomi? What is it?" Ochako anxiously asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Gah!" The pained cry from Midoriya came right after another booming slam.

Metal. Blood. Midoriya .

The other four jumped, left clueless while Hitomi frantically began barking up at the top of the tower.

Ochako was the first to catch on.

"Ah— you need up there?!"

Another bark, this one deeper and paired with a clumsy nod.

Yes! Make me float!

"O-okay!" Ochako held her breath, cautious of making someone so big weightless.

When Hitomi's paws left the ground, there was a moment of animalistic panic, her body not accustomed to floating, unhindered by her heavy muscles and mass.

"You're good to go!"

Giving a booming bark— more of a roar, she gouged her claws into the wall of the tower to boost herself skyward, the wind whistling in her ears once she picked up some speed, basically running up the side.

The stars blurred in the sky, her head bobbing and making them into squiggly stripes of white. And maybe she would consider it beautiful, if so many of her friends' lives weren't on the line.

With one final leap, she breached the top of the tower, finding a rooftop with a helipad, and raised concrete and metal littering the ground, the evidence of someone's reckless Quirk use.

"Deku!"

Melissa's shrill cry brought Hitomi's attention to the helicopter hovering over them, and the body falling from it.

No!

Barking sharply, she signaled for Ochako to deactivate her Quirk. The instant Hitomi's paws touched down, she was launching herself across the roof, pushing herself to the limit to make it—

She grunted, letting her legs give out under her to help the shock absorption of Midoriya's body slamming into her back.

The pain was nothing compared to how Midoriya would feel if he actually hit solid ground.

"Let him go!" Midoriya shouted after the retreating helicopter, the smell of blood thick on him. "Don't take the professor! Damn it!"

"Don't you dare lose that smile! Alright, Young Midoriya?"

The adrenaline and fear that was fueling most of Hitomi's body, ebbed away at the sound of his voice.

"It's fine now!" A gust and shockwave ran up the side of the tower, flying high and stopping over the wobbling helicopter. "Do you know why? Because I am here!"

All Might's arrival was enough for the corners of Hitomi's vision to fade in and out, her drive to keep fighting easing away. But her muscles refused to relax, contracting and spasming randomly.

Oh yeah, maybe because she electrocuted herself.

"Saito! We have to get back!" Melissa warned, slender hands hoisting her up and out of the crater she made when Midoriya landed on her.

Hang on… when did she turn back to normal?

She weakly tried covering her chest, letting Melissa drag her along away from the ensuing fight.

There was fire, and wreckage, and the professor was being held hostage again and— what all did she miss in her short moment of blacking out?

"We need to stay out of their way!" Tears were running down Melissa's face, but she held strong, keeping Hitomi upright until they both hid behind the entry of the rooftop access, hunkering down with only the thin concrete walls to protect them.

If only she could make her legs move!

"Don't! Your pupils are unevenly dilated and your ears are drooping to one side!" Melissa pushed her back, only having to exude minimal force to keep her in place. "You're in poor shape, so I doubt you can fight! Just stay here!"

Then, with her blonde hair fluttering after her, Melissa ran off.

If Hitomi couldn't fight then why could Melissa?!

The ground shook, everything teetering— at least for Hitomi, and she tried negating the dizziness and nausea by pressing her back firmly against the wall, hoping to ground herself.

Curling her knees to her chest as a cover, she removed her hands and instead put them over her ears, trying to block out as much of the deafening noise coming from the fight as possible.

She just had to ride it out. Wait for All Might to save the day like usual.

(But where was Nori? How was he doing?)

"Argh!"

That— that was All Might!

"All Might!" Midoriya shouted from somewhere on the wrecked rooftops.

"Damnit!" The expletive was followed by several detonations.

"No!"

The raw emotion in All Might's cry made her hair stand on end.

"All Might, no!"

Hitomi whimpered, covering her mouth to stifle her distress. Everyone sounded so scared. She could hear it. She could smell it.

She trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Smash!"

That wasn't All Might's voice—

"There's no way you can stop me! You're insignificant pests! And you don't know when to lay down and be crushed!"

"You're the one who doesn't know when he's beat!" Bakugou retorted, blasting the Villain.

"I won't let you stop them!" Todoroki declared, the air around growing colder.

"This is over!"

Hitomi screamed, the floor moving under her. It was like the concrete became a title wave, rolling fluidly, with her along for the ride atop it.

It really wasn't helping the way her vision spun.

When it stopped, she was left in a sort of crater, chunks of stone and metal surrounding her, thankfully shielding her indecent appearance by the impromptu walls they made. And from her new vantage point, much closer to the fight going on, she had front row seats to the fight happening in the sky above.

The air lit up, caused by two figures that crackled with their own lightning. The Villain-made ginormous cube hanging overhead shattered, obliterated by the two figures.

She had an idea of who they were, and it was confirmed when she could hear her friends shout out—

"Deku!" Ochako cried in support.

"Stop him All Might!" Momo, Kaminari, and Jirou beseeched.

"Go Midoriya!" Iida, Shinsou, Kirishima, and Mineta cheered.

"Destroy this guy!" Nori, Bakugou, and Todoroki shouted their encouragement.

Hitomi took a deep breath, and put it all into her cry.

"You can do it!"

Their hits landed in a blinding flash, the noise so loud her ears popped. When it finally faded, and it was safe to look back, the Villain was gone.

Debris fell like rain, the Villain's defenses broken and in pieces.

The sun began to rise.

Was… was it over?

"They beat up that Villain and saved our lives!" Mineta, from somewhere on the battered rooftop, crowed.

Hitomi sagged in relief, her body deciding for her that it was definitely time for rest. There was just one problem.

Her dress was ripped and unsalvageable, and she could hear someone coming.

"Ah!" She hugged her knees, tucking her chin between them for good measure. "I'm not decent!"

She heard a scoff, the footsteps coming right up from behind her and—

Something fabric fell over her shoulders.

Hitomi made a soft noise in question, carefully sitting up and inspecting the offered garment.

It was a vest, with a floral pattern.

Her chest warmed.

"Thanks Bakugou."

"Whatever, just hurry up and come on, your brother's freaking the fuck out."

"Oh, um…" Hitomi draped the vest over her to properly cover her modesty, then smiled sheepishly back at the blonde. "You remember how I said I can't feel my legs?"

Bakugou groaned, and dropped down to sit in front of her.

"Fine, we'll wait for them to find us."

Something gave Hitomi the impression that Bakugou just wanted a minute to sit and relax, but was too prideful to admit it. And she provided an easy cover.

Neither spoke for a stretch, content to have a moment of calm and quiet after everything that happened. They were both worse for wear, banged up and bruised, and in Hitomi's case, dealing with the aftermath of getting shocked with a high voltage electrocution.

Man, she really hoped she wasn't ever pitted against Kaminari.

Bakugou sighed, shifting slightly— but then flinched, his hands seizing.

Hitomi sat straighter.

Wait, without his bracers, wasn't it dangerous and painful for him to go all out with his Quirk? Which was exactly what he's been doing all evening.

That self-sacrificing dummy.

"And you call me stupid…"

"Hah?!"

Her dress already a lost cause, Hitomi ripped a strip of fabric from her skirt, then another. Wordlessly reaching out, she took Bakugou's wrists gently, holding them up in front of her.

It honestly probably wouldn't do much, but Hitomi hated the thought of him hurting without any kind of aid. So, she carefully wrapped the strips around his forearms, making the knots tight, but not restricting. Just a light pressure to keep on them until he was bandaged properly.

"There." She murmured, letting her hands return to the vest, holding it close, a tired but sincere smile pulling on her lips. "Now we match again."

The scent of burnt caramel spiked, but in a way it never had before, with an undertone of something she couldn't identify with her tired and muddled mind.

"Hitomi!"

Her ears flicked, and what little tension she had left, fell away.

Nori stumbled over the debris littered terrain, nearly tripping in his hast to get to her. Momo wasn't too far behind.

"Oh, hey No—"

She yelped, coughing from Nori's unrestrained tackle. His arms secured themselves around her and squeezed, so tight and unyielding she thought he may never plan to let go.

"You— do you have any idea— I was so—"

Hitomi frowned guiltily, smelling the salt of his tears, and the acidity of his fear.

"I'm sorry. I promise I'm not actively seeking Villains out or anything." She laughed weakly, slumping when he gave no response. "It's okay now, though. It's over."

His body twitched, like his muscles were trying to ease, but they were too on edge.

She put a hand in the middle of his back, rubbing it up and down soothingly.

"Hey, I bet you were really cool. Helping them and everything. Pretty heroic of you."

Nori sighed deeply, like he already knew where this was going.

Hitomi smirked. "You know, it's not too late for you to be one! We can do it together, and be two Hero's like Mama and Pa—"

"Idiot." He mumbled, leaning back and shoving her head down. "I am never doing anything like this ever again."

"Aw…"

"Hitomi, do you need me to make you something to wear?" Momo wrung her hands, her cheeks pale and clammy, a clear sign that she was at her limit with her Quirk.

Hitomi shook her head, her gaze falling on Bakugou, as he was now being subjected to a one-sided conversation with Kirishima ten feet away.

"No…" She held the vest closer. "I'm fine."

They were all fine. And that was all that mattered.

His arms were still sore— not that he'd admit to that, and were now wrapped up in some proper bandages. His parents' had a fit when they heard about what happened on the island, and gave him a pass on chores until he was healed completely. (He had a feeling that it was mostly his father's doing.)

But the pain wasn't what his mind was focused on.

Back home, inside his room, he sat at his desk, where those two strips of floral fabric were laid out.

He knew that dress was familiar.

Katsuki glared daggers at his laptop, and the webpage he had open.

It was from his parents' most recent formal line. The promotional photos were almost one-to-one with Saito when she was wearing it.

Did she know? Is that why she got it? Wait— why would she get it because of that alone? She didn't say anything about it, so maybe it was just a coincidence.

Yeah, a really fucking expensive coincidence. It made sense that she was loaded like Icy-Hot and Ponytail, what with her parents' agency still up and running.

"Katsuki! Get your ass down here for dinner!"

"I'm coming! Calm the fuck down!"

He shut his laptop, sighing gravelly.

There, now that that was solved, he could finally stop thinking twice about her— It.

...Did he have a fever, or something?

Chapter 32: Cats and dogs

Chapter Text

"But don't mind it~ no one's perfect~ if we were then I don't think we would've met~ oh whoa."

Hitomi gave another kick, pushing her skateboard forward in a surge of speed. In her hands she held two full grocery bags each, holding them up and to the sides as she skated along. Jutting out from her mouth she chewed a takoyaki stick, the only evidence left of her stop for quick food.

It was the end of their allotted free time during summer break. Thankfully she was all healed up from her injuries gained on I-Island, and was in peak shape for the camping trip— which she was on her way to the bus for now.

Momo was already there, waiting with the rest of the class by the roomy bus set up for them, and did not look pleased by her friend's lateness.

"You're lucky Mr. Aizawa isn't out here yet! We leave in ten minutes!"

Hitomi slid to a stop in front of the ravenette, grinning around the wooden stick. "Sorry, Deputy Momo."

"What's all that?" Kaminari ambled over, gesturing to the bags.

"Ooh, okay! So—" Hitomi hopped off the board, stepping down on the back end to stand it up, and proudly brandished the bags. "This is all the essential road trip supplies."

"Define essential." Jirou drawled, taking one of them when Hitomi held it out, peeking inside.

"You know, like, a bunch of different and weird candies to try, some normal candies, savory snacks like chips, a buncha bottles of Pocari Sweat, a few different types of gum, Dramamine for anyone who gets motion-sick, and a handful of card games!" Hitomi listed off, picking up her skateboard and setting it over her shoulder. "There's other stuff, but I forgot what. I kinda just grabbed a lot of everything."

"No kidding." Sero huffed, holding a second bag. "What are these?" He pulled out something wrapped in bright red packaging, with cartoon flames everywhere, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Oh! Those are supposed to be the hottest chips in the world. I figured we could all torture ourselves and try them."

"Lemme see that." Bakugou marched over, snatching the snack from Sero, who gladly let him. "One million scoville? Bullshit."

Hitomi leaned over, reading the warning on the bag despite already having done so. "No, it's for real. I looked it up, and they're, like, banned in a ton of places because they're way too hot."

Bakugou looked entirely too interested in the chips after that, holding onto them as the grocery bags were passed around and parsed through.

"So, how're your arms?" Hitomi anxiously drummed her fingers on her board, using her other hand to tug on her backpack strap.

"Tch, fine. You think something as stupid as using my own Quirk would be enough to keep me down?!" With every word he grew angrier.

Hitomi shrugged. "Hey, I dunno. I only stopped twitching two days ago. Apparently electrocution lingers."

"Did you say electrocution?!" Jirou exclaimed, Kaminari sputtering next to her.

Hitomi put a finger to her chin. "Oh yeah, I never mentioned that?"

"Is everyone in your family feral?!"

"Dude, cut it out! Feral's never happening!"

Mina patted Kirishima on the back. "Come on, man. Let the boy dream."

A few moments later, multiple phones chimed.

(Charge-Bolt has changed group chats name to: Feral Boyz)

"I fucking hate you all." Bakugou shoved his phone away, stomping off to the other side of the lot.

Another round of notifications.

(Alien-Queen! has changed group chat name to: lost in the sauce)

"How is that better?!" Sero threw up his hands.

Hitomi bit back a smirk, typing away on hers.

(Ōka-waii-mi has changed group chat name to: horse tranquilizer)

Mina threw her head back and cackled, while Sero groaned in lament.

"I don't even get that one!"

"I don't think you're supposed to?" Kirishima looked painfully confused.

"Okay, how many volts we talkin' here?" Kaminari saddled up to her, getting in her face. "Baby shit like in the tens, or the hundreds? Even thousands?"

Hitomi shrugged, wincing apologetically. "No idea. But my scalp kinda tingled for a long time after."

"How long?"

"Uh, few days?"

"Sounds like maybe a few thousand…"

Ding!

(Hard n Manly! Changed group chat name to: Saito near death count: 3)

"Kirishima, dude… I say this as a friend, change your username." Sero grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Hang on, what was the second time? I got thrown around by Nomu. And I electrocuted myself. What was the time between that?"

"You survived an internship with Bakugou." The redhead explained while reluctantly doing as Sero said.

(Hard n Manly! changed username to: Red Riot!)

"Stop blowing up my damned phone!"

"Dude, you just set up so many easy comebacks that I'm stuck with indecision!" Kaminari threaded his hands through his hair, groaning.

"Hey, listen up." Mr. Aizawa didn't even have to raise his voice to gain everyone's attention. "Now that you've finished your first semester at UA High, it's time for summer vacation to officially begin. However… don't think these will be months of rest for you Heroes-in-the-making. At this camp we'll push you to go beyond your limits. You're aiming to become Plus Ultra."

"Yes sir!"

Hitomi bounced on the balls of her feet, brimming with excitement.

"Er— Let's hear it for camp!" Ochako squeaked, her whole body glowing with a flush.

"Yeah! Camp! Camp! Camp! Camp!"

Hitomi of course joined in on the chant.

"I heard some of Class A is taking extra courses!" Monoma announced his class's arrival in his usual fashion. "Does that mean they actually failed the final exams?" He gave a faux gasp. "That must be so embarrassing! Especially since you're supposed to be so much better than my class! All of you must be wallowing in shame! Eck!"

With a solid chop, Kendou sent him limply to the ground.

"Don't mind him!" She gave a friendly smile, hauling Monoma away by his collar.

Hitomi opened her mouth, but immediately had it covered by Kirishima.

"I swear, if you're about to say he's nice again…!"

"Time to get on the bus!" Kendou called, leading the way with Monoma still in her grasp.

So she was their Alpha. It fit.

"Attention Class A! Our bus is here! Everyone line up in seating order!" Iida dictated, doing the same as Kendou.

Whatever arrangements he had prepared were totally disregarded pretty much immediately. After tucking their bags away in the back of the vehicle, everyone paired up and claimed any spot that seemed convenient.

Mina latched onto Hitomi's arm, pulling her down to sit beside her up at the front of the bus.

Hitomi glanced back, seeing Momo already sitting with Jirou.

"Here's the deal. We'll be on this bus about an hour before our first stop. Make sure you stay focused."

"Aw…" Hitomi's ears drooped. "Only an hour?"

"Hey, why aren't we blastin' some music?" Kaminari crowed, completely missing anything their teacher said.

"No one should be standing! That is a safety hazard! Please stay seated!"

"But Iida, you're standing." Tsuyu pointed out from her place in front of Aoyama, who was continuing to strike a pose, ignoring the class rep.

Hitomi leaned back in her seat, smiling contentedly out of the window to her right. She hadn't been on a road trip in so long, and to her, driving was always the best part. Sure, you're cooped up for a while, but it gives you time to talk and goof around with everyone else.

"Oh my g—" Sero choked a cough. "M-my f— I can fe-el it in my-y face!"

Ah, Bakugou must've opened the chips.

With a hum of contentment, Hitomi leaned down and touched the toes of her shoes, stretching and holding the position before straightening, aching her back with her hands reaching to the sky.

They were at the first rest stop of the trip, giving them a chance to stretch their legs and use the bathroom.

Well, apparently not the latter, as the stop was just a clearing off the side of the road, overlooking a dense forest down below.

"Finally! I needed off that bus!" Kaminari cheered, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

"Lemme get through! I gotta pee!" Mineta zipped by, holding his crotch desperately.

"Huh," Kirishima scratched his neck. "This isn't much of a rest area."

Hitomi cocked her head, taking a sniff and confirming that they were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, except for a black car parked a short ways away.

"You don't really think we stopped here just so you could stretch your legs, do you?" Mr. Aizawa droned.

Well, not anymore.

The doors of the black car flew open.

"Heya, Eraser!"

"Long time no see." Mr. Aizawa bowed his head.

Two women stood there, dressed in matching Hero costumes. The brunette's was colored in shades of pink, while the blonde was in shades of blue.

Hitomi perked up, tail swinging. She recognized them from those old Hero parties her parents threw. It looked like they hadn't aged a day.

"Your feline fantasies are here! Say meow!" The brunette, Mandalay kicked off their introductory speech and choreography.

"Purrfectly cute and catlike girls!" The blonde, Pixie-bob continued it before they chorused together.

"You can call us the Wild, Wild Pussycats!"

Hitomi bounced, clapping quietly, while almost everyone else stared blankly.

"These are the Heroes you'll be working with at the summer training camp."

Of course, Midoriya took the chance to gush about them.

"They're a four-person Hero team who specialize in mountain rescues! The Pussycats were founded when we were kids, like forever ago! This marks their twelfth year working as a—"

Pixie-bob launched herself at him, covering the majority of his face with her cat-gloved hand.

"I'm pretty sure your math must be off." She growled with a fixed-on grin.

Hitomi innocently shook her head. "Actually, I think he's right. I remember you guys coming to my parents'—"

"I'm eighteen at heart!" Pixie-bob cut her off, grin unwavering.

"Everyone, say hello." Mr. Aizawa ordered, and Hitomi could practically hear Kaminari's withheld dad comment.

"Hello! Nice to meet you!"

"We own this whole stretch of land out here." Mandalay gestured out to the massive forest. "Everything you can see. The summer camp you're staying at is there, at the base of the mountain."

"That's far!"

"Uh, then why did we stop all the way up here instead?" Ochako asked.

"I'm afraid we both know the answer to that." Tsuyu croaked.

"That can't be right." Sato shook his head in denial.

Sero chuckled nervously, nodding toward the vehicle. "Uh, back on the bus. Quick. Let's go."

"Good idea. Load up!" Kaminari patted Koda on the shoulder and shared a tense smile with Mina.

"The current time is nine-thirty in the morning. If you're fast about it, you might make it there by noon." Mandalay purred.

The ever-present smile slowly slipped off of Hitomi's face, replaced with pale dread, a single fact hitting her.

She wasn't wearing anything that wouldn't be torn by her Quirk.

"No way! Guys!"

"Holy crap!"

"Save yourselves!"

Kirishima, Mina, Kaminari, and Hitomi all made a mad dash for the bus. Hitomi mainly just so she could change into something else—

"Kitties who don't make it there by twelve-thirty won't get any lunch!" Mandalay chirped, urging the rest to try to make it back inside the bus.

"You should have guessed, students. The training camp…"

Pixie-bob dropped down in front of them with a wicked grin, her glove touching down to the ground.

"Has already begun."

Pixie-bob's hands glowed blue, and the dirt underneath the class's feet rose up, moving like water and washing them all over the side of the cliff. Where after a thirty foot drop (that Pixie-bob at least softened for them so they wouldn't break anything) they dug themself out of the once-again hardened dirt.

"Good news! Since this is private land, you can use your Quirks as much as you want to!" Mandalay called down to them. "You've got three full hours. You should be able to make it to the facility in that time. That is, if you can get through The Beast's Forest!"

Turning back to the tree line, they saw that— now up close and personal —the foliage was overgrown and strangely large. The dense canopy blocking out much of the light the deeper in.

"The Beast's Forest?!" Midoriya sputtered.

"That sounds like a name right out of a video game!" Kaminari groaned.

"Why do we keep falling for Aizawa's little tricks?" Jirou grumbled.

"I guess there's no use complaining." Kirishima brushed himself off. "Might as well get going."

Hitomi looked around, doing a headcount and making sure no one was hurt from the drop. But other than some scrapes and bruises, everyone seemed fine. No scent of blood entering her nose.

Though, the scent of another bodily fluid appeared.

Hitomi grimaced, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Ah! We're all gonna die!"

Hitomi whirled around, gaping at the thing responsible for making Mineta soil himself.

B-but… she didn't smell it! There was just dirt. Nothing telling of the huge creature towering over him.

"Please calm yourself my giant friend!" Koda ran forward bravely, his voice the loudest Hitomi had ever heard. "You don't wanna hurt them!"

But the creature raised a clawed hand, and moved to bat Mineta away.

With green sparks, Midoriya grabbed him and jumped out of the way just in time.

Wait… no smell, and Koda couldn't control it?

Pixie-bob's Quirk!

"It's not alive…" She whispered with realization, then shouted out to all of them. "It's not alive! You can use lethal force!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Bakugou grinned dangerously, shooting himself at the beast with blasts of his Quirk.

Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida all launched into action as well, showing no hesitation.

Hitomi sighed, lamenting her state of dress, and shifted.

"Recipro Burst!"

"I'll kill you!

Hitomi dully wished she had a cool named attack she could use. The fact she wouldn't be able to say it while transformed, not crossing her mind.

The boys made quick work of the first one, destroying the earth-creature in a coordinated attack. But more and more started crawling through the trees toward them, all different shapes and sizes.

Hitomi found herself faced off with a quadrupedal beast about her size, growling lowly at it. It returned the favor, baring teeth made of stone.

"Let's go, Class A!" Iida bellowed determinedly.

"Yeah!"

Hitomi charged at the beast, lips pulling back to reveal her own set of fangs.

Yeah!

Hitomi heaved, vomited again with a whimper.

"That's it, let it out." Momo whispered soothingly, though her voice sounded like thunder in Hitomi's ears.

Over her hunched shoulders was a simple white blanket to hide her naked form— her tattered clothes long gone by this point.

Clenching her eyes tightly shut, Hitomi tried to focus on blocking all the smells and sounds out, wincing and wobbling from her vertigo. Her limbs felt heavy, and she wanted— needed, nothing more than to rest. Evident by her body's blatant protest to her prolonged use of her Quirk. But they were almost there. She could smell their homeroom teacher just through the tree line.

"Hang in there, just a bit further." Midoriya rasped, clearly exhausted as well.

Hitomi started to nod, then stopped when it made her vision tilt. Hugging the blanket closer to herself, she straightened slowly and trudged on, signaling to the rest that it was time to continue on.

She wasn't the only one in poor shape. Far from it, actually, which was selfishly comforting in a way.

Momo was stumbling and dizzy from overuse of her Quirk without the proper caloric intake beforehand. Bakugou was cradling his forearms, which had only recently healed. Todoroki was suffering from frostbite on his right side. Iida's left leg was smoking and sputtering, forcing him to limp along. Kaminari was fried to the point of being completely silent. Ochako was taking barf-breaks alongside Hitomi. Koda's voice was practically gone. Aoyama was walking hunched over, holding his stomach. And Mineta's head was steadily bleeding.

They were quite a sight to behold, lumbering out of the forest to stand before their teacher and the two Heroes.

"You said it would only be, like, three hours!" Sero croaked, wincing any time he bent his arms.

It was well past that point, the sky yellow as the sun started setting, the time of their arrival being 5:24pm.

"I guess we timed it based on how long it'd take us. Sorry!" Mandalay shrugged in a what can you do fashion.

Hitomi started to careen to the side, hastily caught by Tsuyu.

"Now you're braggin' about how much better you are? That's so mean." Sato said weakly.

"I'm starving! This is hell." Kirishima reclined back on the ground.

"Mew, mew, mew, mew!" Pixie-bob giggled, and Hitomi was too exhausted to even appreciate its cuteness. "I thought it would take you kids even longer. But you did much better against my dirt monsters than I thought you would. You guys were seriously great. Especially… the four of you!"

Her genuine praise was undermined slightly when she leveled Bakugou, Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki with a look of borderline hunger.

"It seems like you've had quite a bit of experience." She licked her lips in a way akin to Midnight, then threw herself at them. "I call dibs on these kittens! I'll groom them myself!"

While the boys tried shielding themselves from her, Mr. Aizawa turned to Mandalay.

"Has she always been like this?"

"It's gotten worse lately. She's at the age to take a mate."

"Uh, Hitomi? You're growling." Momo touched her shoulder.

Hitomi jolted, the rumbling cutting off.

She hadn't even noticed she was. Or why. There was nothing threatening around, at least, that she could see. Just her tired classmates and the Heroes— one of which that was still boraging the four boys.

Hitomi felt her chest start to vibrate again, which she quickly stifled.

Weird.

"Uh, speaking of people's ages—" Midoriya's face was covered by a glove again.

"Choose your words carefully, boy." Pixie-bob warned.

"I've just been wondering since we got here earlier." Midoriya's voice came out muffled, and he pointed to a young boy standing by Mandalay. "Who is that kid? What's he doing here?"

"Oh, this little guy?" Mandalay gestured to the sole child. "He's my cousin's son. He lives with us now. Don't be shy, Kouta. Say hi to everyone. You're gonna be around them for the next week."

Once separating himself from Pixie-bob, Midoriya approached Kouta with a smile.

"Hey there. My name's Midoriya. I'm from the UA High School Hero course. It's nice to meet you!"

Kouta pulled his right fist back and delivered it squarely to Midoriya's groin.

Hitomi blinked, staring stunned at the boy, who casually walked away.

"What a low blow!" Iida ran over and caught Midoriya, who was holding his injured self with an ashen complexion. "You fiend of a child! A punch to the scrotum is unforgivable!"

Kouta paused, looking back at them with a sneer. "The last thing I want is to hang with some wannabe Heroes."

Hitomi's face fell, a soft frown settling in. He sounded like—

"Wannabe?! How old are you, kid?!"

"That brat's got spunk." Bakugou commented.

Opening her mouth to add something, Hitomi turned and looked at the blonde, but immediately froze.

Because… he was smiling. Like, not smirking or grinning with fierce eyes, but smiling warmly.

"He's like a mini version of you." Todoroki snarked dryly.

And the smile was gone, replaced by a snarl as he rounded on the bi-colored boy. "What're you talking about?!" Then, he noticed Hitomi's gaze, and turned on her as well. "And what're you staring at?!"

Hitomi held the blanket closer, for some reason suddenly acutely aware of how bare she was underneath. "I-I just… you have a really nice smile."

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't that. She could almost see the fire go out in his eyes, something else taking its place.

His scent changed too, with a spike of… something she couldn't place. Contentment? That was the closest thing she could liken it to, the trace of it so small it was hardly noticeable.

"Enough playing around." Mr. Aizawa ordered, gaining their attention. "Get your stuff off the bus. Once your bags are in your rooms we'll have dinner in the cafeteria. After that you can bathe and sleep."

Hitomi stood straighter, about to open her mouth, when he addressed her.

"Saito, you can go get changed after moving your bag." He held up a UA gym uniform still in plastic packaging, and finished off his speech to them. "Now, tomorrow your training starts in earnest. You'd better get a move on."

Hitomi almost tripped on the end of the blanket in her haste to get to the bus.

Chapter 33: Hot springs, cheap shots, and curry

Chapter Text

Still covered in sweat and dirt, Hitomi reveled in the comfort clean clothes brought her, the gym uniform feeling blissful to wear after the embarrassment of hiding her modesty in a thin piece of cloth.

But it paled in comparison to the spread of food laid out for them in the mess hall.

"Are you gonna cry?" Ojirou laughed at the look of wonder on her face.

Her stomach made a noise, announcing her furious hunger to those sitting next to her.

"Let's dig in!"

She immediately snatched up the meat closest to her— which wound up being some kind of pork dish, piling it onto her plate, before shoveling it into her mouth. Kirishima and Kaminari were right alongside her, devouring bowls of white rice.

Kaminari froze, eyes intense. "I smell beef!"

Kirishima whipped his head around, zeroing in on Pixie-bob, who was delivering even more food to the tables. "Hey, wait, you got meat over there?!"

"Yeah?" Pixie-bob huffed in amusement. "Jeez, it's like you guys haven't eaten in a week or something. Anyway, today's the only time we'll be doing this for you. So make sure you kids enjoy it."

"Thank you!"

"Here." Hitomi mumbled around a fork that she was 80% sure was meant for serving food, and pushed the pork dish towards the boys.

It would be shocking if there were any leftovers by the time the class was finished.

"Come on, Hitomi! The water feels amazing!" Mina gushed, lowering herself down until it reached under her nose.

Hitomi hugged the towel tighter around herself, face flushed. "I-I don't know. I might just sit this out."

"Do you not like hot springs?" Ochako innocently asked.

"Uh, well…"

Jirou lifted her head, seeming to catch on. "What if we promise not to look until you're in the water?"

Hitomi relaxed slightly, nodding in agreement.

It wasn't that she thought they would say anything about her or her body, but the self consciousness still lingered nonetheless.

Shirking the towel off, she rushed to slide into the hot spring, sitting with the water just under her mouth, similar to Mina.

"There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Mina chirped once Hitomi gave them the green light to open their eyes.

Instead of admitting that she was right, Hitomi took a deep breath and dunked her head down, fully submerging herself in the water. After staying like that for a bit, she surged back up, faintly gasping. She shook her head in a motion akin to a dog drying itself, and pulled her hair from her face.

With her ears now free of water, she could hear Kouta's young voice come from the top of the wall separating the two hot springs.

"Before you become a "Hero", you should learn how to be a good human." With a slap, he knocked down the pervert climbing up the side.

"I'll get you for this!" Mineta cried as he fell.

Tsuyu shook her head in disapproval. "Mineta really is the worst, isn't he?"

"Thanks so much, Kouta babe!" Mina cheered, sitting unabashedly out of the spring. "We owe you one!"

Kouta looked down at them, and yelped at the sight. Face glowing red, he stumbled back and fell off the edge of the wall, down to the boys' side.

"Kouta!" Hitomi jumped out of the water, running for the door leading to the boys' side to try to catch him. But a long tongue around her midriff stopped her.

"You don't want to do that, ribbit." Tsuyu warned, pulling her back.

"B-but—"

"You're naked." Momo pointed out.

Ah, right.

She still hesitated, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Is he okay over there?!"

"Y-yeah, I caught him!" Midoriya called back.

Hitomi sagged in relief. "Thank goodness."

It was 5:30am, and Hitomi wanted to die.

"Good morning, class." Mr. Aizawa looked the same as usual, despite likely being up even earlier than them. "Today we begin a training camp that will increase your strength. Our goal is to increase your skills exponentially so that each of you arms a provisional license. This will allow you to face the dangers that continue to fester in the darkness. Proceed carefully." He pulled out a familiar ball. "Look alive, Bakugou. Try throwing that for me." He tossed it to the blonde.

"Yeah, sure. Like in the fitness test." He surmised, voice mellow.

"That's right. When you first started school, your record was 705.2 meters. Let's see if you've improved."

"Oh I get it! We're checking our progress!" Mina added.

"A lot's happened to us the past three months. Maybe he can throw it a whole mile now!" Sero suggested while the blonde winded his arm up.

"Come on, get it, Bakugou!" Kirishima cheered.

Hitomi smiled, some of her grogginess seeping away. "Send it flying!"

Bakugou grinned, taking the stance. "I've got this. No one blink." His arm pulled back— "Go to hell!"

Hitomi slapped her hands over her ears, wincing at the deafening boom.

"Go to hell?" She giggled, slowly lowering her hands.

"...That was 709.6 meters." Mr. Aizawa held up his phone to show the lackluster results.

"That's it? Kinda disappointing…" Sero mumbled.

"You've had a single semester at UA, and due to your various experiences, all of you have definitely improved." Mr. Aizawa put his phone away, coming to stand in front of them. "But those improvements have mostly been limited to mental prowess and technical skill. With a slight increase in stamina thrown in along the way. Your Quirks really haven't grown that much stronger. Not on a fundamental level. That's why we're now going to focus on improving your powers." He smirked, putting them all on edge. "This'll be so hard, you'll feel like you're dying. Let's hope you all survive."

Hitomi had no idea what was in store for her, but she thought it was safe to assume that whatever it was, was going to majorly suck.

(Hint: it was.)

"We'll start off with something simple." Mr. Aizawa told her, while people like Jirou, Mina, Tsuyu, Iida, and Midoriya were already getting started. "There's a dummy hidden somewhere in the forest, and you have to find it, using this." He held up a t-shirt.

She could smell it had a liberal coating of perfume on it, and cocked her head. It all sounded stupidly easy. "That's it, sir?"

Mr. Aizawa smirked again.

Crap.

"There have been certain things set up between here and the dummy, meant to hinder and distract you. Your focus needs to be on saving the civilian, and not getting sidetracked."

Yeah, that sounded much harder.

In her Akita form she took a deep sniff of the shirt, memorizing the scent. Lifting her head and pointing her nose to the sky, she tried blocking out all the warring smells in the camp to pinpoint the direction of the dummy.

Got it.

Hitomi took off, charging headfirst into the woods, having already forgotten about Mr. Aizawa's warning.

She kept her nose close to the ground, noticing another scent mingling with the perfume. And it took her an embarrassingly long time to realize it was the "kidnapper's". Casually trotting along, she didn't run into any problems at first, lulling her into a false sense of safety. But then—

"Hitomi!"

She stopped, whipping around to face where Momo's call came from. Something about it was off, sounding tinny, almost, but Hitomi didn't dwell on it. Tail wagging, she started to veer off from the path and follow it, but a faint whisper in the back of her mind halted her.

Momo's training.

She stopped, a low whine coming from her throat.

Civilian.

Hitomi would've hit herself if she could. Getting distracted was specifically what Mr. Aizawa didn't want her to do. And the idea of disappointing him made something bitter sit on the back of her tongue.

"Hitomi, come on! I need your help!"

Ignore it. Ignore. Not Momo—

In an effort to get away from the tempting trap, Hitomi barreled forward, trying her best to focus on her task. Which was… right! The civilian!

Too busy trying to escape the first distraction, she missed entering the next.

Her paw stepped down, something giving away beneath the dirt, and suddenly—

Coming from someplace nearby, shrill, ear-piercing alarms rang.

Hitomi cried out in pain, lowering her head and clumsily trying to put her paws over her ears. It wasn't as bad as the criminal in the jewelry store, but the high frequency ringing rattled her brain.

She could turn back, right? Shift and lessen the horrible sharp ringing. She could do that, right?

But something in her gut told her that was exactly what she wasn't supposed to do.

Growling thickly, Hitomi reluctantly stood on trembling legs, teeth bared and grinding together as she rode out the pain. She had to find the source, she was sure of it.

Frantically looking around, she searched for anything that was out of place or didn't belong in the forest. But the speaker must've been hidden well, because she couldn't find it.

Impatient and sporting a massive headache, Hitomi barked in frustration, and childishly stomped with her front paws.

One of them touched the button that turned the speakers on in the first place.

She stopped, mind whirring slowly. Then it hit her.

Hitomi quickly dug up the button, finding a cord attached to it.

Yes!

Holding it in her mouth, she pulled, steadily revealing more and more of the cord, until something heavy fell from a nearby tree, the shrill ringing finally cutting off.

But Hitomi continued to pull, eventually dragging the speaker into view. It was camouflaged as a bird's nest, with the cord painted to match the weeds that snaked up some of the tree trunks.

With vindictive satisfaction, Hitomi crushed the speaker under her paw, leaving it in the middle of the path in pieces.

As she trudged on, she slowly began to notice more scents. Each one a strong perfume that was much like the civilian's. They were all floral, with subtle enough differences that it threw her off.

She was after the one wearing rose perfume. Right? Or… or was it gardenia? She could smell lavender, jasmine, honeysuckle, magnolia—

Nausea swirled in her stomach unpleasantly, working with her headache to make her feel sick.

Huffing at herself, Hitomi shook her head— bad idea —and kept progressing, going with her first guess and followed the rose perfume.

She doubted her decision, until she came upon the next trap.

Mr. Aizawa said that there would be things set up between the camp, and the dummy. So… that meant she was going the right way!

Knowing that, it was a bit easier to bypass the table laid out with delicious smelling meats. As much as she wanted to eat some, she still had enough smarts to deduce it was probably tampered with in some way. So with a heavy heart she ran past it.

The dummy was close, she could tell. And when she turned down the path, she spotted it, dangling from a random tree.

It was a simple stuffed dummy, with a shirt shoved over it that was covered with the perfume, like the one Mr. Aizawa showed her.

Coming up to it, Hitomi finally turned off her Quirk, hurrying to climb up to where the rope holding it was tied around a sturdy branch.

"Don't worry, you're safe now." She smiled reassuringly at it, treating it like an actual civilian. "My name's Ōkami. Are you hurt at all?"

Hitomi waited, giving the dummy sufficient time to "reply", and finally got the knot undone. After carefully lowering it down, she hopped out of the tree, and got the rope off of it.

"Can you tell me who did this to you?"

She paused again, nodding and humming. It helped that it felt a lot like when she attended one of Hana's tea parties.

"Okay, there's a camp nearby, I'll take you there and we can treat you for any injuries. Don't worry, there's more Heroes there too." Hitomi gently hoisted the dummy onto her back, pulling the arms over her shoulders, and hooking her hands under its knees.

She considered using her Quirk again, knowing that was what they were all supposed to be training, but Hitomi weighed the importance of that, while thinking of how she would go about the same situation if the dummy was a real person. And in the event that she was responsible for keeping a civilian safe, it was better to err on the side of caution.

Sprinting back down the path toward camp, Hitomi kept her ears moving on her head, pointing them at any sound of leaves rustling or twigs breaking. Her nose was keen as well, ready to pick up on any foreign scent. All the while, she reassured the dummy with comforting words, and praised it for being so strong.

"We're almost there." Hitomi told it, before skidding to a halt, eyes narrowing up ahead.

Someone was coming, and fast. It was—

"Mwa ha ha!" Iida came to a stop in front of her, his engines smoking faintly. "I see you've found my captive! But I won't let you get away with them!" He spoke in a high and villainous tone.

Hitomi paused, lowering her voice slightly. "Iida, is this part of my training?"

Iida broke character, nodding with a sincere smile, and matched her volume. "Yes, Mr. Aizawa pulled me aside and asked if I would fill the role."

"Ah, okay." She cleared her throat, raising her voice back to normal. "That's too bad, because I won't let you harm this civilian!"

She jumped back, quickly depositing the dummy on the ground to lean against a tree, then charged at Iida.

"You puny Hero!" Iida cackled, taking on a fighting stance. "To think you can—"

Hitomi reared her right fist back, closing in on him.

He raised his arms to shield his face from it, widening his stance.

A smirk tugged on her lips. Sorry Iida.

While following through with her fist, she also brought her left foot up, sending it squarely to his—

Iida grunted, face paling, as he dropped to the ground, cradling his crotch.

"Sorry, Iida." Hitomi said with a grimace. "My Aunt Rumi says when lives are at stake, there's no such thing as a fair fight."

"W-wise words." He croaked into the dirt.

Hitomi hurried over to the dummy, picking it back up and running past Iida with another apology sent back at him.

"—And you might wanna make that codpiece bigger!"

When she broke through the tree line, she saw Mr. Aizawa waiting for her, a stopwatch in hand.

"Twenty-six minutes and sixteen seconds. Not bad."

Hitomi beamed at the praise, and bounced the dummy slightly. "Where do I put the civilian?"

Mr. Aizawa reached out his hands, taking it from her and casually holding it under his arm. "Where's Iida?"

Hitomi winced. "Ah, well…" she came up to the teacher, whispering what happened.

There was a flash of a sympathetic frown on his face, before he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You know he still has training to do?"

Hitomi nodded meekly.

He sighed again. "He gets twenty minutes to recover. And you, try to refrain from kicking anyone else… there."

"Yes sir!"

"Now go join Midoriya while we set up your next course."

Hitomi looked to where the green haired boy, and several others from Class 1-B were being put through the wringer by Tiger.

She grinned eagerly.

"Now, remember what I said?" Pixie-bob chirped. "We're not serving your food anymore!"

"If you guys wanna eat, you'll have to make your own meals! Starting with curry!" Ragdoll finished.

"Yes, ma'am…" Most of Classes 1-A and 1-B drawled wearily.

Ragdoll giggled hysterically. "Oh man, do you guys look exhausted! But that doesn't mean you can coast by making sloppy cat food!"

Iida was the first to pick his head up, seeming fully recuperated from Hitomi's ruthless attack earlier in the day. "Oh, I see! An important part of saving someone recovering from a disaster is providing for their physical needs, as well as spiritual. Ah! This is a great opportunity! Let's make the most delicious curry in the world, everyone!" He encouraged the two classes.

Hitomi pumped a fist weakly, her muscles screaming in protest. "Yeah!"

"Yeah, okay…"

Tasks were divided up between them, some to prep the vegetables, some to prep the meat, and some to get the fires going.

"Hey, Todoroki!" Mina called, playfully snapping her tongs. "Can we get some fire over here, too?"

Standing with Tokoyami at their station, Sero grinned over at their temperamental blonde. "Bakugou, use an explosion to light ours."

Hitomi's ear went straight. "I don't think that—"

"This is so beneath me!" Bakugou blasted the firewood, destroying the brick stove.

"Too much!" Tokoyami warned too late.

"Rely on others and you'll never learn to start a fire yourself." Momo materialized a lighter in her hand. "We should focus on acquiring new skills."

"Here, let me." Todoroki still came over, cupping a small flame in his left palm, and transferring it to the wood.

"Thank you so much!" Ochako beamed.

"Burn, baby, burn!" Mina chanted excitedly.

"Um, Saito?"

Hitomi looked away from her bucket of skinned potatoes, peering up at Midoriya while sitting casually on the ground. "What's up?"

Midoriya swallowed visibly, his eyes flittering around, only managing to lock with hers for a few seconds, before fleeing again.

"Can we talk?"

Hitomi nodded, setting down her half-way peeled potato. "Sure! What's on your mind?"

Midoriya hesitated, scratching his neck. "Uh, well, I was actually thinking we could talk a-alone?"

That threw her off. But nonetheless she stood, brushing the dirt from her legs, and followed him until they reached the tree line, well out of earshot.

"Have you ever heard of the Hero duo Water Hose?"

Hitomi frowned, her ears drooping. "Yeah, I have. They were compared to my parents a lot, and… were murdered on the job too."

Midoriya nodded, looking mightily guilty for bringing it up, but he pushed on. "Apparently, Kouta is their son."

Hitomi's heart ached.

"Really?"

"Mm." He confirmed sadly. "And… well, I know it's not my place— and you can totally tell me to beat it and never bring it up again! B-but I was wondering… after what happened, did you ever hate Heroes, like Kouta does?"

Hitomi pursed her lips, lowering her head. "No, not Heroes in general." Just one. "But Nori did. Though, he kinda always hated them. I think it was because he saw all the scrapes and bruises Mama and Papa would come home with. He hated the idea of them being hurt, and being a Hero was what caused it, so…"

"I kinda got that feeling from him during the I-Expo incident." Midoriya admitted. "You could just tell he didn't want to work with us, and thought we were just a bunch of stupid kids. But your safety outweighed his reluctance to be a part of the situation.

Hitomi cracked a smile, chest warm.

"I can't speak for Kouta, and his dislike of Heroes. But maybe if I had been younger when I lost my parents, I would've felt the same way."

"I don't think so."

Hitomi lifted her head, cocking it questioningly.

Midoriya hastily elaborated. "W-well, I mean— You care about people so fiercely, even when you don't really know them! It's hard to imagine you being anything but a Hero."

Hitomi sucked in a breath, face burning. That was… one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her.

"Midoriya! Saito! The curry's done!"

There were picnic tables set up outside for them to use, providing enough seating for all forty students, who were already digging in.

"If I got this at a restaurant, I'd send this crap back. But after today, I'll eat every bite!" Kirishima cried through mouthfuls of rice and curry.

Hitomi claimed a free spot, wasting no time and started devouring the food. Kirishima was right, it definitely wasn't the best, but like Nori always said, there's no better seasoning than hunger.

"Is everything okay?" Mezou asked through his mask next to her, one of his hands turning into a mouth and eating.

Hitomi swallowed, answering once it was down. "Yep! Everything's fine!"

"What did shitty Deku want?" Bakugou grumbled suspiciously.

Hitomi turned, finding him sitting at the table behind her, glowering over his bowl of curry. She gave him a smile in return.

"He was just wondering if I'd ever heard of Water Hose."

A flicker of recognition sparked in his eyes, and Hitomi went back to her dinner.

"Whoa, you're scarfing, Momo!" Mina chimed, impressed.

The ravenette paused her eating to explain. "Yes. My Quirk transforms lipids into brand new atoms to create inorganic materials. That means the more I eat, the more I can make."

Sero chewed thoughtfully. "Like how poop works."

Hitomi choked, coughing and cackling at the same time. She felt Mezou worriedly pat her back to help, but she was too caught up in her hysteria.

"Apologize!" Jirou punched Sero in the face, while Momo sulked.

"Okay, I'm sorry!"

"Shouldn't you be, like, defending her honor or something?" Kaminari asked from the seat in front of her.

Hitomi hacked one last time, shoulders shaking with mirth. "S-she's my best friend, I'm allowed to laugh at her expense sometimes. It goes both ways."

"That's pretty feral of you."

"Shut the fuck up, Dunce Face!"

Hitomi smiled into her food, the curry suddenly tasting better.

Chapter 34: Test of courage

Notes:

Now, I haven't read the light novels, nor do I have access to them at this time, but they have fairly detailed synopsises on the BNHA wikipedia. So while the scenes and dialogue won't be totally accurate to the light novels, I'm still going to borrow things from it, now and in the future.
Also, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! There’s a special bonus Halloween themed sketch along with this chapter’s at the bottom. 🧡🖤🧡

Chapter Text

"A sleepover?" Hitomi cocked her head, hugging her pillow close.

Mina nodded, bouncing excitedly. "Yeah! The girls from 1-B are sneaking over from their room. It's gonna be so much fun!"

Hitomi's tail started to wag. "Oh, I still have some road trip snacks left! We could munch on those!"

"Perfect!"

"What exactly is the plan here?" Jirou questioned, twirling her ear.

Momo reached under her shirt, pulling out a newly made deck of cards. "We've got these, and Hitomi's snacks. What else?"

"We could play Truth or Dare?" Tsuyu suggested.

"I can make a paku-paku!" Mina dove for her bag, rifling around for some paper and a pen.

"What about MASH?" Hitomi piped, only to get confused stares back. "Uh— it's a game my cousins from the states taught me."

There was a knock on the door, and Ochako jumped up to answer it.

Kendou grinned in greeting, carrying her futon and pillow, the rest of the 1-B girls behind her.

"Hey! You guys sure there's enough room?"

"Yep! Come on in!" Mina beamed, working with Hitomi to move their futons to make space.

Hitomi didn't know the girls that well, only familiar with Kendou, and Shiozaki. Thankfully the ginger introduced everyone in true big sister fashion.

"This is Yui Kodai." She gestured to a girl with shoulder length black hair, lovely blue eyes, and a subdued expression. "Pony Tsunotori." Was a blonde foreign exchange student, with big horns and a round nose. "Kinoko Komori." Had light brown hair that fell over her eyes, and she stood as one of the shortest out of all of them. "Ibara Shiozaki." Of course had long vine-like hair, and serene eyes. "Reiko Yanagi." Looked like she wanted to disappear, half her shy expression hidden by her short silver hair. "And Setsuna Tokage." Had a sharp toothed grin, and wavy seaweed green hair.

"Alright!" Mina clapped her hands, standing above all of the lounging girls. "What're we doing first?"

"We brought some sweets." Kendou lifted a brightly colored bag. "As thanks for warning us about Mineta before we went to the hot spring."

"If only we had a laptop, we could watch a movie or something." Jirou propped her chin up on her hand.

"We don't need a movie to have a good time." Tsunotori chirped in endearingly messy Japanese.

Jirou nodded slightly, then perked up. "Oh, I have a karaoke app we can goof around with."

"Yes!" Hitomi leaned in eagerly. "That sounds awesome!"

"Do we need to download it too?" Kendou asked, already pulling out her phone.

"I think so."

Hitomi noticed Ochako's scent spike with embarrassment, and remembered that she had a flip-phone, from when they all traded contact information.

"Hey, we can both use mine." She saddled up next to her, speaking quietly.

Ochako visibly relaxed, smiling sheepishly. "Thanks, Hitomi."

"Well, while everyone does that," Mina started in a sly tone, "I have a question…"

The girls all peered up from their phones, giving her curious looks.

Mina smirked, and pointed dramatically at them. "Who's crushing on who?!"

"Eh?!"

Hitomi worriedly turned to Ochako, staring at her tomato-red friend.

"Why?" Jirou crossed her arms, cheeks dusted pink.

Mina put her hands on her hips. "Because we're teenage girls surrounded by a bunch of cute boys. Someone has to have caught feelings!"

Kendou and Momo shared a shrug, the ginger responding dully.

"Well, it's not like we've had much time. I mean, with prepping for the exams all the way back in middle school, then how busy UA has kept us, it's just not the right time."

"Come on," Mina whined, "love doesn't care about schedules or the "right time". It strikes outta nowhere!"

"W-who said anything about love?!" Jirou sputtered. "That's way too strong a word!"

"Hmm." Mina considered that, then spotted the way Ochako was practically glowing. "Ah-ha! You're blushing!" She dropped down, leaning in close.

Ochako frantically shook her head. "N-no I'm not! I-I just, uh, ate some of Hitomi's spicy snacks, that's all!"

Hitomi cocked her head, knowing she was lying. But this time, she kept her mouth shut, figuring she knew the reason why.

Most people shared a similar scent for the same emotion. Some things like anger, sadness, joy, fear, were all universal and easy to distinguish no matter the person. But some varied wildly between people, a few of those being jealousy, disgust, and attraction.

Attraction had the nasty habit of smelling like different feelings and emotions. Ranging vastly from anything, like joy to anger. It could even smell like determination or longing. Kind of like Shinsou's scent.

(Over in the boys' room, while spectating the arm wrestling matches between Class A and B, Izuku sneezed inexplicably.)

"Hm, okay." Mina relented suspiciously, leaning back. "Anyone else? Gimme something here, like, even just who you think is good boyfriend material."

Momo cleared her throat, side-eyeing Jirou. "Kyoka, I can't help but to have noticed you and Kaminari spending time together."

"What?!" Jirou made a face of disgust. "Whatever you're thinking, that's not it! I feel like he's the type of guy to cheat on a girl."

Hitomi frowned faintly. "I dunno, he's flirty but he's also a really good friend. He's a Border Collie. Border Collie's don't cheat."

While the girls from B looked painfully confused as to what she meant by that, Mina rounded on the pinkette.

"Oh, the Isami guy!"

Hitomi blinked, brows furrowed with confusion. "Fujimi? What about him?"

"He was crushing on you hard, it was obvious." Tsuyu said bluntly.

Hitomi squawked, waving her off. "What? No way! He looked like he hated our class!"

"Yeah, everyone but you."

Momo sighed. "It's no use, trust me. She hasn't even noticed the way Shinsou looks at her."

Hitomi cocked her head, clueless. "What about Shinsou?"

(In the boys' room, Iida offered Izuku a tissue, worriedly asking his friend if he was coming down with something.)

"Okay, well, she's a lost cause." Mina abandoned all hopes of wrangling something juicy out of the pinkette. "Let's see… I think we can all say that Todoroki is a major hottie. No pun intended."

The girls nodded and murmured in agreement, until Kendou pointed out a serious flaw.

"But… isn't he Endeavor's kid? That kinda makes him untouchable, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, his dad's a total jerk." Hitomi stated with a touch of annoyance. "He tried pressuring my parents into a Quirk marriage between Todoroki and me."

There was a long pause, before the girls erupted.

"What?!"

"You can't just drop something like that Hitomi!" Mina grabbed her shoulder and shook her.

"They didn't agree to it!" Hitomi clarified, voice wobbling from Mina's manhandling.

"What about Iida?" Tsuyu broke some of the tension, finger thoughtfully to her mouth. "He's handsome, but he's pretty up-tight."

"He's so stuffy he'd probably refuse to hold hands until marriage." Jirou commented, earning a few chuckles.

"Okay, what about Midoriya? I've seen them usually eating lunch together, him and Iida." Tokage added.

Ochako flared red again.

"What's up with him?" Kendou questioned, not unkindly. "He was so different at the sports festival than he is at school."

"He's a hard worker. He doesn't hurt himself as much using his Quirk anymore." Tsuyu praised.

Ochako jumped up. "Yeah! He inspires me to always try my best, you know!"

"But he's a total All Might fanboy." Mina pointed out. "I feel like the Hero'd outshine any girl he was in a relationship with."

Ochako deflated.

Hitomi chewed her bottom lip, a certain classmate standing out in her mind. "What about Bakugou?"

"Egh!" Mina made an 'X' with her arms, mimicking the sound of a game-show buzzer. "No way! He's way too hostile!"

Hitomi pursed her lips, hugging her pillow tighter. Mina was shutting him down too easily. Bakugou could be loud and mean, sure, but he wasn't just that.

He was passionate. Strong willed. A great cook. Surprisingly considerate when the time called for it. His voice was really nice. His hair always looked soft. And his scent—

Hitomi flushed. If she focused, she could smell burnt caramel coming from next door.

Something must be ticking him off.

"What about celebrity crushes?" Mina pushed the subject onward, refusing to let the love-life gossip die out. "Oh, what about Hawks!"

"Come on, everyone has a thing for Hawks." Tokage deadpanned.

Hitomi withheld a grimace. She certainly didn't have a "thing" for him. His fans all assumed him to be this laidback, suave, chill guy, but she knew better. He reminded her strongly of Nori, with his sarcasm, and constant teasing.

She didn't get to see him often, but when she did, he always took the opportunity to mess with her.

"Oh, are everyone's downloads done?" Kendou asked, noticing hers had finished.

Everyone got out their phones again, (minus Ochako, who scooted up next to Hitomi) and connected to Jirou's, who acted as the host.

"Alright, who's up first?" She prompted, looking around for volunteers.

"Hey," Kendou nudged Momo, "you wanna go head-to-head?"

Momo agreed, and they searched for a good duet to do.

"Man, we barely talked about boys at all." Mina slumped, pouting.

"You can't really help when you fall in love, or who it's with. It's something that happens naturally. And when it finally does, we can talk about boys and romance again." Tsuyu rationally proposed.

Hitomi stared at her, then looked down at her lap.

Her parents met at the end of middle school, and thought it was fate when they both wound up in the same class at UA. They dated all throughout high school, and married shortly after graduation.

She couldn't help but wonder, what it must feel like to be so deeply in love with someone.

Hitomi was broken out of her musings by a small explosion coming from the next room.

"The old man of seventy walked into his stable—"

In Akita-form, Hitomi ducked to avoid Ojirou's flying kick.

"Inside were three white stallions. He approached the second and mounted it—"

Hitomi yelped, growling at Tsuyu, who had slipped by and lashed her with her tongue.

"The old man rode the white stallion from Wednesday evening, to Friday morning—"

Hackles rising in ire, Hitomi angrily barked at Sato when he charged at her.

"Friday afternoon, he went to the bank and withdrew three-hundred-thousand yen—"

While she was distracted growling at Sato, Ojirou swooped in and whipped his tail at her throat.

"With his money, the old man bought five-hundred-and-sixty bags of green apples—"

She coughed, stumbling back, struggling to regain control of her breathing.

"Which amounted to approximately one-thousand-eight-hundred-and-fifty apples—"

Tsuyu jumped onto her back, wrapping her tongue around her throat before she could catch her breath.

"The old man then sold the apples for a third of the price more—"

Sato leapt onto her too, knocking her down to her side.

"Approximately how much did the old man make in profit?"

Hitomi shrunk back down, panting and hacking weakly. She stared up at the sky, exhausted, physically and mentally.

"Sorry about that." Ojirou gave her a hand up, wincing guiltily. "Mr. Aizawa told us to go all out, and not bother trying to play fair. Said something about justice for Iida."

Hitomi whined, head ducked in shame.

"Do you think you got all that?" Mandalay asked her, walking over with papers in hand. "'Cause I need a detailed relay of the story I told you, along with the answer to the math equation." She held out the paper.

Hitomi took it with great reluctance.

"That's just cold." Sato whispered in horror.

"Once you're done, Eraser wants you running drills with Tiger."

"Merciless." Ojirou tacked on, Tsuyu nodding in agreement.

"Tonight's gonna be fun!" Pixie-bob chirped gleefully. "We're pitting classes against each other in a test of courage! I know you've been training hard today. And later, you'll get to play hard too! How's that for a reward?!"

Hitomi sat on the ground, gnawing on the end of her pencil, wracking her brain for all the minute details Mandalay dropped throughout the story. She knew that this was what she needed to sharpen her mind when using her Quirk, but god, was it overwhelming.

"Don't slack now! Be sure you keep on pushing yourself as you work!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Not even the final exam was this hard." Hitomi whimpered, her face pressed into the grain of the picnic table.

All while Hitomi trained under Tiger's fierce tutelage, Mandalay continued pumping stories and questions into her mind that she had to memorize and answer to the best of her abilities, otherwise Mr. Aizawa said she couldn't have dinner.

Fortunately, she managed to scrape by.

A hand grabbed her collar, hoisting her up.

"Stop slacking and chop your damn vegetables."

Hitomi whined, but did as Bakugou instructed, following the technique Nori had long ago drilled into her to avoid cutting herself on accident.

"Whoa, Bakugou, you're really good with that knife!" Ochako noticed how he was dicing the carrots swiftly and evenly. "It's weird."

"What do you mean it's weird?! How can you people be so damn bad at everything?!"

"Look at that, he's not blowing stuff up." Kaminari sarcastically marveled as he passed by, carrying a tray of meat.

"I'm too tired for this." Kirishima groaned, exhausted from his group's late-night extra lessons.

Hitomi faltered, caught in the horrifying idea of if she would even still be alive if she had to do those too.

After the classes finished up with dinner, the sky was dark and speckled in stars.

Pixie-bob grinned. "Purfect! We've filled our bellies and cleaned the dishes! So it's time for…!"

"A totally awesome test of courage!" Mina ecstatically cheered.

"We're gonna win!" Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Sato chorused.

Then their hope was shattered.

"Not so fast." Mr. Aizawa drawled. "It pains me to say it, but the remedial class will be having lessons with me tonight instead."

The color drained from Mina's face. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"Sorry." He wrapped them up in his capture weapon before they could escape. "Your training during the day didn't impress me, so I'll be using this time, too."

"Oh, give me a break!" Kaminari and Sero cried out in unison.

"I just wanna prove my courage!" Kirishima and Sato lamented.

Hitomi saluted them mournfully.

Pixie-bob clapped her gloves. "Okay, so, Class B is going to start out as our scarers. When they're in place, Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names on them at the far end of the route. Your goal is to collect those!"

"Revelry in the dark." Tokoyami said lowly.

"Now, those who are scarers aren't allowed to make physical contact. Use your Quirks to terrify the others. Got it?"

"The winners are the creative students who make the most people piss their pants!" Tiger declared.

"Did we need that visual?" Jirou whispered.

"I see." Iida perked up. "They're encouraging us to stoke our imaginations as we compete with each other, all while showing us more uses for our Quirks in the process! As expected of UA!"

Hitomi wagged her tail. "Wow Iida, you're a genius!"

"Alright!" Pixie-bob held up a bunch of strips of numbered paper. "Everyone draw to see who your partner will be!"

The first pair matched was Tokoyami and Mezou. Then Bakugou and Todoroki.

"Hm, I got number three." Hitomi announced, and was immediately latched onto by her partner.

"How are you so calm right now?" Jirou hissed.

Hitomi smirked, shrugging casually. "It's mainly 'cause I know my biggest fear can't be in these woods."

Jirou's brows furrowed. "How can you be sure? What if Class B does whatever it is?"

Hitomi continued to smirk, not noticing her best friend approach from behind.

"Trust me, there's no possible way—"

"Boo." A shark shot out, getting in her face.

Hitomi screamed, scrambling back and landing on her behind.

Momo giggled, her right hand gloved in a rubber shark, which she snapped the jaw of playfully.

"What the heck Momo?!"

The ravenette reeled herself in, clearing her throat. "Consider that payback for laughing at Sero's comment last night."

"You're scared of sharks?" Mineta scoffed.

Hitomi growled, watching in satisfaction as the short boy shot behind Ojirou— his partner.

Pushing herself to her feet, she saw Bakugou grab Jirou's shoulder.

"Listen up, Ears. Trade with me." He pointed furiously at Todoroki.

Much to Hitomi's surprise, Jirou scowled, and wrapped an arm around her once more.

"No way. You got her during internships, then the I-Expo situation. It's my turn with Hitomi."

The pinkette flushed, ducking her head to hide her smile.

The first team, Mezou and Tokoyami, went out fearlessly. Then three minutes later, the fuming Bakugou stomped along with Todoroki into the woods.

Then it was their turn, and Kyoka hastily took the hand Hitomi offered, huddling close. The pinkette sent a wave over her shoulder to Koda, in a silent wish of luck for his turn.

(It just so happened that they were both wearing the matching yellow hoodies they bought together.)

"It's so eerie out here." Kyoka whispered, tensing at every noise.

Hitomi smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "Don't worry, I'll warn you if anything actually dangerous is coming."

Kyoka relaxed slightly, but only for a few minutes, before the first scare got her.

Kodai's head popped out from the ground, staring silently at them.

While Kyoka screamed, Hitomi looked toward where she could smell Kendou hiding out.

"Neat trick. Did you guys get Bakugou and Todoroki with it?"

Honenuki popped his head out from the bushes, giving a toothy grin.

"We totally did! You should've seen their faces!"

"Well, keep up the good work!" Hitomi gave them a thumbs-up, pulling Kyoka along.

"Hard to imagine those two getting shaken by any of this." Kyoka mumbled, looking around vigilantly, now on high alert.

Hitomi shrugged. "I dunno, everyone gets scared sometimes." She slowly came to a stop, frowning faintly.

"What's wrong?" Kyoka tensely asked.

Hitomi closed her eyes, sniffing the air. "It's… weird. I smell smoke."

"What? Is there a forest fire or something?"

"It's not just that." She murmured, opening her eyes and narrowing them ahead. "There's another scent. The smoke almost masked it."

"W-what is it?"

The pinkette's fur stood on end.

"Something bad."

Chapter 35: The night everything fell apart.

Notes:

My eyes are hardly cooperating, as I'm too tired to proofread, so fair warning for any errors.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter; it marks a huge turning point for the story and a lot of the characters. I'm super eager for your guys' reactions.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Kyoka." Hitomi started seriously, eyes pinned down the dark path ahead. "I need you to go back, and warn the others."

"What?!" Kyoka hissed.

"Get Kendou, Kodai, and Honenuki, and you four go—"

"I'm not leaving you here to deal with— with whatever it is that's happening!"

Hitomi gritted her teeth, her canines growing. "Listen to me, someone has to go back, while someone else has to keep going and make sure no one ahead of us is hurt."

"Hurt by what?!"

"I don't know. But it… it feels like the USJ, and I-Island."

Kyoka paled, looking down. "This is bad. Really bad."

Hitomi touched her shoulder, giving her the best smile she could manage.

"Please, Kyoka."

With a faint growl of reluctance, Kyoka took off, sprinting down the path from where they came.

Once she was out of eyesight, Hitomi turned back ahead, stepping forward and sniffing the air, searching desperately for—

There it was. Burnt caramel.

"Bakugou! Todoroki!" Hitomi called, darting off from the beaten path into the brush, weaving through bushes and trees, ever so grateful for her genetic night-vision.

"Everyone!"

Hitomi stopped, shivering at the now familiar feeling of Mandalay speaking telepathically.

"Two Villains attacked us!"

Hitomi bit back a curse, hands clenched tightly in frustration. She knew it. She just hoped to be wrong.

The USJ. The mall. I-Island. And now the summer camp. Villains were there at every turn.

Shigaraki's words to her slithered unpleasantly in Hitomi's mind.

"It's possible there are more coming. Everyone, return to camp immediately! We're regrouping. Do not engage any enemies."

Don't engage? Seriously?

Hitomi warred with herself, hesitant to move forward after Mandalay's orders, but…

"Dang it!" Hitomi spat, charging on.

It was like her body refused to turn back, not until she knew that he was safe.

Her eyes widened, feet stumbling.

They. Until she knew that they were safe.

...Did she have a fever or something?

All confusing musings were banished, however, when she came upon Ragdoll's station.

A white pull-out table was set up, with stacks of name tags for each student.

But it was all splattered with blood.

Hitomi backed away, covering her nose to block the metallic smell that turned her stomach.

The area was abandoned, Ragdoll nowhere to be seen. And it was hard to say if that was reassuring, or damning.

Then, something obvious occurred to her. Hitomi reached inside the hoodie pocket, fishing out her phone. She dialed Momo's number, and it rang until going to voicemail. She tried the same with Bakugou, only for the same result.

"Come on!" She hissed, fingers trembling and fumbling across the screen.

(Katsuki Bakugou!)

OMW

—

After waiting tensely for a reply, she finally got one that sent her heart plummeting.

—

Don't.

—

Hitomi's breath grew stilted, then turned into hyperventilation, her vision tunneling.

Like hell she wouldn't.

She shoved her phone back, racing in the direction of his scent. The farther she went, the more the air was misted with a purple gas— the culprit of the strange smell she noticed under the smoke, and tried her best not to breathe it in. She pulled the hem of the hoodie up over her mouth, flipping the hood over her head for good measure.

Nori was going to kill her once he found out about this, so might as well dive headfirst into danger anyway.

Shouta scowled venomously at the scarred Villain, keeping his bindings tight.

"That's exactly the performance I'd expect out of a UA teacher." The Villain rasped in a husky voice, staggering to his feet. "Tell me, Hero—"

Shouta yanked on his capture weapon, intending to jerk the Villain to the ground again, but… it slipped right through. The Villain's body turning into something like mud.

"You worried for your students? I wonder if you can save them in the end." He grinned, pulling at the staples embedded into his face. Finishing with a chilling statement before dissolving away completely.

"'Specially that perky little mutt."

Shouta froze, his body coiling with undiluted dread.

Saito's blinding smile flashed in his mind, looking so much like Naomi's.

"You're lucky I'm not supposed to touch you." Shigaraki's ominous statement on the police report flashed in his mind, making his heart race and lungs stutter.

"I swear, I'll do everything in my power to guide her on the right path." Shouta had once whispered solemnly over his mentors' graves, determined to help raise their daughter from the sidelines.

He knew the second that she clung to him in that snowy playground, covered with his coat, and teary-eyed from the service, that he was done for.

Hitomi Saito, so much like her parents, while also standing out as her own person, had no idea how important she was to him.

And now, a group of highly dangerous individuals had a plan for her, for some unknown reason.

Shouta's blood boiled.

Over his dead body.

The mountain side on the edge of the forest cracked and crumbled audibly, and for a second, Hitomi thought she saw green lightning flash above.

That second was enough, however, for her to make a grave mistake by not paying attention.

Her fur puffed up, her canines bared, and she felt every sense heighten as—

"Argh!"

Something huge, and massively heavy slammed into her back, knocking her down onto her front.

She cried out, the thing— which she absently realized was a tree —was pinning her down, and—

"Gagh!" Hitomi screamed when she tried forcing herself up, her right leg aching with a pain so horrific that it whited out her vision.

Blood. She smelled her blood. And all she could feel below the knee was agony.

It was broken. It had to be. So this was what a broken bone felt like? How in the world did Midoriya function?!

"Oh my, that might've been a tad extreme." A silky male voice spoke over her. "Hopefully the damage isn't too severe. We're not supposed to harm you too badly before handing you over."

"You're lucky I'm not supposed to touch you."

Tears welling in her eyes, Hitomi's stomach turned to lead, and her dinner rose to the back of her mouth. What did he mean?!

Then, Mandalay's voice called through her cluttered mind.

"Everyone in Class A and Class B! In the name of the Pro Hero, Eraser Head, you are granted permission to engage in combat! I repeat, use your training! You may fight these Villains!"

Hitomi blinked, her eyes drying. She wished nothing more than to be able to do just that, but… with how her leg felt, it was clear there was too much damage done to it.

"I'm afraid she must use caution." The Quirk doctor her parents took her to after she activated Akita Inu for the first time, had plainly stated. "Because of the way her mass changes, and bones shift, if she were ever to try to use her Quirk while restrained, or ailed with, say, a broken bone, it would cause serious injury. Maybe even permanent issues."

But she couldn't just sit there and do nothing!

She reached down, forcing her hand into her pocket again, which was made difficult as she was being pushed into the ground, and pried out her phone. Keeping the screen pointed downwards so he wouldn't see the light, she clumsily typed a message out, praying her muscle-memory would be enough to make it legible, unable to check the screen or risk catching the man's attention.

But unfortunately, a few seconds after pressing where she guessed the send button was, her phone chimed with a notification.

"What's this?" The man asked, finally stepping into view. Revealing himself to be finely dressed, with a long tan overcoat, red gloves, a black feathered top-hat, white cane, and a flat monochrome mask.

He kicked her phone out of her hand, shattering the screen and sending it flying.

Hitomi whimpered despite herself, her eyes stinging again with a helpless panic.

And it only got worse.

"Listen, we've discovered two of the Villains' targets!"

Hitomi's ears twitched at the phantom call.

"A student named Kachan, and Hitomi Saito. Kachan and Saito, you should try to avoid combat, and stick to a group! I hope you can hear me!"

Body stiff and quaking, Hitomi stared blankly down at the ground inches from her face.

Well, that confirmed it then. They had something planned for her. But the thing that really terrified Hitomi, was their desire for Bakugou.

The man paused, staring at her through his mask, and with good reason.

Hitomi glared furiously up at him, her eyes darkening to a crimson red.

"What do you want with him!? I swear if you even touch him…!" She trailed off in a snarl.

The man's shoulders stiffened, her words seeming to have some effect on him. Then they shook with mirth, his voice lilting with it when he replied.

"Oh, darling pup, we don't plan on hurting him."

Before Hitomi could demand answers, or make any more threats, the man raised his hand.

And everything went black.

Katsuki felt his phone vibrate in his jean pocket, and pulled it out all while keeping an eye on the Villain in front of him and Icy-Hot. He glanced down, intending to just skim the message to check if it was urgent— and it had better fucking be —before putting it aside.

But the text made him freeze.

(Cherry)

OMW

Don't.

SOS villaon nsme station

—

Fuck. Fuck shit—

He hastily typed, ignoring the curious side-eye Icy-Hot was giving him

—

Hang on.

—

Saito wasn't the kind of person to request backup for no reason, Katsuki knew that much. She went as far as electrocuting herself in order to take down the bad guys at the I-Expo. Pushing herself to the brink until she had no more fight to give.

And she was asking for help. That was fucking a bad sign—

"Listen, we've discovered two of the Villains' targets! A student named Kachan, and Hitomi Saito." Katsuki's feral grin trembled, his eyes blazing like the sparks in his palms. "Kachan and Saito, you should try to avoid combat, and stick to a group! I hope you can hear me!"

"Of course it's fucking Cherry." He snarled to himself, and charged at the Villain, because right now, killing something sounded really fucking good.

The Villain shot out his teeth at them, which Icy-Hot just barely managed to block with a wall of ice.

"Don't rush into this fight carelessly!" Icy-Hot scolded.

"Have to keep growing…" the Villain rasped. "Have to work… do my job…"

"Weren't you listening to Mandalay? They're here because they're after you and Saito."

As if Katsuki could miss that detail.

"Telling us not to engage, and then changing their minds. I don't know how, but I get the feeling this is Deku's fault." Katsuki growled, knowing no way in hell would anyone else be dumb enough to call him Kachan when warning the Pros. "Well, I don't care what anyone says!" He leapt out from behind the ice wall, hands poised to blast the Villain.

More razor sharp teeth came at him, and were once again frozen by Icy-Hot.

"Damnit! He's good at moving through this terrain with his Quirk."

Katsuki sneered. "This freak, he looks like a scrawny little Sidekick to me! Come on you bastard!"

His palms itched, his pulse raced, he needed to kick this Villain's ass.

(And in the back of his mind, something called out to the fact that Saito hadn't ever texted him back.)

Everything hurt, her head especially. It pounded, and the warm wetness of blood trickled down her face. She was also… moving? Her arms felt strange, like there was glue on them, or—

"This is bad! This is really bad!"

Momo tried cracking her eyes open, headache doubling with the effort.

"What the crap is this thing doing here?!" A voice she recognized as Awase from 1-B cried out.

When she finally managed to pry them open, her eyes locked with the hideous face of the Nomu chasing them. Its body muscled and green, with half a dozen arms that all ended in different kinds of razor sharp blades.

This was the type of thing that Hitomi tried fighting? The thing that busted her head open like it was made of styrofoam?

Ah, now she remembered. It got the drop on them. Explaining why Momo felt battered, and dripped with blood from various places.

"Yaoyorozu, are you alive?!" Awase's voice cracked with panic. "If you are, please wake up now! It's gonna catch us!"

The stickiness on her arms, she realized, was the result of Awase using his Quirk to weld them and his together, that way he could carry her along. Despite the fact that she slowed him down considerably, he held her close.

If they weren't in the situation currently threatening their lives, Momo would've noticed the way her chest warmed at his valiant struggle to keep her out of the Nomu's grasp.

"I'm sorry… Awase." She croaked to the best of her abilities. "I'm alive, b-but…"

Awase growled, trying to pick up the pace only to trip, glancing back at the lumbering Villain, and its hands that whirred to life, revving giant drills and chainsaws.

"What the hell? What are those?"

The Nomu was upon them, towering over the two and raising its blades.

Awase stared up at it in terror. "Oh no, oh God, I'm so sorry!" He cried out, doing the only thing he could think of, and covered Momo's body with his own. Cradling her head in the crook of his neck, he shielded her as best best he could.

Then… it stopped.

The Nomu straightened, its arms receding into its back, then turned and walked away as if they weren't there.

"It's just… gonna leave us here?" Awase whispered in bewilderment.

Momo's heart dropped.

"D-does this mean the Villains finished their mission?"

Hitomi. Did this mean they had Hitomi?

If they did, then… then she had to do something!

Her hand glowed with the use of her Quirk, a small coin sized tracker sitting in her palm, that she held out to Awase.

"Awase, use your Quirk to attach this to that monster."

He released her arms, deactivating his Quirk on them, and took the tracker.

"What is it? A button?"

Momo pushed herself up weakly, looking at him through her bangs.

"Just hurry up and do it, before he's gone!"

Awase bravely ran after it, reaching out his hand and splaying it lightly on the Nomu's back. "I don't know what's going on, but okay!"

The tracker and the Nomu's skin glowed for a second, and when Awase pulled back, the tracker was safely welded deeply into the monster's back.

"No way he's gettin' that thing off." He assured her, watching the Villain continue on, oblivious to what he had done.

"Thank you so much." Momo whispered, some of the tightness in her throat abating. "Good job."

Awase groaned with relief, slumping against a tree. "Ugh, that was scary." Forcing himself upright again, he ran over and helped her up. "Okay, now let's run!"

"Right." Momo nodded slightly, wincing at the throb of pain it caused.

With that tracker, now maybe if the worst case scenario were true, and Hitomi really was taken for some unknown reason, Momo could do something to save her.

The first time Hitomi Saito almost died, she was two years, and one month old.

It wasn't an interesting story, or a harrowing one. It was rather dull, actually.

Nori bustled around the kitchen, acting as Ayami's little helper as she went through the process of baking a special three-tiered cake, to celebrate her bosses' anniversary. The top and bottom cakes were angel's food cake, while the middle was devil's food. Then the whole thing was meant to be covered in rich chocolate frosting.

Ayami only stepped away for a few minutes, just to answer the phone.

Nori did what any unsupervised child would, and snuck a taste of frosting.

What followed was something he felt guilty for even at present day.

The boy noticed his toddler sister staring mystified at the cake, her disproportionately large tail swinging side to side, and her fuchsia eyes bright with curiosity.

Nori smiled, taking a spoon and scooping up some of the frosting.

"Here, Tomi! Try some before Ayami gets back."

The girl blinked at the offered food, wordlessly opening her mouth.

Nori giggled, holding the spoon out for her, as she messily wrapped her lips around it.

The girl's eyes lit up, practically sparkling with wonder at the amazing sweetness.

Nori glanced to the bowl, knowing Ayami had accidentally made too much— having heard her mumbling about it, and figured, what was the harm?

By the time Ayami came back, the two children had eaten a bulk of the frosting, their dirty cheeks proving that they had committed the crime. Ayami had simply shaken her head and huffed at their mischief, just glad there was still enough for the cake.

Due to their overindulgence, Nori predictably whined about feeling gross and nauseous, and was sent to lay down to ride out the sugar high.

So when Hitomi's face scrunched in discomfort, and her small body shook with upset cries, they all brushed it off as her first encounter with the body's punishment for eating too much sugar, and sent her off to nap as well.

An hour later, Nori bounded into his sister's room, and found her on the floor, in a pool of her own vomit.

Hitomi didn't remember any of this, or the ensuing five day long hospital stay. She only knew of it from grim retellings by Ayami. Nori never spoke of it, leaving the room any time it was brought up.

She of course didn't blame him, and held absolutely no ill will. But she could understand why he would. The idea that a silly childish whim to sneak some sweets, endangered her enough to send her to the hospital, wasn't something to brush off.

That wasn't the last time Hitomi unknowingly ate something she was allergic to, and it wasn't even the worst of her hospital visits. The year she turned three she spent most of her time in one, actually. But it was a memory that still haunted Nori, usually in the form of nightmares.

Like, now, for instance.

The man panted, forehead beaded with a cold sweat. Sitting up in bed, Nori tried shaking off the horrible image of his baby sister, cold and lifeless on the floor all because of him—

"Nori?" Yu murmured groggily, turning over and squinting up at him with tired and concerned eyes. "Another nightmare?"

Nori slowly nodded, bitterly amused that she was already familiar with his late-night episodes. "Yeah."

"What was it this time?" She asked gently, scooting over and rubbing his back.

God, he didn't deserve her. And to think he was going to brush her off, just because she was a Hero. Thank god he was a coherent drunk-texter.

"Something that happened a long time ago. When I was a kid." He spoke lowly, staring heavily at the special Quirk-suppressing sleeves hugging his arms.

"Does it have to do with your sister?"

Nori looked at her, blinking in surprise. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Yu smiled ruefully. "You've got two types of scared faces. The I'm-scared-in-general face, and the I'm-scared-because-my-baby-sister-is-mortal face."

Nori pouted, crossing his arms. "I don't make a face like that."

"Sure you do. And I bet Usagiyama would agree."

Nori flopped back down, grinning softly. "You know you can just call her Ayami, right? Everyone does."

Yu shrugged, cheeks flushing. "I don't know, it feels weird. Let's see how you feel when I ask you to call my parents by their first names."

"Okay, okay." Nori huffed a laugh, raising his hands in surrender.

He didn't mention how airy his chest felt at her certainty that they would reach the point of him meeting her parents.

They fell quiet, Yu's eyes fluttering shut, while Nori's traced the ceiling restlessly.

Something was wrong. He could feel it. But there shouldn't be. The summer camp was at an undisclosed location so that Villains couldn't find the kids. Hitomi should be perfectly fine there. Heck, she was probably goofing around with her friends, staying up irresponsibly late, and having fun the way kids her age should, without the threat of people out to kill them.

So why did he still feel worried?

"Just text her already." Yu mumbled tiredly.

Nori thought whimsically, that he could marry this girl.

(Tomi)

Hey, I know it's late and all,
but I just wanted to check in.

—

Nori stared at the screen, waiting anxiously for a reply. One that never came.

"I'm sure she's just asleep. Those training camps are no joke." Yu tried reassuring him rationally.

Nori nodded dully.

Every time the screen went dark, he tapped it awake, always met with his solitary text.

He continued this on until morning. Unaware of the news he would be getting, come sunrise.

The news he dreaded since the day they lost their parents.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Saito. It's about your sister—"

Notes:

Last chapter: Oh boy! Sleepover and crush talk!
This chapter: Everyone's gonna fucking die.
Anyway, I have an important question to ask, and I really want some input. I realize that the main Momo ship is Momo/Todoroki. But… Horikoshi has stated that Awase has a crush on Momo, and admires her greatly. Now, I've always loved the idea of them together, and personally felt like her and Todoroki were paired because of convenience rather than chemistry. While Awase literally threw himself over her, prepared to fucking die doing his best to protect her, like, dude.
But to get to the point, would anyone be against this fic going Momo/Awase? Like, I know I'm the one writing it, but I dunno, I guess I want to hear your guys' opinion. If I did go that route, it wouldn't be much, honestly. Moreso a slight side-pairing like Nori/Yu is.
(In case you're not familiar with Heroes' names, yes, Yu is Mount Lady. In this house we stan a giant queen.)

Chapter 36: Scars of many kinds

Notes:

Here’s an extra long chap, with a special treat at the end ✌️

Chapter Text

In a flash, Katsuki awoke from the numb darkness.

He blinked, dizzy, and confused. One moment he was splitting off from that stupid fucking protection detail, and the next he was here.

It was only supposed to take a second. When he noticed where they were, Katsuki veered off toward the nametag station. Just to check, he told himself. That was where she said she was in trouble.

Then, he saw it. Her phone, broken and laying abandoned on the ground. It was enough of a distraction, apparently, as everything went black, Saito's ridiculous looking phone the last thing he saw.

Until now.

Deku, Icy-Hot, Tentacles, and Tokoyami were all there in front of him, beaten even worse than before, with Tentacles and Deku sporting burns.

They were all staring at him, matching expressions of horror on their faces.

And if the hand wrapped around his neck from behind was anything to go by, it was probably because they lost.

The Villains had him.

(But at least it was just him.)

"Checkmate." A husky voice chuckled.

Katsuki's skin tingled, as he started being pulled back through what looked like a portal from that warpy bastard.

"Kachan, no!" Deku cried out, running toward him.

Katsuki's breath hitched.

The idiot's arms were broken at his sides, completely useless to anyone. If he tried fighting, he would only wind up hurt worse, or dead.

Katsuki was almost through the portal, just his face left sticking out, allowing him to watch Deku leap forward.

"Kachan!"

Voice tight, Katsuki spat out the only thing he could think of.

"Stay back, Deku."

His vision grew distorted, tinging purple and swirling, but before he was fully gone, Katsuki heard Tentacles roar after them.

"Hitomi!"

What?

The clearing in the forest was gone, and Katsuki was left standing in some dimly lit, derelict bar.

And standing to his right, was a man dressed like some kind of magician—

With Saito slung limply over his shoulder, her right leg dangling, and mangled.

"You—" Katsuki started to move before thinking, hands igniting.

But something pinched at the side of his neck, a warm tingling spreading there, before his whole body was numbed, and he dropped to the floor, paralyzed.

Katsuki growled furiously, his heart racing with panic. He glared up at the scarred bastard standing above him, who held a now empty syringe. Then, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

And he re-entered the dark.

…

Nori had almost forgotten what it was like to have paparazzi crowding around the Saito estate, not having seen it since the buzz of his parents' deaths calmed down.

He definitely didn't miss it.

"This is ridiculous. Vultures." Yu snarled, wearing one of his jackets with the hood pulled up over her head, just in case a picture of her got snapped through the window.

Nori blinked blankly down at his black coffee. Giving no reaction when Ayami placed a hand on his back.

Naomi Saito always told her kids to listen to their gut. And look what ignoring his had led to.

Hitomi was gone. Taken, for who-know-what purpose, by the same people who almost killed her the first time.

"Someone's at the gate." Yu quietly pointed out.

They had turned off the buzzer after the paparazzi wouldn't stop ringing it, but the light by the monitor showcasing outside, blinked red.

Nori intended to ignore it, until Yu clarified.

"I think it's a kid from UA. One that was in the sports festival." She relayed to him, staring at the surveillance feed.

Nori already had an idea of who it was, and stood to answer the door before Ayami could.

The second he stepped outside, the flashes from the cameras doubled, and the crowd all called out, trying to talk over the others, shoving microphones toward him through the tall iron fence.

And standing in the middle of it all, totally ignoring everyone hounding him for information, was Hitoshi Shinsou.

Nori stopped in front of the gate, studying the boy.

His eyes were even more tired than usual, his hair messier too. He was pale, and clammy. The poor kid looked sick with worry.

And something inside Nori identified with that.

Unlocking the gate, Nori ushered Shinsou through, after rolling up his sleeves.

"I think you all know what my Quirk is?" He stated roughly, managing to be heard over the commotion.

At that, many of the closest reporters and photographers backed away, giving Shinsou the chance to slip by.

With a slam, the gate was locked again, and Nori nodded for the boy to follow him inside.

"There's a pot of coffee on. If you drink that."

"Yeah, I do." Shinsou confirmed lowly, clumsily kicking off his shoes upon entering.

Nori watched him sadly, sighing through his nose.

"There a specific reason you're here?"

The boy faltered, staring down at the floor.

"I… I figured you'd be the first to know."

If they found her. If they had her safe and sound. If… if she was gone—

"Right." Nori whispered.

"Is it, you know, okay? Me being here?" Shinsou worriedly asked, poorly hiding his trembling hands in his pockets.

Nori considered the question, then nodded once.

"Yeah. Feel free to stick around. God knows Hitomi would bite my head off if I sent you away."

Shinsou cracked a weak smile at that.

"Nah, she wouldn't hurt a fly."

Wouldn't, being the key word. Because Hitomi Saito was fully capable of doing some major damage to those who deserved it.

At least, that was the argument everyone standing in the Saitos' kitchen reassured themselves with.

…

"It's perfectly obvious to me that there's some sort of problem with UA's current management. If I had a child who wanted to become a Hero, there's no way I'd enroll them in a school that'll—"

The small television was powered down, cutting off the news anchor's criticism of UA.

Shigaraki chuckled, sitting at the bar counter, remote in hand.

"I'm so grateful to the media for all the free publicity lately." He turned away from the screen, looking to where Bakugou was. "Right? Isn't it nice? Katsuki Bakugou?"

Bakugou sat strapped to a metal chair, his hands fully encased in bulky cuffs, keeping him from using his Quirk.

As for Hitomi…

She whimpered unintentionally, sweat beading her pale face. Bolted to the brick wall was a standing mount for her, designed like a vertical gurney. Everything from her wrists to her neck was tied down with leather straps, keeping her in place. A large muzzle-like device was locked around the bottom half of her face, muffling her cries.

Because her right shin was still untreated, steadily trickling blood from the broken skin, where splintered bone peeked out.

All the adrenaline she had before was gone, leaving her exhausted and horribly aware of the agony.

Another wave rolled up her leg, making her clench her eyes shut and grunt thickly.

Hitomi absently noticed how Bakugou was staring at the carnage, his usually unfazed attitude replaced by something she hated to smell on him.

Fear.

"Aren't you idiots going to do something about that?" He questioned roughly, putting on a quivering smirk. "Or did you really just kidnap her to watch her die?"

It was asked sarcastically, but Hitomi could pick up on the scent of his uncertainty and mounting panic.

She couldn't tell him they wanted her alive for something, voice shackled by the muzzle.

"Twice, wrap it up." Shigaraki ordered after a long pause.

"You got it! Do it yourself!" A man in a full-body leotard gave a thumbs-up, popping behind the bar and rummaging around— presumably for bandages.

"Aw, but she's so pretty like this!" The blonde school-girl protested, hugging a jar already full of Hitomi's blood.

"And she'll die if we leave it, you little psycho." The scarred man drawled.

The man called Twice approached her, a roll of cotton bandages in hand.

"I'll be gentle. This is gonna hurt!"

Hitomi squinted at him through the already terrible pain, wishing she could retort that it did hurt.

But nothing could've prepared her for when he pushed the bone back in without warning.

Her vision faded into white, she threw her head back— slamming it against the wall, and screamed. So raw and primal, she sounded like a dying animal.

"Hey!" Bakugou roared, but to her, it sounded like it was coming from the end of a tunnel.

Then, the pain ebbed, giving her a chance to breathe. Panting through her nose, Hitomi felt trails of tears rolling down her ashen cheeks, dropping from her nose. Her neck was too weak to keep her head up, so it hung heavily.

"All better! You need a hospital." Twice shot to his feet, his gloved hands now bloodied.

She was so tired. Sleep sounded like heaven, even though in the back of her head, something told her she needed to stay awake.

Something that sounded suspiciously like Momo.

"They can patch her up after they collect her. She's not our problem." Shigaraki said dismissively.

Who was "they"?

Shigaraki turned in his barstool, leveling Bakugou with a stare behind the severed hand masking his face.

Then, he said something that completely threw Hitomi off.

"I'll ask you one more time, Katsuki Bakugou. Aspiring Hero. Will you join the League of Villains?"

The pinkette blinked, forgetting about the state her leg was in, and gaped behind her muzzle. She had only been conscious for a short time, mostly missing everything prior to this. So hearing his— apparently repeated proposition, stunned her.

Because the idea was just—

"Go throw yourself into traffic." Bakugou gave them a feral smirk, leaning forward in his chair.

But the leader wasn't deterred. Only sighing as if minorly inconvenienced.

"Haven't you noticed? The way you've been ostracized by society." He held up a photo of Bakugou at the sports festival, when he was chained up for the award ceremony. "You've seen it, I'm sure. The way your Quirk sets a precedent of fear in those around you. You want fame, and glory? Well, we can give that to you in spades. And all you have to do, is join us—"

Hitomi couldn't take it anymore.

…

"Pfft!"

The heavy tension in the room trembled, as each inhabitant, Villain or captive, slowly turned to look at her.

Saito's shoulders were shaking, but not from fright anymore. No, her face was now noticeably scrunched in an unmistakable expression.

Katsuki felt a knot twist in his stomach. His internalized panic swirling and growing worse with every muffled snort falling from Saito's muzzled mouth.

Without preamble, the man in full spandex— Twice, walked over, twisting something on the side of the muzzle, and ripped the piece of bulky metal away. With it gone they could all hear the laughter, an unhinged cadence audible.

"What's so funny?" Shigaraki asked, his dry raspy voice cracking with anger.

Saito continued to giggle in a hysterical tone, head dipped to face the floor. Just when the Villain in hands snarled and stepped closer, Saito was able to rein herself in.

"You gotta be kidding! You idiots picked the wrong guy!" She cackled, laughter picking up again.

Even the one psycho-blood-girl seemed taken aback by this, some of them trading glances. The general unspoken idea hanging in the air was that she must have snapped.

But Katsuki wasn't willing to assume something that extreme just yet.

Especially not when Saito finally lifted her head

Fuchsia irises flamed into a vibrant fire, turning scarlet as they narrowed viciously on the Villains. Her lips pulled back in a tight, canine baring grin, her gums slightly visible. It resembled nothing of her smiles Katsuki had grown accustomed to, this one was cold and furious.

"Some threat you all are. Did you even do any research before your little escapade to our camp?" Saito dared to lean forward, eyes pinned solely on Shigaraki, that smirk never faltering.

Katsuki felt a crushing urge to snap at her to shut up. But when his mouth opened, nothing came out. Sweat beaded his forehead as he watched her bait the person holding her life on a fraying string.

Shigaraki's shoulders rose and fell stiffly, hatred rolling off of him in waves. "What are you talking about?" He hissed, hands twitching with the want to wrap around her thin neck.

Somehow, her grin grew wider. And what she said next stunned Katsuki in a way that wasn't likely to ever be forgotten.

"He can be mean, sure. But you missed something huge." Her ears were flat against her head, her tail tucked between her legs, and yet somehow, she showed no sign of her terror on her face. "Katsuki Bakugou is going to become the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen! And no one, especiallynot you league of asshats is going to change that!"

Her words echoed off of the dingy brick walls of the bar, hanging over all of them as silence fell over the room.

All Katsuki could do was stare, eyes wide and locked on the girl who may have just gotten herself killed, just to stand up for him to a group of Villains. And for once in his life, he didn't feel that bitter resentment he always did when someone tried to help him. Now, he just felt terrified. He wasn't used to feeling that way solely for someone else. But how could he not? When he was chained up and unable to help her if they chose to end her life.

The thought of having to sit and watch helplessly as the hand wearing fucker touched her, causing her body to decay away, made Katsuki sick. Weak. You're weak and useless. You can't save her. The words snapped in his head like a whip, making him have to swallow the bitter bile on the back of his tongue. Even Deku could fight his way out of this with that damned Quirk he got. But Katsuki couldn't do anything. "The most amazing Hero the world's ever seen"? What a joke.

Saito slowly leaned back, swallowing and now shaking. She was afraid. Probably more than she had ever been before in her life. But she didn't try to take back anything she said, squaring her quaking shoulders.

Shigaraki breathed heavily, and reached a hand up to scratch at his neck. After a few seconds of that, he lowered his hand and looked to the scarred man.

"Dabi—"

Saito's face paled to an ashen white.

A lead weight dropped into the bottom of Katsuki's stomach.

This had to be it. They were going to kill her. Burn her alive with that guy's blue fire. Ditch the plan they had for her, just for the momentary satisfaction of her death.

"Hey!" Finally, Katsuki snapped, his voice coming out more desperate than he would have liked, but there was only so much he could mask. "What's the big idea, huh? Thought you were supposed to be giving me your stupid fucking monologue!"

Saito was breathing shallowly through her mouth, head drooping as she stared vacantly at the floor. Whatever fury acting as a driving force behind her words was faded, leaving behind a horrified teenage girl, severely regretting what she had just done.

Katsuki wouldn't be surprised if she was going into shock. In fact, it was surprising that she hadn't done that already.

Shigaraki studied the blonde behind the hand on his face, his own hand twitching back up to his red neck.

Then, over his shoulder, he aimed the remote at the television, and flipped it back on.

…

"—Let's return to a short clip from the UA High School press conference that just wrapped up."

Hitomi peered up weakly through her bangs, some of the tension in her body fading away when she saw the man on screen.

Mr. Aizawa stood along a panel with Principal Nezu and Vlad King, wearing a suit, with his hair tied back.

Looking so much like he did from her dream. Her memory.

"We are here to apologize. A recent incident allowed harm to come to twenty-seven first-year Heroes. And we staff were ill prepared. We take responsibility for any trauma caused by our negligence. It's our duty to train Heroes," he, along with the other two Heroes, bowed, "but also to protect Heroes in training."

Hitomi felt like crying. Not from pain or fear, but because of how unfair it was to blame Mr. Aizawa for anything that had happened. She wanted to curl into a ball and hide away in her room, bawling until she ran dry.

But instead she was chained up in a Villain's hideout, sporting her first ever broken bone, and serious blood loss.

"I'll take the first question." A reporter off screen spoke up. "Since the beginning of the year, UA students have had five encounters with Villains. This time there were students who were gravely injured. How did you explain this to their families? And what are some of the specific steps you're taking to ensure their safety in the future?"

Hitomi glared at the television, fuming at the way the media was trying to string their teachers up like they were the bad guys.

"We will increase patrols around the school grounds," Principal Nezu started, "and review security measures within the school. The safety of UA's students is our main priority, make no mistake about it." His usual smile and jovial tone were replaced by a frown and sober voice.

Then, the screen went black again.

"Isn't that strange?" Shigaraki sarcastically asked. "The Heroes are becoming the bad guys. Seems like they're not dealing with this very well at all." He shook his head in mock sympathy. "So much criticism. But everyone makes a mistake or two, right? It's not like they're supposed to be perfect. Modern-day Heroes sure have it rough. Don't you think, Bakugou?"

Hitomi opened her mouth, only to freeze when Bakugou shot her a very stern look.

Don't you fucking dare. It practically screamed.

"Once a Hero receives payment to protect people, they aren't a real Hero anymore." The man who resembled a lizard chimed in. "That's what Stain's actions taught us."

"A Hero in this current system only cares about money and glory. And since society buys in to those idiotic rules, anyone deemed a loser is shoved aside." Shigaraki said, making it hard to tell if he really bought into what he was spewing, or was just trying to get something to stick. "So, we want to pose some questions. What is a Hero? What is justice? Is this society truly fair? Soon, everyone will be asking. That's when we'll know we've won. And you like winning, don't you?"

Bakugou glared venomously at him, which made it surprising when Shigaraki gave his next order.

"Dabi, let him go."

The scarred man, Dabi, looked at him skeptically. "You know he'll just fight."

Shigaraki shrugged. "It's fine. We're recruiting him, so we should treat him as an equal. Besides, he's smart enough to know he can't take us all, right. Not without putting the girl at risk. After all, UA students are so clever."

Dabi didn't move, glancing at the man in spandex. "Hey Twice, you do it."

"Sure thing! No way."

"Do it."

Twice slumped, walking over to the blonde. "Oh man…"

"I do apologize for such forceful methods. But please understand we aren't some kind of unruly mob committing crimes without a third act in mind." The man who threw the tree at her— and broke her leg, added from the corner of the room. "We didn't kidnap you by accident."

While Twice worked on undoing the cuffs, Bakugou peered up over his head, locking eyes with Hitomi.

Her lips pursed. Don't try anything stupid. You'll get yourself killed!

He narrowed his gaze. I'm not an idiot!

She huffed inaudibly. But you are cocky!

He clicked his tongue. And you're the one bleeding out.

Darn, he had a point.

Shigaraki stood. "Even though our backgrounds are different, everyone here has suffered. Because of people. Rules. And Heroes who try to hold us back."

The cuffs fell, and Bakugou casually rubbed his raw wrists.

"I'm sure you're the same—"

Bakugou kicked Twice in the face, sending him flying back. And with a yell, he sent an explosion right in Shigaraki's.

"Shigaraki!" Twice shouted from the side.

Hitomi coughed, trying to see through the smoke that now clouded the room. She jumped when Bakugou slipped through it, skidding to a halt in front of her.

Wordlessly, he grappled with her restraints, wrapping his hands around the leather straps and using small-scale blasts to burn them away. First the ones around her wrists, then her waist, then her neck.

Hitomi cried out when she dropped down to the floor, doing her best to keep her right foot in the air, holding onto Bakugou for balance.

The smoke started to clear, and he silently ushered her to stand behind him.

"I'm done listening to your endless talking. Can you not get to the point, or do you just like your own voice? Basically, what you're saying is you wanna cause some trouble, and you want me to join you. Well screw you." A furious smirk pulled on his lips. "I like to win. I wanna win just like All Might. No matter what you have to offer me, that will never change. Do you understand?!"

Hitomi held tightly to the back of his shirt, frantically trying to come up with some way she could help fight. With her leg broken, and the muzzle still around her neck, it was impossible to use her Quirk. And she lost her staff at the I-Expo, so she was weaponless.

She was effectively useless to him. And she hated it.

At some point, the TV had been turned on again, showing the same press conference was still going.

"—So you've found a bright spot in this tragedy?" The same reporter from earlier said mockingly.

"We're relieved that an entire class of burgeoning Heroes still has a future." Principal Nezu rebuffed.

"Can you say the same thing for the abducted children? Katsuki Bakugou, for instance? He enrolled at your school with excellent marks, and went on to win the sports festival. Before that, he survived the attack of a powerful sludge Villain who eventually had to be taken down by All Might. The boy's obviously strong and heroic. On the other hand, the violence he displayed in the finals and his attitude at the awards ceremony both showed that he cannot control his temper. What if this is the real reason the Villains kidnapped him? What if they're brainwashing Bakugou right now, pulling him toward the path of evil? How can you sit there and tell us he still has a future?"

Hitomi growled, hoping Mr. Aizawa would put the reporter in his place, as the Hero stood.

Then, he bowed.

"As Katsuki Bakugou's teacher, I take full responsibility for not taming his violent behavior. However, his actions at the sports festival were born of his deep-seated convictions. He's trying harder than anyone in his pursuit to become the top Hero. And if the Villains think they have a chance with him, then they are grossly mistaken. I can guarantee you that much."

"That doesn't amount to real evidence, though." The reporter retorted. "I didn't ask you how you feel. I asked you if you had concrete information. And as for Hitomi Saito, it's common knowledge that both her parents were exemplary Heroes, who put away hundreds of criminals and Villains while working together. Aren't you the least bit concerned that the League's intentions with her are to enact some form of revenge? She could be getting tortured as we speak."

Hitomi winced, that… that was a fair assessment.

"We're doing our best with the intel we currently have available. I have no doubt the police will break this case very soon. We won't rest until our missing students are returned to UA, unharmed."

Bakugou spat a vindicated laugh. "Hah! Did you hear the teachers? They get me more than I thought. I'll never join your league of asshats!" He widened his stance, palms up and out. "We may not be at camp, but I'm still allowed to fight!"

"He must've figured out he's important to us." The Villain wearing sunglasses surmised. "What a clever boy."

"No, he's a fool." Dabi said dryly.

The school-girl clapped her hands. "Let me stab him! I wanna make them match!"

"A clever performer would've acted like we were winning him over. Now that he's broken character, he's finished." The magician shrugged, unbothered.

No, not Bakugou. Not once in the past three months that she'd known him, had Hitomi ever witnessed him lie. Nor had he faked anything for the sake of himself or others. That just wasn't his style. And it was actually something Hitomi really admired about him.

"I only do whatever I want to, and I won't even pretend otherwise." Bakugou said, confirming what she was thinking. "And I'm tired of being surrounded by a bunch of lame-ass wannabes!"

Shigaraki continued to stare at the severed hand that fell from his face after Bakugou's attack, his left hand twitching in preparation for something.

"Father…" he rasped darkly.

The warp Villain, Kurogiri, stood straighter, reaching out. "No, Tomura Shigaraki! Be calm!" He moved to stop the leader.

Hitomi felt Bakugou's back tense through his shirt.

But Shigaraki was only raising his hand to motion for his lackeys to halt. "Don't lay a finger on him. Any of you." Leaning down, he picked up the hand, keeping his last two fingers pointed up to avoid using his Quirk on it. "This "Hero"…" he put the hand back on his face. "Is still a valuable piece. I wish you would've listened to what I had to say. I thought you and I could come to an understanding."

"What, you think we're the same? Not a chance!"

The Villains really couldn't have picked a worse person to try to convert.

"Then I have no choice. The Heroes said they'd continue their investigation of our group, so we don't have time to stand here and talk." Shigaraki turned to the television, the channel changed to a still screen that just read sound only. "Master. Lend me your power."

Master? Wait, so Shigaraki wasn't the leader of the League?

Bakugou latched onto the information as well.

"A master? I thought you were the boss around here. But you're a Sidekick."

"Kurogiri, Compress. It's time to put them back to sleep. Dabi, call our clients and ask what's taking so long for them to come pick up the package."

The magician, Compress, sighed. "I can't believe he's such a bad audience member. It's almost impressive."

He sauntered closer, lifting his hand— most likely to use his Quirk on them again.

Hitomi weighed her options, wondering just how badly it would hurt if she put any pressure on her right leg.

Then, three knocks came from the back door.

"Hello? I got a pizza delivery here."

Heart skipping a beat, Hitomi tugged Bakugou back, pulling him to stand to her right. Because—

The wall to their left blew apart, crumbling away with an iconic cry.

"Smash!"

—Because there was no scent of pizza. Just the metal and gunpowder of standard issue police ammunition.

The Villains panicked upon All Might's arrival.

"Kurogiri! Gate!" Shigaraki hastily ordered.

But before he could, Kamui Woods leapt onto the scene.

"Pre-emptive Binding—" his roots shot out, wrapping around each Villain and restraining them. "Lacquered Chain Prison!"

"Heh, that's it?" Dabi muttered snidely, blue flames flicking to life.

A blur of yellow zipped into the bar, and knocked ruthlessly into Dabi's head, rendering the man unconscious.

"Don't do anything foolish." The blur— an elderly Hero, chided. "It's in your best interest to cooperate with us."

"Just what I'd expect from a competent new Hero." All Might gave Kamui Woods a thumbs-up. Then a nod to the elderly Hero. "And a veteran Pro who moves faster than the eye can see!" His blazing blue irises shined threateningly, pinned on Shigaraki. "You can't run anymore, League of Villains! Understand? Because we are here now!"

Hitomi actually began to smile, turning her head and looking at Bakugou.

The blonde was staring at All Might with a tight expression, his lips quivering faintly.

"Right after the press conference?" Compress sputtered." They had this ruse planned the whole time!"

"Tree man! You're hugging me too tight! Harder!"

"One tends to neglect defense when they're on the offense." The Hero, Edgeshot, turned himself flat, slipping through the back door. "But we didn't come alone. Take a look." When he opened it, there stood dozens of police officers, decked out in full combat gear.

Hitomi's eyes watered— this time positively, when she saw the Kanagawa PD logo on the vests. Her father's side of the family— the Saitos, practically ran the police in Kanagawa, to see them made her feel safe, even while still standing in the Villains' bar,

"You're surrounded by police forces from Musutafu, Yokohama, and Kanagawa. Not to mention powerful Heroes like Endeavor."

All Might turned to Hitomi and Bakugou, smiling in reassurance.

"Ah, you must've been scared. But you both stayed strong." His smile went strained when he looked down, catching sight of her leg. "I'm sorry, you're safe now."

"Tch! What?! I wasn't scared! Not even close!" Bakugou protested, scowling like usual again.

It was relieving to see, oddly enough.

"After I went through all the trouble of preparing this, the final boss goes and shows up on my doorstep…" Shigaraki growled, before shouting out. "Kurogiri! Warp over as many as you can!"

All Might smirked. "The Nomu, right?"

There was a pause, where nothing happened.

"What are you waiting for, damnit?"

"I'm sorry, Tomura Shigaraki. The Nomus were supposed to be in a fixed location but… they're gone!"

"It seems you have a lot to learn, Shigaraki." All Might commented, walking over and carefully wrenching off the lock on Hitomi's muzzle. "You're still green. Your little League underestimated all of us. The soul of Young Bakugou. The resilience of Young Saito. The police's diligent investigations. And, our righteous fury."

The muzzle fell to the floor, clattering noisily. Hitomi rubbed her neck, breathing easier with the weight of it gone.

"Enough is enough. Your game has come to an end, Tomura Shigaraki!"

The lizard-like Villain yelped from the floor. "All Might, please! You're the only Hero Stain respected! You are worthy!"

"You think it's over?" Shigaraki still persisted. "Don't be stupid. I"ve only just begun to play." He started to stand, forcing himself up despite the roots trying to hold him down. "Justice… Peace… You created a garbage society by lifting up such ridiculous ideals. That's why I targeted you, All Might. It's why I started gathering people to my cause. You think this is the end? Then you've lost. Kurogiri—"

Edgeshot pierced the warp Villain's skin, making him slump onto the bar counter.

"Ah! What just happened?!" The sunglasses wearing Villain screamed. "I couldn't see anything! Did they kill him?"

"I played around with his insides and made him fall unconscious." Edgeshot casually said, his body twisting like red string in the air, his head popping up from the end. "Ninpo: Thousand Sheet Pierce. He was such a nuisance. He had to sleep."

"Weren't you listening earlier?" The veteran Hero asked. "You'll all be better off if you take us seriously. Kenji Hikiishi." He looked to the sunglass-Villain. "Atsuhiro Sako." Compress. "Shuishi Iguchi." The lizard-Villain. "Himiko Toga." The school-girl. "Jin Bubaigawara." Twice. "Though they had little time and information, the police worked through the night to discover your true identities. Do you understand? There's nowhere left for any of you to run. So, Shigaraki. One question. Where is your boss hiding?"

A tense silence fell over the room, before Shigaraki croaked hatefully.

"No. This is not over. Just you wait. The game is still mine."

"You'll tell us where he is, right now." All Might demanded.

"No. Go away. Disappear!"

Hitomi's fur stood, a cold feeling of dread hitting her.

"Shigaraki!"

"This is your fault! I hate you!" Shigaraki roared, and behind him on either side, strange floating splashes of metallic liquid formed, and slowly crawling out from within, were—

"Nomu!" Kamui Woods gasped. "How'd they get here?!"

More and more pools of silver appeared in the air, each one producing a Nomu.

"Damnit, Edgeshot! Stop Kurogiri!"

"He's still out! This isn't his doing!"

Hitomi instinctively stepped back, crying out and nearly falling to her knees when she put her right foot down.

"Hey—" Bakugou reached out his left hand to her. But…

The silver liquid spewed out from his mouth, cutting off his voice.

Hitomi stared in horror, shooting her right hand out. "Ka—"

A horrible taste coated her tongue, more of the mysterious substance falling from hers. She felt like she couldn't breathe, as it slowly enveloped her whole body.

It was unclear who grabbed on first, but both Hitomi and Bakugou latched on to the other's bicep. The liquid pulled them into it, dragging them apart. Their hands slid down to their elbows, then forearms, then wrists. Finally, their hands locked together desperately. But despite their iron-strong grip, they were inevitably yanked into the separate silver portals.

…

"Damnit!"

A male voice coughed, one Momo recognized as Bakugou's. If he was here, then—

"Agh!" Hitomi croaked, hacking and grunting in what sounded like pain.

She was right there. Hitomi was right there behind them. Just on the other side of the concrete wall shielding her group.

"My apologies." The man— the monster that blew away Best Jeanist and the other Heroes, amicably said.

It made Momo sick, the thought of him addressing Hitomi in any way.

"Huh?" Bakugou panted, before the sound of running water filled the air.

One after another, new voices gagged and sputtered, all unfamiliar.

"That was so gross!" A girl whined.

"This black stuff reeks! I love it!" A man said, changing intonations between conflicting statements.

"Master…" Someone with a raspy tone called.

"So, you've failed once more, Tomura." The apparent Master spoke silkily. "But you must not be discouraged. You'll try again. That's why I brought your associates back with you. Even this boy, and the bargaining chip, because you judged that both he and outside forces were important pieces on your game board."

Momo couldn't feel her hands or feet, terror numbing them.

What did he mean "bargaining chip"? And outside forces? Who wanted Hitomi badly enough to hire the League of Villains? And why?

"Start over as many times as it takes. I am here to provide you with help. All of this is for you."

Midoriya took a step, and Iida immediately latched onto him and Todoroki, holding them in place. Momo did the same with Kirishima. As dearly as she wanted to run out there and grab Hitomi, it wasn't a feasible option. They would just blow their position, and get themselves killed.

I have to focus . We have to get away. But how ?

"Ah, there you are." The leader said, making them all go cold.

He noticed. They were spotted. They were going to die. Hitomi was going to—

A collision, and backdraft forceful enough to whip around audibly came from behind the wall they used as shelter. An enraged declaration shouting over it all.

"I'll have you return my students, All For One!"

…

"I'll have you return my students, All For One!"

Hitomi shielded her face, squinting through the gusts of wind to stare as the man— All For One, easily held back All Might's attack.

"Have you come to kill me a second time, All Might?" All For One taunted.

An explosion of air shattered the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust, powerful enough to send everyone in the clearing flying back.

Hitomi cried out, her body airborne for a moment, before she came painfully crashing back down.

"It took you long enough to find us." All For One jeered through the chaos. "It's only five kilometers from the bar to here, and yet it was at least thirty seconds after I sent the Nomus that you arrived. You've gotten weaker, All Might."

Hitomi winced, slowly pushing her upper half off of the ground. She pulled her legs closer, but stopped when she realized she couldn't feel anything below her right knee. She stared down at the messy bandages wrapped around her shin, that did nothing for the bone that was protruding again.

"You're one to talk." All Might retorted, standing tall when the dust cleared. "It's hard to ignore that fancy life-support mask you've got on. Aren't you overexerting yourself?"

With visibility back, Hitomi frantically looked around, spotting Bakugou on the ground about twenty feet away. Biting down on her bottom lip, she tried to psyche herself up for what she had to do. Keeping to the ground, she army-crawled toward him with her arms and left leg, forced to let her right drag behind— which could not be good for the severe injury.

All Might hopped in place, casually warming up. "I won't repeat the mistake I made five years ago. You hear me? I will take Young Bakugou and Young Saito back. And I will make certain you're locked up for the rest of your sad life. Right along with your despicable League of Villains!" He shot through the air, arm reeled back to deliver a smash.

All For One raised his own, his arms swelling and crackling with red sparks. "Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. This will be hard for us both." Then, he caught All Might's fist, halting him middair, and sent him sailing back, crashing violently into a nearby building, bringing the whole thing down on him.

Hitomi gawked in terror, momentarily left unable to move.

"Hm, Air Cannon, plus Spring-like Limbs. Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. What a delightful combination. Maybe a few more enhancers next time."

What was he talking about?

"All Might!" Bakugou called out in concern, staggering to his feet.

Hitomi growled to herself, getting on her hands and knees now, gritting her teeth and crawling forward.

"Don't you worry. It'll take more than that to kill him." All For One told Bakugou, then addressed Shigaraki. "Get off the battlefield Tomura. And take the children with you."

The Villain's fingers turned red and black, expanding and branching out toward Kurogiri's limp body. Then they stabbed into his torso, making the warp Villain convulse minutely.

"Kurogiri, warp them away!"

"Be careful!" The sunglass-Villain cried. "One of the Heroes messed with him and he's unconscious! I'm not sure what's going on, but if you can teleport, why don't you get us out of here?"

"My warp power is still new, Magne. There is much I need to learn about it. It's distance is limited, and while he can teleport to spectrum coordinates, I only transport people to and from my own location. Or, with focus, to or from someone I am very familiar with. That is all. It's easier to have Kurogiri do it."

All while he explained himself, Hitomi slowly inched closer to her friend, praying he wouldn't notice, or even care.

Finally, carmine eyes spotted her, wide and fearful. He looked so vulnerable, and it ached in a strange way.

Hitomi's expression steeled, and she worked faster to reach him.

Bakugou stiffened, giving her a sharp shake of his head.

She could understand why. As the closer she got to Bakugou, the closer she got to Shigaraki and his band of criminals.

"Forcible Quirk Activation." All For One bellowed, a portal immediately forming from Kurogiri's body. "Leave this place."

"What about you?" Shigaraki asked his master, but was interrupted before being answered.

All Might roared, launching through the sky back to the scene.

All For One levitated himself, calling down to Shigaraki.

"You're not thinking, Tomura. There remains much room for you to grow."

"You're mine!" All Might raged, throwing another punch that was blocked again.

While the two men fought in the air, the League surrounded Hitomi and Bakugou, circling them.

Hitomi finally planted her left foot, standing unsteadily, back-to-back with Bakugou.

"Heh, this is gonna be fun." He quipped tensely with a huff.

"We got a plan?" Hitomi peered back at him, preparing herself for the ramifications of using her Quirk.

"None at all."

Hitomi shrugged, trying to keep the atmosphere light. "Ah, well, we've done better with less."

(Which was a blatant lie.)

"Kids, don't!" All Might warned, before getting pulled back into his fight.

Twice shot out a whip of measuring tape, barely missing Bakugou's cheek, who was forced to jump away to dodge.

Hitomi sucked in a sharp breath, tensing as the school-girl, Toga, charged at her, swinging her knife around wildly.

Aunt Rumi taught her that when unarmed in a knife-fight, you needed to keep good balance so you could pivot aside at a moment's notice.

And her right leg made that not an option. So…

She leaned back, the blade whizzing by her neck by an inch. Canines baring, Hitomi held her breath and activated her Quirk.

Her vision warped, and vertigo washed over her. But most noticeably, was that she was still the same size.

Her body wouldn't do it. It was refusing to let her transform.

Toga took advantage of her confused and distracted state.

"Agh!"

Pain bloomed across the right side of Hitomi's face, and she could feel the warm slickness of blood soon running down her neck. She stumbled back, accidentally putting her right foot down.

"Saito!"

She absently heard Bakugou's shout as she hit the ground, landing roughly on her back. Eyes narrowed from the nearly overwhelming amount of pain across her body, Hitomi snarled at Toga, who jumped down and straddled her waist.

"Aw, look at that! Your eyes are all red! Like your blood!" She raised her knife high, clasped with both hands, and thrusted it back down.

Hitomi panicked, just managing to grab Toga's wrists, halting the knife centimeters from her face.

"I thought… you needed me… alive!" Hitomi grunted out, struggling to keep the metal tip from getting any closer.

Either the girl was absurdly strong, or Hitomi was direly low on blood. Probably the latter.

Then, Toga's head was snapped to the side, mercilessly kicked by Bakugou who blasted himself over.

The blonde girl went flying, tumbling to the ground with her knife clattering from her hand.

Hitomi panted, not wasting any time, and hoisted herself up. Everything swam unpleasantly, the world teetering. She didn't even realize she was careening back, until Bakugou latched onto her arm, righting her harshly.

She wasn't blind to the way he was staring at the right side of her face, but it wasn't something she wanted— or could afford to —focus on. Not when the Villains were closing in around them.

"I-I can't use my Quirk." She croaked, eyes welling, much to her shame. "My body won't let me."

Bakugou growled, glaring venomously around at their enemies. "Figured as much."

Hitomi clenched her fists, finding morbid comfort in the dull sting of her nails pinching her skin. "What do we—"

A nearby wall broke apart, revealing Midoriya and Iida holding up Kirishima. Not a second later, a ramp of ice formed in front of them, which Iida skated up in a blur with his Quirk. They reached the end of it, and sailed through the sky, what looked like eighty feet up.

Hitomi and Bakugou— and even the League, all stared.

Kirishima looked down at them, and reached out his left hand.

"Come on!"

Hitomi felt an arm wrap around her middle, and throw her up onto a shoulder. She only had enough time to notice the scent of burnt caramel, before she saw the ground shoot away.

She yelped, closing her eyes and hugging tightly to Bakugou as well as she could at her angle, trying to ignore the fact they were high enough to die, in the event that Bakugou suddenly stopped and they fell.

Their momentum changed, and no more blasts came from Bakugou's palms. His left arm came up and locked firmly over the small of her back to keep her in place.

Hitomi hesitantly cracked an eye open.

"You idiots!" Bakugou shouted, but there was nothing akin to anger in his voice.

Reassured by his hold that she wouldn't fall off, Hitomi turned her head and gaped at their rescuers.

"Bakugou!" Iida called. "On my mark, you give us a giant—"

"Don't tell me what to do, damn you!"

"It's not the time to fight, you guys!" Kirishima chastised.

Bakugou snarled wordlessly, and loosened his grip on her.

"Hang on!"

With that as her only warning, Hitomi squeaked when he let go, scrambling to knot her hands into the back of his shirt.

"Titan Cliff!" A female voice boomed.

Looking ahead, Hitomi gasped at the sight of Mount Lady, who blocked Compress— how was he on their tail?! —unfortunately with her face.

"The rescue's priority. Get home, you dumb kids…" She groaned, and fell on her side with a deafening boom.

Sounded like something Nori would say…

Thirty feet, twenty, fifteen, ten—

Bakugou blasted the ground, while Midoriya used his Quirk in his legs to brace the landing

They skidded across the debris littered ground, until finally coming to a stop.

They all panted, stunned for various reasons. Like the fact that had actually worked, and the fact they had come to a battlefield just to save Hitomi and Bakugou.

She laughed softly, looking tiredly ahead.

They were alive. Because their friends had risked life and limb saving them.

"You all… should call me… Hitomi, from now on."

Bakugou scoffed, dropping her. But Hitomi appreciated that he did so slowly enough for her to plant her left leg down.

"Holy crap, S— Hitomi, your leg!" Eijirou grimaced, hurrying to her side, and throwing her right arm over his shoulders.

"You're really pale." Izuku said quietly, throat bobbing with a swallow, his eyes lingering on her right cheek before turning to Bakugou. "Kachan, are you—"

"I'm fine, shitty nerd!"

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Tenya urged, leading the way through the rubble.

The devastation was expansive, stretching on for the whole block. There was no telling how many people could've…

"H-hey, it'll be okay." Eijirou stammered, spotting the tears running down her face.

Hitomi pursed her lips. She didn't have the energy to argue.

Leaving the area of destruction, they were joining the masses of a crowd when Izuku's phone rang, which he quickly answered.

"Hey, Todoroki!"

He was here too?

"Midoriya, are you five safe?" His voice crackled through the speaker.

"Yeah, what about you guys? No one saw you?"

Who was with Shouto?

"I don't think so. We're on the street, blending in with the crowd now. Some Pros are here helping people evacuate."

"Good." Izuku looked around, taking stock of where they were. "We're stopped in front of the station. Luckily we missed that last shockwave. Our rescue totally worked! But—"

"A rescue?! That's not what happened back there. You idiots just happened to be my best escape route!"

"You're welcome!" Eijirou beamed, unbothered by the brush-off.

Hitomi cracked a weak smile. "Well, you guys definitely rescued me." She looked at the blonde. "That includes you, Katsuki."

Katsuki twitched, scowling at her sharply, only to falter at the sight of her face.

Her pulse jumped. Her right cheek throbbing in time with it. How bad was it, to have him make that kind of face?

"Tch, we both had to get out of there, so All Might could destroy that guy." He explained gruffly.

Two helicopters flew by overhead, news channel logos on their sides.

The giant monitor on the front of the station changed, showing footage of All Might and All For One.

"The scene below's straight out of a nightmare. Half of Kamino Ward was demolished in a single, horrifying instant." A male news anchor spoke over it. "All Might is currently fighting the Villain, who appears to have caused the blast. I can't believe it. How is one person so powerful? He's destroying the city and is more than holding his own against the Symbol of Peace!"

Hitomi covered her mouth with a trembling hand, unable to take her eyes off of the screen.

All For One aimed his arm at All Might, shooting off a blast of wind so powerful it shook the ground all the way over to the station. When the view cleared, it revealed All For One, and…

What?

Hitomi stood frozen, head pounding, and racing a mile-a-minute, trying to figure out an explanation for what she was seeing.

It was that man. The sickly one she ran into before internships, that rainy morning.

There was no way… he was—

"He looks like a skeleton." Someone from the crowd commented.

"What's wrong with him?" Another asked.

"Is— is everyone else seeing this?" The news anchor sputtered. "It looks like All Might's been shrunk somehow!"

Hitomi blinked, and it was like her frantic thoughts and worries all stopped, and her mind calmly handed her one simple fact to latch onto.

Her hand lowered, dropping and clenching into a fist at her side.

The man standing there, bloody, battered, emaciated, was the same one as before.

This was still All Might.

"Beat this guy…" Katsuki whispered at her side, as if unable to bring his voice any louder.

"No way. What next?"

"Is he gonna lose?"

They all looked around at the murmuring crowd, listening to their chatter.

"He's always been able to win before. So he can do it again, right?"

"Yeah! Even if he looks totally different he's still the same All Might!"

"Come on, All Might, you can do it!"

"Beat this sucker!"

"Show 'im what you can do!"

Hitomi shook, face scrunching as she was wracked with sobs. Because this… this was—

"Win this!" Izuku shouted gutturally, tears falling from his eyes.

"Beat him!" Katsuki roared desperately.

"Keep fighting!" Hitomi cried, calling out as loud as she could.

This was all the echoes of generations raised in the shining safety of the man on screen. The pleas of millions, for him to make it out alive.

This was a Hero who needed saving. And for the first time in history, everyone else had the power to help do just that.

"Come on, All Might!"

Golden sparks encapsulated All Might's right arm, which grew back to the size it was before. And across the Hero's sunken, pale face, stretched a wide grin.

All For One floated up, mimicking the Hero by expanding his own arm to match.

Then, flames erupted from the corner of the screen. First Endeavor and Edgeshot revealed themselves, before Kamui Woods, Tiger, and the veteran Pro arrived, hauling Best Jeanist, Mount Lady, Ragdoll, and a civilian woman away so All Might wouldn't have to worry about saving them, and beating the Villain at the same time.

"The fight isn't over yet!" The news anchor declared with unwavering faith. "All Might's still standing! And so long as he is, he stands as our pillar of hope!"

All For One blew away the Heroes, just leaving him and All Might. His right arm sparked red again, and began to bulge and distort grotesquely, until the limb was the same size as his whole body.

The Villain went for the attack, and All Might pulled back his fist to do the same. Their knuckles met at a stalemate, pure energy reverberating between them. Sadly, All For One seemed to have the advantage, pushing All Might back.

But, their Hero proved stronger.

All Might's right leg buffed up, digging into the ground and halting him in his tracks. Then, his right arm deflated, as he transferred the power to his left.

His bloodied fist struck home, hitting All For One in his scarred face.

Not giving the Villain enough time to charge up another strike, All Might switched back to his right arm, which was demolished.

The strange angles it bent, and the purple bruising across the skin, it all looked a lot like—

"United…!"

Blood gushed from All Might's mouth.

"States of…!"

The ground upended around them, shattered by his lunge at the Villain.

"Smash!"

The screen washed with static, obscuring the view of what exactly was happening. But everyone could feel it, through the foundation of the city, and up through their very bones. When the camera feed filtered back in, no one dared to breathe, until the dust cleared.

Standing over the beaten Villain, was the living, breathing, All Might. His left arm raised triumphantly to the sky.

"A-All Might wins!" The news anchor announced thickly.

The crowd's cheers were so loud and overwhelming, it drowned out Hitomi's unrestrained cries.

Eijirou was practically holding up all of her weight by now, her unharmed leg too weak to keep standing. Her whole body quaked, and her vision blurred through tears. It was all a culmination of her terror, pain, exhaustion, confusion, and now…

Her astronomical relief.

"The Villain's not moving! He's knocked out! All Might stands victorious! He's saved us yet again!"

With a puff of steam, he grew to normal. Standing tall and unshakable.

"All Might! All Might! All Might! All Might!"

Everyone around them all pumped their left fists in the air.

"Whoa, Hitomi." Eijirou cautioned, hooking her right arm high when she lurched forward.

But she just didn't have the strength. The sun was rising, the Villain was defeated, All Might was alive, and she was running on half the blood she was supposed to.

Hitomi figured that, now that it was all over, she could take a quick rest.

"Hey! Stay awake— Midoriya!"

Her left arm was grabbed onto, thrown over another person.

Vanilla and lavender. Izuku.

"We need to get her to a hospital, quickly!" Tenya stressed somewhere from behind.

"Yaoyorozu can make us bandages, right?" Eijirou asked tightly.

Momo came? Momo came.

"We don't know where they are!"

"You idiots didn't bring any medical supplies?! The fuck—"

"We didn't think they'd hurt either of you! Not after all the trouble of taking you uninjured from the camp!"

"News flash dipshit, her leg was broken during the attack on camp!"

Hitomi whined, her ears flattening.

"Kachan, you're hurting her ears."

"Shut up, nerd!" Katsuki hissed, significantly quieter.

"Wha— Guys! The news!"

Half-lidded fuchsia eyes were forced upward, watching the monitor with what little energy she had left.

"Now…" Facing to the side, All Might pointed back at the camera, finishing his haunting whisper.

"Now, it's your turn."

"That's our Hero!" A woman praised.

"He couldn't be more amazing!" Said another bystander.

The salt of tears and heartbreak washed over Izuku's normally gentle scent. With a faint undercurrent of… she didn't know what.

While the rest of the crowd roared their admiration for All Might, Hitomi had front row seats to watch Izuku cry. The only one out of over a hundred, to take the message poorly.

Maybe… maybe not poorly. Maybe he was the only one to actually understand it.

Hitomi had that confusing idea pop to mind, right before everything faded away.

And unlike the last few times, she welcomed it gladly.

…

"Then what do you remember?"

Katsuki swallowed, glaring to the side. The paper cup in his right hand crinkled.

"A group caught wind of our plan to pick you up, and they offered something valuable in return for the girl."

"Then… they mentioned something about a group, or something, making some kind of deal? For… her."

There was a lot Saito missed while unconscious. Like how…

"She was easy enough to get ahold of. Thanks to convenience we were able to snag her. We wouldn't have taken the deal if we weren't already after you."

…How it was his fault she was even taken.

Detective Tsukauchi nodded slowly, jotting everything down.

"Saito, you mean?"

Katsuki glared harder. The paper cup flattened.

"Yeah. They made it sound like she was merchandise."

The detective sighed heavily. "This deal could be any number of things. Quirk Trafficking. Revenge by someone her parents locked away. Even something as mundane as an obsessed stalker."

Something bitter burned the back of Katsuki's tongue.

The two looked up as the door opened, revealing a plain looking woman dressed in scrubs, holding a first-aid kit.

"Someone informed me that a Katsuki Bakugou was hurt."

Katsuki blinked, subconsciously going over everything again in a flash behind his eyelids.

"You heard wrong." He grumbled, decidedly knowing the Villains hadn't ever managed to land any hits.

On him. His mind very unhelpfully added.

The nurse arched a thin brow, and for a second Katsuki was reminded of his mother.

Jesus, the words she was going to have for him once he got home—

"Then what's that?"

Katsuki slowly followed her pointed gaze, his eyes landing on his clenched left hand, resting on his lap.

Blood steadily trickled out from between his fingers.

How did he not notice? And what cut him?

The nurse took advantage of his bewilderment, and came forward. Kneeling down by his chair, she fearlessly grabbed his wrist, pulled his hand closer, and forced it open.

Barely running on any sleep over the past couple of long days, Katsuki didn't think to fight her, watching with some level of blank detachment. Until he saw the origin of the blood.

Four deep, and long cuts gauged through his hand, starting close to the inside of his wrist, and reaching up to the top of his palm.

They looked like animal scratches. As if razor sharp claws cut through his skin like warm butter.

"What did that?" Detective Tsukauchi questioned.

Katsuki sat stumped, until it came back to him in another flash.

Their hands slid down to their elbows, then forearms, then wrists. Finally, their hands locked together desperately. But despite their iron-strong grip, they were inevitably yanked into the separate silver portals.

He squinted at the wound, studying it closely, and came to a very dumbfounding conclusion.

When human, Saito's nails were dull, and short. Saito was in human form when she gave him the scratches.

But nothing less than her Akita Inu claws could've done this.

Chapter 37: Aftermath

Chapter Text

"Ma'am." A cautious voice interrupted the humming coming from the other end of the room. Standing in the doorway of a dim office, a lithe man with dark hair that fell like tar around his shoulders held up a folder. "The report is here."

The woman responsible for the melodic humming, stopped. Without turning her chair around, she responded pleasantly.

"Oh?"

The man nodded, then hastily made a noise of confirmation. "Yes, My Lady. And you were right, it seems. There were many Heroes deployed, including All Might himself. Along with troops from the Musutafu, Yokohama, and even Kanagawa police departments."

The woman nodded along, sultry eyes roving over the wall of screens and monitors she faced. "It makes sense. Most of the Saito family branch works in the police force in Kanagawa. I hear cops take threats against family very seriously."

The man frowned at the next paragraph. "It would seem she was heavily injured as well. A broken leg and…"

"Yes?"

"And some damage done to her face."

The woman sighed deeply. She had hoped to avoid hurting the poor thing, but some things can't be helped. She would just have to make it up to her darling once they were reunited. All that mattered now, was that they knew the sort of lengths the Heroes would go to in order to get the girl back.

So now it was time to prepare for the real reclaiming of the girl known as Hitomi Saito.

"One last thing. Are we to move forward with helping the League?"

The woman waved a dismissive hand, intently watching a head of pink hair bounce around on screen— footage from the sports festival. "Might as well. We can provide them with money and resources, and in exchange they must ensure they cause no further harm to my darling."

"Yes, My Lady." The man bowed deeply, tucking the folder under his arm.

Hitomi came to slowly, her senses filtering in one-by-one. First she heard the beeping of heart monitors, and some thick coughing from the next room over. Then she could smell the scentless detergent used on the scratchy sheets, and the tang of sterilization. After that, her face and right leg lit up with dull pain. Her mouth was full of the sticky taste of blood and sleep. And finally, she forced her eyes open.

The hospital ceiling was the same as always, and Hitomi took what comfort from that that she could.

Hesitantly, she bent her neck and peered down.

Her left leg laid in front of her as normal, while her right was replaced by a bulk of white from the knee down.

Huh, so this was what having a cast felt like.

She was just pushing herself upright, when the door swung open.

Who Hitomi expected: Nori, Ayami, Momo, maybe her other classmates.

Who it actually was: Mount freaking Lady.

Hitomi stared wide-eyed at the Hero— now in civvies.

She closed the door softly behind her, carefully holding two Dixie-cups. When she saw Hitomi was up, however, the Hero straightened and grinned.

"Hey, I heard strawberry's your favorite, so…"

Hitomi numbly took the offered ice cream, while Mount Lady opened her own and sat down by her bedside.

"Um, hi?"

Mount Lady smiled, the bandage covering her nose crinkling. "Hi. Sorry we had to meet like this. I had hoped it would be over a dinner or something."

Hitomi nodded slowly, hands going cold enough to sting, reminding her of the treat. Opening it, she couldn't help but relax slightly, seeing it was indeed vanilla with strawberry swirl.

"So, uh…" she trailed off, buying time by scooping some up and putting the wooden spoon in her mouth. It was a relief to replace the flavors lingering before, even if the wood was more prominent than the ice cream itself. "Not that I don't appreciate you being here, or the ice cream, b-but, um… is there a reason you're visiting me?"

Mount Lady paused, spoon halfway to her mouth. Then, much to Hitomi's surprise, her eyes darkened.

"He didn't tell you?"

Hitomi shivered, shrinking into herself. "No?"

Mount Lady sighed deeply, rubbing her temple. "That idiot. We're in the same hospital, of course I'm gonna come see her." She muttered angrily to herself, then set her treat aside, scooting closer to Hitomi. "Okay, here it is. My name is Yu Takeyama. And I'm dating your brother."

Hitomi blinked, then glowered.

"He didn't tell me."

The door swung open, Nori sauntering in with a smile at seeing his sister awake. Until he spotted the blonde.

The two girls whipped their heads around, pinning him with stormy glares.

"You didn't tell her we're dating?!"

"You didn't tell me you're dating?!"

"Oh God." Nori croaked, wincing when the furious aura around the two grew stronger.

But Hitomi snapped out of it, and brightened ecstatically, whirling around in her bed to face Takeyama.

"Oh my gosh! You're dating! So that means you're the tall pretty blonde he met at the sports festival!"

Takeyama smirked, throwing her hair back. "Pretty, hm?"

Hitomi nodded rapidly. "Mm! Hana's always brutally honest, so if she says you're pretty, you know it's true."

Takeyama leaned forward, balancing her chin on her hand. "Aw, that's so sweet. You know, she talks about you a lot. The last couple days she's gone on none-stop about how amazing her big sis Hito is."

Nori watched on, undecided between fear or contentment at his girls getting along.

Hitomi started to beam, but a strange pull on her right cheek stopped her. She winced, gently touching her bandage there.

Both Nori and Takeyama sobered, sharing a look.

"Well, I'll let you two talk." She said quietly, picking up her ice cream and heading to the door.

Nori stepped aside to let her past, and they traded nods.

"How are you feeling?" He asked lowly once the door shut, slowly approaching to stand at the foot of her bed.

Hitomi shrugged, smiling weakly. "I'm alive."

To her regret, she watched tears fill her brother's eyes.

"That camp was supposed to be safe. And now… now we're being told there are people after you, who the police can't even hope to find, and the fucking faculty at UA want to discuss you kids mov—" He stopped, taking a deep breath.

Hitomi watched him, sadly lowering her gaze to her cast.

"Ayami's down in the cafeteria, feeding Hana." Nori continued softer, walking up to her side. "You've been out for a while, you need anything?"

Hitomi flushed, fiddling with her hands. "Um… well…"

"Bathroom?"

She nodded meekly.

Nori pulled out some crutches that were hooked by her bed, carefully helping her move her legs to dangle off the side of the mattress.

"Don't hesitate for a second if you need help with anything, okay?" He quietly ordered, adjusting the height of the crutches for her.

Hitomi frowned all the while, already tired of the hassle of a broken leg. "Has Recovery Girl stopped by?"

"Yeah." Nori huffed, standing back with his hands slightly raised, ready to catch her while she worked on stumbling to the bathroom. "And she's already healed a lot. You had a segmental break, that turned into a compound one."

Hitomi stared blankly, and he sighed.

"Segmental. Bone broke in two places, so piece of bone float in meat. Compound. Piece of bone says hi, through your skin."

"Oh…"

He rolled his eyes. "She healed one break, so there's no bone floating anymore, and sealed the area it went through your skin. You still have one break, and need to wait a week before you can come back for her to take care of it."

Hitomi nodded, but paused when she reached the door. "Um, what about…?" She gestured to her cheek.

Nori frowned gravely. "She's healed that as well as she can, but…"

Hitomi swallowed, hobbling into the bathroom.

Recovery Girl's Quirk, while at face-value, seemed miraculous, it actually didn't do much compared to healing normally. All it did was promote your cells to heal faster. Not better or stronger than before. She couldn't heal you better than your body could itself.

Which was why Izuku's arms were covered in scars.

Hitomi stood after taking care of her business, and shuffled over to the sink. She kept her gaze lowered, not daring to glance up until she was finished washing her hands, just to give herself some more time to prepare.

Then, she looked.

The bandage was taped innocuously on her right cheek, pristinely white.

Breath stuttering, Hitomi reached up and lightly gripped the top edge of the bandage, carefully pulling it down. The following sound to come out of her throat was that of a wounded animal.

The scar began at her jawline, slicing cleanly upward and just barely stopping below her cheekbone. The pinkened skin was inverted, like a piece was dug out from her face.

She was…

Hitomi didn't want to consider herself as vain, but there, standing in front of her reflection and seeing the damage done to her once smooth skin…

Stepping back out into her room, Hitomi looked up at Nori with misty eyes.

He stared at the scar, and frowned deeply, opening his arms to her.

"Oh Tomi…"

Hitomi hiccuped, throwing herself into his arms.

She was devastated.

But you'd never be able to tell.

The second day Hitomi was conscious, she was allowed none-related visitors. And as expected, Momo was the first in line.

Gaining her front row seats to Hitomi's strange behavior.

"So, wanna watch a movie or something?" The pinkette asked, smiling merrily.

But her tail didn't move.

"Um, I actually thought you might want to talk?" Momo tried not to stare too long at any part of her friend that was covered in gauze. "And didn't Recovery Girl heal that?" She gestured to her right cheek, which was rebandaged.

Hitomi tried to mask a flinch. "Oh, uh, it's best if I just keep it on, you know? Anyway, how are you doing?"

Momo sighed through her nose, sensing she would get nowhere with how her friend was currently. "Other than a few scrapes and bruises, I'm fine. It's thanks to Awase I'm in such good shape, actually."

"Awase? From 1-B?" Hitomi cocked her head.

Momo nodded once, smiling softly. "Yes. I took a blow to the head from the Nomu, and he didn't hesitate to rush in and save me. If he hadn't been there…"

Hitomi frowned at the implication, deciding then and there that she would be making Awase a dessert of some kind.

The two sat together, talking for hours, only stopping when Nori or Ayami would interrupt to drop off get-well-soon gifts from many different people. Things ranging from sweets to teddy-bears slowly filled up her room, making Hitomi's chest warm.

There was one in particular that she cherished. The lilac bear that smelled of cinnamon, longing, and relief, was held close during much of her evening with Momo.

With the sun starting to set, Nori popped in to warn Momo that time was up, and she had to head home. The ravenette voiced guilt over monopolizing Hitomi's visiting hours, but was brushed off with reassurances from both Saitos.

Before leaving, Momo reached into her bag and pulled out a white box.

"Oh, yeah. Mother got this for you." She held out the new phone, shaking her head minutely. "She wanted to make sure you could call for help if you got yourself into any more trouble."

Hitomi took it gratefully. "Tell her I said thanks. I lost mine during the…" she trailed off, then slumped dejectedly. "I lost it at camp." She finished weakly, a cloud of depression hovering over her.

"I know, we—" Momo cut herself off, hand to her mouth in realization. "Wait, that means—"

"Uh-huh." Hitomi pouted, hugging the lilac bear closer. She didn't really care about losing the phone, moreso what was attached to it.

Momo patted her head commiseratingly. "Don't worry, I'm sure she'd be happy to make you a new one."

Hitomi nodded faintly, mumbling a halfhearted agreement.

Katsuki was walking head first into hell.

"We're here to see Hitomi Saito." His mother, Mitsuki Bakugou smiled sweetly at the receptionist, wildly different from the usual expressions of hers.

Anger. Irritation. Annoyance.

(And no, those aren't all the same thing. Not to the Bakugous.)

After verifying they were indeed who they said they were, the receptionist gave them his classmate's room number, warning them that she may be asleep, with how early it was. There was also apparently a police detail stationed in her hallway.

The silent reminder of the lingering threat against her made something stir uncomfortably in the blonde's stomach.

Katsuki had tried sneaking out before the sun was even finished breaching the horizon, all to avoid exactly this situation. Unfortunately for him, his mother just so happened to be up too, and caught him halfway to the door. After an interrogation, she squeezed his plan out of him, and staunchly decided that she and his father were coming along too.

And now his parents were going to meet Saito.

Katsuki briefly prayed for her to be asleep.

The walk to her room felt like a march to the gallows, and Katsuki distracted himself by running his right thumb over the healing cuts on his left palm. He debated with himself on whether or not he should say anything to her about it, but something held him back.

He was broken from his musings when— to his grief, his mother threw open the door. It slammed against the wall, ensuring that, if she wasn't already, Saito would most definitely be awake now.

"Er— Hi?" He could hear Saito's cautious tone from out in the hall, where he stood back.

"Hello there." His mother chirped, and Katsuki could practically hear the cheshire grin on her face. "You must be Saito. I'm Mitsuki Bakugou."

"Oh! I thought you two looked a lot alike. Katsuki never told me he had an older sister."

Katsuki closed his eyes, wishing— not for the first time —he'd just chosen to stay home.

"Oh, well, that's because I'm Katsuki's mother."

Somebody come kill him. Now. Before his mother got the chance to use this against him.

"Katsuki, get your ass in here!" She must've noticed his absence.

Sighing deeply, Katsuki ambled into the room with a heavy scowl. He inwardly appreciated the sympathetic look his father gave him.

But his annoyance died out, when he saw Saito.

She sat up in her bed, her right leg bulked up under her blanket by a cast. She was pale, rings under her eyes. A thick bandage was taped over her right cheek, where that psycho school-girl slashed—

Saito smiled, but Katsuki didn't sense any of her usual cheer in it.

"Hey, Katsuki."

He glowered, crossing his arms stiffly. "Idiot. Why are you smiling? You look like dog-shit."

He should've expected the swift smack to the back of his head.

Saito huffed an obviously feigned laugh, scratching her neck awkwardly. "Ah, well, I don't wanna worry anyone, you know?"

Katsuki clenched his fists, digging his nails into the tender cuts.

"We came by to thank you for looking out for Katsuki." His father, Masaru Bakugou, spoke up for the first time. "And he wanted to drop something off for you."

Saito's ears went back, and her eyes became noticeably guilty. "I really didn't do anything. He's the one who looked out for me."

"Katsuki Bakugou is going to become the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen! And no one, especially not you league of asshats is going to change that!"

Katsuki swallowed, turning his head to the side.

You're here because of me. You're hurt because of me. You and All Might. It's my—

"Either way," his mother started in a soft voice, walking over and putting a hand on Saito's head, "thanks for being there for him."

Saito's bottom lip wobbled, and Katsuki had to look away. But her next words made his gaze shoot back up to her face.

"Of course. He's my friend."

He could protest to that. He would, any other time. Especially with the knowledge that his mother would absolutely use this, too. But…

Saito's eyes were watery, her lip trembled, her cheeks were pale, and she looked so fragile for once.

(Because of me.)

Katsuki remained silent.

His father cleared his throat, sharing a wordless exchange with his mother entirely through looks. Something Katsuki could never figure out how they pulled off.

"Well." His mother clapped her hands, stepping away from Saito's bed and walking back to the door. "You kids talk, and all that. We'll be down in the cafeteria."

Thank god for small mercies.

Katsuki waited for them both to leave, and shut the door behind them, before he would even look up at his classmate again.

Saito was smiling when he did— this one more genuine. "They were nice."

Katsuki scoffed, approaching her bed. "Yeah, because you don't know them."

"Your mom kinda smells like you. Not by a lot though."

Katsuki sneered, stuffing his hands into his pockets, wrapping one around a small bag hidden inside. "Great. Like I wanna hear that."

Saito giggled. "Don't worry about it. All family smell similar in some way."

Katsuki wasn't sure how that was supposed to work, but moved past it in favor of getting the whole visit over with. He casually pulled out the bag, holding it out to her.

"Oh yeah, here."

Saito blinked, staring blankly at it for a second, before her eyes lit up.

"My phone!"

The police issue evidence bag contained her shattered and dirty phone, still covered with an obscene and ridiculous amount of charms, all hanging off of the horribly impractical case.

She took it, opening the bag and taking it out. She seemed unbothered by the state of the device, smiling widely— this one bright and sincere —at it.

"It's beyond repair." He commented dryly, arching a brow at her glee. "You'd be better off just getting a new one."

Saito shook her head, still beaming. "It's not the phone I'm happy about. It's this." She pointed out one specific charm. It was simple, just a string of chunky beads, ending in a strawberry charm.

"Why?" Katsuki asked skeptically, eyeing it and deducing it was definitely the cheapest looking one out of all of them.

Saito's smile softened into something loving— and Katsuki almost took a step back when she then looked up at him.

"It's the most important one, because Hana made it for me."

"Hana?" Katsuki mumbled, immediately annoyed with himself for continuing on with the conversation. He should just leave and—

"Oh, she's my guardian— Ayami Usagiyama's, daughter. She's super sweet." Saito took the case off of the phone, careful to avoid nicking herself on the broken screen. "I was really bummed about losing it, so thank you, Katsuki."

He clicked his tongue, glaring down at her. "Who the hell gave you permission to use my first name, anyway?!"

Saito actually fucking smirked. "Well, so long as you call me Cherry, I'm gonna call you Katsuki. Suck it up, buttercup!"

Katsuki blinked, then deadpanned.

"How much pain-meds are you on right now?"

"So much."

Chapter 38: Consideration and preparation

Notes:

So, I've been working on some bits for later on— specifically the Hassaikai arc, and… I really hope none of you guys are big Nighteye stans. He's, uh… he's kinda one of my absolute least favorite (borderline hated) characters, and I wish I could say I was a good enough writer to portray him in a fair, unbiased light. But with how things are looking, I'm gonna wind up being real mean to him, so, sorry in advance?
Anyway, this chapter is pretty much filler, and wraps up the Kamino Arc. So, yeah… it's not the most exciting.

Chapter Text

Shouta Aizawa was a Hero. A great one at that. So it was safe to say he had dealt with his fair share of fearsome enemies. Villains big and small, some who went down easy, and others that— more recently —had broken both of his arms and nearly blinded him.

Those had nothing on Nori Saito.

The golden eyes to greet Shouta when the Saitos' door swung open, burned bright like they were molten.

He knew he had his work cut out for him.

"Nori, is that Aizawa? Let him in!" Usagiyama called from somewhere deeper in the house.

Nori scowled venomously, stiffly stepping aside.

Shouta entered, not allowing himself to look around and reminisce. He came for a reason, and getting sidetracked by his history with Naomi and Riku was only doing to get in the way of that.

"Oh good, we've been wondering when you'd stop by." Usagiyama chirped as she stepped into the foyer, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Come on, there are snacks in the living-room."

Nori huffed, stomping off in that direction. By the time Shouta and Usagiyama joined him, he was already sitting in the middle of the couch, fixing a narrowed gaze on Shouta.

This is my house. I have the power here. His posture said.

"Alright, let's get things started, shall we?" Usagiyama simpered, nonchalantly nudging Nori aside and taking his place.

No, I do. Her smile felt sharp and predatory.

Nori obediently slumped at her side, crossing his arms petulantly.

"Where's Hitomi?" Shouta asked once sitting across from them, surprised the pinkette wouldn't want to be present for this.

"She's outside with Hana. We made a deal, if we brought her home from the hospital early, then she would sit out on this conversation."

"Don't you think her input should be considered?"

"She's already made her stance clear." Nori grumbled.

Shouta could have guessed as much, but he felt better making sure.

"So, you've read over the letter, about the dormitory?" Shouta already knew her answer, but again, had to make sure.

Usagiyama nodded once. "Yes. And to be frank with you, I support it wholeheartedly."

Nori sneered. "And that's where we're at a disagreement."

The white haired woman sighed, looking down solemnly. "Look, I'll admit, things haven't been going right with UA recently. You've been attacked several times, and many of the children have gotten injured. Mine especially." Her hands fisted her skirt. "But… there's no denying the way Hitomi's changed since enrolling."

Some of the anger etched into Nori's face fell slack.

"She's been so… happy." Usagiyama's bottom lip trembled, tears filling her eyes. "For so long, Momo was all she had outside of this house. Then Hana was born, and she got to be a big sister. But it wasn't enough. And now, at UA, she's been so… vibrant. Her smiles are so big, and her tail is wagging! She has friends. Plural! Hitomi's broken out of her shell for the first time in so long. Everyday she's telling me about something funny Kaminari said, or how cute Uraraka looked, or how calm Bakugou was during lunch. She's thriving in UA! And I know I should be yelling at you, and berating how lax your security is, considering my girl has nearly died twice now, but she needs you. Hitomi needs UA and the people there." Usagiyama gave a wobbling smile. "And I can't imagine how much she'll shine after being given the chance to live with her friends."

The tension in Shouta's shoulder ebbed.

Nori stared down at the floor, brows furrowed.

"...The group that wants her… have the police figured out anything about them?"

Shouta sat straighter. "No, unfortunately. But we're still working on it."

Nori nodded slowly, lips pursed. "And… this dorm system, how safe is it?"

Shouta latched onto the tentative consideration he was showing. "Extremely. It's on campus, so no one without an ID card can get in unless escorted. There are security cameras, alarms, and emergency lockdown procedures. She'll be safer there, than she is here."

Nori made a face as if he was being forced to swallow a lemon. When he lifted his head, he leveled Shouta with a hard stare.

"Can you give me your word that she'll be okay? That no one will be able to get their hands on her while she's there?"

Shouta extended a hand. "Yes. You have my word."

Nori eyed it, before sighing through his nose and taking it. He shook it firmly, glowering.

"I'm holding you to it."

A purple crayon scribbled away on a piece of paper, carefree and messy.

"Whatcha hummin'?" Hana asked with her tongue poking out, while she focused on her own drawing.

Hitomi paused, trying to grasp the wispy memory. "It's a song I can't remember learning. It gets stuck in my head sometimes."

Hana made a thoughtful noise, then pointed to the pinkette's doodles. "What's that?"

Hitomi looked down, smiling sheepishly— a motion that crinkled the bandage covering her healed cheek. "My Hero costume. It's pretty boring compared to my friends'."

Hana blinked, then shrugged. "Make a new one."

Hitomi slumped down, propping her chin on the patio-table. "I can't. My first design got turned down. It's hard making something look cool when it has to accommodate my Quirk."

Hana stared, and Hitomi quickly elaborated.

"Accommodate means, uh… changing to help something else fit in?"

Hana's lips parted in an 'O' and she nodded. Then, after a stretch of continued drawing, she looked up again.

"So, make a new one."

Hitomi's ears drooped. "Hana—"

"A new da— de-sign!" The girl said merrily, hastily sketching up a less than stellar costume idea. "That works."

Hitomi watched her contemplatively. "I don't know… I'd love a new costume, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I could make a functional one that looks nice."

"Yu's looks nice!"

Hitomi sat up, staring at her sister.

"Hana?"

"Hm?"

"You're a genius."

"So, something tells me this isn't a bonding sort of lunch."

Hitomi chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, who says it can't be a few things?"

Takeyama rolled her eyes goodnaturedly, sitting down in the booth.

"Alright, what's up?"

Hitomi reached down into the bag at her side, pulling out a messy stack of paper, a packet of drawing materials, and a ring of paint swatches.

"I need advice." She wordlessly pushed forward her original costume design, along with a picture of her current one.

Takeyama's eyes lit up, and she eagerly leaned to look closer. "You know, I've never been asked for help like this before. When people wanna talk about Hero work with me, it's almost always with thinly-veiled sexism. So this is a refreshing change."

Hitomi's tail thumped the back of the booth. "So you'll help me?"

Takeyama placed her chin on her hand, smirking slyly. "If you pay for lunch."

"Deal!"

Soon the table was crowded with dishes and the supplies, while the two worked diligently through quick bites of food.

"Definitely not." Takeyama held a swatch of dark green up to Hitomi's face, sneering in distaste.

"So no greens, then." Hitomi marked off the color from a list.

Takeyama hummed around her fork, eyes squinting contemplatively. "Mark off blue too, it'll clash with your hair."

"Got it."

"Hmm…" Takeyama shuffled through the swatches, eyes widening halfway through. Setting her fork down, she held up a swatch with a look of triumph. "This one."

Hitomi blinked at it, then cocked her head. "Are you sure? My hair and eyes—"

"Your hair's cherry blossom pink. Your lashes are rose pink. And your eyes are fuchsia. This," she waved the swatch, "is salmon pink. Redder than the others. I think it'll do nicely."

"Cherry blossom… fuchsia…" Hitomi murmured, unsure why she felt like she should be having a revelation of some sort.

(In their home, Izuku's mother fretted, and passed her son a tissue. The boy thanked her and wondered why he inexplicably felt like facepalming.)

"We just need some accent colors." Takeyama said, continuing to flip through.

Hitomi sat straighter.

"Silver and gold."

"Hm?"

Hitomi scoured through the messy papers, finding a lone photo. She held it out to Takeyama, expression serious.

"The accent colors. I want them to be silver and gold."

Takeyama studied the picture of Hitomi's parents, then slowly nodded.

"We can make it work. Now for the hard part." She gently set aside the photo, and took a blank piece of paper, swiping up a pen.

"The actual design." Hitomi slumped.

"You should be resting."

Hitomi hummed absently, sitting on her floor to pack away some of her clothes. It was a struggle to pack up anything, while still bound by her crutches.

Nori sighed, leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"You haven't taken a second to breathe since you got home. This can wait— or I can hire some movers. Just— just take a break."

Hitomi paused, frowning at the plea. "When you moved to your college dorm, didn't you say the movers broke half your stuff?"

Nori hesitated, squinting at her. "Yes. But now I know which ones not to call."

Hitomi shook her head goodnaturedly, pushing aside the box, and slowly standing. "Sure, sure. I just need—"

The floor tipped, and Hitomi caught a glimpse of her ceiling blurring by.

"Hitomi!"

Her back ached, and she blinked, staring blankly up at her panicked brother. His lips were moving, but it was difficult to make out anything with the ringing in her ears.

Nori scowled, slowly sitting her up, and lightly slapped her cheeks, trying to bring her back to focus.

"When was the last time you ate?" She finally heard him ask.

"Um…" Hitomi wracked her brain, brows furrowing. "When did we get take-out?"

Nori's expression hardened. "Yesterday. Are you telling me you haven't had breakfast or lunch?"

Hitomi shrank under his angered gaze.

He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down his face. "What about sleep?"

Hitomi pursed her lips, eyes wide, as if caught.

Nori noticed.

"Damnit, Hitomi."

Shoving aside her crutches— that she had dropped when falling —Nori scooped her up and carried her to her already stripped bed.

"No, Nori, I have to pack, and—"

"Rest." He cut her off coldly, depositing her down.

She looked up at him pleadingly. "But, there's stuff I have to do!"

"Like what?" He crossed his arms.

"L-like…" She swallowed, eyes flickering around, trying to come up with something.

"Look, you've been keeping yourself busy ever since… And I get it. Really, I do. But you need to take a break, and keep better care of yourself." Nori pulled a blanket from a nearby box, throwing it over her. "What would Momo think?"

That finally broke her, and Hitomi sighed with defeat.

"Just a short nap." She hedged, eyes already fluttering.

"Of course." Nori smirked, walking back toward the door.

"Still have stuff to do." Hitomi mumbled, curling up and pulling the edge of the blanket to her chin.

"It can wait 'til later." He flicked off the light, lingering in the doorway, and watched her drift off to sleep.

Her crutches clacked on the brick walkway, as she marched on to her new home for the time being.

As UA's arching entrance grew closer up ahead, Hitomi humored herself with thoughts of what dorm life could be like with such a varying cast of characters.

A breeze drifted by, fluttering her hair.

Burnt caramel.

Hitomi stopped, looking toward where it came from, and stared at the head of spiky ash blonde hair bobbing a ways ahead.

Hitomi took a deep breath, and pushed herself to walk faster.

He didn't pay her any mind when she finally matched his stride next to him, keeping his carmine eyes forward.

Hitomi blinked, noticing the buds fit snugly in his ears.

"What're you listening to?" She asked curiously, cocking her head. She could hear it slightly, but it was muffled and tinny.

Katsuki sighed through his nose, fleetingly glancing her way. His eyes lingered on her doodled-on cast, and crutches.

Then, to her shock, he removed the left earbud, and held it out to her.

Hitomi nearly gaped, but quickly acted and took the offered bud, knowing he would get impatient and irritable if she took too long. She held it up to her right ear, forced to come to a stop, as she couldn't use her crutches and hold it at the same time.

Katsuki stopped with her, shocking her further.

She listened, a small smile spreading across her face, scrunching the bandage on her cheek.

"It sounds 1980s. Early 90s, maybe." She identified the western rock music with a growing grin. "Mama was a big fan of that genre and time." She explained her ability to recognize it.

Hitomi passed the bud back, continuing on with him as he put it back in. As he did, Hitomi noticed the wrappings going around his left hand.

"Katsuki, what happened?" She fretted, gesturing to it.

Katsuki studied his covered palm, pinning her with a considerate look, before shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Has Recovery Girl seen it?"

"No."

Hitomi frowned. "I can smell the blood. Will it cause problems with using your Quirk?"

"No."

She huffed, then asked in a much meeker voice, "Will it scar?"

Katsuki didn't answer, shoving the hand in his pocket.

Hitomi frowned. "Katsuki—"

"Didn't Recovery Girl heal your cheek?" He pointedly stared at her pristine bandage.

Her lips pursed shut.

"Hey, Bakugou, Hitomi!"

Hitomi looked up, spotting pointy, strikingly red hair.

"Hi, Eijirou." She smiled softly, her and Katsuki reaching the UA gate.

"Leg's still broken?" Eijirou asked, shooting it a concerned look.

"Yeah. It was bad enough Recovery Girl's had to do it in segments. I go in tomorrow for the last session."

"Well, that's good at least." Eijirou took to walking on Katsuki's other side, the three joining the crowd of students already there.

Mr. Aizawa stood before them all, starting once he saw his full class.

"Given everything that has happened, I'm glad we were able to bring Class A back together."

"So we all got the go-ahead to move on-campus?" Sero surmised, grinning.

"I was pretty concerned about my parents agreeing." Kyoka admitted.

"Nori put up a fight, predictably." Hitomi huffed, spotting Momo and shuffling over to her.

"It makes sense, Jirou, you did get the worst of the gas attack." Ojirou commented.

"We're glad to see the teachers got to come back, too." Tsuyu added, turning to Mr. Aizawa. "I was afraid you wouldn't be allowed. The people at the press conference seemed pretty upset with you guys."

"I was surprised as well." Mr. Aizawa said. "But circumstances have changed. Now then. I'll explain how your dorm assignments will work shortly." He clapped his hands. "First, however, we haven't forgotten about the provisional Hero licenses you were supposed to get during the training camp."

"Oh yeah, that's what we were there for." Sato mumbled.

"So much has happened, it totally slipped my mind." Mina scratched her head.

"This is important. Listen well." Mr. Aizawa cut them off, then looked to specific students. "Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Midoriya, Iida. You five are the ones who broke the rules and went to rescue Bakugou and Saito that night." He narrowed his tired eyes.

Hitomi frowned, brows furrowing. But she noticed how Momo stood tall by her side, expression tight, but with no remorse.

She didn't regret it.

"Based on your reactions, I assume the rest of you were at least aware of their plan. I'm going to set aside a number of issues, and just say this. If it weren't for All Might's retirement from the Hero scene, I would expel everyone here except Bakugou, Saito, and Jirou."

Hitomi swallowed dryly.

"The five of you who went, of course. But also the remaining twelve who didn't stop them. You betrayed our trust. Even if it was to keep your friends from getting into trouble. In order to regain our confidence, you'll need to obey every rule to the letter, and live as model students. That's all." He finished off with a lighter tone, nonchalantly turning and walking toward the dorm building. "Now, look alive. Enjoy your new home."

"Uh, we're supposed to be excited after that speech?"

Hitomi glanced around, feeling guilty for all the downtrodden expressions and smells. If she had been strong enough, maybe she and Katsuki could've escaped together, and no one would have had to break the rules.

A slender hand settled on her head, making Hitomi jump.

Momo gave her a wry smile.

"It was worth it."

Hitomi's eyes stung.

"Tch, come here."

Hitomi blinked, looking to Katsuki, who was dragging Kaminari over to the bushes.

"Uh— Huh? Wait, for what?" Kaminari nervously asked, before being pulled out of sight. Not a second later, he screamed, sparks flying. When he popped back out, he was giving thumbs-up, drooling in his dumbed down state.

Kyoka sputtered and cackled at the sight.

"Dude, what'd Bakugou do to you?!" Sero asked between his own amusement.

"Kirishima."

Katsuki marched up to Eijirou, holding out a stack of paper yen.

"Whoa, did you shake him down for cash?!"

"No! This is my money, you idiot. To replace what you spent."

Oh, Katsuki must've known Kaminari would tease him about this, so he made it so he couldn't.

"Uh, how'd you know I bought night vision goggles?" Eijirou asked, stunned.

Katsuki didn't answer, shoving the money into Eijirou's chest, forcing him to take it, before stomping off to the dorms.

"Don't say I never gave you anything. Now I'm not in your debt. Kaminari, show 'em your dumb side." Katsuki spoke lowly, without ever glancing back.

Okay, so Kaminari was also a distraction from the generous deed Katsuki did.

"Sorry everyone. I know this won't make up for it, but let's all go eat yakiniku tonight, on me!" Eijirou declared while Kaminari bumbled around and spoke gibberish.

While everyone cheered about the free food, Hitomi found herself watching Katsuki's back.

Huh…

Were his shoulders alway that broad?

Chapter 39: A heartfelt gesture

Notes:

Real quick, I just wanna mention something.
So, uh, if you read TLH, or any other work of mine, please don't message me with insults and hate. Constructive criticism is fine, but just saying stuff like "OC's so fucking stupid I can't stand her" or "I fucking hate this fic. I'm so glad OC's suffering" is kinda… not cool? I guess? And I know it seems silly to get worked up over only a couple comments like that, when there's so many of you amazing people who have stuck by me and my story, and been so vocally positive about it. But idk, it just gets to me, call me overly sensitive lol, I just wanted to say something about it, sorry.
(Btw, melon-pan is a type of cookie. A sweet bun wrapped with cookie dough. Despite what the name would have you believe, it isn't melon flavored. Also, in Japan, gifting someone homemade sweets can be seen as a romantic gesture.)
Okay, onto the chapter.

Chapter Text

"Each student dormitory holds one class." Mr. Aizawa explained to them as they all entered the building. "Girls are on the right, and boys are on the left. The entire first floor is a common area. That's where you'll find your kitchen, baths, and laundry rooms."

"Wow." Hitomi whispered, looking around wide-eyed.

The common area was lovely, with hardwood flooring, dark green carpets, light green walls, and forest green furniture. Tall windows, high ceilings, bright lights, and nice atmosphere.

Hitomi felt at home.

"There's even a courtyard!" Sero crowed excitedly.

"So spacious and new!" Mina giggled.

"I'm living in a mansion." Ochako fell to the floor in bliss.

"Uraraka!" Tenya shouted.

"It smells so clean." Hitomi murmured, tail wagging. Despite what you may assume, she actually liked the scent of cleaners and disinfectant. Just so long as they weren't overpowering. But she was eager for when it would change from clean and new, to an amalgam of her friends' scents. Chances were, she would find comfort in it.

"Doth mine ears deceive me?" Mineta whispered. "Our baths… are located in the common space?" He swallowed. "Is this heaven?"

A furious aura surrounded Mr. Aizawa. "They're separated by gender. And you will behave yourself."

The color drained from Mineta's face. "Yes sir."

"The living quarters start on the next floor. Four boys and four girls on each level. Everyone gets their own room. You should be comfortable. You've got your own AC, toilets, fridges, and closets." Mr. Aizawa showed them around a bare room as he listed off everything.

"We have balconies?! Wow!" Izuku marveled at the sliding glass door, and the space outside of it.

"This room is about the same size as my closet at home, but I'll manage." Momo mused.

"It's the size of my house!" Ochako fell again.

"Uraraka!"

"It's cozy." Hitomi smiled softly.

"These are your dorm assignments." Mr. Aizawa passed out sheets of paper, each with a print of the layout of Heights Alliance. "The belongings you sent ahead have already been placed in your new rooms, so spend the day unpacking and getting settled. I'll tell you more about your next few lessons tomorrow. For now, get to work."

"Yes, Mr. Aizawa!"

Hitomi sat on her bare bed, staring blankly at the stacks of boxes around her.

The room was cute and surprisingly spacious for a dorm. But it felt intimidating for some reason.

She could hear her friends goofing around and having fun while unpacking. And wished she could borrow some of their energy.

Hoisting herself up, Hitomi moved to first open the box with her beddings and pillows. But… she struggled enough with fitted sheets normally, so how was she supposed to manage while also balancing on crutches?

...How was she supposed to unpack anything with her hands busy holding her up?

Suddenly disheartened, Hitomi felt strangely close to crying. She didn't understand why something so trivial was upsetting her so badly. Tomorrow she would have her cast off and be able to walk unhindered, so she could just set up her things then.

She heard something fall, followed by whines from Kaminari and cackles from Mina at his misfortune.

But tomorrow, everyone else would already be finished moving in.

Something stung painfully in Hitomi's chest. She sniffled, heading for the door

She might as well acquaint herself with the rest of the building for now.

Among the furniture already in the living-room, the kitchen was stocked with food and dishes. Not only with the usual essentials, but plenty of miscellaneous things as well, much to Hitomi's relief.

Opening a bottle of green tea that she found in the fridge, she scoured the cupboards and drawers, slowly coming up with a plan as she located all the needed ingredients. There were a few aprons hung on a hook, and she snatched one up. Her hair was tied up by the scrunchie she kept on her wrist, and she finished preparing by washing her hands thoroughly. Sitting down at the island counter, so she wouldn't have to balance on her crutches, Hitomi got to work sifting flour and cocoa powder.

"The fuck?"

"Oh, Katsuki!" Hitomi cracked a smile, cocking her head. "How's your room coming along?"

Katsuki didn't answer, staring at the dozen cookie trays littering the kitchen's counter space.

"The fuck, Saito?"

Hitomi blinked, peering around her small army of cookies cluelessly. "What's wrong?"

Katsuki's eye twitched. With a tick of his jaw, he stomped over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, grumbling something Hitomi couldn't catch even with her heightened hearing.

Suddenly, Kaminari came skidding into the kitchen on his house-slippers.

"I smell cookies!"

From behind him, many of the other boys came out from the hallway, each one wearing some combination of their gym uniforms, and pajamas.

The sight made Hitomi check the clock, shocking her with how late it had gotten. She hadn't even noticed the lack of light shining in through the windows, or the peaceful chirping of crickets outside.

"What's all this?" Eijirou scratched the back of his head, leaning in closer to the island counter.

"Is that melon-pan?" Sero joined, he and a few others migrating towards the delicious smells.

"Mm!" Hitomi pointed her spatula to a stack of already full tupperware containers holding cooled ones. "There's vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry jam filled." There was another kind in the oven, but that batch was off limits.

"I thought I smelled something baking." Ochako commented, herself and the rest of the girls joining the others in the living-room and kitchen.

Kaminari let out an excited whoop, and reached for one sitting on a cooling rack. "These look grea— Ow!" He reared back, cradling his hand with a pout.

Hitomi threateningly waved the silicone spatula she used to slap his hand. "Don't eat the pretty ones. They're not for us."

"Who're they for, then?" Kyoka arched a brow, a slightly scandalized blush dusting her cheeks.

"Awase. From 1-B."

"Why?" Momo and Katsuki asked, both sounding oddly tense.

"For saving Momo's life." Hitomi started putting away the last of them, distributing all the ones that came out the best into a different container meant for Awase.

"Oh." Momo mumbled, her cheeks flushing sheepishly for some unknown reason.

Katsuki shook his head, once again muttering something unintelligible, and marched out of the kitchen and back down the hallway. It seemed he was done dealing with them for the night.

"If you're finished, then you can join us." Mina clapped her hands with a mischievous grin.

Hitomi cocked her head, standing with her crutches. A glance at the oven timer told her the last batch still needed to proof for a while. "Join you with what?"

"Well, the girls and I have been talking." Mina nodded to Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka, she then shot a smirk towards the boys lounging in the living-room. "And we came up with an idea… Let's go around and see who has the coolest room!"

Hitomi tensed. And she wasn't the only one.

Izuku shot to his feet, waving his hands in denial. "Ah, I don't think—"

"Awesome, so Midoriya's first!" Mina chirped, turning on her heel and flouncing back towards the dorms.

Hitomi winced in sympathy, reluctantly following behind the herd of curious and/or terrified teens.

But halfway to Izuku's door, Hitomi stopped in her tracks. Blinking slowly, she caught up with her brain finally, as she only then noticed—

How long had Katsuki been calling her by her name?

Izuku's room was precious.

"It's All Might everywhere!" Ochako marveled.

Hitomi nodded along, amused by all the red, white, and blue filling the room.

"You're such a fanboy!"

"Well, I admire him…" Izuku stood by his desk, face searing red. "This is embarrassing."

Hitomi opened her mouth to console him, when she spotted something on his wall. Along with his many posters, there was a frame holding a piece of notebook paper, with three signatures scrawled across.

She smiled softly at it.

"Does this mean… they're judging our rooms, too?" Kaminari whispered to Sero and Eijirou.

"Probably, could end up a good time." Sero mused, though he sounded tense.

Finished with Izuku, they all migrated back out into the hall, finding Tokoyami blocking his door.

"No way." The avian boy soundly denied them.

But Mina and Ochako muscled him out of the way.

Hitomi blinked, squinting as her eyes adjusted to night vision. The only lights in his room were dim and purple, giving off a mysterious ambiance.

"So scary!"

"You fiends." Tokoyami stood slumped, defeated.

Hitomi shuffled over to him, patting him on the shoulder. "It's nice."

"Oh man! I had a keychain like this when I was in middle school!" Eijirou held up a metal ornate cross.

"So this is how boys like to decorate?" Mina commented skeptically.

"Please leave." Tokoyami looked as if the life had been drained from him.

Izuku spotted something in the corner. "A sword?! So cool!"

"Get out!"

Everyone gave in and moved onto the next one. Aoyama's was… interesting.

"Aren't you dazzled?" He struck a pose, flaunting the sparkling decor. Every fabric shimmered, every smooth surface shined, and many mirrors hung on every wall.

"Can't say I'm surprised." Sero mumbled, leading the group back out.

"Honestly, I expected more." Mina shrugged.

Hitomi hesitated after them, lingering in the middle of the hallway, nose twitching. With furrowed brows, she glanced back to Aoyama's room, doubting whether or not she actually caught an overwhelming scent of shame coming from inside.

"This is turning out to be really fun!" Ochako bounced on. "The last person on this floor is—"

The girls all peered back toward a door secreting a purple aura. Crazed eyes glowed as the owner beckoned them inside.

"Hey, come on in, girls. I've got so much to show you." Mineta crooked a finger.

"...So, the third floor?"

Hanging toward the back, Hitomi pursed her lips at the staircase before them. It wasn't even that tall, but she knew she would struggle with it nonetheless. Just when she was about to instead head for the elevator again, the two walking just ahead of her, stopped and noticed her plight.

"D-do you need some help, Saito?" Koda wrung his hands.

"I can carry you up if you want." Mezou kindly offered.

Hitomi flushed, ducking her head meekly. She felt ridiculous, having to be aided with something as simple as traversing stairs, but she didn't want to fall too far behind and worry anyone. With a sigh, she reluctantly nodded. Her crutches were passed off to Koda, while Mezou hoisted her onto his back.

"Thanks, Mezou, Koda." She mumbled sheepishly, ears tucked against her head.

"It's no problem." Koda assured her. "A-and feel free to call me Kouji."

That brought a genuine smile to her face.

Thankfully, no one noticed her delay, and the boys set her down and returned the crutches before anyone could spot them helping her. She dearly appreciated their efforts to salvage her pride.

"Ooh, it's so bare in here!" Ochako commented— though not mean spiritedly, on Ojirou's room.

"Please tell me you just haven't unpacked yet." Mina shook her head.

Hitomi tensed, staring at the floor. "The room's fine, guys. What's the big deal?"

"If we're done here, then let's go." Ojirou practically pleaded.

Tenya's room was also strangely plain, yet so… Tenya.

"Whoa! It looks like a library in here!" Ochako gawked at the wall-to-wall bookshelves.

"That's the class rep for you." Mina shrugged.

"You'll find nothing odd in here." Tenya stated with a confident smile.

...That just made it sound like he hid something very well.

Then Ochako spotted the shelves housing dozens of pairs of his glasses.

"You have so many glasses!" She borderline cackled.

"Of course I do! I expect them all to be destroyed during training!"

Hitomi nodded along. "That's why I don't ever wear mine. Can't really wear contacts either." She shuddered, recalling her doctor's stern warning to never transform with contacts in. They could get misplaced, and when she shrinks back down… eck.

The girls' reaction to Kaminari's room wasn't one Hitomi understood.

"Really?" Momo, Ochako, Mina, and Kyoka all leveled him with unimpressed looks, to match their tone.

"This is the store in the mall that I'd avoid." Kyoka ruthlessly added.

It did actually kind of look like a store, but Hitomi liked all the clutter. It showed character.

"What? It's perfect!" Kaminari protested.

"I like it." Hitomi started.

"See! Saito agrees with m—"

"It looks just like Nori's room, back when he was in middle school."

Hitomi didn't understand why this made Kaminari deflate.

Next was Kouji's room, and they were all in for a surprise when they entered.

"He has a rabbit! It's so cute!"

Hitomi's eyes sparkled, and she dropped down to her knees in front of the fluffy white darling. "Bunny. Cute bunny. Bunny."

"I think Hitomi's in love." Mina snickered.

Spotting the name inscribed on the rabbit's bed, Hitomi almost melted.

"Their name is Yuwei? Like UA? That's so precious!"

Kouji flushed at the attention he was garnering from all the girls.

"Hey, no fair. We don't get pets. You're trying to buy the judges' love!" Kaminari accused.

They basically had to drag the girls out one-by-one, to continue with the competition. A few of them left still sulking.

"Man, this sucks. I feel so judged right now." Kaminari grumbled.

"Hey, what a coincidence, I don't feel that great either. At all." Ojirou agreed glumly.

"Same here." Tokoyami stood with his arms crossed.

"Et moi." Aoyama added.

Hitomi frowned sympathetically. "Come on, guys, all that matters is that you like your rooms. The girls just didn't get your styles."

Unfortunately, this didn't seem to do much for morale.

"Easy for you to say. The boys are the only ones who are getting picked on." Mineta sauntered over, leaving his room to finally join them. "They said it was a contest to see who has the coolest dorm room. Well, what about them?! We have to see the girls' rooms to tell which one's the best. Their interior design skills should be held at the same standard as ours. Maybe even higher! Show us those dorms!"

Thunder rolled, with a flash of lightning illuminating the night sky. Hitomi flinched, gripping the handles of her crutches so tightly they creaked.

"I'm into it!" Mina agreed without a problem.

Oh boy.

"Okay, so like, what are the rules? Are we figuring out who has the best taste in the class, or just the overall coolest?" Mina pressed on.

Hitomi felt lightheaded.

"We're doing this?!" Kyoka sputtered.

"This doesn't have to be a contest." Ojirou chimed in.

Sadly, no one paid him any mind.

"Let's take the elevator this time." Mezou casually suggested, pressing the button.

Hitomi could have thrown him a parade. She was so lucky to have such great friends.

"Let's see, who's all on the fourth floor?" Ochako mused aloud as the last part of the group exited the elevator. "It's Bakugou, Kirishima, and Shoji, isn't it?"

"Where is Bakugou?" Tenya questioned.

Hitomi had been wondering the same thing.

Eijirou sighed. "Uh, he thought this was lame, so he went back to his room to sleep. I could use some Zs, too—"

Mina zoomed past him. "We'll do your room next then! You can sleep all you want after!"

The redhead caught up to her, sliding in front of the door before she could open it.

"Not that I care, but you might not get what I'm goin' for." Eijirou sounded like he very much did care. He let them in with a sharp toothed grin. "A den of manliness!"

Hitomi found herself drawn to the punching bag in the middle of the room. It looked brand new, and she had a feeling it wouldn't stay so pristine for very long.

"I thought Kaminari had issues." Mina deadpanned.

"So bold! Makes me wanna work out!" Ochako pumped a fist.

Hitomi nodded along hastily to reassure him. "Mm! It looks great!"

"You get it!"

"Next up, Shoji!"

Out in the hall, Hitomi gave his shoulder a commiserating pat.

"You're not gonna find anything interesting here." He warned them before opening the door.

For half a second Hitomi perked up, assuming Mezou hadn't unpacked yet, but—

"Uh, more like nothing at all, dude." Mina arched a brow.

"So you're a minimalist, huh?" Shouto assumed.

"I've just never understood why someone would wanna fill their room with junk."

Hitomi sagged, a depressed aura hovering around her head.

The fifth floor started with Sero's room, which turned out to be rather nice.

"Exotic!" Mina raved.

"It's lovely!" Ochako cheered.

"Smells nice." Hitomi added, knowing no one else would really appreciate something like that. But it seemed like he used incense.

She was also slightly jealous of the hammock he had.

"Sero, I didn't peg you for someone who'd like this stuff." Kyoka admired.

Sero chuckled proudly. "Yup! That's me, always the wild card!"

"On to Todoroki!" Mina led the march.

"Let's get this over with. It's late." He let them in.

"Whoa." Hitomi blinked.

"Wah?! So Japanese!"

"It was even built differently!"

How… how did he pull this off? Hitomi gaped at the tatami mats and the shoji door replacing his glass one out to the veranda.

"We've got these kinds of floor mats at my home." Shouto casually explained. "They're much more comfortable than hardwood."

"This isn't your house!" Kaminari seemed offended by the impossibility of the room.

"How did you remodel this entire room in just one day?!" Mineta interrogated.

"With hard work." Shouto calmly stated.

"You are a beast."

"Pretty boys always have tricks up their sleeves." Sato grumbled as they all filed out.

"Okay, next! The last of the guys is…"

Sato twitched. "...Me."

Hitomi could smell something baking, and was shocked when she realized that Sato's room was the origin of it.

"Anyway, it's a pretty boring room." Sato sheepishly said.

"All of them are after Todoroki's." Eijirou sighed.

"Something smells good, though. What is it?" Ojirou picked up on the sweet scent too.

Sato gasped, rushing into his room. "Oh, crap! I forgot about that!"

Hitomi quickly checked her phone, relieved to see there was still time for the melon-pan to proof.

"I finished unpacking really early, so I started to bake a chiffon cake. I thought we could all eat it together." Sato opened his small convection oven. "It hasn't been iced yet, but, want some?"

"Yeah!"

"The strong guy's an expert baker?!" Kaminari and Mineta sputtered.

Polishing off the extremely delicious cake, the group doubled back to the third floor.

"Now it's our turn, ladies!" Mina flounced along.

Hitomi swallowed, the cake suddenly not sitting right.

"Ah, man, that's so many rooms. Shouldn't we turn in?" Kyoka tried reasoning.

"Come on, Jirou, live a little!"

Much to the girl's chagrin, Kyoka let them in, cheeks pink.

Hitomi didn't get why she was so nervous. Her room was absolutely amazing. The red and black checkered ceiling was her favorite detail.

"Whoa, you've got so many instruments!" Kaminari blurted.

"Can you play all of these?!" Ochako excitedly asked.

"Yeah. At least a little." Kyoka admitted, tapping her jacks together.

"Your room's girlier than this." Kaminari joked, nudging Aoyama.

"Because I've got style!"

Kyoka shot her jacks out to stab the two blondes.

"We're done here." She hissed.

"Now's your room, right Mo?" Hitomi saddled up to her best friend.

Momo sighed, fidgeting slightly. "Yes, I suppose it is. The thing is… I maybe miscalculated a few things." She slowly opened her door. "My room's a little bit more cramped than I intended. And maybe not as creative as some of yours."

Hitomi couldn't help but give her friend a look when they saw inside.

"Momo, seriously?"

The ravenette ducked her head.

"That bed is huge!" Kaminari exclaimed judgmentally. "You can't even walk in here!"

It was true. Her bed was king sized, with a four-poster bed-frame. It took up nearly the entire floor space.

"It's my furniture from home, so I thought it'd fit. I had no idea how small these dorm rooms would end up being."

With that reminder that Momo was incredibly rich, the few who could manage to get inside the room, came back out.

"We can do mine next!" Mina enthusiastically led them to her room.

"Ta-da! Isn't it super cute?"

Hitomi liked the combination of black, purple, and hot-pink she had going on, paired with animal print. It suited her.

Then Ochako's came right after. The brunette was very obviously embarrassed to be compared to Mina's. Her room was much like Ojirou's, actually, but with a more personal touch.

"Yeah, it's not very interesting, I know."

Hitomi bumped her shoulder with a smile. "It feels home-y."

Ochako relaxed.

"Next is Asui." Izuku observed.

"Wait, where is Tsu?" Sero glanced around, only just noticing her absence. "I haven't seen her."

"Oh, she wasn't feeling too good." Ochako explained, ushering everyone back out into the hall. "So she's in her room."

"Well, we shouldn't bother her." Kaminari easily moved on. "She can show us later when she's feeling better.

Hitomi frowned with concern, reluctantly moving on to what she had been dreading.

"I-I really don't think—"

"Come on, Hitomi! It can't be worse than Kaminari or Kirishima's!" Mina lightly pushed her out of the way, careful not to tip her over.

Hitomi tensed as the pink girl started to turn the knob. "W-wait!"

The door swung open.

"Let's see what…" Mina trailed off.

Hitomi lowered her head, biting her lip, refusing to look up and see anyone's faces.

"Hitomi…" Momo put a hand on the small of her back.

"I don't get it, why didn't you unpack?" Kaminari cluelessly scratched his head.

Both Tenya and Izuku seemed to piece it together first, stiffening and sharing a look.

Hitomi swallowed, plastering on a smile, lifting her head. "It's not a big deal. Let's just go back downstairs—"

"Your leg." Momo breathed, catching on as well.

"You couldn't unpack." Ochako frowned.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Izuku gently asked.

Hitomi felt so small under all their gazes, and forced her smile wider. "It's really fine! I-I'll have the cast off tomorrow, I can set up my things after that."

The group all traded looks that Hitomi couldn't decipher, and was unable to distinguish individual smells in the crowded hallway.

Then, Eijirou clapped his hands with a firm nod.

"Alright. All in favor of postponing the competition, and helping Hitomi with her room, say aye!"

"Aye!"

Hitomi stared, her hollow smile falling, replaced by an awed parting of her lips.

"That's— you don't have to—"

"I've got a hammer in my room!" Kaminari ran off to get it.

"I have thumbtacks!" Mina hurried back to her own room.

"I'll retrieve my level!" Tenya chopped his hand in the air before darting away.

"We'll need something sharp to open these boxes." Ochako stepped inside, moving toward the closest box.

"Oh! I have an All Might letter opener!" Izuku eagerly said, running all the way back down to his room.

"That's adorable!" Ochako squeaked once he was out of earshot.

"Come on, you just sit and tell us where to put things." Eijirou ushered her down onto her bed.

Hitomi stared at her friends, too stunned to do or say anything. The others returned, toting the items they went to retrieve. They all bustled around, smiling as they worked. When asked something, Hitomi would give a soft, somewhat dazed answer. She struggled to wrap her mind around how she had managed to get these people to care about her to this degree. It was incredible.

Her phone chimed, breaking her from her reverie.

(Nori!)

How's the move going?

—

Hitomi peered around.

Momo and Ochako were putting her clothes away into her dresser and closet— after ordering Mineta to sit in an empty corner away from them. Sato, Mezou, Eijirou, and Ojirou were moving her furniture to the desired places. Tokoyami, Mina, and Kyoka were carefully unfurling her posters and putting the thumbtacks to use. Tenya, Shouto, Kouji, and Aoyama were unboxing and shelving her manga collection. And Sero, Izuku, and Kaminari were setting up her television.

She blinked, surprised to feel something warm and wet roll down her cheeks. Slowly looking back down at the screen, she typed with trembling fingers.

(Nori!)

How's the move going?

Amazing.

—

Katsuki was going to murder someone. The victim being whoever thought it was a good idea to bother him at 8:43 fucking PM.

Tiredly rubbing his eyes as he stomped across the room, Katsuki snarled as he swung his door open, his free hand raised and crackling.

But no one was there.

He faltered, positive that he'd heard someone knock. If it turned out that Sparky was being a wise-ass and knocking just to ditch, then he was actually going to—

Katsuki spotted something in his periphery, just as he was about to slam the door shut. Looking down, he stared blankly.

A tupperware container, housing some of those stupid-ass cookies. A bright pink sticky-note was stuck to the lid, the color what caught his eye.

Katsuki scowled, intending to leave the cookies where they were, and go back to bed.

But then they were in his hands. And his door closed much softer than he meant for it to.

Gruffly muttering to himself, Katsuki took the sticky-note and read it.

Katsuki! These are thanks for saving me back in Kamino. ~~If it wasn't for you~~ Anyway, I asked around about what kind of sweets you like, and thought you may enjoy this recipe! Have a nice night!

~~~Hito~~ Cherry.

Katsuki scoffed. By "asked around", he was willing to bet she just asked Deku. That nerd probably had shit like that memorized.

He decided that whatever was inside the container wasn't worth the time he would need to add to his work-out routine to burn it off. They probably weren't even his taste anyway.

He opened the container.

Seriously, why the hell would she think to thank him with junk food? He knew her Quirk needed her to eat plenty, but it wasn't the same for everyone else.

He picked up a cookie.

Could she even bake? He'd never had any of her cooking before. They could be absolute shit for all he knew.

He took a bite.

...So, she could bake. No big deal. And it also wasn't a big deal that they were cinnamon. Or that they might just be the best melon-pan he'd ever had. Or that she made them—

None of it mattered. None of it.

That was what Katsuki kept repeating, as he picked up a second.

Chapter 40: S̷̖̅ï̵͉̝̭͔͓̜̦͎̺̈́̅͘ͅn̸̨̤̗̞̺͛̔͋̽̊̀̆k̶̳͈̥̦̘͍̊̽͆͛̕͠ȋ̷̱̈́̈́̒n̵̬͎͎̤͉̤̗̟͛̋̂͗͐͠ͅg̸͓̞̩̱͚̤̪͉͖̽̒͠͝

Notes:

Firstly, thank you all for the support, you're all so incredibly sweet and it means everything to me that y'all care so much about my personal feelings as well as my work. I love writing for Hitomi, and I love that it's enjoyed by so many people. It's honestly kinda mind boggling to me, so thank you again, so so much.
Onto the chapter! (I'm sorry in advance 👀)

Chapter Text

"If you want me to join your merry band of shitheads, then why is she here?" Katsuki jerked his head toward where Saito was restrained against the wall, her head hanging, unconscious.

Keep them talking. Just keep them talking until I figure out how to get free and—

And… fuck, and what?

Shigaraki sighed wheezily. "A group caught wind of our plan to pick you up, and they offered something valuable in return for the girl."

Katsuki felt a chill. The League couldn't possibly be incompetent enough to be loose-lipped about their goings on— so who the fuck could have pegged them so easily, with nothing to go on?

"We are usually not in the business of that sort of thing, but considering the circumstances…" The warpy bastard trailed off.

"We were already in the area, so, why not?" The magician fucker twirled his cane without a care.

All while Saito was actively bleeding out. Katsuki had to look away when the freaky school-girl started collecting some.

"She was easy enough to get ahold of." The magician finished smugly. "Thanks to convenience we were able to snag her. We wouldn't have taken the deal if we weren't already after you."

…what?

Katsuki swallowed dryly, his eyes landing again on his fr—classmate. One undeniable fact now glaring him in the face.

Saito was here because of him. The League grabbed her, because they were already after him. She was hurt severely, because of him.

Katsuki's stomach rolled, and—

Carmine eyes shot open, a soft gasp escaping his lips. For a second, his heart stopped, not recognizing the ceiling above him. But then the night before all came flooding back.

Dorms. Right. They moved into dorms.

…because of him.

Waking up for the first time in her new dorm was disorienting.

The space— despite housing many of her things —didn't smell quite right. Her scent hadn't really set in, and left the room smelling both new and familiar.

So when Hitomi awoke, she was startled for a moment. Shooting up in bed, she scanned her surroundings, and remembered.

The night before, her friends helped her settle in, all on their own accord.

It warmed her chest.

Going through a mental checklist for the day, Hitomi stood and got herself ready. All while admiring her new space.

Her bed was fitted with pastel yellow sheets and pillowcases, and a thick faux-fur white blanket. Crowded around her pillows were many stuffed animals, most of which were recognizable as Zanrio mascots, along with Shinsou's lilac bear. At the end of her bed was a sky blue crushed velvet lined chest, full of the rest of her plushie collection. To the left of her bed was an oak nightstand, with a single drawer. On top was a white-noise machine, and a small lamp with a pink lampshade, which she used when hit with the urge to read when she should be sleeping.

The sliding glass door leading out to the veranda was blocked by opaque curtains. They were one of the only dark things in the room, black to block out any unwanted sunlight. They weren't completely plain, however, with white dots and tiny stars smattering the fabric to give it some more life.

Across the glass door on the opposite wall as her bed, was a simple desk and pink office-chair. Her laptop and textbooks laid out on top.

On the floor was a large round rug, fuzzy and white. It spread across most of the hardwood floor, taking up the entire center of the room.

A matching oak dresser faced her bed on the left wall, full along with her closet. Lined up across the top were miscellaneous items, ranging from pretty rocks she'd found, to expensive anime figurines. On the wall above it hung a rectangular cork-board, brightly colored tacks holding many seemingly random things in place. There were movie tickets, postcards, a couple receipts, ribbons, and the drawing given to her by that little feline-girl— among other things, like her bronze medal from the sports festival.

On the same wall there were three shelves, all lined up, going down vertically. Her manga collection on the first, some memorabilia and figures on the second, and some DVDs and card games on the third. Plastered up by the shelves were a handful of posters, one for her favorite anime, another of the mascots she had plushies of, and one she got for donating to the local animal shelter.

Her flatscreen was set up on a wall-mount, hung across from her bed, so she could lay back and watch. The mini fridge provided with the room sat under it, already stocked with some snacks and drinks.

But admittedly, Hitomi's favorite fixture were the fairy lights. Draped up and around every wall in her room, drooping and stretching in each corner, they glowed a white— somewhat yellow-ish hue. When she flicked the light off, they lit her room with a soft magical ambiance that she absolutely adored.

Once finished getting dressed in her uniform, Hitomi limped to her door.

"What do we have here? An A stray?"

Yosetsu sighed through his nose. It was way too early to be putting up with Neito. He had a hard time falling asleep in the new room, and the blonde's borderline neurotic bitterness for Class A wasn't something he thought he had the patience for at the moment.

Where was Kendou when they needed her?

"Hello Monama! Is Awase here?"

Yosetsu rubbed his tired eyes, dragging himself away from the island counter in their kitchen.

"Why do you want to know?" Neito sneered.

Yosetsu nudged him out of the doorway, and was surprised to see who it was.

"Uh, hey Saito. Sorry about him." He mumbled Kendou's usual line.

"Don't worry about it. May I come in?"

Yosetsu nodded, stepping aside. He winced when he noticed the cast and crutches. He had overlooked them, too busy trying to figure out why she was visiting unannounced.

She peered around, smiling and waving at the few others who were up and milling around. Then, she turned to face Yosetsu.

"I wasn't sure what to make, so I went with something I felt was a safe bet." Saito said, balancing on her good leg, and reaching into the tote bag hanging at her side.

Yosetsu blinked when she pulled out a tupperware container, appearing full of melon-pan. When she held it out to him, he took it absentmindedly, too tired to keep up with what was happening.

Neito's condescending cackling was what broke him from his reverie.

Oh shit, was this a confession?! I haven't even ever spoken with Saito before!

"Ah! O-oh, jeez, uh… this is—"

Then, Saito took both her crutches, leaning down and setting them on the floor next to her. After that, she lowered herself to her knees, putting her hands in her lap. Bending forward, she bowed so deeply her forehead brushed the floor.

Neito fell silent. As did everyone else in the common room.

"Awase."

Yosetsu flinched, fidgeting nervously. "Uh, yeah?"

"You saved Momo's life. I can never thank you enough for that." Her voice was soft and subdued.

Yosetsu relaxed, slowly dropping down to sit cross-legged in front of her. "You don't have to—"

Saito lifted her head, and he was uncomfortable to see her eyes were misty.

"Momo's not just my best friend. She's my sister. We've grown up together and I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose—" She cut herself off, pursing her lips. With a sniffle, she lowered her head again. "Just… thank you, Awase. For looking out for her when I couldn't."

Yosetsu smiled weakly, reaching over and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey…" Usually Yosetsu would say something along the lines of it's no big deal, or no problem, but this felt too serious and genuine for either of those. "You don't have to thank me for helping her. Yaoyorozu's really cool, you know? I couldn't leave her behind. What kinda Hero would I be if I did?"

Saito sat up, eyes wide— almost unnervingly so. "You think Momo's cool?"

Yosetsu grimaced, ignoring Neito's resumed laughter and muttered jabs.

But Saito, probably with her super-hearing, must've caught something the blonde said, because she blinked in surprise and stared at Yosetsu almost eagerly.

"Oh! So you have a crush on Momo!"

A piece of Yosetsu's soul shriveled up and died.

But to his surprise, Saito beamed.

"That's so sweet!" Then, with her smile still in place, she put her hands on his shoulders, a dark and threatening aura swirling around her. "But if you even think of using the fact you saved her as a way to pressure her into a date, I'll rip off both your arms. Okay?"

"I—" Yosetsu shut his mouth, choosing to simply nod frantically.

"Great!" She chirped, picking up her crutches and slowly getting to her feet. "That's all I had to say. Have a nice day, everyone!" She called to the room at large, getting hesitant and somewhat fearful responses.

Yosetsu watched her leave, unsure of how he was supposed to take all of that. She seemed happy that he liked Yaoyorozu, but was also fiercely protective, clearly.

Well, at least he got cookies out of it.

"Good morning, ma'am!"

At Hitomi's loud entrance, Recovery Girl shook her head with a fond smile.

"Good morning Saito. Take a seat and we'll get started."

Hitomi hummed an affirmative, eager to finally be able to walk and use her hands at the same time. She hadn't ever realized how much she moved them when talking, only catching it when she no longer could.

"You seem eager." Recovery Girl noted, approaching the cot Hitomi plopped down on.

"Mm! It feels like it's been on me for forever!" She whined, more than happy to set aside the crutches with the intent to leave them in the infirmary.

Recovery Girl nodded. "I can imagine. Now, I can't help but notice, you're still wearing a bandage."

Hitomi flinched, hand instinctively shooting up and covering her right cheek. "Ah, well…"

The old woman frowned sympathetically. "I understand. But you know at some point it has to come off."

Hitomi looked to the floor. "Yeah…"

But not yet.

Recovery Girl puckered her lips, and kissed Hitomi's right knee. The skin in that area glowed, and the pinkette felt the fatigue that came at the price of her healing.

With the bone now completely healed, the woman got out some tools and got to work cutting the cast open.

Much to Hitomi's disappointment, a large starburst scar marred her shin, from where the bone had broken through, and was uncaringly shoved back in.

The memory made her shudder.

"There. Good as new." Recovery Girl announced.

Hitomi nodded along with a forced smile.

Sure. Good as new. Just with two scars, an anxious family, and plenty of guilt.

"Man, these tests are killing me! I don't know how you do it, keeping your grades up all while training to get into the Hero course." Matsuda groaned.

Hitoshi shrugged awkwardly, still getting used to his classmates being so at ease talking to him.

"It's tough. Mr. Aizawa is working me to the bone—"

"Shinsou!"

Before Hitoshi could turn around, a weight barreled into him. Two slender arms wrapped around his neck from behind, and his face blazed red when he felt a pair of soft… things press into his back.

Matsuda gawked in front of him, pointing and flapping his mouth uselessly.

Hitoshi could understand why.

The weight dropped, and he cautiously turned to face her.

Saito glowed, bouncing in place excitedly.

"I'm so happy to see you! Nori told me about you stopping by the house, and I thought it was super sweet!" Her expression suddenly shifted into pouting disapproval. "But why didn't you visit me when I was in the hospital? I know you were there, the purple bear smells like you."

(Coming from anyone else that would sound so weird.)

Hitoshi for the life of him couldn't take her seriously. The way she was pouting, with her fists clenched by her chest, she looked like an irate toddler.

It was typical Saito behavior to be overly animated and emotional. But something felt off.

"I didn't want to bother you." He admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Saito blinked, brows furrowing.

"You could never bother me, Shinsou."

Hitoshi swallowed, feeling his cheeks warming again. Did she have to make it sound so—

"You're my friend, after all!"

Ah.

Matsuda snorted, and whispered a snide "Oof." The traitor.

Desperate to change the subject, Hitoshi cleared his throat and asked something he hoped wouldn't upset her.

"So, uh, how was the camp before… things changed?"

Saito rocked on her heels, humming faintly, and he didn't miss the way her body gave a minute flinch. "Well, pretty great, actually. I made some progress with my Quirk— a lot of us did. And it was really fun when we were able to goof off." She perked up, giggling. "Oh yeah! All us girls had a sleepover, and it was great!"

Hitoshi smiled slightly, relieved to see her being her normal self. In all honesty, part of the reason he didn't come to see her was because he was afraid. He didn't want to see her… broken. It was cowardly, and he was ashamed of it, but all that mattered was that she was here now, chipper as ever.

…Almost too chipper, all things considered.

"—Then the girls said some pretty ridiculous things. Like— do you remember me telling you about training with the Isami students?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they for some reason think that one of the guys has a crush on me."

What.

"What… guy?" He asked through his teeth before he could think better of it.

"Oh, his name was Fujimi! I liked him—"

Hitoshi twitched.

"—he was really passionate! Actually, he was a lot like Katsuki in that way."

Hold up—

"Katsuki?" The name tasted sour on his tongue.

This was all derailing way too fast.

Saito blinked, then beamed— this one feeling more genuine than the rest. "Oh, yeah! I've been calling him Katsuki." After a second of contemplation, her tail wagged twice. "Hey, I'm fine with you calling me by my first name too."

Hitoshi tensed. He humored the thought for half a second, before his cheeks burned bright once again.

"Uh… I'll just stick with Saito."

Saito's smile faded, and her ears drooped.

"Oh… Okay."

Shit. Shit—

"B-but, you, uh… You can call me Hitoshi, if you want."

Saito perked right back up, her tail blurring behind her (slower than normal, he noticed.)

"Really!" She gave a happy giggle, cocking her head with a closed-eye smile. "Hitoshi it is then!"

Hearing her say his name almost made him disregard how… hollow her laughter sounded.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Before he could mention any concern, Saito rummaged around in her tote bag, retrieving a container.

Hitoshi stared wide-eyed as she held it out to him.

"As a thank you for worrying about me!" She chirped cluelessly.

The cookies inside looked homemade. She had to be doing this on purpose, right?

...No, no Saito wouldn't mess with him like that. It was just Hitoshi's luck that he had to fall for the densest girl in Japan.

"T-thanks." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but stutter when taking the offered sweets.

"Mm! Well, see you later!" She sent a merry wave over her shoulder as she skipped away.

But he caught her ears rotating vigilantly atop her head, keened to pick up on the smallest sound.

As soon as she was out of sight, Matsuda turned to him with a somewhat pitying grin.

"Dude."

Hitoshi sighed through his nose, closing his eyes and slumping his shoulders.

"Yeah. I know."

The cookies felt heavy in his hands.

"I believe I mentioned this already, but your main focus this summer is obtaining provisional Hero licenses." Mr. Aizawa's tone and expression were equally serious.

"Yes, sir."

"Do not take this lightly. A Hero license means that you're responsible for human lives. You can imagine that the exam to receive one is very difficult. Only fifty percent of students pass the tests required for these permits each year."

"It's that hard to get a provisional license?" Mineta sputtered.

Hitomi stared at her desk, fists clenched. Of course it was going to be brutal. Was she… was she strong enough for it?

(Her right cheek burned.)

Mr. Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "In order to prepare, today you'll concentrate on creating something new."

The door slid open, revealing Midnight, Cementoss, and Ectoplasm.

"Two ultimate moves."

"Ultimate moves?!" Eijirou and Kaminari exclaimed.

"An exam is a normal school thing!"

"But this is total Hero work!"

Hitomi sat unsure, faced with a dilemma.

"When we say ultimate, we mean a move that will ensure you win against your opponent." Ectoplasm said.

"An action so unique to your identity, that no other person can hope to copy it." Cementoss added. "Simply put, you must lean in to your strengths."

"Your moves represent who you are. These days, most Pro Heroes have an ultimate move. Those who don't are fools." Midnight finished.

Hitomi winced.

"This may sound abstract, but we'll explain more as the day goes on. For now, change into your costumes and meet in Gym Gamma." Mr. Aizawa instructed.

Akita Inu wasn't versatile.

It wasn't like her mother's. For Hitomi, her Quirk was all or nothing. To be blunt, there was no way for her to make an ultimate move. But that didn't seem to matter to the teachers. Not even Aunt Nemuri was showing any sign of acknowledging the hang-up.

But there was another problem. One she didn't know how to explain to her teachers.

Her Quirk wasn't working.

Ever since she got her cast off, she had been unable to activate Akita Inu. No matter how hard she tried, she remained the same size and shape. It left her panicked and confused. She speculated on if it had anything to do with her trying to use it when she was still injured, and this was the rebound effect. A punishment by her own body.

But Hitomi was hesitant to bring it up to anyone, because there was also another likely reason.

It could be a mental issue. Just like after her parents died. While she grieved, for a total of five months she had been unable to shift. What if that was what was happening now?

Hitomi was hit with the dizzying and dread inducing thought, what if she was taken out of 1-A?Without her Quirk, what use was she?

Suddenly, Hitomi recalled something she and Yu had sketched up while working on her new costume design.

She latched desperately onto the shred of hope.

The cafeteria bustled with students eager to catch a needed break. It was almost strange to be back. Comforting. But strange.

"Awase!"

The boy jumped, nearly throwing his food tray in the air, and turned to her almost cautiously. "Yeah?"

"Do you have plans to sit with anyone?" Hitomi leaned in eagerly.

Awase awkwardly shuffled back to put some distance between them, noticeably tucking his arms close. "Uh, well— no?"

"Great!" She chirped, effortlessly grabbing his wrist and dragging him along. In a blur she ran up to Momo's table, and put Awase down in the spot next to the ravenette. "Have fun!"

Momo and Awase stared at each other in shock. Once it wore off, they were both flushed, with Momo profusely apologizing for Hitomi's behavior, and with Awase sheepishly admitting that he didn't mind.

Hitomi bounded back over to her usual table, pleased with her work. She sat down between Sero and Katsuki, across from Kaminari, Mina, and Eijirou.

"Wow. The densest girl in the school is playing matchmaker." Mina shook her head at the display, though she wore a smile.

Hitomi hummed questioningly. "What do you mean? I'm not dense."

Mina gave her a deadpan stare. "Shinsou and Fujimi."

"What about them?"

(Her ears flicked, catching the sound of Izuku sneezing on the other side of the cafeteria.)

"Yaomomo and Awase?" Eijirou said skeptically, watching them at their table.

"Mm! Momo's been wanting to thank him, but has been too shy to approach him, so this is killing two birds with one stone." Hitomi proudly explained, opening her bento and taking a meager bite of some tempura.

The bandage crinkled irritatingly as she chewed.

"Hey, Saito. I've been meaning to ask, but, what's up with the bandage?" Kaminari gestured to his own cheek.

Hitomi stiffened. Her chopsticks splintered.

"Dude." Eijirou hissed in warning at the blonde.

"I've kinda been wondering the same thing." Sero admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "You've been wearing it awhile. Shouldn't it be healed by now?"

Hitomi swallowed— the bite of food now tasting like ash —and put on a hollow smile.

"It's just better if I leave it on."

"But—"

Hitomi stood, closing her bento and stowing it away in her bag, only having taken the one bite. "I just remembered, there's something I need to take care of."

Kaminari winced. "Wait—"

She didn't, shrugging on her backpack and leaving, practically running out of the cafeteria.

"Shit." Sparky hung his head.

"Shouldn't have pushed it." Tape mumbled, both to Sparky and himself.

"You guys didn't see it." Kirishima grimaced at the reminder of that night. "The cut was bad."

Not a cut. A cut is what you get from a cat, or a piece of paper. Her face was slashed.

Katsuki closed his eyes for a fleeting second, working to banish the crimson soaked memory. Her pained cry rang in his ears.

There were so many things that happened in Kamino that Katsuki deeply, mournfully, regretted.

(I ended All Might. I was weak. Not strong enough. My classmates got hurt because the League wanted me. Wanted us. They took her because of me. She was hurt and couldn't fight. I was too powerless to do anything. All Might is gone. Deku's arm is fucked up even more. Saito's not alright. How can no one else see she's—)

The redhead sighed. "There's no doubt that it…"

"Scarred." Raccoon Eyes finished for him weakly, poking around at her food with an unsettled expression.

"If she wants to wear the bandage, I say let her. I mean, I get self-conscious of this sometimes." Kirishima chuckled mirthlessly, rubbing the small scar above his right eyebrow.

But they all knew it was a lackluster comparison.

"Not to be insensitive or anything, but don't a lot of Heroes wear their scars with pride?" Kaminari mentioned hesitantly.

"This is different."

The rest of the table looked up at him as Katsuki stood. He didn't say anything more, taking his hardly touched bento and leaving.

"Hello?"

Hitomi sheepishly shuffled into the room, looking around in wonder at all the machinery and devices littering every table or counter. The air smelled of oil and metal most prominently, with some individual scents underneath.

She was using lunch as an opportunity to take care of another task on her list (while also dodging any more questions about her bandage) quickly making her way to the Support course's workshop. Thankfully it wasn't empty, a singular student still working diligently.

Hitomi recognized her as the girl who had made Tenya into a living commercial.

The girl— Hatsume, right? —didn't seem to notice Hitomi's presence. Not looking up from the item she was working on until Hitomi cautiously tapped her on the shoulder.

Hatsume's head shot up, and Hitomi blinked when faced with a large and intricate pair of goggles.

"Um, hi?" Hitomi waved awkwardly.

Hatsume stood, slipping off the goggles— revealing lovely and interesting yellow eyes.

Those, combined with her hair, almost made her look like she could be Hitomi and Nori's sister.

"Something you need?" Hatsume put her hands on her hips, grinning proudly.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Hitomi was a little hesitant to request something from the girl, but she hoped Hatsume's love of building things would win-out. "I'm getting a costume upgrade soon, and I was wondering if you could make a couple support items to go with it?" She held out a piece of paper.

Hatsume snatched it up, scanning the illustration and notes. Then, as fast as she had taken it, she thrusted it back into Hitomi's hands.

She deflated, assuming this meant Hatsume was rejecting her.

But then, the somewhat manic girl grinned toothily. "Child's play! I'll have your babies finished within four days!"

Hitomi gawked. "Four days? You can actually make them that fast?"

Hatsume nodded surely. "Yep! Would be quicker if I didn't have other projects to work on as well."

Hitomi opened and closed her mouth, at a loss.

"T-that's— I mean—"

Hatsume started pushing her toward the door.

"I know, I know. Now, shoo so I can get working!"

Hitomi stared dumbstruck at the door that was slammed in her face.

Hatsume was quite a character. One that Hitomi both respected, and now somewhat feared.

The girls' bathroom was empty, save for the pinkette.

Lunch would be ending soon, so she took care of things quickly, hoping she wouldn't miss the bell.

She was still stuck in her own head, trying to look at her Quirk from every angle, all to think of something she could jerry-rig into an ultimate move. But it all felt pointless.

With a sigh she stepped out of her stall, walking up to the sinks and wall-mirror.

Turning on the tap, she put her hands underneath the stream. But she made the mistake of not rolling up her sleeves.

Her right hand overshot, the hem of her sleeve getting doused in the cold water, soaking the material. She snapped her hand back, staring at the darkened fabric.

…Something warm and wet rolled down her cheek. Then another, and another.

Huh.

Her body rocked with a choked gasp for breath.

Everything just felt so heavy all of a sudden. Physically, emotionally, it was like she was sinking through tar, with no motivation to try to dig her way up. This all had been building since she and Katsuki were taken, but she had been ignoring it. Shoving it aside and putting all her focus into anything else she possibly could.

All it took was a tiny, inconsequential problem for the dam she worked so hard constructing, to come collapsing in. With the twin batons being made, that wrapped up her list. She was out of distractions, and the weight of her exhaustion, fear, and shame was suffocating, and impossible to put out of her mind.

Hitomi turned her back to the mirror, sliding down and curling up in a ball on the floor.

Suddenly, her right cheek seared, as if she was being slashed all over again. Gasping for breath, she desperately ripped the bandage off in an effort to get the burning to stop.

It didn't work.

Hitomi gripped the sides of her head, rocking and struggling to breathe evenly.

Turn it off. Turn it off. Turn it off. She internally repeated the mantra, praying for the buzzing in her scalp and limbs to stop, and for the ringing in her ears to silence.

Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it—

She threw herself forward, tensing and vomiting on the floor. She gasped and cried between heaves— only bile coming up, after days of hardly eating.

Then, a slender hand carded through her hair, gently holding the long locks back. The other hand settled on Hitomi's hunched and quaking back, rubbing soothing circles.

"It'll be okay." A sweet female voice assured Hitomi.

Poppies and mint gum. A strange combination. But nice nonetheless. Focusing on the unfamiliar girl's scent was a much needed distraction from the puddle on the floor.

The girl continued to hold Hitomi, humming and rubbing her back. Helping the pinkette ride out her episode.

"Excuse me?"

Katsuki glanced up from where he had been absently staring at the empty desk in front of him.

A girl stood in the doorway, with pastel pink hair cut in a choppy bob, and grey eyes with flower-shaped pupils. She looked older, perhaps a second or third year. She was frowning, and held up a slip of paper.

"I have a note from Recovery Girl, excusing Saito's absence." She passed it off to Mr. Aizawa.

A pit sat uncomfortably in Katsuki's stomach. He ignored it.

"What happened?" Of course Ponytail was the first to ask.

Mr. Aizawa read the note and frowned, sighing through his nose. "Thank you, Fuwa. You should get back to class." He addressed the girl.

She nodded, leaving and presumably heading back to her own homeroom.

"Is Hitomi okay?" Tentacles asked next, voice tight.

"She's fine." Mr. Aizawa gave them the short answer, tucking the note away and continuing on with the lesson.

The class shared some looks, each one heavy with concern. Sparky seemed especially guilty, whispering behind his back to Kirishima, about whether he thought what he said at lunch had something to do with it.

Katsuki stared straight ahead, into the space that Saito's head would be if she was in class. His right thumb absently ran over the fresh scars lining his left palm.

He continued to ignore the pit.

Chapter 41: Holding on

Chapter Text

Saito was sinking into a lake of black tar, being pulled under with no resistance— her fuchsia eyes dimmed with no will to fight.

Katsuki kneeled on the shore next to her, and thoughtlessly grabbed onto her right hand. He opened his mouth to snap at her to do something , but no sound came out, and a chillingly familiar bitter taste burned his tongue.

The tar was up to Saito's shoulders now, and she still made no move to escape. Sinking deeper, and deeper still.

But Katsuki held on, even as he was pulled closer— standing in the tar now, and quickly sinking up to his knees.

And soon, her head went under. Katsuki shouted himself hoarse, trying to force his voice loud enough to break the spell of silence over it, but nothing worked. Her right arm pulled down, and her hand suddenly slipped from his, claws cutting four gouges in his left palm. With that, she sank under completely.

The black lake was silent and unmoving. Leaving no trace of the girl behind.

Katsuki stared down at the surface, face pale and eyes wide, left with nothing but blood pooling in his hand.

A ragged gasp bursted through his lips.

Katsuki now stared up at his ceiling, face pale and eyes wide, left with nothing but chilled blood in his veins.

A fist collided with her left cheek, sending her head snapping to the right.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Izuku panicked, hands waving uselessly in the air.

Hitomi brushed it off, licking the inside of her cheek, tasting traces of blood. "Don't be."

Before he could say anything, she charged at him. Her right hand grabbed the mask hanging around his neck, jerking it towards her, while sweeping her right leg, catching her foot behind his. As Izuku fell, she turned to face his back, kneeling on it and pinning his wrists.

"O-ow." Izuku yelped into the ground.

"You keep your stance too narrow." For once, Hitomi's face and tone were completely serious. "You're not mindful of your legs."

She stood, giving him a hand up. Honestly, the single reason she kept winning against him was because Ectoplasm instructed them to fight Quirkless. If Izuku used even a crumb of his strength, she would be in trouble.

"Again." The clone of the Hero ordered.

Izuku sighed, taking up a defensive position.

Hitomi cocked her head, inspecting his form closely— and making him uncomfortable in the process.

"Here." She gently made some adjustments, lightly kicking his legs apart, and raising his fists to hover in front of his face.

She gave him another second to catch his breath, before running at him. For his sake she kept her movements slower, giving him time to dodge and block. Experience was the best teacher, and if he trained his muscles to remember how to do these things, he would eventually get better, and faster with them. And he was already doing well, despite his fighting style being more brutish, and less refined.

Hitomi was sure he wouldn't land another hit on her, until Katsuki set off a booming explosion over where he was training. The sudden noise caused her to jump, and stumble, just long enough for Izuku to sweep her feet out from under her, the same way she had done to him a few times now.

"Like that?" Izuku panted, having learned his lesson to not get overly concerned about hurting her.

Hitomi stared off towards Katsuki, mind whirring slowly as she pieced something together.

Oh. Oh!

"Katsuki!" Hitomi beamed, hopping to her feet. "You're a genius!"

Katsuki turned and blinked, then rolled his shoulders and looked away, accepting the judgement without question— his ears turning red for some reason.

Izuku's brows furrowed. "Uh, what—"

"Alright, let's go again." Hitomi grinned, again taking up a fighting stance.

Izuku squared up, adequately redoing the pose she had put him in. He charged, fist pulling back to snap out and strike her.

Hitomi took a long stride forward, instead of ducking back to dodge. With a grin only inches away from Izuku's now shocked face, she took a quick breath, and barked.

He gave a start, tripping over himself as he reared back from the unexpected and painfully loud noise. It was sharp, and piercing, coming out of nowhere and leaving his ears feeling assaulted.

Izuku grunted as his legs went out from under him once again.

She beamed, rounding on the Ectoplasm clone overseeing them.

"How was that?"

"Tricks like that are effective, but only so many times."

"Yes!"

As compliments go, she'd take it. But her positive mood didn't last long.

Hitomi slumped dramatically. "But I'm still stumped on creating an ultimate move."

Izuku frowned thoughtfully. "But Sa— Hitomi, you already are."

Hitomi's head shot up.

"Your fighting style, you said you developed it with the help of Miruko, and since it's uniquely tailored to you, you can technically claim it as an ultimate move."

She blinked slowly, then tackled Izuku in a crushing hug— lifting his feet off the ground.

"You're a genius too!"

He awkwardly patted her back, coughing when she finally dropped him. "N-now you've just gotta give it a name."

Hitomi rocked on her heels, tapping her bottom lip with the knuckle of her index finger.

She snapped her fingers. "Dog-Pound."

Izuku sweat-dropped. (So she could come up with names on the spot, just not the moves…)

This was good. Great, even. A weight lifted from her shoulders. The teachers wanted them to each have a couple ultimate moves, but one was far better than nothing. And soon she'd be able to integrate her twin batons into the style as well.

Those and her new costume were supposed to be done on the same day, and Hitomi couldn't wait to test them out.

Eating was getting easier.

After her abrupt absence the day before, her friends were now being overly cautious with her. Even Izuku seemed hesitant to spar, until she sent him to the floor the first time. The only ones treating her normally were Momo, Katsuki, Tenya, Mezou, and Shouto. Everyone else was trying their best to be upbeat around her, and avoided certain topics, such as her new scars.

So when lunch rolled around, and her group started to chatter about random things that had nothing to do with her, Hitomi was relieved.

She watched the ensuing argument between Kaminari and Mina (about some show they both watched) while slowly working through her bento. Now that Nori wasn't making her lunches, she'd taken to indulging herself with lots of meat in her meals.

Nori would surely chastise her for her lack of diversity and greens. The thought made her smile.

"So who all's getting costume upgrades?" Sero asked everyone at the table, carefully setting aside the broccoli in his bento.

"Not me. Mine's perfect as is!" Mina boasted exaggeratedly.

"I only tweaked some minor things. I'm pretty happy with my current one." Kyoka— who was sitting with them today —was strangely also portioning off some of her vegetables.

"I am!" Kaminari eagerly said, grinning widely. "It's gonna be so sick!"

"Me too." Eijirou added, more calm. "Me and Kaminari went down to the support lab earlier."

Hitomi twirled a lock of her hair. "I'm getting a completely new costume, with some support items. I had some help designing it from an expert, so I have high hopes.

When she looked back down at her lunch, she blinked at the sudden appearance of broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots. She pretended not to notice that they very obviously hadn't been there before, and started eating them with a tender smile.

She had such amazing friends.

(A certain blonde's subtle actions went unnoticed by her, much to his relief. Though Kirishima was giving him a way too irritating look.)

After a few days of intense training, it finally arrived.

"Oh, is that the new one?" Ochako smiled, pointing at the case labeled '16' in Hitomi's hands.

The pinkette nodded, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. With a click, the case opened, and she saw her new suit for the first time.

Unlike with her original one, the sight made her beam.

While her friends got ready, putting on their own costumes, Hitomi was quickly reading through the instructions for her twin batons, and specialized boots. It seemed simple enough, the batons started as twelve inch long cylinders, that extended from both ends, becoming four feet long. And her boots didn't require her to do anything for the most part, self-sufficiently accommodating her Quirk as she grew. But there was also an extra function that was activated when she clicked her heels together.

The bulk of the costume was in a dark salmon pink, like Yu had suggested, with gold and silver accents.

Where the pointless window for her chest once was, was now a diamond of gold, the top point connecting to the golden hem wrapping around her neck. Like her last one, her stomach was still visible, her top ending below her breasts, a decision made out of necessity, so it wasn't too tight and constricting when she shifted. It had long sleeves, with diamond shaped windows on her shoulders. On her hands were golden fingerless gloves, that flared out around her wrists. Her shorts had two golden diamond shaped pockets on the sides, with silver linings at the opening, and hooks for her batons on the waistband. The hems of the leg holes were cuffed, and gold as well.

Then came the hardest to design; the boots. Thankfully with Yu's help, they were able to make something that would work with her Quirk in mind. The boots were tall, stopping shortly before her knees, the same color as her suit. They both had two gold seams running down the front, that would split apart when she transformed. Magnets sewn into them would pull the seams back together once she changed back. The soles were gold high heel wedges, that could collapse down. The cuffs around the top of the boots were metal and silver, made to be retractable, opening to allow space to grow. Going from the top of her feet to her shins, were thick silver plates, to lessen the risk of hurting herself when kicking something, or someone. They were attached to dark brown straps, which would loosen and expand.

It was everything she wanted, and more. Just wearing the costume made her feel better.

"You look great!" Mina gave her thumbs-up as the girls all walked into the TDL. "It's so much cooler than the last one!"

Hitomi smiled, fidgeting with her new gloves. "It's gonna take some getting used to, I think. But I already love it."

"Whoa, lookin' good Saito!" Sero was the first to spot her among the others.

"It looks like a real Hero costume!" Izuku grinned, then floundered. "I mean— not that the last one didn't! It just—"

"Man, why'd she have to get rid of the boob window?!" Mineta howled.

For some reason, Hitomi found herself looking to Katsuki, to gauge his reaction to the changed design.

As expected, he didn't seem all that invested, going right back to his training.

…She felt strangely disappointed.

After that, the training session was business as usual. While Izuku was working with Tenya, practicing with his own new gear, Hitomi was sparring with Ojirou, someone much harder to fight. While Ojirou used his tail in his martial arts, Hitomi kept up with her legs. The metal plates on her boots were proving to be useful already.

But then Katsuki performed a new move, up on the miniature mountain-like terrain. The blast cracked the stone, and a large chunk split off, falling from a high distance. Right in its trajectory, standing on the ground, was All Might.

It all looked as if in slow motion. Hitomi ran, knowing she would get there faster and maybe even be able to take care of the stone, if only she could just transform, but…

"Hey, watch out!" Katsuki yelled down to him, with guttural panic.

She had to do what she could for now.

Clicking her heels, four wheels on each sole popped out, transforming the boots into roller-skates. She wasn't looking at the giant piece of stone, or the green blur that shot toward it, too busy racing at her teacher.

Something hit the stone, breaking it into pieces with a resounding crack, and Hitomi let herself skid to a stop, panting and turning to stare at Izuku where he landed.

All Might cracked a soft smile at him. "You did it, kid." He spoke lowly, as if to himself.

Hitomi blinked, smelling the strong protective, and even paternal scent coming off of her teacher, thanks to such close proximity.

And it seemed All Might only then realized the position he was in. He looked down, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Uh, Young Saito, could you put me down?"

"Huh? Oh!" Hitomi carefully set All Might down from the bridal-carry she had scooped him up in. Picking him up and dashing away had been the only thing she could think of at the time.

"Thank you." He smiled wryly, coughing faintly into his hand.

She could smell blood, and fought back a frown of concern.

"Yeah, of course." It really wasn't a problem, and he wasn't that hard to carry. Even Nori was heavier than him. The reminder of how severely the number-one Hero had changed, made the frown harder to keep off of her face.

"You okay, All Might?!" Izuku came running over. "That was close."

"Yeah." All Might nodded, then put a hand on Izuku and Hitomi's heads, making them flush. "Thanks to you both, I'm alright."

"I really didn't do anything." Hitomi mumbled, head ducking sheepishly.

"Dude, Midoriya, what was that?" Kaminari approached with Eijirou, both in their slightly altered costumes. "You swooped in and wasted that rock!"

"That was so manly how you carried All Might out of the way like that!" Eijirou clenched his fist. "You made it look easy!"

Hitomi glided to stand behind Mr. Aizawa, hoping to avoid any more praise. For some reason it made her stomach churn.

"And hey, what's with your new style? Aren't you, like, a punch guy?" Kaminari turned to Izuku.

"I am. Or— I was. It's these new soles." Izuku leaned forward and bent his left leg, taking hold of one of the black metal soles covering his red shoes. "Hatsume suggested them and I think they'll really up my game. Plus, Iida and Saito have been showing me how to use my body better so my fighting style has changed."

Hitomi twitched, squirming uncomfortably. She really didn't want to take credit for anything, especially when she hadn't even realized Izuku was adapting his style on her instructions. Who knew if what she was teaching him was actually useful, or helpful at all.

"I've only just figured out what direction to go in. I still have a lot of work to do. Nothing I'd call an ultimate move yet." Izuku finished.

"I dunno." All Might chimed in. "Based on the kick, I'd say you're further along than you think. So, you should be ready for this test."

Mr. Aizawa gave Hitomi a start by lightly patting her shoulder, before he stepped away to talk to his fellow teacher.

"Hey, All Might. It's dangerous in here, you should be careful."

"Yeah, I know." He looked up toward where Katsuki was still atop the rocky training grounds. "Sorry for the scare, Young Bakugou!"

After a beat, Katsuki set off a blast in his palm. "You watch yourself, All Might!"

Hitomi cracked a smile. His tone sounded furious, but the words came from a place of concern.

And… just maybe…

Hitomi looked at All Might, taking in the still unfamiliar form he was rendered to. Her stomach churned again.

…Maybe he was feeling guilty, too.

Putting her suit and gear back in the case was harder than Hitomi thought it would be. It was almost like trying to put a tent back in the duffle— it just doesn't work. She told the other girls not to bother waiting for her, leaving her to walk back to the dorms alone by the time she managed to squish the lid down enough to clasp it shut.

Or, she thought she was going to be walking alone, until she stepped outside, and spotted a spiky head.

Catching him alone like this, might be a good time to bring something up.

"Katsuki!"

The blonde didn't slow down, or show any sign of hearing her.

Pouting, she ran ahead.

"Hey," Hitomi started once matching his stride, blurting out the question that had been nagging her recently. "Do you think All Might's training Izuku to be his replacement?"

Katsuki hesitated for a step.

Hitomi looked ahead, brows furrowed seriously. "I mean, it just seems like All Might favors him in a lot of ways. And the two even have lunch together regularly. I can smell it on them sometimes. It would make sense, I guess, with how similar Izuku's Quirk is to his. I dunno— There's just a lot of weird stuff going on, like during the first training exercise we did, All Might wouldn't stop your fight, even though he should've. And—"

"Saito."

Hitomi stopped, turning her head and looking at Katsuki.

He kept his gaze forward, but his expression was hard. Not in the usual way, either.

"Drop it."

Hitomi blinked, hands tightening on her backpack straps.

"Okay."

After a stretch of tense silence, Katsuki rolled his jaw, and turned his head away slightly, just enough that she couldn't see his face.

"…It's practical."

Her ear twitched. "Hm?"

Katsuki's shoulders noticeably stiffened, and he turned his head away further. His next words came out clipped and tense, and his ear darkened with a flush.

"Your new suit. It's practical."

Hitomi's gait faltered, as her chest squirmed strangely.

She ducked her head, mouth pursed in a trembling smile, and her cheeks flared with intense heat.

She didn't understand why, but Katsuki's small amount of praise felt better than everyone else's combined.

I feel so warm… I wonder why.

"Ugh! Does it have to be this hard?!" Mina whined, flopping her head on the back of the couch.

Hitomi sipped on her strawberry milk, slouching on the couch with her legs kicked up on the coffee table. She couldn't even be bothered to worry about her friends seeing the starburst scar on her shin, too tired.

"How're your moves coming, Mo?" She asked around the straw.

Momo sighed. "There's something I really wanna do, but my body just isn't ready yet. I need time to develop my Quirk and general endurance."

"You know, I haven't really seen you using your Quirk— well, at all, actually." Tsuyu pointed out, blinking at Hitomi.

Hitomi flinched, desperately thinking up an excuse, then resorted to a diversion. "Uh— Ochako! What about you?"

Ochako didn't react, staring into space.

"Ochako?" Tsuyu tapped her on the arm.

The brunette yelped, cheeks flushing as she snapped out of it.

"You seem a little tense." Tsuyu commented with worry.

"No, it's nothing! Everything is going awesome! I'm just getting started!" She sagged slightly. "At least, that's how I'd usually be. The thing is, recently my heart's been all stirred up about something."

"It's love!" Mina cheered.

While Ochako freaked out, Hitomi looked up at the ceiling, absently chewing on her straw. Love. She wondered what it must feel like. She'd had a couple crushes before, but nothing she could confidently declare as love. One day, after becoming a Hero her parents would be proud of, Hitomi hoped to get married, and maybe have kids. Two, at most. Love was definitely something she wanted to experience, one day, when she was ready.

"You can't really help when you fall in love, or who it's with. It's something that happens naturally."Tsuyu's comment from the slumber party came to mind.

Well then, Hitomi would rather love come out of nowhere, without warning, and at the worst time, then not happen at all. Who knew when that could be, though. It wasn't like anyone she knew could fall for her, or anything. Everyone was too focused on becoming Heroes to even entertain the concept. The idea was laughable, actually.

(Three different boys, in three different places, all gave simultaneous sneezes. One groaned and rubbed his tired eyes. Another just sniffled and continued watching his horror movie. And the last swore explosively, and kept on training.)

…(Omake: Eijirou misses nothing)…

"I've never seen someone move that fast in my life!"

"Don't fuckin—"

"I mean, are you sure your Quirk isn't in teleporting carrots?"

"Shitty Hair—"

"You're goin' soft, Baku—"

Kirishima yelped and ran from the human bomb launching itself at him.

Katsuki "I don't care about anyone" Bakugou: Eat your vegetables.

Chapter 42: Rescue training

Notes:

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
I'm working on the draft for my JJK Yuuji/OC fic, and I just wanna take a quick poll on some things.
(1) Nobara/Maki: should I pursue the pairing? And if I do, should it only be implied, or confirmed?
(2) Junpei: should he live? And if he does, should he go to Jujutsu Tech with the gang? (This option might mean the story takes me longer to layout)
(3) Should I wait until the end of the current manga arc to start publishing? If I do, it could take a while. But I might have a better draft made if I wait.
Please let me know what you think in the comments.
(I'm also getting too attached to an Armin/OC concept. Help.)
Anyway! There's a short little moment in season five where Sero mentions borrowing manga from Todoroki. And it's my headcanon that Todoroki reads many different genres, including shoujo. So he's familiar with romance formulas, and cliches, but less so the organic, real thing. So he's still hopelessly clueless for the most part. Just an fyi.

Chapter Text

"I don't think holding the drill at this time is a good idea."

"It's important they can prove that they're strong enough for this. How can we expect them to get their licenses if they can't handle a simple simulation?"

"I just don't think Hitomi's ready for a scare like this. After everything that happened… You've noticed, I'm sure, how she hasn't used her Quirk ever since Kamino."

"That's exactly why this drill is necessary. It's the best way to test if she's up for the exam, and what comes after acquiring a license."

"But—"

"Midnight."

"…Alright."

"Here's a useful tip about the big exam. Most years you have to rescue someone from a pretend disaster." Mr. Aizawa divulged to them during class. "Which can be difficult, so let's prepare now."

The chalkboard/screen behind him changed to show two lists of teams. Team A consisted of Tsuyu, Tenya, Ochako, Kaminari, Eijirou, Hitomi, Shouto, Katsuki, Izuku, and Momo. Team B was Aoyama, Mina, Ojirou, Kouji, Sato, Mezou, Kyoka, Sero, Tokoyami, and Mineta.

"You'll be split into two teams of ten. Each group will complete a training exercise together."

"Looks like I'm on team A." Tenya observed seriously.

"Iida, and Tsu? We've got this in the bag! I can't wait!" Ochako cheered.

Hitomi leaned over, looking back down the row of seats to Momo. "We're on the same team!"

"It'll be a good opportunity to grow." The ravenette simpered.

"We'll kill this thing!" Kaminari boasted, shooting Katsuki a teasing smirk.

"Tch, I'm on the same team as that damn nerd?" Katsuki growled, glowering over his shoulder at Izuku.

Hitomi turned fully in her seat, facing him. "Come on, now, let's not pick fights."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a third grader!"

"Quiet." Mr. Aizawa's eyes flashed. "Now then, you'll begin the exercise immediately. Everyone go change into your costumes and regroup at Ground Beta."

Team A was sent to a dilapidated, underground mall, left with little instructions, and no supervision from any teachers.

Hitomi had a strange feeling about the exercise being unmonitored.

"Alright! As your class representative, I've been designated as the leader of Team A." Tenya, in full costume, clenched his fist as he stood before them. "It should be our goal to complete this rescue mission swiftly, so we don't bring shame to our school." He chopped his arms in typical Tenya-fashion. "We'll need each of you to bring your absolute best to this training. I will accept nothing but your finest work today!"

"I understand how eager everyone is to start, but it's important for us to carefully analyze the situation at hand. Then we can plan more effectively." Momo joined Tenya, standing at his side in front of the group.

"You see? Yaoyorozu understands."

"Deputy Momo!" Hitomi pumped her fist.

Her outburst was ignored. The class was largely used to them by now.

Momo pulled out a thin disk, which she held out in the palms of her hands. It lit up, and projected a blue tinted 3D layout of the mall.

"Two hours ago, a fire broke out on the bottom floor of a large underground shopping mall. Fortunately, the blaze was extinguished and most everyone present was evacuated. However, we've received word that somewhere inside of this building, there's still one stranded person who needs our assistance."

"Our mission is to rescue that citizen as quickly and safely as possible." Tenya continued for her. "For our purposes, the citizen will be a training dummy."

"Damage from the fire has taken out the underground power lines, but luckily a backup generator is working."

"That's good. Things will be a lot easier if the lights stay on." Ochako leaned closer, studying the map.

Hitomi raised her hand. "Should we split up, maybe? To cover more ground?"

"Hey, this is weird… I'm not getting any kind of phone signal out here." Izuku held up his cell phone.

Kaminari checked his. "Me neither."

"This thing might as well be dead." Eijirou did the same.

Hitomi didn't even bother taking hers out, assuming the outcome would just be the same.

"I'm guessing it's no coincidence that our most common form of communication is out for this exercise." Izuku surmised.

"If that's how it is, then we'll need a rendezvous point, as well as a time to meet up there." Shouto suggested.

"This mall has six underground floors." Tsuyu noted, peering at the map. "What if we go down the central stairwell, and search the first level, B-1, in teams? We can meet back at the stairs ten minutes later, then continue to sweep each floor until we find the person who needs to be rescued."

"Yes! That's a great idea, Tsu!" Ochako pumped a fist.

"I agree!" Izuku eagerly nodded.

"You're gonna be such a great Hero." Hitomi beamed, amazed by her friend's ingenious planning.

Did green hair just automatically make you smarter?

"Hey, where are you going, Kachan?" Izuku nervously asked, noticing the blonde was already marching toward the entrance.

"Where do you think?" He scowled over his shoulder. "I'm gonna track down the stupid citizen who didn't escape in time."

"Wait a minute, Bakugou!" Tenya called, chopping his arms. "Going off on your own ruins our cooperative efforts! We should do as Asui proposes!"

"I told you to call me Tsu."

"Ah— yes, as Tsu suggests."

Katsuki kept walking. "You idiots are the ones saying the search is a race against time! I'll find this dummy while you're still trying to figure out what to do. That's the real difference between you and me."

"No, don't!" Izuku sputtered after him, and was ignored.

"Yeah, wait up, man! It's dangerous to go alone!" Eijirou sighed, following at a more sedate pace. He glanced back at Hitomi. "You comin'?"

Hitomi blinked, cocking her head and pointing at herself. "Me? Why?"

Eijirou shrugged. "He's easier to manage when you're there."

Huh?

"I'll tag along!" Kaminari smirked, sauntering after them with his arms crossed behind his head.

"You guys, we need some kind of plan." Izuku lamented.

"We're good, just meet us at the stairs in ten." Eijirou gave a sharp toothed grin.

"We'll make sure Bakugou's with us. Probably." Kaminari waved a hand, the three of them entering the mall.

"Right, sure, o-okay… Be careful in there." Izuku awkwardly called.

"Wow, Bakugou never changes, does he?" Ochako chuckled weakly.

Hitomi crossed her arms.

"Watch it, extra!"

"Your new suit. It's practical."

She smiled. "No, he has."

"Sorry you had to get stuck with me." Hitomi awkwardly chuckled.

Shouto looked at her over his shoulder, walking a few steps ahead. "Why are you sorry? Yaoyorozu made some good points when pairing the teams."

Hitomi winced, glancing around at the dimly lit mall. The storefronts they passed by all had metal shutters down, making it feel almost like a maze, with all the long corridors. "It's just… I'm not sure how useful I'll be to you."

Without my Quirk.

Shouto opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the ground began to shake, the whole building rumbling from the intensity.

"Is that an earthquake?"

The lights went out, bathing them in deep darkness. Hitomi's breath hitched, a horrible sinking feeling forming in her stomach.

They're here. They found me. They came to finish the job. They—

"Saito!"

Hitomi's head shot up, and she grunted as Shouto tackled her out of the way, while simultaneously creating a wall of ice, shielding them both from the massive pieces of the ceiling that cracked and came down above them.

She coughed, sputtering from accidentally inhaling some of the dust that was kicked up. When she opened her eyes, she met a concerned heterochromatic gaze hovering over her.

"You alright?" Shouto carefully stood, offering her his right hand to help her up.

Hitomi dazedly nodded, taking the hand. Blinking until her eyes adjusted to the dark, she looked around and frowned at what she saw.

The ceiling had crumbled away from the shaking, and the floor now sported some cracks as well. The way they came was blocked off by the debris, and ice Shouto had made.

"We have to keep going. And find a way back someplace else. Hopefully no one got hurt."

Momo…

"It'll be difficult in the dark like this." Shouto took out his phone, using the light of the flash to illuminate their immediate surroundings, but only slightly.

Hitomi cocked her head, turning to face him and pointing at her eyes. "We don't need light. I've been training my night vision, and it's gotten pretty good. And you can use your fire, right?"

"I'd rather not. If I start a fire, and there's no airflow from outside, it could use up all our oxygen. We could get carbon monoxide poisoning." He looked down at his left hand. "Unless it's absolutely necessary, we should avoid fire at all costs."

"Oh…" Hitomi tugged on her hair. "Uh, maybe we should sit and wait for a bit, to see if the emergency power will kick on again."

Shouto nodded, and they both settled down against the wall, sitting side-by-side.

Unable to bring herself to look at him, Hitomi toyed with the ends of her hair. "Um, thank you, by the way."

"Hm?"

"I would've been crushed, if you hadn't saved me."

"That's what friends are for, right? Don't worry about it."

Hitomi's head snapped to the left, as she stared at him wide-eyed. "We're friends?"

Shouto fidgeted slightly, but his expression stayed subdued as usual. "I thought so, yeah. Do… do you not—"

"No! I mean— you—" Hitomi cut herself off with a sigh, lowering her head. "It's just… I thought you hated me, actually." She hugged her knees to her chest.

Shouto looked taken aback at the notion. "Why would I hate you?"

"Well, after what Endeavor did when we were kids— the proposal… and during the sports festival, you wanted to prove to him that I wasn't powerful enough to marry."

Shouto's brows raised, his mouth opening but no sound coming out.

Hitomi smiled mirthlessly. "I may be stupid, but I'm not an idiot. You kept glancing to the stands during our fight. And you wanted me to use my Quirk."

"Sorry." Shouto looked down at his lap, face contrite.

"It's okay."

"…You always say that."

"Hm?"

Shouto frowned. "You say everything's okay when it's really not. And you smile when you're hurt too. I don't think I've ever seen you act how you're really feeling when you're upset or sad."

Hitomi stared ahead, absently twirling a lock of hair. "I just don't like making a fuss. Everyone has problems, and I'd rather they focus on their own, than worry about mine."

Shouto pursed his lips. "Saito, you were abducted by Villains. There's no way to keep us from worrying."

Hitomi offered a weak grin. "I can try."

Shouto sighed through his nose, checking his phone one last time before putting it away.

"The exercise may not be in effect anymore. But there's also the possibility that this collapse was part of the training from the beginning. Whatever the case may be, I'm worried about our classmates. Wedidn't get hurt, but that shaking was intense. So…" he stood, once again offering his hand. "We need to make sure everyone's okay."

Hitomi mustered a stronger smile, taking it gladly.

"Mm!"

"If only Uraraka or Yaoyorozu were here, this would be easy."

Hitomi nodded along, frowning at the roadblock in front of them. Another hallway cut off by rubble.

If she could just activate her Quirk, she could dig through it. But…

"Are you still not using your Quirk?"

Hitomi flinched, taking a step back and staring at him anxiously.

"W-what? I'm not— it isn't—"

Shouto gave her a small, understanding frown. "I can recognize it, you know." His left hand clenched. "I just can't tell if you're choosing not to, or if you can't."

"I…" Hitomi gazed down sadly at her feet. "I can't."

"Do you think you can try?" He probed gently.

With a deep breath, Hitomi made her body step closer to the debris. She reached out, putting both hands on broken pieces of concrete, and focused.

Come on… come on…!

She felt something start to happen, her hands tingling foreignly. But when she leaned curiously into the strange sensation, the debris gave way, and started to tumble.

"Get back!"

Hitomi jumped away, the feeling in her hands fading, as the small mountain of rubble lost its integrity and collapsed somewhat. Leaving the top half of the hallway open.

She was almost disappointed, wondering what would have happened had she kept egging on the unexplained tingling.

"How did you do that?"

Her brows furrowed. "Do what?"

Shouto gestured to the toppled debris. "Knock it down with your bare hands. I knew you were unnaturally strong, but I couldn't even get it to budge."

Hitomi clenched them unsurely. "I… I don't kn—"

The lights flickered back on, finally.

Hitomi flinched, rubbing her eyes at the sudden change.

"Nevermind. Let's go."

Shouto took her elbow, pulling her along after him to carefully climb over the debris.

"Who d'you think fixed the power?" Hitomi blinked, squinting to get used to the light again.

"I'm not sure. It could be that it rebooted itself. Or it's possible that Kaminari recharged the batteries."

They stepped down on the other side of the mess of concrete, continuing on down the seemingly endless hallways.

"Is he smart enough to think of that on his own?" Hitomi genuinely wondered, knowing that they were both two stupid peas in a dumb little pod.

"Probably not. Someone else likely told him what to do, so it must've been someone who thinks quickly. Yaoyorozu or Midoriya. Unless it was…"

Hitomi bounced, pumping a fist. "Katsuki!"

Shouto looked at her for a beat, considering something. "Why did Kirishima ask for you to come with them?"

"Hm? I dunno." She spun one of her batons in her hand, keeping it in its compact size.

"That thing he said, about Bakugou being easier to manage with you there, what do you make of that?"

Hitomi smiled. "Well, we're friends! He doesn't yell at me much anymore."

Shouto kept watching her. "Why do you think that is?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. You know, even Hitoshi seemed surprised when he heard me and Katsuki were friends."

"Shinsou?"

"Mm!"

(Shouto distinctly remembered Midoriya mentioning Shinsou in passing. Specifically the almost infuriating degree of ignorance Saito showed towards the boy's feelings for her.)

"Did Shinsou seem… angry? About you being close with Bakugou?"

"Huh, you know now that you mention it, he did smell annoyed. But I just thought it was because he was tired or something. He's always tired."

"Could he have felt threatened?"

"Threatened?" Hitomi cocked her head.

"You're the only one Bakugou shows restraint with, apparently."

(Kirishima was supposedly Bakugou's friend as well. Yet Shouto often witnessed the blonde arguing with and insulting the redhead. But thinking about it, he couldn't really recall the last time Bakugou was as abrasive toward the pinkette.)

"Okay?" Hitomi continued blinking cluelessly.

("Then there was that guy from Isami. Ashido seems convinced he was interested in Saito. And honestly, I kind of see it. But of course, Saito didn't notice it." Midoriya had sighed.)

Shouto stopped, seemingly mulling something over and coming up stuck.

"Hm? Sho—"

Again, the building began to rumble.

Hitomi's ears flicked, catching the sound of the source.

"It's Katsuki. He's blowing something up." She could've giggled at the very faint bellowing of 'die!' she heard, if the situation wasn't so dire.

"This building is still on the verge of falling in on itself, how can he be so reckless right now?"

That was a good point, but she trusted he would be smart enough not to do something too risky.

"It came from below us. Probably floor B-6."

"That's the bottom level. Of course he would be in the most unstable area." Shouto paused, realizing something. "Bakugou was the one who restored the emergency power. And he's the cause of the explosion… oh come on, don't tell me he's continuing the training like nothing has happened."

"Sure he is."

Shouto stared at her.

Hitomi shrugged. "It's Katsuki. He's gotta save the civilian before he even considers getting out of here. I coulda told you that."

There was a crack, followed by the sound of running water. They both spun around, staring at a splintering wall with geysers of water spurting out.

"Shit." Shouto scowled, freezing up the cracks quickly. He grabbed Hitomi's wrist, turning and running towards where she heard the explosions originate.

She caught on to his plan. With a click of her heels, Hitomi skated down the halls, picking up speed, but not letting Shouto fall too far behind.

"Here!" Shouto suddenly came to a stop, eyeing the brittle looking floor. "Stand back!"

Hitomi did as he said, giving him enough room to go all out.

Using a giant spear of ice, he punched through the ground, creating a large hole down to the bottom level of the mall.

Hitomi peered over the edge, shocked and concerned to see the amount of water that had already flooded in. Katsuki, Eijirou, and Kaminari all looked up at them, chest deep in the water.

Shouto made more ice, extending it out and creating a ramp for them to climb up to get out.

"This way! Climb up, quick!"

"Todoroki!"

Hitomi popped her head over next to him. "Hey guys!" She spotted the dummy slung over Eijirou's shoulder, and gasped happily. "You saved the citizen! Nice work!

"Saito!" "Hitomi!"

"Nobody asked you for your help here, Icy-Hot!"

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?!" Kaminari sputtered. "We were gonna die here! A Villain could be helping us and I'd be happy!"

"Let's go, we have to move!" Shouto called down to them.

Eijirou grabbed Katsuki's elbow. "Bakugou, come on!"

"Stop pulling me!"

"Then start climbing!"

Kaminari reached the top first, and Hitomi quickly took his hand, helping hoist him up over the hole and onto the solid ground. She did the same with Eijirou, earning a sharp toothed grin in thanks.

Then, she held her hand out to Katsuki, without thinking. A bulky gloved one clasped with hers, and she easily pulled him up.

Katsuki— still scowling at Shouto —stopped, and blinked. His eyes snapped to his left hand in her right, before he ripped it away as if burned.

"Tch, I don't need your help either!"

Hitomi stared, having held out her hand absentmindedly. She never expected him to take the help when offered. And going by his face, neither did he. But he had done it so fluidly, without hesitation, like he didn't recognize what she was doing, just instinctively trusting her and going with it.

Watching the exchange, Shouto's eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

"Oh. I get it."

"Huh?"

"Ugh, that was close!" Kaminari sighed before Hitomi could question Shouto on what he just said.

"I'll say." Eijirou nodded. "Thanks guys. You saved us."

"Ah, Shouto did all the work." Hitomi hurriedly brushed it off.

Katsuki scoffed.

"We can't relax yet." Shouto warned. "The water in here is gonna continue to rise. I'll freeze it to the best of my ability, in the meantime the rest of you can escape."

Eijirou frowned. "By yourself? I'll stay with you—"

"I appreciate the offer, but your Quirks aren't right for this. I don't want you to get caught up in the ice. If you don't want to be a burden, then go, leave this to me."

"If you're sure…" Eijirou hesitated but ultimately turned and started toward the nearest exit.

"Always gotta be so cool, huh? Fine, then we'll see you up top." Kaminari went with him.

"Come on, Bakugou, Hitomi!"

Hitomi bit her lip, watching Katsuki, who made no move to follow. If he was determined to stay, and make sure Shouto got out safe, then…

"Go on ahead! We'll catch up with you!"

The boys hesitated again, before shaking their heads and running out.

"I can't convince you to go, can I?" Shouto sighed.

"Nope!"

"Just shut up and make the damn ice!"

The floor below slowly filled with ice, inching up higher and higher, until all the water was covered by a thick sheet of it. Only covered, meaning it was a temporary fix.

"It was a lot of water, but it looks like I was able to stop it from rising." Shouto turned to them, gaze falling on the ashy blonde. "I'm curious as to why you stayed, Bakugou."

"Because I don't wanna owe you anything." Katsuki glowered.

"We wanted to make sure you got out too." Hitomi chirped, earning a sneer from Katsuki.

"Speak for yourself!"

"Let's just get up the stairs while we can." Shouto intervened.

"It's too late." Katsuki spoke with his rarely used subdued voice— the one that oddly soothed Hitomi's ears. "No way we'll be able to walk outta here now."

"What do you mean? Why?" Hitomi shifted anxiously, feeling like an idiot for not understanding.

Instead of snapping at her, he answered still in that easy tone. "It's like a time-bomb. Force is building up below, and as soon as it gets strong enough, the walls are gonna break and pummel us with debris."

He didn't yell at me for being stupid, or anything… Hitomi's eyes almost sparkled, despite the very serious and life endangering situation.

"Obviously I predicted that this would happen." Shouto deadpanned

Hitomi winced, immediately feeling inferior again.

"Oh shut up!" Katsuki barked.

"But I still don't get why you stayed behind. Saito I get, she's loyal to a fault. So that makes me think you've thought of something. You came up with a plan."

Katsuki gave an almost unnoticeable nod. "Listen up, you Half-n-Half bastard, Cherry. We use the water to escape. I'm gonna blast a hole in the ice, that'll make a geyser for us, and you make a platform of ice for us to stand on." Katsuki pointed upward. "I'll keep shooting as we fly up. We'll rocket through every floor." He smirked broadly. "I'll bet we can even beat those losers to the surface."

"W-what's my job?" Hitomi raised her hand, as if asking a teacher.

"Use those weird-ass rods to bat away any wayward debris that could land on us." Katsuki answered without missing a beat.

Hitomi's lips parted, then stretched into a smile.

He didn't ask for me to use my Quirk… He trusts I can use the batons…

"I understand the fundamentals, but can you focus your explosions? It'll have to be a precise shot in order for this to work."

Katsuki snarled, opening his mouth—

"He's got this!" Hitomi clenched her fists in front of her chest, grinning widely. "He has that new move, AP Shot! Right?" She looked questioningly at him, making sure she got the name right.

Katsuki's enraged expression vanished, replaced by a sort of blank one, aimed at her.

"…Yeah." The subdued voice was back.

The faintest scent of confusion and contentment(?) arose. But it was so subtle it slipped away before she could dissect it further.

"Kachan, Todoroki, Saito!" Izuku came barreling toward them, from the way Eijirou and Kaminari left.

"Midoriya." Shouto's brows raised at his arrival.

"Told you to call me Hitomi." She playfully scolded. He'd been doing good, only slipping up and using her surname a handful of times.

Katsuki twitched. "Ah great, what are you doing here you damn nerd!?"

Izuku paid his anger no mind. "Hold on, I'll open a hole in the ice."

A vein popped furiously on Katsuki's head. "You little—"

"Be ready to freeze a platform for us to stand on." Izuku told Shouto, who nodded.

"Got it."

"Kachan, make sure you blast every ceiling."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!"

Hitomi cocked her head. "We already went over this. How'd you know Katsuki's plan?"

Izuku blinked. "Uh, coincidence? Not sure. Sai— Hitomi, you…" he pursed his lips. "Uh, use your Quirk to—"

Katsuki stomped closer to the freckled teen, gritting his teeth. "You stupid nerd, she—"

The walls started to crack, water spurting through.

"There's no time!" Izuku activated his Quirk, green sparks crackling around him. "Here I go!"

He leapt through the air, putting his new gear to work, and kicking the ice below. Immediately a giant gush of water shot out, overtaking him. Standing on the ice platform, Shouto managed to grab Izuku's wrist, pulling him aboard as they surged toward the first obstacle.

"Die, ceiling!"

Hitomi slapped her hands over her ears, preparing for the noise.

With a boom, the concrete broke apart, making a large enough opening for them.

The batons strapped to her waist were snatched up, buttons pressed on both to make them full-sized. Twirling them once, Hitomi readied herself to deflect anything that rained down on them.

Katsuki gave me this job, so I'm going to damn well do it!

"The next level!"

Katsuki roared, setting off another blast. But when the smoke cleared, the ceiling was still intact.

Hitomi gasped, fear gripping her body. There was another strange electrifying sensation, this one taking over every part of her. Even her hair felt wired.

Before they were crushed, Izuku shot ahead, kicking through the rest of the way. But it was messier than when Katsuki used his explosions, leaving massive chunks of concrete to fall over them.

Katsuki growled, rapid-firing his new move to obliterate them into smaller pieces. Ones Hitomi could deflect.

Still, it was enough of a screw up that it caused some serious trouble. The hole wasn't big enough, and when one side of the platform clipped the edge, it violently threw them all off.

Hitomi grunted and yelped, hitting the floor and rolling from the force. Coughing on the thick dust in the air, she pushed herself up and looked around.

It was dark— the emergency power must've gone out again. Shouto had acted quickly and froze over the hole, cutting off the petering geyser so they wouldn't be swept away. The floor was covered by the jagged pieces of debris, some even large enough to totally crush a pers—

Hitomi's stomach dropped.

"Guys!" She croaked, coughing again with a wince. She staggered to her feet, whipping her head around, eyes adjusting to the dark, frantically scouring for a sign of her friends. "Hey, g—"

There was a grunt, and rasped curse.

Hitomi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Katsuki!" She darted toward the sound, spotting a flash of orange. "Oh thank goodness you—"

She tripped, hand slapping over her mouth.

Katsuki was laying on the floor, grimacing in pain. Because a chunk of concrete had his right leg pinned below the knee.

She could smell blood.

His leg— blood— pinned down— can't move— it hurts— think it's broken— someone please hel—

"Hey."

Hitomi flinched, the burning ache in her right shin fading.

Katsuki was glaring sternly at her, but the twitch in his brow gave away how much pain he was in.

"Calm down. We're in a training drill. Fuckin' breathe."

What? When had she stopped breathing?

Hitomi took a shuddering inhale, before all but throwing herself down next to him.

"D-don't move, okay?"

"Does it look like I can—" Katsuki cut himself off, closing his eyes, and sighing through his nose. "…Yeah, fine."

Hitomi swallowed thickly, taking one of her insanely sturdy— thank you Hatsume —batons, and wedging the end under the debris.

"This— this is probably gonna hurt."

Katsuki scowled up at the next ceiling. "Do it."

"Okay, I'm gonna countdown. I'll say one, two, three—"

"You'll go on go, I know how countdowns work, damnit! We've been over this!"

"Right… One, two, three—"

Katsuki tensed.

"—Go!"

It was relatively easy to lift the debris, what with her adrenaline boosted strength. She just didn't want to hurt him, so moving it slowly and smoothly was the challenge. The baton helped, inching it up off of his leg steadily.

"Kachan, Hitomi!"

Hitomi didn't look up when Izuku and Shouto came running over, too busy glaring at the debris as she hoisted it up and off of him completely. Once it was, she lifted it, carrying the jagged concrete and taking small steps away from the injured blonde, before dropping it away from him.

"Stop yelling, you idiot, it's annoying." Katsuki grumbled, sitting upright.

"Y-yeah, okay."

"Saito, are you alright?" Shouto glanced her over.

"You just saw her deadlift a piece of rubble half her fucking size. She's fine." Katsuki barked, moving to stand.

"Don't!" Hitomi thoughtlessly moved behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders, and lightly pushing down.

Katsuki for a moment seemed too stunned by her gall to even yell at her.

"Bakugou, lean on me and Midoriya so you can walk. We're almost out of here." Shouto held out his hand, the same way he had for Hitomi early in the exercise.

Katsuki predictably slapped it away. "This injury's nothing. I'm just fine on my own! And get off'a me!" He snapped at Hitomi.

For once, she scowled back at him, making that four times she'd stunned him in a single hour.

"No."

"Excuse me—"

"Kachan, we don't have the time. Please, grab onto me!"

"Not a chance!"

"You have to!"

Hitomi frowned thoughtfully, reluctantly letting him go, and taking a short step back.

She could— no, no way he'd let her. But…

Katsuki started to stand, his right leg giving him obvious trouble.

"I'm gonna walk out by myself, even if it kills me. A guy who needs help for a scratch like this is weak." He stood straight, grimacing. "I'm never gonna be the most amazing Hero if I can't—" he took a step, grunting and limping.

"You seem unsteady." Shouto quipped.

"My feet just won't do what I'm telling them to." He continued to limp.

That's it.

"Hey!" Katsuki barked when Hitomi latched onto his arm.

She kept her head ducked, but her grip strong.

"Katsuki…"

He twitched.

Her grip tightened further. "Please. You did the same for me."

(He kept her close, and safe. He held her up when she didn't have the strength to do it herself. Even when they were neck-deep in danger, he made sure she was okay.)

Katsuki stiffened, face turned away from her.

Izuku kept trying. "Let us help you! You were the one who restored the emergency power to save us earlier. Aren't you? To make it easier for our friends to get out."

Katsuki glared to the side. "Yeah right. I just wanted to keep trying to find that stupid training dummy."

"Then why did you stay when everyone else left?" Izuku prompted. "You wanted to save Todoroki, didn't you? You didn't want to leave Hitomi to do the same by herself."

"I just didn't want to owe anybody!"

"And me! You saved me back there too." Izuku pressed on.

"Yes, he's right, Bakugou." Shouto added.

Katsuki glowered at the floor, silently mulling it over. Carmine flickered to fuchsia briefly, before he gritted his teeth and growled in reluctance.

"Fine—"

Hitomi let go of his arm, bracing her left one behind his back, before hooking her right behind his knees, and—

Izuku gaped, and Shouto blinked. Katsuki however, stared blankly as Hitomi easily lifted him into a bridal-carry.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Her posture and gait were the same as usual, as if carrying him was no harder than holding a small child. She managed to make it ten steps before he tensed, and snapped out of his shock.

"What the fuck! Put me down!

"No."

He looked furious. "Cherry, if you don't drop me right fucking now—"

Hitomi leveled him with a hard, merciless glare.

"No. I'm carrying you. Or I'll tell the boys you smell like you use Uneri brand hairspray."

His rage went from burning and loud, to cold and quiet.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Sure. After I get you out of here."

Izuku stared, watching in something akin to awe as Sa— Hitomi walked ahead with Kachan fuming in her arms.

Never before in his life had Izuku seen his childhood friend be so… tolerant. Sure, he was currently hissing a slew of curses that would even put Aunt Mizuki to shame, but he was still letting Hitomi do this. There was no doubt in Izuku's mind that Kachan was capable of walking out of the mall— though it would be painful and stupid to do so —and yet here he was, being carried by Hitomi.

Kachan was being carried by someone. While conscious. And he wasn't putting up a physical fight.

Suddenly, Izuku recalled something. On the night of the Kamino incident. When they were all leaving the ward, and were intercepted by the police and an ambulance— one that Yaoyorozu had called for Hitomi.

Kachan went with the police, while Hitomi was loaded up into the ambulance. And not once had his eyes left her, until the doors shut and it drove away.

Izuku watched the two thoughtfully, feeling something hopeful swell in his chest.

The principal's eyes scanned the papers with inhuman speed.

"It's good to see the students did so well. I believe it's safe to say they're ready for the exam."

Shouta pursed his lips. "About that, I have a request to make."

Principal Nezu set down the extensive reports on the day's training drills. "Yes?"

A sourness formed on the back of Shouta's tongue, acidic guilt weighing on him already.

"I want to pull Saito from the licensing exam."

(Omake: Shouto knows his tropes)

"Midoriya."

"Yeah, Todoroki?"

"I figured it out. It's a reverse harem, with three tsunderes."

The freckled teen choked.

Chapter 43: A lot to lose

Notes:

Meh chapter, but I wanted to get this out. Tbh I've been busy working on the timeline/rough draft for my JJK fic, just so you know.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Request denied."

Shouta tensed. "Sir—"

"I'm aware of the complications Saito has been having with her Quirk. It's exactly why she needs to take the exam."

Shouta did his best to keep a glower off of his face. "With all due respect, I know her better than you, sir. The last time this happened was—"

"After Silver Shifter and Golden Geist were murdered."

Shouta masked a flinch.

Principal Nezo clasped his paws. "It took her months to regain use of her Quirk."

"Exactly. We can't force this."

The principal sighed. "She only listed one ultimate move, which is already questionable enough. Aizawa, if it takes months to come back this time, then I'm afraid we'll have to make some changes."

Shouta clenched his jaw, feeling unwell at the vague warning.

"…You've been training that boy from the general department, Hitoshi Shinsou."

Shouta didn't want to hear where this was going.

"In the event that Saito cannot control her Quirk, I think you may get your wish to transfer Shinsou into the Hero course."

He would refuse.

Shouta wasn't blind— especially when Hitomi was involved. Shinsou would hate the situation— and himself —if he took her place. The poor kid didn't get enough sleep already.

"So, what you're saying is… Saito has to use her Quirk to not only pass the licensing exam, but also a test she isn't aware she's taking?"

Principal Nezu gave a smile that felt insincere. "Do you not believe she can do it?"

Shouta kept his expression level.

"Of course she can do it."

I hope she can do it.

The National Dagoba Arena stood tall, and menacing.

Everyone's nerves filled the air with the acidic scent of anxiety, which did nothing to help Hitomi's.

"Ugh… I'm getting kind of nervous." Kyoka groaned.

"Kind of"?

Mineta rocked back and forth. "I wonder what they're gonna make us do. Aw, what if I can't get my license?"

"Then all the women of Japan would cry out in relief." Hitomi whispered with a twitch of her brow.

Sero— standing next to her —masked a cackle with a cough.

"Mineta," Mr. Aizawa bent comically low in order to be on Mineta's level, "don't ask if you can. Say you will."

"Right! Sure! I've so got this!"

"Shame." Sero quietly quipped, grinning when Hitomi had to choke back a laugh.

Mr. Aizawa stood, his tired gaze combing over them all. "If you can pass this test and get your provisional licenses, then you novice eggs will hatch into chicks. You'll be semi-Pros." He narrowed his his. "I expect your best."

"Alright, I can't wait to be a heroic chicken!" Kaminari cheered, fully serious.

"Let's call out the usual, you guys!" Eijirou clenched his fist, brimming with morale. "On my mark, Go Plus—"

"Ultra!" A muscular boy with a Shiketsu cap crowed exuberantly.

He looks familiar, Hitomi mused, cocking her head.

"You know, it's pretty rude to barge into other people's huddles like that, Inasa." Another boy from Shiketsu, with purple hair, chastised the first.

Momo leaned closer to Hitomi, whispering lowly, "The exam for recommended students."

Oh!

"What? Pardon me. I am…" Inasa's arms went straight, pressed to his sides. "Very…" he bowed so deeply, he slammed his head into the ground. "Extremely sorry!"

"Who is this guy? I do not trust his enthusiasm!" Kaminari spoke up first after an awkward pause.

"Hey, look at their uniforms." Kyoka gasped.

"They're from that famous school on the other side of Japan." Sero added.

"Shiketsu." Hitomi piped up, shrugging when they looked at her. "My brother went there. He was in the general department."

He had wanted to study abroad after… everything. Though he often said he regrets not entering a school with a focus on culinary skills.

"UA in the east, Shiketsu in the west." Katsuki said lowly.

Inasa snapped back up straight. "I just wanted to say it once. Plus Ultra! See, I really love UA High! I am extremely honored to compete against such incredible students! I'm so looking forward to it!"

Hitomi blinked. Not even she ever got this worked up. Taking a cursory glance at the other students with him and the purple haired one, she studied the one that seemed to be a mass of fur, and the last student—

Wide brown eyes were already staring back at her, locked in place with a strange curiosity. What's more, was where the girl's eyes were pinned.

Hitomi froze, stomach dropping. Her right hand came up, covering her still bandaged cheek from sight, and she scurried behind her closest classmate.

Katsuki took one glance back at her, and tensed.

Something's off about that girl. Hitomi felt herself instinctively bare her canines, a growl rumbling up her throat.

With a short step to the left, Katsuki put himself fully in front of her, blocking the blonde girl's prolonged stare. His scent spiked, the telltale sign of his Quirk rearing up.

Standing behind him, Hitomi focused on slowing her breath and stifling her growls. Her lips kept stubbornly pulling back in a snarl, until the purple haired student called for his classmates to leave with him. With a cautious peek over Katsuki's shoulder, Hitomi relaxed upon seeing the blonde girl being dragged away with them.

The growling stopped, and her mouth settled into a thin frown. She lightly tapped Katsuki's back, silently telling him she was okay now, and he stomped away with a huff, as if he hadn't just helped her out immensely.

"Inasa Yoarashi." Mr. Aizawa drawled thoughtfully.

"What about him?" Kaminari nervously prompted.

"He's strong."

Hitomi winced. Coming from Mr. Aizawa, that wasn't praise, it was a warning.

"He's the same year as you all, and received the top scores for students admitted through recommendations. But for some unknown reason, he turned down his acceptance to UA, and went to Shiketsu."

"Wait… He's our age?" Izuku gaped.

He definitely didn't seem like it. He looked more like a third year.

…I wonder how that blonde third year is doing— NOPE. None of that.

Hitomi shook her head, covering her burning face.

"Hold on, is anyone else confused here?" Sero stammered. "This guy says he loves our school, but he turned down his chance to enroll when it was offered?"

"Yeah. What a weirdo." Mina added.

"Maybe, but he's the real-deal. Keep an eye on him."

"Eraser?"

Hitomi perked up, eyes shimmering. While her teacher stiffened.

"I'd know that scowl anywhere!" Ms. Joke walked up to them cheerfully. "I saw you on TV and at the sports festival, but it's been a while since we were this close in person!"

"Emi!" Hitomi all but squealed, throwing herself at the mint haired Hero.

(How many Heroes does this girl know?! The class wondered in unison.)

Emi made a similar sound, spreading her arms and welcoming the hug. "Ohmygosh— Puppy!"

"Puppy?" Most of the class mumbled with arched brows.

Emi pulled back, giving the pinkette a once-over. "Look how big you are! I can't believe you're in high school!" Suddenly, a depressed aura swirled above the woman. "Stop getting older. It's too much of a reminder." Of my own aging, was left unspoken.

"Joke." Mr. Aizawa greeted solemnly.

"Hey! Let's get married." Emi popped right back out of her funk, grinning at Mr. Aizawa.

"No."

Emi laughed uproariously. "Ha! You're a real laugh-riot buddy!"

"As usual, you're impossible, Joke."

"Hitomi, how do you know Ms. Joke?!" Izuku eagerly asked.

"Oh! When Ayami was busy with Nori, Emi would come by and help out with me." Hitomi explained with a shrug.

"You… you were babysat by a Hero." Izuku reiterated blankly.

"Mm!" She nodded.

"…What is your life?" Ojirou mumbled, almost sounding offended.

"Come on, Shouta, imagine it! If I was your wife, you'd have a future full of constant laughter!" Emi gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"That sounds like an actual nightmare."

Emi laughed again.

"It seems like you two are close." Tsuyu observed the two teachers shrewdly.

"Our agencies were near each other. As young Heroes striving to make a difference in the world, a mutual love bloomed—"

"No it didn't." Mr. Aizawa cut her off with a clipped tone.

Emi was unfazed. "I do miss your quick retorts! You're my favorite person to tease, future husband."

Mr. Aizawa took an obvious breath to regain his patience before pushing on. "So, Joke, if you're here then that must mean…"

"That's right!" She looked back over her shoulder. "Over here, everyone! This is UA!"

A class from another school approached, led by a smiling platinum blonde haired girl, and an also smiling black haired boy.

"Second years from Ketsubutsu Academy. This is Class 2. They're my students." Emi introduced them.

"Hey, I'm Shindo!" The black haired boy, Shindo, took Izuku's hands eagerly. "Seems like UA's had a lotta trouble this year, must've been tough for you!" His eyes flickered to Katsuki and Hitomi in particular.

"Uh, yeah…" Izuku awkwardly agreed.

Shindo moved on to Kaminari. "But even so, you're all still aiming to become Pro Heroes. Despite those hardships." He zipped over to Kyoka. "It's wonderful!" He clenched a fist with a wink. "Hearts full of fortitude! I believe that's what every Hero in the world needs to have!"

Hitomi's nose twitched, and she fought the rising urge to sneeze.

His scent… This was wrong. His attitude was flawlessly kind and charismatic, but… he smelled unmistakably of malice. Mild, but still present.

He's willing to— He wants to hurt us. Not kill. Just maim.

"And Bakugou, Saito," he aimed that perfectly sincere looking smile at them, "it must've been hard for you two, what with that whole kidnapping incident."

Hitomi bit her lip, her scars itching.

"You both have especially strong wills, don't you. Today, I'm gonna do my best to learn from you two. I really hope you don't mind." Shindo held out a hand toward Katsuki to shake.

Katsuki smacked it away, not falling for the act. "Stop pretending. What you say doesn't match the look in your eyes."

"Or your scent." Hitomi leveled him with a small glare.

"Come on, guy! Don't be rude." Eijirou chastised them, then nodded in apology to Shindo. "Sorry, he's just like that, and she's… usually not."

"It's fine." Shindo brushed it off. "It proves how tough their hearts are."

"Tch." Katsuki turned away, putting some distance between himself and the Ketsubutsu student.

Hitomi followed, nodding in agreement with his unspoken judgement. "Yeah, I could smell the malice on him. Otherwise his act seemed flawless to me. If a little heavy-handed." Though she really couldn't be one to talk, when it came to friendliness.

Katsuki paused, narrowing his eyes on her. "What's it smell like?"

"Hm?"

"The scent that gave him away. What's it smell like?"

Hitomi blinked, taken aback that he was actually curious, but also somewhat flattered. "O-oh, it's kinda… sweet. But the kind of sweetness that will make you sick right away."

"Saccharine?"

"Yeah! He smelled saccharine."

Katsuki pursed his lips, squinting at the arena. "…You said I smell sweet."

"Oh! That's different. You smell like burnt caramel, it's really nice. Besides, that's just your regular scent, not an emotional one."

Katsuki looked back at her, blinking once slowly. "You smell emotions…?"

"Mm."

Katsuki lowered his gaze to the ground, tracing the scars on his palm again.

She wondered where he got them.

"Hey, get your costumes and head to orientation." Mr. Aizawa ordered. "There's no time to waste.

"Yes sir!"

"Bakugou."

The blonde turned toward their teacher, tensing at Mr. Aizawa's hard expression.

Hitomi frowned in concern.

Mr. Aizawa gestured for him to come closer, leading Katsuki away while everyone else grabbed their cases.

The teacher spoke lowly with him, quiet and far away enough that Hitomi couldn't overhear unless she tried. Which she was seriously tempted to do when she saw the reaction Katsuki was having.

Slowly, whatever he was being told made Katsuki go rigid, his jaw clenching, and eyes overshadowed by his bangs.

Mr. Aizawa glanced in her direction, finishing up whatever it was he was telling Katsuki. Who turned sharply and stomped away, back to the class.

"Hey, you okay?" Hitomi murmured, after running up to stand at his side, holding out his costume case.

Katsuki pursed his lips, wearing an expression that she couldn't decipher.

"Yeah." He scowled to the side, taking the case without looking at her. "…You better fucking ace this test."

"Eh?"

Hitomi kept a hand over her nose, trying not to let the overwhelming smells around her make her sick. The cacophony of muttering didn't help either. The room was so packed that she'd already lost some of her friends in the crowd.

A weary sigh came over the intercom, coming from the sandy haired man slouching at a podium.

"Okay, let's do this exam thing. I'm from, uh…" his head bobbed with the struggle to stay awake. "The Heroes Public Safety Commission. Name's Mera. My circadian rhythm is so screwed up…" his head dropped again. "…ah man. I've been swamped lately and I haven't got much rest. We're too short staffed. I'm so tired."

Hitomi's tail flicked impatiently. She felt for him, but… she was kind of too anxious to get this exam finished to really care.

"…With that confession, I'll now begin orientation. So, about the content of this license thing. Basically, 1,540 examinees compete in a free-for-all exercise— or whatever we're calling it this year. See, we've got a lot of Pros around, and since Stain was arrested, many people've expressed doubts about the status of Heroes in society."

The video… Hitomi frowned.

"But, when you really think about it, getting paid makes sense. If you're going to risk your life to save someone, why shouldn't you ask for a reward, huh? That's just the way the world works— god I could use a coffee… Anyway, whether they're in it for compensation, or out of a sense of duty, we've got too many Heroes working together in the streets these days to keep Villains at bay. Honestly, the time between when an incident begins and when it's resolved is ridiculously short. You are all here trying to receive your provisional licenses, so you'll be swept up in this tiresome mess yourselves pretty soon. Those of you who don't have the speed, frankly, just won't cut it. Which is why that's what you'll be tested on."

The giant screen behind Mera changed to show "Number to pass 1st test: 100 people."

Oh no.

"The first hundred students to fulfill the requirements will pass today."

This was bad. Hitomi already knew it was going to be a long-shot— no, a miracle to win without the use of her Quirk. Now the odds were even slimmer.

"Hey."

She jumped, whipping around to stare at Katsuki.

"Eh? Kats—"

"Don't even think about losing this, got it?" He glared sharply at her.

This was the second time he was telling her she needed to win. What did it mean?

"Uh, y-yeah—"

"Don't half-ass this!" He hissed seriously, stomping closer, until he was almost uncomfortably close, scowling right in her face. "You better not hold back on anything! Got it?!"

"Yep!" Hitomi meekly squeaked.

"Well, the world can be pretty crappy." Mera continued on. "I suppose I should say something about luck. So, anyway, here are the basic rules." The screen behind him changed again, showing the gear they would be using." The examinees will put three of these targets on his, her, or their body. They can go anywhere you want, as long as it's an exposed area. So no soles of the feet or armpits."

No soles…

"Each of you will also have six of these balls. The targets are programmed to light up whenever they've been touched by the balls. If all three targets light up, you're out. Oh, and the person who lights up your third target will get credit for your defeat. You get through this round by taking down two people. Got it? Good. What else…? Uh, I guess we'll start passing out the targets and balls. Then you'll have a few minutes to get situated after we open."

The ceiling above them groaned and whirred, a seam splitting down the middle. The walls fell away as well, opening the room up completely, revealing the arena was turned into something resembling the USJ, but much bigger.

"I'm sure each of you have different terrains that you like or want to avoid. Use your Quirks well and do your best. Or not, whatever."

The massive crowd was divided into several lines, with each person getting three targets, and a belt holding six balls.

When Hitomi was handed hers, she frowned thoughtfully, before nodding once to herself.

Two of the targets were put just above the heels on the outside of her boots, visible and possible to hit, but also in the hardness place to aim for when she was running. And she'd likely be doing a lot of that. The third one was clipped on her stomach, under her right breast. She'd hopefully be able to deflect any balls with her batons.

"Everyone!" Izuku called once the class had all been given their gear. "Stay close together, we'll fight them as a group."

"Right!"

"Got it!"

"Yeah right. This isn't a field trip." Katsuki barked, turning and stomping off.

"Idiot. Wait up!" Eijirou groaned. Then surprisingly, he grabbed Hitomi's wrist. "Come on."

"Eh?" Hitomi floundered, cluelessly letting herself be dragged away.

"Kachan!" Izuku called after them.

"Hitomi!" Momo did the same.

"Uh, sorry, guess I'm going with them?" The pinkette shrugged.

And she wasn't the only one, Kaminari jogged to catch up with them as well.

"Wait for me!"

There was a moderately large distance put between the four, and the rest of the class, before a loud horn blared.

"The first test will now begin." A monotone female voice announced.

"Oh man, that was fast!" Eijirou sighed, letting go of her wrist finally.

"Yeah…" Hitomi nervously gripping and fidgeting with her batons.

Here we go.

Notes:

Me, to myself: Okay, just how many Heroes is Hitomi going to know personally?
Also me: Yes.

Chapter 44: Are those meatballs?

Chapter Text

"So far, fifty-six people have passed. Don't panic, but do consider that your time is almost up. Good luck." Mera chided in warning over the intercom.

"Man, that's over half!" Kaminari pulled on his hair nervously.

"We haven't run into anyone. Kinda weird." Eijirou frowned with suspicion.

"Well, over 200 examinees have failed, he said. They're thinning out." Hitomi shrugged, but kept her ears turning on her head, keen to pick up on the smallest sound. But it was her nose that caught something first. "Ah— there's a bunch of scents nearby."

"Where?"

Taking a deep inhale, she pointed up and to the right, at a different section of the arena. "That way."

Katsuki— walking ahead of them —suddenly veered right, approaching a tall shute that led into the next zone, which looked to be a mock-up of a small town. Wordlessly, he started climbing the ladder.

Eijirou quickly followed, only a few rungs behind the blonde. Hitomi sighed, wishing not for the first time that Takeyama hadn't designed her boots with heels, sucking it up and hurrying after them. Kaminari— fearing being left behind, scrambled and brought up the rear.

"Hey, Kaminari. Why'd you follow us anyway?" Eijirou called down to him.

"I dunno. 'Cause you guys started running. I didn't wanna end up alone. Are we going after the people Saito smelled?"

"Shut up!" Katsuki barked, the first thing he'd said since they split from the rest of the class.

"Why you always gotta sound so mad?" Kaminari was unfazed by the angered demand.

"I told you to chill out, Bakugou." Eijirou chastised fearlessly.

Hitomi giggled, remembering a time when Katsuki would've thrown himself down on Eijirou and "blasted him to hell" for telling him what to do.

Reaching the top of the shute, they exited into an empty road leading into the town, the absence of the sound of the usual hustle and bustle making the place feel eerie. If it had been nighttime, Hitomi wasn't ashamed to admit she would've been afraid.

"Hitomi said there were a bunch of people, so the four of us should work together." Eijirou continued to mediate between the two blondes.

"Go die."

Eijirou shook his head. "Come on man—"

Hitomi stopped, hackles rising, and eyes widening. "Guys!"

"Look out!" Eijirou acted fast, pushing Katsuki out of the way from a large fleshy projectile. Only to be hit with it himself.

"Kirishima!" Kaminari gasped.

"Damn it!" Eijirou grunted, voice muffled as the flesh wrapped around him, floating away with him. "What's going on…?!"

Hitomi stared in horror, and a fair amount of disgust, as Eijirou was turned into a big human-meatball. His eyes, tufts of hair, parts of his costume, and several fingers being the only things left behind that resembled him. In this form, Eijirou lowered into the hand of the culprit.

"What the crap?! Did that really just happen?" Kaminari gawked in fear for his friend.

"All I know is that bastard looks like he's to blame." Katsuki snarled at the purple haired Shiketsu student. "So I'll kill him!" Katsuki's lips twisted into a feral smirk.

Hitomi spotted something. On the ground, surrounding the Shiketsu student, were a dozen more fleshy meatballs.

"That explains it." She mumbled, then drew her batons, raising her voice just enough for her other two teammates to hear. "That's where the scents came from. But I wondered why there weren't any sounds of a fight. It's just him."

"More examinees have passed. We're at sixty people now. That means there are forty spots left." Mera sounded pleased that the round was coming closer to ending.

"I'm from Shiketsu." The purple haired guy needlessly pointed out. "Please notice, my school keeps our hats on when we're working. Why's that? Because… each and every one of our movements is crowned by the legacy and honor of our school." He dropped Eijirou carelessly on the ground.

Hitomi bared her teeth, blood burning at the sight of her friend being treated in such a way.

"This is a demonstration. Proof of the difference in level between my peers and your vulgar class. We value obligation and dignity; things that appear to be sorely lacking among you."

"Whoa!" Kaminari latched onto Hitomi's arms, keeping her from stomping forward. He gave a small whimper when she started growling at the Shiketsu student.

Hurt him. Hurt him. Some part of her— one colder and more vicious than the part that had demanded to cause Jeanist trouble —screamed for her to make this guy pay. For what he did to Eijirou, and for insulting her class. Her friends.

Katsuki scoffed at him, still smirking. "I really hate your type."

"He's hard to follow. Makes me feel kinda dumb." Kaminari admitted.

"He said his beady eyes are full of tears, so he can't see how strong his opponents are." Katsuki "explained" for Kaminari.

Hitomi gave a sharp laugh, then blinked as her mind caught up with what he said.

How strong his opponents are. Strong. Opponents. Opponents= plural.

She inwardly preened. He thinks we're strong!

The Shiketsu student was clearly offended by this. "My eyes are dry and handsome, thank you!"

"Hey, maybe don't provoke this guy!" Kaminari whisper-shouted. "Look what he did to Kirishima!"

"Tch."

"That's exactly why we're gonna provoke this try-harding dickhead!" Hitomi yelled the last part, making sure he could hear her.

Kaminari sputtered. "Sw— You sweared!" He turned to Katsuki, as if to confirm what he heard was real. "She sweared!"

"Swore." Hitomi absently corrected, used to doing the same for Hana.

Katsuki ignored Kaminari, and huffed a short cackle. "So it's a heat of the moment type thing." He observed, talking lowly, as if to himself.

("League of asshats", "try-harding dickhead", Katsuki found himself wishing she'd been as foul-mouthed to Jeanist, just to hear what she could come up with for the Hero.)

"UA High." Shiketsu Guy started with a bitter tone. "I have respect for your school. I take pride in the fact that our institutions are treated as equals. But your class is shameful." His back lit up in a short flash, tentacles of flesh extending out, resembling boneless fingers, and his arms receded into himself. "You act in ways that disgrace Heroes!"

Hitomi tensed. If she could transform, she would probably be big enough that the guy couldn't scoop her up and turn her into a ball. If only she could.

"He's attacking again! I don't wanna be gross!" Kaminari jumped behind Katsuki.

"Shut up!" Katsuki looked back at the Shiketsu Guy, still smirking. "Obligation? Dignity? You just like to hear yourself talk. I don't see any proof. Show us with your actions, not your cheap words! If you can."

Shiketsu Guy glared furiously. "Beast. You're worst of all, Bakugou!" He detached the tentacles from his body, shooting them out at the three.

Katsuki fearlessly charged ahead, making a funnel with his left hand, putting it in the palm of his right, and preparing to blast the guy away.

"AP Shot, Auto Cannon!"

Come on! Transform! Fight with everything you've got!

The voice shouting to her in her head, sounded strangely like the blonde in front of her. The one that alway gave it his all. And everything in Hitomi wanted to do the same.

But she just couldn't.

Katsuki rapid-fired, exploding the flesh away, all with that confident grin.

The Shiketsu Guy recoiled, his tentacles in pieces littering the ground.

"I had to make a weak version so I didn't kill anyone." Katsuki said, as if he hadn't just destroyed the guy's efforts in one move.

"You know what, this is why everyone's terrified of you— you're way too feral!" Kaminari grimaced.

"I like it." Hitomi commented casually, earning a gawk from Kaminari.

The Shiketsu Guy returned the flesh to himself, building it all back onto his body.

"So those nasty finger things just float back to him?" Kaminari surmised with a face of disgust.

"I see now." Shiketsu Guy started lowly, again making parts of himself hover around him. "I'll teach you a lesson by breaking you! This will show you what it means to be dignified, and behave like a Hero!"

"What is up with this disgusting dude?!"

"He thinks he's better than us." Katsuki scoffed, then charged. "But I bet he'll shut up when I blow him to hell!"

"Hey wait! Don't forget that we're in the middle of a test!" Kaminari called after him.

"That's exactly why I'm gonna kill the guy!"

Hitomi tensed. She had a bad feeling about Katsuki going headlong against the Shiketsu student— they'd already lost Eijirou before the fight even really began. But there was no stopping the blonde, she would just have to trust him. The best she could do was back him up.

"Ragh!" Hitomi roared, running after him.

"Wh— Damnit Saito! Not you too!"

The twin batons felt comfortable in her hands, balanced and heavy. Hitomi spun them faster and faster, until they were two silver blurs. When the flesh flew at her, she deflected them with her spinning batons, sticking her tongue out in disgust when the squishy tentacles seperated and splattered from the force. While she did that, Katsuki was setting off singular blasts of his AP Shot, keeping his aim precisely on the airborne pieces of the guy.

"Ugh! Let's just get this fight over with!" Kaminari yelled, loading red disks into the shooter strapped to his right forearm. He shot two off, toward the Shiketsu student. "Maybe this'll speed things along!"

Their enemy dodged them, and the disks both hit and embedded themselves in the metal fence blocking one side of the bridge.

"Hah, you should work on your aim." Shiketsu Guy taunted.

Hitomi worked hard to keep the smirk off of her face, playing along with Kaminari when he acted dejected at the "miss".

"Keep your beady eyes on us!" Hitomi barked, drawing his attention back to her and Katsuki. She skated around the meatball-ed examinees scattered around, hoping to swoop past and grab Eijirou. The three of them all needed to be out of Kaminari's way, so he could shoot off his Quirk without them being between him and the disks.

The Shiketsu student scowled, raising his lumpy, incomplete arms and pointing them at her. "Maybe I should make you something more appealing, mongrel!"

"Enough talk, die!" Katsuki appeared in front of her, letting loose another round of rapid fire.

The smoke from the attack hung thick in the air, and Hitomi used it to her advantage, zipping past and scooping up Eijirou before falling back beside Kaminari. Now Katsuki just needed to get out of the line of fire, and—

"You've left yourself open."

The smoke cleared, and a tentacle clamped over Katsuki's exposed back.

"What the—"

"You weren't paying attention. I had a piece of flesh sneak beneath us. You saw, earlier with Kirishima. Once I touch you, you're my plaything!"

"Katsuki!"

"Bakugou!"

Both Hitomi and Kaminari panickedly ran to help, only to be stopped by the blonde himself.

"Hey, idiot! Catch this!" Katsuki's voice was muffled, his head and shoulders already pulled into the flesh. But with his hands free, he tossed over one of his grenades.

Kaminari caught it, and he and Hitomi watched helplessly as Katsuki was turned into one of the meatballs. He fell right into Shiketsu Guy's hand, unable to move or demand to be put down.

Hitomi snarled.

Shit. Kaminari can't electrocute him, not until he lets Katsuki go.

"Pathetic. You must be remade from scratch." The Shiketsu student boasted, high and mighty.

Hitomi carefully set Eijirou down, chest rumbling with deep growls, her glaring gaze never leaving their opponent.

"No way…" Kaminari croaked.

"This is a demonstration." Shiketsu Guy continued on with his lecture. "This test has an unusually low passing rate. At first this seemed counterintuitive given our current world. With All Might retired, wouldn't it make more sense to flood the streets with Heroes? And so, I must assume that their goal is to weed out the riffraff. We can surmise that they're starting to be more selective in order to bring the profession of Hero to a higher level. And I agree with this way of thinking. So I decided to thin the herd myself."

"What qualifies you to judge who deserves to be here?!" Hitomi raged, her fur standing on end.

"You're ignoring the test because you think you're superior?" Kaminari sputtered. "What are you, a crazy person?"

"I'm simply separating the mediocre and extraordinary." Shiketsu Guy clenched his hand, squeezing Katsuki— knowing there was nothing he could do about it. "By the way, your comrades here still feel pain in this form. Your untamed electricity will torture your friends if you use it. Out of the four of you, you're the only one who has yet to even try to prove himself. It seems to me like you're too useless to be here."

Hitomi froze, and saw red.

"You're wrong!"

Denki jumped, looking to his left at Saito. And what he saw made his breath stutter.

Her lips curled in an enraged snarl, and her hands clenched the poles so tightly he thought they might bend.

"Kaminari is incredible! Especially compared to someone so pompous and cruel as you!"

Denki stared at her, and almost cackled when she interrupted Meatball-freak before he could even start to make a retort— but he was too busy being taken aback.

"He's come to our rescue time and time again! He's brave, and strong, and compassionate, and an amazing friend! Charge-Bolt will be a fantastic Hero, just wait!" Saito finished, her words cracking like a whip.

Denki smiled, feeling himself stand taller. "You know, keep this up and I might think you've fallen for me!"

With a grin, Denki pressed the pin on the grenade, throwing it like a baseball. It soared past Meatball-freak, and exploded, making him stumble, and drawing his attention to it, acting as the perfect distraction.

Saito darted toward Meatball-freak, off like a shot. But instead of fighting him head-on, she veered right, and spun her baton. One end smacked the underside of Meatball-freak's hand, simultaneously batting it away, and knocking Bakugou into the air. Saito dove under Meatball-freak's arm, caught Bakugou, and somersaulted with him held close to her chest. As soon as she stopped rolling— a good distance away from Meatball-freak, she turned her head back, and nodded to Denki as her metal batons audibly clattered to the ground.

"Now, Kaminari!"

Denki charged up, pointing at Meatball-freak with a determined glower.

"By the way, bigshot… You happen to be standing in a really killer spot!"

A bolt crackled and shot from Denki's hand, zapping Meatball-freak, and any straggler pieces of flesh that was between himself and the disks.

Meatball-freak grunted, falling to his knees and trembling with the aftershock.

The gear was a serious game changer, making it possible to use his Quirk without endangering his teammates. Something even Bakugou had set out to do. Denki had noticed the way he used his AP Shot precisely, careful not to hit Saito, Kirishima, or Denki himself. It just went to show how much he had grown. And Denki wasn't about to let this ignorant asshole talk shit about his friends.

"Listen up! Bakugou might seem like a total jerk on the surface, but he's actually trying really hard to be a Pro Hero. He threw that grenade to me while being attacked. That was a result of calm judgement and planning!"

Saito jolted, standing and holding Bakugou away from her as he slowly regained his form.

"And Kirishima is such a good dude that he rushed into enemy territory for his friends, even though it was a totally stupid thing to do!"

Kirishima— from his spot on the ground next to Denki —started going back to normal too.

"And Saito's fiercely loyal! She fought alongside Bakugou, knowing he'd be careful and avoid blasting near her, and she prioritized getting our friends safely out of the way, even if it meant getting closer to you."

Saito tentatively let Bakugou go once he fully had his legs again. Of course he brushed her off as soon as he could, but she kept watching him with concern.

Meatball-freak struggled to his feet, still shaking.

"You only know bits and pieces of information about these guys. Don't insult what you don't know!" Denki pointed again, raising the voltage even higher.

"I'll teach you to be more aware of your place! You degenerate!" Meatball-freak cried, running at them.

But Denki didn't move, letting Bakugou and Kirishima take him. With hardened fists, and explosive palms.

"Nice work, Charge-Bolt." Saito grinned, lightly punching him on the shoulder, the both of them ignoring the very one-sided brawl that was happening.

Denki masked a wince, her pulled-punches still strong enough to hurt. Not that he would ever admit to as much.

"You too. And, uh, thanks. For what you said…"

Saito beamed, with no signs of her previous anger. It was almost scary, how quick her mood could shift.

"You're my friend! Of course I'm gonna stick up for you."

Denki smiled, turning to their other two teammates when he heard Kirishima make a noise of interest.

"The more damage he takes, the more people get released." The redhead gestured to the meatballs on the ground, that were wiggling and changing back.

"No wonder he was only using long distance attacks." Bakugou scoffed, delivering the finishing blow on Meatball-freak.

"Thanks for the save, guys." Kirishima gave them a sharp-toothed grin.

"You idiots— What took so long?!" Bakugou demanded.

"Why are you so mean?!" Denki sputtered. "No one's ever gonna like you if you act that way!"

Saito shrugged, picking up her batons. "I like him."

Denki blinked, head whipping around to stare at Bakugou to get his reaction.

All he did was click his tongue, glowering to the side, in the opposite direction of Saito.

"You can't just say stuff like that, Saito! It makes it sound like you—" Denki gasped, pointing over at the used-to-be meatballs. "Whoa, look behind you! Those other fleshballs are all waking up!"

There were plenty of them, all disoriented, and confused.

Bakugou licked his lips. "We've got targets."

Kirishima wore a scary expression of determination right along with him.

And even Saito seemed unfazed. Grinning and twirling her batons.

"We only need eight. What do we do with the extra?"

Bakugou's smirk sharpened at the edges. "We slaughter 'em all!"

Denki sighed, just hoping he wouldn't be rendered stupid by the time the first round ended.

His friends were way too feral.

Chapter 45: Brought to you by the Help Us Company

Notes:

In case you didn't know, corn syrup is the most common ingredient in fake blood, just so you know.
Also, updates might slow down for a bit. I'm getting busy with some real world stuff, and most of the free time I've got I've been putting towards my JJK fic (setting up the timeline and researching stuff for canon and historical accuracy mostly) so try to be patient with me for a bit. I just don't want y'all to worry that I'm abandoning TLH if I go radio silent for longer than usual.
Anywho, onto the chapter!

Chapter Text

"Oh, four more, one after the other. Our total's at 83."

Hitomi beamed, walking with her head high. It may have been with the help of her three teammates, but she still did it. She passed the first round.

"Whoa, this entire arena's going insane." Eijirou commented on how fast the spots were filling up.

Kaminari stopped, pointing ahead with a grin. "Hey, look, some of our classmates! Aw yeah, Class A represent!"

Izuku, Ochako, and Sero paused, letting the four catch up to them.

"Oh you know it!" Ochako cheered. "Our class is amazing! We did it!"

She, Kaminari, Sero, Eijirou, and Hitomi all started doing a celebratory dance, chanting, "Class 1-A! Class 1-A! Class 1-A!"

Once heading inside the break area, Hitomi quickly scanned the room, gasping joyfully once spotting a spiky black ponytail.

"Momo!"

The ravenette turned, and smiled widely upon seeing her. "Oh, hey! What a relief. I was starting to get worried."

"No need to worry about us, Yaomomo." Kaminari assured. "What's up? When did you guys pass? You been here long?"

"We just finished as well." Mezou answered, standing with Tsuyu and Kyoka behind Momo. "Todoroki beat us here."

"I was kinda shocked Bakugou wasn't here already. But I get it now. It's because you were with him." Kyoka teased, smirking at Kaminari.

"Oh come on! Why is everyone dragging me today?!"

Hitomi patted him on the shoulder. "Actually, he kinda saved the day earlier. It was super cool!"

Kaminari grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Now…" Hitomi swiped up a plate of food from the buffet table, forcing it into Momo's hands. "Eat!" She leaned back, peering around. "Is Sato here yet? I wanna make sure he refuels too."

Eijirou shook his head. "I forgot how aggressively caring you can get."

"Wow. Eight people just passed at the same time. That leaves only nine open spots."

"Our class…" Momo started.

"Still has eight people who haven't passed." Kyoka finished grimly. "I hate to say it, but it's not sounding good for us."

Hitomi winced.

"That's two more in. Seven spots left."

"Six spaces remain."

"Five left! Make that four! The pressure's on now! In the final minutes, UA came together and pulled off some absolutely insane combos!"

"Did he just say UA?!" Kaminari sputtered excitedly.

"Three spots!"

"Come on guys!" Eijirou crowed, pumping his fists.

"Oh! That's one in from Shiketsu High! So only two spots remain!"

Suddenly, an alarm blared.

"The last students from UA passed! Every spot is now filled! One hundred students will advance! The end is finally here! Wah-hoo!"

"Yeah!" Eijirou, Hitomi, and Kaminari all cheered.

"We did it! Our whole class!"

Hitomi slumped, sighing deeply. "Thank goodness."

"Alright. For the hundred of you who passed the first test, please turn your attention to the screen."

The massive monitor changed, going from a wide-shot of the entire arena, to a close-up on one building.

Which promptly blew up.

The class gaped, as the screen changed again, showing another one, that also collapsed in an explosion. Over and over, in each zone, the arena was being destroyed.

But Hitomi realized what was happening, and started grinning.

"There's only one more round of the exam. Your goal is simple; undertake rescue exercises and save the bystanders who are trapped in these disaster sites."

Hitomi's fists clenched, her body coiling with anticipation. "Rescue training."

"Save the what-now?" Kaminari and Mineta cluelessly parroted.

"Bystanders." Hitomi repeated for them. "Citizens, civilians— the every-day people who are there when disaster strikes. Like the dummy from our last training exercise."

"Use this time to show how you will carry out successful rescue procedures once you receive your provisional licenses. Treat this as though it were the real thing."

"On the screen." Mezou drew their attention back to it.

Sato gasped, approaching the group. "Little kids and old people?!"

"That's so dangerous! Why're they here?" Mineta gripped his head, aghast.

"They're not kids and old people." Hitomi watched on, unbothered by the actors getting into their places.

"What are you talking about?!" Kaminari pointed at the screen, horrified. "Those guys are—"

"She's right, you moron. Just shut up and watch." Katsuki barked, scowling up at the footage.

"These specialists have been trained as professional persons in need of rescue. They're very popular. Introducing the Help Us Company. Also known as the HUC for short."

"See."

"The HUC bystanders have dressed up like injured victims and will be located throughout the disaster site. We'll be judging how well you keep them safe as you go about your mission. Oh, by the way. We'll be scoring you on a point system. If you have more points than the benchmark at the time the exercise comes to an end, then you pass the exam. We'll start in ten minutes. Take care of any necessary preparations now."

Hitomi stood tall. Unlike with the first round, she had full confidence that she could ace this test with flying colors.

"Alright." She clapped her hands. "Everyone should drink some water, and eat something. We'll need all our energy!"

Without paying any mind to Ejirou's snickering, Hitomi split from the group and headed for the table with meats and hearty snacks. Just because she wasn't using her Quirk, didn't mean she didn't have to eat her usual diet.

She hummed to herself, grabbing a paper plate and filling it with anything that caught her eye.

Heels clicked, approaching her on her right.

I didn't see Sato with a plate, I should get enough for him too.

The heels stopped right next to her, the girl wearing them standing at Hitomi's side.

And I hope Aoyama's doing okay. His Quirk always upsets his tummy—

Hitomi dropped her plate, her fur standing on end.

The blonde girl from Shiketsu stared at her.

Now in Hitomi's right hand, was the girl's left wrist. Caught and stopped just inches away from her bandaged cheek.

"What… are you doing?" Hitomi spoke lowly, her face blank of any expression, but her pupils narrow.

The Shiketsu girl smiled, despite her hand steadily losing color. "I wanted to see what's underneath. How it's healed."

Hitomi's blood went cold, and absently she felt a pop and something give in the girl's wrist. Yet the blonde's expression never changed.

Danger. Danger. Danger. Hitomi's mind wailed, lights flashing and sirens booming. There was something horribly wrong here— wrong with this girl. So Hitomi just kept staring, her hand tightening and tightening, until the girl's face showed a flicker of pain.

Then, the girl's hand was wrenched away, and familiar form put itself between them.

"Everything okay?" Kaminari was smiling at Hitomi over his shoulder, but it was mirthless, and tense.

Hitomi swallowed, ducking her head.

"We were just—"

"I wasn't asking you." Denki cut off the Shiketsu girl, eyes narrowing slightly. "Look, I saw what happened. I have a pretty strict no hitting girls policy, but I could make an exception, unless you back off."

The Shiketsu girl didn't seem fazed, shrugging. "No problem. I was just curious."

She turned, sauntering away, cradling her left wrist.

Denki sighed, relaxing marginally. "Jeez, what a creep. Shame how hot she is, it's wasted on her." He shook his head, turning and studying Hitomi closely. "You okay?"

Hitomi nodded stiltedly, ignoring the way her right cheek burned. "Y-yeah. Thanks."

"It's no problem. I'm just glad I noticed. Your ears and tail were like, twice their normal size, and your face was white. I don't think I've ever seen you that shaken up."

"Yeah…" Hitomi murmured. "That girl just… feels off."

Denki nodded, humming. "I get it. She did seem kinda unhinged, the way she was staring at you."

It was reassuring that she wasn't the only one to pick up on the blonde's strange fascination with her bandage.

A shrill bell rang, announcing that their time was up.

"Villains have performed a large-scale terrorist attack spanning all of Insert City Name Here. Since most buildings collapsed, there are many injured."

The room— like the first one, started to unfold, opening up entirely.

"Due to heavily damaged roads, the first responders have unfortunately been delayed for the time being."

"What is with these rooms?!" Denki sputtered.

"Until emergency services arrive, the Heroes in the area will lead the rescue efforts. Your task is to save as many people as you can and help the injured. And with that… Begin!"

The hundred examinees all raced out into the arena.

"Let's start by heading to the closest urban area!" Tenya led the charge. "We'll work as a team as much as possible."

Hitomi wasn't sure about that plan. The more people she was around, the harder it would be to pick up on the scents of bystanders.

"You're going on your own again?!" Mina said judgmentally toward Katsuki.

Perfect.

This time Eijirou didn't have to drag her along, himself, Hitomi, and Denki tailing the irate blonde.

"Why are you damn extras always following me?!"

"We just wanna!"

"Alright!" Hitomi confidently crowed, running faster to overtake Katsuki. "Follow me! I'll lead us to the bystanders!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"You got it, Hitomi!"

"Yeah, Ōkami to the rescue!"

She smiled, chest warming.

This was her time to shine.

She could smell corn syrup, and immediately veered off, darting toward the source.

"Eh? Hito—"

Hitomi pressed a finger to her lips, silencing Eijirou's questioning.

She closed her eyes, ears rotating on her head.

…There!

A large piece of debris leaning against another almost covered the civilian completely, but their sniffling and whimpers were loud enough for Hitomi to catch. Going by the high pitched tone the actor was using, it was safe to assume it was a "child" who was trapped.

Hurrying over, she kneeled down, peeking under the debris and smiling softly at the "boy".

"Hi there, I'm a Hero, and I'm here to get you out. Care to tell me your name, sweetheart?"

The "boy" stopped whimpering, settling Hitomi with a considerate look, before plastering on the face of a terrified child again. "S-Satoshi. My leg re-really hurts."

Man, these guys were good. Even the actor's scent was bordering on true fear.

"Nice to meet you, Satoshi, I'm Ōkami. Everything's gonna be okay. Just sit tight and let me move this." She nodded at the debris, careful not to touch it yet. Looking behind her, she gestured to Eijirou, her face now set in a look of hard determination. "Red Riot, come help get Satoshi out while I lift the debris. Be careful not to jostle his leg."

"Uh— right!"

The piece thankfully wasn't that heavy— by her standards at least.

Eijirou hardened his skin, ducking down and gently scooping Satoshi up.

"Got him!"

Hitomi breathed out slowly, lowering the debris back down instead of just dropping it.

"Whoa, that's a lot of blood." Denki casually commented on Satoshi's appearance.

Hitomi smacked her forehead.

A vein bulged from Katsuki's head. "You fucking idiot—"

"Minus points!" Satoshi bellowed, glaring at Denki.

"What?! Aw man…"

"You're pretty good at this, Hitomi." Eijirou praised, still holding Satoshi.

"Minus points! Always use other Heroes' proper code-names!"

While the redhead flinched, Hitomi reached into her pockets, pulling out a roll of bandages.

She had brought them expecting she would have to use them on herself, but this was more important.

"Charge-Bolt, find me something thin, and sturdy. About this long." She held her hands almost a foot apart.

"Uh, okay?"

While Denki searched, Hitomi smiled again at Satoshi, gently wiping some of the fake blood off of his face, using some disinfectant pads.

"This may sting a little, sorry." She warned, knowing full-well it wouldn't.

The actor dropped the persona again. "Do you always carry medical supplies with you?"

Hitomi winced, answering honestly. "No sir. Only when I expect to get hurt."

He narrowed his eyes. "Your first priority should be in making sure bystanders and victims are protected and cared for. Do better."

Hitomi nodded. "Yes sir."

"I found a stick!" Denki came running back, waving around a decently thick twig.

"Good work."

Using the bandages and the stick, Hitomi made a makeshift splint, tying it around Satoshi's "broken" leg.

"How's that? Not too tight?"

Satoshi checked the stability of the split, then gave a hum of approval. "Good enough with what you had."

"Alright, we should get Satoshi someplace safe, then continue to comb the area for other civilians." Hitomi dictated, getting nods from Eijirou and Denki.

But Katsuki was scowling.

"…You know, you could carry him while still searching, if you would use your Quirk."

Hitomi stiffened.

"…Well, when I'm in that form, I'm bigger and more likely to bump into things. And with how precarious the debris everywhere is, it's better not to."

Katsuki leveled her with a long, unimpressed glower.

"Right."

He didn't buy a word of that…

Well, no matter, they had work to do.

"Help! Someone!"

"We've got two more." Hitomi called over to the boys, pointing down toward two bystanders in a low part of the mountain zone.

"My arm hurts pretty bad." The woman cried, holding onto her right arm.

"Mine too." The man held onto his left. "Save us!"

"Shut up! Save yourselves, you whiners!"

Hitomi hung her head. "Dang it, Katsuki."

While Eijirou and Denki scolded him, Hitomi slid down the rocky decline, checking the two civilians over once near them.

"Sir, ma'am, I know you must be scared, but if you're strong enough, do you think you can make your own way to the shelter? My team and I are still searching for people in critical condition, children and the elderly. But if you do need an escort, we can take you there."

The civilians looked to each other, then back at Hitomi.

"We don't know the way." The woman argued.

Hitomi smiled reassuringly. "It's actually not far. Just on the edge of the city. If you keep to the outskirts, there shouldn't be much in your way."

They traded another glance, then nodded.

"Because we're adults, and low-priority bystanders, there's no point deduction for trusting us to make it on our own. However, that boy's tone was wildly inappropriate. Minus points."

Oh no.

"What the hell did you say?!"

After restraining Katsuki, and keeping him from yelling at the citizens any more, Hitomi sent them on their way.

"You can't just go feral on people like that, dude!" Denki chastised.

"Tch. They didn't even need any help!"

"Yeah, but you could've handled it calmly, like Hi— Ōkami, instead of snapping at them." Eijirou rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

"Whatever." Katsuki spat, still worked up.

Denki splayed his hands. "Okay, what now—"

The ground shook, rumbling and cracking from the force of another explosion nearby.

"A Villain has completed another large-scale attack. Terrorists have appeared and are beginning to sweep the area. Hero candidates at the scene should continue their rescue efforts while also suppressing the newly-arrived Villains."

"You're kidding!" Denki despaired.

Hitomi sighed through her nose. "Can't say I wasn't expecting something like that."

"Come on, let's help keep the Villain's away from the shelter zone." Eijirou suggested.

"Right." Hitomi turned, walking ahead.

"And what do you expect to do?"

She stopped.

"What do you mean, Bakugou?" Denki frowned.

Katsuki glared at the back of Hitomi's head.

"What can you even hope to do, without your Quirk?"

Her breath hitched.

"What're you talking about?" Eijirou questioned the blonde.

Katsuki kept his burning gaze on Hitomi. "Well? You really think you'll pull this off Quirkless? Don't be an idiot."

Hitomi flinched, turning and smiling with faux confusion. "Huh? What's my Quirk got to do with—"

Katsuki scowled harder, and Hitomi swallowed dryly once picking up on his scent.

He was furious. And… disappointed.

"You're seriously gonna half-ass this? Like you don't even really care about winning? You're just going to spit on all the work you put into bettering your Quirk before this? As if it was never even there, and doesn't matter."

Hitomi's smile weakened as he spoke, before falling altogether. "Katsuki—"

He scoffed, shaking his head. "I can't believe I ever thought there was more to you, but you're just a coward."

It felt as if she was punched in the gut.

"The hell, man!?" Denki glared at him.

"What's your deal, Bakugou?!" Eijirou crossed his arms.

Katsuki didn't show any sign of remorse.

"If you somehow win this thing without using your Quirk, then you don't deserve the damn license at all."

Hitomi recoiled, eyes burning with tears that had been building.

"Hey!" Denki called defensively again.

"You're taking this too far, man." Eijirou frowned, his brows furrowing.

Katsuki turned on his heel, stomping away without a care.

"If she can't handle this, and can't use her own Quirk, then she shouldn't even be here."

Hitomi flinched, staring wide-eyed, her shoulders trembling.

"Dude!"

"Bakugou!"

Eijirou and Denki watched him go with conflicted expressions, their scents varying with concern, and anger mostly. They were hesitant, clearly, stuck between staying with her, or keeping a leash on Katsuki.

So she made the choice for them.

"Heh, sorry guys!" Hitomi croaked a laugh, scratching the back of her head with a ditzy smile.

This is fine. I'm okay with this. I'm okay.

"You two go on ahead with him." She chirped, ignoring the confusion and worry the boys showed. "I'll catch up at some point. You three should stick together!"

"Hitomi." Eijirou's voice was low and cautious.

She waved a hand, turning in the opposite direction that Katsuki did. "Don't sweat it! Really! I'm fine! Just hurry up and follow Katsuki."

Without giving either of them a chance to say anything, she clicked her heels and kicked off, skating away as fast as she could.

This is fine. He was right. I deserved to hear it. I'm okay. This is fine.

"What the hell was that?!" Kirishima all but roared once he and Kaminari caught up to him.

Katsuki kept his chin up, glaring ahead.

He would not feel bad for telling her what she needed to hear. He would not feel bad for pushing her to use her Quirk. He would not feel bad for making her cry. He would not feel bad—

Her eyes flashed by in his head, wide, and wet, and hurt.

No. No. Mr. Aizawa confided in him the danger Saito was in, potentially being replaced soon if she couldn't use her Quirk at least once, and get her license. She needed a push, and Katsuki was willing to fall on the sword and give it.

He would not feel bad about hurting her. If that's what it took to keep her in the class. In the desk in front of him, always fidgeting or humming, with her ears twitching when she heard something no one else could, her tail swinging out from the open back of her chair, barely brushing against his legs when he lounged back and stretched them out. Or how she would lean her chair backwards and beam at him upside down.

"Why are you telling me, and not Ponytail?" Katsuki asked their teacher quietly, his fists clenching in his pockets.

"Because Yaoyorozu would stress over it, and lose focus on the exam. I'm not asking you to set aside your own goals to cater to Saito's needs, I just know that if you're in the position to, you'll help out in only the way you can. She looks up to you, and values your opinions. If you get the chance, use that."

Yeah, easier said than done—

Katsuki stumbled, taken aback by the sudden shove. When he looked back, he saw both Kirishima and Kaminari glaring at him. He couldn't tell which one was actually ballsy enough to full-on push him.

Probably Kirishima.

"What. The. Hell?!" Kaminari threw his arms up, clearly outraged.

"Why would you go off on Hitomi like that?" Kirishima asked, calmer than his friend, but still obviously pissed.

For just one fleeting moment, something hot, and bitter, and green seared Katsuki's chest.

(Why were they so adamant to defend her?) Because they're her friends. (So why is he feeling like this?) Who the fuck knows.

"She needed to hear it."

Kaminari sputtered idiotically. "In what world— You actually made her cry!"

"Seriously. It was brutal." Kirishima looked like a disappointed parent.

Katsuki clenched his fists. "Look, I don't give a fuck about what either of you think. Saito has to use that damn Quirk during this exam, otherwise she's getting transferred out of 1-A."

The anger on their faces fell, replaced by mounting concern.

"Wait, for real?" Kaminari hesitated to believe it.

But Kirishima was now frowning for a different reason than his previous ire. "That's what Mr. Aizawa was telling you. Isn't it?"

Katsuki nodded once. "Yeah. She doesn't know. And neither does anyone else. Until now."

"You know, there were other ways to get her to use it." Kaminari scolded him, still defensive over her, even with the reasoning.

(Again with that faint green feeling.)

"Whatever. Let's go kick some Villain ass."

After a beat, the two followed him, willing to trust Saito would be fine on her own, and hopefully resort to using her Quirk.

Katsuki refused to acknowledge just how damn hard he was hoping.

Chapter 46: Hitomi Saito: Rising

Chapter Text

Corn syrup.

Hitomi followed the smell of fake blood, skating along until she came across an abandoned car.

"Help! Please help me!" The voice cried from underneath.

Hitomi retracted her wheels, hurrying over.

"Hang on! I'm…"

Hitomi trailed off, looking toward the other voice— the gruff and impatient one —that jinxed with hers.

Narrow eyes above a see-through purple mask locked with her wide fuchsia ones.

She blinked. "Fujimi?"

The Isami student's face reddened until it practically glowed.

"S-Saito?"

Hitomi smiled faintly, waving. "Hey. I go by Ōkami during stuff like this."

"R-right!" Fujimi stammered, pointing at himself. "I, uh, I'm Outbreak."

"Help, somebody!"

The two of them jumped.

Ah, right. The test.

"I'll lift it, you get the civilian." Hitomi quickly went to the side of the vehicle.

"But, how? It's gotta weigh a ton." He frowned at the big, family-sized model.

Hitomi gripped the bottom of the metal body, taking a slow breath in preparation, then heaving it upward. Her eyes shut tight, and a grunt of effort left her throat.

Fujimi squawked something behind her, but Hitomi was too focused on her job that she didn't catch it.

And there, again, was that odd tingling sensation in her hands. But this time, it grew, and grew, and somehow the weight of the car seemed to lessen.

"I got the kid!"

She hadn't even noticed him swoop in, and let go with a sigh of relief.

Panting, she leaned forward and put her hands on the side of the car, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Whoa, I had no idea you could do that." Fujimi marveled at her side.

Hitomi absently nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty strong."

"No, I mean your hands. I didn't know you could make them do that."

"Hm? What're y—"

When Hitomi opened her eyes, she froze.

Her hands were bigger, with snowy white fur covering them all the way from her wrist down. Her nails were replaced by long, talon-like claws. The pads of her fingers now sported pink beans, as well as her palms beneath her gloves.

"Holy shit."

She was shaking— she realized somewhere in the back of her head —she was close to falling to her knees and either laughing or crying. Maybe both.

Like Mama… I'm like Mama.

After a second, that fact fully hit her.

I'm like Mama!

"Ha…" Hitomi finally croaked a weak cackle, tears welling up. "All this time, and I never…"

"Saito?" Fujimi softly called to her with concern.

"I'm— I'm okay." Hitomi assured him, still marveling at her hands.

She was using her Quirk. She was isolating it to a certain part of her body. Just like Naomi's. Had she always been able to do this? Was this how it was supposed to work? Was her full Akita form just pushing the limits? Was that why she would get sick, and pass out if she pushed it too far? Could she change other parts of her body? How did she never do this before? Was this because of Kamino in some way? Because she tried using Akita Inu when it was physically impossible?

The longer her thoughts spiraled, the smaller her hands got, until they were fully back to normal, furless, padless, and clawless.

For a second she panicked, not knowing how it was that she did it in the first place. What if she couldn't ever get them to do it again?

"Minus points! It's as if you forgot I was here!"

Hitomi and Fujimi jumped, looking at the angry "child" in his arms.

"Ah— right!"

"Damnit! Where the hell are all the Villains!?"

Kirishima sighed deeply. "Dude, calm down. They're probably being held back on the outskirts of the city."

"Tch."

"I wonder how Hitomi's doing." Kaminari mused, scratching the back of his head.

"Knowing her, I bet she's wrangling up the last of the bystanders." Kirishima chuckled.

Katsuki scowled. He had no way of knowing if she'd used her Quirk yet, and he likely wouldn't until after the exam was already over. Maybe he should have told her about the secret test…

"Hey guys!"

Katsuki stopped.

"Wha— Hey, Hitomi!" Kaminari waved eagerly, grinning up at her where she stood atop a mountain of rubble.

She returned the grin— (wait…) —and leapt down. Once on even footing, she sauntered— (this isn't…) —over to them.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Come on, there are Villains getting into the city."

"Really?" Kirishima frowned. "Where?"

Saito's grin sharpened, and her tail twitched once before falling limp again.

Katsuki's stomach knotted.

"I was looking for people when some of the—"

Marching past Kirishima and Kaminari, Katsuki clenched his jaw, and raised his right hand.

The other two gasped as he aimed his gauntlet point-blank in her face.

Saito's grin finally faltered.

Her brow twitched. "Hey, what gives, Bakugou?"

Katsuki snarled, and set off his Quirk.

"Dude!"

"Bakugou!"

Kirishima and Kaminari continued to rage behind him, coughing on the smoke left after the blast. But Katsuki paid them no mind, his eyes narrowed as the air cleared.

Saito was standing about ten feet back, crouched in a defensive position. Her face was settled in an expression of cold curiosity.

Finally, he silenced his teammates with one question.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The imposter smirked, sly and conniving, and all sorts of wrong on Saito's face.

"How'd you figure it out? I would've thought you of all people wouldn't notice." She slowly stood, her movements and posture fluid, but clunky at the same time. Like she wasn't used to a body with as many curves and muscles as Saito's.

"Uh, what the actual hell is going on?" Kaminari sputtered.

"What gave it away?" The imposter ignored the other two, focusing on Katsuki. "I barely said anything at all. You must keep a pretty close eye on her to notice something was wrong." Her eyes suddenly lit up, her face flushing as she cupped her cheeks in delight. "Wait a second! Don't tell me! Could it actually be that you like—"

Katsuki sent a round of AP Shots at her.

The imposter slinked away from each one, bobbing and rolling out of the way.

"What do you want?" Kirishima demanded once Katsuki stopped firing, knowing now that the girl in front of them couldn't possibly be their Saito. "Why are you impersonating our friend?"

The imposter giggled, sounding much more unhinged than Saito's. "I was wondering if anyone had seen her face yet."

Katsuki stood rigid, his mind racing and flashing back to that night. The glint of a blade, Saito's sharp cry of pain, crimson red splattering, and a deranged smile—

No way. No way.

"I was just so curious, you know! It's a long time to wear a bandage."

Suddenly, Kaminari inhaled a gasp.

"The Shiketsu girl."

"What?" Kirishima turned to him.

Katsuki relaxed a fraction.

Kaminari nodded surely. "The blonde chick. She was acting super weird toward Hitomi earlier. Going for her bandage and everything."

The imposter shrugged breezily. "I wanted to see it."

Then, she reached up, and gripped the edge of the copied bandage on her face.

"Help! Someone!"

The distant cry of a bystander drew everyone's attention.

The imposter pouted, dropping her hand. "Oh yeah, the stupid test." Then the pout was gone, replaced by an excited grin. "I'm gonna go try to find him again before it ends. Bye!"

"Hey— wait!" Kirishima called as she turned on her heel and darted off, in the opposite direction of the bystander's shout.

She didn't listen, running away— slower than the real Saito could.

"Do we stop her?" Kaminari cluelessly asked.

Katsuki pursed his lips. Whatever that freak did was her own business, but he didn't like that she was doing weird shit while wearing Saito's face.

"We should find the bystander." Kirishima proposed, leading the charge.

For once Katsuki didn't put up a fuss, trailing behind them, all while trying to banish the cold, familiar dread that imposter brought on.

"He said what?!"

Hitomi waved her hands with an awkward smile. "It's okay, really! I probably needed to hear it."

They had already dropped off the bystander at the refuge shelter— which had been moved further back into the city after the Villains came back, and were searching for the last of the HUC members hiding in the collapsed zones.

Fujimi scoffed, fists clenching at his sides. "Bakagou… who gave him the right to talk to you like that…"

Hitomi shrugged. "Well, he's my friend. And friends look out for each other."

"You're trying to tell me that him saying you don't deserve to be here, is looking out for you?"

Hitomi flinched, her ears drooping.

Fujimi tensed upon seeing the reaction, clearing his throat hastily. "A-anyway, what's the big deal? Why does he care whether or not you use your Quirk?"

"Well, Katsuki is very prideful. And he takes offense when someone doesn't do their absolute best. Like when he won the sports festival. Shouto didn't give it his all, so he feels like it wasn't a real win. Maybe he just thinks it's insulting if I don't."

Fujimi scowled. "Who cares what he thinks."

Hitomi frowned at her feet. "I do…"

Fujimi paused, studying her, before sighing. "Okay, so use your Quirk."

"…That's the thing. I… can't."

"At all? What about the paws?"

"Those are totally new. I didn't even know I could do that. But that's not it. I haven't been able to transform into my Akita Inu state since Kamino."

Fujimi frowned deeply. "When you were kidnapped."

"Mm."

"And when you got hurt." He looked at the bandage.

Hitomi stiffened, but nodded again. "Mm. It just… won't work."

"Damn." Fujimi huffed.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Fujimi broke it.

"Maybe he's worried about you."

Hitomi stopped.

Fujimi scowled, mouth pinched in a sour expression, as if it pained him to get the words out. "Maybe… maybe it's not that he's insulted. He might just be worried. You went through something traumatic, after all. If he's really your friend, his anger could be coming from a place of concern."

Hitomi stared at his back, lips parting, and eyes widening.

Fujimi shrugged stiffly, glancing back at her. "But that's just me. Maybe I'm just projecting. I still think the guy's an absolute tool."

After a beat, Hitomi ducked her head.

"Fujimi…"

"Er, yeah?" He stammered, face flushing at her soft tone.

Her bangs overshadowed her eyes, but her growing smile was visible.

"You're right. I'm such an idiot."

"Eh?" Fujimi lamely croaked, before watching in shock as she charged ahead, her hair whipping wildly behind her.

Hitomi ran with everything she had. How could she be so stupid? How could she not have noticed? Her other friends showed how they felt much more obviously, but Katsuki was never that easy to read.

She and him were friends. They had been for a while— since the internships. And friends care about one another. Even people as aloof as Katsuki. Proven so by things like when they got Izuku's text, and bumped into each other in the hall. Or at the I-Expo, when he called out to her in warning, pulled her away from danger, helped her walk after she electrocuted herself, and gave her his vest to cover up. And then, Kamino, how he failed to mask his fear for her, and prioritized getting her free before simply escaping.

Katsuki hadn't hesitated to grab onto her, and hold tight when Eijirou called out to them. He saved her. He looked out for her.

Katsuki cared about her.

As she ran, Hitomi lifted her head.

Her eyes shimmered warmly.

The building— or the half of it that was left —cracked, and crumbled, threatening to teeter and collapse on anyone unfortunate enough to be near it.

Such as one of the last remaining bystanders. Who was trapped beneath some rubble. Right in the danger-zone of the unstable building.

Katsuki and Kirishima took their eyes off of Kaminari for one second, and the moron ran headlong onto the scene.

Anyone else's Quirk would be more suited for it. Uraraka's especially. But Kaminari's failed to do anything to help him, not to remove the debris pinning the civilian, not to carry them away from the site, and definitely not when the earth trembled and the building's foundation proved too weak, groaning and splintering again, splitting apart and falling.

Kirishima shouted a warning.

Katsuki remembered a similar scene that happened only days ago.

"Hey, watch out!"

A massive blur charged past them.

"This way!" Hitomi called over her shoulder, continuing on into the city. She could smell the sweetness of Katsuki's Quirk growing stronger, and knew they were getting close.

Fujimi sighed, struggling to keep pace with her in the littered and upended streets. "Why are we even looking for that clod?"

"I need to talk to him." Hitomi chirped, unfazed by the persistent name-calling Fujimi rolled with. Then she came to a halt, closing her eyes and sniffing the air deeper. "I think… I think they found a civilian."

"There can't be many of those left." Fujimi muttered, looking around at the totally desolate area.

"Yeah. It could be the last one. All the more reason to get to them!"

Fujimi didn't put up a fight, and the two followed her nose to one of the more wrecked parts of the city, with shambles of concrete and rebar where towering buildings once stood. The whole place felt so fragile, as if one wrong breath would make the last of it all come crashing down.

They were close, Hitomi could tell. Eagerly rounding a street corner, she lit up upon spotting a head of spiky red hair, standing out starkly against the largely grey surroundings. And beside Eijirou, was Katsuki.

But where was—

The ground shook, emanating from an aftershock from the outskirts of the city— the fight with the faux Villains.

Cold, potent, fear filled the air with its nauseating scent. Accompanied by the sounds of thick concrete splitting apart.

What was left of an office building was now falling. And below it, in the shadow of the approaching jagged chunks of debris, was Denki and a HUC actor.

Eijirou cried out something in a panic.

Katsuki was blasting himself toward them, then pointed his gauntlets up at the falling debris. But it seemed futile with Denki and the actor still crouched where they were.

Denki looked up, then covered the HUC actor's body with his own, though it wouldn't do much in the face of what was seconds away from crushing them both.

Hitomi stared, her fur and hair all standing on end. Her hands tingled again. Her canines grew. Her senses sharpened. Time slowed. And before Hitomi even knew what was happening…

Her body just moved all on its own.

Denki kept his eyes clenched shut, his heart racing and breath stuttering. He knew he had no chance of outrunning the building's falling debris— even as Bakugou blasted them into smaller pieces, and unrealistically hoped he could at least save the HUC person by shielding them.

But then, the sunlight coming through his eyelids dimmed, and the sound of something hard and heavy, hitting something soft and sturdy made his eyes shoot open.

A shadow shrouded him and the actor completely, and Denki jolted when he heard a strange gust. Similar to a wheezy exhale—

He gasped softly, and peered up.

The pieces of debris and rubble finally stopped raining down. Thick dust and smoke lingered in the air, kicked up by the destruction, and Katsuki's Quirk. Once it started to clear, it revealed something unprecedented.

All Katsuki could do, was stare.

"That's…" Kirishima trailed off, running to stand by the blonde, gaping along with him.

Standing above Kaminari and the bystander, covering them from the debris by taking the hits— was a giant Akita Inu.

But not giant in Saito's sense. Giant as in, twelve and a half feet tall. There was a noticeable new bulk in her muscles as well, pronounced as they coiled underneath her fur with the effort of holding up the hundreds of pounds of concrete.

(Katsuki very distantly remembered an old video game he played as a kid, about training and battling monsters. Specifically the mechanic of evolving them into something usually bigger, and stronger.)

The Akita growled— loud and rumbling, stiffly stepping away from Kaminari, with huge pieces of concrete still sitting on her back.

She hadn't even hesitated to shield them, taking the surely painful hits, because at least she could survive them.

But since when?

She groaned animalistically, carefully shrugging off the debris, then shaking her whole body like a wet dog to fling off the dust coating her fur.

Kaminari blinked up at her, dumbfounded. "Hi… Hitomi."

Saito huffed, and tipped up her nose in greeting.

And Katsuki and Kirishima broke from their stuper.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" Kirishima ran to Kaminari and the actor's side, checking on them.

"Yeah man, I'm fine."

Katsuki slowly walked up to her from behind, having to crane his neck to look around where her eyes were. Though he didn't meet them, her head kept turned away from the three of them, and the HUC actor.

She sat stiff for a beat, before slowly shrinking back down. In the process, her body lingered on her previous Akita size, before continuing on until a girl was left sitting exhausted on the ground.

Her shoulders were heaving, and her back was scuffed and dirty. Her midriff— where her costume exposed her bare skin —was raw and already oozing trickles of blood. It thankfully wasn't as bad as it would've been, if her fur hadn't acted as a buffer.

"Wow, two reveals in one day." Saito murmured seemingly to herself, shakily getting to her feet.

Finally, she turned to face them.

She swept her hair from her face, and offered a closed-eye smile. She was disheveled, and sweaty, but at the same time, she stood taller. Prouder. There was tangible confidence in her stance now, giving off an air of power. The sunlight shined off of the metallic accents of her costume, making her almost appear to glow.

Katsuki's eyes stayed glued on her, unable to look away. Until they landed on the right side of her face.

Kaminari hissed. "Ah— Hitomi! Your cheek!"

She blinked, touching the skin, then tensing.

Her transformation must've knocked the bandage off.

But… Katsuki pursed his lips. With it healed, and no blood covering her pale face, it actually didn't look that bad. In fact, there was a childish part of him that could even describe it as badass.

"It's…" Saito took a deep breath, then dropped her hand. "…I-it's okay." Her expression steeled, and she stood taller once more. "It's okay." She repeated one last time, her voice strong and unwavering.

But he couldn't relax yet.

Katsuki split from Kirishima and Kaminari, marching right up to her with a pinched expression. In the next second, he held his right gauntlet up to her face.

He had to make sure.

The two behind him audibly gasped.

Saito blankly looked at the hand and his hard glower, then blinked.

She was completely at ease.

"Katsuki?"

Katsuki would forever deny the amount of relief he felt then, with just hearing the utterance of his given name.

He dropped his hand, exhaling a subtle sigh from his nose.

Then, the worst possible thing happened.

"Oi, Saito! You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Hitomi assured Fujimi as he came running over. She hadn't even noticed how she left him behind.

He crossed his arms, flushing and glaring at the ground. "Good. I mean— not like I care or anythin—"

"The hell are you doing here?!" Katsuki raged, pointing accusingly at Fujimi.

The Isami student sneered at him. "I've been helping Saito with evac. Because someone decided to be a douche and ran her off!"

Hitomi put her hands up in a placating gesture, smiling tensely. "Boys—"

"What do you know about it, Bald-Brows!"

"Hah! Bald-Brows? Couldn't come up with something more clever, Bakagou?"

The already weak smile twitched and waned. "Boys—"

"Fine then! How about Corpse-Fucker?"

"Did— Did you just fucking call me a necrophi—"

With two hands fisting in both heads of hair, then slamming their foreheads together, Hitomi shut them up like last time.

"Enough!" She snapped, glaring fiercely enough to render them speechless. "We still have a bystander to tend to, so put aside your bickering and help me! Now!"

They twitched and nodded robotically, and in Fujimi's case, got a minor nosebleed.

(Once Saito's focus went to the bystander, Katsuki snarled lowly at Bald-Brows.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you."

Because he didn't miss the blood running from the guy's nose, and Katsuki wasn't a fucking idiot. Dealing with Grape-Shit was bad enough, but somehow this asshole pissed him off even more.

Bald-Brows gave him two middle-fingers.

This motherf—)

"Boys!"

After some more unavoidable arguing— two guesses as to who they were between —they secured the "elderly" bystander to Eijirou's back, and started to make their way to the shelter.

"I had no clue you could do that, Hitomi." Denki spoke up before Katsuki and Fujimi could get back into it.

Hitomi looked down at her hands. "I didn't either."

Suddenly, Katsuki stiffened for half a second, his eyes widening in realization, before he relaxed fully. A weighty sigh puffed through his lips.

"You used it. Your Quirk." He spoke quietly, in his subdued tone. There was a note of relief there, too.

Hitomi paused, looking back at him, and whipping out one of her batons.

It extended, and whacked him over the top of his head.

Eijirou and Denki snorted, while Fujimi pointed and cackled. The bystander was unbothered by the immature violence and laughter, perhaps because of the close-call save just moments ago, they were all getting a pass.

Katsuki reared back, staring at her in unmasked shock. "Wha— The hell—"

Hitomi glared, hands settling on her hips. "That's for yelling at me and saying all those mean things!"

"It worked, didn't it?" Katsuki irritably rubbed the stricken spot.

Hitomi's glare sharpened. "It had nothing to do with what you said! I used my Quirk of my own volition. Besides, there were other ways to go about it, you know. I'm sensitive, and it hurt my feelings!"

The plain honesty gave Katsuki pause, before he glowered to the side. His ears— oddly enough —turned red.

"…You're fine now, though."

His tone almost sounded questioning.

Hitomi softened, loosening her stance and putting away the baton. "Mm. I'm okay. Be better if I got an apology though."

Katsuki rounded on her, mouth opening to yell something, surely.

But Hitomi cut him off by sticking out her tongue, and winking. "Kidding!"

Verbal apologies weren't Katsuki's thing. He was very much an actions-speak-louder type person. She'd probably get her apology in the form of food, or help with her homework. And she would accept it gladly when it came.

Katsuki froze at the sight of her playful expression, and spat out a mumbled and indiscernible retort, his ears flushing deeper, along with the tops of his cheekbones.

Hitomi reeled herself in. She was obviously making him too angry if he was physically turning red from it.

…But for some odd reason, he smelled content.

(Mid-rescue of Shindo, Izuku sneezed hard, making the Ketsubutsu student scowl in disgust.)

Soon, Eijirou was setting the bystander down, safely in the evacuation shelter.

A horn blared.

"Um, yeah, so, at this time, all of the HUC members who were deployed have been rescued from the disaster zone."

"Huh? Really? We did it?!" Denki asked in amazement, arms shooting up in victory.

"We were the last ones?" Eijirou's brows raised.

"Well, we didn't run into anyone else, so I guess we were." Fujimi crossed his arms.

Katsuki glared at him for the crime of talking. "Don't make it sound like you did anything, damnit! We did all the work!"

Fujimi smirked patronizingly at him. "Right, and what'd you do? Locate the civilian, block them from the debris with your body, carry them to the shelter— Oh wait! You did none of those—"

Hitomi snagged Katsuki's belt-loop and held him back from attacking Fujimi. "How many times do I have to—"

"It may seem anticlimactic, but with this, the provisional licensing exam has officially been completed!" Mera announced with finality.

Hitomi gasped, letting the blonde go. But he thankfully seemed as invested as she was.

It was over.

A weight lifted from her shoulders, only for her chest to feel tight.

But did she do it?

Mera continued. "After we tally the scores, we'll announce the results here in the arena. Anyone injured should go to the infirmary. The rest of you are free to change clothes and wait wherever you like."

"Does anyone need to go to the infirmary?" Hitomi asked right away, giving them each once-overs.

"I think you're the only one, Hitomi." Eijirou grimaced. "Your back's pretty roughed up."

Hitomi waved him off, crossing her arms behind her back to help hide some of the damage. "It's no big deal, I'm—"

A firm hand grabbed at the hem of her costume on the back of her neck, pulling her backwards. She choked a yelp, but let herself be dragged along like she had multiple times before.

"Wh— What are you doing?!" Fujimi sputtered indignantly.

Katsuki didn't bother to answer him, stomping toward the infirmary, lugging Hitomi behind him.

Hitomi and her class stood in a loose cluster in the crowd, dressed in their school uniforms once more. Not many of them needed medical attention, which was impressive all on its own.

"Okay, everyone. Thanks for your hard work in today's exam. Now, before I announce the results, I should probably explain the way we evaluated you. Between HUC, and those of us at the Heroes Public Safety Commission, we had a two-fold demerit system that we used to determine your total scores. In other words, we were evaluating you based on how few mistakes you made in a crisis situation. Anyway, the names of those who passed are listed here in alphabetical order." The massive monitor behind Mera's podium changed, showing seven long brackets of names. "Keep my words in mind as you search the screen for your name."

The first thing Hitomi did was search for Sa. And—

Hitomi's legs went weak. Her eyes quickly welled with tears.

Right there— her name. Saito. Hitomi Saito.

"I did it." She whispered, a wide and overjoyed smile spreading across her face.

She wasn't even bothered by her scar being pulled tight by it.

Sniffling, she quickly wiped her eyes and scanned the rest of the board.

Izuku passed. Mineta passed. Kyoka passed. Tenya passed. Mezou passed. Ochako passed. Sero passed. Tokoyami passed. Ojirou passed. Aoyama passed. Sato passed. Mina passed. Kouji passed. Momo passed. Tsuyu passed. Denki passed. Eijirou passed. And—

Hitomi blinked, rubbing her eyes again, and reread all the names. Double and triple checking under Ba, and To.

But nothing.

She whirled around, brows furrowed, and looked at her friend in concern.

"Right on! But, uh…" Eijirou trailed off, noticing what she had.

"No…" Katsuki gritted through his teeth.

Upon hearing a distant "Hah?!" from another part of the crowd, Hitomi checked again, and saw Fujimi's name wasn't up there either.

"Todoroki!" The tall Shiketsu guy— Yoarashi, marched right up to Shouto, towering over him with a scowl. Then, he bowed like he did before the exam, slamming his head into the ground and all. "I'm sorry! It's my fault you didn't pass the licensing exam. My focus was too narrow minded. Forgive me!"

Shouto waved a hand. "You're fine. I was the one who got us off to a bad start."

"But, still…!"

"And thanks to the things you said to me, I have a lot to think about."

Hitomi watched on, wholly confused by what was happening. Did Shouto seriously pick a fight in the middle of the test? That was beyond stupid— and that was coming from her.

"Holy crap, did he really fail?" Mina gawked.

"How did our top classmates not pass the exam?" Sero wondered aloud, brows raised.

Denki grinned at Katsuki with a wink. "Shoulda been more careful what you said. Words are important, you know."

Katsuki leveled him with a molten glare, the aura around him blazing hot with fury.

"Shut your mouth before I murder you."

…But Hitomi could smell the emotions roiling behind the burning anger.

Denki yelped as she delivered a sound slap to the back of his head.

"Ack! Hitomi! What gives?!" Denki looked at her, and wilted under her cold stare.

"Knock it off."

"Yes ma'am!"

"So, next we'll give you the printouts of your results. They include a breakdown of your scores, so you'll know exactly what areas you need to improve going forward."

Staff approached the crowd, handing out papers to each person, no matter if they passed or not.

"Hand it over. I wanna see." Katsuki growled lowly at Eijirou, after receiving his own.

"Uh…" Eijirou hesitated.

Hitomi sighed, holding out hers. But she didn't let go when he took it, looking at him sternly.

"Promise you won't get angry reading it?" Hitomi's voice was firm.

Katsuki rolled his jaw, then gave one stiff nod.

She released her grip on the paper.

"We lopped off points when you did something wrong. Fall below fifty, and you were done. These demerits are itemized on your result forms as you'll see, so I'd look at them."

"Sixty-one points? I barely made it." Ojirou sighed.

"Whoa, I got eighty-four! Look at that, guys, it turns out I'm actually kind of great at this stuff!" Sero brandished his paper proudly.

"Wait, Yaomomo, you got ninety-four points?!" Kyoka marveled over the ravenette's score.

"How'd you do, Hitomi?" Eijirou asked with a smile.

Hitomi shrugged, turning to Katsuki. "I dunno. What's it say?"

Katsuki stared harshly at the paper, silently combing it over. Then, he answered in his subdued tone.

"You got ninety-five points."

Hitomi blinked. "Eh?"

"Nice work!" Eijirou slapped her on the shoulder.

After another moment of blank staring, she gasped and got in Katsuki's face.

"Say that again! That can't be right! What's it actually say?! Don't mess with me like this—"

"Idiot, it says it right here!" He thrusted the paper at her, showing off the very score he'd said. "You got deductions for getting distracted, and that's pretty much it."

Hitomi took the paper with weak hands, mouth hanging open.

That couldn't be right. They must've meant to write fifty-nine points instead. But… it was true, there were only five deductions given to her, total.

"I…" Hitomi stood taller, eyes sparkling in amazement. "I… I beat Momo at a test!"

"That's what you're taking away from this?!" Eijirou sputtered.

Hitomi bounced in place, hugging the paper and giggling giddily. "I got a higher score than Momo! I did it!" She squealed, her tail blurring behind her.

"Anyway, moving forward, those of you who passed can exercise the same authority as Pro Heroes, but only during emergency situations." Meta added.

"Er…" Ojirou side-eyed Hitomi and her bouncing. "I'm starting to wonder if they made the right choice.

"In other words, fighting Villains, saving the victims of criminal acts or accidents. You may act using your best judgment with no direct orders. Keep in mind that your every action from now on carries with it a deep responsibility toward bettering our society, and that the world is watching you. I'm sure you're aware that All Might, our greatest Hero, no longer has his incredible power."

Hitomi's bouncing abruptly stopped.

"One of the reasons crime in this country has been so low is due to his presence. With that deterrent gone, criminals are sure to become bolder and more widespread. Expect the balance we currently have in our world to be destroyed, and for things to change quickly. You young people will be the hope for our future. It's imperative that you become exemplary Heroes. That your reputations grow to suppress crime as did his. Remember, the license you earned today is provisional, and you still have much to do. I would like for you to think of yourselves as fledglings, and be even more diligent in your studies. And as for those who fell short and did not pass… We don't have time for you to feel bitter about your loss. Instead, we offer you a chance to redeem yourselves."

Hitomi's head shot up, and snapped to look at Katsuki.

"After you attend a three-month-long special course and pass an individual test, we plan to issue a provisional license to those of you who failed as well."

Much of the crowd cheered, and Hitomi beamed with relief at her friend.

Katsuki's scowl fell, and he stood a little straighter.

"In order for us to reach the idyllic future that I just spoke of, we're going to need as many good Heroes on the streets as we can get. The first round was one to weed people out. But we would like to grow the 100 selected in that test as much as possible. That's why we watched you all until the end. So we could see for ourselves that you each have promise. That once your shortcomings are corrected, you have the potential to be as great as your fellow classmates. This special course will keep you busy as it will run concurrently with your normal studies. You're welcome to retake the exam in April if you prefer to wait." Mera's voice took on a mocking tone in the final part.

"Oh, like hell!" Katsuki roared, eyes bright with determination.

Hitomi watched him with a smile, her cheeks flushing slightly.

She had no doubt in her mind, he was going to blow them all away next time.

His phone chimed, and when he saw who was texting him, he smiled softly.

Hitoshi's smile only grew when he read what it said.

(Future Wife)

I did it!

—

(He really needed to change her contact name back, after Hagakure decided to snatch his phone and mess with him.)

A picture of a Hero license was sent after, one that belonged to none other than Hitomi Saito.

There was no jealousy simmering within him. He couldn't be bitter if he tried.

She deserved this. He was proud of her.

Before he could respond, she texted again.

(Future Wife)

I did it!

You're gonna ace this next year!

—

Hitoshi's smile turned undeniably dopey, and he threw an arm over his flushed face. After taking a second to reel himself in, he texted her back.

(Future Wife)

I did it!

You're gonna ace this next year!

Can't wait. We'll go out to celebrate.

—

Hitoshi smushed his face into his pillow, fighting to keep his heart from jumping through his chest.

Fuck. That was stupid. Fuck I shouldn't have—

Ting!

He read her reply with trepidation.

…Then deflated, because he forgot the kind of girl he was dealing with.

(Future Wife)

I did it!

You're gonna ace this next year!

Can't wait. We'll go out to celebrate.

Great idea! Class bonding!

—

Hitoshi took a measured breath, and finally changed her contact name.

(Contact successfully saved under: Daffodil)

Here’s a nifty little chart to convey the sizes of her Akita form!

Chapter 47: Revelations

Notes:

Please pardon any mistakes. I'm literally so tired lol.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

There's an Akita. Large and cumbersome. Colored in oranges and snowy white.

There's a Pomeranian. Small and irate. Spikey yet soft fur an ashy blonde.

The Akita gives a smile— the equivalent of one, with big sharp teeth and a bobbing tongue.

The Pomeranian yips angrily, joules pulling back in rumbling a snarl.

The Pomeranian wants nothing to do with the stupid, lumbering Akita. It's loud and annoying, always barking and bounding around. But the Akita doesn't get the message. The Pomeranian barks, and growls, and snaps, and snarls. Yet nothing. The idiotic Akita continues to smile at it, curled tail wagging.

Time goes on, and not once does the Akita retreat. It greets the Pomeranian happily, never returning the hostility the smaller dog shows. And at some point, the Pomeranian stops growling. It doesn't notice it at first, until it finds itself merely huffing at the Akita's company.

The Pomeranian keeps up pretenses, of course, hackles rising anytime the Akita tries acting too familiar. Too friendly. The Pomeranian is very careful about keeping the Akita at a distance.

But one day, the Akita is found curled up, ears drooping, alone.

The Pomeranian doesn't want the Akita— or any others —to assume it'd grown attached to the larger breed, but… somehow seeing the Akita in so much strife, concerns it more.

The Pomeranian comes up to the Akita, huffing importantly, as if it had no choice but to be here, and lays down beside the Akita.

It struggles to find some way to comfort its friend, but the Akita acts first, and wraps itself around the Pomeranian. It's tail gives a languid flap, before it relaxes and falls into a much needed sleep.

The Pomeranian stands guard for the Akita, making sure it could rest undisturbed.

Because at this point, not even the Pomeranian could deny the sway the Akita had over it.

…And deep down, the Pomeranian can't find it in its heart to be mad about it.

Most of the class sat around in the common room and kitchen, either eating or lazing around after the beyond stressful day they all had. Several pizza boxes were scattered across the island counter, a low quality action movie was playing on the TV despite no one really paying any attention to it, a game of Dos sat abandoned halfway through on a coffee table, and Kouji laid out cold on one of the couches. Someone had placed a blanket over him at some point, and if it hadn't been for a stern look from Tenya, Denki and Sero would have drawn something on his face by now.

Hitomi ran the tip of her index finger over the edge of her license, still grinning at it.

Her picture stared back at her, a matching grin mirroring her current one. To the left of the photo was her credentials, and in large text, "Ōkami".

I really did it.

"We should do something to celebrate." Denki suggested through a mouthful of pizza.

(They really needed to stop relying on take-out, or Katsuki's rare cooking.)

"Like what?" Kyoka sat next to him in the kitchen, looking over her own license.

Denki shrugged, making an "I dunno" sort of sound.

"Arcade?" Sero suggested, getting back tired shrugs and grunts.

"Would any of them still even be open this late?" Ochako asked somewhat nervously.

"Oh! I've got a Dance Dance Retribution set-up in my room, got the dance-pad and everything." Denki said excitedly, while still chewing.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Kyoka huffed with a poorly masked smile.

"Hitomi's wonderful at that game. She's held the high score in my family's gaming room for years now." Momo cheerfully chimed in.

Ochako choked. "G-gaming room?!"

Eijirou sat up, his hair down like it usually was in the late evening. "Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask earlier. But, Hitomi, what was it you meant before?"

Hitomi looked up from her spot curled up in one of the green armchairs, blinking and finally tuning in to the conversation. "Huh?"

"You said something like, two reveals, after you got super big and saved Kaminari."

Hitomi blinked, then shot to her feet.

"Holy crap how'd I forget?!" She whirled around, looking wide-eyed at Momo. "Momo! Something crazy happened!"

"Alright?" The ravenette's brows furrowed in obvious concern. "What is it?"

Hitomi stood, grinning excitedly. "Okay, just watch." She put her hands in the pocket of her father's old hoodie, hiding them from sight. She closed her eyes, focusing on triggering the tingle. After a moment of her classmates watching in anticipation, she felt it again. That strange tingling.

She opened her eyes, beaming. "Prepare to be… amazed!" She whipped her hands out, repeatedly splaying and then closing them.

"Your hands…!" Izuku marveled.

"Holy crap!" Eijirou gasped.

"Whoa, Hitomi!" Ochako laughed in shock.

Momo just stared, her eyes like saucers.

But Hitomi faltered, looking at her hands in disappointment. "Aw, hang on, they were bigger earlier…"

Her hands were paws, but were still their usual size. And her claws were substantially shorter.

Katsuki stood back, absently tracing his left palm.

"Hitomi…" Momo breathed. "It's… like Aunt Naomi's."

Hitomi smiled softer, her hands slowly shifted back to normal. "I know. It just kinda… happened."

Izuku opened his mouth, likely to spout off a ton of questions about her Quirk, and what this meant for it. But then Katsuki lowly spoke first.

"You."

Izuku jumped, turning and looking somewhat fearfully at the blonde.

"Meet me out front, later." Blazing carmine eyes narrowed at the green haired teen.

As he passed Izuku, he added something that only he, and Hitomi with her superior hearing could catch.

"We need to have a talk about your Quirk."

A chill went through the prinkette, her tail tucking involuntarily.

His tone and expression were seemingly calm, but there was a frigid rage hiding there too. One that scared her, if she was being honest. Because it wasn't his usual anger. It was like… like the kind she held for Best Jeanist.

The kind of fury that burned bright in order to distract from the shame beneath it.

"Um, okay?" Izuku croaked, affected even more so than Hitomi was.

Katsuki continued walking, ignoring her as he nearly clipped her shoulder.

Hitomi's stomach tied itself up into knots.

No one said anything about the scar.

Hitomi laid restless in bed, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

Sure, there were some stares— that was unavoidable —but after they all got it out of their systems, no one acted any different.

She wasn't looked at as if she was weak. To them, it wasn't a sign of her greatest failure.

Not like it was to her.

With a deep sigh, Hitomi got up, trudging out of her room and down the halls.

It was well past curfew, and the whole dorm was dead silent. Which was why she nearly jumped ten feet in the air when she saw someone sitting at the island-counter in the kitchen.

"What are you doing up?" Mr. Aizawa demanded without turning on the stool.

Hitomi fidgeted, shuffling in place. "Uh, I wanted to make some tea…"

At the sound of her voice, his tensed shoulders fell slightly, and he peered back at her.

"Saito."

"Hi." She lamely waved.

There was a small jerk of his body, and she felt proud upon realizing it was a snort.

Taking his lack of a response as a go-ahead, Hitomi put the electric kettle on as quietly as she could, before hesitantly sitting down on the stool to his left.

"So, uh, why're you here?"

Mr. Aizawa sighed through his nose, running a hand down his face. He looked different, she noticed, with his hair up and scarf missing.

"I'm waiting for two troublemakers to be dragged back here."

"Mm." Hitomi nodded as if she understood.

For a beat, neither of them spoke, just patiently waiting for their respective tasks to be completed.

But then—

"That's Naomi's hoodie, isn't it?"

Hitomi felt like all the air was sucked from her lungs.

Mr. Aizawa was looking at her tiredly— but it wasn't his usual kind of tired. It was one she'd only seen on him a handful of times.

All those times happened to include her, incidentally.

Hitomi swallowed, struggling to find words. "Ah, it— No, it was Papa's, actually."

Mr. Aizawa actually grinned at that, shocking her again. "Any hoodie belonging to Riku, eventually became Naomi's."

Hitomi felt like the rug hadn't just been pulled out from under her— it was like she was being told it was never even there in the first place.

But that's when it all clicked.

Hitomi stared at him, ears sitting low on her head. "Sir, it's… it's strange to have three recommended students in one class. Right?"

Mr. Aizawa nodded once. "Yes."

Hitomi clenched fistfuls of her parents' hoodie. "And… It would've taken more than just Aunt Nemuri's word to even make the recommendation, right?"

Mr. Aizawa was silent for a moment, before he nodded again.

"Yes."

The kettle clicked off, and Hitomi slowly got to her feet.

"Hey," Deku pulled that face again— the one he hated, and reached out his hand, "are you alright—"

Katsuki slapped it away, snarling up at him. "Don't you dare worry about me!"

Deku stared at him, his brows furrowed and lips parted.

Katsuki staggered to his feet, feeling more desperate by the second. "Attack me! Why won't you fight back?!" He growled, and let loose on the things that had been chaining him down— drowning him slowly over the course of recent past. "Why did I end up having to chase after someone who was always so far behind me?! Why did a damn small-fry like you get strong and become the Number-one Hero's sidekick? His favorite? You got so much better, and I destroyed All Might! I admired him so much…" He stood straighter, gripping the front of his tank top, over his racing, agonizing heart. "But it's because of me that he ended up losing his power! If I had been stronger… if I hadn't been kidnapped by Villains… then it never would've happened. None of it… All Might knows it was my fault, but hasn't said anything. And Saito— Damnit! She couldn't use her Quirk! She thinks she's weak! She blames herself, I know it! When it was my fault she was even there! Most amazing Hero? What a fucking joke! Why can't she just blame me too, damnit?! Everyone else has to! I can't get any of it out of my head! It's like it's all constantly playing on loop!"

All Might's fall. Saito's borderline torture. Having to be rescued by the likes of him.

"Katsuki Bakugou is going to become the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen! And no one, especially not you league of asshats is going to change that!"

It rang like a broken record, a taunt and a comfort at the same time. It hurt, but almost in the way that stitches do. Sharp and daunting, but there to mend and heal. He wanted to hear them again, uttered aloud, but also thought he didn't deserve to.

Bent over, tears streaming down his face, Katsuki roared.

"So what the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Neither said a word, until Hitomi had two mugs of chamomile tea, and slid one over to her teacher after sitting back down.

"…You knew them. You knew my parents. You really were at the wake. Weren't you?"

Mr. Aizawa took a sip of the tea, then looked down at her.

"How'd your family take the good news?"

Hitomi blinked, then remembered everything with a start. "Oh, well, they seemed happy for me. Even Nori."

"Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!" Ayami had praised thickly over the phone.

"If you think this means I'll stop giving you shit, think again—"

"Language!"

"Yeah, language, Nori."

"I hate you."

She cracked a smile, taking a sip of her own. "I also texted Uncle Soichiro, so Papa's side will probably know by morning. And I called Nonna Isabella, so I bet all of Mama's side already knows."

"So that woman's still the backbone of the Tanaka and Ricci family, hm?"

Hitomi couldn't help but gape for a second.

"You— you know Nonna Isabella?!"

Mr. Aizawa put a finger to his lips, lightly shushing her. "Yeah. She's terrifying."

Hitomi snorted, nodding along in agreement. "Oh absolutely."

After another stretch of silence, Mr. Aizawa broke it by gesturing to his own cheek.

"So, it's finally healed?"

Hitomi tensed, fighting the urge to cover her scar with her hand. "I—"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, I won't judge you for wanting to hide it. You're a kid, a teenager, it's normal to care about appearances—"

"No."

Mr. Aizawa stopped, watching her inquisitively.

Hitomi gripped her mug tight, but was careful not to crush it. "I… It's not about vanity. I just… I hate it so much." Her shoulders bunched, and her eyes stung with shameful tears. "I hate seeing it, because it just proves I can't do shit. I was weak when it mattered. I had to rely on Katsuki to save me, because I'm pathetic. If I had just tried harder… Maybe All Might wouldn't be gone, and Katsuki wouldn't blame himself for everything. I hate this scar because it shows everyone that I'm not worthy of being a He—"

She lifted her gaze, and it fell on his right cheek— below his eye.

She paled.

Mr. Aizawa calmly turned in his seat to face her, reaching out and putting a hand on her quaking shoulder.

"I— I didn't mean— You—"

"I know." He gently cut her off. "It's alright. I know that's not what you meant. But it brings up a good point." He raised a hand to his own scar, tracing it lightly. "Heroes aren't invulnerable. We get hurt all the time. We mess up. We enter fights that we have no hope of winning. It's just how it goes. I got thisas a fully-fledged Hero. And you…" He lightly tapped her cheek. "You got this before you even got your provisional license. In a fight for your life with Villains that gave Pros a run for their money."

Hitomi sniffled, wiping her eyes and looking away sheepishly. "All I did was survive. I couldn't fight them like Katsuki did."

"You came out of it physically injured, but Bakugou isn't unscathed either. His wounds aren't the kind you can see, but they're just as real. Do you think he's weak?"

"What? No! Of course not!"

Mr. Aizawa nodded slowly. "See. You think he's strong for surviving. Something you managed to do as well… Surviving is more than a lot of would-be Pros can accomplish." There was something reminiscent, and heartbroken in his voice. "All that matters is that you're alive. Use this to motivate you. Don't think of your scars as a brand, think of it as a badge. One you earned by still standing. Still being here. By being stronger than them."

Hitomi blinked hastily to fight back more tears, her face undeniably hot from all the firm praise.

"You say everything's okay when it's really not. And you smile when you're hurt too. I don't think I've ever seen you act how you're really feeling when you're upset or sad." Shouto's words rang in her head.

The dam finally burst.

"I… I…!" She curled up, breath hitching, and face scrunching. "I—"

"I know." Mr. Aizawa put a hand on the back of her head, gently pulling her in, until her trembling form collapsed against his.

Hitomi muffled her sobs in his shirt, clinging desperately to him.

"I know… I know…" His hand smoothed down her hair, raising back to the crown before sliding down again. Over and over, mimicking soothing motions her mother once used.

"Okay, so talk. Who knows about you two?"

"Recovery Girl and Principal Nezu do." All Might readily answered. "As far as students go, only you."

Well…

"And you don't want this to get out." Katsuki summed up, resting his head in his left hand. "'Cause that would be bad. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I won't tell anyone what's going on. Unlike Deku, I can keep my mouth shut. This'll stay between us."

But he wasn't the concern, little did they know.

"Thanks, Kachan."

"I don't deserve this." All Might mused softly. "I should be down on my hands and knees begging for you to keep this secret for me. Yet here you are, being considerate, and helping me out. Thank you."

Katsuki stood, unable to look his idol in the eye. "I'm not doing this for you. It would just be a real pain if this got out and messed stuff up. But… it's not me you need to worry about."

Deku and All Might tensed.

Katsuki sighed, rolling his aching shoulders. "…Saito knows something's up."

"W-what?!" Deku squawked, wincing when he waved his arms in alarm.

All Might frowned solemnly. "Did you tell her what Young Midoriya said—"

"No, I didn't tell her anything." Katsuki barked, crossing his arms as he looked resolutely to the side. "Tch, she's smarter than any of those losers give her credit for. She's figured things out on her own."

Deku sat stunned, staring dumbfoundedly like an idiot.

But Katsuki was thinking about what she said, only a few days ago. The thing that had caught him so off guard, and helped cement an idea he had already had planted.

"Katsuki, hey! Do you think All Might's training Izuku to be his replacement?" Saito looked ahead, brows furrowed seriously. "I mean, it just seems like All Might favors him in a lot of ways. And the two even have lunch together regularly. I can smell it on them sometimes. It would make sense, I guess, with how similar Izuku's Quirk is to his. I dunno— There's just a lot of weird stuff going on, like during the first training exercise we did, All Might wouldn't stop your fight, even though he should've. And—"

Katsuki huffed through his nose, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Yeah… she's catching on. You're not exactly subtle, either of you."

Deku and All Might both jolted, then looked down, abashed.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "It doesn't help that she's got built-in lie detectors. And can hear things across a fucking building. At this rate she's gonna have you made before the school year ends."

Deku opened his mouth, hesitated, then whispered, "Kachan… you must really respect Hitomi, huh?"

A vein bulged from his head. "The fuck is that supposed to mean, huh?!"

"Nevermind that." All Might raised a hand. "Young Bakugou, now that it's come to this, I can explain what's happened between me and Young Midoriya. It's only fair."

Katsuki swallowed, patiently listening to All Might as he laid it all out on the table.

And there was a part of him that felt like Saito deserved to know. Not about Deku or any of that, but how All Might really was weakening on his own, and would've lost his power anyway. It did nothing to assuage his own guilt in the loss of the Number-one, but it could probably help her feel better, at least a little.

But she could never know.

"You fought the night you finished the preliminary Hero licensing exam?" Mr. Aizawa tightened his capture weapon around Katsuki and Izuku, his expression stone-cold. "I'm glad to see that you two have so much energy."

Hitomi winced, standing back in the doorway and watching in morbid curiosity.

They were both roughed up pretty bad, covered in scuffs, bruises, and cuts. In Katsuki's case, he had gashes on his forearms, made by brutal blunt force.

Yeah, Hitomi never wanted to go hand-to-hand with Izuku, if Quirks were allowed.

"Aizawa, wait, hold up with those restraints! It's my fault that they sparred in the first place!" All Might hastily came to their defense.

Mr. Aizawa's eye twitched, and he turned his glare on his fellow teacher. "Your fault? And how is that?"

Katsuki and Izuku stiffened and yelped.

All Might leaned over, whispering in Mr. Aizawa's ear.

Of course, Hitomi heard all of it.

"It seems Young Bakugou has been feeling like he was responsible for my retirement. He had to face the licensing exam with those pent-up emotions and then his inferiority complex exploded and this happened. It's all because I didn't realize I was being negligent. This whole fight was brought about because of the failure of his teacher."

Hitomi looked down.

Katsuki really was hurting, then… it was just like Mr. Aizawa said. He didn't come away from Kamino unscathed.

Mr. Aizawa grunted, and loosened the scarf. "I understand that they felt they had to break the rules. But this isn't something I can just ignore." His eyes flashed red. "There must be a suitable punishment. Who threw the first punch?!"

"I did." Katsuki plainly declared.

"I also went pretty hard. It wasn't just him." Izuku admitted.

"You're both on house arrest! Four days for Bakugou and three for Midoriya! During that time, you'll clean all the common areas in the dorm, morning and night! Plus, I want a written apology! If your injuries need to be checked out head to the infirmary. But don't rely on the old lady's Quirk this time! Figure out a way to heal yourselves!" He sighed deeply, releasing them from his bindings completely. When he spoke again, it was back to his normal, lower tone. "That's all."

Hitomi took that as her queue, and entered the room. At her sudden presence, All Might jumped and sputtered some blood.

"Hey guys," Hitomi smiled sympathetically, holding out two more mugs of chamomile. "You two look awful."

"Ah, thanks!" Izuku squeaked, taking the offered drink. For some reason he was rigid, almost looking downright terrified of her.

Katsuki snatched up his, almost spilling the hot beverage over his hand, and harshly jabbed Izuku in the side with his elbow. He shot the freckled teen a short but fiery look.

Izuku jolted upright, his back ramrod straight. "Um, I mean…"

Hitomi hugged her middle, brows furrowing. "You okay? Both of you? All Might said—"

"All Might?! What about All Might?! I'm not— Ack!" Izuku rubbed his head where Katsuki hit him again.

Katsuki scowled at him. "My expectations for you were low, but holy fuck—"

"Enough! Go!" Mr. Aizawa barked.

Katsuki and Izuku hurried out of the room, heading for the infirmary. All Might awkwardly lingered, before trailing after them. Maybe to make sure there wasn't another fight to break up.

Hitomi watched them all go, and shook her head.

"Those two… I hope their injuries don't hurt too much."

Mr. Aizawa irritatedly spooled his capture weapon. "They deserve it, after the stunt they pulled."

Hitomi smiled. "They've got a lot of energy that feeds off of the other. I actually admire them for that, how they push each other to do their best. I could never have an all-out fight like that with Momo."

Mr. Aizawa stopped, seeming to consider her point.

Hitomi shrugged, turning to head back to bed, finally. "And besides, for the first time, Katsuki didn't smell really angry with Izuku. I think this fight was good for them. The two used to be friends, so maybe they can be that again."

She didn't see the fight as a stupid competition.

Saito saw the good it did for Midoriya and Bakugou's relationship. She seemed so sure of it.

Her optimism was almost blinding.

"…You remind me of someone."

Saito paused, head cocking. "Who?"

Shouta swallowed, and for a fleeting second, her hair was cotton-candy blue.

"He would've loved her." Hizashi once mused softly. "They've got the same spirit…"

Sometimes Shouta couldn't help but wonder if that was true. If Hitomi Saito was born with the spark that Oboro Shirakumo once carried. He didn't much consider himself a religious man, but it was a nice thought nonetheless.

"A friend… a very close friend."

Saito's ear twitched, and she seemed to sense the weight of what he was saying, because her smile was tender.

"You know, sometimes… sometimes you make me think of Mama."

Shouta never knew a compliment could be so tender, yet painful.

(Omake: The Family Tree)

"Hi! I'm Hitomi Saito, and I'm here to clear up my family tree!"

Hitomi, wearing glasses and a tweed jacket with elbow patches, stepped aside and revealed a white board smattered in pictures and writing.

"My father's side, the Saitos, is fairly cut-and-dry, everyone hailing from Japan— Kanagawa mostly. Strangely, the Saito family has a genetic predisposition to produce people who turn out Quirkless. Very few in the family have ever developed Quirks! So it was quite a shock when Riku was born and later became a Pro Hero! Despite this, the family is largely in the profession of law enforcement! A strong sense of justice runs through their veins, and being Quirkless wasn't going to stop any of them! Now, there's just my grandparents, my father Riku, and his brothers, Junpei, Hikaru, and Soichiro— who's actually a police chief to this day! Junpei and Hikaru both got married and had two kids each, while Soichiro never settled down. And you already know that Riku would meet and fall for a girl in his class, getting married and having two amazing kids together.

Hitomi turned the whiteboard around, revealing the other side to be almost completely covered in numerous photos and writing. She grinned sheepishly.

"Now this is where it gets a bit complicated. So let me start from the beginning." She cleared her throat. "It all started when Isabella Ricci, also known as Kitsune the Pro Hero, took up a transfer position from Italy to Japan. And there she met Satoshi Tanaka— who was a painter at the time. They fell in love and quickly got married. However… I forgot to mention that Isabella and Satoshi both already had three kids each from previous marriages. These kids were Kara, Renzo, and Naomi Ricci. And Haru, Aoi, and Katashi Tanaka. Thankfully though Isabella and Satoshi adored their partner's kids, and they adored them right back. Right after the marriage, the children were all officially adopted, and changed the Riccis' surnames to Tanaka. Haru settled down with a charming young man who he adopted several dogs with. Aoi met a nice American woman who he would later have six kids with. Katashi would go on to have three divorces and no children to speak of. While Kara would choose a lifestyle free of romance, having been deterred by watching her brother's repeated failures. Renzo would marry a beautiful single mother of three. And Naomi would of course meet and fall for a boy in her class, getting married and— well you know the rest."

Hitomi clapped her hands, taking a deep breath after talking on-end.

"I think I'll save you all the trouble of hearing about my many cousins and their many kids. And I didn't even mention Nonna Isabella's brothers and sisters! Needless to say, the Tanaka/Ricci family is extensive! And who knows, maybe you'll get to meet them someday! We do hold a family-reunion every winter! Anywho, that's all for now. Remember to brush your teeth and drink lots of water. Bye for now!"

Notes:

Did I really just mask boring family exposition in the form of a crack bit at the end? Yes. Am I ashamed of it? Not really.

Chapter 48: You don’t know about work studies?

Notes:

What's this? Uploading on a Saturday? UNHEARD OF :O
Jk, but I'm posting this now because I feel not great and think I'm boutta crash hard, and I'm worried about forgetting to do it tomorrow. Thank you all for the concern recently, I swear I'm doing fine (outside of being mildly sick rn— Don’t worry it's not the rona), I just hit a bit of a nasty writer's block, and been focusing on some real life stuff in the meantime. I've also been debating on going on a hiatus until BNHA is finished, so I can polish up the draft for the ending (I've had pretty much the whole rest of canon/the fic plotted out since the start) but we'll see.
Also, the whole Yuwei thing is another small snippet I've borrowed from the light novels. Again, I haven't read them, all I know is the basic gist, so most likely it doesn't follow the novel much at all. I just needed an extra portion to bulk up the chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"What?!"

"You guys threw down?!" Mina asked on behalf of the whole class.

Except for Hitomi, who was somewhat proud to be the first to know something for once. The others were let in on it upon seeing the two roughed up boys vacuuming the common area.

"Hilarious!" Denki crowed.

"Tres tragique." Aoyama lamented.

"You're both morons." Sero deadpanned.

Katsuki growled, then started vacuuming more aggressively.

"The pinnacle of stupidity." Tokoyami shook his head at them.

"Dude, even Hitomi wouldn't do something that dumb!" Eijirou pointed out, putting a hand on her head when she didn't catch on at first.

"…Wait— Hey!"

Eijirou patted her head. "Hitomi, I saw you chasing a squirrel the other day."

Hitomi flushed. "He stole my keys!"

"That just makes it worse." Denki chimed in solemnly.

"You're lucky you two got away with house arrest." Tenya chopped his hand. "Though, this does mean you'll miss the opening ceremony we're going to right now."

"Bakugou, what about our extra classes?" Shouto brought up the sore spot.

"Shut up, Icy-Hot bastard! This has nothing to do with you!"

"'Kay, well, thanks for cleaning up!" Denki chuckled.

"Listen up, everyone! Stay in line and move promptly into position." Tenya instructed from the side, arms emphatically chopping in the direction they were meant to be heading. "I want to see order!"

"Yes, sir!" Hitomi saluted him, skipping along down the hallway with the rest of them.

"Uh, you're the only one who's not in line." Sero pointed out snidely.

Tenya clenched his trembling fists. "Guh— The dilemma of a class rep…!"

"I heard a little rumor about Class 1-A…"

They stopped, looking ahead at the blonde leaning casually against the wall.

"Two people!" Monoma cackled. "You had two people fail the licensing exam, you losers!"

Eijirou smirked. "Bet you were the only one in your class to fail. Just like in the final, huh?"

Monoma laughed, holding his middle, then turned his back to them.

Eijirou's smirked fell. "That wasn't an answer!"

"Ha! Actually…"

The rest of 1-B entered the hall, coming to stand behind him.

He whirled back around, striking a dramatic pose. "Every one of us passed. We pulled ahead of you bigshots."

Shouto looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. It's my fault."

"They're the ones who're turning it into a competition! It's no big deal!" Eijirou rushed to reassure him.

"Yeah, and besides, Katsuki messed up, too!" Hitomi patted him on the back, probably harder than intended.

"Accordin' to teacher Vlad, we'll have classes together this semester. Doesn't that sound like it'll be fun? I'm lookin' forward to it!" Tsunotori smiled giddily.

"I can't wait to test out my skills!" Eijirou punched his palm.

"Oh hey, isn't she the exchange student?" Denki asked the redhead, while said girl was being whispered something by Monoma.

After the blonde pulled away, she turned to the two boys. "Touch me and I'll pummel you 'til yo mama doesn't know ya!"

Denki and Eijirou gaped in stunned horror.

Monoma gave her a thumbs-up, cackling wildly.

Kendou came up from behind him. "Stop filling her mind with crazy!" She chopped him in the neck.

"I'm really sorry about him." Awase moved to stand next to Momo, looking abashed for his classmate.

Momo smiled brightly at him, before huffing a small laugh. "We've… gotten used to it."

"Uh, congrats, by the way, f-for passing the exam." Awase gave two thumbs-up, before wincing and lowering his hands with an embarrassed flush.

Momo giggled, mimicking his previous pose. "You too."

"Hey. We're tryin' to get through back here."

Hitomi perked up, tail wagging. "Hitoshi!"

The lilac haired boy walked in front of his class, leading them. The sight made her beam, with how far he'd come and how he'd established himself as a Hero hopeful to them, instead of some Villain lying in wait.

"Our apologies! Come on, everyone! Save your chitchat for later. We're clogging up the hallways." Tenya tried ushering them onward.

"I honestly can't believe how uncool some of you are." Hitoshi lamented.

"Oh hey, Brainwash." Denki grinned, using the name teasingly. "Haven't seen you since I-Island."

"Yeah. The peace was nice while it lasted."

Denki clutched the front of his blazer, face scrunching in a pained expression. "Ack, so feral!"

Hitomi bounded up to him, tail blurring. "Hitoshi, hey! I gotta show you my—" she paused, blinking at him. "…You're bigger."

She nonchalantly put a hand on his bicep, and squeezed, feeling the bulked up muscles.

While Hitoshi stiffened and flushed, a girl from his class gasped and ran up to them.

"Ohmygosh— This is the girl! Isn't it?!"

Hitomi turned to her, ear flicking when all she saw was a floating uniform. After a second, she realized it was actually a student— one with a mutation Quirk.

"Hagakure." Hitoshi growled in warning.

"I'm Tooru Hagakure!" The invisible girl thrusted a hand out, going by the movement of her sleeve.

Hitomi took it to shake, only overshooting slightly, which Hagakure quickly corrected.

"It's so great to finally meet you! You're known in our class as the girl Shinsou's gonna ma—"

A boy— one that Hitomi vaguely recognized as a friend of Hitoshi —darted over and slapped a hand over where Hagakure's mouth was, apparently, silencing her.

"Ignore her." The boy smiled awkwardly, his hair an acidic yellow, and made out of a slime instead of individual strands. He shot a look over at Hitoshi, hissing a low, "You owe me."

Hitoshi relaxed slightly, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thanks, Matsuda."

Matsuda smirked, but then recoiled from Hagakure, looking at his hand in disgust.

"Did you just lick my hand?!"

"Everyone, we'll be late if we don't hurry!" Tenya called again.

"Yeah, let's get moving." Kendou put her hands on her hips.

And no one was stupid enough to defy both of them.

The students from every class, in every department stood lined up outside. Except of course Katsuki and Izuku.

"Hi there! It's the adorable small mammal you all know and love, the principal!" Principal Nezu started off with his usual greeting. "You may notice the fur I'm so proud of has deteriorated in quality. I haven't been taking care of it."

Hitomi cocked her head, not the only one confused by the random topic.

"This is something that can happen to humans, too. Even if you eat a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals, you won't have a mane of luscious locks unless you're getting lots of sleep. That's the secret. Disturbances in your normal resting patterns are terrible for your hair. So if you want to improve your fur's strength, make sure to get plenty of hours of rest. My own sleep cycle has been upset by the incidents that took place over summer vacation, which I'm sure everyone here knows about already."

Hitomi stiffened, aware of all the eyes now on her. Ones that were narrowed in accusation, or wide with pity.

She was suddenly glad Katsuki wasn't there, so he wouldn't receive the same looks.

"We lost a pillar of hope." Principal Nezu's voice went softer. "The ramifications of which have appeared faster than I could have ever imagined. And there will likely be even more chaos throughout our world in the near future. In particular, this will be most apparent to those of you studying in the Hero course. You must approach extracurricular activities, like the Hero work studies available to second and third years, with a greater sense of caution, and attentiveness than before. The air always feels heavier when we talk about gloomy subjects. But rest assured, you teachers are working hard to remove this weight from your shoulders. I'd like all of you to learn from their diligence, and remember that hard work will help you develop into capable Heroes. Whether Hero core, support, business, or general studies, I don't want any of you to forget that you're the ones who will inherit our society."

Vlad King approached the podium. "Well spoken. Thank you, Principal Nezu. Now we'll hear from the extra-curricular guidance teacher. Please give Mr. Hound Dog your attention."

He stepped back, and the canine-like Hero took the stand.

"…Yesterday…!" He started to growl, before erupting into a furious fit of barking, then he howled.

Hitomi's fur puffed up, and she took a deep breath.

Momo spotted it, and rushed to smack her hand over Hitomi's mouth, muffling the following howl she gave.

Vlad retook his position at the podium. "Alright… As you just heard, there were students fighting last night. I know you're not used to life in the dorms, but let's all be a little more respectful moving forward."

Momo sighed, letting the pinkette go. "Midoriya and Bakugou were doing well, but now they're being treated as problem children."

Hitomi frowned. "All they did was fight, just the two of them. And now everyone's butting in and making it a big deal."

Momo's brows furrowed. "Hitomi, they fought on school grounds, after curfew, without supervision."

Hitomi's ears flattened, and she felt ire deep in her chest.

No one understood. Not even she fully understood. How could she explain to anyone the subtle yet monumental change in the boys' scents, and what it meant? Something shifted the dynamic the night before, a tension easing ever so slightly. For as many rules as it broke, the fight was probably the best thing to happen to Katsuki and Izuku in the long run.

"That's it. Back to the classrooms, starting with the third years." Vlad King anticlimactically ended the presentation.

"Excuse me, but what is with this dust, Bakugou?"

"Deku was supposed to do that, shut up!"

Hitomi meandered past Katsuki, Sero, and Mineta, yawning and flopping on the couch with a huff.

"Hey, can't you even clean something right, you idiot!?"

"Ah, right! Sorry!"

Hitomi shifted, so her head hung off of the sofa. She watched upside down as Izuku gathered up garbage bags, and Katsuki very angrily cleaned up the dust.

"We're not allowed to help you, huh?"

Izuku stopped, giving her a wry smile. "No. Mr. Aizawa expressly forbade either of us from letting you clean too."

Hitomi pouted. "Why just me?"

Denki snorted. "You're the only one whipped enough to share a punishment."

"Seriously. You're so doting it's gross." Mina teased.

Hitomi frowned, sitting upright. "But, friends help each other."

Katsuki paused, sending her a dull look over his shoulder. "You need help with your math homework, don't you?"

Hitomi slumped defeatedly.

"I dunno how you can struggle with that, but then ace English!" Denki cried in outrage.

"It's the only subject I'm good at. I grew up speaking it along with Japanese and Italian." She shrugged.

"What?! Three languages?! You're supposed to be dumb! That's your main character trait!" Denki only became more distraught.

"I think you were the only one who understood any of what Present Mic was trying to teach us today." Eijirou bemoaned to her.

"Oh!" Mina rounded on her as well. "And what the heck is your deal with Mr. Aizawa's announcement?! You weren't surprised or confused at all? Did you know about this?!"

"Hm? About work studies? Yeah."

Mina sputtered.

Hitomi shrugged again. "Mama and Papa were under the radar until their third year work study. They told me all about them, sorta as bedtime stories."

"I'm really starting to hate you." Ojirou deadpanned.

Kyoka crossed her arms. "I wasn't scouted, so I wonder if I'll get to participate in one."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Hitomi chirped, leaning over the back of the couch. "The way it works is—"

For the second time today, her mouth was covered. But this time by Tenya.

"In just one day, I've been completely left behind." He made his voice higher in an imitation of Izuku, then narrowed his eyes and spoke normally. "That's what you're thinking, right, House-Arrest?"

"Hey, don't call me that, it's mean!" Izuku protested. "Um, Iida… what is a work study?"

"Something we can't tell you about." Tenya firmly stated, still keeping Hitomi silent. "The teachers have forbidden us from giving you any details about our classes. Sorry, but you'll just have to experience the same shock and surprise we went through." He turned to look at the fuming blonde. "Did you catch that, Bakugou?"

"Shut your mouth! I heard you, Four-eyes!"

On the second day back, Hitomi skipped along after her friends on their way to the school building, until she stopped in her tracks and patted herself down.

Shoot.

"Hey, I'll catch up, I gotta go grab my phone!"

Momo paused, arching a brow. "I told you not to forget it after you plugged it in earlier."

Hitomi giggled sheepishly, then spun on her heel, racing back to the dorms.

If she hurried, she'd hopefully make it back to class in time. She really didn't want a tardy so quick in the semester.

Reaching Heights Alliance, she threw the doors open, and—

—Saw Katsuki and Izuku running at her.

"Ah! Saito! Close the door, close the door, close the door—"

Startled by Izuku's panicked order, Hitomi slammed her back into the doors, shutting them with a loud bang.

"Wha— is that Yuwei?!"

Sure enough, Kouji's white rabbit, Yuwei, was being pursued by the two boys. When he saw Hitomi blocking the door, he turned and shot off to the left.

"I'm gonna kill this fucking rabbit!" Katsuki, clearly fed up with however long the chase was going on, blasted himself forward, propelled by his Quirk.

"Stop!" Both Hitomi and Izuku screamed, sprinting after him.

"Rabbits can die of fright, Kachan!"

"Your Quirk's gonna scare him!"

Yuwei, spooked by the explosions, stopped dead in his tracks, going stiff.

The three teens immediately assumed the worst.

"Ah! You killed him!" Izuku gripped his hair in horror.

For what it was worth, Katsuki did look suitably shocked.

Hitomi danced in place anxiously, waving her hands helplessly. "Oh God, oh God— what do we tell Kouji?!"

Katsuki twitched, whipping his head around to scowl at the pinkette. "Since when is he Kouj—"

Yuwei barreled off down the hall, gone in a flash.

They stared, then leapt into action.

"How'd he even get out?!" Hitomi led the charge, barreling down the hallways and up the stairs after the surprisingly swift rabbit.

"I don't know! We turned around and he was just there!" Izuku shouted, still reeling from the shock of it all.

Soon she was gaining on Yuwei, and took a chance by diving for him.

Yuwei smartly darted to the right, dodging her and doubling back the opposite way.

Hitomi grunted, wheezing after hitting the floor roughly. Her chin stung with carpet burn, and she scrambled to get up.

Katsuki and Izuku were both running too fast to slow down in time, helplessly watching Yuwei shoot past them the way they came.

"I'm gonna blow up this damned rabbit!" Katsuki roared, his pride obviously wounded at being bested by a bunny.

"No!"

"Kachan, you can't hurt him!"

Katsuki snarled. "Says who—"

"If you do anything to Yuwei, I'll cry!" Hitomi glared fiercely.

Katsuki faltered, then groaned loudly. "Fuckin— Whatever! I wasn't actually gonna hurt him, anyway!"

"We should set up a trap." Izuku suggested, fist to his mouth in thought. "It can't be anything that might cause Yuwei harm, so maybe…"

"Ooh!" Hitomi raised her hand as if in class. "I know! Yuwei loves bananas! We can cut one up and—"

Katsuki stiffened, suddenly rounding on her. "Wait, shouldn't you be in class?!"

Hitomi blinked, dropping her hand. "…Oh yeah."

"Kachan and I can handle this, you should head back." Izuku frowned in concern.

Hitomi shook her head. "No, I'm already late anyway. Besides, Yuwei likes me more than you two. We'll have a better chance with me here."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Whatever, let's just hurry this up!"

"I'll go set up the trap!" Izuku ran to the elevator, heading for the first floor.

Katsuki turned to her. "Can you sniff it out?"

Hitomi gave a hand-waver. "It'd be easier to listen for him. There's too many smells here."

Without needing to be told, Katsuki fell silent, following her on light feet as she went down the hall with her ears rotating attentively.

But it was pointless to search so keenly, as they came upon the only place Yuwei could have ran into— a dorm with its door ajar.

"Ah, found him." Hitomi sheepishly scratched her head, cheeks flushing.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, scowling briefly once seeing just who's dorm it was. With a harsh sigh, he stomped forward to retrieve the bunny.

Hitomi moved to follow, but suddenly had a finger pointed in her face.

Katsuki glared sternly, eyes narrowed seriously. "Stay."

Unsure as to why Katsuki would care about whether or not she entered Mineta's room, Hitomi chose to stay back. It was probably for the best. God knows what kind of noxious fumes were contained inside.

Hopefully Yuwei wouldn't keel over just from the teenage-boy smell.

…That was an unfair generalization. Mineta was really the only boy in the class who had an unpleasant scent. While Katsuki's was downright wonderful—

There was a crash, and a white blur shot out from the room.

"Shit!"

"Yuwei!" Hitomi gave chase, not waiting for Katsuki. "Please, let's talk about this!"

Then, Yuwei stopped in his tracks for half a second, before changing course and charging for the first floor.

Hitomi bit back a cheer, noticing the smell of bananas once she got closer to the common area.

In the middle of the floor, was a plate of banana slices, and Yuwei b-lined straight for it.

Izuku was crouched on the island counter, holding up a laundry basket. His body lit with green sparks, and he lunged.

Rather anticlimactically, he covered Yuwei with the basket, trapping him at last.

Katsuki came blasting into the room.

"Where's that fuck—"

Yuwei looked up, blinking blankly at him through the slots in the basket.

Katsuki deflated, crossing his arms with a huff.

"'Bout time, nerd. How long's it take you to peel a damned banana?!"

Izuku pouted. "I had to find a laundry basket too!"

Katsuki clicked his tongue, then glowered at Hitomi.

"We caught him, now beat it."

She jumped. "Ah, right! Class! Later guys!"

With a quick wave to Yuwei, she ran for the doors, racing to make it to class before Mr. Aizawa decided to punish her for skipping.

(In her haste she completely forgot about her phone, again.)

Saito was gone in a blink, dashing out the door with her hair whipping behind her.

With any luck Mr. Aizawa would go easy on her.

"Alright you monster, let's go." Katsuki smirked victoriously at the rabbit, waiting for Deku's signal to lift the basket.

Before it could go running off again, Deku snatched it up, holding it close to his chest.

"Fucking finally." Katsuki grumbled, tossing aside the basket carelessly.

There was a sharp inhale. "Kachan."

"Tch, what?" Katsuki snapped, glaring at him.

But Deku was staring at his hand. His left hand. "Where'd those scars come from?"

Katsuki tensed, instinctively looking down at the four healed scars marring his palm.

Deku frowned worriedly. "Your Quirk— do they cause any problems when you use it?"

Katsuki scoffed, shoving his hand into his pocket, out of sight. "As if I'd let some tiny scratches slow me down!"

Deku's brows furrowed seriously. "So they do bother you. How'd this happen?"

It was obvious what he meant. How could Katsuki hurt one of his hands— the linchpin of using his Quirk? If something severe happened to his hands, his hopes of being a Hero would be stomped into dust.

So why didn't he seem more bothered about damage on his left?

Well, Katsuki had tried. In the aftermath of Kamino, when he was back home and recuperating, he had tried to be angry at Saito for it. At that point he hadn't been sure if they would cause any problems for his Quirk, but even then it was futile to be upset with her.

They had both reached out to each other. It was as much his own fault as hers.

Saito was anything but callous. If she found out she was the one who gave him the scars, she would likely feel disproportionately guilty for it, for god-knows how long.

So he kept quiet. There was no real point in telling her now.

"Drop it."

Deku blinked, mouth opening, then pursing shut. He sighed through his nose, knowing this was a losing battle.

"Fine."

Notes:

While not an official member of the "Purity Protection Squad", Katsuki 1000% kept Hitomi out of Mineta's room so she wouldn't see anything lewd, or god forbid smell any traces of… stuff.
(And the crash that startled Yuwei out of the room was definitely Katsuki knocking shit over on purpose. He still hasn't forgotten that "chubby thighs" comment)

Chapter 49: Amazing

Notes:

So, uh… how we feeling in light of… recent developments? Don't mind me lol I'll just be over here *furiously scribbling shit in and out of the rough draft*
Also, I suppose there's some… suggestive stuff in this chapter. Just so you know.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Guys, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused!" Izuku declared intensely, bowing.

"No sweat Deku! Thanks for your hard work!" Ochako grinned.

"All he did was vacuum." Kyoka pointed out with a deadpan.

"Welcome back to the fold, Izuku!" Hitomi pumped an eager fist.

If only Katsuki was back too.

"Class rep, Iida! I'm sorry I disappointed you!" Izuku continued with high energy.

"Er— right! Well, I'm glad you learned from your mistakes. Follow the rules from now on."

"I'll catch up with everything I fell behind on these past three days!"

"That's the fightin' spirit! Do it, man!" Eijirou cheered him on.

"Time to take your seats, everyone." Mr. Aizawa appeared behind the freckled teen, looming threateningly.

They were all at their desks at record speed.

Hitomi shot a small frown at the empty one behind her.

"Morning. Now that Midoriya is back we'll go into more detail about what the work studies entail." He looked to the classroom door. "Go ahead and come in."

It slid open, and three older students entered.

Hitomi gasped softly, her face flaring upon seeing the one in front.

It was him. The blonde that saved her from falling all the way back before the USJ.

"I'll have people who've experienced them firsthand to explain. I suggest you listen carefully as they point out how work studies differ from internships. These three are third years at UA." Mr. Aizawa gestured to the students. "They rank at the very top of our student body. You may know them as The Big Three."

Along with the blonde there was a girl with periwinkle hair and eyes, who wore a cheery smile. And then there was another guy, who stood slightly slumped and defensive, with pointed ears, and black hair that he hid behind.

Hitomi blinked, realizing suddenly that she recognized him as the boy who retrieved the blonde after he caught her.

"The best of the Hero Course…" Sero whispered nervously.

"The Big Three." Eijirou parroted in awe.

"Oh, wow!" Mina bounced in her seat.

"Of all the talented students here, they're the ones at the top." Tenya summed up.

"They're on a different level. Still in school, but practically Pro Heroes." Momo marveled.

Hitomi finished her inspection of the other two, refocusing on the blonde. Only to see he was already looking at her with an expression of recognition.

He smiled wider.

Steam puffed from her scarlet face.

"Get to it. Introduce yourselves briefly." Mr. Aizawa prompted. "Let's start with Amajiki."

The blacked haired teen raised his head, his stare deep and brimming with intensity.

But he smelled overwhelmingly of anxiety.

After a tense second, he started to tremble.

"It's no good…" He croaked. "You two go. I just can't. Even if I try to imagine them as potatoes, I can see their human bodies. I know that they're still people… No words are coming out. My mind's blank and my mouth is dry. I can't say anything. I wanna…" he spun around and faced the wall. "…go home."

Aw. Hitomi almost cooed aloud. Poor guy.

"Okay… so, um, are you really one of UA's top Heroes?" Ojirou asked skeptically.

The periwinkle girl giggled. "Come on, Amajiki! You need to have the heart of a lion, not a kitten. You know, even though you're human. Get what I mean?" She turned back to face the class, gesturing to Amajiki. "This is our kitten, Tamaki Amajiki. And hi, my name is Nejire Hado. I'm supposed to talk about work studies. You first years have a really exciting time ahead of you." Hado blinked, approaching Mezou's desk. "Hey, wait, hold on. Why are you wearing a mask? Is it 'cause you're feeling sick? Or just… trying to look cool?"

Mezou leaned back away from her uncomfortably. "Uh, well—"

"Oh, whoa!" She shifted her sights on another person. "And you must be Todoroki, am I right? Yeah. How'd you get that big burn on your face?"

Shouto sat straighter. "That's none of your—"

"Saito, can you really smell like a dog can? What do I smell like? Oh, you have a scar too! How'd that happen?

Hitomi sat quietly with a blank face, giving no response, her ears flicking erratically.

"And Ashido, if your horns break off, you think you'll grow new ones? Oh, and can you wiggle them? Oh, Mineta, are those balls your hair, or what? I don't get it. Oh, oh, Asui! You're a tree frog, not a gross toad, right?" She bounced on her heels. "Oh my goodness! There's so much I want to know about every one of you! Let's have a Q and A!"

"Oh god, there's two of them." Sato muttered in horror.

Tokoyami shook his head in disagreement. "Saito isn't this tactless."

"Hey, Ojirou, can you support your entire body weight with that tail of yours?" Hado went right back to it.

"Uh, well, you see—

"Come on, tell me! I really wanna know!"

Mr. Aizawa's hair began to float, growing visibly irritated. "This is completely irrational."

The blonde spotted the teacher's mounting ire, and raised a placating hand. "Oh, there's no need for you to worry, Eraser Head." He pointed at himself with his thumb. "I'm up next, and I'll get the audience refocused!" He turned to them, taking Hado's place in the spotlight. "The future's gonna be…?!"

No one said anything, clueless as to what they were expected to say.

Hitomi would've said something, to not leave him hanging, if her mouth wasn't so dry.

"Gonna be what?" Denki asked after a long pause.

"Awful!" He chirped. "That's your part, guys! Oh crap, my call and response was a total fail!" Despite this, he sounded as pleased as ever, chuckling.

"Is it just me, or does it seem like each one of them is a complete weirdo? What's the deal?" Sato whispered to Kouji and Tokoyami.

"Their strangeness is palpable." The avian boy agreed.

The three boys suddenly stiffened, fearfully turning to look towards the murderous aura that appeared out of nowhere.

Hitomi sat almost backwards in her seat, expression shadowed, but eyes glowing furiously.

"Well I think he's endearing."

"Is it just me, or is she harnessing Bakugou right now?" Sato whispered with a gulp.

"Okay, you guys look like you have no idea what's going on." The blonde stopped laughing, growing more serious. "I guess we are third years who just showed up in your classroom to explain a program that's completely voluntary. I can see how you'd be confused by that." He put his hand to his chin. "Hm. You guys got your provisional licenses as first years, right? Huh! This batch of new students had proven to be pretty darn energetic. So the problem is… you must not have a sense of humor. That's why my joke didn't land."

Hado and Amajiki looked at him, the latter whispering a low "Don't do it."

The blonde thrusted a fist in the air. "Heads up, the rad new plan is all you first years fight me at once!"

"Huh? Huh!?"

"You wanna fight us?" Eijirou sputtered.

"What, like, now?" Sero arched a brow.

"Well, if you want them to experience our experience, this is a pretty rational way of doing it then." The blonde grinned at Mr. Aizawa. "Right, Eraser Head? Rational."

Mr. Aizawa sighed through his nose. "Do whatever you want."

"Yes!"

Hitomi was nervous to note that his scent held no sign of fear at all. He had no reservations about fighting them.

"Is he… for real?" Sero questioned lowly.

In Gym Gamma, the class watched as the blonde— Mirio Togata, stretched in preparation.

Togata heard him, and grinned. "Oh yeah. Totes real."

"Mirio, you're impossible." Amajiki sighed against the wall. "It would have been simple enough for us to just tell them this is what it's like, here's what we learned from it. Not everyone has your level of drive. Plus, think about how bad it'll look if some of them can't recover after fighting you. No one wants to spend the next few years in a hospital bed."

There was not a single sign of a lie, or deception in order to psych them out. His scent and his voice held true. He believed completely that Togata could destroy them thoroughly.

Togata could crush them— probably all with that charming grin on his face.

Hitomi shifted, face burning. Her lower stomach tightened in a foreign way, and her thighs pressed together.

What the…?

"Hey, listen up! It's story time." Hado started toying with Mina's horns. "Long ago, a student got frustrated in class and quit being a Hero, and it was terrible for everyone. Did you know that? So, Togata, I know our job is tough, but you better make sure you know what you're doing. Be careful, okay?"

"Please stop touching those…" Mina whimpered.

"Let's think about this. You're obviously much further ahead than us. But we've fought Pros before." Tokoyami pointed out.

"Not to mention, we took down some legitimate Villains." Eijirou smirked. "I don't think you need to worry about hurting us. We're not a buncha wannabes."

Togata nodded once. "Mm! Heard. But you're gonna have to show me that's the truth. Now, who's gonna start this party?"

God, he's so confident!

"I've got this!" Eijirou hardened his arms.

"No, I'm first." Izuku cut in.

Eijirou slumped. "You stole my thunder!"

"View this as a learning experience." Mr. Aizawa called to them. "It's a good opportunity for you."

Togata grinned wider. "Oh, the problem child! Yes, this is perfect. I've heard you got plenty-a fire in ya."

Izuku took a battle-ready stance.

"The close combat team should surround him first thing!" Sato suggested.

"Let's do it! We've got ourselves a new mentor. Thanks for the opportunity, man…"

Hitomi took a breath, focusing that tingling sensation into her hands, watching with proud satisfaction as her hands grew slightly, claws extending.

Still not as big as they were before— but still good.

"The opportunity to kick your butt!" Eijirou finished smugly.

Izuku launched forward.

Togata didn't move, but— but his clothes—

Kyoka screamed, slapping her hands over Hitomi's eyes.

But it was already too late.

The pinkette's whole body seared scarlet, puffing out steam as incoherent babbles fell from her mouth.

That tightness in her stomach turned into a pull, and a burning heat spread down between her—

"Her innocence!" Sero covered Kyoka's hands with his own.

Mina cackled once, upon seeing the two trying hysterically to salvage her purity.

"Oopsie! My Quirk's kinda tricky." Togata sheepishly chuckled.

There were some sounds of shoes skidding on the floor, then Togata spoke again, amused.

"Went for the face, huh?"

"We have to avenge our pure sweet Hitomi!" Sero cried, shooting tape.

Kyoka let her go finally, and when Hitomi opened her eyes (a little too eagerly) she saw Togata had put his pants back on.

Oh, and every attack was phasing right through him.

…Wait—

A mass attack failed, and when the smoke cleared, he was gone. Only to burst from the ground right behind Kyoka.

Hitomi squeaked, because his pants were gone again—

"I think I'll start by taking out the long-distance fighters!"

Kyoka screamed, flushing not nearly as strong as Hitomi did.

"He warped?" Mezou gasped.

"His power isn't just slipping through things?" Sato surmised.

"How'd he luck out with such a good Quirk?" Eijirou asked in offense.

Hitomi paused, something clicking.

He phases through… he came from the ground…

Hitomi's head shot up. "It's not warping! He's falling through—"

"Sorry but—"

A horribly strong punch landed right in her stomach, sending her stumbling back.

"No spoilers!" Togata chirped at her, as if he hadn't just given her internal bruising.

But what he wasn't expecting was for her to be made out of denser stuff than he thought. After all, that punch was nothing compared to a kick from Aunt Rumi.

After only a second to regain her breath, Hitomi surged forward, claws growing.

Togata actually grinned at seeing her still standing.

She took a swipe— then another, both slipping right through him. She growled, feeling strangely desperate to land a hit, and prove herself to him. The feeling was familiar, but in the moment she couldn't place why.

"Sorry about this."

Togata reared back a punch, and Hitomi raised her arms, crossing them in a block in front of her face. She widened her stance, preparing for the brunt of it— just how Aunt Rumi trained her.

But his fist phased through her arms, before striking her in the chin.

Hitomi grunted, eyes scrunching shut as she saw stars. Her back hit the floor, and she tasted blood as it filled her mouth.

Yeah… that was a solid hit.

More of her classmates weren't far behind.

"Power!" Togata roared after whipping out half of them like it was nothing. "I think that's it for the long-distance fighters."

And Hitomi.

"All that's left are the ones who specialize in close-quarters combat."

Nope. No. She refused to throw in the towel already after two measly hits.

She groaned, rolling into her front, and getting to her knees. Ochako distractedly gave her a hand up, never taking her eyes off of Togata.

"I have no idea how he just did that." Eijirou admitted.

"It's one thing to be able to phase through stuff, but warping too?" Ochako frowned anxiously.

"He's unrivaled." Ojirou grimly observed. "Do we stand a chance?"

Togata— with his pants on again, took a prepared stance. "Hold the flattery."

Oh, but I've got plenty.

Hitomi shook her head, wondering where that thought came from, and why it almost sounded like Aunt Nemuri.

"There's more to his Quirk than we're seeing!" Izuku warned. "Whether his true power is slipping through matter, or whether he's somehow warping himself through space… Either way, he's still landing his attacks directly. We should be able to counter him in the moment he's about to make contact. Even if we can't tell what he's doing, we should theorize with what we do know, and use that knowledge to find a way to beat him."

Hitomi opened her mouth, then hesitated.

"No spoilers!"

"Yeah, you said it! House arrest didn't put a dent in your fightin' spirit!" Eijirou praised.

"Then see if you can figure out how to win!" Togata charged at them, then fell through the floor, leaving behind his pants.

"I knew it!" Hitomi pointed damningly at where he disappeared.

Togata jumped up through the ground behind Izuku, who was already turning and kicking.

But his foot just passed through Togata, who grinned.

"Watch this! An ultimate move! Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush!"

He jabbed Izuku in the eye, phasing through for the most part, then punched him in the stomach.

"I've discovered that most people try to launch a counter-attack just like you did. So naturally I've trained to work around such moves. Nice try, though!" He disappeared into the floor again.

Hitomi knew what was coming next— could sense it. So in split-decision, she closed her eyes and focused.

The air behind her was displaced.

Hitomi dropped, and his fist went sailing over her head by mere centimeters.

"Man, you don't like to stay down!"

She pivoted in a crouch, opening her eyes as she snapped out her right fist.

It phased through his stomach.

Damnit!

"Close, but no cigar!" Togata took a fistful of her hair, jerking her forward and kneeing her in the stomach.

Hitomi gagged, coughing and choking on air. When he let her go, she dropped to the floor, curling up and cradling where he hit. It was much harder than his previous punch there, and left her winded and close to losing her breakfast.

A round of strikes and grunts, and in seconds the last of the class was on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Power!"

It really was.

"I tried to make it so you wouldn't see my willy. Sorry if you got a peek."

I'm not.

…Should she be concerned about herself?

"But anyway, that's a taste of what it's like to fight me." Togata grinned merrily.

"We all just got punched in the stomach without ever knowing what was going on." Izuku whined.

"Right, so, whaddaya think? Isn't my Quirk strong?"

Hitomi blinked, ear twitching. There was something in his tone… something sly.

"Yeah, it's too strong!" Hanta raged.

"How can you slip through things and warp? Do you have two powers like Todoroki does?" Mina joined in.

"Nope. Just the one."

"Don't you guys get it? I mean, you saw him doing it?" Hitomi cocked her head at her classmates.

"What are you talking about?" Kyoka crossed her arms.

"Oh! I know! I'll tell you what his Quirk is!" Hado looked at Togata, then back at them. "Hey, hey, can I say it? Permeation! Cool, right?"

"Hado, let Mirio explain his own power." Amajiki somberly chastised.

"Yup! I've got a sweet Quirk that's called Permeation. What you guys thought of as a warp was simply an alternative application of that power. Saito's the first one to figure it out, nice work!"

Hitomi flushed under the praise, shuffling her feet.

"Hitomi noticed it before you, Midoriya?" Denki teased.

But Izuku was enthralled by the new discovery. "So, how exactly do you warp, huh?"

"I activate my Quirk in my entire body. Then, I can pass through anything I want, no sweat. Everything! That includes solid ground."

Ochako gasped. "Oh, so that was you falling through the floor of the gym?"

"That's right. I went deep underground. And then, whenever I release my Quirk while I'm falling, something super strange happens. Apparently things with mass can't overlap. That's called physics!" Togata explained with a chuckle. "So, I get repelled upward! Think of it this way. The ground spits me out, and I fly up into the air. That's how my warp works. By adjusting the direction I'm facing or the pose I'm holding, I can change the angle I come out at, so I can aim at different spots."

"That sounds like a buggy video game." Mina pouted.

Togata cackled. "Hey, that's pretty funny!"

"You're able to avoid any attacks. And you can move where you want in an instant. Wow, you were born with a really strong Quirk." Tsuyu appraised.

"Not true." Togata's voice turned more serious, despite his smile staying the same. "My power's only strong because I made it that way. While my Quirk is activated my lungs can't take in oxygen. Even if I breathe in, the air'll just pass through. In the same way, my eardrums don't work. And light can't go through my retinas."

Hitomi clenched her fists.

It sounded like a nightmare. And yet he did it all with a smile.

She found herself amazed by Mirio Togata.

"I can pass through everything. But that means I can't feel anything when I'm in that state. Even though I have a body, I can't stop falling. I could probably keep going down forever. Does that make sense? That's why, if I wanna go through something like, say, a wall, I have to concentrate really hard. I'll activate everything except one leg. Then I release the other leg and land on it. And then the first leg is the last one to go through. Even for a simple action like that, there are a bunch of little steps involved."

"Oh man, if I were in a hurry I would mess that up every single time." Denki commented.

"Seriously, if you can't feel anything, how are you supposed to move?" Mineta wondered.

"Growing up, I was always behind, as you might expect. In no time, I'd dropped to dead-last. I dropped my pants a lot, too." Togata raised his left arm that was littered with scars. "In order to get to the top with this Quirk, I couldn't just hope that things would get better. I had to think." He tapped his forehead repeatedly. "I learned to make combat decisions. And picked up a few new tricks. But above all, I learned to predict what would happen next. And what made those predictions possible in the first place was experience. I based my predictions on what I'd learned. This was kind of a roundabout way to get the point across, but that's why I wanted to fight. To show you through experience rather than words. In our work studies, we're not treated as guests like in our internships. We're regarded as one of the Sidekicks, or even as a Pro! That can be super scary. Pros can get hurt. And sometimes they end up watching people die. But every scary and painful thing you go through is an important experience that you can't get inside a classroom, even at UA." He clenched a fist. "I transformed the experience I got in my work study into power. That's how I got to the top spot! And it's why I think they're worth it, even if you're scared. Ya with me, first years?!"

Hitomi swallowed, standing tall and nodding firmly.

"Yeah!"

"Hey! If you've got trash then bring it over here, right now!" Katsuki demanded soon after they all made it back to the dorm.

"Bakugou, thanks!" Eijirou brought a bag over.

"Sure!"

"I have some as well." Tokoyami carried his own.

"Hand it over!"

"Mine too!" Denki smirked.

"And mine." Hanta added on.

"This is heavy." Mineta laughed as he lugged a bag twice his size.

As more and more of the boys dumped their trash off on Katsuki, the blonde trembled with rage.

"You bastards! It's like you've been hoarding this for weeks!"

Hitomi sat on the couch, along with the rest of the girls. She rested her chin on her palm, staring into space with hooded eyes and pink cheeks.

Now that things had calmed down, everything was catching up to her. Everything she saw.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and she yelped.

"There she is." Mina teased. "What's on your mind?"

"I, uh…" She smiled softly, toying with her hair. "I was just thinking about… how amazing he was." She breathed the latter half, not bothering to hide her dreamy tone.

There was a sharp spike of burnt caramel.

Mina blinked at her, then squealed.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! You like him!"

There was a small crackle and pop.

Hitomi stiffened, reeling back and flushing now in embarrassment.

"No way, really?" Ochako's eyes widened.

"I—"

"What?! Him?!" Kyoka gawked in outrage.

Mina rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jirou, what happened wasn't that bad! In fact, we should be marking our calendars. Today we made history!"

"Yeah? Did Deku break his legs this time?" Katsuki sarcastically interjected as he passed them, his voice oddly strained.

Over where he stood, Izuku gave a minuscule pout. Katsuki knew very well that he'd broken his legs before.

Mina smirked mischievously, standing and approaching the blonde. "Nope. Today, Hitomi saw a handsome boy's junk."

Simultaneously, Hitomi's face bloomed red, and Kachan's palms exploded in involuntary sparks, melting the garbage bag handles. His back went ramrod straight, and when he turned to Hitomi, he was snarling.

She must have mistook the expression for one of judgement, quickly waving her hands in denial.

"It's not like that! I wasn't an active participant or anything! H-he just dropped his pants in front of me!"

Oh god.

"What?!"

While Kirishima and Hitomi rushed to try to explain what happened— unsuccessfully, due to Kachan's intense and stubborn ire —Uraraka came up to Izuku's side.

"It's kinda weird." She whispered in his ear.

Trying not to obviously shiver, Izuku pursed a smile. "W-what is?"

"Well, it kinda seems like Bakugou's being—"

"Katsuki, calm down!"

"Like fuck I'll calm down!"

"—Protective." She finished softly.

Izuku blinked, watching the scene closer. Never had he heard Kachan be described as protective. Surely this was just because of his excess irritation over being left out of a training exercise.

"It really wasn't like that!" Hitomi continued to appeal.

Ashido apparently wasn't done, saddling up next to Kachan— who was being restrained by a hardened Kirishima.

"I dunno. He was still naked when he went up and pulled you closer by your hair."

Kachan twitched.

Oh no.

"Name." He growled venomously.

Kirishima tensed nervously. "Come on, man—"

"Give me his fucking name."

He wasn't even yelling, and that somehow made it scarier.

Ashido cheerfully raised her hand. "Mirio Togata, in Class 3-A!"

Kachan started trudging on again, snapping threats at anyone in his way, but the words were indiscernible along with Kirishima's failed reasoning, Hitomi's desperate excuses, and Ashido's pleased cackling.

"Sero, help!" Kirishima cried, getting his friend to aid him by holding back Kachan with tape.

Hitomi stood in front of him, hands out in a placating pose.

"Denki, door!"

Kaminari ran to stand in front of the door, as the last line of defense. A very reluctant, and scared line of defense.

"Sparky if you don't move I'll fucking kill you!"

"Denki don't you dare!"

Kaminari grimaced, fidgeting anxiously as Kachan slowly but steadily made his way closer. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

"Perhaps we should get a teacher." Iida now stood on Izuku's other side. "I've never seen Bakugou so…"

"Protective!" Uraraka gave a shouted whisper.

Iida pushed up his glasses. "Yes, actually, I suppose that's exactly what it is."

Izuku watched on, conflicted between being worried for Togata, amused by the whole situation, or…

Or stunned, by the care Kachan didn't seem aware that he was showing.

By the time dinner rolled around, Katsuki had been talked down, despite his best efforts.

That didn't mean he was happy about what happened. Oh fuck no. He made it his decision then and there that he would someday pummel the bastard, if it was the last thing he did.

(The source of his motivation for doing such, and the cause for his anger about the whole situation, were staunchly stomped down and ignored.)

"Hey, Kachan?"

Great. Just what he needs.

"What?! I swear if you say a damn thing about how class was today—"

"You were right."

Katsuki faltered, brows furrowing. "Hah?"

Deku turned his head, looking over at where Saito was focused intently on destroying Kaminari in Fatal Combat over in the TV area.

"She is a lot smarter than we give her credit for. I see that now."

The damned nerd started to smile— a soft and fond one.

Katsuki scowled, fresh fire pooling in his chest. "What, you like her or something?" He scoffed scathingly.

"What?! No way!" He floundered, whisper-shouting in a panic. "I-I mean, not that there's anything wrong with her! She's nice, and really pretty—"

Katsuki's palm sparked.

"But no! I don't like her like that!" Deku deflated, then studied him closely.

Katsuki snarled. "What?"

Deku was unfazed, his expression torn between hope and disbelief. "It's just… I can't tell if what I think is happening, is happening. I mean, it's never happened before. But now… It might be happening."

He was seriously gonna hit him. Extra punishment be damned.

"The hell are you talking about, nerd?"

Deku shook his head, having the gall to smirk faintly.

"Nothing. You'll figure it out. If you haven't already."

Katsuki gritted his teeth, hands opening and closing with the desire to blast the loser in the face.

(Because there may have been a small part of him that knew exactly what Deku was talking about. And the last thing he needed was for it to be addressed.)

He let his eyes fall back on her, noticing— despite himself —that she was once again wearing that old blue UA hoodie. The one she always wore after a tough day of training. The one that made her look—

The sound of the narrator announcing Kaminari's failure broke his gaze, carmine eyes darting away before she looked away from the screen.

"Katsuki Bakugou is going to become the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen!"

"I was just thinking about… how amazing he was."

Katsuki clicked his tongue, stalking off with a sourness lingering on the back of his tongue.

Notes:

Part of me worries about making Hitomi OP and like a Mary-sue, but at the same time, she can't stay stagnant in her skills, she has to get better and stronger with the rest of the cast. As for stuff like her being able to "sense" things coming, it's another of her canine abilities. Not many people know, but dogs actually have whiskers like cats do, that they use to pick up on small changes and incoming threats.
Someone pointed out that no one can actually see the sparks around Midoriya when he uses his Quirk, and my explanation for Hitomi being able to see it, is because dogs actually CAN see electromagnetic stuff like that (yeah she was able to see it in a recording of him too, even though that shouldn't be possible but shush)
And to address one last thing real quick; Katsuki is in a strange sorta limbo. If given the opportunity right now, at the current point in time, he would not be with Hitomi, romantically.
But he's also ready to murder anyone else that comes along, who might.
It's this sorta childish standpoint, where he's not ready— emotionally —to be with her. He doesn't want to make room in his plans for the future for her to fit in it. But no one else is allowed to have her. Full-stop.
He's being entirely selfish and juvenile with his feelings right now, as if she was a possession. He wants to put her up on a shelf, out of reach of anyone who actually wants to play with her, just so they can't (and so he always has the option to.)
So, to put it simply, Katsuki isn't ready for her, but no one else is allowed to swoop in and take her.

Chapter 50: #BestJeanistisoverparty

Notes:

Uh, hi? I'm not dead! Surprise…?
Sorry for the abrupt hiatus, and this short ass chapter, there's just been a lot of stuff going on for me. Anywho! I have a HUGE question about my JJK fic, that I need answered before I can even publish it: do you guys want it chronological, and then enter canon, OR, pretty much start with canon, and add flashbacks sprinkled throughout? Because there is A TON of background/buildup in the OC's childhood, that it would take at least a handful of chapters before getting into canon material if I go chronological. That being said, these background chapters would have teen Gojo, Yaga, little Megumi and Tsumiki, etc. and I kinda wanna go this route tbh. But lemme know if writing it in chronological order would be too boring, because I know sometimes backstories can be that way.
(ALSO, the "kawaii style" I'm referring to is a style of hand-writing semi-popular in Japan with teen girls. It's not "uwu" baby-talk, it's just a stylistic font) 👍

Chapter Text

Katsuki grumbled to himself, rubbing his neck. It was cramping up after he stupidly fell asleep at his computer desk the night before— which was not normal for him —while intently going over notes on the things he's missed during his house arrest.

Notes that he was given by a certain pinkette.

"Here! I don't know how much help they'll be, and some of them have more doodles than actual notes— but I hope you can make use of them!" Saito thrusted forward a messy stack of papers, and with a single glance at them he noticed most of the writing was done with glitter pens.

"I don't need your help, damnit." He shot her down, his voice gruff, but more mellow than it would have been if it was anyone else offering.

Saito actually smirked. "Well, I never said you needed them. I had them, used them, and now they'll go to waste. Unless of course, you want to use them."

The first thing Katsuki thought after she said that, was you've never taken notes a day in your life. He sat behind her, he knew that Saito was a mess when it came to preparing for homework. Most of the time she was idly playing with her pens and pencils, or staring off into space out the window. So this cover of hers was bogus. She did not have those notes already made "just because". She—

…She actually sat and paid attention in class, to take notes.

The stack was dropped in his hands. It was heavy. It was a lot.

And Katsuki had combed over it all in one night. Regrettably. And he learned a handful of things along with the intended knowledge on the paper.

(1) Saito used goddamn stationery for notes.

(2) Saito had a serious problem with doodling— but could draw a decent flower as a result.

(3) Saito was one of those girls who wrote in that overtly kawaii style. Not always, but sometimes. And Katsuki really couldn't tell if he was just unamused, or actively irritated by it.

But the detail he kept coming back to, was the notes' existence themselves. While the only ones he really got any use out of were the English ones, there were more for each class. Each day he was gone.

(He remembered, back during the rescue exercise, when she reached down her hand, and he took it. Then let her carry him minutes later.)

Why the hell was it easier to accept help from her, than it had been from anyone else, ever?

(She doesn't look down on us. It's not in her nature.)

He opened the classroom door, still rubbing the ache in his neck.

A head of cherry-blossom pink hair shot up, and a sharp toothed smile was aimed right at him.

"Welcome back!" Saito cheered, throwing a small handful of confetti in the air— thankfully only in the range of her own desk.

Confetti. Actual fucking confetti.

From anyone else, the performance would feel sarcastic, and mocking.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, meandering over and dropping into his seat.

She leaned back in hers, giving him an upside down beam.

…But from her, it was nothing but sincere. She was genuinely happy to have him back in class.

(And when was the last time he could safely say someone was happy to see him?)

Something smug, victorious, and (flustered) cocky, swelled in his chest.

"Mr. Aizawa's gonna make you clean that up."

"Worth it!"

The pain in his neck dulled into nothing.

"The Hero work studies are a more serious version of your internships. They entail helping Pro agencies on the streets and with investigations. Your teachers and the Principal discussed them at the faculty meeting. And we all agree. It's too soon." Mr. Aizawa deadpanned. "They should really be canceled."

"…What?!"

"Aw, but we already met about them!" Eijirou pointed out desperately.

"I guess, when you think about why we had to move into the dorms, it does make sense." Denki idly played with Ojirou's tail.

Hitomi's ears drooped guiltily.

Whereas Katsuki stood, slamming his hands on his desk with a triumphant cackle. After all, he didn't get to do one either way, so at least now the whole class had to suffer.

"But… some people think we won't be able to raise strong Heroes with that sort of protective outlook." Mr. Aizawa pressed on. "And with that in mind, the compromise is to be selective about participating agencies. So choose one with a proven track record. Otherwise, you won't be taking part."

Katsuki twitched, a vein popping from his head. "Damnit!"

Hitomi frowned, raising her hand with hesitancy. "Sir, you mean a good track record of taking on students for work studies?"

The teacher nodded. "Yes."

She slumped limply on her desk, whining into the wood. "No…"

"What's wrong?" Mezou eyed her worriedly.

She lazily turned her head to look at him, pouting strongly. "Excel-lency's never taken on interns or provisional Heroes."

"Your parents' agency?" Eijirou's brows furrowed sympathetically.

"Mm-hm."

"Well, you could go work under Best Jean—"

"Never again." Hitomi snarled.

The hard refusal raised several brows, considering no one but Momo or Katsuki knew about her animosity for the Hero.

When the bell rang for lunch, no one exited class right away, milling around and discussing the new information about the work studies.

Hitomi never bothered getting up from her spot moping on her desk.

Ojirou leaned back in his chair, arching a brow at her. "Don't you have, like, a harem of Heroes? Why not intern with one of them?"

"Not a harem… besides, no one's available." Hitomi sat up, ticking her fingers off with each Hero. "Aunt Nemuri is busy teaching here, and her agency has a minimum eighteen-year-old age requirement; as much as I would love to hang out with the Midnight Boys while interning, it's not an option. Aunt Rumi is on a mission overseas right now, and her agency doesn't take on student interns anyway. Emi— or, Ms. Joke, doesn't have the authority to grant me an internship. Mount Lady's the same, she—"

"Wait, wait." Mina waved her hands, shaking her head before settling her with a curious look. "How do you know Mount Lady?"

Hitomi blinked. "Oh, Nori's dating her. She's the one that helped me redesign my costume. Did I never mention that?"

She was fairly certain she saw Ojirou's eye twitch.

Mina raked a hand down her face. "Of course your brother's dating Mount Lady. Next you're gonna tell me you're pen-pals with Hawks."

Hitomi winced, scratching the back of her head. "Ah, actually… that's complicated."

"What do you mean?" Kyoka crossed her arms.

Hitomi shrugged with a sigh. "Eh… I don't want to put a label on what we have."

"…You have five seconds to explain what the fuck that means." Mina deadpanned.

Hitomi chuckled nervously, shrinking in her seat. "Ah, well… he's got this running joke about us, and about how exactly we always run into each other. It's kinda hard to explain our dynamic."

"Are you fucking serious?" Katsuki spoke up behind her, staring at her with something akin to disbelief, mixed with annoyance.

Hitomi shrugged again. "Yeah…? I don't talk about him much because we're not friends or anything. And the last time I saw him was back in middle school. I just kinda… know him."

"You just kinda know the Number-three Hero?" Katsuki's expression was purely annoyed now.

"Mm."

Ojirou closed his eyes and shook his head. "…No offense, but I think I actually hate you, Saito."

Hitomi smiled to herself. His scent said otherwise.

It was starting to get a little discouraging.

Katsuki and Shouto were back from their first day of their make-up exams, neither of them any worse-for-wear. And other than them, the only one in the class who was getting anything done— like getting their work studies secured —was now Izuku.

Despite the weight in her chest over her lack of prospects, Hitomi beamed upon hearing the news of his success once he returned to the dorms that evening.

"Congratulations!" She squealed, embracing him in a hug that lifted his feet clear off of the ground.

Izuku smiled sheepishly, now used to the borderline manhandling, and frequent touch. At some point he had stopped flushing and stuttering at the blatant affection, recognizing them as the reassuring and comforting gestures that they were.

"Yeah, congratulations Deku!" Ochako gave an oddly tense smile at their embrace.

"That's awesome!" Mina pumped a fist.

"Indeed. Well done, Midoriya."

"Thanks guys." He huffed, taking Tenya's offered hand when Hitomi finally put him down.

"Thank you. You're an example to us all." Their class rep praised— a far cry from his attitude shortly after the fight between Katsuki and Izuku.

"I dunno how the rest of us are supposed to compete, though." Denki lamented, arms crossed behind his head.

"Yeah, you'll be working at Sir Nighteye's agency. That's seriously amazing." Hanta added.

"And I hear Togata recommended you." Eijirou grinned.

"You must've really impressed him." Hitomi mused, her smile only going slightly dopey at the reminder of the upperclassmen.

"Um, yeah, I guess…" Izuku looked down, his scent conflictingly proud, and anxious.

"The distance between us just keeps getting wider. We've got to catch up, and soon." Shouto lowly observed, leaning against the wall by the glass door leading to the backyard.

"Feh." Katsuki huffed derisively next to him.

"I wish I had a place picked out. The school said Gunhead hasn't had enough interns, so his agency is a no-go." Ochako sighed, her chin in her hands.

"I know what you mean. I wanted to go to Selkie's, but that's out too." Tsuyu said, finger to her mouth.

Eijirou sagged over the back of the couch. "Yeah, so is Fourth Kind. He doesn't even accept students for work studies."

"The teachers sure aren't making it easy for us, are they?" Hanta sighed.

Hitomi whined softly, throwing herself onto a couch, letting her head fall into Tsuyu's lap. "I'm this close to calling it quits, and calling the last resort."

"Jeanist?" Katsuki stated more than asked.

"Jeanist."

"It's so weird seeing you hate someone. You even find Monoma tolerable." Mina commented.

Hitomi hummed thoughtfully. "Monoma's not so bad. His voice is nice, when it's not being sarcastic or bitter."

"When isn't it?"

"Let's see him gloat over us now, I doubt 1-B's doing much better than us right now. Thanks to all these requirements, a ton of agencies are ruled out right off the bat." Denki shook his head.

"We can't really blame them, the agencies. Unlike the internships, we'll be directly involved. So if anything were to go wrong, then…"

A tired voice piped up. "Then the Pros have to take responsibility for whatever happens."

Hitomi shot up, smiling over the back of the couch. "Mr. Aizawa!"

"Only Pros who're the real deal will take on rookies like you guys, knowing the risks involved." Their teacher pressed on as he approached, not acknowledging her cheer. "Tokoyami, looks like you've got an offer from one of them. Hawks had invited you to work with him in Kyushu."

"No way!" Denki gawked.

"Dude, the Number-three Hero wants you to work under him?!"

"That's awesome!"

"That's great! He's a huge pain." Hitomi chirped, her tone contradicting her second statement.

"Well, what do you say?" Mr. Aizawa prompted.

Tokoyami offered Hitomi a considerate glance, before nodding once at their teacher. "I respectfully accept."

"Alright then. I'll make sure you get the relevant paperwork later. Just let me know when you're expected in Kyushu, I can sign off on your absences."

"Congrats Tokoyami. You psyched?" Mezou asked through his hand.

"I am grateful, of course."

"We've really gotta catch up." Shouto sighed deeply.

Katsuki twitched. "Would you stop saying that?!"

Mr. Aizawa moved on, turning to the group around the couches. "Also, Kirishima, Saito. Apparently Amajiki from the Big Three wants to talk to you two about something."

Hitomi and Eijirou both blinked, pointing at themselves. "Me?"

"Uraraka and Asui, you've got your own Big Three summons from Hado. You can track 'em down sometime tomorrow or whatever. That's all for now." Mr. Aizawa very anticlimactically finished, walking out.

"Amajiki? That's crazy. I wonder what he wants with us?" Eijirou looked at Hitomi curiously.

She perked up, shooting to her feet and rounding on him with a shining smile.

"Oh my god— I'm such an idiot!"

"We know, but go on." Denki teased lightly.

Her tail blurred behind her. "His Quirk— Amajiki's! It's a lot like my mom's!"

"She could shapeshift parts of herself into animal versions, right?" Izuku clarified.

"Mm! I remember seeing him during the sports festival before ours, he stuck out to me because of how similar it is to hers. Maybe he's interning with a Hero that specializes in body-modification Quirks!"

Eijirou grinned excitedly. "Hey, you might be onto something!"

Suddenly, she slumped. "Ugh! If only I'd already been training with these!" She splayed and closed her hands— shifting them to paws. "Maybe I can ask him about helping me learn how to best control them…"

"It's kinda shocking you didn't know you could do it. How'd you never do a minor transition before?" Mina asked not unkindly.

Hitomi opened her mouth, but someone else spoke first.

"She did." Shouto plainly stated.

Hitomi blinked. "Eh?"

Shouto vaguely gestured to his mouth. "When you get worked up, your fangs extend."

Hitomi stared blankly at him, experimentally baring her teeth the way she always did when entering a fight. And she felt the familiar pull, as her canines grew longer.

And just like that, she felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

"…Son of a bitch!"

Hanta gasped, scandalized.

Katsuki gave Shouto an irritated side-eye. "And how the hell did you notice something like that?"

Shouto stared at him blankly. "How could I not?"

Katsuki bristled.

"Wait, so you think Hado and Amajiki want to see us about the work study program?" Tsuyu spoke up.

"That'd be too good to be true, right?!" Ochako's eyes lit up.

"We have to wait until tomorrow?" Eijirou groaned, then stood straighter. "Nope! I'm going over to the third years' dorm right now! Let's go, Hitomi!"

"Yeah!" Hitomi grabbed his wrist, taking off in a sprint and pulling him along.

"I don't think I can wait either. Let's go with them." Tsuyu suggested before Hitomi dragged Eijirou out the front door.

"Right!" Ochako leapt to her feet, her and Tsuyu following after them.

(He-she-me-WUMBO Groupchat)

(Red Riot! has entered the chat)

Red Riot!: GUESS WHO'S GOT A WORK STUDY

(Alien-Queen! has entered the chat)

Alien-Queen!: YOOOO

(Sticky has entered the chat)

(Charge-Bolt has entered the chat)

Sticky: NO EFFING WAY

Charge-Bolt: BRO

Alien-Queen!: PLZ TELL ME HITOMIS IN 2!

(Ōka-waii-mi has entered the chat)

Ōka-waii-mi: (/◕ ヮ◕ )/ yeppers!

Alien-Queen!: WOOOO

Charge-Bolt: GET IT GURL

(King-Exploson-Murder has entered the chat)

King-Exploson-Murder: If someone changes the chat name one more fucking time I swear to fucking god.

Charge-Bolt: KACHAN READ THE DAM THREAD

King-Explosion-Murder: I read it shithead.

Alien-Queen!: we should put a profanity filter on here

Sticky: do you WANT bakugou to leave?

Charge-Bolt: wut agency does amajiki work with?

Red Riot!: Fat Gum!

Alien-Queen!: OMG I LOVE HIM HES SO CUTE

Ōka-waii-mi: I don't have to go crawling back to Jeanist! ヽ (^ 。 ^) ノ

(Charge-Bolt changed groupchat name to: #BestJeanistisoverparty)

Ōka-waii-mi: HA

King-Explosion-Murder: I fucking warned you.

(King-Exploson-Murder has left the chat)

Charge-Bolt: oh god

Sticky: RUN

Red Riot!: you're dead for sure lol

Alien-Queen!: i can hear him stomping down the hall lmao

Ōka-waii-mi: i can smell his bloodlust from here ( ﾟ Д ﾟ )

Charge-Bolt: IM BARACKADING THE DOOR

Sticky: that's not how you spell barricade

Ōka-waii-mi: that's not how you spell I'm

Alien-Queen!: the man's about to die, let him be illiterate

Ōka-waii-mi: maybe Eijirou should talk him down

Red Riot!: why me?

Ōka-waii-mi: becuz i smell smoke and i scawed (._.)

Red Riot!: but you're better at calming him down!

Ōka-waii-mi: ( ・ _ ・ ;) scusa non capisco la tua lingua

(Ōka-waii-mi has left the chat)

Alien-Queen!: omg

Red Riot!: HITOMI

Sticky: hang on, lemme look something up

Sticky: ok yeah, that was funny

Charge-Bolt: HES GONNA RIP THE DOOR OFF THE FUCKING KINGES

Alien-Queen!: lol "kinges"

Sticky: kinges

Red Riot!: kinges

Charge-Bolt: GUYS

Red Riot!: ok ok

(Red Riot! has left the chat)

Chapter 51: Positivity

Chapter Text

Katsuki grumbled to himself, not for the first time.

The supplementary course for his license was not pulling any punches. Not that he'd want it to, but dealing with bruised and burnt palms while doing homework was definitely starting to irritate him.

Both his hands were wrapped in bandages, from his wrists to his first knuckles. Despite not being able to see them, due to the wrappings, he absently traced his right thumb over his left palm; up and down over the four thin scars.

The towering classroom door bursted open. Saito panted, running in before catching sight of him, stopping in her tracks and gasping at his state.

"Oh my gosh— Katsuki, what happened?" She rushed over to his desk, ears flattening as she looked him over fretfully.

"Tch, stop fussing, damnit!" He barked, and masked a wince when it strained the bruises on his face.

Saito frowned, lip jutting out in a slight pout.

Katsuki twitched, glaring to the side. "I'm fine. It's just those damn classes."

Saito perked up, sitting down facing the back of her chair, leaning in eagerly. "Oh, how're they going?"

Instinctively, he glared, sure there was a hidden taunt in her question, or condescension. But her bright smiled reminded him of who he was dealing with, and his glare faded

Before he could answer her, Raccoon Eyes arrived and blinked at him.

"So, like, what happened to Bakugou?" She asked the room at large. "Was he fighting again?"

His hands itched to spark. He fucking hated it when she did that— spoke about him as if he wasn't present.

"He's not the only one busted up. Look at the back of the room." Kaminari nodded over at Icy-Hot with a grin.

The bi-colored boy sat quietly, covered in as many cuts and bandages as Katsuki.

"His beautiful face! Who would do such a thing?" Raccoon Eyes lamented dramatically.

"The provisional license classes sure sound tough." Kaminari shook his head.

"Must be great workouts, though!" Raccoon Eyes pumped her fists.

That's it—

A vein popped from Katsuki's forehead. "Stop talking like I'm not here!"

His outburst— for some unknown reason —caused Saito to laugh. She ducked her head, eyes scrunching as a fit of giggles shook her.

Katsuki's rage faltered, his scowl slowly dissolving as he turned his head back to face her.

(She hadn't laughed like that since before Kamino…)

He blinked once, and clicked his tongue weakly, looking away from her again. His palms threatened to go off for a different reason.

"Class is starting now!" Four Eyes raised a stiff arm. "Sit correctly in your seats! Sadly I must mark Tsu and Uraraka tardy!"

"Their absences are excused." Ponytail calmly chimed in.

"Kirishima's not here either." Ears pointed out.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at Saito. "Aren't you sharing a work study with him?"

Saito blinked, then shot out of her seat. "Oh yeah! I just came in here to give Mr. Aizawa these." She rummaged around in her bag, and pulled out two forms she and Kirishima must have filled out. "I have to hand these off before we go. It's just some paperwork giving us permission to stay overnight in Esuha."

"Overnight?" Katsuki blurted out, immediately scowling to himself.

"Mm!"

"Did you seriously forget that's why you came to class?" Tape deadpanned.

Saito smiled sheepishly.

That idiot.

Ponytail sighed, standing and taking the papers from her. "I'll give these to him, now go hurry up and get to—"

"Thanks Mo!" Saito was darting out the door before she could finish, gone in a blur of pink.

Raccoon Eyes stood suddenly, slamming her hands on her desk. "Oh my god, I just thought of something!"

"That's a first." Tape jeered, earning a high-five from Kaminari.

But she didn't pay either of them any attention, instead looking to Ponytail and Ears.

"Hitomi and Kirishima are two balls of sunshine, and now they're going to be spending the night together in a far-off city, alone."

Katsuki tensed.

Ears arched a brow. "Okay? What's your point?"

Kaminari shook his head. "Wait, you're not implying what I think you are, are you?"

Raccoon Eyes pumped a fist. "I am! This work study is probably gonna take up most of their free time, that means they'll only have each other to hang out with. Imagine the raw wholesomeness we would see if they started dating! They'd be so cute together!" She cupped her flushed cheeks and swayed dreamily.

Katsuki snarled, whirling around in his seat, rearing to snap at her to shut up, and that no one wanted to hear her romantic bullshit.

But she was already looking back at him, her mouth pursed in a sly smirk, with an intrigued gleam in her dark eyes.

Katsuki growled, slumping back down and training his gaze on the blank blackboard.

He did not glance down at the empty desk in front of him. He didn't.

"But wait, doesn't Hitomi have a thing for that Togata guy?"

His palms itched, the bandages growing damp. He traced the scars harder.

(And an emotion he refused to identify sat sour in his stomach.)

"I dropped off the forms!"

Eijirou pumped a fist upward, beaming at her from his place standing at the gate of UA. "Awesome! Let's go!"

Hitomi sprinted over, and the two took off toward the nearest train station. The Fat Gum agency was located all the way over in Kansai, in Esuha City, so their commute would likely take a full three hours on the bullet train. The forms she handed in were so she and Eijirou had permission to stay the night in Esuha, that way they could take the train back early in the morning and make it in time for class, while still having a full night's sleep.

"Still can't believe Amajiki recommended us." Eijirou shook his head, before backtracking hastily. "I mean— not that it's surprising he picked you! You're awesome! It's just—"

"You're awesome too, Eijirou." Hitomi cut him off before he could put himself down. "You're super strong, and you've got a heart of gold. Momo told me about your call to action when me and Katsuki were with the League, you were brave enough to go on the mission alone if you had to. You're admirable."

The redhead flushed under the praise, scratching the back of his head. "Heh, thanks. It was Midoriya's quick thinking that saved you guys, though."

"But you were the one that reached out to us." Hitomi looked down, smiling ruefully and gripping the straps of her backpack tighter. "You did more to help than I did."

Eijirou frowned empathetically. "Hey, you fought hard too, while your leg was broken. It's impressive that you were still even conscious when we showed up."

Hitomi opened her mouth, but said nothing, her mind going back to the talk she had with Mr. Aizawa the night Katsuki and Izuku got into their fight.

"All that matters is that you're alive. Use this to motivate you. Don't think of your scars as a brand, think of it as a badge. One you earned by still standing. Still being here. By being stronger than them."

"Mm…" She hummed, mouth quirking in a faint smile. There was no point in stubbornly putting herself down about it, as it would only reinforce her own insecurities, instead of the message her teacher tried talking into her.

The two fell silent after that, walking quietly all the way to the station, sitting side-by-side wordlessly once boarded. It felt strangely… awkward.

Eijirou must have felt it too, huffing a short laugh.

"I just realized, we've never really hung out much, just the two of us."

Hitomi blinked, brows raising as she wracked her brain and confirmed what he said. "You're right. There's always Katsuki, Denki, Hanta, or Mina there with us,

"Exactly." Eijirou nodded once, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Kinda weird, honestly. I'd say you're one of my best friends, but I've never spent much time with you just one-on-one, not like I have with Bakugou, Kaminari, Sero, or Ashido."

"That's true…" Hitomi wracked her brain for any instances of the two of them alone together, but nothing much was coming to mind. Mid-thought, she glanced at him, and noticed something she hadn't before. "Oh, did you re-dye your hair?"

Eijirou jolted, gaping at her for a second. "Wha— How did you know I dye it?"

Hitomi giggled, tapping her nose. "I can smell the bleach and dye. Other than that, there's no way to tell, don't worry. I just noticed it was brighter this morning, that's all."

Eijirou sagged slightly, cheeks flushing. "Ah man, no one but Ashido was supposed to know."

"Mina found out?"

"Er, well, we were in the same middle school, so we somewhat knew each other before entering UA. She recognized me on the first day, despite the new look, and asked me about it."

"Huh, I don't think I knew that you guys went to the same school." She cocked her head curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your natural color?"

"Hm? Oh, it used to be black. I left it down, too. Nothing special." He shrugged.

Hitomi leaned in close, eyes squinting as she tried imagining Eijirou with such dark hair.

"I think… that sounds adorable."

Eijirou twitched, face reddening further. "What?!"

Hitomi nodded surely, sitting back. "Mm! I'm just imagining you as a cute lil' kid, with a head of black hair."

Eijirou gave her a wry deadpan look. "You realize that sounds weird, right?"

She shrugged casually.

After the three hour long ride, the two all but cheered once they reached Esuha Station, retrieving their bags and cases. Weaving through the crowds, they kept an eye out for a certain someone, spotting him and hurrying over once stepping outside.

"Hi Amajiki!"

Their upperclassman flinched, shoulders hunching as he pulled his costume's hood further down over his face.

"Thanks again for recommending us, man!" Eijirou beamed.

"Y-yeah. Let's go." Amajiki murmured, barely audible. He turned, leading them to a taxi parked up ahead.

Hitomi and Eijirou traded eager grins.

"Welcome to the Fat Gum Agency!" The large Pro Hero crowed with a grin, arms spread.

"Thank you for having us!" Hitomi and Eijirou both bowed.

Fat Gum was as big as he seemed on TV, not only in terms of width, but also in height. He reminded Hitomi vaguely of the Russian nesting dolls Momo liked to make. His voice and scent were warm and welcoming, making him come off as some kind of human-teddy bear, all soft and comforting. There was a reason he was ranked so high in the Hero pole for children ten-and-under.

Amajiki quietly walked over to a corner on the Hero's side, huddling himself smaller, as if trying to disappear.

"So, Suneater tells me you two are lookin' for a work study?"

"Yes sir!"

"You're both from UA, and you're okay with joining an agency so far from Musutafu? You'll be making a total of a six-hour long commute every time you come here. Does that sound like something you can handle, on top of your school work?" Fat Gum arched a masked brow.

Hitomi and Eijirou nodded firmly.

"We understand what we're signing up for, sir." Eijirou assured.

"Mm. We're prepared for the difficulties ahead. Hero work was never supposed to be easy."

Fat Gum grinned, humming in approval. "You both sound strong-willed."

But then the Hero said something that stopped both of them cold.

"Unfortunately, I'll only be able to take on one of you."

Hitomi blinked, then whipped her head around to face Eijirou.

The redhead's expression matched hers, both of them shocked and dismayed.

Fat Gum watched impassively. "I'll let the two of you hash out who's staying."

Amajiki looked away, his hood masking his face.

The room was silent, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating. Until—

"You take it—"

Both Hitomi and Eijirou stopped, staring at the other in surprise, before they simultaneously squared their shoulders and hardened their gazes.

"Really, you—"

Eijirou shook his head, brows furrowing. "Damnit, Hitomi—"

Hitomi clenched her fists, ears flattening. "Eijirou, I mean it—"

"You should take it! You got the highest rescue score of the class! You deserve to be out there, saving people!"

"You're the one who's done the real saving! At the USJ, I-Island, Kamino, and the licensing exam! I'll find another agency!"

"Sir…" Amajiki lowly broached.

Fat Gum held up a hand, silencing his ward.

Eijirou glowered— but it was weak, and more sad than angry. "Look, I know how much it's been eating you up that you haven't been signed with an agency yet. And you've been wanting to find someone to help train your Quirk, and Amajiki's perfect for that! You should take this offer!"

Hitomi growled. "I won't!"

"Well, then I'm not either!"

"Sir…" Amajiki tried again, this time sounding exasperated.

When Hitomi and Eijirou looked back at the Hero, they paused.

Fat Gum was beaming, shoulders bouncing with silent chuckles.

"Well, aren't you two somethin' else. Usually when I play that trick the students get into a fight for the exact opposite reason. I think I like you two kids."

Hitomi slowly cocked her head, while Eijirou stared wide-eyed.

"Alrighty, let's get down to business." Fat Gum clapped his hands, then opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out two small stacks of paper. "You'll both need to read these and sign—"

"Wait, you mean—" Eijirou started.

"You'll take us both?" Hitomi finished hopefully.

"Hm? Of course I'm taking you both. It's not every day that Tamaki vouches for someone, let alone two first-years."

"Then, why…?" Eijirou asked weakly.

Fat Gum's smile sharpened. "It's a good way to test character. You two proved that you've got good morals, and a strong friendship. You look out for each other, and when risking your lives out on the field, you'll learn that that's an invaluable thing to have." He held out the papers, giving both of them their own stack. "Sign those and you'll be contracted to my agency for your work study. Now, keep in mind, this'll be a heck of a lot harder than your last internships. This ain't a week long, and it ain't to be taken lightly. I'll have you on for four months, or until you feel like taking a shot with a different agency— I promise there'll be no hurt feelings if you feel like you should change courses. You'll be paid for your service, but keep in mind this'll be grueling work. As students, try to keep your grades in mind, but don't stress too much about that for now. Any questions?"

"No, sir!" Hitomi and Eijirou crowed in unison, hands gripping the papers tight.

The two signed right on the dotted line.

The group of four walked through the busy streets of Esuha City, led by the hulking Hero. They were out on their first official patrol as newly minted (provisional) Heroes, eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior in the nightlife. But the area was packed with open establishments, ranging from small food stalls to massive brightly lit casinos. All the glowing signs, neon lights, and billboards kept the stretch of city lit decently well, giving off a safer feeling than some less-active locations; they couldn't let their guard down, though, keeping vigilant.

That didn't hinder Fat Gum from stopping at every other food stall or restaurant they passed— his stop at Crab Heaven left him with a whole tray of takoyaki, which he casually dug into as they marched along.

"We've got idiots fighting non-stop on the streets these days. Can't eat enough to keep up!" Fat Gum popped another takoyaki ball in his mouth, already having knocked out almost half of them. "Anyway, the agencies around here have been wanting close-combat types. You're just what the doctor ordered, Red Riot, Ōkami."

"I promise I'll do my best!" Eijirou punched his hardened fists together. "Fourth Kind doesn't accept work study students, so I really appreciate you taking me on."

"Same here! We won't let you down, Sir!" Hitomi grinned, tail wagging.

"If only Mirio'd been around." Amajiki shuddered, likely remembering her and Eijirou's extremely grateful groveling over him vouching for their work study. "Man, your energy was terrifying."

"We're gonna work on those delicate nerves of yours, Tamaki, and then you'll be worth your weight in gold." Fat Gum said goodnaturedly.

Amajiki clutched his chest, croaking sickly. "Your expectations only drag me deeper into despair. It's always like this!"

Hitomi clasped her hands up at her chest, ears drooping. "Awww, poor thing."

Eijirou put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't just say stuff like that to someone, it comes off sounding sarcastic."

Hitomi furrowed her brows. "Who would say something like that sarcastically?"

Amajiki tugged his hood down, still wallowing from Fat Gum's comment. "I swear, this man scouted me just so he'd have someone to torment. I wanna go home…"

"Maybe he's trying to encourage you. That's what mentors are supposed to do, right?" Eijirou tried reassuring him.

Hitomi put a finger to her chin. "Actually, when Aunt Rumi trains me she always makes fun of me a ton. Ties me up sometimes, too."

A sweatdrop beaded Eijirou's forehead. "That's… concerning."

"Fat, come eat at our place!" Another food vendor called the Hero over.

Fat Gum waved. "Tomorrow!"

"I'm not like either of you, or Mirio. Positivity's not my strong suit." Amajiki lamented lowly, staring down into his hands.

"Hey, man, I know how it is." Eijirou assured him with a tone of understanding. "Sometimes when things get crazy, I feel useless too. There's a gap between me and my classmates that's only getting wider. But I'm doing my best to close that gap so I can fight beside them!"

Hitomi smiled, raising her hands and transforming them into paws. "You're not alone. I'm only just learning about my Quirk's full potential. I've got a long way to go to master it, and when I see how versatile and skilled Katsuki is with his, or how far Izuku's come to not hurt himself as much, I get worried about never being able to catch up to them. But that's what we're here for, right? To get better, and grow as Heroes!"

"That right there? That's called positivity, first-years." Amajiki deadpanned.

Suddenly, a loud cry caught their attention.

"They're fighting! Someone, help!"

"Oh, at it again." Fat Gum nonchalantly said, turning and looking back behind them.

A group of shady looking men dressed in suits were sprinting in their direction, clearly in some kind of hurry, though for who-knows-what.

"What're you going after them for?"

"Idiots thought they could sell on my turf without permission!"

"Can't blame us for tryin' to make some cash! Come on, we've gotta eat, just like anyone else! Let's split up for now!"

"Right!"

Before the men could do as their leader suggested, Fat Gum slide right in their path, catching them in his squishy body. How they missed the giant Hero ahead of them, Hitomi had no idea.

"Not so fast!" Fat Gum hugged them to his front, restraining them against him. "Mister Fat's got a little hug for ya!"

"Damnit!" The silver haired leader molded his body with his Quirk, coiling around and out of Fat Gum's hold, like a human ribbon.

"Whoops, lost one! Looks like he's got the same Quirk as Edge!"

Hitomi extended her claws, excited to test out an ultimate move she designed after the discovery of her isolated transformation—

But Amajiki was faster, shifting the fingers on his right hand into thick and lengthy octopus tentacles. They whipped around the criminal, holding him poised in the air, unable to escape like he did from Fat Gum.

"Tentacles?! Who's this freak?"

Amajiki deflated. "That was just cruel."

"The guy's a dirtbag loser, don't let him get to you!" Eijirou simultaneously chastised and reassured him.

"Your Quirk's way cooler than his!" Hitomi nodded furiously, punching the air.

Amajiki hurled the bad guy around, slamming him into his left hand— which was now a giant clam with fingers on the edge, then threw him down to the ground and pinned him with the large talons of a chicken foot.

"I'm so confused… what are you?" The man whimpered into the pavement before passing out.

"Clams are good for offense or defense. They're very handy. I try to incorporate them into my diet every day." Amajiki shrank after making such a cool show of his power. "Guess the wings were overkill…" He folded the unused chicken wings protruding from his back.

Hitomi pouted minutely, somewhat bummed that she didn't get to help out and prove her abilities. She was sure Eijirou must've felt some level of the same disappointment as her.

Amajiki hung his head. "Was that okay? It felt terrible."

"Are you kidding?! You're so fast, and you've got great control of your Quirk!" Eijirou hyped him up.

"Mm, mm! You took him out like that!" Hitomi nodded rapidly, snapping her— normal again —fingers.

"Yeah, our Suneater's got some serious talent." Fat Gum loudly praised his charge, the men he caught now being handcuffed by police. "His mental game needs work, but he's as strong as a Pro, right?"

With that, the crowd around them went from silently watching in awe, to cheering wildly.

"Good job, Suneater!"

"You're so amazing!"

"Love the wings, man!"

"He's totally cute, too!"

"I, uh, wha…?" Amajiki stammered, trembling from all the attention.

"Aw, poor— I mean…" Hitomi smiled sheepishly, patting him sturdily on the back. "It's okay, Amajiki. Just take a deep br—"

Her fur stood on end, eyes widening and snapping to scan the crowd in half a second, just as Fat Gum shouted a warning.

"He's got a gun! Down!"

There was a bang, and Hitomi flinched harshly as Amajiki reeled back, almost like he was struck.

Her stomach dropped, as she watched him fall to his knees with a horrified realization.

It wasn't like he was struck. He actually was.

"Now's your chance, man!" The shooter crowed from within the crowd, urging his buddy to escape while he could.

"You okay?!" Eijirou threw himself in front of Amajiki.

"All of you, get down now!" Fat Gum ordered, charging in.

But then another shot rang out.

The bullet collided and bounced off of Eijirou's hardened forehead.

Something monstrous raged in Hitomi's chest. Her hands grew and claws sharpened, while her torso rumbled with furious growls.

Eijirou shook it off, the left side of his temple reddened from the impact. His whole body hardened with jagged edges.

"That guy's mine!"

The crowd scattered, leaving the shooter standing alone.

"Defective piece of junk!" He glared at the gun for failing to actually hit Eijirou.

Hitomi took a step forward, paws twitching and lips curling with the urge to inflict pain.

It was like her fury toward the purple haired Shiketsu student, but on a whole other level.

Before she could charge at the shooter, however, Amajiki spoke up from his spot kneeling on the ground.

"I figured that would hurt more." He commented casually, as if he hadn't just been shot.

"Suneater! You're alright? That's great!" Eijirou glanced back at him in relief.

Hitomi stared at him worriedly. "B-but you—" She stopped, taking a second to sniff the air, stunned when she noticed a certain smell missing. "You… you're not bleeding."

The shooter panicked, spinning around and pushing people to the side as he tucked tail and ran.

"Move! Get out of my way!"

"On it!" Eijirou didn't hesitate to give chase.

Hitomi moved to follow him, but froze when Amajiki outstretched his hand after them.

"Wait, I'll use my tentacles!"

The tips of his fingers started to turn pink, and grow out, but then… nothing. His face fell in an expression of stunned fear. He lowered his hand, staring down at it.

"Don't go runnin' off! That's just askin' for trouble!" Fat Gum called after Eijirou, but he was too far. The Hero looked to his other two trainees. "You good? I'm gonna go after him. Other Heroes'll be here soon. Fill 'em in!"

Before Fat Gum could leave, Amajiki spoke up in a panicked voice.

"I'm not hurt, but my Quirk won't activate!"

Fat Gum stopped, mask wrinkling from the furrow in his brows. "Is Eraser nearby or somethin'?"

Hitomi gasped, something clicking in her mind. She whirled around, frantically scanning the ground— finding what she was searching for when she spotted the small red bullet laying discarded. That was why Amajiki wasn't bleeding, because it wasn't a bullet, it was a dart.

With that discovery, she hurried to Amajiki's side, ignoring his startled look and sputtering as she lifted his cloak off of his shoulder. There, sticking out of his arm was a matching dart, this one with the needle embedded in his bicep. Without wasting another second, Hitomi ripped it out, earning a yelp from her upperclassman. She collected the other one off the ground, comparing them.

"Sir…" Hitomi held the darts aloft in her palm, showing the Pro Hero.

Fat Gum looked at it grimly, his wide smile long-gone, a grimace in its place.

Amajiki gave his mentor a weak nod. "Go help Kirishima, I'll be fine."

Fat Gum gave a short sigh, then took off, running at a startlingly fast speed considering his size.

Of course, that was when the criminal Amajiki had previously subdued, decided to act. Using the absence of the Pro, and Amajiki's confirmed current weakness, he shot to his feet as the police were moving to cuff him, sprinting away.

He only made it about ten feet, before something obscenely heavy slammed into his back and pinned him down.

The man craned his neck, peering back at what had captured him again, and gave a short shout of fear.

Hitomi growled, her paw covering the entirety of his back. She was in her Beast Akita form, fangs bared and hackles raised in a clear warning to him not to try something stupid like that again.

Stepping off of him, she quickly leaned down and bit into the back of his jacket. She lifted him up, dangling the criminal from her mouth almost like a pup. When she turned her head he swung around limply, and she very casually held him out to the policemen.

After a moment of hesitation, a cop came closer and slapped a pair of cuffs on the man, catching the criminal from falling to the ground when she dropped him.

Almost immediately, she shrunk back down to her smaller Akita size, then fully human again. It seemed she was only able to hold her thirteen-foot size for a scant few moments, before settling back on her original eight-feet.

Hitomi shook her head like a dog drying itself, rotating her shoulders and rubbing her neck.

"Ah jeez, still not used to that." She winced at the lingering ache in her bones, finding it felt similar to the pain of a wicked growth spurt.

"Thanks to you guys, we were saved." One of the policemen praised their work. "These criminals are part of a gang selling illegal drugs around this area. We've been looking for a chance to nab them for a while!"

Illegal drugs… What a crazy thing to happen on their first day of official Hero work.

"That must be why my Quirk is acting like this." Amajiki lowly surmised, putting a hand over his bicep. "You shot me up with something." He glared at the man.

The criminal sneered. "Ha, you think I'll spill for you, Chicken Foot?"

The next second Amajiki stood facing the nearest wall, head hung.

Hitomi stomped up to the cuffed man. With a clawed paw she grabbed and yanked the front of his shirt, forcing him to bend to her height, and bared her teeth in his face in a venomous grin.

"I will break your legs." She simpered saccharinely, her nails pressing threateningly against his sternum.

He kept a fairly good poker face, but his ashen complexion gave him away. Though he held strong, mouth sealed shut.

"A-anyway…" The policeman stammered nervously, "leave the rest to us. We'll handle it."

Hitomi let the man go, looking back at Amajiki with a concerned purse of her lips.

"His Quirk powered up, huh?"

Eijirou nodded, reaffirming to Fat Gum the bad news.

"Quit moving." Hitomi hissed, taking his chin to keep his face steady, with her other hand she pressed gauze to his temple. She had taken the HUC actor's chastisement to heart, and kept her costume pockets full of medical supplies— which she was now using to help clean up some of Eijirou's minor wounds.

"S-sorry!"

Fat Gum looked considerately to the ground. "Power-boosting drugs are banned in Japan. It didn't last long, so it was probably a black-market version. The ones from the US work at least an hour."

"Wow, you know a lot about this!" Eijirou marveled, wincing guiltily when he shifted again, earning himself a non-too-gentle dab of disinfectant.

Fat Gum shrugged. "Yeah, I used to work with the cops to catch drug smugglers back in the day."

Eijirou turned his head to look at Hitomi as soon as she had the band-aid placed. "Hey, isn't that what your parents did a lot?"

Hitomi blinked, then smiled softly. "Yeah, that and taking down yakuza rings. They were good at gathering intel to use to shut down organizations like that."

A policeman from earlier came running toward the four of them. "Fat! I've got some info about that gun they had." He held up a gloved hand, holding a plastic bag full of broken pieces of black metal. "It got smashed up in all the chaos, but it definitely wasn't a normal weapon. I'll keep investigating and see what else I can find."

"Interesting. Thanks for lettin' me know."

"So, uh, how're you holding up, anyway?" Eijirou looked Amajiki over worriedly.

He tugged his hood completely over his face. "Awful."

"To take your Quirk like that, it's a total nightmare for a Hero." Eijirou spoke lowly, frowning.

Hitomi hugged herself, uncomfortable with the curiosity she had over what a drug like that would do to someone like her. How would it affect someone with a mutation oriented Quirk?

And Katsuki would be horrified if it happened to him, I'm sure.

"That's not all. You protected me back there. Just like Mirio. Both of you shine so brightly, like the sun."

"You're the same way!" Eijirou argued passionately. "I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't gotten me this work study!"

"There you go again. So much positivity."

Hitomi crossed her arms. "Positivity isn't something you just have or not. You have to make the choiceto be positive, and sometimes it can get hard, yeah, but you see so much more good in the world when you keep your head up. If you're always looking toward the bad, all you'll wind up seeing is more of the same negativity. Positivity breeds positivity."

Amajiki slowly let go of his hood, peeking out from under it.

Eijirou blinked at her, then beamed. "Whoa, Hitomi, that was an awesome way of putting it!"

Hitomi dropped her arms, rocking on her heels with a small grin.

"Thanks, by the way, for stopping the gang member after I let him get away." Amajiki said quietly, still keeping his face mostly hidden.

Fat Gum gave her a hearty pat on the back, nearly knocking her over.

"Come on, we'll stop by the agency, then head to the hospital so you boys can get checked out. There are a coupla things I wanna look into as well."

"Okay."

"Got it!"

"Yes sir!"

"Ōkami, before I forget, lemme see those darts."

"Oh! Yeah, here." She fished them from her pocket, careful not to let the needles poke her.

Fat Gum took them, his scent heavy with masked apprehension and discontent.

It gave her a bad feeling.

Chapter 52: Unforeseen variables

Notes:

Me: This is a slow burn. The slowest of burns. I will be stretching this out for sooo long.
My inner shipper: Here's an idea for a scene with crazy amounts of development and romantic tension.
Me: Oh cool, I'll just put this over—
My inner shipper: It will only fit into the narrative of this chapter.
Me:
Me: Fuck.
Anyway—
Hi? I'm not dead *throws pathetic handful of confetti*
So uh, funny story, I kinda hate this arc, so writing it has been a bitch. I like to have a backlog of chapters when I upload one, and it's taken some time (obviously) for me to get enough done for me to finally feel comfortable to update. No this story isn't abandoned, and no it isn't going to be. Hitomi's too dear to my heart to ever toss her aside. So while I might take a while to upload now and then, just know that it's only ever a matter of time.
Also, this turned out a lot longer than I was planning lol. There's a lot of canon dialogue, which can get boring, I know. And probably way too much Nighteye slander. But there's also something I think you guys are gonna love in terms of Cherry-Bomb content, so yay? (It's so fucking hard writing a slow burn guys)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

First thing that morning in class, while waiting for Mr. Aizawa, Denki excitedly grabbed everyone's attention.

"Holy crap, Kirishima, Hitomi! Take a look at this!" Denki thrusted out his phone, showing off an article he had open in his browser. "Your Hero names are all over the news sites today, it's freakin' crazy!"

"Lemme see!" Hitomi hopped up, swiping the phone from him, reading off the headline. "Newcomer Sidekick Red Riot Bursts onto the Scene! He rescued innocent civilians and fought a Villain on his very first patrol!" She beamed at the redhead. "That's so awesome! Congrats, Eijirou!"

Katsuki sat at his desk, fuming with a furious aura hanging over him.

"It mentions you, right?" Eijirou scanned it over her shoulder, wearing a small frown.

"Scroll down." Denki advised.

Hitomi did as instructed, and grimaced with embarrassment. "Oh jeez, I look so mean!"

There were two pictures of her, one when she was in her Akita form with the criminal pinned under her, and the other when she was in his face, baring a viciously threatening fanged smile.

Denki smirked. "Don't you mean you look f—"

"If you say feral, I will tape your mouth shut." Hanta said flatly.

"Fellow Sidekick Ōkami, student of UA and daughter of late Pro Heroes Silver Shifter and Golden Geist, apprehended notorious gang leader of Esuha City." Eijirou read her portion, grinning.

Hitomi flushed sheepishly. "They made it sound way cooler than it actually was. The guy was already beaten up by Amajiki."

"Guys, that's not the only one!" Mina showed off a different article on her cell. "Look, check out Tsu and Uraraka! New Sidekicks at Ryukyu Agency. Two there for a work study! That's so cool!"

Ochako took the phone, marveling at the headline and photos. "Wow, I can't believe this is real!"

"When did they even snap that picture?" Tsuyu blushed at the flattering action-shots that were taken of the two.

"Oh, hey, you know what? You might already have your own fan club like Mount Lady does!" Mina squealed.

"And check this— What Heroes in training! They're cute. They're efficient. And even more importantly, they manage to get the job done." Kyoka read further down the article.

Tenya stood with his arms crossed, expression serious. "You have provisional licenses now, and you're seen as Heroes. I must thank you for your service. But a student's top priority is academics!" He chopped an arm. "Hit those books!"

"Yeah! Let's learn stuff! We got this, right!?" Eijirou pumped his fists.

Izuku grunted his agreement, just as determined as Eijirou.

Denki crossed his arms behind his head. "Wait, didn't you tell us you've been having trouble with your assignments lately?"

Eijirou nodded easily. "The teachers said that they'd set up some extra lessons for me."

Hitomi deflated, ears drooping. "I keep putting it off. Ugh, I hate studying!"

Katsuki opened his mouth, hesitating, then clicked his tongue and glared off to the side.

"Maybe I should check into those. I am totally slipping." Hanta lamented.

"Remember, we all learn at our own pace." Momo kindly reassured.

Denki smiled blissfully. "Yeah, who cares, right?"

"I don't think that's the message she was trying to send." Kyoka deadpanned.

Hitomi perked up, taking out her own phone. "Oh! I gotta tell Hitoshi about this!"

Mina saddled up next to her, smirking slyly. "Hitoshi, huh?"

Hitomi blinked. "Yeah? What about him?"

Mina gave her a slap on the back. "I'll explain it when you're older."

Denki snorted.

She could smell burnt caramel.

"Huh— Midoriya! Good morning."

Ear twitching at Eijirou's surprised greeting, Hitomi looked back, smiling at the freckled boy, who for some reason was following her and the redhead out of Heights Alliance.

"Morning Izuku!" She waved at him excitedly, despite only standing about fifteen feet away.

Izuku returned the gesture on a smaller scale, smiling awkwardly.

"Are you headed off to your work study too?" Eijirou asked.

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I finally got called in again. Feels like it's been forever. I wonder why they said not to wear our costumes, though." He mused, glancing from his own school uniform to theirs.

Hitomi looked down at herself, moving her hips to make her skirt swish back and forth, just for fun. She lifted her head when the front door opened again, revealing Ochako and Tsuyu.

"Oh! Good morning, guys! You going in today?" Ochako chirped.

"Yeah!"

"Huh, so are we. That's kinda weird." Tsuyu hummed.

Strangely enough, the five didn't split up on their usual paths, walking all the way into town together. Even odder still, was how many Heroes were making their way around as well, most of whom Hitomi didn't recognize in the slightest.

A pair of them stopped the group with a wave, identifying them as UA students from the sports festival.

"Hey, us too! Wanna walk to the station together?" The Hero wearing a long helmet, and cheetah patterned cape offered upon hearing where the group was heading.

"Oh! Please! I-I mean, if you don't mind." Ochako bowed in thanks.

"We appreciate it!" Izuku beamed.

Eijirou leaned closer to whisper to Hitomi— despite the fact she would've been able to hear him even if he was across the street. "What's with all the Heroes?"

She shrugged, frowning slightly. "Don't know. And these guys seem like some local ones— D-listers, as Katsuki would say."

Eijirou sighed wearily. "Don't quote him like that…"

At the station they scanned their passes, and noticed they each had the same destination.

"Wait, we're going the same way?" Izuku turned to Hitomi and Eijirou. "I thought you were working in Kansai."

"Usually, yeah. But I guess we're meeting someplace different today."

"What a coincidence, us too." Tsuyu chimed in.

They all rode the same train, to the same station. They walked down the same streets, turning in the same directions. Heading the same exact way to a tall building— the same one they were all told to meet at.

Standing outside the doors, were three familiar third-years.

Hado beamed as soon as she saw them.

Amajiki gave the faintest of nods.

"Heyo!" Togata greeted them merrily with a salute.

Hitomi nearly tripped over herself, waving meekly with a burning face. "H-hey!"

Eijirou shook his head, and Tsuyu put a hand on her shoulder.

The Big Three had no idea what was going on, either, so they were just as blind as the rest of them when they all entered the building. Once inside, they were greeted with a large crowd of Heroes, both big-time, and local.

Hitomi immediately spotted their homeroom teacher among them, and cocked her head. There was also Fat Gum, Ryukyu, Rock Lock, and even that elderly Hero in yellow, that had been there during the rescue at Kamino.

Stiffening, she did a quick scan of the room, relaxing only when she didn't spot a pair of massive bright red wings.

She seriously didn't want to deal with Hawks' teasing. God knew he would be even worse now that she actually had a license to do Hero work.

"Now you're certified to save kittens from trees! Congrats!" She could already hear his gleeful heckling.

"Hey, what's the scoop? What's going on? Talk to me, Ryukyu!" Hado threw herself at the Hero, hanging off of the unfazed woman. "I mean, I know you said there's a meeting, but what's it about?"

"Patience, Neijire."

"Mr. Aizawa!" Hitomi ran over to their teacher, bouncing on her heels. "What's this all about? Why are you here?"

"I'm confused too." Tsuyu admitted as she and Ochako came over.

"I was called in last minute for this thing. I think I've got a rough idea of what it's about."

"You should, too." Ryukyu addressed her two first-year interns. "Remember what I told you girls?"

Ochako and Tsuyu exchanged a serious look.

Hitomi pouted, turning to aim it at Mr. Aizawa. He was unaffected, not bothering to explain things to her. She huffed.

"We're all here, Nighteye. Let's get started." Ryukyu prompted, looking to a man in a gray business suit, with green hair and glasses.

Hitomi cocked her head, recalling that that was the name of the Hero Izuku was working under.

The man stepped forward, addressing the whole room. "Thanks to the information provided by all of you, our investigation has progressed substantially. We've invited you all here for a joint conference to share the intel we've acquired. Regarding the yakuza group Shie Hassaikai, and what we believe they might be planning."

Hitomi sobered, fists clenching. More yakuza… it was like they were popping back up all over. They all went quiet after her parents wreaked havoc on the most infamous groups, so having them grow in size and power again was a harsh reminder that the Heroes they once feared, were gone.

"Hold on, I feel like I'm missin' something really important here. Shie H— what now?" Eijirou turned to Fat Gum questioningly.

"Some bad guys're planning to do some bad things." The Hero simplified it. "And they've called a meeting so we can talk it all out. Trust me, you three are very much involved."

Hitomi's ears went back, and she glanced at Amajiki's left shoulder.

Several long tables were set out in a rectangle, which the Heroes began taking seats around. At the head sat Nighteye, with two other Heroes standing at his sides. A blue skinned girl, and a man with a centipede for a neck and head.

Fat Gum sat in the chair closest to Nighteye's right, and Eijirou quickly claimed the spot to the right of the large Hero. Hitomi sat by him, and Amajiki took the seat on her right. Across their table, Togata and Izuku sat directly in front of them at their own. Ochako and Tsuyu were down a ways on the boys' left.

"Alright, let's start at the beginning." Bubble Girl— the blue Sidekick —began to read from a tablet. "For the past couple of weeks now, those of us at Nighteye Agency have been conducting an investigation into Shie Hassaikai, a small but organized group of criminals."

"What prompted this?" The Hero, Kesagiri Man, questioned.

"An accident involving a gang of thieves, called the Reservoir Dogs." Bubble Girl patiently explained.

Mr. Brave sat straighter. "Yeah, I heard about that."

Bubble Girl continued. "The police thought the whole thing was an accident, but there were a number of details that didn't add up, so we began tailing them."

The other Sidekick next to Nighteye, Centipeder, spoke up, his voice much higher than expected. "In my capacity as a Nighteye Agency Sidekick, I began following leads to see what I could uncover. I found that in the past year, the members of Shie Hassaikai have had increased contact with those outside of their organization, including other groups whose business dealings are less than reputable. Their aim seemed to be expanding their organization and enriching its coffers. Shortly after our investigation began, they made contact with a member of the League of Villains."

Hitomi stiffened, eyes wide and pointed up at a monitor behind the Sidekicks, which now showed a picture taken of two men talking. One faced away from the camera, wearing a green jacket with purple fur trim. While the other, was—

"Jin Bubaigawara. Villain name: Twice."

The League was a part of this. At some level, those Villains were connected. The thought was enough to make Hitomi's stomach twist.

"I'll be gentle. This is gonna hurt!"

She swallowed, clenching her fists so tightly her palms stung where her nails dug in.

"They were wary of being tailed, so I was unable to follow them." The monitor changed again, showing a building that was halfway caved in, with police cars parked haphazardly around it. "But with the help of the police, I confirmed that an altercation had occurred between the two groups."

So, the two groups weren't on friendly terms then…

"That'd be about when they decided to reach out to Tsukauchi and me." The elderly Hero in yellow spoke up. "Figured we'd be able to assist, given the League's involvement."

"Where is Tsukauchi?" Kesagiri Man asked him.

"Follow-ups with some other eyewitnesses. Y'know, cop stuff." The grey-haired Hero looked up the tables over at Izuku. "Sorry kid, I didn't see something like this coming. I've got a bad feeling that things are about to get ugly."

Izuku frowned seriously. "I don't care if they do. I wanna help."

"Hold up, you know him?" Togata blinked.

"Oh, Gran Torino? I did my internship with him. He looked after me and taught me some great strategies that helped out my Quirk."

Hitomi cocked her head, peering back at the man. She remembered how fast he was, and how he and Endeavor got all the citizens away so All Might could fight All For One with his full power.

But… when he glanced back at her, as if feeling her stare, he met her gaze full-on, with an expression of—

Hitomi flinched, ears tucking back.

His eyes were so distrustful.

"Go on, Bubble Girl." Nighteye prompted.

"Ah— So, after all that went down, we posted a notice on the HN, requesting assistance—"

"I think we can skip that part." Centipeder commented.

"Sorry!"

"What's the HN?" Ochako curiously piped up.

Hitomi furrowed her brows, surprised that the brunette didn't know. The Hero Network was famous for its help in solving many of the large-scale crimes in the last decade.

After Neijire sweetly explained it, the Hero sitting on Izuku's left scoffed. That Hero just so happened to be Rock Lock.

"Does anybody wanna tell me why a buncha high school kids were invited to this conference? I don't care if they are from UA. If we have to keep stopping to explain this stuff, we'll never get to the actual plan."

Fat Gum stood, slamming his hands on the table in outrage. "Don't say that! These three have important information to pass along!" He gestured to the three teens working under him. While Amajiki shrunk under the attention, Eijirou looked up at the Hero cluelessly.

"Um, we do?"

"The darts." Hitomi said lowly, grim. The only reason they were involved in this, must have to do with the darts that temporarily took away Amajiki's Quirk.

"Anyway, I see a lot of new faces, so let me introduce myself. Nice to meetcha, I'm Fat Gum!"

"He's so cute and squishy." Ochako and Tsuyu marveled.

"Hah! Who wants candy?" He produced a handful from his pockets.

Hitomi deadpanned, wondering how they had strayed this far from the topic of hardened yakuza.

"Hassaikai's movements are hard to trace." Nighteye took over. "But we suspect one of their main sources of income is illegal drug sales."

Hitomi grimaced. There it is.

"So I requested help from Heroes who have some expertise in that area."

"Yup, I brought in my fair share of drug dealers back in the day, and at Red Riot and Ōkami's debut, they proved they could too." Fat Gum clenched his fist, crushing the candy, his expression hard. "Tamaki was shot, and the bullet contained some kinda drug I've never heard of before. One that destroys Quirks."

"Destroys Quirks?" Kesagiri Man parroted in shock.

Togata stood, staring at his friend in deep concern. "Whoa, what? Tamaki, you're okay, right?"

"Yeah, the stuff wore off while I slept. Here, look I've got this cow hoof and everything." Amajiki held up his right hand— which was now a large brown hoof instead.

"I'm glad to know the effects aren't permanent at least." Rock Lock chimed in, his tone significantly calmer now. "So, this stuff doesn't zap a Quirk for good."

"No. But Eraser Head has some further insight." Nighteye gestured for the teacher to speak up.

"It doesn't seem to function exactly like my Erasure does. Since I'm not actually attacking the Quirk directly."

Hitomi leaned forward, looking down the table toward their teacher, ears keened in interest. She was embarrassed to say she didn't know much of the rules of his Quirk, just that he had to look at the person for it to work.

"What we call a Quirk is an extraordinary addition to an ordinary human body. Those additions are collectively referred to as "Quirk genes". I can shield those genes and temporarily block their expression, but I don't actually damage them."

She had never been on the receiving end of his Quirk, and shuddered to think of what it would feel like to a mutant-type like her. At the very least her senses would be dulled down to the level of the average person, and she would likely lose feeling in her tail as well— on top of being blocked from using Akita Inu completely.

"But after Tamaki here was shot, we brought him to the hospital, and they found that his Quirk genes had sustained damage." Fat Gum explained grimly. "Fortunately, they seem to have healed on their own, and he's back to normal now."

"What do we know about the substance he was shot with?" Nighteye asked.

"Whatever it was didn't harm the rest of his body. Nothing but his Quirk was impaired in any way. The guy who shot him clammed up. He won't say a word. And the round that hit Tamaki was totally spent." Fat Gum gave a crooked smirk. "However, Kirishima bravely defended Tamaki from a bullet, which then bounced off from his own body, and should now provide us with a viable sample."

Eijirou pointed at himself in shock. "Whoa, I did that? Really? That's crazy!"

"Wow, awesome job, Kirishima!" Ochako praised.

"That's so cool!" Tsuyu smiled.

Hitomi gave him a congratulatory slap on the back, probably harder than necessary, as he grunted.

Fat Gum continued, growing grave. "Saito retrieved the bullet, and when we had the substance inside analyzed, we discovered something that made me sick to my stomach." The Hero's expression twisted in cold fury. "It contained human blood and cells."

Hitomi flinched, eyes widening and ears flattening.

Ryukyu scowled. "In other words, that effect came from a person. From someone's power. A Quirk that can destroy Quirks."

A local Hero in mecha armor hummed. "I'm not connecting the dots, here. How is all this related to Hassaikai?"

"The man who shot Tamaki used an illegal drug to boost his Quirk during his fight with Kirishima. The distribution channels for stuff like that are complex. Although things've shrunk since the old days, 'specially after Heroes like Silver and Gold made it big, drugs still pass through various people and organizations before they finally reach the end user. There's no concrete evidence that Hassaikai handled the drug, but we know for a fact that they interacted with one of the middlemen responsible for moving it." Fat Gum laid it all out.

"That's all?" The mecha Hero challenged.

"The other day, Ryukyu's team broke up a fight between two Villain groups." Nighteye cut in. "One of those groups was controlled by the intermediary organization that Fat Gum just mentioned."

"One of the two giants had been given an inferior drug that didn't last long." Ryukyu added.

"There have been a rash of gang-related crimes recently, and most could be connected to the Hassaikai, if you tried hard enough." Kesagiri Man pointed out.

"Which is what it seems like you're doing, trying to make them guilty." The mecha Hero said skeptically. "Don't you have anything that implicates them more clearly?"

Without Nighteye saying a word, Bubble Girl pressed a button on her tablet, and the monitor behind them changed again. This time it showed an up-close picture of the man who had been seen with Twice, now in a side profile, showing off his strange beak-like mask.

Izuku and Togata both gasped.

"Their young head, Chisaki; Quirk, Overhaul. With this power, he can disassemble things, and then reassemble them. A Quirk that allows him to completely break down matter. And a bullet that can break down Quirks." Nighteye spoke leadingly.

Izuku and Togata again gasped, this time paling and hanging their heads. Their scents matched in overwhelming shame and regret.

"Chisaki has a daughter named Eri. There are no records or details about her birth. But when Mirio and Midoriya encountered her, they noticed there were bandages wrapped around her arms and legs." Nighteye continued speaking in a level monotone.

Because of his blaise tone, it took Hitomi a second to figure out what he was implying. The instant she did, she went rigid. The rest of the Heroes followed, coming to the same conclusion as her. She could tell, by the way the air shifted in the room.

She wanted to cover her nose, throat clogging with the sticky scent of revulsion that suddenly spiked.

"Could he really do something so horrific?" Ryukyu's voice held a subtle waver.

"Unfortunately, yes." Gran Torino nodded once. "In a world of super humans, if you can dream it, you can do it."

"Hold on, what are they talking about?" Eijirou frowned, looking around at everyone's somber and disgusted grimaces. He tensed upon seeing Hitomi curled over, taking shallow breaths through her mouth, her eyes wide and horrified.

"Once again, why do we have children in this meeting?" Rock Lock glared fiercely at the table. "I'll say this one time… We're wondering if this Chisaki bastard is turning his daughter's body into bullets, and selling them on the black market."

Eijirou, Ochako, and Tsuyu all went ashen.

"To be clear, we aren't certain that he's actually selling the bullets. At this point, their efficacy appears to be questionable. It's possible that they're still in the testing phase, and he's giving them out as samples to rally more people to his cause." Nighteye plainly stated. "We have no hard evidence, but we do know he's gathering allies and funds from across the nation. If the completed drug allows him to annihilate someone's Quirk entirely, imagine the devastation he could cause."

Hitomi slowly looked up through her bangs, eyes narrowing on the Hero. Something about his consistent monotone, and deadpan expression, it… it was really starting to piss her off.

"Just talking about it's enough to make my blood boil." Fat Gum snarled, clenching a fist. "Let's go get this monster!"

Hitomi moved to stand with him, only stopped by Rock Lock's scoff.

"Tch, woulda saved us a lot of trouble if these two amateurs had just gotten the girl away from him." He side-eyed Izuku and Togata.

Hitomi growled lowly, forced back in her seat by a concerned Eijirou.

"I take full responsibility. The blame should not fall on them. Even without knowing the whole story, they acted to save the child, each in their own way." Nighteye at least came to their defense. "Midoriya was willing to bear the risk of taking her then, while Mirio chose to wait for another opportunity, when success would be more likely. I assure you, nobody in this room is more frustrated than they are."

Izuku and Togata shot to their feet, their chairs flying back and clattering to the floor.

"We'll get Eri away from him next time—" Izuku started determinedly.

"And we'll protect her!" Both he and Togata declared.

"Indeed. That's precisely what we've come here to discuss." Nighteye's glasses glinted, obscuring his gaze.

Rock Lock shook his head. "You kids wanna talk big, that's fine. But if what Nighteye is saying is for real, that little girl is at the center of Hassaikai's entire underground drug operation. She may have managed to get away from Overhaul for a few minutes, but she got herself seen by a couple of Heroes. You think he's still gonna keep her at home after that? Hell, I know I sure wouldn't. And if we go bustin' into their headquarters and she's not there, they're gonna know that we're onto them. We gotta be sure of where he's hidin' her."

"He's got a point." Ryukyu admitted, and looked to Nighteye. "Do you have a plan for that, Nighteye?"

"That's our conundrum. Since we don't currently know how far they've taken their plans, the success of our initial strike is crucial. To that end, we've made a thorough list of groups with connections to Hassaikai. As well as properties owned by the organization. This is our starting point." The monitor behind Nighteye changed to a map of the region, dotted in red markers. "I would like you all to investigate each coordinate on this map. It is the most logical way to narrow down our targets."

The purpose of bringing in so many small-town Heroes made sense now, each one of them operating in one of the areas marked on the map, so investigating those areas wouldn't really arouse any suspicion.

Hitomi looked down at her lap, hands pressed against the top of her thighs, her knuckles going pale as she gripped tightly. She was halfway listening as Fat Gum valiantly argued that they should all be saving Eri as soon as possible, before he was plainly shot down by Nighteye. It was a struggle to keep calm and not let her exhales lower into growls, her frustration growing each time they were told to wait— To sit around while a little girl was being tortured.

"Excuse me, I've got a question."

Hitomi's head snapped up, her eyes zeroing in on Mr. Aizawa— who was watching Nighteye in turn.

"I don't know the specifics of your Quirk, Nighteye, feel free to correct. But from what I've heard of it, your Quirk, Foresight, allows you to see into the future. So why not use it on us. That's logical, right?"

Hitomi whipped her gaze to Nighteye, brows furrowing and ears pinned at him.

Why didn't he say so earlier?! To guarantee the girl's location all he had to do was—

"I'm sorry. But I cannot." For the first time during the meeting, Nighteye sounded bothered.

Hitomi's skin prickled, and burned.

"My Foresight has some limitations." Nighteye elaborated. "I need a full twenty-four hours between activations. That means I get one person, and then I'm spent for the rest of the day. Additionally, the future is played in my mind like a flashback. Think of it like viewing a filmstrip. For one hour, I have the power to watch a person's life as a movie. The issue is, everything I see is from a tight perspective on the person in question. This severely limits my capacity to interpret context."

"That should still provide more than enough information to be useful, don't you think?" Mr. Aizawa challenged. "And it doesn't explain why you can't do it." His voice hardened.

Nighteye adjusted his glasses. "…What if I saw imminent death in your near future. Worse… what if it were a cruel, merciless demise?"

The room was gripped in a tense silence, no one daring to speak as the Hero stared down at the table.

"So what."

There were a few sharp inhales, and Eijirou gawked at her side.

Hitomi glared scornfully at Nighteye, her fuchsia eyes burning red. "Death is expected in Hero work, it's all around us. What matters is putting aside your own fears for the safety of innocents. And yet you won't do this because you're afraid of seeing something gruesome?" Her tone was low, a darkness hanging over her expression as she scoffed at his cowardice.

How dare he. How dare he let his own fear get in the way of saving a child.

Nighteye stared back at her, his eyes shielded by his reflective glasses. "My Quirk should be employed only after we've confirmed the highest likelihood of success. Then it can help ensure our victory. It shouldn't be relied upon when there are still too many uncertainties."

Hitomi glared harder. Way to dodge around the real problem.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! The kid's right. Death is still information." Rock Lock argued. "If we know what's comin', we can figure out how to survive."

"You don't understand. It's possible what I see is unavoidable." Nighteye pressed, growing tenser each second.

Hitomi reached down and gripped the seat of her chair, her claws coming out and ripping away at the cushion.

Her fury needed someplace to go. It was this, or storm out of the meeting. And she wouldn't dare do something so childish in front of so many of her peers.

Rock Lock leaned forward, clearly getting frustrated himself. "Bro, that's the only excuse you have, for real? Oh hell no! Just use it on me now! I'll show you I can beat death!"

If she wasn't so tense, Hitomi would've cheered. She always had a good feeling about Rock Lock.

"I can't!" Nighteye snapped.

Half the room looked on at him in concern, while the rest held him in incredulous and disdainful stares.

Hitomi was firmly part of the latter.

The atmosphere was heavy between the first years, where they sat at a small table.

"He's a coward."

Izuku recoiled, frowning at Hitomi's vitriolic tone.

She snarled at the tabletop, nearly shaking in rage.

"What kind of Hero… she's a little girl…! How can he just…"

Ochako put a hesitant hand on her shoulder, clearly concerned about the uncharacteristic level of anger the pinkette was showing. But Hitomi shrugged it off.

"M-maybe there's more to it." Izuku slowly suggested, unable to keep eye contact with her. "We shouldn't pass judgment without knowing—"

Izuku, Eijirou, Ochako, and Tsuyu all flinched as Hitomi's chair was sent clattering to the floor— pushed back as she shot to her feet.

Her bangs hid her eyes, and her fists shook at her sides.

All she could think about, was Hana. Her darling baby sister, young and vulnerable.

Just like the girl they needed to save.

"Being a Hero is about making sacrifices for others. You have torn yourself apart— broken your body in countless ways, and you do it again, and again." Hitomi lifted her head, scowling at Izuku. "You're a Hero, Midoriya. My parents faced death every day, and only lost once. They were Heroes. But that man—" Hitomi pointed at the door leading into the meeting room, snarling. "That man…!" She scoffed, dropping her hand and lowering her head. Turning on her heel, she marched for the exit.

"H-Hitomi!"

"Hey, wait!"

She ignored them, slamming the door behind her. Left standing in the middle of an empty hallway, Hitomi took a second to try to even her breathing. She needed to calm down.

As if by fate, her phone dinged in her skirt pocket, drawing her attention. She was more than grateful for the distraction, and quickly pulled it out.

When she saw the contact name, she paused.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

She blinked, feeling her face warm and her tail twitch with the urge to wag. It was such a sudden and drastic change from her anger, that it left her stunned still, until it dinged again twice back-to-back, and she quickly read the messages.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(KB) If you still need help with studying
I guess we could work something out.

(KB) Because of the notes

(KB) I just oweyou for the notes

—

Hitomi stared at the messages, unable to come up with anything cute or cool to say in response— and she really felt like it needed to be cute or cool, despite having no idea why.

Which led her to frantically texting back the first thing she could think of.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(KB) I just oweyou for the notes

(HS) What did the policeman say
to his bellybutton?

(HS) You're under a vest!

—

Hitomi pursed her lips, staring at the screen, waiting—

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(HS) You're under a vest!

(KB) I changed my mind.
Never talk to me again.

—

A breathless giggle escaped her, and her shoulders loosened slightly.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(KB) I changed my mind.
Never talk to me again.

(HS) Your turn! I bet you
can't make me laugh!

—

Hitomi held her breath, hoping the second half of her text would be enough to get a rise from his competitiveness—

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(HS) Your turn! I bet you
can't make me laugh!

(KB) What's red and bad for your teeth?

—

Hitomi bit back a gasp, quickly replying.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(KB) What's red and bad for your teeth?

(HS) Cherry lollipop??

—

She didn't even notice that she was starting to smile.

(💥Katsuki!💥)

(HS) Cherry lollipop??

(KB) A brick.

—

She snorted, expression soft, and anger bated.

After taking another moment to even her breathing, Hitomi held her phone to her chest, letting herself hang on to a bit of her remaining amusement, before it slipped away in favor of her previous ire.

Right. There was a little girl out there being hurt, and they couldn't help her until Nighteye said so.

She already missed the warm happiness she felt each time her phone chimed.

The door opened and shut behind her.

"They told me you stormed off."

Hitomi sighed, lowering her head. She couldn't bring herself to turn around and face him.

"Yeah."

Mr. Aizawa put a hand on her shoulder, and this time she let herself relax into the gesture.

"I know— I know. I'm not conducting myself like a Hero. I'm not putting aside my feelings for the greater good. I'm not being rational—"

"I won't begrudge you for getting worked up. We all saw how Rock Lock took Nighteye's refusal." Mr. Aizawa interjected, sounding much calmer than she first expected. "Your firm stance on the matter isn't anything to be ashamed about. I think we all know Nighteye is making this more difficult than it needs to be, but there's nothing we can do about that."

Hitomi rounded on him, brows furrowed. "But how can he just sit here and do nothing? He chose to be a Hero, but he can't set aside his personal fear in order to save someone?"

Mr. Aizawa sighed through his nose. "I don't know the full story, but I can't imagine whatever happened to him to cause such fear, was a small thing. We all handle our trauma differently."

Hitomi winced, turning her head to the right, her scar giving a phantom throb.

But a bitter voice in the back of her head whispered vitriol, pointing out the difference between her and Nighteye. When Hitomi was faced with a traumatic experience, she persevered and regained control of her mind and Quirk. Nighteye, however, was still being held back by something.

A softer, more forgiving voice chimed in– reasoning that none of them knew the severity of the incident. The bleakest possibility could easily turn out as reality.

Mr. Aizawa sighed, languidly scratching the back of his head. "It's just our luck that the League could be involved in this."

Hitomi flinched, eyes glued to the floor.

Mr. Aizawa lifted his other hand from her shoulder, raising it and then surprising her by lowering it down on her head instead.

"I'm giving you an out."

Hitomi blinked, turning to face him.

His expression was solemn, but his eyes were intense. "I have the authority to bench you for the mission. We don't know for sure if the League has to do with any of this, and if they are, we're taking you kids out. But either way, just say the word, and I'll put a temporary suspension on your work study. I'm sure Kirishima and Fat Gum would understand."

Hitomi's eyes widened, glistening with welling tears. Her lips pursed, trembling, before she opened her mouth and gave her answer.

Three soft but steady knocks drew Katsuki's attention to his door. Glowering back at it, he huffed irritably and stood from his desk, marching over and swinging the door open with a swear on the tip of his tongue.

His expression faltered, and his voice died in his throat.

Saito stood alone, still dressed in her school uniform despite the late hour— though her blazer and bow-tie were gone and the rest was slightly wrinkled. Her head was ducked, and her hands gripped fistfuls of her skirt, shaking noticeably.

Katsuki sucked in a breath, working to rebuild the annoyed look he wore before he saw who it was.

"What do you want?"

Saito bit her bottom lip, and hunched her shoulders.

"Can… can I talk to you?"

Katsuki hesitated, finding the question too broad. Talk about what? Studying? Training? Something nonsensical? Something personal?

The thought that she might come to him over something personal, both terrified and excited him. And how fucked up was that?

He rigidly stepped to the side, silently granting her access.

He caught a weak smile grow on her lips, before she hurried inside. He shut the door behind her, and turned around to see her already pacing.

"I just—" Saito cut herself off, raking a hand through her hair. With a clear view of her face for that short moment, Katsuki saw how her skin was flushed, and her brows were furrowed. "No matter how hard I try, I just feel so…"

Katsuki crossed his arms, leaning back against his wall, undeniably curious as to what was bothering her.

Pure baseless curiosity. Not concern. It wasn't concern—

"I hate this feeling!" Saito snapped, eyes shutting tight, her hands clenching at her chest. "I feel all hot, and fidgety, and I'm sweating, and I just want to grab hold of something and—" She growled lowly.

Katsuki held his breath for a beat, swallowing down the frog now clogging his throat.

It was making him obscenely tense that she was describing exactly how he had been feeling as of late.

For unknown reasons. He had no idea who— what was causing these symptoms. No idea.

Wait.

"Why? What… made you feel like this?" Katsuki asked slowly, part of him reluctant to hear the answer.

Saito sighed deeply, a rumble coming from her chest, that bordered on a snarl.

"Nighteye."

Katsuki blinked.

"…What."

Saito threw herself into his desk chair, before changing her mind and standing again, pacing rigidly.

"That coward— he won't even use it to help a little girl! How can he even call himself a Hero?! I just—" Her words devolved into deep growling, her ears going back and her canines growing. She rounded on him, her eyes blazing scarlet. "Not even Jeanist got me this angry."

Oh.

Katsuki refrained from hitting himself, instead tipping his head back to stare flatly at the ceiling.

"You're pissed."

"Yes! Of course I am!" Saito ranted, completely oblivious to the darkening flush of his ears.

"You're pissed." He repeated under his breath, eyes closing. It took everything in his power not to toss her out of his room, just so he could have a moment alone to wallow in his mortification.

She was pissed. Not— not some other emotion he thought she was feeling.

(Not the emotion he thought she might be feeling because of him.)

There was undeniable relief that that was all that was going on, instead of… something else. But much to his frustration, there was also disappointment there too. Disappointment. Over her not coming to him to— to what? Tell him she was feeling things? That was the last thing Katsuki needed right now, to have stupid feelings get in the way of his goals. For her to have a ridiculous little crush on him, to distract him and ruin whatever little friendship he had with her.

A crush would just complicate things. But Saito clearly didn't have one, thank god. So he had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

(Deku's stupid fucking face flashed in his mind— the one the nerd wore when Saito had carried him out of the collapsed training ground. That damned intrigued and observant stare.)

Fuck. Fucking shitty ass— fuck .

Saito huffed, clearly starting to run out of steam. Her ears drooped, and her whole body deflated despondently.

Katsuki masked a wince. He contemplated what he could possibly say to her, when an idea hit him.

Ignoring her startled expression, Katsuki roughly grabbed her right wrist, dragging her behind him and out the door.

"What're we doing here?"

Katsuki didn't answer, heading towards one of the sidelined punching bags, and pushing it out into the open, in the middle of the dorm gym. Once it was swaying in front of her, he gave Saito a firm look.

"Hit it."

She blinked, and cocked her head.

(To the right. She cocks it to the right when she's confused. She cocks it to the left when she does that one smile where her eyes shut—

Shut the fuck up.)

Katsuki shook his head, making the conscious decision that his ears were not burning, so they were not turning red, and stepped back from the sandbag, gesturing to it.

"You're pissed. Take it out on something that can't fight back."

Saito frowned, looking at the bag almost guiltily. "I dunno… putting it like that kinda makes me sound like a bully."

His hands twitched, and something that seared like shame bubbled up in his stomach.

"It'll help. Trust me."

Saito hesitated, looking at him for a moment with a much too perceptive gleam in her eyes.

He remembered once overhearing some prick from 1-B say something about how unnerving Saito's eyes were. And Katsuki would have agreed once-upon-a-time, but now he recognized what a lot of other people didn't. Or couldn't.

Those wide fuchsia irises, and pale white pupils, could hone in on something and dissect it like it was nothing. That wide "unnerving" gaze, was one that too many people underestimated. Sure, she was painfully incapable of detecting social cues, especially when it came to the obnoxious amount of suitors she had falling at her feet. But put a problem in front of her, a real one, and she could find a solution in a matter of moments.

Katsuki knew even Saito herself didn't weigh her worth that heavily. And sometimes he couldn't understand how she didn't realize how smart she actually was.

"Kachan… you must really respect Hitomi, huh?"

Shut up, Deku. Katsuki retorted pointlessly at the memory.

Finally, Saito took a deep breath, settling into a fighting stance so fluidly it was clear she had it trained into muscle-memory.

The first strike resounded off the sandbag, echoing in the empty gym.

With it, her face settled into a hard look, lips pursed and brows low. It reminded him of when she would stare down him and Bald-brows, but more intense.

Two more hits, leaving the punching bag swinging, and Saito opened her mouth.

"We're not supposed to talk about the mission."

Katsuki sat himself down on a nearby bench-press, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He didn't say anything, letting her fill the silence with harsh hits and clipped words.

"So I won't tell you about the mission."

Her fist left an indent behind.

"I just— I can't—"

She growled, sweat beading her forehead.

"I can't understand how a Hero could prioritize his own comfort over someone in need of saving."

She threw a kick in.

"I mean— we've had to fight real Villains how many times?!"

The chain holding the sandbag rattled.

"All in our first year! And we've handled it just fine!"

Two more kicks.

"You and me were kidnapped for god's sake! Not to mention there's people who want me for some reason, who're still out there, and— and—"

Katsuki tensed, swearing he could see the fuchsia of her irises turn a startling red.

"And I— I hate how angry I am! I hate that I'm being expected to handle things better than this Pro Hero is! He's a goddamn adult, and he's allowed to have baggage? And what? I-I'm just supposed to— to be fine?!"

Her hands grew, and claws extended— seemingly without her notice. Her arm reeled back for another strike.

Katsuki shot to his feet.

"Why can't I be scared too?!"

Tears welled in her eyes, a snarl pulling on her lips as she sent her fist flying out.

But Katsuki caught her arm, just barely managing to stop it from hitting the bag.

The amount of force it took, made Katsuki sympathetic even to the Villains he'd seen her whale on in the past.

Saito panted, staring at him with wide eyes.

He didn't look back at her face, carefully pulling her hand open— revealing four bleeding punctures where her claws had dug in.

If she had hit the sandbag, she would have forced them in even deeper.

Saito's eyes stayed locked on her bloodied palm. After a long moment, her gaze drifted to his left palm.

Katsuki frowned, letting her go and closing his left hand in a loose fist.

"Come on."

Saito silently followed him out of the gym, her tail between her legs, and wet trails starting to mark her cheeks.

"I gave you the scars."

Katsuki grunted noncommittally, dousing a cotton ball in disinfectant.

Saito gave no reaction when he pressed it into her palm.

The two sat alone in the dark kitchen, a first aid kit open on the island counter.

He was only treating the cuts himself because it was after curfew, and they couldn't go to the infirmary.

(He had never stayed up past curfew of his own volition, save for his fight with Deku, and when he went over all of Saito's gifted notes. Yet here he was.)

"I'm so sorry." Her head hung low, her ears flat against her head.

Katsuki clicked his tongue, rummaging around in the kit until he found a roll of bandages.

Her shoulders began to shake, and he saw a drop of water fall onto her lap.

Fuck.

"It's not a big deal."

"Your Quirk—"

"Is my Quirk. I know my limitations, and what gets in my way. So don't fucking pity me, 'cause I'm already over it."

They both knew what she was feeling wasn't pity. But Katsuki didn't want to acknowledge her guilt.

As far as he was concerned, he had far more to feel guilty about than her.

She sniffled, mustering a clearly hollow smile.

"Okay."

Katsuki swallowed, tipping his head, and hiding his eyes behind his bangs.

"…fuckin' hate when you do that."

Saito cocked her head (to the right.) "Do what?" She murmured.

Katsuki scowled, wrapping her hand much gentler than his stiffness would lead you to believe.

"Make that damn face. S'fake as hell."

He wrapped the cotton around a couple times before he noticed how rigid she was. When he glanced up, he was met by a look of pure shock.

"How'd…" She croaked, unable to finish.

Katsuki shrugged stiffly, turning his attention back to the kit, searching for a pair of scissors to cut the bandage. "It's obvious."

"No. No it's not." She insisted, halfway between disbelief and something that almost sounded like panic.

Katsuki opened his mouth, before he paused, finally catching on to why she was so taken aback.

His ears undeniably seared red, and he felt something he refused to identify swelling in his chest.

Oh. So that hollow smile actually worked on people. Huh.

But not on him.

Katsuki found the scissors, wasting no time and cutting the cotton bandage. He tucked the end under the rest, and was only left with the task of putting away the supplies to distract him from the tension.

But before he could, Saito lightly grabbed his left hand with her bandaged right. With a gentle touch, she put her fingertips on the ends of his scars starting at his wrist, and carefully traced them back up to the top of his palm, so incredibly lightly.

Katsuki sucked in a breath, tensing his body to fight off a shiver.

How could she just casually do this shit? Did she have no self awareness?

Her next words made him freeze, a coldness washing over him.

"The League might be involved."

Katsuki's mouth was dry. "What?"

Saito continued to stare at their hands, slowly curling hers until it held his loosely. "The League might be involved with the mission. We don't even know if they are, though."

The League. The League of Villains.

"Not to mention there's people who want me for some reason, who're still out there, and— and—"

The League that worked together with the group that wanted Saito.

His stomach turned.

Saito pursed her lips in a grim smile, before she lifted her head and looked at him.

"…To save someone, you would do anything, right? Even if you were terrified?" Her voice trembled on the last word.

In an effort to regain some of his nerves, Katsuki arched a brow, making a show of looking offended that she would even insinuate differently. "Of fucking course I would. The fuck kind of question is that?"

The most amazing Hero wouldn't let anything stop him.

He still made no move to pull his hand away. He hoped she wouldn't think anything of it.

Saito's smile softened, her stiff posture loosening some. "I already knew you would. I just wanted to hear you say it." She took a deep breath, her eyes steeling. "I would too. That's why I can't back down from this. Mr. Aizawa offered to bench me, but I can't walk away, not when there's someone in desperate need of saving."

For a split second, Katsuki felt an overwhelming desire to talk her into sitting it out, no matter how selfish and wrong it would feel.

He also felt a burning anger toward those who even roped her into the mission in the first place. They didn't see the way Saito was always keeping one eye over her shoulder, or how she would flinch when someone stared at her cheek just a little too long. They didn't know that she was still healing mentally from Kamino, and here they were, dragging her back in.

They were first-years, damnit. Even Katsuki could acknowledge that they were still kids.

Kids who should be focused on learning how to be Heroes, not being thrown into the thick of it already. They had been through enough shit, and it wasn't even winter yet.

More than ever, Katsuki wished he hadn't failed the licensing exam. If only so that she wasn't left facing the threat of the League alone.

(Not alone. Kirishima would be there with her, same as Fat Gum and the third-year guy who recommended them. She'll be fine. She'll be f—)

"We'll be fine." Saito said, unclear whether it was to him, or herself.

Katsuki turned his head to the side. "Right."

Saito released his hand, and hopped down from the stool.

He wanted to kick himself for noticing how cold his hand felt without hers holding it.

Immediately once on her feet, Saito swayed, yawning widely.

Katsuki couldn't help but roll his eyes, grumbling when he spotted the time on the oven clock.

"It's fucking late."

"You say that word a lot." Saito mumbled through another yawn. Her exhaustion was setting in as soon as the grim atmosphere began to dissipate.

"You don't say it enough." Katsuki retorted, putting a hand in the middle of her back and pushing her along.

Though he had definitely noticed her using other swears more often. And he took a strange sort of pride in it.

"Should make a swear jar…"

"Only if shit like heck and shoot count."

Her giggle in response did more to relax him than he was willing to admit.

Saito let him guide her, eyes closing and head bobbing.

Much to his relief, she didn't seem to notice when they passed by his room and went all the way up to hers.

(A ridiculous part of him thought she might not make it to her room on her own. Besides, it wasn't a big deal to walk her to her room. It wasn't.)

He opened the door after she took too long to do it herself, and lightly shoved her forward inside.

He caught a glimpse of the interior, and wasn't surprised by what he saw. Everything was either bright or soft, and the fairy lights gave off almost an ethereal feeling.

It suited her.

Saito yawned one last time— triggering one from him, embarrassingly enough —and gave him a weak, and hesitant smile.

It was like she was afraid to part ways.

In a move that he would later blame on lack of sleep, Katsuki glowered to the side, ignoring the burning of his ears.

"What's blue and smells like red paint?" He blurted out shortly.

Saito perked up, looking at him with just a little too much expectancy.

He discretely wiped his hands dry on his pants.

"I dunno, what?"

He took a breath through his nose, closing his eyes and tipping back his head, feeling so stupid for this.

"Blue paint."

He heard a snort, followed by pails of giggles from Saito.

He peeked down at her, finding her hunched over, with a beam and flushed cheeks as she laughed.

The last of the tension clinging to him, ebbed away.

No one had to know the reason he had such a stupid joke memorized. No one had to know he had quickly combed the internet for a joke to respond to her with just hours earlier— coming away with a few left stuck in his head. No one had to know how seriously he had taken the whole exchange.

No one had to know how often Katsuki Bakugou made a concerted effort for her, especially when it was over something as stupid as making her laugh.

A laugh he could still hear in his mind, while finally laying in bed. Though, he wasn't exactly trying to sleep. Not yet.

The phone screen shined brightly in the dark room, lighting up his face as he leisurely scrolled through his camera roll.

He should be asleep. He was going to hate himself in the morning. But he needed to do something first.

Among the scattered pictures of things like his costume, meals he made— that the damn hag insisted he send her to show he was still eating healthy, as if he would suddenly stop once moved into the dorms —and videos of Hero battles and interview clips, were photos and recordings sent to him by Kirishima that he impulsively saved.

And a large chunk of them contained a flood of pink.

Katsuki clicked on the 'select' button, and started tapping away at anything that had a glimpse of Saito in it. Pictures, of her sitting next to and gossiping with Ashido at their cafeteria table, of her asleep and drooling at her desk, a candid unknowingly taken of her while in her new costume, one where she was recreating a popular dog meme. And videos, so many of which not even ten seconds long— just small snippets of her doing random tasks, or laughing, always sent to him from the redhead with an infuriatingly smug emoticon.

He would have no choice but to murder Kirishima if he ever found out that Katsuki actually saved some of the shit he sent him.

Once he had selected all of them, he scowled and flushed at the number of photos and videos there were.

His thumb hovered over the small trash-can icon.

Katsuki growled to himself the longer it took for him to press down.

This needed done. Right now. Whatever was happening needed snipped in the bud, destroyed before he did something stupid. He could put a stop to it— the conflicting thoughts and feelings, the involuntary and rebellious malfunctions in his body, the sleepless nights spent dwelling on what the hell was happening to him.

Katsuki could end this. He could make the decision to cut off this cancerous thing growing in his chest, because he had to be stronger than this. He was going to be the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen, and nothing was going to get in the way of that. Especially not something as ridiculously mundane and pathetically childish as—

Katsuki paled, and stared blankly up at his ceiling.

…For how long had he been fixated on being the most amazing? Since he was a kid it was always the number one, or greatest of all time. Now it was always the most amazing.

It had been for a while.

And he knew why.

I want to prove her right. I want to be the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen.

I want her to look at me. Only at me.

I want her to see me, and never look away.

Katsuki looked down at his phone, and still felt unable to delete anything. His thumb felt frozen, until he moved it to the side and de-selected it all, leaving everything intact.

Something sick and swirling with panic clogged his throat. All his life Katsuki had been in control. Of himself, mind body and soul, and in his future. And now, that control was suddenly gone. Taken away because he ignored the problem, for so long that now, the damage was done and irreversible.

He felt strangely lightheaded.

This was going to complicate things. This was going to get in the way. This was something he had been sure was an impossibility— a roadblock too frivolous to ever cause him trouble.

This was uncharted territory, and Katsuki had no idea how he was supposed to proceed.

How the fuck could he let this happen?

He covered his eyes with his palms, rubbing them in with a deep and wavering breath.

That's right. Hitomi Saito wasn't the one with a crush.

He was.

"Fuck."

Notes:

*Peeks around corner* So, how we all feeling?
When I started writing this, one of the very first things I knew for certain, was that Katsuki was going to be the one to fall first. As for Hitomi, she definitely likes him A LOT, she just doesn't quite understand that the way she likes him, isn't platonic. And now that Katsuki's bitten the bullet and accepted his feelings, we can get to the fun part. You best believe I'm putting that "Pining Bakugou Katsuki" tag in full effect >:D
Also, to be blunt, I'm not a fan of Nighteye. His entitlement about All Might and the successor thing always rubbed me the wrong way. And his refusal to use his Quirk on any of the Heroes just drives me up a wall. I know he was traumatized by seeing All Might's future and feels like it might partially be his fault, but when literal CHILDREN'S lives are on the line, you would expect the fully grown, professional Hero, could suck it up. Ugh. Sorry, I didn't want to go on a rant, but I just REALLY don't care for his character.

Chapter 53: Day of the raid

Notes:

Short chapter after a two month break, sorry! I'm just trying not to pressure myself (which'll just make it harder to write) But there's some original-plot nuggets at the end, so yay?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

…(Unknown Time and Place)…

Blood stained her mouth and hands, smeared on her cheeks, nose, chin, and neck— and dripped from her elbows to the coated tips of her fingers.

The metallic taste tainted her tongue, clogging up her sense of smell from the inside. Or maybe she was just smelling the crimson scene she sat in the middle of.

A pair of bloodshot, and glowing red eyes stayed locked on her, expressing a fear she wasn't used to seeing in them.

"Hitomi…" He spoke slowly, as if trying to soothe a wild animal, and never once did his gaze stray from her.

Distantly, Hitomi felt hurt that he felt such an intense need to keep using his Quirk on her.

Her teacher moved cautiously, as he inched closer. He reached toward her neck, using extreme care to not touch her, as he removed the capture weapon twisted up under her chin. When he pulled it away, she saw the fabric stained in red as well.

As if the sight broke some kind of spell, Hitomi blinked, looking around at the carnage one last time, before the numbness washed away, and she truly saw it all for what it was.

A bloodbath.

Her breath hitched, tears rolling down her cheeks, disappearing into the blood covering the bottom half of her face.

"D-did I— I don't— Mr. Ai-izawa?"

When she looked desperately at him, she was again met with glowing red eyes.

Vomit soon joined the blood pooling on the floor.

…(Five Days Before the Raid)…

A giant rock wall was erected in Gym Gamma, with half the class making their way up at a time.

The accelerated speed at which Hitomi, Izuku, Eijirou, Ochako, and Tsuyu all climbed, was noticeable. It proved their work studies were largely impacting their improvement.

Once reaching the top of the ridiculously tall wall, Hitomi flopped onto her back, panting.

Her right hand stung something fierce.

"You can really tell who started their work studies, huh?" Kyoka pointed out from below.

It was easy to hear her friend, with how hard her blood was pumping. Hitomi's senses always did perform at their peak when her body was worked up.

"They picked up some tricks when they were away from here." Katsuki's voice followed, his tone gruff but considerably more tame than usual.

Sitting upright, Hitomi looked down at the blonde, just barely able to make out his face from the distance.

"The League might be involved with the mission. We don't even know if they are, though."

He was peering right back up at her.

"…To save someone, you would do anything, right? Even if you were terrified?"

Hitomi frowned, turning away. It was a moment of weakness when she told him about the League, knowing full well she was ordered not to divulge anything about the mission, let alone such a huge detail.

But Katsuki hadn't said anything. The only sign he had inside knowledge, was in the way he had mellowed about the whole work study thing. No longer did he rant about not being able to participate— instead throwing his all into the make-up program.

She couldn't deny the weight that had been lifted, though. Even if they both acted as if nothing happened, Hitomi was comforted.

She gazed down at her right palm, the bandages now roughed up, with faint redness seeping through.

The memory of Katsuki wrapping it, filled her with warmth.

…(Day of the Raid— 3:13 AM)…

The text came in the night, lighting up her phone screen with the foreboding message.

It was time.

Dressed in her pajama shorts and her father's old UA hoodie, Hitomi raced out of her room, heading downstairs.

When she passed a certain room, her stride faltered, leaving her standing in front of the door, conflicted.

By the time she made it to the common room, Izuku, Eijirou, Ochako, and Tsuyu were all there, holding their own phones.

"You got it too?" Eijirou asked, despite the answer being obvious.

Hitomi gave a single nod, brows furrowed. "Mm."

"This is it." Izuku said lowly, wearing a determined expression.

They would be gone by breakfast, gearing up and making the commute while the rest of the dorm awoke with the sun and got dressed for class, like any other day.

(But one blonde, who found a note taped to his door.

We'll be safe. I promise.

She didn't need to sign it for him to know who it was.

Katsuki folded the note, and tucked it away into the pocket inside his blazer. He went downstairs and ate breakfast, the food tasting like ash in his mouth.)

…(Day of the Raid— 8:00 AM)…

"As you know, Nighteye was able to use his Quirk on a Hassaikai member." The police chief spoke at large to the legion of officers and Heroes, all standing outside the police station nearest to the Hassaikai headquarters. "Through it, he saw underground facilities, and we believe them to be this Yakuza group's headquarters. We were also able to confirm that the girl we're trying to rescue is currently being held in one of the rooms there. Although we were unable to map out the entire layout of the underground hallways, we believe the man Sir Nighteye saw took the shortest route to our target. This is the best intel we have at the moment, concerning the Hassaikai's stronghold. It's the basis of this mission. Stay smart. These guys are dangerous, and we can expect them to bring their Quirks against us, full force."

After getting a nod from the chief, some men in suits started passing out files on the known Hassaikai members and their abilities.

Hitomi shifted, waiting for the Pros to finish up with the information.

"Hey, Hitomi?"

She looked to Eijirou. "Hm?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I was just wondering how you were feeling about all this."

Hitomi cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Your parents busted a lot of Yakuza, right?"

Hitomi blinked, catching on to what he was alluding to. She looked down at her (now healed) hand, transforming it into a clawed paw— something she once thought was impossible.

It seemed like she was still taking after her parents in a lot of ways.

"Yeah… hopefully I don't let them down."

Eijirou gave her a slap on the back, grinning. "Don't worry, you're gonna do great!"

Hitomi cracked a smile, taking a deep breath, and releasing it, along with her Quirk.

"Mmm, I'm getting nervous." Ochako spoke up next to them, shifting side-to-side.

"No joke. First detective work, and now we're cooperating with the police." Tsuyu put a finger to her mouth. "There's so much I don't know…"

Hado mimicked the green haired girl's pose. "Right? So official!"

"That's true." Ryukyu agreed, splitting from the Pros to stand with the students. "Schools don't always prepare you for investigations like this. It takes some time to adjust."

"She's right."

Hitomi jumped when Kesagiri Man chimed in, surprised he was listening in on the rookie-talk.

"All the Pros seem like they're pretty chill, huh?" Eijirou commented, then clenched his fists. "So brave!"

"Hey, I haven't seen Gran Torino around here this morning." Izuku pointed out, looking to Ryukyu. "Do you know where he is?"

The woman shook her head. "Sorry."

Hitomi's ears drooped. "I kinda get the feeling he doesn't like me."

Izuku's brows furrowed, and he opened his mouth. But a different voice replied.

"He doesn't like anyone."

Hitomi yelped, and whipped around to stare at the sudden appearance.

She deadpanned upon seeing his face.

"And apparently, he won't be joining us today." Nighteye told Izuku, ignoring the look he was being shot by the pinkette.

Eijirou tried to get her attention, and decided it was best to put himself between her and the Hero, as if he thought she was just going to snap and jump him. Seeing as how the only ones who had seen her get this agitated (before the Hassaikai meeting) were Katsuki and Momo, it made a bit of sense.

"Tsukauchi's been keeping an eye on the League." The police chief explained, standing by Nighteye. "According to him, it looks like they're on the move. Fortunately, we have plenty of Heroes here, so we can afford to send Gran Torino."

"I see." Izuku hesitantly said.

Eijirou slapped Hitomi on the back again, grinning. "Maybe we can take down the Hassaikai and the League of Villains at the same time!"

She huffed a weak laugh, ears twitching. "Wouldn't that be nice."

"Yeah!" Izuku nodded along, more willing to indulge the idea that sounded too good to be true. "Let's go." He whispered to himself in an effort to get geared up.

"Not yet."

"Mr. A— uh— Eraser Head!" Hitomi's tail wagged upon seeing their teacher's sudden appearance.

"Ah— Mr. Eraser Head, sir!" Izuku croaked, shocked to see him, and that he had been heard murmuring to himself.

"I'm teaming up with Nighteye Agency for this." The man cut right to the chase. "Do you understand me?"

Izuku nodded once, brows furrowed in a steeled expression. "Yes, sir!"

Mr. Aizawa then turned to Hitomi, casually walking up next to her, and raising his hand.

"Hey."

Hitomi squawked, wincing at the swift chop on the back of her neck. She rubbed the sore spot, looking up at their teacher in betrayal.

"Remember to keep your prejudices at the door when entering a mission."

Pursing her lips, Hitomi looked at her feet. She was trying, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Yeah, I know." She inhaled through her nose, closing her eyes.

Her right hand clenched, pressing her fingers into the cuts now healed.

Even Katsuki was able to set aside his anger for the greater good. Like his exam with Izuku against All Might. He gritted his teeth and bared working with his rival, because they both needed to in order to pass.

There was a young girl in need, and it was going to take everyone's help to rescue her.

Eri comes first.

Hitomi exhaled, opening her eyes and relaxing her hand. Her fuchsia eyes were darkened almost to a red, staring ahead determinedly.

No more immaturity and bitterness. They had someone to save.

…(Day of the Raid— 8:30 AM)…

"Once they've read the warrant, then you're free to move." The police chief advised.

They stood right outside the Hassaikai base, lying in wait.

"I'm counting on everyone to act swiftly."

Rock Lock glowered. "What's with this guy? Over here actin' like we don't know our jobs."

Fat Gum sighed. "You know that's not what he means, Rock Lock. Give it a rest."

Hitomi's brow twitched.

Oh so the adults can bicker. Got it.

She shook her head to herself.

The Police chief walked up to the entrance gate, warrant in hand.

Rock Lock clicked his tongue. "The real problem is that these yakuza bastards are good at livin' in the shadows. They see all these Heroes and the police, they might just disappear—"

The police chief moved to ring the buzzer, when the gate bursted open, a giant muscular man wearing a strange bird mask launched through, his fists covered in metal gloves.

In a flash of green sparks, Izuku grabbed the policemen in the path of the yakuza member, and jumped away.

Mr. Aizawa gripped his capture weapon, unfurling it and pulling down his goggles over his eyes.

Hitomi stood in a low stance by Fat Gum, eyes wide and canines growing large in her mouth.

"Whaddaya want?" The yakuza member grumbled tiredly. "It's too early for visitors." He stood to his full height.

Hitomi grimaced. Even in her new and bigger Akita form, she would only be about as tall as him. Not to mention the man looked like he was entirely made of muscle.

"Aw man! You kiddin' me?!" Rock Lock snapped. "How do they already know we're here?"

"No time for questions, let's go!" Mr. Brave used his Quirk, pulling hair from his head which turned into blades.

"That's good, I'm waking up a little." The thug reared back an arm, which bulged and grew even stronger, veins popping.

"Brace yourselves!" Ryukyu put herself between the yakuza member and the rest of them.

"Why're you people here?!" The man raged as he threw his punch.

Ryukyu transformed, her dragon form easily taking the brunt of the blow. Her clawed hand held his fist, keeping him still.

"Listen to me!" Her deep voice boomed. "We shouldn't split up too many of our forces yet. The Ryukyu Agency will take care of this Villain." She lifted him by his fist, and slammed him into the ground. "The rest of you, go!"

"You heard her! Everyone move, come on!" Fat Gum urged, ushering along Hitomi, Eijirou, and Amajiki.

"Well that escalated quickly." Eijirou commented as he ran next to the pinkette, trying to sound unshaken.

Ahead of them, the police chief charged in through the main gate with Nighteye, brandishing the warrant and reciting the rights.

"It feels familiar." Hitomi said, thinking back to I-Island, and more so the summer camp. "Do you think we'll ever get used to it? All the panic and nervousness?"

Will we ever stop being scared? She mentally tacked on.

"You learn to adapt to it, but the adrenaline and nerves are always there." Fat Gum cut in. "If they weren't, you'd get sloppy, and careless. They're a good thing to have, trust me."

Kesagiri Man, Rock Lock, and a few others all led the way, knocking down and out any thug that was between them and the door to the lavish house

Nighteye split from the chief once he finished reading the warrant, running up next to them and Fat Gum.

"Quickest route, let's go! Let's get to the girl!" Fat Gum crowed.

"We're comin', kid!" Eijirou declared confidently.

Hitomi nodded sternly.

Hang in there just a bit longer, please, Eri!

…(Day of the Raid— Unknown Time and Place)…

"She's part of the charge."

On a monitor, the image of the Heroes charging the base was shown. With a click, it zoomed in on one pink haired individual.

The blonde woman cupped her flushed cheeks, smiling at the feed.

"Look at that new costume. Silver and gold accents… she's just too precious."

"I don't have time for this."

She lost the loving look on her face, frowning at the man in the green and purple jacket.

"What did you want, Madam? In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a bit occupied at the moment." Chisaki grumbled impatiently.

The woman who went by Madam, sighed. "You're so boring, Birdie."

His eyes narrowed. "Cut to the chase."

And hers sharpened. "Watch your tone. Remember who's funding half your little experiments."

"I don't need your funding anymore, frankly. We make plenty selling our wares on the black market."

She huffed a derisive laugh. "Right, and who's one of your largest buyers?"

Chisaki didn't answer.

"Now, as for your question, I'm here to make something abundantly clear." The woman simpered, before her hand shot out and gripped the tip of Chisaki's mask, pulling him in close.

He gave a minute flinch, grimacing as redness and hives started to crawl up his neck.

The woman smiled coldly. "You can do whatever you wish to any of the Heroes and police, but not a hair on my darling's head will be harmed. Understood?"

"Yes." He hissed, if only to get her to let go.

If it was anyone else, he would've taken their arm off for daring to come near him. But this was theMadam. He wasn't suicidal.

"Good!" She chirped, releasing him. "I just wanted to make sure we agreed. The last group I employed went and marked up her beautiful face. And if I didn't have more need for them, I would've returned the favor already." She sighed dramatically. "Alas, they have two Quirks I need for the extraction plan, come December. So they're off the hook for now."

Chisaki couldn't help but scratch at the redness, shaking with rage he managed to control just enough to only spit vitriol, instead of making a physical attack.

"Your obsession is psychotic. You know you won't ever have the relationship you want with the damn kid."

The woman smiled sweetly, unshaken by his words. "Oh I know it'll take some persuasion to get her to see things my way, but I have a feeling that once I show her what really went on with her parents, she'll be so desperate for love, she'll cling to the first adult to give her affection. Me."

"And what if your little loose end gets to her first?" Chisaki challenged in a snarl.

The woman's expression dropped, her eyes chilling.

"He wouldn't dare. He knows what will happen to him and his little husband if he even considers it. He's behaved for the better part of two decades, after all, so I don't believe I have anything to worry about."

The ceiling above them rumbled, shaking dust down.

The woman sighed again, regaining her carefree attitude. "Ah, well, I have to go before anyone sees me. Remember what I told you, no harming my sweet girl. But if the opportunity arrives, take her. Though I doubt you'll manage that." She reiterated and remarked on her way to the door, waving lazily over her shoulder. After exiting the room, she peeked her head back in with a grin. "Oh, and if you get arrested, don't speak a word of my business, unless you'd like to be painted across the walls of your cell. Toodles!"

Chisaki watched her leave, only feeling as if he could finally breathe once she was gone.

He should've followed his grandfather's lead, and stayed far away from the Madam and her dealings.

"She can do whatever it is she promises you— make you rich, famous, healthy, loved, whatever it may be, but the price is damning. Whatever it is you want from her, you're better off never having."

Like a genie. And he made the mistake of rubbing the lamp.

Well, no time for regrets. Now he needed to focus on getting Eri out without getting caught.

And make sure none of his lackeys were idiotic enough to hurt the UA girl.

Notes:

Chisaki's a punk-ass bitch and not even his fellow Villains respect him.
BNHA needs more genuinely scary female Villains. Not sexy Villains. Not cute Villains. I wanted to throw in a seriously fucking threatening lady Villain. So, here you go!
Also, I wanted to write a bit of interaction between Hitomi and the police, because as previously mentioned (though briefly) Riku's side of the family is largely in the business of law enforcement, but there wasn't any place in the chapter that I could squeeze it in comfortably without disrupting the flow, so just assume that it happened at some point behind the scenes lol.
Anywho, god this chapter gave me trouble. You wanna know when this doc was made? March 4th. I've been working on it since March. I dunno why writer's block hit me so hard for this, I mean, mid April was when I wrote the whole freaking guideline for my JJK fic. It's just something about this arc, I think.

Chapter 54: The doppelgänger

Notes:

First of all, hi. I know it's been a really long wait and for that I'm sorry. Last year we had multiple deaths in the family, one of which was a horrible accident that we are now pursuing a legal case over, so suffice to say I haven't been all that motivated to write for a bit now. I could've forced something out, but it wouldn't have been anything worth reading. On a less somber note, I've also been wanting to take things slow as the manga is coming to a close, and once it does I'm planning on sitting down and making a definitive final draft for the rest of this story. I can tell you I already know how Hitomi's character is going to end, but I want to take into account the canon ending as well. Updates will still be slow as I get back into the groove of writing, so please bear with me on that. All that being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The front of the property was swarming with yakuza, who wasted no time throwing themselves at Heroes and police in an effort to slow them down. It quickly showed them just how serious Chisaki and his men were about keeping hold of Eri.

A few Heroes— of which included Mr. Brave and Kesagiri Man —hung back, helping the police with rounding up the lesser criminals, while the rest of the team busted inside the large estate without pause.

"Hate to just barge in like this, but we're kind of in a hurry!" Fat Gum declared, as they ran straight down the first hallway that greeted them. "Haven't seen any signs of suspicious activity yet!"

Well, save for the goons trying to defend the base.

"Same here. But hey, we're in it now, right? We got no choice but to see it through." Rock Lock reasoned.

"Is it possible that somebody leaked our plans for the raid?" Amajiki broached grimly. "There must be a reason they all came pouring out like that."

"No, if there had been a leak, I think they would be fighting more cohesively. Groups like this are used to working together." The chief of police panted, breath labored as he was not used to the speed and amount of stamina the Heroes had.

"There's nothing that matters more to these guys than their bond with their boss and their brothers. Being a part of the underworld only makes loyalty that much more sacred to them." Eraser Head rationalized. "All those people outside, but we haven't caught sight of the top brass yet… They're probably underground hiding, or getting ready to flee."

Eijirou growled in frustration. "How's that supposed to be loyalty?! Forcing their henchmen to fight for them while they run away isn't manly at all!"

"I doubt they're being forced."

"Eh?!" Eijirou sputtered.

Hitomi looked down as she ran. "In a messed up way, they're kinda like some big family. I'm sure a lot of them volunteered to stay behind and fight, that way the higher-ups can get away. The yakuza run on respect and trust, enough so that laying down their life for their leader is just something that's widely accepted by them as a likely possibility."

"Man, that's so twisted!" Eijirou shook his head in disgust.

Hitomi frowned, keeping to herself that she thought such dedication— while misplaced —was admirable. How was it any different between which side they were on? Hitomi could safely say she would risk her own life to protect that of her friends, and even had chances in the past to prove it. Many members of yakuza organizations were lost souls looking for a purpose, and what's more, a sense of community. When offered both by someone it's easy to give in, grow attached to others in your position, and to pledge yourself to the leaders the same way a child would stand by a parent. If the yakuza could provide security when no one else did, it made it easy to understand their fierce loyalty.

"This is it!" Nighteye stopped, standing in front of a cubby in an inconspicuous wall, housing an equally innocuous potted bouquet. "There's a device here that opens a hidden passage." He shoved the vase aside, prodding at the wood planks under where it sat. "You press down the floorboards in a specific order, and then…"

The cubby slid to the side, revealing a passage. And of course, henchmen came pouring out. Centipeder and Bubble Girl launched into action, beating down the half-dozen crooks.

"We'll make sure these guys don't follow! You go on ahead!" Bubble Girl assured her boss, easily apprehending her share of yakuza.

"You heard her!" Nighteye charged into the now empty passage, the rest following.

"We'll catch up when we can!"

The passage went down a long flight of stairs, taking them deep beneath the building, ending in a fork to the right at the bottom. But the hallway ended abruptly there, a wall cutting them off.

"It looks like a dead-end! So, what now?" The police chief stressed.

"So much for your Foresight, Nighteye!" Rock Lock snapped.

Hitomi blinked, ears going back as she noticed the odd texture on the wall, compared to the rest. It almost looked… stretched out.

"I have an idea!" She ran ahead, whipping out a baton. Leaning close, she pressed an ear to the wall, and hit it with her baton twice.

The hits echoed behind it, bouncing down the rest of the hidden hallway.

She grinned. "It's hollow behind the wall! The path's just been blocked off."

Togata joined her, taking off his helmet and sucking in a breath, cheeks puffed out as he stuck his head through, using his Quirk. He pulled back a second later, expression serious.

"She's right, there's more passed this blockade. Unfortunately it's pretty thick, so breaking through it's not gonna be easy."

Hitomi perked up, turning to look at her two classmates.

Izuku nodded once, adjusting his stance, while Eijirou hardened his skin.

"What a cheap trick!" Fat Gum growled.

"If he did this, it's gotta mean that we're on the right track!" Izuku determined.

"This Chisaki guy's an idiot if he thinks a dumb wall will stop us!" Eijirou crowed, charging at the wall, with Izuku right beside him, his body crackling in green sparks.

Eijirou punched through, and Izuku kicked with his metal soles. Despite the wall being a foot or so thick, they broke a hole through in one shot.

With an opening still crumbling, Rock Lock gave them an appraising look.

"Hey, that didn't suck."

"I'll say! They beat me to the punch! This batch of rookies is lookin' promising!" Fat Gum grinned proudly.

"We need to keep moving." Togata leapt through the hole, running ahead.

Hitomi stopped, confused as a new scent filled the air. Sweat and leather suddenly encapsulating them out of nowhere. Before she could say anything, the hallway around them started to warp and wave, moving like living clay.

"What's going on?!"

"Everything's twisting!"

Hitomi's hands shifted into paws, which she slammed into a wobbling wall. She tried digging her claws in, but despite the way it was moving, it still had the hardness of concrete.

"Iranaka's Quirk, Mimicry, lets him enter objects and control them as he would his own body!" The police chief reminded them of one of Chisaki's top henchmen. "He must've gone into the halls down here and made this a living maze!"

That would explain what she smelled, almost overwhelmed by it.

"It shouldn't be possible on this scale!" Rock Lock argued, struggling to keep balanced like the rest of them. "He's not supposed to be able to control anything larger than a damn refrigerator!"

Hitomi gritted her teeth, widening her stance to stay upright. "The drugs! We've seen them use Quirk enhancements before!"

"Dollars to donuts, he's using one of 'em!" Fat Gum concurred. "I was ready for just about anything, but I didn't expect a whole building to turn against us. Still, controlling something this big's gotta be wearin' the guy out. Eraser Head! Can't you stop him?"

"I can't do anything without seeing his real body!" Her teacher's head turned vigilantly, trying to spot any sign of the Villain.

"They can warp the path forward if they want, but as long as we know the direction of our goal, I can still reach it!" Togata charged, sprinting off without them.

"Lemillion!" Nighteye called after him.

"Come back!" Izuku panicked.

"Speed is what matters right now! Those guys know it too, that's why they're stalling for time. I'm going on ahead!" Togata phased through the next wall put in their way, disappearing from sight.

"Wait—"

Hitomi grabbed Eijirou as he tried to follow, shaking her head with sweat beading her face.

"He's right! Lemillion's the only person who can give chase right now with any hope of catching up. Remember what Mr.— what Eraser Head told us! He's the closest thing we've got to replacing the number-one. He'll be fine!"

Eijirou grimaced. "Yeah, but—"

He never got to finish his sentence, as the floor opened up in a gaping maw under their feet, dropping them all down into the next floor below. The opening closed up as soon as they were through, leaving them without a way to get back.

"Now where are we?" Izuku fretted, looking around.

"Somewhere even farther from the target. Those guys are really screwing with us." Rock Lock growled.

Hitomi's hackles rised, and she whirled around to face the only doorway, snarling.

"Well, what have we here? Looks like some state-authorized thugs crashed our party! Isn't that strange?" A yakuza member wearing a sack over his head taunted, standing with two other men, one wearing a cold-mask, and the other wearing a beak-like one.

Amajiki clenched his jaw. "These guys just want to slow us down. Go on, I can handle them myself."

"You don't have to! We'll work together!" Eijirou protested.

"Please, everyone stay! I'll kill you all." The blonde one with the beak mask brandished a sword.

"Setsuno! We can't use our guns on him. It's up to the Pros." The police chief warned his men.

Right, his Quirk was Larceny. He could steal anything he laid his eyes on.

Hitomi discreetly covered her compact batons.

"You've done your homework. Oh well, that just means I'm free to let loose!" Setsuno lunged.

"Think again. Lay down your sword." Eraser Head unfurled his capture weapon, eyes glowing red and hair whipping up.

Setsuno stumbled, staring at his empty hand in shock. "My Quirk!"

The muscular one wearing a standard cold mask pulled out a pistol, aiming it at Eraser Head.

"I'd heard a Hero with your abilities existed. But our job's to slow you down. Quirks or no. We still have fists and weapons."

"Fight all ya want, but swords and bullets just sink into my body! You have no hope of beating us, so why even bother?!" Fat Gum was seemingly out of patience.

"Big talk, but you just sound scared to me, Hero." Setsuno mocked.

Hitomi snarled, hands twitching as her claws unsheathed.

Her fury was noticed by the yakuza wearing a bag over his head, who tensed and nudged the one holding a gun, nodding discreetly at her.

"Girl with the Akita Quirk." He mumbled to his comrade, barely audible, and only caught because of her keen senses.

Her fur ruffled further, a pit sinking in her stomach as to why she would be pointed out in all of this.

Unless… the League—

"Eraser canceled their Quirks, we can use our firearms!" The police chief instructed his men, raising a gun of his own. "Surrender yourselves at once!"

Amajiki jumped into action, transforming parts of himself into a giant clam shell, and octopus tentacles. He easily wrapped up the three yakuza members, disarming them.

"I read all about these guys in the briefing." Amajiki slammed the men into the wall. "I can take these three on. We eat tons of takoyaki at the Fat Agency, so Octopus has become one of my specialties. And you know, I gotta say I'm pretty down on guns since I was shot in the street." He changed the tentacle holding the weapons into a crab claw, crushing and destroying the guns and blades.

"Hold on, Suneater!" Eijirou fretted.

"It's not smart for all of us to fight them. They want as many Heroes stalled here as possible. Let's just give them one. We should save all your Quirks— especially Eraser Head's, for later! You'll need to be operating at one-hundred percent to get through those moving hallways! Fat Gum, I know this is something I can do on my own!" Suneater implored his mentor.

Hitomi stared in amazement, stunned by the sudden shift in demeanor. Amajiki went from quiet and subdued, to loud and confident.

And Fat Gum was clearly in agreement, heading for the door.

"Let's go!"

Hitomi was the first to follow him.

"Hold on!" Eijirou waved his hands around, halting her.

"Hey, wait! Where're you goin—" Setsuno reached out a hand, and was foiled again by Eraser Head's Quirk.

On their way out, the homeroom teacher unceremoniously struck the bag-wearing member in the back of the neck, knocking him out in a flash.

"Amajiki, you need to move fast." Eraser Head advised, his hair falling back down. "Beat them before they can fight back!"

He and the rest of the Heroes and police all ran out the exit, leaving only two people lagging behind at the sound of their upperclassman's voice.

Suneater called to them over his shoulder. "Before you go! You have to take care of Mirio! He's definitely going to try too hard. So please keep him safe."

Both Hitomi and Izuku lingered for a second longer, before nodding.

"Mm!"

"We promise!"

With that, they raced out of the room, following their team, and leaving Suneater to deal with the Villains on his own.

"Oh man, Amajiki… I'm really worried about him." Eijirou scowled ahead as they all sprinted down the painfully long corridors.

Hitomi's brows furrowed. "You saw him take out that thug back in Esuha, I'm sure he can handle himself. Just trust him."

But neither Eijirou, nor Izuku looked too convinced.

"Ōkami's right!"

Hitomi, Eijirou, and Izuku all jumped at Fat Gum's aggressive tone.

"You've left a comrade to guard your back, and if you're a real man, you'll trust him!" The Hero declared seriously.

"Yeah, he'll handle it, no problem!" Eijirou immediately agreed.

A bead of sweat dotted Hitomi's forehead. "That's what I just said…" She deadpanned.

Izuku huffed a weak laugh.

Fat Gum nodded. "We can't afford to waste even a second of the time Suneater bought us!"

"Alright, let's go!" Eijirou crowed, pumped up.

"Strange… the guy who was manipulating the building seems to have eased off for some reason." Aizawa observed suspiciously.

Hitomi looked around, only now noticing that the walls and floor were no longer warping.

"Yeah, you're right." Izuku frowned, clearly bothered as well.

"Maybe the drug ran out?" Hitomi suggested hopefully, wanting it to have an explanation that didn'tspell trouble for them.

The teacher hummed. "Maybe. Or it could be that his awareness and control doesn't extend through the entire place. There's also the police squad up above. It's possible he decided to focus all his attention on them instead."

"Why would he do that? We're the ones on his boss's tail." Hitomi asked, skeptical that the yakuza would divert any attention to the lesser threat to them.

"There is another possibility. It's just a theory, but maybe rather than having been assimilated into it, he's moving around inside the walls to monitor what's going on. So when he does take control of an area, perhaps his true body is nearby. If he pokes an actual eye or an ear out to keep track of us, that'll be all it takes. I just need to see him."

A shiver ran up Hitomi's spine, her hair and fur standing on end. Her breath hitched, and before she knew it, she was leaping toward their teacher.

In the same instant, a pillar shot out from one side of the hallway, and an opening formed across on the other wall. The pillar hit Mr. Aizawa, moving to push him into the hole.

Hitomi was reaching for him, time seeming slowed.

A muscular arm snaked around her middle, yanking her back and holding onto her tightly.

"Stop!" Izuku gripped her fiercely to him.

She watched as Fat Gum and Eijirou both lunged to save Mr. Aizawa, just barely managing to shove him out of the way, before the two of them were sent through the wall in his place.

The hallway fell silent, the remaining five of them all staring at where the two once were.

Hitomi blinked, it was like her brain was lagging, gears clanking as they struggled to turn, processing what just happened. Then, she snarled.

She rounded on Izuku, fangs bared and ears back. "What was that?!"

Izuku flinched, hands shooting off of her midriff as if burned. He stepped back, stammering.

"I-I just— I didn't want you to get hurt!"

Her chest rumbled, growls rising from deep within as she was left to seethe, every instinct in her body screamed at her that she needed to be with them, to help them. It was a feeling she knew well, and truly hated. It overwrote all reason, leaving her simply with the burning desire to protect.

"You're loyal. Like a dog." Nori's voice snorted in her mind, words spoken in jest when they were children. She couldn't remember the exact cause, just that it had been one of the first instances that she could remember that she growled at someone.

Her body rolled with shudders as she breathed through bared teeth, trying to fight her body from slamming itself through the wall to go after them.

Izuku watched her apprehensively, hand moving briefly outwards, like he was reaching to comfort her. But in a flash he made a strange expression, pursing his lips as if he was fighting to keep from saying something, ultimately dropping his hand.

"That's enough. We don't have time for this." Nighteye butted in, impatient.

Hitomi clenched her fists, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

She was already on edge enough because of the League's involvement, and the stakes of the mission. Now their numbers were dwindling down, with her whole team now split up. But she shouldn't be taking it out on Izuku.

And if his scent was anything to go by, his actions came from pure panic and concern. He didn't doubt her strength as a fledgling Hero, he was a boy trying to keep his friend safe.

And that was enough for the rage to simmer out.

"We don't have time to retrieve Fat Gum and Red Riot! They'll have to face off alone." Nighteye ordered, inciting them to keep moving, leading the charge thanks to his long legs and agile speed. "Hurry! We need to catch up to Mirio, fast!"

But no more than ten steps ahead, the walls around them started undulating, resembling some kind of living gelatin once more.

"No! Again?!" Izuku gasped in dismay. "It's moving! The ceiling, the walls— everything!"

"They're closing in, fast!" One of the few policemen that was still with them panicked.

"He's trying to crush us." Mr. Aizawa looked around frantically, in hopes of spotting the Villain and negating his Quirk.

Hitomi's ears sat flattened to her head, eyes wide and throat closing up. As the hallway grew tighter, she could feel leather straps binding her arms and legs— could taste the metal of blood and steel in her mouth, keeping it muzzled shut.

Her right shin and cheek flared a red-hot burn.

"We'll be flattened like damn pancakes!" Rock Lock offered that unpleasant image.

"Rock Lock, do something!" Nighteye demanded amidst the panic.

"Stop giving orders! This is all your fault! Listenin' to you is what got us into this mess!" Despite his anger, Rock Lock slapped a hand against the wall. "Fine, this ought'a do it! Deadbolt!"

Even with the imminent threat of being crushed to death, and her overwhelming surge of awful memories, Hitomi couldn't help but be reminded of the way Katsuki would always yell about not being told what to do, before doing exactly as he was told.

And the brief flash of once-cold— but now softened —carmine eyes in her mind, loosened the vice constricting her chest.

Katsuki would be able to handle this. I can too.

With the use of his Quirk, Rock Lock made the walls and such all freeze in place.

"Once I lock something down, it ain't going anywhere! Come on, let's go! This stretch won't shift around anymore! It's narrow, but deal with it! My Security Max Deadbolt is strong, but it can only hold so many spots. I'm already hitting my limits." Sweat beaded Rock Lock's face, his expression strained.

The peace didn't last— a portion of the wall he didn't lock down came shooting out ahead of them, dangerously fast.

But Izuku sparked into action, kicking apart and demolishing the wall with a single kick.

"Ōkami!"

Hitomi whipped around, startled by her teacher's call.

"Can you detect any sign of the Villain within the walls? His scent? His breathing? We need to know where he is." Mr. Aizawa's voice was strained with the high tension bearing down on them, but he still kept it measured, keeping his stress from coming out at her through his tone.

The small act of gentleness towards her during a moment of extremely high tension was something she would think back on later, and feel a soft warmth deep in her chest.

Shaking her head lightly in an effort to give this her peerless focus, she hurried to scan the area. She closed her eyes, nose and ears twitching, trying to drown out all the yelling and varying scents around her.

"We're not making any progress here! He just keeps cornering us!" Rock Lock grunted, trying to lock down more space.

But what was left that remained free, was heading for them, intent to crush them once and for all.

Hitomi's ears flicked, rotating on her head as she picked up a muffled groan of exertion, much like Rock Lock's. Along with that, a heart thumped, racing faster and faster. And underneath it all, was the faint scent of desperation.

Her eyes snapped open, and she turned toward her teacher.

"I— I think he might be running out of power!"

Mr. Aizawa looked to her, his eyes hidden by his goggles, but gaze still bearing down heavily with quiet desperation. "You're sure—"

The hallway trembled as Izuku kicked down the last pillar that was reaching for them. But disconcertingly, with its destruction, the parts once warping toward them, all retreated suddenly, leaving a wide expanse of space in a perfectly average looking hallway.

"What do you think they're planning this time?" Another policeman asked nervously.

Again, in an instant every hair on Hitomi's body stood on end, and a wave of unease overtook her. Before she even realized she moved, she was across to the opposite end of the hall, away from Rock Lock, Nighteye, and the police, with the back of Izuku's mask grasped in her— now clawed —hand, to drag him with her. Mr. Aizawa acted fast as well, joining her and Izuku as a wall came down, separating the three of them from the rest of the team.

As the dust settled, Hitomi slowly came out of the hyper-focused state she was in, stiffly letting go of Izuku.

"That was close." Izuku rubbed his neck, likely sore from the way she had jerked him out of the way before he was crushed.

"I owed you one." Hitomi mustered out, panting softly from the sudden leap. Upon catching her breath she offered him a weak smile, unsure herself who it was meant for.

He smiled back more convincingly, then checked on their teacher.

"Are you alright, Mr— I mean, Eraser Head?"

The man nodded, looking around suspiciously. "Why would they bother separating us now, though?"

"You guys okay on your side?" Rock Lock called loudly out from the other side of the wall.

"We're good, Rock Lock!" A policeman called back, even more muffled.

Hitomi frowned. "It sounds like Rock Lock and the police squad got separated from each other too."

"I suspect something nefarious is at play here. They have a plan. Stay alert! Prepare for anything!" Nighteye shouted loud enough to be heard, sounding as muffled as the policeman did.

"Yeah, yeah, we heard ya." Rock Lock snarked back, just loud enough for Hitomi to catch.

She looked to their teacher for instructions. "Now what do we—"

"Wha— Lockdown!"

Hitomi stiffened, keening her ears to the wall on Rock Lock's side.

Izuku noticed, brows furrowing. "Hitomi?"

"Sh." Mr. Aizawa shushed him quickly, watching the pinkette.

Then came a muffled accusation from the isolated Hero.

"You're with the League, aren't ya?"

Hitomi paled, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"What do you hear?" Mr. Aizawa asked tensely, unspooling his capture weapon.

Rock Lock gasped, before a different voice spoke up.

"Shh… 'fraid not. Today I'm a trusted member of the old-school yakuza. A nasty little gangster girl. One who's out for blood."

Bile touched her tongue, as Hitomi reeled back away from the wall, staring blankly at it in stunned horror. The sickness swirling her stomach only got worse when the metallic tang of blood reached her nose.

"She's here…" Hitomi whimpered through her hands. Her scars seared so badly that she briefly and deliriously wondered if they had reopened somehow.

"Step back!" Izuku leapt into action, kicking through the wall.

Selfishly, Hitomi wished he hadn't done so. Desperate to keep whatever barrier she could between her and—

"Rock Lock!" Izuku cried out.

The Hero was unconscious on the ground, bleeding from a stab wound in his left side.

And leering over his body, was a doppelgänger.

"Hey! This imposter clone just appeared out of nowhere and attacked me! Be careful!" The fake— the liar— the Villain tried to mislead them.

Hitomi felt cold.

The face perfectly matching the one belonging to the man on the ground, twisted in a feigned look of warning.

"I bet there are more enemies nearby." The imposter set its eyes on Izuku, glinting familiarly. "Midoriya, are you o—"

Something snapped.

A salmon pink boot with a silver sole moved in a blur. It connected with its target— the imposter's jaw —with a sickening crunch. The fake Rock Lock went flying across the room, landing and sputtering as it cradled its bleeding mouth.

Izuku gasped, stunned. But Mr. Aizawa didn't give a surprised reaction, simply diving to tend to Rock Lock's wound.

"Rock Lock doesn't carry a knife. And he definitely doesn't smell like a fucking maniac." Hitomi's voice carried cold and gravelly, her hands transformed into large muscular paws, while the fuchsia of her eyes darkened to a blazing crimson.

The hit felt borderline euphoric. As demented as it sounded, the thought of finally hurting this imposter back was so tantalizing that it washed over her fear, drowning it out. Hitomi hadn't even realized the true extent of her anger, until now. Until she had the source of the scars that marred her flesh here, right in front of her.

The imposter staggered to its feet, pulling out the knife it clearly stabbed Rock Lock with, and whirled around.

Mr. Aizawa's eyes flashed, his hair flipping up.

And in an instant, Hitomi was staring back at the true face of the Villain.

Himiko Toga gave her a look of pure contempt, licking up the blood dribbling from her mouth.

"Only my friends are allowed to make me bleed."

Acidic hatred burned in Hitomi's veins, body static with electric fury.

A slightly deranged grin, matching a certain blonde's, twisted her face as she growled words she meant from the bottom of her heart.

"I am going to tear you apart."

Notes:

So, sorry that it probably feels like we're just retreading the arc at the moment, I know it can get boring quickly. But I promise Hitomi serves a huge purpose being in this arc, and she'll get time in the spotlight shortly. And it's going to have some serious impact on her personal arc as a whole.
And I know about the change to Rock Lock's name, but we're sticking to the original in this because I ain't copyright's bitch.
Anyway, I hope the next update is out sooner than this one, but if I've learned anything recently it's that shit's unpredictable, and you really can't commit to something with full certainty. That said, I've got this arc pretty well outlined, so it shouldn't take abhorrently long.

Chapter 55: Something locked. Something broken open.

Notes:

Kinda insane BNHA is coming to a close soon. Just to cover all bases, if Bakugou gets paired with anyone at the end then I'll have to obviously ignore/rewrite it in this work or figure something else out.
Also a bit of a content warning on this one, we're going the goriest we've gone so far.
(Not sure when I can update again. I've been insanely busy recently and I'm also working on an original webcomic so updates are still gonna be dicey for a while)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"What do you mean we can't touch her?!"

The annoying jerk wearing the dumb bird-mask sighed, rubbing his eyes the same way Shigaraki would when she would inevitably ask again for sushi for dinner.

But this guy was way more uptight than Shigaraki. And she already hated him for killing and disrespecting Big Sis Mag, and hurting Mr. Compress.

"Because, to put it in simple terms so you understand. You will be killed if you do." The mafia head stared them down.

Himiko huffed, crossing her arms.

"We're stronger than you think! We'll be ripped apart…!" Jin confidently said in the first half, and Himiko knew to disregard the second and frightened statement.

"She's not that strong. All she did was cry and whine when we had a hold of her." Himiko huffed petulantly, unphased by his warnings.

Something in the Overhaul-jerk's eyes changed at that.

"Besides! The people who hired us to capture her never even came to get her! They don't care! So what could even be so special about her?" Himiko pouted, growing antsy as they all stood around in some dumb office talking about boring stuff.

They were practically torturing her! Izuku was in the same building as she was right now, and they were wasting time being told specifically "not to hurt the girl with the Akita Quirk". What did it matter, anyway?

"You think I'm bluffing?" Overhaul-jerk arched a brow, his voice a little too cocky for her liking.

With a snap of his fingers, Overhaul-jerk summoned one of his lackeys to hand him over a laptop. He opened it, clicked a few buttons, then turned it around to face Himiko and Jin.

A video was paused on screen, the thumbnail looking like CCTV surveillance footage of an alleyway.

"What's this got to do with—"

"Look at the date."

Himiko frowned, still wondering what an almost-decade-old recording had to do with anything.

He tapped the spacebar, and let it play.

It wasn't anything her and Jin hadn't seen before. Just two unlucky Heroes getting their comeuppance, in the form of being brutally stabbed. Himiko could appreciate the weapon of choice, though the method the attacker was using to finish them off was something she struggled to discern, it almost looked like they were—

"Okay? What's that prove?" Jin asked, able to keep a handle on saying something contradictory for once.

Overhaul-jerk closed the laptop, silencing the last of the dying cries of one of the Heroes still clinging to life.

"As far as the world is aware, this video doesn't exist."

Himiko blinked, actually wrongfooted. "Huh?"

Overhaul-jerk leveled them with a cold stare. "The Heroes in this video are Silver Shifter and Golden Geist. They were killed on duty in an unmarked alleyway, too far from any witnesses. Their murder is still unsolved, because— as far as the public is concerned —the CCTV camera recording the area was turned off for maintenance at the time."

Himiko frowned, pointing at the laptop. "But you just showed us—"

"A copy of the only recording of the crime to still exist. That's the kind of power she has." Overhaul-jerk cut her off, voice unwavering, but still holding a hint of urgency. "The kind of power to make things go away. The kind of power to silence anyone who even comes close to figuring out the truth. Even to hire the most well-known Villain organization in Japan to kidnap a girl, just to run a test trial to see how the Heroes would go about getting her back."

Both Himiko and Jin's eyes widened.

"The kind of power that means she makes the rules. And her golden rule is, if something happens to the girl known as Hitomi Saito, she's going to make us suffer in ways unimaginable even to me. Do you understand?"

Himiko swallowed, feeling much less confident than when they walked in.

Overhaul stood, adjusting his gloves (all of his lackeys in the room held their breath at the action) and again leveled them with a cold stare.

"Look, if everything goes smoothly, this will get you in her good graces. And trust me, you're going to want her as an ally." Overhaul shrugged casually. "Even your boss apparently understands her significance. Heard he wants her help in his endeavors. So you better not blow this for yourselves."

"Shigaraki knows this crazy lady?" Jin asked, surprised.

Overhaul scoffed.

"I wasn't talking about him."

Hitomi's paws twitched, claws long and razor-sharp, itching to get ahold of the girl in front of her.

Toga watched her with a narrowed gaze, her expression brimming with hatred. Her scent was overpowering with how many volatile emotions were clashing in the deranged teen's body.

Hate. Envy. Desire. Excitement. Fear…

With a snarl, Hitomi lunged before Toga could make the first move. Her right paw swiped at Toga's face, claws whistling as they cut through the air in a blur. But the blonde barely managed to duck to the side.

"Hitomi!" Izuku squawked behind her, shocked that she was charging in without hesitation.

"She still has the knife!" Mr. Aizawa called out, but made no move to intervene— too busy trying to staunch the blood in Rock Lock's side.

That much was true, Toga was still gripping a bloodied blade, twirling it around twice with experienced ease. But strangely, she was making no move to use it. In fact, Toga stood keeping the knife held as far from Hitomi's direction as she could, going as far as to point the tip of the blade the opposite direction from the pinkette once she stopped twirling it.

Hitomi's ear flicked, confusion now faintly cooling her rage. But not by much.

"Why…?"

Toga scowled, squeezing her knife tighter. But still, she wouldn't engage.

Hitomi barely managed to keep her Quirk in check— her fangs grew and her skin tingled, seconds away from sprouting thick fur as it all came bubbling to the surface. "Why did you take me? Who was behind it? Why won't you fight back?!"

Toga twitched, her yellow eyes burning with contempt, and yet she still made no move to swing her blade, thus only proving to Hitomi that something— or someone —was keeping her from attacking.

In a flash of gray, Toga was wrapped up in Mr. Aizawa's capture weapon.

"This ends now!" He yanked on the spool, jerking her over to him.

Perhaps because Toga was naked (supplying less friction for the capture weapon), or that she was unprecedentedly lithe, she was able to snake her arms out, and used them to pull back on the scarf. She used the lingering forward momentum to flip over Mr. Aizawa, and gave a swift stab into the back of his right shoulder as she vaulted over him.

"Sir!"

"Easer!"

Both Hitomi and Izuku respectively cried out in concern.

Mr. Aizawa lost some of his hold on his capture weapon, instead pulling out a twelve inch tanto blade of his own, that he swiftly used to swipe at Toga. But she dodged by ducking back, and took the opportunity to slither her way out of his reach, using the second he let go of the scarf to get free.

Toga's twisted grin shined briefly, before another wall suddenly grew down from above and separated her from them all.

"No!" Hitomi howled furiously, charging at the barrier. She slammed her fists into the concrete wall, again and again, growling louder with each hit.

Behind her, Izuku frowned, reaching out a hand and cautiously approaching. "Hitomi—"

"I need answers!" She all but screamed, rearing a leg back and kicking with all her might. All it did was make a splintering crack.

"We'll have time to get them later. Now we know the League and the yakuza are working together, meaning she won't have gone far." Mr. Aizawa spoke calmly, despite the obvious pain he was in.

With his voice Hitomi's attention was pulled back, her mind once again registering all the blood stinking up the air. She gasped, her hands shrinking back to normal and her fangs retracting.

"Are you okay?" Izuku fretted over their teacher.

"Sir!" Hitomi rushed over to him, guilt washing over her for completely forgetting he and Rock Lock had been stabbed.

"I'm fine, focus on helping Rock Lock. And get the other knife, I've heard Toga's Quirk uses blood somehow."

"Yes sir!" Izuku rushed to retrieve the discarded blade.

Blood…

She took the form of Rock Lock, after stabbing him… Ochako and Tsu said she was determined to steal some of Ochako's at the camp, and succeeded… she stole the identity of that blonde girl from Shiketsu, and Izuku later said that that same blonde had transformed into Ochako…

An image of that disgustingly full jar of her own blood— being carelessly collected in that dingy lair in Kamino, and what it could mean, infiltrated her mind.

Hitomi frowned in internalized panic at the connections she was drawing in her mind, but forced herself to stay present in the moment, reaching into her pockets and pulling out some of the first-aid supplies she brought: disinfecting wipes, cotton pads, and bandage wraps. She picked up one of her staffs, twisting the end. The last few inches unscrewed from the rest, revealing a syringe, and a small rectangular device that split in connected halves.

Kneeling at Rock Lock's side, Hitomi gently injected the needle close to the wound, slowly pushing the plunger down, administering a fast-acting localized anesthetic. Tearing open the package with her teeth, she scrubbed the area with the alcohol wipes. With a grimace, she picked up the metal rectangle, and delicately pressed the ends of both halves on either side of his wound, clicking the button on the opposite end of the device. With the sound of a snapping spring, a staple pinned that bit of the sliced skin closed. Hitomi made quick work of stapling down the rest of it, pinning his flesh together with the temporary solution.

"I see you took the HUC assessment to heart."

Hitomi paused, but quickly came to the conclusion that it made sense for their teacher to be given their scores, so as to help them work on what they needed to improve.

"Mm." She nodded, not looking up from her work now bandaging the Hero. "I asked Hatsume to add some new features to my staffs."

"Smart." Mr. Aizawa stood, stifling a small grunt.

But Hitomi caught it, and her ears flattened. "Sir—"

"It's a shallow cut. Save the supplies."

Hitomi's lips pursed tightly, biting the inside of her cheek to refrain from arguing.

As if to prove that things could only get worse, the room rumbled with a distant roar of anger just as she finished wrapping the Hero's torso, as the walls, floor, and ceiling started to crack before winding pillars of earth and concrete began filling the open space in giant writhing coils of concrete.

"Crap!" Izuku jumped back before he could be swept up and crushed.

"What do we do?!" Hitomi shouted over the noise, fearfully looking to their teacher for guidance.

Mr. Aizawa hoisted Rock Lock up over his shoulders, careful to support the man extra on his wounded side. "That yell, you heard it, right?"

Hitomi frowned but nodded, before it clicked. It wasn't a pained cry, or even a victorious one. It was furious. Something or someone must have angered the Villain in the walls, provoking him into causing such chaos.

"The voice must be Irinaka!" Izuku clued in as well, looking around for any sort of sign of the man's presence. All they needed to do was reveal in small part of him, so that Mr. Aizawa could render him powerless.

There was another rageful shout, but this time Hitomi was on high-alert, and immediately pinned her ears on the source of the noise.

"There!" She pointed up to the left at a spot on the wall near the ceiling.

Without hesitation, Izuku sparked and launched into the air. With a spinning kick, he destroyed that segment of wall, uncovering the shocked yakuza member hiding inside.

With a flash of red from Mr. Aizawa's eyes, the room finally stilled, and the man came falling from the crumbling cement.

"Sorry, yakuza!"

Hitomi tensed, whipping around.

"I think we'll do what we want after all." The Villain Hitomi now knew went by Twice, chipperly taunted the falling Villain from where he stood in the dark chasm Izuku created.

At his side, was Toga.

"Later!" The two waved, and disappeared into wherever the jagged opening led to.

Hitomi moved to follow, but a large and surprisingly strong hand grabbed onto her arm, halting her. Her frustrations only grew once she turned her head and saw green and yellow hair.

In his anger, Irinaka must not have realized he opened up the barriers separating the teams from one another. And much the same, neither had Hitomi.

Nighteye— now rather disheveled —threw one of his ridiculously heavy stamps, which soared through the air and hit Irinaka in the jaw, stunning and knocking the wind out of him all while the man was still falling.

"Catch him!"

Izuku swiftly did as he was ordered, kicking off and scooping up the Villain before landing back down.

All of his quick hopping around briefly reminded Hitomi of her Aunt Rumi.

"The League betrayed them?" Mr. Aizawa puzzled, looking out at where Toga and Twice got away.

"Seem so. And they used us to aid in their scheming." Nighteye pushed up his glasses, finally releasing Hitomi's bicep. "Though, at least we're on solid ground now."

"Two League members… acting on their own accord. What are they up to?" Hitomi's ears sat flat on her head, tail twitching in the effort to keep it from tucking between her legs. She clenched her fists, only to wince at a full sting. Opening her hands, she looked down and saw that her claws had dug into the flesh of her palms, blood seeping visibly through her light gold fingerless-gloves— and it occurred to her that it must have happened when she was punching the wall out of anger only moments ago.

Her mind flickered back to Katsuki, and the surprisingly tender way he had bandaged her hand a few nights before, even after the revelation that she was the one who hurt him— scarred him —he was so… gentle. And for some inexplicable reason, the thought of his fierce— yet at times soft —carmine eyes, and sweet smell of burnt caramel, caused a wave of ease to hit her, though only as long as she let herself drift off down this line of thought. All too soon she was being pulled back into the present, body again aching and mind again reeling.

"I'm positive Eri's bedroom is located in that direction." Nighteye pointed off down one of the only paths left in a semi-decent shape, thankfully.

Hitomi's ear twitched, and her brows furrowed. If the yakuza knew they were here for Eri, it wouldn't make sense to hide her away in the most obvious location. If she were in Overhaul's position, she would take the girl and sneak out of the building all together, while the rest of the Villain's bought some time.

"Irinaka, I want you to straighten out these hallways again, you hear?!" The police chief ordered uselessly.

But the thug only sat in his cuffs, panting like a rabid dog.

"The drugs must've worn off." Mr. Aizawa observed. "Looks like Fat Gum knew what he was talking about. Irinaka's power, it's back to normal again."

The police chief sighed. "I guess that's good news. But that was Toga and Twice just now, the League of Villains is here too."

Irinaka sat up, face red and bulging with veins. "Toga… Toga and Twice! I won't forgive you! You traitors will die!" He raged at the two that were no longer around.

"Tell us where the other League members are hiding." Nighteye pressed him.

"I don't know! But I'll find every last one of 'em! I won't stop until I've crushed all their skulls to dust!" Irinaka finished with a wild wail, wiggling and thrashing.

"I'm guessing those two are the only ones here. At least for now." Nighteye took Irinaka's word for it, as his anger seemed genuine.

The acrid smell of it nearly burnt Hitomi's nose, and she took a strange comfort to know that their enemies weren't as chummy as they had first assumed.

"It doesn't look like the Villains are gonna attack us." A policeman said hopefully, but kept his gun drawn.

"Maybe not, but they're not on our side just because they betrayed this guy." Another one hedged.

"Those criminals are wanted across the country," the police chief lifted his own pistol, "as officers of the law, we can't let them escape."

Hitomi flinched as a gloved hand lightly wrapped around her elbow. She turned her head, finding Izuku already looking to their teacher. She wasn't sure if his gentle hold was there more as a comfort to her, or himself.

"Eraser Head?" His voice held a slight quiver.

Hitomi was in the same boat, left wondering and waiting for guidance. The debrief had made it abundantly clear: if the League was involved, then all UA students would draw back— but leaving wasn't an option anymore, not when they were essentially stranded in an underground labyrinth.

Mr. Aizawa didn't respond for a few tense seconds, but before he could formulate an answer, someone else spoke up.

"Why're you fools standin' around talkin' instead of actin'?!" Rock Lock grunted from where he was put down to rest, now sat upright while cradling his side.

Hitomi was just relieved he was alright enough to keep heckling everyone.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.

Rock Lock glared fiercely. "The cops can deal with the League! You're wastin' time, so ignore them and keep on moving! Or did you morons forget our mission's top fuckin' priority?!"

"He has a point. That would be for the best." The police chief nodded to his men.

"I'll hang tight. Someone has to stay behind to keep an eye on Irinaka. And thanks to the crazy girl with the knives, I'm not goin' anywhere anytime soon." Rock Lock placed a hand over his bandage. "Well, go on! Finish what we came here to do! Ryukyu and the other Heroes up top, the cops we got separated from down here, Suneater, Red Riot, Fat Gum, Lemillion— they're all still fighting for us! You gotta know that, right? We worked too damn hard to fail that little girl now! So go on!"

Hitomi stared at him for a second, cheeks warming at his intense determination to make sure this day didn't end in tragedy. Eri needed them. That was why they were here, why this all mattered. To save a little girl from a life of pain and fear at the hands of those who should be nurturing her.

And Rock Lock thankfully gave them the kick they needed. With that vehement and stern encouragement, the team took off, following Nighteye's lead.

"We'll find her, and we'll save her!" Izuku promised over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Rock Lock!"

Hitomi sprinted faster, matching Nighteye's long-legged stride to run beside him. "Sir! Do you believe in Togata?"

The Hero gave her a sidelong look, eyes hidden by his lenses. "Of course."

"So you trust that he's caught up with Overhaul and Eri by now?" She pressed, already inching her way ahead of Nighteye.

"It's highly probable, yes."

Hitomi's expression steeled. "Then I can take us straight to them! I know Togata's scent, I can track him down!"

Nighteye didn't answer right away, his face giving no sign of any of his emotions.

But Hitomi could smell the worry clinging to him. And despite herself, she found it managed to endear him slightly to her.

"Alright. Lead the way."

Hitomi perked up, surprised that he would actually entrust this to her, but didn't let it slow her down.

Hitomi took a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing on blocking out the people running next to her. Her ears twitched, and her nose flared, seeking the scent of her upperclassman.

When she could detect no trace of him, for a moment she panicked, until all of a sudden she could smell him— grass and hair gel, before it was gone again without a trace. It hit her, suddenly, that his Quirk erased him completely from her radar when in use, not having really noticed before during their gym training because her mind was so… frazzled.

"Got him!"

The trail led them down an excessive amount of hallways, and even a masked yakuza— laid out unconscious on the ground, already beaten.

Much to Hitomi's confusion, Togata's scent suddenly stayed put, no longer flickering in and out of the air. But her confusion quickly turned to fear, as another smell entered her nose.

A metallic tang she so dearly despised.

"Oh look at my girl! Isn't she just incredible!"

A lithe man with dark hair that hung like tar, bowed his head in subdued agreement. "Of course, my lady."

The blonde woman spun gleefully in her chair, holding a tablet to her chest, squealing over the security feed coming from the Hassaikai base.

"She's doing so well for her first big-girl mission! I'm so proud!"

"Madam, if I may, shouldn't we be concerned about Chisaki being detained? He is the only supplier of some of our essentials." The man dared to point out— one of the only people under her command who had the right to speak so freely to her. An advisor's no good if he can't advise.

The woman hummed, eyes never leaving the screen. "It will be fine. If it comes down to it, I can simply entice those in the Hassaikai who aren't arrested to come work for me. Surely Chisaki isn't the only one who has a hand in acquiring all their special wares."

"Of course, my lady."

The woman grinned, tracing the screen lightly with her fingertips, where her darling girl could be seen running.

The dark haired man watched the woman he devoted his life to, and spoke again.

"With everything going on, I'm sure if we wanted to, we could take the girl now."

The woman's smile fell, replaced by impatient disappointment. "I'm afraid not." She sighed, slumping back in her chair morosely. "I need all my ducks in a row before even thinking about bringing her home. Besides…"

The man shuddered, lowering his gaze away from her, back ramrod straight.

Because the woman's eyes burned a roiling acidic green, lit with fury.

"I have to take things slowly, if I ever want her to believe me when I tell her about the real kind of people the scum that raised her was."

"Chisaki!" Togata's roared on the other side of the last wall facing them, voice full of righteous fury.

Overhaul's own voice measured an equal amount of rage. "I told you that's not my name anymore!"

With a swift kick from Izuku, the barrier between Togata and the rest of them came down.

The first thing to reach Hitomi, was the overwhelming stench of blood.

She had been growing more terrified by the second when the scent had first started tainting the air, and how the ground rumbled harder the closer they got, but she never would've expected just how bad things really were.

The battlefield was a mess of debris and spikes sticking from the ground, with all exits blocked off, keeping Togata from taking the girl and running.

When Hitomi finally laid eyes on her upperclassman, she covered her mouth with a gasp of horror.

Blood seeped from large gauges that pierced his right side, arm, and calf. His body trembled with the effort to stand, supported entirely by his left half, all his strength nearly spent.

Izuku didn't hesitate, and struck Overhaul down with a glowing punch, sending the man flying.

Mr. Aizawa's hair flipped up, goggles obscuring the red glow as he nullified Overhaul's Quirk. "Ōkami, Nighteye, quick! Secure those who've been injured!"

Hitomi flinched, before jumping into action. She and Nighteye reached Togata, while Izuku and Mr. Aizawa stayed on Overhaul.

"Mirio!" Nighteye rushed to his protege, his voice wavering for the first time.

"G-get Eri out of here, she's… behind me." Togata gasped out, stepping aside to reveal the girl, who sat terrified, wrapped in Togata's torn up cape.

Hitomi's eyes burned, but she ignored the tears and went to Eri, as Nighteye caught Togata before he could collapse.

"I've got you now. You were amazing. You found her, Mirio." Nighteye clutched the boy protectively.

The white haired girl was so much smaller than Hitomi expected, and it was only made worse by how she curled up into herself, hiding in Togata's cape with an anxious expression as soon as Hitomi got close.

Despite the situation, with blood overpowering every other scent, Togata severely injured, and Izuku and Mr. Aizawa facing off with a disgusting but powerful excuse for a human, Hitomi took a subtle breath, and did what she did best.

"Hello there." She dropped down, kneeling to be on Eri's level. She kept her movement slow, and maintained a small distance so as not to scare her. "My name's Ōkami. We're all friends with Lemillion, so don't worry, everything's going to be alright now." She smiled gently, her voice calm and light, while keeping her posture loose and eyes soft, all calculated to give off an air of confidence and capabilities that deep down, was nowhere to be found.

Eri flinched, and shook her head minutely. "Y-you— he'll—"

"Be no match for us." Hitomi immediately assured, hearing how fiercely Izuku was fighting, between thundering blows and furious words thrown the Villain's way.

But just then, it seemed Overhaul had had enough.

"Time to get up, Chrono!" Overhaul roared, his voice almost seeming to shake the building.

Eri flinched harshly, holding her head in her hands on both sides of her temple, eyes wide and threatening to spill with more tears. One of the downed yakuza littering the battlefield revealed himself to be awake, as an off-white ribbon moved and shot out from under his cloak's hood, and went soaring straight for Izuku first.

Before it could hit him, however, Mr. Aizawa pushed him out of the way, taking the slash on his arm to shield the boy.

Hitomi's heart lurched.

"Nighteye!" She called shrilly, watching as the fight began to turn away from their favor.

"Those pierced by the long-hand will find their movements slowed. I meant to skewer both of you at once, but, then, that's Heroes for ya." The man referred to as Chrono rasped from the ground, shrugging casually as he remained unbothered as he attacked.

She watched her teacher falter and teeter, careening in what felt like slow motion. His hair seemed to struggle to stay suspended in the air, Izuku's fight with Overhaul going on behind him, an ominous warning of what would happen if he let his Quirk fail.

A surge of desperation blinded her, Nori's words ringing again in her mind.

You're loyal. Like a dog. You're loyal. Like a dog. You're loyal. Like a dog.

You're loyal.

Nighteye quickly hurried over, carrying Togata for the most part, and sat themselves down by Eri.

"Go!"

She didn't waste another second.

"Sir!" Hitomi launched herself toward them.

"Ōkami, stay back!" Mr. Aizawa called to her, trying to put up a hand to motion for her to stop, but his movements were starting to stagger, as if glue was slowly hardening his body into immobility. Meanwhile Chrono was charging him with a flash of an eager grin.

She didn't listen to him, watching as her teacher finally fell, his hair fanning flat down in a clear sign that—

"I've got you!" Izuku charged confidently at Overhaul.

The vile man was already raising his warped and defiled hand out towards her friend.

Hitomi's blood went cold, her hand reaching out despite still being so far from either of them. "Izuku!"

"…All you've done, has been for nothing!" Overhaul cried victoriously, slamming his hand to the ground.

The room exploded in jagged tipped spikes, and Hitomi felt her stomach drop with her as a chasm cracked open under her, falling down into the darkness with a short scream.

The woman's eyes narrowed, as she gave a displeased click of her tongue.

The tablet no longer showed anything of worth, the cameras going out in the chaos. She had faith her darling would be alright, given her arraignment with Chisaki, but she still wanted to be able to see her in action more.

"Is there anything you would like me to do, Madam?"

The woman hummed. "Mmm… no. I need to let her fight her own battles, without me doting on her." She rested her hand on her forehead with a dramatic sigh. "Oh how they grow up so fast! It feels like it was just yesterday that I held her for the first time— her tiny red face, and floppy ears, small enough I could hold her with one hand…" She sagged low, hugging the dark tablet.

The man blinked slowly, an exasperated bead of sweat dotting his head. Of course, he would never show such disrespect to his lady, but that didn't mean he couldn't sigh at her dramatics on the inside.

It wasn't a long drop, landing on her side and kicking up a cloud of dust. Hitomi coughed, rolling and pushing herself upright. A quick scan of her surroundings left her eyes adjusting to night vision, blinking and squinting to examine the rough little cavern she was carelessly thrown into. The opening above her was already gone, sealed back up.

But why—

She heard commotion up above, an explosion followed by the deranged voice of Overhaul.

Hitomi moved to transform into her largest Akita form, so she could bust a new hole open and leap out to rejoin the fight, but—

She smelled more blood, and this time, she could recognize it immediately.

Her fur stood on end, and a growl overtook her chest as she whirled around, facing one of the walls of the chasm.

A small splintering crack had created an opening into the room her teacher's scent was coming from, but even at a glance she could tell it wasn't big enough for her to get through, she would surely get stuck if she tried.

"Mr. Aizawa!" She shouted coarsely, the metal scent of his blood getting stronger, laying thick in the back of her throat.

With a desperate growl she moved to kick the wall and bust a wider hole through, but as she pivoted on one foot and raised the other, pebbles and dust rained from above, a sickeningly dangerous rumble shook the foundation, and she wavered, faced with the possibility that the ceiling would come down on her if she tried it. Teeth grinding and heart racing, she was left with one option.

Make it work.

With a sharp breath she ran at the opening, sticking an arm through first, then her head, immediately meeting resistance as the jagged concrete dug and raked into her skin as she pushed. She growled deeper, feet skidding against the floor as she tried to force her way through.

Hitomi's eyes fell shut, closed tightly as her body strained. Her gums gave a familiar tingle as her fangs sprouted, and in the darkness behind her eyelids, she felt her body twist in transformation.

But instead of the walls closing in— crushing her larger form, she felt them fall away.

With a startled gasp she tumbled out on the other end, blinking rapidly as she caught herself on four paws.

What? How did—

She looked up, eyes naturally adjusted to night vision.

It revealed an intact room of the base, left untouched by the chaos, save for a hole in the ceiling and a chunk of wall that was now rubble on the floor.

And before her stood a figure, one of towering height— Wait—

Hitomi gasped sharply, backing away as her body changed once more, this time growing larger as she returned to her human body. She stumbled back a step, blinking in an effort to see clearly, squinting for her eyes to readjust again while her fists raised in defense.

"Mr. Ai—"

Something whizzed past and brushed her left cheek, warm wetness rolling down right after.

The darkness dissipated fully, revealing the yakuza member— now without his mask, standing over the downed body of her teacher. An off-white ribbon came shooting back to the Villain, retracting into his hair, and with a wave of dread, Hitomi realized what had nicked her cheek.

"It's you." The Villain hummed, gray eyes narrowing in thought.

Hitomi growled again, taking a step forward— or rather, tried to, only for her leg to stagger and lock up, sending her to the ground with a gasp.

"Saito, get out of here!" Mr. Aizawa ordered, trying to inch his body away from the man and towards her, his eyes forcefully blindfolded with a torn piece of the yakuza's cloak.

It was a desperate and ultimately useless command, and they both knew it.

Hitomi panted, bordering on hyperventilation, trying with everything she had to stand, or even just get on her knees. But it felt like the air around her had turned into cooling tar, so thick and restricting. Without meaning to, her fangs extended, and her hands shifted into clawed paws, as deep panicked yowls rumbled with almost every exhale, akin to a snared animal.

"Interesting." Chrono mused, stepping away from her teacher, and instead loomed over her. "You came to this Hero's aid, instead of staying by the girl. And you both refer to each other by your real names."

Hitomi yelped as she felt another slice being dealt to her back between her shoulder blades, and felt herself slow even further.

"Enough!" Mr. Aizawa snarled, despite being unable to see what was happening.

Chrono ignored him. "Kai made things quite clear. You're the one called Hitomi Saito, correct?"

Hitomi froze, eyes wide and terrified as they stared up at him through her disheveled bangs.

"I'll take that as a yes." Chrono sighed, and placed a hand to his chin in thought. "Strange, the information I was given said you possessed an Akita Quirk, not a Shiba one… no matter. My Quirk won't last long enough to get you to the Madam securely, so it looks like we'll be doing things the hard way."

Madam? The person that wanted her for whatever reason, was a woman? The thought had never even crossed her mind, and only left her more confused.

"Leave her alone…!" Mr. Aizawa grunted, body quaking with the effort to get up. "Whatever it is you want, you—"

"I'll be needing this." Chrono casually grabbed onto Mr. Aizawa's capture weapon, callously yanking it free from around her teacher's neck.

Hitomi watched the man, unable to even rotate her ears as he went behind her and out of sight.

Her pulse thumped loud and rapid, felt in every part of her body. This was worse than the USJ, than I-Island, than the attack on the training camp, than when the League had her chained to a wall.

At least all those times before, she could move some part of her body, at the bare minimum.

Now, she was trapped. Imprisoned inside her own body.

"If only I had some sedative on hand." The man sighed in mild irritation. "Oh well. I'll try to make this quick. Just don't struggle and it'll make things easier."

Hitomi sucked a panicked breath. "W-wha—"

The comforting scent of Mr. Aizawa encased her, momentarily blocking out all the blood and fear, as his capture weapon came down over her face. For a split second, she felt a wave of calm, brought only by the illusion that her teacher was close. But the illusion was shattered when the scarf was pulled further down, sliding under her chin.

A heavy boot pressed into the same space between her shoulder blades that he had cut, pushing down, at the same time that the scarf was pulled up.

Hitomi choked on a gasp, trying frantically to move her hands, to grab onto the capture weapon wrapped around her throat and tug it away, but her arms could only twitch.

"Saito!" Mr. Aizawa called out, hearing her desperate choking.

"I told you not to struggle." Chrono calmly chided above her,

He's— he's choking me!

Hitomi croaked, trying to speak. But the lack of airflow and the paralytic Quirk made her unable to form any words. She didn't even know what it was she was trying to say. Stop? Please? A desperate call for her teacher to help her?

Her head started pounding, and a darkness began creeping in from the edges of her vision. She felt as if she was being pushed deep under water, the pressure bearing down on her, too strong for her to hope to beat.

Why is this happening?

It felt like her head was splitting open.

Why is this happening?

Through faltering eyes, she watched Mr. Aizawa tremble, as he shouted words that were too muffled to make out.

Why is this happening?

Her head slumped forward, unable to keep itself up anymore, as her eyes fluttered shut.

Why is this happening to me?

The faintest sensation caught her attention. It was as if every hair on her body stood on end, suddenly hyper aware. The fogginess clouding her brain was still heavily in place— growing thicker, in fact. But while her mind slid into a blissfully numb and ignorant state, her body seared hot, and moved.

Perhaps it was a dream, or illusion, or maybe even memory.

Who was to say?

In a vast void of darkness, a spotlight coming from seemingly nowhere shined down where a large trunk chest sat shackled shut, a lock and chains keeping it tightly closed.

A shaking hand held onto a small key, toying with it in a bid for time, before it reached out and slid it into the keyhole in the middle of the lock, turning it hesitantly.

There was a metal click.

The chains fell away like nothing, leaving the dusty, and vaguely familiar chest bare.

The lid flew open on its own, so violently that it slammed against the back.

A fearful but undeniably curious set of fuchsia eyes dared to peer inside. But all there was to be seen was a pitch black darkness, somehow even darker than the void around her. With a shuddering breath, she reached out a hand.

A larger one shot out from within the chest, latching onto her wrist with a vice-like grip.

She tried pulling back— to get away.

A pair of fuchsia eyes looked back into hers, matching hers all the way down to the white pupils. Yet this set was grim. Void of anything but exhaustion and something that almost looked like heartbreak.

A man's voice spoke, deep and solemn, but despite his ominous words—

"Sleep, kid. Let it take control. It knows what to do."

—There was something so soothing about it, too.

Soothing enough, that despite not having any idea of what this was or what was happening, she instinctively relaxed, and let herself drift off, feeling safe and secure in the hands of—

Before everything was ripped away, there was the faintest scent of bluebells, cigarettes, and shame.

Her tongue ran over her teeth, nearly nicking itself on her large fangs. There was a strange taste coating her mouth, something her sluggish mind couldn't identify yet.

She was sitting on the floor, her knees bent with her legs on either side. Her posture was slouched, hands lazily hanging between her thighs. Her knuckles brushed the floor with every exhale.

She blinked slowly, face slack of any expression. Her head felt heavy and airy at the same time, as she turned it side to side, looking around at her surroundings uncomprehendingly.

A wet gurgle brought her attention to an odd sight. A red mass sat quivering not too far from her, and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was that she was looking at.

Until it coughed harshly, spitting blood in a large splatter.

Hitomi blinked.

Blood. That was what that taste was. Blood.

As if the realization of what it was only then allowed her to notice it, she suddenly became aware of just how much blood there was around her. On her.

It stained her mouth and hands, smeared on her cheeks, nose, chin, and neck— and dripped from her elbows to the coated tips of her fingers.

The metallic taste tainted her tongue— now bitter and displeasing once identified —clogging up her sense of smell from the inside. Or maybe she was just smelling the crimson scene she sat in the middle of.

She was sitting in a pool of it.

Then, she finally noticed something else. A figure wearing dark clothes sat a few feet away in front of her.

She blinked at it slowly.

A pair of bloodshot, and glowing red eyes stayed locked on her, expressing something she wasn't used to seeing in them— at least not turned on her.

Fear? Why is he afraid?

"Hitomi…" He spoke slowly, as if trying to calm a wild animal, and never once did his gaze stray from her.

Distantly, in some compartment in her mind that was still lucid, Hitomi felt hurt that he felt such an intense need to keep using his Quirk on her.

Her teacher moved cautiously, as he inched closer on his knees. His movements were slow, but determined. Once close enough, he reached toward her neck, using extreme care to not touch her as he removed the capture weapon twisted up under her chin. When he pulled it away, she saw the fabric stained in red as well.

Only once, during the USJ, had she ever seen the item stained in so much blood. After, it was always pristinely gray, looking warm and soft for being support gear for capturing Villains. And it always carried her teacher's comforting smell.

Now it hung heavy in the man's hands, more red than gray.

As if the sight broke some kind of spell, Hitomi blinked once more, looking around at the carnage one last time, before the numbness washed away and she truly saw it all for what it was.

A bloodbath.

The mass nearby was Chrono. The man looked closer to ground meat than a person. Tendons and viscera lay scattered beside him, and his heartbeat was getting slower by the second.

A revolting realization gripped her.

Her breath hitched, tears stinging her eyes and quickly rolling down her cheeks, disappearing into the blood covering the bottom half of her face.

"D-did I— I don't— Mr. Ai-izawa?"

When she looked desperately at him, she was again met with glowing red eyes.

You did this.

Her body felt cold, making the warm blood coating her a stark and disgustingly noticeable contrast.

Vomit soon joined the blood pooling on the floor.

Hitomi screamed gutturally upon seeing that nothing but crimson and a few pieces of gummy human meat was what spilled from her.

You did this.

Her hands shot up to her head, gripping fistfuls of hair so violently it tore some out. She continued to scream, shaking and curling in on herself.

You disgusting monster . Look at what you've done.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

You vile, heartless, bloodthirsty, diseased animal. You're not even human. No human could ever do this.

Her hands morphed into paws, and she dug her claws into her scalp without a second thought.

Look at what you've done.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry—"

"Stop!"

Hitomi froze, taking a few seconds to even notice that anything changed.

Now, Mr. Aizawa sat clinging to her— or more so, clutching her to his chest. He shook, from either exhaustion or fear, and Hitomi prayed it was the former, she couldn't tell through the stench of spilled blood. He held her against him, so tightly it became slightly hard to breathe.

Hitomi sat there, stunned and confused.

Carefully, he reached up and pried her paws away from her head, eyes flashing red again, forcing her hands back to normal.

"You did what you had to."

Hitomi flinched at his soft voice. She risked looking up, meeting his gaze.

This time she was met with obsidian irises. And to her incredulity, the only emotion showing on his face now, was tender concern.

"You did what you had to." He reaffirmed sternly, making sure she really heard him. "You stopped breathing. He— he choked you out for too long. You could've— you almost—"

Hitomi stared, awestruck as her unflappable teacher pursed his lips, brows furrowed and minutely trembling as he clearly struggled with the thought of what could have happened to her.

He took a breath through his nose, schooling himself, if only slightly. "I don't know what that was, but it's alright."

Hitomi slowly shook her head, more tears spilling from her eyes. "N—"

"It was self defense." He cut her off, almost glaring. "You're not at fault here. You did what you had to."

He's gonna die. She wanted to argue, starting to turn her head to torture herself with the gruesome sight again, but Mr. Aizawa gently held her in place, keeping her from seeing it.

"No matter what, you have me on your side. You'll be alright. I'll make sure of it."

Hitomi's breath hitched again, this time followed by raw, heartbroken sobs.

Mr. Aizawa held her even tighter, lowering his head until his chin rested on the crown of hers.

"It's alright. You're okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

And while it was a bald-faced lie, Hitomi felt her body release its tension. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, making her eyelids droop.

Darkness blanketed her mind, slipping into a dreamless sleep.

The last thought to pass by in her mind was—

What did I do?

Notes:

…Yeah. Those final scenes were some of the very first that I had outlined for this story. It will all make sense in due time.
Also, the reason Hitomi could move to attack Chrono was that he released his Quirk on her when he felt her go unconscious, as there was no reason to keep using it on her. And Aizawa was released when Chrono was, well, torn to shreds, as he couldn't maintain control of his Quirk. Is this how Chrono's power works in canon? Maybe not. But this is fanfiction babyyy

Chapter 56: A wilting Sakura

Notes:

In honor of the last chapter of BNHA releasing today, I hunkered down and finished writing this one. Now that it's concluded I'll get to work on the final draft of the rest of TLH, but there's no telling how long that'll take me. That said, I have a pretty good idea for some things.
I'm not sure about how long I might keep this story going after the end of BNHA. I might decide to end it there too, but I might extend things just a little, so we can flesh out Hitomi and the rest of the class as young adults/Pro Heroes.
Also, this chapter at the end spoils a character twist that (to be fair) happened in season six, so if you haven't gotten to that point yet, be warned.
(Please pardon any spelling errors/typos. For I am so sleepy)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hero work was gruesome. As glamorous as the media would lead you to believe, almost every Hero had a slew of stories that would send a chill down your spine. Stories that would keep them up at night, reliving them over and over, plagued by trauma that they were pressured into burying, in favor of doing interviews and brand deals.

That was part of the reason Shouta was underground, keeping a low profile despite his efficiency. He didn't want to have to smile at the crowd and pretend to be fine, because the truth was, he hasn't been fine since Oboro died.

But the scene happening right now in front of him, might just be the most horrific thing he'd seen since the collapsed building that took away his friend.

When the Quirk restricting his body seemed to suddenly start to fall away— as if a mountain of weighted blankets began to slide off of him one by one, he wasted no time in pushing himself up a few inches, muscles trembling even from the minor action. But he was ripping his eyes free of the makeshift blindfold in frantic haste upon realizing that there wasn't a ringing in his ears. Someone was screaming.

His body froze halfway sat upright, eyes wide and uncomprehending at what laid before him.

With her hunched body casted in shadow, Saito snarled like an animal, her mouth opened far larger than normal, nearly splitting her face in half with the maw, full of razor sharp teeth that tore into the man under her. Two small pinpricks of white glowed in the shrouding darkness, locked intently on the body she was eviscerating under her.

Moments before, Shouta was being tortured listening to the man choke her, knowing he couldn't do anything to stop it, no matter how desperately he tried to. But then the man had gasped, and shouted in pain, before he heard a beastly growling. What followed was the sound of screams and tearing flesh, and at some point during the violent display Shouta felt the effects of the Villain's Quirk starting to fade away, left counting the seconds until the weight was bearable to finally lift. Only to be met with something no longer quite human.

He froze, staring in absolute shock.

The man called Chrono was hardly recognizable, mauled and torn to pieces with the culprit hovering over him.

She was panting like a rabid dog, blood spilling and drooling from her ivory razor filled mouth. A now slightly elongated back hunched over, with vertebrae sticking out visibly as if forming dull spikes down her spine.

Shouta flinched when she bit into the man again, pulling back and ripping away flesh before she appeared to swallow.

"S—"

Saito's head snapped up, flinging strings of blood from her chin. It was as if she was in the early stages of an Akita transformation before it just stopped, leaving her with orange fur reaching down the sides of her face— the face that almost stretched into a hairless snout. Her arms had white hair reaching from her enlarged and clawed fingers to her elbows. The two of them, as well as her legs, were longer now. Bones and joints jutting out from underneath her flesh, as if her skin remained the same size while her bones grew and shifted.

But the sight that somehow shook him the most, was her eyes. Wide and near soulless, the fuchsia irises darkened closer to a scarlet, while her scleras were now a deep crimson with thin black lines creeping in towards her irises. Two white dots glowed at him in silence, watching like a beast waiting for the perfect time to pounce.

The fur of her ears and tail stood on end, and her jaw hung low, showing off a full set of large gleaming fangs, and four especially massive canines that could likely tear through leather like paper.

She looked like an animal.

Then, her expression twisted into feral rage, and she lunged at him with teeth bared and claws reaching.

Shouta's Quirk flipped on instinctively.

All at once Saito stopped, her face went slack and she slowly dropped down in a hunched sitting position, with her legs bent on either side. The new canine features shrunk away back into her natural shape and size with a disconcerting cracking and popping sounding from her warping skeleton. Her wide glassy eyes blinked, and he watched the red recede and fuchsia start fading back in. She was still covered in gore as the more familiar innocently blank look on her face set in. He wouldn't forget what he just saw, but somehow just her eyes softening back to normal was enough to make him release a breath he had been holding for far too long.

Saito slowly looked around, not seeming to grasp what was going on. When Chrono gave a wet rasp— something that actually relieved Shouta to hear —she turned her head to stare at him, and again showed no sign of recognition. But after the man coughed, she peered around at the room and the bloody mess it was in again, and her tongue visibly rolled around in her stained mouth. It was almost as if he was watching her rouse from anesthesia, head wobbling and eyes constantly drifting.

Shouta sighed through his nose when she finally looked at him again, as consciousness started to come through.

"Hitomi…" He called to her gently, eyes burning, but he didn't dare blink.

When she gave no response, he took a chance and shuffled forward on his knees. He grimaced as he felt cooling blood seep through his pants as he kneeled in the puddle that surrounded her, but he was not deterred. Once in reach he dared to remove his capture weapon that still sat tangled around her neck. He didn't want it to be anywhere near her after what it was just used for. The fabric was sodden with blood, hanging heavy in his hands, and he distantly recalled the USJ incident, when she had come barreling headlong into the fray to save him from the Nomu— only to be nearly killed herself.

Saito stared at the capture weapon, blinking at it as clarity started to seep in.

Shouta almost wished she had stayed in shock, when her eyes started to take it all in, hit with the sight of her slaughter, slowly passing through denial into despair. They welled with horrified tears, and her chest rapidly jerked with panicked breaths

"D-did I— I don't— Mr. Ai-izawa?"

Shouta winced, pursing his lips when she looked to him for some reassurance that this wasn't what she thought it was. All he could do was watch her with a glowing red gaze.

Saito froze, all the color leaving her face, before she hunched forward and vomited. Gruesomely, what came up was bile, blood, and a few pieces of flesh she tore from Chrono. Unfortunately, Saito saw this and let out a heart-wrenchingly guttural scream of anguish.

Shouta gasped when she reached up and began tearing at her hair, as she cried out and wailed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Shouta felt his breath hitch and eyes sting— releasing his Quirk to blink rapidly.

Not even a year ago, this girl sat before him with a beaming smile and bright hopes on her very first day at UA, and ever since then she's been beaten down and faced with challenges that no child should, fledgling Hero or not. And yet she always kept cheerful, no matter what she had seen, until now.

It broke his heart to see her like this.

Without his Quirk activated, hers flaired up, as her hands grew and extended claws— which dug into her scalp and ripped away at skin hiding under her pink hair.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry—"

"Stop!"

Shouta surged forward immediately, grabbing onto her shoulders as he struggled to activate his Quirk once more. With the urgency of a concerned guardian, he pulled her close and tucked her into his chest. His muscles shook from the atrophy of fighting against his paralysis, but he still held onto her tightly, with all that he could muster. Anything to keep her from hurting herself.

Saito finally fell silent, and he managed to work his Quirk back on, despite how his eyes burned. He took hold of her wrists and pulled her hands away as they shrunk back to normal.

"You did what you had to." He swore, his eyes flickering back to black, as they watched her sadly.

Saito flinched, slowly meeting his gaze. His chest felt tight at just how utterly beaten she looked.

"You did what you had to." He reaffirmed sternly, making sure she really heard him. "You stopped breathing. He— he choked you out for too long. You could've— you almost—"

Shouta's breath caught in his throat, and for the first time since the conference about the summer camp and kidnapping, he lost his composure. He wished Nemuri was here, knowing the woman was closer to the girl than he was on a more personal level, but he was all Saito had right now, and he alone would have to do.

He took a breath through his nose, schooling himself, if only slightly. "I don't know what that was, but it's alright."

Saito's face scrunched up in anguish at his clear lie, as she slowly shook her head. "N—"

"It was self defense." He cut her off, desperate for her not to break any further. "You're not at fault here. You did what you had to."

Saito moved to turn her head to look at Chrono, but Shouta quickly cupped her cheeks and kept her head in place.

"No matter what, you have me on your side. You'll be alright. I'll make sure of it."

Saito's breath hitched again, this time followed by raw, heartbroken sobs.

Shouta bit the inside of his cheeks, pulling her closer before she could see the tear that fell. He closed his eyes, resting his chin on her head while cradling her with care.

Because for this moment, he wasn't holding Ōkami, fledgling Hero. He was holding Hitomi, the daughter of the closest thing he had ever had to proper family. Before Mic and Midnight and Shirakumo… He had Naomi and Riku. They were there for him, always in his corner.

It would kill them to see their girl in so much pain. And it was killing Shouta now too.

"It's alright. You're okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

With that final reassurance, Saito went slack, slumping against him as she gave in to exhaustion.

Shouta gave a shuddering sigh in relief, but didn't move to let her go. In fact, Shouta didn't move an inch, until the door across the dark room was busted open.

"Eraser Head!" Amajiki crowed, battered and bruised, but far better off than Togata, who was slung over his friend's shoulder, unconscious.

Shouta raised a weak hand, silently signaling that he was alright.

But Amajiki was looking around at the scene, shocked horror painting his face.

"Sir, w-what—"

His eyes fell on Saito, who was covered in more blood than the slowly dying Villain likely had left in his whole body.

Shouta didn't let the boy linger on it too long, forcing himself up onto two unsteady legs, as he held Saito curled up against his chest, carrying her from the bloodied ground.

"We need to go. Where's the rest of the team?"

Amajiki blinked, and was mercifully professional enough to let it go. "R-right. Midoriya's fighting Chisaki, and…"

Shouta tensed. "What?"

Amajiki frowned deeply, his gaze lowered to the floor. "Sir Nighteye's been fatally wounded."

I see.

Shouta clenched his jaw, and stood taller.

"Alright."

They still had work to do.

The scars itched and tingled like a healing, though irritated, burn. But that didn't stop him from tracing over them again, and again.

Midnight was saying something, pointing out words on the chalkboard, probably emphasizing something important.

But all Katsuki could focus on was how heavy his phone felt in his pocket. The device was silent, and had been all day.

No reply when he texted Kirishima. And no reply when he texted Saito.

It was taking a lot of restraint to keep himself from texting Uraraka or Asui. It even crossed his mind to text Deku, though something he stubbornly refused to identify as shame, kept him from it.

He was even covertly checking his phone for news outlets every fifteen minutes for any word or whisper about a Hero mission going on, specifying the searches with "Fat Gum" "Eraser Head" "Sir Nighteye" "Ōkami" "Red Riot" and even "Deku". But nothing new ever refreshed, only articles back from Hosu and Esuha. It made him itchy, knowing there was a fight going on, and being completely blind to it.

Katsuki rested his chin on his left hand, shifting slightly to absentmindedly press his mouth into the four thin scars.

It was gnawing at him, a heavy and creeping feeling—

Midnight clapped her hands. "Any questions?"

—that something was wrong.

Upon slowly rousing from sleep, Hitomi immediately noticed the smells around her and what they meant.

Sterilization, plastic, bit of dust coming from a dry air vent, unscented laundry detergent—

She was in a hospital bed.

Without thought, her hand shot up to touch her right cheek, expecting to feel cotton. But when her fingers brushed against her healed over scar, it all came flooding back.

The mission. Eri. Separated from Eijirou, Fat Gum, and Amajiki. Rock Lock and Mr. Aizawa both stabbed. Togata battered and bleeding.

Everything had come falling apart. Destroyed by Overhaul before being put back together in an amalgam of horrors.

The taste of blood was gone, replaced by lingering mint toothpaste and the staleness of sleep.

Someone brushed my teeth.

Hitomi laid there, almost paralyzed by the thoughts racing through her head. At first, she staunchly denied the foggy memories of what happened, telling herself it was a nightmare. But the sting between her shoulder blades, where that man had stabbed her, and the deep throbbing ache around her neck proved that it was real.

What she did to him was all real.

"How do you feel?"

Hitomi flinched, finally sitting up to look at the door to her room.

Mr. Aizawa stood leaning against the doorway, with bandages peeking out from the neck hole of his shirt, likely wrapped around his back and right shoulder.

Before anything else, she clutched the scratchy blanket draped over her, and dared to ask;

"Eijirou, Izuku, Amajiki and Togata— Eri! Everyone! A-are they—"

"They're fine." He cut her off before she could get herself any more worked up. He approached, taking a seat in the chair beside her bed. "Surprisingly, out of you troublesome kids in my class, Kirishima is the most banged up, but it's nothing that serious. Amajiki fractured some bones in his face, but is otherwise alright. Togata is the one in the roughest shape, but he'll be fine."

Hitomi clutched her blanket to her chest, ears back in distress. "Can I see them?"

Mr. Aizawa didn't answer for a dragging moment, then he sighed and pinched his nose.

Hitomi held her breath.

But it was then that she noticed the bitter scent of…

"Now isn't the best time. I'm sorry but… Nighteye didn't make it."

Oh. It was grief.

"What?" Her voice hardly squeaked above a decibel. But he heard it.

"…He was wounded during the fight with Chisaki. He managed to hold out long enough to help Midoriya defeat him. We got him here, but it was too late, his injuries were too severe. He was conscious enough to speak with All Might, Midoriya and Togata. He passed wearing a smile."

The words were left hanging in the air to be soaked up and accepted, in a long blanket of silence.

It was only broken when a weak giggle slipped out, followed by a sudden huff of a laugh that sounded unnatural, but devolved into a series of rasping and cracking snickers and cackles. She was hunched over once again, holding her abdomen tightly as she spilled out uncontrollable and bordering on deranged laughter.

"Are you— Wow! So he—"

Mr. Aizawa watched grimly, as she moved to clutch her hospital gown over her stomach with one straining hand, digging and knotting her other into her hair, while she finally lifted her head to reveal a twisted and mirthless grin pulling on her face, with fat tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks in rapid succession.

"He died! The Hero that I was sooo mad at, died saving people, huh? He died, all while I was busy eating a man!"

Mr. Aizawa winced at her hysterical and saccharine tone, reaching over and taking her wrists, gently pulling them closer until he held both her hands in between his.

Hitomi didn't react, her wide eyes staring into nothing as unhinged laughter bubbled out, each one teetering on the edge of being a ragged sob.

She replayed it all in her mind on loop— the feeling of waking up to the scene of carnage around her. It was almost worse that she couldn't remember doing it. She killed a man, and she couldn't even remember—

"He's not dead."

The laughter got caught in her throat.

Mr. Aizawa held her hands, cupped in his to keep her from hurting herself in this state.

"That man, Hari Kurono, he's not dead. He just got out of surgery a few floors up."

Hitomi blinked slowly, sluggishly registering what he was saying exactly.

Mr. Aizawa leaned closer, his face bearing nothing but calm reassurance.

"You didn't kill him."

Hitomi swallowed, her tears flooding in for a different reason. "I… I didn't?"

He shook his head slowly, but something pinched his expression.

Hitomi felt herself deflate as she realized. "…he could still die."

It wasn't posed as a question, and Mr. Aizawa didn't shield her from the truth.

"…he's in no shape to do anything, and there's a fair chance he won't ever be off of life-support fully."

So, she all but killed him, then.

Hitomi pursed her lips together tightly, suddenly feeling so tired. "So, w-what does that mean? What if… what if he does die?"

Mr. Aizawa took a deep breath, sitting upright as he took on a more professional look.

"Are you familiar with the Student-Hero Protection Act?"

Hitomi tensed, but nodded.

Despite her confirmation, he went on to explain anyway. Likely because he was legally obligated to.

"The Student-Hero Protection Act is a clause put in place to assuage a minor undergoing Hero training in the event that they have to use lethal force on a Villain in self defense, or in defense of a civilian. Blame is placed solely on the institution at which the student is contracted with. So UA will be taking the heat for this. The act also keeps the identity of the minor a closed secret from the public, so no one outside of me, the rest of UA faculty, Fat Gum, and the police involved with the case know about what happened."

A cold jolt of dread striked her chest. "Fat Gum?"

"Since your Work Study was under him, he'll be informed of the incident on paper, but he won't be given any specific details about the situation. Don't worry. He's a Pro, he understands that these things happen in this line of work."

"W-what— what kind of trouble will you be in?" She asked fearfully, already feeling panic bubbling up at the thought that he might be fired for this.

He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"It'll be fine. And none of it matters anyway, should the man make a full recovery."

"Right…" Hitomi murmured, unconvinced. God, what if her actions resulted in him being fired from UA? The thought shouldn't concern her nearly as much as the thought of killing someone, but she was petrified of ruining her mentor's life nonetheless.

And there was still the blaring and urgent question of; what on earth was that, that took over? What made her turn into such an animal?

The scent of bluebells and cigarettes lingered in her mind like a distantly forgotten lullaby.

The mission was a success. At least on paper. They rescued the girl, Eri. But it came with an undeniable cost.

As Shouta stood still outside her door, he could hear the bed sheets shuffle, before weak sobs came shuddering out.

God, if he could take away her pain somehow, he would in a heartbeat.

It was all going to be too much if things kept going wrong as often as they did. She'd seen her share of hell already, and she was still only a provisional Hero.

Unbidden, cotton candy blue hair wisped by in his mind, and as he stood in the hallway, he sent a prayer to anyone, that his charge wouldn't ever have to face the sick agony that was losing a dear friend. Or god forbid she—

The mere thought of losing one of his twenty troublesome kids, was enough to make his stomach churn.

Before Shouta had any time to linger morbidly on the thought, a creaky voice spoke up.

"It's strange."

Shouta tensed, sighing inwardly as he prepared for another headache.

"Yet another time Saito is the target of an unnamed yakuza group. It makes one wonder…" Gran Torino stared him down with an accusatory stare.

Shouta knew the suspicion didn't lie with him. He wished it did.

"We don't know it's yakuza."

"It's a safe assumption."

"Assumptions get people killed."

"Ah, like that man in critical condition. I'm sure he assumed Saito wouldn't go as far as she did."

Shouta clenched his jaw, but showed no other outward sign of the indignation growing in his chest.

"If you have something to say—"

"I've already said it plenty." The older man cut him off coldly. "It makes no sense for her to be targeted, unless—"

"Silver Shifter and Golden Geist took down several major yakuza groups, and Quirk trafficking rings, they made plenty of enemies—"

"Enemies that could have come for her sooner. That could have come for their far weaker son. They have had every opportunity to kill her, but according to Young Bakugou's report, the League was instructed to keep her alive, which was further confirmed today by Himiko Toga and Hari Kurono's refusal to kill her." Gran Torino spoke lowly, and grimly. "This isn't about revenge, Eraser. She's being recruited."

Shouta barely managed to stifle his scoff. "That's a baseless accusation, and one that makes no logical sense. Saito comes from a Hero family, did well in her first sports festival, has proven more reliable than even some Pros, and while strong, her power isn't anything special. Just your standard Mutation and Transformation Quirk."

'Standard' doesn't do what we saw. His mind hissed from the back.

Gran Torino's eyes narrowed. "You know I've never trusted—"

"I know." Shouta cut him off, fists trembling imperceptibly at his sides. "You don't trust that they were good people. Despite training the Symbol of Peace yourself, you seem awfully unwilling to believe that not all Pros are in it for the glory."

"Things don't add up, Eraser." He pushed. "Half the legal documents for their agency—"

Shouta felt hot with anger. "Have you been investigating them?"

"Have been, for years." Gran Torino admitted without hesitation.

Then, something occurred to Shouta. The reason Gran Torino was even here— outside her hospital room.

He came here to interrogate Hitomi.

The audacity had Shouta planting himself firmer in front of Saito's door. "I need you to leave."

Gran Torino sighed. "Eraser—"

"You may outrank me as a veteran Hero, but I am UA faculty, and she is my ward. I have full authority to remove you if I deem you a threat to her health. That includes emotional as well as physical." Shouta squeezed his eyes shut briefly, feeling his Quirk act up in his ire, for the first time in what was probably a decade.

The older man stared him down for a tense moment, before he sighed defeatedly, and walked away. His cane clacked with each step.

Only once the elderly man rounded the corner, did Shouta let his shoulders drop.

A harsh sigh blew through his nose, as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. Despite being exhausted, he knew he still needed to check in with the rest of his students that weren't sent to the hospital, before diving in on all the paperwork he needed to fill out to make sure Saito wouldn't face any serious consequences over the whole ordeal.

Even though he hid it from her well, Shouta was beyond stressed, knowing full-well this whole situation could end in his termination with UA. The thing he was most worried about with that possible outcome, was how it would affect Saito. He couldn't imagine she would take it easy.

His stomach gave a loud rumble, and he inwardly conceded to finally grab something to eat, now that he had finished checking in on all his kids that were injured in the mission.

Shouta didn't want to leave the building, however, so he entered a creaky elevator and reluctantly pushed the button to take him down to the second-floor cafeteria. The generic elevator music did nothing to keep his mind from replaying the scene he saw hours ago, of Saito's unexplainable episode.

The ping of the elevator reaching its destination snapped him out of the memory.

Shouta stepped forward, briefly closing his eyes at the harsh fluorescence, as they were still stinging from his callous rubbing. But he couldn't even fully exit the elevator before a body collided with his.

"Oh!"

Years of Hero work kept his reflexes honed, and thanks to that he caught the person by their biceps before they could fall. Meanwhile his body hadn't budged an inch despite his bone-deep exhaustion.

Wide apple green eyes blinked up at him under thick lashes.

Shouta inwardly mused that most other men would likely grow flustered under such a beautiful woman's stare. That being said, he wasn't most men.

"Are you alright?"

The woman blinked once more before nodding hurriedly, her cheeks flushing, presumably out of bashfulness.

"Uh— yes! Thank you."

He let her go, stepping back and taking a quick cursory glance over her.

5'9", rather tall for a woman in Japan, with platinum blonde waist length hair, and green eyes. Pointed ears signifying some form of minor mutation from a Quirk. Slim, but her biceps were hard with hidden muscle, dressed in a sleek and seemingly designer brand lime green pantsuit, with white tipped manicured nails that gripped a vase.

She was clearly someone affluent, and given that she was marching her way through a hospital currently housing a plethora of injured Heroes, it was likely she was either on someone's business team, or she was a significant other.

The flowers in the vase, he noticed, seemed strangely familiar, but he couldn't quite place them—"

"Bluebells." The woman chirped, as if reading his mind. Perhaps she was, given he didn't know her Quirk. "They're a family favorite."

Shouta nodded, stepping aside for her to pass, all while he wracked his mind for where he could have seen the oddly shaped flowers before.

He didn't have any reason to question her identity or her exact objective, knowing that the floors housing the Heroes and captured Villains above them needed a keycard to enter, for security reasons to keep all the vulnerable and healing Heroes safe, and the Villains from escaping.

Shouta didn't bother adding anything more to the exchange, stepping aside to let her enter, and giving her a short nod before he went on his way to eat some subpar food.

Only once he was sitting at a table, slowly chewing on a stale pre-packaged sandwich, did he remember.

Bluebells were Naomi's favorite.

The second that the metal doors slid closed, apple green eyes flattened in disgust, their color taking on an acidity.

Kikyo Nakamura gave a muted scoff, removing one hand from the vase and looking down at the item hidden cupped in her palm, which revealed to be a small keycard she swiped from him.

"Shouta Aizawa… Hm."

Of course, she had recognized him. It would be foolish not to thoroughly examine the people in her darling girl's life. Injured and exhausted or not, she was almost disappointed that the esteemed Eraser Head hadn't noticed her quick grab, but then again, the man had already proven to be useless, and she was nothing if not a master of her craft.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed at the memory of seeing the reports of the attack on the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, and how her sweet girl was nearly killed under his watch. By a band of then-novices at that.

Naomi and Riku really didn't do the best job at training him. She thought to herself derisively.

With a swipe of the card, she easily made her way up the floors, hesitating for a moment when tempted with the thought of visiting her darling girl, but she didn't have the time. There was a short window to do this, and she had no intention of keeping her loyal subordinates waiting.

Just the compassionate and caring mafia boss that she was.

Reaching the correct floor, Kikyo huffed to herself, marching down the hallways with purpose, not being stopped once by any passing staff or Heroes loitering around.

Many of them looked distraught, and she barely contained a sneer at the sight of them.

They were lucky more of them weren't killed. Another reason she was so incensed by Chisaki's massive failure.

He only managed to kill one Hero, took the powers away from one child, and managed to get himself beaten and arrested by even younger children. Not to mention one of his right hand men went and nearly killed her sweetheart. No matter his intentions, Hari Kurono was careless, and could've irreversibly ruined everything.

Kikyo was borderline snarling by the time she made it to his hospital room.

And it was almost cute how quickly the heart monitors started to pick up the pace.

"Hello Hari." Kikyo chirped, striding toward his bed and setting the vase on the table at the end of it before standing over his side. "You're looking well!"

Kurono whimpered around the thick tube shoved down his throat. His eyes were hazy, perception dulled by painkillers, but he clearly had enough clarity to recognize her, and what exactly it meant for him.

"I hear the surgery was successful!" She said, cheerfully slapping a hand down in the middle of his heavily padded and bandaged stomach.

Kurono grunted, his eyes rolling back as he almost went unconscious from the sudden and callous pain.

"Well, as successful as it could be, what with half your organs having bite marks." Kikyo giggled, completely unbothered.

Kurono's eyes welled with tears, and he mumbled something incoherent around the tube.

Kikyo sighed, dropping the act, replacing it with irritated disappointment. "You really screwed yourself here, Hari."

Kurono closed his eyes, whimpering again in what sounded like shameful agreement.

Kikyo stared him down with a lazy look of annoyance. "I thought I made myself crystal clear to your master."

Kurono started to nod frantically as best he could in a neckbrace, squeaking out unknown excuses and apologies.

The heart rate monitor was beeping faster.

"I expressly stated that the girl called Hitomi Saito would not be seriously injured. And what do you do? You choke her out instead of getting a sedative which I know you fucking imbeciles have in supply!"

Kurono flinched, eyes scrunched shut as he was likely anticipating her impending punishment.

Kikyo sighed deeply, as if dealing with an unruly child. "You forget your place. You're nothing but a weak little bug, under the control of a human much more valuable than yourself. You follow orders, and you survive. You break them, and you suffer the consequences. And unfortunately Hari, you broke my biggest rule."

Kurono began to cry in earnest.

"I'm sick of seeing my darling be hurt by incompetent worms." Kikyo reached into her pocket, her expression going thoughtful. "Though… I suppose you did do something of worth. Now she has a slight understanding of what she's capable of. To think, his Quirk managed to shine through. Talk about best-case-scenario!" She barked a laugh.

The heart rate slowed a fraction.

"Now, as for this whole issue, I'll let you atone by carrying out one last job." She gave him a smile that held no warmth. "I need you to send the perfect message."

The heart rate picked up once more, growing in speed more and more, until it cut out, and a long, unending beep blared from the machine in its place.

By the time staff arrived at the room, the bed was empty, and the only sign that someone had been there at all, was the vase of bright bluebells left on the table.

Hitomi's ear twitched, and she held her breath upon hearing the alarm going off from a floor above her. Within seconds she heard a stampede of footfall rush by her door, and jumped when her door was thrown open.

Mr. Aizawa was panting, as he frantically looked her over with a panicked gaze.

"Sir?"

His eyes were stern, giving nothing away.

"Who did you fight during our first training drill?"

Hitomi frowned, ears flattening, but she answered nonetheless.

"Shouto."

"How did he beat you?"

"He…" Her face darkened a hue as she averted her eyes in re-visited embarrassment. "…he threw an ice frisbee… I chased it…"

Mr. Aizawa visibly relaxed, before his expression hardened.

"We're moving you. Can you stand?"

Hitomi cocked her head and distractedly pulled the blanket off of herself. "Wait, what's going on?"

Mr. Aizawa clenched his jaw, but ultimately decided to tell her.

"Hari Kurono is missing. He can't have left on his own, which means someone helped him escape."

Hitomi paled. "W-where could they be?"

"We're searching, but that's why I need to move you into the same room we've moved Kirishima and Midoriya into." Mr. Aizawa came over upon seeing her legs wobble, and hooked her left arm around his shoulders. "And we're stationing guards right outside the door."

Hitomi nodded, surprised at how lightheaded she felt. Whatever took control of her had left her feeling unbelievably drained.

"What about the girl? Eri?"

"She's being monitored by staff and a police squad. She's unharmed, but she developed a strong fever."

Hitomi's ears flattened completely to her head. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Mr Aizawa nodded as they stepped out into the hallway. "She should be fine, it only seems to be backlash from her Quirk."

"Oh." Hitomi murmured, before a flash of yellow caught her eye. She looked back over her shoulder, spotting Gran Torino standing at the end of the hallway down on their right. She raised her hand and gave a weak wave.

The elderly man stared her down with suspicion and contempt.

Hitomi remembered back during the first meeting about the mission, and how he'd looked at her the same way then, too.

But why?

Mr. Aizawa turned her away, helping her along in the opposite direction of the man.

She could feel his stare on her back the whole way down the hall, and all the way until the elevator doors closed.

When they opened again on the correct floor, Hitomi jumped at the tall figure standing in front of it.

Rock Lock was holding his bandaged side, where he had been stabbed by Toga. He held the same expression that she had grown used to seeing on him— that being tight-lipped irritation.

But his scent—

Upon seeing her and Mr. Aizawa, his expression loosened slightly. A large and calloused hand plopped down on her head firmly, raising an inch to repeat the motion again.

Hitomi blinked slowly.

His scent only held gratitude and relief.

"Glad to see you up, kid." Rock Lock casually said, keeping his hand on her head and ruffling her hair as he looked at Mr. Aizawa. "Hey Eraser. What's the status?"

Hitomi stared up at him with wide and marveling eyes, cheeks warming under the unexpected praise. But immediately a faint but sharp pain stabbed her in the stomach as she was hit with a thought… I don't deserve this praise.

Mr. Aizawa rolled his shoulder, his face giving no sign of pain. "Just a few stitches. I've managed with worse."

"Yeah, I know." Rock Lock's eyes lingered on the scar beneath Mr. Aizawa's right eye. He sighed, dropping his hand from her head and sliding past them to enter the elevator. "Well, let's hope we don't see each other again for a while."

Without context, his last statement sounded harsh, but Hitomi knew he meant that they wouldn't have to team up again any time soon, not to this scale at least.

"Uh— bye?" Hitomi stammered out when the doors started to close behind them, waving awkwardly.

She just barely caught a glimpse of Rock Lock's small but amused smirk, before it closed fully.

"He asked about you."

"Huh?" Hitomi looked at her teacher in surprise.

Mr. Aizawa slowly steered her down the hallway, his eyes keeping vigilant watch of their surroundings, despite his neutral expression.

"He wanted to know how you were doing. You seemed to have earned his respect when you patched him up."

Hitomi forced her feet to keep moving, speechless. She didn't even think Rock Lock had been coherently conscious when she tended to him, not to mention it was a slapdash job, done under tense circumstances in which she couldn't even offer emotional support, as a Hero was supposed to do when treating the injured.

She always had a feeling that he was a big softie deep down. And not for the first time since she awoke, her mind drifted to a similar person to the Pro. She absentmindedly patted at her hospital pajama pants, feeling for her phone.

I need to let everyone know we're okay… I want him to know that I'm okay— Her feet stalled for a step, the hitch seeming chalked up to her fatigue, still helped along by Mr. Aizawa. But the real reason she stopped, was the wave of anticipation she suddenly felt to see Katsuki. Of course Momo too, and the rest of her friends, but—

I need to see him— I need to smell him— I need to touch—

Her face began to burn hot, eyes staring down at the floor moving under them, brows furrowed as she briefly caught a break from her tormenting thoughts about the mission, instead suddenly seeming unable to think about anything other than him.

What is this? She weakly raised an unsteady hand to her chest, face burning so hot. What is this fuzzy ache and heat in my chest?

All too soon the two were standing at a door that was manned by two police officers on either side. They nodded at Mr. Aizawa and gave him the all-clear to enter.

Izuku and Eijirou both whipped around to face the door as they stepped inside, visibly perking up when they saw who it was.

"Hitomi!"

It was a relief to see them, but the pinkette blinked, then gawked.

"Eijirou?!"

Her redheaded friend smiled— or it seemed like it, it was difficult to tell through all the bandages wrapping his face, as well as every other square inch of his body. He attempted to wave with his cast, pulling it out of the sling.

Izuku winced, motioning for him to put his arm back.

Hitomi quickly entered, getting a closer look at the boys' injuries. She stood by Eijirou and fretted over him first, left rounding on Mr. Aizawa almost accusingly.

"You said he was fine!"

"I said his injuries weren't that serious."

"You call this not serious?!" Hitomi wildly gestured at the boy whose body was covered almost entirely by bandages.

"Don't worry about me Hitomi, it's kinda cool being a mummy man." Eijirou joked, clearly trying to make light of his current condition to calm her down. "And anyway, are you okay? Those are some gnarly bruises."

Hitomi flinched, hand shooting up to cover her neck.

And in an instant, she was reminded of the way she had mauled a man, tearing him apart like an animal. Possibly killing him…

Any desire to joke and relax now that she had seen two of her friends, shriveled up and died. She didn't deserve to, not after what she did.

Besides, they still didn't know what happened to her, so there was no telling if it could happen again. What if she just snapped and attacked Eijirou or Izuku? She couldn't be trusted.

"Your cheek's cut too…" Izuku's voice was so soft and caring, arms busted to hell but showing concern over the tiny cut. It actually hurt.

She was glad they couldn't see the bandages wrapped around her torso, from the deep gash on her back.

Izuku turned to Mr. Aizawa. "Sir, now that we're all here, what's going on? What's with the alarms?"

Hitomi stiffened, holding her breath as she waited for his response.

"…One of the Villains we had in custody got out, we're searching for him right now."

Izuku shot to his feet. "What about Eri? Is she—"

"She'll be fine. She's being guarded to the teeth." Mr. Aizawa assured him.

"How did they even get in? The security—"

"The security is fine. This falls on me." Mr. Aizawa cut Izuku off, crossing his arms.

"What?! How?" Eijirou asked first, while Hitomi and Izuku were too busy staring slack-jawed.

He sighed. "My keycard is missing. I ran into a woman earlier, carrying a vase of bluebells—"

Hitomi went cold.

"—and that same vase was found left in the man's hospital room."

"What did she look like?" Izuku questioned, his brows furrowed seriously.

"Blonde hair, green eyes, pointed ears, 5'9", wearing a green pantsuit."

Hitomi slowly sat in the chair beside Eijirou's bed, heart racing as she tried writing off the coincidence. What were the odds that the vase would be full of bluebells?

"Bluebells are Mama's favorite…" Hitomi mumbled lowly in a thoughtless reassurance to herself. It was a coincidence. She dreamed about bluebells because they reminded her of her mother. Something her subconscious gave her to help in a moment of intense fear. The vase was a coincidence. There was no other explanation.

There are no other explanations. She roared the words in her mind until they were seared into the back of it, shutting down any and all tiny possible thoughts and ideas anxiously bubbling up. No other explanations. None.

"If you see anyone fitting that description, call for me immediately." Mr. Aizawa stressed.

"Right!" Izuku quickly nodded.

Hitomi gave a small hum in agreement.

"Oh, Hitomi, have you seen Fat Gum yet?" Eijirou prompted her, likely trying to change the subject to something less dire.

"Er… no." Hitomi spoke hesitantly, unsure how to tell them that she had been too sickened with herself to leave her hospital bed, prior to the emergency. Plus she had no idea if he had been informed about her incident yet. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine! He looks way different though! Did you know that his Quirk is…"

As Eijirou rambled on about the Hero, Hitomi noticed the way that Izuku slowly sat back down, slouching slightly as his eyes went low and darker.

That scent hung heavily on him too.

"I'm sorry but… Nighteye didn't make it."

Hitomi swallowed dryly, halfheartedly nodding along to what her friend was saying, all while carefully watching the other.

"I hear you took care of Chisaki."

Every head in the room turned sharply, distrustful and venomous gazes pinned on Kikyo as she stood in the entrance of their current hide-away, light haloing around her in a way that was almost ethereal, even while standing leaned casually against the doorway and holding a large dark duffle bag.

"After all, he's no good without his hands."

"Who the hell are you?" The scarred man whom Kikyo knew went by Dabi, sneered and took a step closer from his spot leaning against the derelict wall of the abandoned warehouse they were hunkered down in.

Sad. To think that this was how far All for One's forces had fallen.

Kikyo sighed, sliding the duffle from her shoulder and slinging it out into the middle of the group. She narrowed her eyes at the boy wearing severed hands, who was standing and moving toward her now without hesitation, clearly preparing to attack.

She rolled her eyes, settling her hands on her hips without a care.

"You may address me as Lady Hinnagami, or simply by Madam."

The boy now called Tomura Shigaraki stopped sharply, almost freezing in place.

Atsuhiro, or Compress, went rigid and exhaled a stuttering breath.

Iguchi, called Spinner, immediately shot to his feet, standing straight as if she was his military sergeant. Even despite the scales covering his skin she could see a hot flush rising. He stared at her like she was a god. He knew exactly who she was.

She decided she liked Iguchi. If things didn't pan out with Shigaraki she might just have to poach him.

Toga simply peered around at her allies, frowning at her obvious ignorance. Though she wasn't alone, as Bubaigawara was no better, blatantly scratching his head in cartoonish confusion.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Dabi scoffed, ignoring the way that Iguchi frantically shook his head at him in terrified and awed reprimand, scarf whipping wildly in his panicked signaling.

Kikyo couldn't help but find his cosplay of Stain to be rather precious.

"Dabi—" Atsuhiro hissed tensely, body shaking almost imperceptibly.

Kikyo looked at Todoroki with an expression of boredom.

"You're the oldest. Born red, and died white, all alone on a burning hill."

Todoroki did well at masking his reaction, but his body betrayed him as the unmarried skin of his face went pale, and his icy blue eyes widened a fraction.

"…What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?!" Bubaigawara burst, and immediately cradled his head in pain, mumbling nonsense to himself.

Toga put her hands comfortingly on either side of his head, standing behind him where he sat curled up on the floor.

"What is it?" Shigaraki finally spoke, gesturing lazily at the duffle.

Kikyo perked up, smiling chipperly. "Oh! That's just a present I wanted to give you."

"A present!" Bubaigawara gasped in delight, then recoiled. "I don't want nothing from you, crazy lady!" His voice went low as he crossed his arms defiantly.

The whole display had Atsuhiro fidgeting in place, whereas Iguchi was the one to bravely approach, using one of his long blades to nudge the unzipped bag open, and peered inside.

It was needless to say he wasn't expecting what he saw, as he reeled back, stunned.

Toga pounced on it next, fearlessly sticking her head close to get a good look. Her expression quickly twisted into surprise, then recognition.

"It's—"

Kikyo wordlessly reached into her blazer (smirking minutely at the sound of several of them tensing or readying for some kind of threat) pulling out and opening a manila folder, throwing a handful of large police report photos from it to the floor, which fanned out and showed the League the reason she came here for a visit.

"Hari here did a very bad thing. So I punished him." She smiled at them primly.

Todoroki scoffed weakly. "And how is that a present for us?"

Her smile turned thin and long, her eyes hooded in a salacious look of glee. "Because I just gave you the first casualty of war."

She did a sudden twirl, immediately losing all signs of her true nature, falling into an expression of pure innocent fear. "Did you hear?! Heroes murdered an untried man— mutilated his body to cover it up! They killed him and then got rid of his body, all to avoid a bit of paperwork!" She raised a manicured hand to her mouth, covering it now in a look of childish saccharin shock. "Mommy, Daddy, why did the Heroes chop him up into little pieces?" Then she cocked her head, switching personas again, grinning manically as her tone went high and nurturing but in a strangely sterile way. "Because sweetie, they're liars! They kill anyone they decide is bad, and dump the body so they don't get in trouble! But even the League of Villains could spare that mean ol' Overhaul! I wonder which Pro did it? Endeavor, Hawks, Jeanist— so many it could be! So how can we trust any of them?"

The room was still with a heavy silence, all eyes locked on her figure.

She loosened her stance and grinned. "I'll give word when you need to plant the body— or, parts. And you let me take care of the rest. I'll have the people turning on those Pros like you've never seen. You thought Kamino helped your little cause? No one will be blindly following those Heroes once I'm finished." Her lips sharpened into a smirk of unrestrained pleasure.

"…Something tells me this isn't for free." Todoroki growled from his spot sulking in the corner.

"Of course not." She nodded down at the photos littering the floor.

Atsuhiro bravely picked up one of the many photos that had been taken of her darling girl post-mission, showing a close-up of her violently bruised neck. They had been taken as evidence, and Kikyo had quickly gotten her hands on them from some of her connections.

"Not another hair on her head is to be harmed, understood? Kurono was a fool who caused her needless injury, and he paid the price for it."

Toga continued to stare down into the duffle, and into the dull and lifeless eyes of Hari Kurono's severed head, which sat resting on the rest of him.

Kikyo smiled again, practically beaming as she clapped her hands once.

"And I'll need a quick favor from Toga and Bubaigawara here."

The man and girl both looked up and then at each other in surprise, before Toga pointed at herself in confusion.

Kikyo nodded. "Yes. I'm going to need you to bottle some of that up, and hold onto it for me, okay?" She swirled a finger at the duffle.

Toga looked at the blood beginning to seep through the fabric of the bag.

"Uh, sure?"

"What about me!" Bubaigawara eagerly shot up his hand, seeming to have already forgotten his earlier distrust of her.

"I'm going to need a few doubles. Toga and I will get you the measurements you need."

"Tubular." Bubaigawara nodded very seriously.

"Wonderful! Welp, I'll be in touch! Expect contact around the new year. Toodles!"

Kikyo turned on her heel, strutting out of the building before any potential questions could be asked. She had places she needed to be, and arrangements to set. They were finally now in the endgame of her plan, so close to her goal that it almost made her squeal.

She primly slid into the seat waiting for her outside, the car door shutting behind her gently before her assistant went around and got into the driver's seat.

She stared blissfully out the tinted windows, quietly singing a song to herself to bide her patience, and hold off on rushing into things. All that mattered was that she was bringing her darling home. Whether today or a decade from now—

Just hold on a bit longer for Momma to come save you, Sakura. We're almost there…

"On a white wall… someone has drawn~ a small flower that's so delicate it sways… in the wind~"

Notes:

FINALLY. I'M FREE FROM THE TORMENT*
*(the Hassaikai Arc)
Whenever I can get the next chapter written be ready because I'm dropping a Cherry-Bomb on you. I've missed them so much DX

Series this work belongs to:

Part 1 of Ōkami: Origin Next Work →

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Cleaea on Chapter 1 Tue 04 May 2021 04:30AM UTC

Wow a great start. The brother seems worrisome but hopefully his BigBro feels will prevail and everyone will get along happily! His quirk is pretty dangerous, a boggart or feartoxin naturally produced. Preeeetttyyy rife with potential to be misused, hopefully that doesn’t happen.

Whenever I see hero parents I inevitably brace myself for tragic backstory character death. Every chapter I read that is pure happiness is so sweet but then the inevitable crushing grief taunts me haha. I always hold out hope.
Thanks for the story!

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iamvioletta on Chapter 1 Wed 18 May 2022 03:43AM UTC

BRO IM SO PUMPED TO READ THIS
WHAG AWESOME WUIRKS
I LOVE THE PARENTS AND BROTHER
HILARIOUS
AND AIZAWA RELATION!?!?!!!!! eeeeeekk YESSS PLUS FUXKING MS JOKES IN HERE??? Pls pls pls I don’t get enough of her and eraser head!!
Loveeee thissss smmmmm :)

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brrrainrotz on Chapter 1 Thu 08 Dec 2022 12:35AM UTC

i've been a guest reader on ao3 for AGES; and everytime i read a really good fic, i wonder if it will be *the* fic to convince me to get an account. i read all fifty chapters as a guest and then clicked the invite button on ao3. so now i’m back to reread and comment—if you’re alright with me leaving lots of comments :P
“‘No I won't.’ Hitomi plainly stated over her own food.” YOU GO GIRL STICK IT TO THE MAN, nicely bc the man is basically your nanny.
also i love how whenever a stranger in bnha fics is described with “tired” eyes, the collective response is “AIZAWA”
side note because i have a bad memory: i wonder if we’ll ever see the bully again? it’d be interesting if her anger fizzles up in the same way after all those years.
LOVE THE CHAP. :D

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1. RedVelvetPanPan on Chapter 1 Thu 08 Dec 2022 01:47AM UTC
  
  This is seriously so nice I might cry 💛 and never worry about commenting too much! I basically live off of comments 😂 as for the bully, I’ve actually got a plot bunny about it, but haven’t decided to implement it yet, though now I’m seriously considering it lol
  
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HoldMyJambalaya on Chapter 1 Mon 10 Apr 2023 05:25PM UTC

your tags are hilarious omg

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HoldMyJambalaya on Chapter 1 Mon 10 Apr 2023 06:06PM UTC

oh it kind of sounds like aizawa but he'd be like 20 at this time? idk i gave up math 2 years ago

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kbell0715 on Chapter 1 Wed 14 Jun 2023 12:31AM UTC

I wonder what those last people role will be in you story.

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Seafaringtaco on Chapter 1 Tue 09 Jul 2024 12:13AM UTC

Nice start!
I'm wondering is Hitomi's family loaded? I'd imagine so if she went to the same preschool as Momo. I honestly had her pegged as the "taught by private toutors" type.
Oh Iida! You know I always forget he's probably rich too.

Last Edited Tue 09 Jul 2024 12:16AM UTC

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MWolfe13 on Chapter 2 Fri 14 May 2021 03:18PM UTC

I had hoped something like this wouldn’t happen. Ahhh I’m so sad, they were such a happy family.

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TheGrinch16 on Chapter 2 Fri 25 Jun 2021 03:53AM UTC

The other metaphorical shoe drops 😭😭 I hate that this is so good

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EllaAngelique on Chapter 2 Thu 21 Oct 2021 04:42AM UTC

Aaaaaand there it is. Mic drop. Tragic back story unlocked! 🤣

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iamvioletta on Chapter 2 Wed 18 May 2022 04:05AM UTC

FCUKING HELLLLLL NOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 NOOOOO THEY WERE SUCH A CUTE FAMILY FUCKKKKK

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aggressively_bisexual on Chapter 2 Wed 07 Sep 2022 03:26AM UTC

I KNEW IT BRUH WHY 🙁

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Sakihanajima1 on Chapter 2 Sun 25 Sep 2022 05:33AM UTC

Pinkette… no. Why do people use that terminology?

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brrrainrotz on Chapter 2 Thu 08 Dec 2022 02:26AM UTC

“A full stomach, and at least eight hours of sleep.”
🎵that should be me🎵
also i LOVE that she’s plump. 1. it’s such a…romantic word, if that makes any sense. 2. it’s nice to see someone with a similar body type getting some romance/having people attracted to her!
i wonder what the Two jobs the parents had were?
ALSO THE ALLEYWAY. hitomi is secretly batman

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Reneel on Chapter 2 Sun 18 Dec 2022 09:52PM UTC

BRO MY BIRTHDAY IS MARCH 20TH TOO

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HoldMyJambalaya on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Apr 2023 06:17PM UTC

ok you write so well wtf

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FictionDreamer97 on Chapter 2 Wed 01 May 2024 03:57AM UTC

HOLY SH*T

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Seafaringtaco on Chapter 2 Wed 10 Jul 2024 10:51PM UTC

Dang Endeavor....
I know your a piece of garbage who is currently tyring to be a better man. ( I fully support his redemption arc.btw) but I have an idea of what you suggested and you really did used to suck.
Edit: I was right. Man past Endeavor SUCKED!!!!!

By the way I've seen this a few times before and while if Endeavor had thought that Shoto would be unable to pass All Might he would certainly do this, but at this point in time he would be focused on his sons training and would still think about something like that. It's within his character to do so but at this time I think it's not as realistic.

Either way love the story and just wanted to voice my opinion on a trend that I've been seeing.

Last Edited Wed 10 Jul 2024 10:54PM UTC

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Mydiary on Chapter 2 Mon 29 Jul 2024 04:16AM UTC

Sigh i was happy because i thought i found a ff with an mc having a happy and complete family. Well them gonna drop this

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Aspirationsofwriting17 on Chapter 2 Wed 14 Aug 2024 08:18PM UTC

I love the fiction, but respectfully, you son of a BITCH! I thought this was gonna be something without the dead parent angst, and you pull this shit. From a writers standpoint, it was well timed, and provided some reality to the story, and it was jarring in a way that caught my attention, while not feeling entirely out of place.

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